First of all, there was a lengthy report by Yahoo News claiming to disclose new details about the U.S. assassination of top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Citing interviews with 15 current and former U.S. officials, the turgid report took a deep dive into U.S. preparations to assassinate the Iranian general. However, it failed to provide previously unknown jaw-dropping details about the assassination except for a bunch of claims of Kurdish involvement in the strike. These claims were quickly rejected by Kurdish authorities in Iraq.

The Counter Terrorism Group (CTG), a counter-terrorism unit affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) that was accused in the report of playing a key role in facilitating the strike against General Soleimani, has denied any involvement in the assassination. “We deny any involvement or awareness of our forces in such act,” reads a statement from the CTG sent to Rudaw English. “General Qassem Soleimani was a close friend of the late Mam Jalal [Talabani], and counter-terrorism units once fought on the frontlines against terrorism where Qassem Soleimani was also fighting.”

Iran has stopped short of directly pointing the finger at the CTG but said anyone linked to the assassination of General Soleimani must be held accountable.

Pundits believe that the report may have been intended to undermine Iran’s relations with the Iraqi Kurdish region and deflect attention away from those really behind the assassination.

Reza al-Ghurabi, an Iraqi expert on Iran, said on Twitter that the Yahoo News report fostered suspicion among Iranian media outlets against Iraqi Kurdistan and deflected attention away from elements who facilitated the assassination.

In the midst of the controversy over the report, a prominent Iraqi protest leader in the holy city Karbala was shot dead in the latest of assassinations targeting activists who played a key role in organizing anti-government protests.

The protest leader, Ihab al-Wazni, was murdered in broad daylight outside his home. As usual, some Iraqi and regional parties sought to blame his murder on Iran while portraying al-Wazni as an anti-corruption activist who had opposed Iran’s influence in his country.

While the Iraqi government was still investigating the assassination, The Arab Weekly, a publication close to the United Arab Emirates, pointed the finger at Iran.

Citing an activist close to al-Wazni, the publication said, “They are Iranian militias. They assassinated Ihab and they will kill us all. They threaten us and the government is silent.”

This incitement of hate against Iran has provoked a mob of protesters setting fire to the Iranian consulate in Karbala. Iran sent a letter of protest to the Iraqi embassy in Tehran and summoned the Iraqi ambassador. Iran also called on Iraq to provide protection for its diplomatic missions in accordance with international law.

The assassination of al-Wazni indicated that how far some regional local parties would go to defame Iran and mobilize public opinion against it even though it had played no role in the assassination.

These parties are now seeking to exploit the plight of another Iraqi activist who incurred severe injuries during an assassination attempt in Diwaniya. Ahmed Hassan, an Iraqi journalist, was in intensive care after being shot in the head early Monday. No one claimed responsibility.

Iran and Iraq enjoy deep, historic relations that despite highs and lows continue to be mutually beneficial to both sides. And this has angered some local and regional parties who wish to fish in Iraq’s troubled waters. These parties now seek to exploit the fraught situation in Iraq to drive a wedge between Iran and Iraq by accusing some Iraqi groups of being Iranian surrogates. With the general Iraqi parliamentary election a few months away, the political tussle between Iraqi groups is expected to intensify given the strong desire among some regional states to exacerbate polarization in Iraq.

The Arab Weekly claimed that “the upcoming battle for the protest movement [in Iraq] is likely to be with the Shia parties that are exclusively loyal to Iran.”

This portrayal of certain Iraqi political groups as pro-Iran factions may reflect a desire by the United Arab Emirates and other regional states to defame these groups ahead of the next Iraqi election.

Regardless of the motivations behind the recent assassination, Iran has made it clear that it highly values its relations with Iraq and will never let certain hands undercut these relations. That’s why Iran refused to escalate diplomatic tensions after its consulate was set alight and dealt with the issue calmly.

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According To Iran News, Iraqi officials dismissed reports of fatalities during Monday’s anti-government protests in the holy city of Karbala, saying certain media outlets have been fabricating news.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Karbala Governor Nassif al-Khattabi said viral footage of security forces shooting at protesters were fake and meant to “incite the street” in the city.

He said that a curfew had been enforced in Karbala upon a request by protesters in a bid to protect their lives, Press TV reported.

No one was killed, but some sustained injuries, most of them security forces, Khattabi added.

Additionally, Karbala’s police chief confirmed that no protester had been killed, saying that there was only a premeditated murder that happened some two kilometers away from the protest zone.

He said some elements had infiltrated into the protests to disrupt peace and incite violence.

Earlier on Tuesday, Reuters quoted medical and security sources as saying that Iraqi security forces had killed at least 14 people and wounded 865 others in Karbala.

At the start of October, street protests erupted in several Iraqi cities over unemployment and poor public services. The demonstrations resumed on Friday after a pause of about two weeks.

The first round of the protests left over 150 people dead in Iraq, according to the Interior Ministry.

The demonstrators want the government to take meaningful action aimed at ending the country’s economic woes and fighting corruption in state institutions.

As part of efforts to satisfy the protesters’ demands, Iraq’s parliament on Monday passed a set of measures, including reduced salaries for officials, the formation of a committee tasked with drafting constitutional amendments within four months, and the dissolution of all provincial and local councils outside the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region.

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IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK

Millions of pilgrims, mostly Muslims, including a record number of Iranians, gathered in Iraq’s holy city of Karbala yesterday to commemorate Arbaeen, the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein, the third Shia Imam.

Among the pilgrims, which usually number 20 million from around the world every year, many arrived in Karbala after trekking about 70 kilometers northward from the holy city of Najaf in a symbolic gesture honoring Imam Hussein.

Pilgrims entered the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala up to two weeks before Arbaeen. This year’s Arba’een falls on Saturday, October 19.

Foreign pilgrims from other countries also participate in the event, with tens of thousands entering Iraq notably from countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Lebanon.

The pilgrims are greeted by the generous hospitality of the Iraqi people, who provide them with food, water, transport and accommodation needed for the journey.

Imam Hussein was martyred along with dozens of his companions during a last-stand battle against the tyrant of the time, Yazid, more than thirteen centuries ago.

The martyrdom of Imam Hussein has turned into a symbol of righteous revolt and social and political reform.

Imam Hussein is a highly-venerated figure not only among Shia Muslims but also among Sunnis and people of other faiths.

Protestants and Catholics paying their tribute during Arbaeen at Karbala.

Many observers have highlighted that despite Arbaeen being the world’s largest annual peaceful gathering on earth, there has been substantially little attention from mainstream media to the major ceremony.

Meanwhile Iran’s Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli praised the actions taken during Arbaeen this year saying that 3.5 million pilgrims from Iran have participated in the religious march.

He said in the early years, about 300,000 to 400,000 took part, but now after five years, the number has reached 3,500,000 which is very remarkable.

“We had good progress in some sectors this year, but there are still issues which must be resolved,” he noted.

Arbaeen is a Shiite Muslim religious observance that occurs forty days after the Day of Ashura.

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During the last leg of his meetings with Iraqi officials, elites and representatives of Iraqi society from various ethnicities and regions, Zarif sat for talks with the tribal leaders and clans’ representatives of southern Iraq in the consulate of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the holy city of Karbala.

During the cordial meeting on Wednesday, some of Iraqi tribal leaders and representatives expressed their views and ideas about the strong bonds between the two nations of Iran and Iraq, Foreign Ministry website reported.

For his part, Iran’s top diplomat referred to the close relations between the two nations over the past centuries and pointed out that nothing, even the imposed war by the former dictator of Iraq on Iran, could not separate the two nations.

“The love of the third Shiite Imam, Hussein ibn Ali (AS) has served as a bond connecting us together,” he said, adding that Arbaeen, the anniversary of 40th day after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) is a beautiful picture of companionship, self-sacrifice, hospitality and sympathy between the peoples of Iran and Iraq.

He also thanked Iraqi tribes for their warm hospitality to the Iranian pilgrims flocking to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala each year to commemorate Arbaeen.

Zarif then underlined that Iran and Iraq are now involved in the construction process and added the two sides should put their focus on improving the living conditions of their people through overcoming the current obstacles and preparing the ground for further economic cooperation.

“Building on the two sides’ capacities, we can increase our annual trade volume by 20 billion dollars and if the ground is prepared, the Islamic Republic is ready to proudly share its achievements in energy, engineering, agriculture and trade areas with the Iraqis,” he concluded.

Iranian foreign minister arrived in Iraq on Sunday afternoon and held separate meetings with various Iraqis officials from the central government in Baghdad to Kurdistan semi-autonomous region.

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The uprising and martyrdom of Imam Hussain (as), the beloved grandson of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), in 61 hijri (680 AD) arguably has no parallel in the annals of history. To invoke poet Sir Mohammad Iqbal (ra), “he watered the dry garden of freedom with the surging wave of his blood, uprooted the despotism and awakened the slumbering Muslim nation”.

In the battle of Karbala, blood triumphed over the sword. Hussain (as) and 71 companions were up against Yazid and his 30,000 strong army. He (as) had made it clear that a person like him cannot pledge allegiance to a person like Yazid.

Through these annual Muharram commemorations, the people of conscience reaffirm their pledge to the sacrosanct principles exemplified by Hussain (as) in Karbala. It strengthens their resolve to speak truth to power, like Hussain (as) did in Karbala and his sister Zainab (sa) did in the aftermath of Karbala. Its message is timeless and resonates even today, with tremendous clarity, inspiring truth-seekers and the advocates of human rights across the world. In Ziyarat e Ashura, we beseech Allah to “provide us an opportunity to fight for justice…” That’s the legacy of Karbala.

The tradition of azadari in Shia school of thought, commemoration of the events related to Karbala, which is essentially a universal protest of oppressed against oppression, began soon after the tragedy of Karbala when the members of Holy Prophet’s (pbuh) household, including Sayyeda Zainab (sa), Sayyeda Umme Kulsoom (sa) and Imam Zainul Abideen (as), were released from Yazid’s prison in Damascus and sent back to Medina.

What is the significance of azadari? In the words of Imam Jafar Sadiq (as), it is the means of keeping alive the movement started by Imam Hussain (as) in Karbala. This movement has gripped the hearts and minds of people for more than fourteen centuries.

The first marsiya, a poetic elegy for the martyrs of Karbala, was composed and recited by Umme Kulsoom (sa), the sister of Hussain (as), in Medina. Ummul Baneen (sa), the mother of Abbas ibn Ali (as), played a pivotal role in making the practice popular in Medina by writing some heart-rending marsiyas. Those marsiyas, according to historical accounts, jolted people out of slumber and laid bare the evil machinations of Umayyad rulers. These are the women of Karbala, who toppled a powerful empire with their spoken and written words.

When Yazid was informed by Marwan bin Hakam, his close aide, about these mourning gatherings in Medina, he feared public mutiny and ordered the re-arrest of Imam Zainul Abideen (as), the ailing son of Hussain (as) and the only surviving male member of the holy household. That forced the caravan to move back to Damascus. But, notwithstanding the hegemonic diktats of Yazid and his coterie, the insurrection caused by the martyrdom of Hussain (as) and his companions was kept alive through azadari in Medina, followed by other places.

The importance of the role played by Zainab (sa) in the aftermath of Karbala to keep the institution of azadari alive cannot be emphasized enough. The ‘messenger of Karbala’, a model of defiance against injustice and oppression, shook the foundation of Yazid’s empire with her soul-stirring marsiyas and sermons.

When she confronted Yazid in his Damascus palace, there was a stunned silence. “I swear by Allah that I do not fear anyone but Him and do not complain to anyone but Him,” said the daughter of the ‘commander of faithful’. “You may employ your deceit and shrewd tactics, but I swear by Allah that the shame and ignominy you have earned for yourself by the treatment meted out to us cannot be erased.” That is exactly what happened as the word spread and a mighty empire of Yazid was razed to ground.

In 352 hijri, the first Muharram procession was taken out in Baghdad by then Abbasid ruler Mu’tazz Daulah. Almost 11 years later, on the occasion of Arbaeen (the fortieth day after Ashura), a historic procession was taken out from Baghdad to Karbala. In 423 hijri, first zuljanah procession was taken out in Kufa by the members of Banu Assad clan. Many similar processions were later taken out in Baghdad, Iran and India.

In India, Muharram processions were first taken out in Awadh (present day Lucknow in north India), almost 200 years ago, under the patronship of the Nawabs of Awadh, who ruled Awadh for a long time. Mirza Abul Qasim, a legendary marsiya nigaar of Kashmir, had travelled all the way to Awadh on the invitation of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.

In Hyderabad, south of India, during the reign of Nizams, both Muslims and non-Muslims would participate in Muharram processions. From quiet ceremonies inside crammed hallways to huge street processions, azadari over a period of time became synonymous with the cry of oppressed and revolt against the oppressor.

Imam Zainul Abideen (as), as an eyewitness of Karbala, played a key role in establishing the institution of azadari and conveying the message of the martyrs. His descendants kept the tradition alive. They would invite prominent poets to write and recite elegiac poetry in the honor of the martyrs of Karbala.

Imam Mohammad Baqir (as), during his time, gave further impetus to the practice of azadari. He was followed by Imam Jafar Sadiq (as), who invited the famous poet Jafar Affan to recite marsiyas. During this time, Umayyads and Abbasids were busy fighting for power, so Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) had time and freedom to enlighten people about the philosophy of Imam Hussain’s uprising in Karbala.

During the time of Imam Musa Kazim (as), some changes were introduced to marsiya nigaari. He asked the poets of that time to write in their respective languages as per their own linguistic and cultural traditions to spread the message of Karbala far and wide.

In Kashmir, the history of annual Muharram commemorations is riveting. People have offered blood, sweat and tears to keep the tradition of azadari alive. According to many historians, azadari in Muharram was popularized in Kashmir by Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (ra), the great Sufi saint who came to Kashmir from Iran. A staunch lover of Holy Prophet (as) and his progeny, he is believed to have brought many tabarrukaat (symbols of heritage) from Karbala. Before his time, Kashmiri nauhas and marsiyas were heavily laden with Sanskrit words. The popularity of Persian nauhas in Kashmir is largely attributed to him.

Then came Mir Shamsuddin Araqi (ra), also from Iran. During his time, the practice of azadari became widespread in Kashmir. He came to Kashmir twice. The first time as a government envoy from Iran, and second time for religious guidance of people. This was during the reign of Shahmiri dynasty when Qazi Chak was the Prime Minister. Until that time, people used to do azadari inside bungalows owned by Shia aristocrats. He built Khanqah in Zadibal where he started to hold azadari majalis (ceremonies) during the month of Muharram.

The first marsiya, a blend of Kashmiri and Sanskrit, was composed by Mir Syed Hassan during the Shahmiri dynasty rule in 822 hijri. During the Chak rule, Kashmiri marsiyas gained unprecedented prominence. However, during the Afghan rule, marsiya nigaars were forced to go into hiding. Mourning ceremonies were organized mostly at night time and marsiyas were composed and recited clandestinely.

Keeping the Karbala movement alive has come at a cost. The lovers of Ahlulbayt (as) in Kashmir have been persecuted by rulers throughout history. They were attacked and looted almost 21 times and the shrine of Mir Shamsuddin Araqi (ra) was set ablaze at least nine times. That explains why mourning ceremonies were held mostly inside packed halls, at night, till the time of former chief minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.

During his time, in 1950s, two processions used to be taken out in Srinagar city. At his request, it was decided to take out a joint procession, in which both Shias and Sunnis participated. In 1989, the procession was banned and the ban remains in place. Government justifies the ban saying these processions pose ‘law and order problem’, although the processions are completely peaceful in nature.

The institution of azadari could not be obliterated by Yazid of that time and it cannot be obliterated by Yazids of today. The tyrant always seeks to hide his tyranny. The campaigners of truth and justice commemorate Karbala through azadari to keep the movement alive, to unmask tyrants and their tyranny. That is precisely why sympathizers of these tyrants oppose the practice of azadari, to hide the oppression unleashed on the oppressed.

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