Ashurah

[Jona Lendering]

About seven weeks ago, we, RATs, wished each other a merry Christmas. Today, 9 February, is a (Shi'ite) Muslim holiday, Ashurah. I offer all Muslims over here -I think there are a couple of them- my best wishes.

[Robert Vermaat]

I must admit that although I know several Muslims, all are Sunni and not Shi'ite Muslims.
So I asked a collegue, and she said Ashura (for Sunni Muslims) was a day when they rembered that the animals on Noah's Ark went hungry. So they make sweet stuff which they sahre with neighbours. Her father's from Turkey.
Of course, for the Shi'ites it's a different matter, a day of martyrdom.
Ashurah for them is the day when Muhammad's grandson Husayn (son of his son-in-law 'Ali) was killed on the battlefield of Kerbala in the moth of Muharram 61 AH (Al Hizjra, approx. 20 October 680 AD).
Read more here. But I'm told it's not a day for 'best wishes'.. :?

[Jona Lendering]

Yep, I was already hesitating about the words "best wishes" but did not find a better expression. On the other hand, I once joined the celebrations in Esfahan ([url:3v6wnc8s]http://www.livius.org/nl/ashura.JPG[/url]) and actually, although Ashura is a festival of mourning, there was a lot of joy.