Tag Archives: Shia Islam

October 20

Iraq : A Portrait of War, Peace and Pilgrimage

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The indescribable power of faith is visible everywhere in Iraq. It transcends rationality and eschews all modes of categorization. It is peculiar that it was in a country so plagued by religious tension and violence that I found some of the greatest harmony and peaceful tranquility of mind that I have ever experienced. We spent New Years Eve at the mosque during our last night in Karbala, ushering in a fresh start with the chants of the world and the humming of a universal law all around us.

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November 10

Abbas Rattani: Muharram, Community, Privilege and Power

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A year ago, I wrote a piece on why non-Shi’as should attend Shi’a events, arguing that history is often dictated/determined by the group in power, and in our current case, “Islam” is dictated primarily by heterosexual Sunni Arab men (with some influence from South Asian men).  Syntax and grammatical issues aside, the article raised some […]

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October 03

Omid Safi: Martyrdom of the Prophet’s Family, then and now

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  Less than 50 years after the passing away of the Prophet Muhammad, a small remnant of his family found themselves captives of the rulers of the Muslim state. They had been dragged through the Iraqi desert, with the women dishonored and most of their men killed. Among those martyred was the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, known […]

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