Reported by Nigel Boys
On the tenth day of Muharramin, Muslims around the world celebrate the Day of Ashura, in remembrance of Husyn ibn Ali, the son of Fatimah Zahra, daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Iman of Shia Islam.
Although many Muslims around the world donate blood at this time of year because they believe that sins cannot be forgiven without the shedding of blood, in countries such as Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Pakistan, a more macabre sacrifice is called for.
While some remember Ali by walking through the streets flagellating themselves in order to reenact his death on October 13, 1680, when he and his band of men were killed and beheaded, others gash the foreheads of their children and babies. Their claim is that a single tear, drop of blood, for Husyn will wash away a hundred of their sins.
While some online photographs show Muslims in Kabul, Afghanistan this week whipping their own backs with chains until they bled, others showed terrified infants and children waiting to have their foreheads slashed with razors by their Islamic fathers.
According to Sunni Muslim tradition, the “Day of Atonement” began when Muhammad saw Jews fasting in Madina on the tenth day of Muharram and asked them why they were doing this. When he was told that it was in remembrance of when God saved the Children of Israel from the Egyptians and Moses began fasting on this day, he decided that the Muslims were closer to Moses than the Jews, so declared that his people would fast on this day.
Mahmoud Jaber, one of the participants on Monday, said that he started doing this age old Islamic tradition when he was three-years-old, according to the Associated Press. He added that he brought his seven children with him to undergo the slashing on the forehead, but it doesn’t hurt them, because the pain is taken away by their faith.
“The child doesn’t understand what’s going on,” according to Hajj Khodor, a Muslim who claims to have cut the heads of children as young as one year old and others as old as 100. He continued, “The parents are faithful and believe by doing this, their children will be protected and will enjoy a long life.”
Muslims around the world celebrate the Day of Ashura by walking on hot coals and some women chain their wrists together while participating in a march of mourning, according to images on Albawaba.com
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