Tag Archives: Shia

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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March 14

Is American Islam Oppressive?

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Muslims in America practice the art of compartmentalization—buckets with labels such as: Muslim, non-Muslim, Shia, Sunni , converts, activists, professionals,  Muppies and Mipzters. We navigate the deep and turbulent waters of sub-sub-cultures were the interplay of social, cultural, societal and gender norms either isolate or empower. Being born Muslim—we become a collective Bill Murray bound in […]

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January 04

Ruba Al-Hassani : Hussain A Universal Call for Justice

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It was almost time; the moment of truth. He was uncertain about whether he was ready. It was not only his fate alone that was at stake, but that of many others who depended on him and believed in his cause. He had to be brave, and he surely wanted to be so. He has […]

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Imam Sajjad December 21

When In Despair Remember Imam Sajjad

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He walked in the unforgiving heat, toward the city of Kufa, with the sands of Karbala still latched on to his clothes – each particle of dust slowly withering away with the humid winds. His neck and hands were locked in chains – a captive of war. Hussain Ibn Ali his beloved father, had just […]

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December 15

Hussain’s Love: the battle of breaking one’s self

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Hussain as man At Nightspring Hussain empathizes with the nightingale. tuning nocturnal odes around the fire and rewinding his-story, because summer has come early to Karabala. Dreams at dawn dropping dew on Hussain’s dried lips, because Karbala’s clouds barely peel With no shade of any olive tree under which to rest Hussain’s sun-scorched eyes dream […]

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Imam Sajjad December 14

He is Sajjad: Tears are Gems Not Simply Sorrow

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He is Abid, He is Sajjad. The day of the Ashura has come, the night of sorrows has gone. His caravan is on it’s way to Shaam. This is Sajjad’s Ashura, this is Sajjad’s battle. Not slaughtered, but still, treated like cattle Sajjad watches them: his aunts, his sisters, his mother Herded from one town […]

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November 12

Fahd Ahmed : Hussain The Spirit of Islam

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The significance of Imam Hussain’s (as) struggle is not limited just to the Shia, or even for that matter, to the Muslims. The struggle, the cause, and the principle that Imam Hussain (as) invited to was for all people, of all places, and of all times. It is this same struggle that every Prophet, from […]

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November 07

Justin Mashouf : Telling the Story of Ashura in America

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The event of Ashura is arguably the most singularly impactful story in Shia identity. This tragic event in which the grandson of the Prophet is slain while thirsty in the battle field, surrounded by the corpses and of his own family members and close friends, has been and continues to be central in a diverse […]

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