28 January 2007

Ashura



I didn't get the body count until relatively late this morning. Normally, I like to get that out of the way early and move on. The radio station I have to listen to now that provides weekday access to the world has a long-standing tradition of serving the Bluegrass Community. That is fine, in its place, but “Stained-Glass Bluegrass,” the religious music show that airs on Sunday morning, is beyond what I can take.

I had to go back to the pretty classical music as the dawn brings a gray filter to the spire of the Methodist Church across the street. A Strauss waltz went well with eggs.

It helped to take my mind off Ashura, the tenth day of the Month of Murharram. That is tomorrow, if your desk calendar is kept in AD or Common Era. The Islamic lunar month system keeps the date jumping around on me, though doubtless there are many who would say it is vice versa.

In fact, that is part of the point. The Islamic calendar is the most successful example of modifying the human reference point of time continuum. Robespierre probably took note of it when he re-set the French calendar to Zero in the Revolution; Pol Pot of Cambodia doubtless derived his own Year Zero program from his time in the cafes of the Rive Gauche.

The Islamic calendar was first introduced in the year 638 of the Common Era, or Anno Domini if you are unapologetic about Western Civilization. The second Caliph Omar, close associate of the Prophet (PBUH), devised the scheme to rationalize the dozens of dating systems used during his time.

After much discussion, it was agreed that the most appropriate reference point for the new calendar would not be the birth or death of the Prophet, but rather the first day of the first Hajira, the escape of the faithful from Mecca to Madinah.

In the Latin, the years are referred to as “AH,” or Anno Hajra. In the vernacular arabic, the word has different meanings, just as the term “jihad” does. It can refer to a flight to sanctuary from persecution. It also mean leaving a bad way of life for a good or more righteous way.

As with all new beginnings, the Hajri calendar is not just a sentimental system of time reckoning to determine important religious events, but it actually provides a framework for human conduct on all levels.

That is one of the reasons that Ashura is such a big deal, and directly associated with the death of seven Americans yesterday. There will be more today, and more tomorrow, with focus on the medium-sized city of Karabala, in central Iraq.

Ashura commemorates the day in 61 AH when Husayn, grandson of the Prophet, was killed in his attempt to become Caliph. Solders of the Sunni Ummayad Dynasty, led by Caliph Yazid, killed him and seventy-two of his relatives and followers. It was the final defeat of the Prophet's family in the wars of succession that followed the assassination of the fourth Caliph, Ali.

There are those who say Yazid was depraved, but the two factions are still saying bad things about each other all these years later. The defeat was so profound that it marks the downfall of all the Shia world, the beginning of their great discontent.

The rituals and activities associated with Ashura include self-flagellation by Shia males, often with whips that resemble small cat-o-nines, or even knives. These draw real blood, although some use paint for drama.

Accordingly, the Sunnis, who we usually call “insurgents,” are teeing off on the Shia, who are making an attractive target on their pilgrimage to the city of defeat. Defending it are the followers of the Shia thug Muktadr al-Sadr, who is also known as a young charismatic cleric.

I don't have a dog in the fight, or would not if there were not American kids in the way.

The path to this Ashura began with the most startling insurgent attack of this New Year. Insurgents wearing US Army uniforms, toting American weapons and driving new General Motors SUVs that are ubiquitous to American security convoys broke into the provincial headquarters at Karbala and snatched four American kids before taking off. They were found with the abandoned vehicles not long after, all shot in the head. Miraculously, one still lived, but he died on the way to the hospital.

This was so well resourced an operation that one is tempted to speculate on who financed it. I am inclined to think it is the long arm of the Iranians, retaliating for US raid on their consulate a few weeks ago, but they are Shia, too. My gut tells me it was Sunnis, but that could be pandering to my sense that since they won the fight at Karbala in 61 AH, they have more cash.

Hard to say. I will contemplate that over the rest of the weekend.

The Car Show is back in town. The exhibits have been in Detroit, and re-loaded on trucks, and arrived at the Convention Center last week. There will be a lot of SUVs on display, some of them security models, which despite their weight and fuel inefficiency, have established a niche market.

I was going to go down yesterday, but my son reminded me that there was a big anti-war demonstration on the Mall, and it would probably screw up travel.

I had to agree with him. There is nothing worse than getting hung up in a mob on the way to a car show.

Copyright 2007 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com


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