A cultural festival, or a religious principle?

Minbar with Ahmed Haneef on Press TV.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s Ashura day speech

?I do not agree with what we or other people might sometimes say to the effect that this man (Bush) is foolish, stupid, or crazy and, therefore, we should not count on what he says. Things are not so. This is a big simplification of political facts in the world and the region. To help understand this visit and its axes, results, expected effects, and repercussions, the following introduction is necessary.

?This introduction is based on studies, events, facts, and books published in the United States and major research institutes. These have concluded that the current US Administration of Bush, which has been in power for seven years and will continue this year, is made up of an alliance among three groups that have common interests in the United States. The first group consists of the major oil companies. If you look at the senior officials in the Bush administration starting with Bush and down to Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, and all others, you will find that many of the key officials in this administration either own oil companies or arms manufacturing and trading firms.

?The first group is the major oil companies. The second group is the major arms manufacturing companies. I will, of course, explain things when an explanation is needed and will continue when things are clear in order to save time. The third group has a religious trend. It is today called in the United States the Zionist Christianity. I do not want to use this expression so that no harm will be done to a heavenly religion called Christianity, but I will talk about a special religious trend. What is meant here is this group of Zionist Christians who are so called in the United States today.

?I want to tell Muslims and Christians that the Americans are not concerned about Muslims or Christians in Lebanon. They are concerned about the interests of Israel and the strength and supremacy of Israel, and the oil and arms market at the expense of the sectarian, religious, partisan, ethnic, and regional conflicts in the region. All these are details for the Americans. Today, we the Lebanese renew the invitation to dialogue. There is a clear and authorized representative for the opposition.

?Do you permit me also to ascend these pieces of wood, and to say a few things which may please Allah and also become the means through which the hearers may earn spiritual reward? (Imam Sajjad (AS) to Yazid (la))

***These words of the Imam (AS) are especially relevant for our contemporary times? Yazid (la) had appointed one of his official preachers to abuse the ahlul-bayt (AS) from the ?pulpit.? The Imam (in captivity) after listening to the abuse, calls the ?pulpit? (mimbar) pieces of wood, because when the mimbar is used to express the official position of an oppressor - then that ?mimbar? is no longer a mimbar - it is nothing more than pieces of wood. And words that are expressed at the behest of a tyrant, from such a place, carries no spiritual reward, nor any kind of authority.

We see in our present day, that the puppet regimes of the empire continue to appoint their official “scholar”, whose only job is to drug Muslims into a deep sleep - and heap abuse on all those who choose to resist tyranny. Or, we see the voluntary ?good Muslim? who, to gain favor from the empire, chooses to remain quiet about the tyrant?s crimes - and may also silently, and not so silently praises the oppressor. These “religious scholars” may wear the garb of a scholarship, but are in reality, nothing more than mouthpieces of imperialism.

Imam Sajjad has also said:

?he who is subservient to a tyrant, has no religion? (Imam Sajjad (AS) Al-Amal, ch. 23, #7)

Every Day is Ashura Every Land is Karbala

Qana

“O Yazid! Do you think that we have become humble and despicable owing to the martyrdom of our people and our own captivity?

As you have blocked all the paths for us, and we have been made captives and are being taken from one place to another, do you think that Allah has taken away his blessings from us?

Do you think that by killing the godly persons you have become great and respectable and the Almighty looks at you with special grace and kindness?

For this reason and on account of this wrong thinking you have become elated and arrogant.

You have become boastful because you have seen that the matters have taken a turn in your favour. You have, however, forgotten what Allah says:

The kafar must not think that Our respite is for their good We only give them time to let them increase their sins. For them there will be a humiliating torment.”(Surah Ale Imran, 3: 178)

(Sayyida Zainab (AS) daughter of Fatima Zahra (AS), and Imam Ali (AS) , spoke directly to those who had comitted the crime of Karbala)

I will remove the masks off the face of the Yazidis

I am Zainab I am Zainab

Not your army, your throne, nor your crown will save you if I raise these hands in prayer against you

I am Zainab I am Zainab

We are being patient (sabr)

But do not ever think that we fear your strength

We will rise with our rights (haq) inside your palace

I am Zainab I am Zainab