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#imam hussein tv
ahlulbaytnetworks · 4 months
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✅ How to respond to those who doubt divine superpowers of Ahlul Bayt (PBUT)?
Dr. Sayed Ammar Nakshawani
You can watch this amazing series about the prophets of God on Imam Hussein TV YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgz_bSlK7VLxkhbIBXgqEfeOoa50gdT1W
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labbaik-ya-hussain-as · 8 months
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gerriephhuey · 10 months
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Grand Ayatollah Shirazi's scholarly meetings dubbed real-time in English - Shia Waves
This service is offered in response to the many requests of English-speaking viewers of Imam Hussein TV for easy access to the translation of the ... --More Real
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spxcemuses · 1 year
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Anonymous asked: I dunno if this would count as ☯️, but maybe The Genie's appearance in The Simpsons episode MyPods and Broomsticks? Only reasoning I have is that Disney owns The Simpsons now, and Castellaneta voices him here, having also voiced The Genie in the Aladdin TV series and Kingdom Hearts games.
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[ send me ‘☯ + a scene from my characters canon’ and i will drabble it from my character’s POV. ] | Always Accepting
The Genie had been waiting patiently, knowing that one day, someone will rub at his lamp. And this day came when Homer had decided to rub the lamp that appeared in front of him. A jet of blue smoke comes out, accompanied with a laugh. He stares at the smaller man before him, excited and happy that he is free.
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“ You rubbed? You must like me! You really, really like me! ”
Genie exclaims before shapeshifting to news reporter attire, giving little jazz hands.
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“ Good moooorning, Ramadan! ”
He shouts in glee, spinning around and causing more blue smoke to appear. His attire is now to a striped business suit, akin to a salesman. His tone is peppy, quick like one too.
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“ Come to Crazy Fayedi's! Our prices are Hussein! ”
He disappears in another cloud of blue smoke, only to appear behind Homer on the flying carpet this time. Genie pulls his hair back, morphing his face to look eerily similar to Jack Nicholson's from The Shining. 
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“ Here's Djinni! ”
He hears Homer laugh in amusement, glad that this oafish man was enjoying the impression.
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“ Heeheehee, now do Flanders! ”
Genie refuses the request, laughing again at the prospect of changing Homer’s Western point of view.
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“ No. Now I will destroy your decadent western society! ”
This wasn’t really him, it was just a part of Homer’s dream. He hums eagerly, spinning around a Christian church and molding it like clay until it turned to a mosque. He notices Reverend Lovejoy exit, quickly zapping him and turning him to a imam. He zaps the bullies into members of the mafia, and then an entire music store into having nothing but Cat Stevens music. Homer shouts in horror at all this, not liking how everything had changed. He wants to end this nightmare!
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“ Nooo! Hm. Usually, that ends the dream! ”
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altkiacom · 2 years
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تردد قناة الإمام الحسين الجديد على النايل سات "Frequency Channel Imam Hussein TV" فضائية الامام الحسين عليه السلام هي قناة دينية شيعية تبث من إيران، وتعرض
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khadim-alzahra · 4 years
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Important discourse, concerning the importance of keeping in touch during these difficult times.
youtube
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zinattango · 7 years
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Question: What can be advised to those who suffer from #anxiety and #depression❓ . Sayed Ammar Nakshawani answers.❤️
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vovansupertv2019 · 4 years
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Транспондерні новини на 24 березня
Транспондерні новини на 24 березня
Türksat 4A @ 42 ° East TRT Eba TV İlkokul, TRT Eba TV Ortaokul, TRT Eba TV Lise почали мовлення на 11916 V DVB-S / MPEG-2 30000 3/4, відкрито TRT Eba TV İlkokul HD, TRT Eba TV Ortaokul HD, TRT Eba TV Lise HD почали мовлення на 12083 H DVB-S2 / 8PSK MPEG-4 13750 2/3, відкрито Eutelsat 36B @ 36 ° East 2 TV Georgia з'явився на 11212 H DVB-S2 / 8PSK MPEG-4 14400 3/5, відкрито На т / к Промо ТВ (Tricolor) йде вещаніеОхотнік і рибалка замість Leomax на 12226 L 27500 Fec-3/4 DVB-S / MPEG-4 відкр. Astra 3B (23.5E) Uci Doma 2 (Сербія) йде відкрито на 12402.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 3/4 SID: 20401 PID: 4011 [MPEG-4] / 4012 Сербський. Uci Doma 1 (Сербія) йде відкрито на 12402.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 3/4 SID: 20400 PID: 4001 [MPEG-4] / 4002 Сербський. Erotic 2 відключили на 11719.50MHz, pol.H (DVB-S2 SID: 20185 PID: 1851 [MPEG-4] / 1852). Eutelsat 16A (16E) DM Sat HD з'явився на 11303 H DVB-S2 / 8PSKMPEG-4 30000 2/3, відкрито Hot Bird 13B (13E) Imam Hussein 1 відключили на 10949 V DVB-S / MPEG-2 DVB-S / MPEG-4 27500 3/4 Thor 6, 0.8 ° W CT 3 HD повернувся на 12380.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 3/4 SID: 6013 PID: 1302 [MPEG-4] / 1303 aac Чеський (Conax & Nagravision 3). Thor 5 (0.8 ° W) Gospel Channel Europe повернувся на 11357.00MHz, pol.H SR: 24500 FEC: 7/8 SID: 129 PID: 514/648 Англійська (Відкритий). SES-8 @ 95 ° East Buzz пішов з 12464 H DVB-S / MPEG-2 43000 5/6 G-Sat 15 @ 93.5 ° East DD Raipur розпочав мовлення на 11470 V DVB-S / MPEG-2 29500 3/4, відкрито DD Dehradun розпочав мовлення на 11510 V DVB-S / MPEG-2 29500 3/4, відкрито Eurosport 1 HD з'явився на 11010 V DVB-S2 / 8PSK HEVC 32000 3/4, Irdeto2 R9 TV, ABZY Movies з'явилися на 11050 VDVB-S / MPEG-4 29500 7/8, BetaCrypt Conax Jaya Max пішов з 11050 V DVB-S / MPEG-429500 7/8 AIR Rohtak з'явився на 11090 V DVB-S / MPEG-2 29500 3/4, відкрито FM Rainbow Kolkata пішов з 11090 V DVB-S / MPEG-2 29500 3/4 1Sports, Buzz, Bangla Bharat з'явилися на 11130 V DVB-S2 / 8PSK MPEG-4 29500 3/4, BetaCrypt Conax ABZY Movies пішов з 11130 V DVB-S2 / 8PSKMPEG-4 29500 3/4 MeaSat 3 @ 91 ° 5 East Astro Awani з'явився на 3864 V DVB-S / MPEG-2 3750 5/6, відкрито PakSat 1R 38 ° East (C-band) Dharti TV пішов з 4017 V 3553 Auto DVB-S / MPEG-4 Arabsat 6A (30.5E) test12 відключений на 12111.00MHz, pol.H (DVB-S SID: 2011) Sudan відключений на 12111.00MHz, pol.H (DVB-S SID: 2010 PID: 35/32) TEST відключений на 12111.00MHz, pol.H (DVB-SSID: 509) Sudania24HD відключений на 12111.00MHz, pol.H (DVB-S SID: 500) TEST відключений на 12111.00MHz, pol.H (DVB-SSID: 113) Radio_028 відключений на 12111.00MHz, pol.H (DVB-S SID: 48) Beladi Sudan відключений на 12111.00MHz, pol.H (DVB-S SID: 47) OUS-Sudan відключений на 12111.00MHz, pol.H (DVB-S SID: 46) test відключений на 12111.00MHz, pol.H (DVB-SSID: 44) (08h22) Astra 2E, 28.2 ° E Sky Digital: Новий SID для Sky Animation на 11934.00MHz, pol.V SR: 27500 FEC: 5/6: SID: 4403 (PID: 520/688 nar, 648 Англійська -VideoGuard) Sky Digital: Sky Superhero передає через DVB-S на 11934.00MHz, pol.V SR: 27500 FEC: 5/6 SID: 4306 PID: 514/682 nar, 642 Англійська (VideoGuard). Sky Digital: Sky SciFi / Horror передає черезDVB-S на 11934.00MHz, pol.V SR: 27500 FEC: 5/6 SID: 4304 PID: 512/680 nar, 640 Англійська (VideoGuard). Sky Digital: Sky Scifi / Horror HD передає черезDVB-S2 на 12012.00MHz, pol.V SR: 27500 FEC: 2/3 SID: 3817 PID: 512 [MPEG-4] / 640 nar, 660 Англійська (VideoGuard). Sky Monsters відключили на 11934.00MHz, pol.V (DVB-S SID: 4304 PID: 512/680 nar, 640 Англійська). Sky Family відключили на 11934.00MHz, pol.V (DVB-S SID: 4403 PID: 520/688 nar, 648 Англійська). Sky Monsters HD відключили на 12012.00MHz, pol.V (DVB-S2 SID: 3817 PID: 512 [MPEG-4] / 640 nar, 660 Англійська). Astra 2F, 28.2 ° E Sky Digital: Новий SID для Sky Animation HD на 12168.00MHz, pol.V SR: 27500 FEC: 2/3: SID: 3818 (PID: 513 [MPEG-4] / 641 nar, 661 Англійська - VideoGuard). Sky Digital: Sky Superhero HD передає черезDVB-S2 на 12168.00MHz, pol.V SR: 27500 FEC: 2/3 SID: 3901 PID: 516 [MPEG-4] / 644 nar, 664 Англійська (VideoGuard). Sky Digital: Sky Scifi / Horror HD передає черезDVB-S2 на 11719.50MHz, pol.H SR: 27500 FEC: 2/3 SID: 3817 PID: 512 [MPEG-4] / 640 nar, 660 Англійська (VideoGuard). Sky Monsters HD відключений на 11719.50MHz, pol.H (DVB-S2 SID: 3817 PID: 512 [MPEG-4] / 640 nar, 660 Англійська) Sky Family HD відключили на 12168.00MHz, pol.V (DVB-S2 SID: 3818 PID: 513 [MPEG-4] / 641 nar, 661 Англійська). Es'hail-1 @ 25.5 ° East Al Rayyan HD, Al Rayyan, Al Rayyan Al Qadeem HD пішли з 21530 V DVB-S2 / QPSK MPEG-2MPEG-4 18103 3/5 Sorec Canal HD, Sisal 5 HD, Sisal Maroc 2 HD, Kasat Event Demo (BISS) з'явилися на 21420 V DVB-S2 / 8PSK MPEG-2 MPEG-4 27500 2/3, відкрито Eutelsat 21B (21.6E) Новий SID для CCTV 13 на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2: SID: 10 (PID: 210 [H.265] / 310 aac - DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). Новий SID для CCTV 14 на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2: SID: 11 (PID: 211 [H.265] / 311 aac - DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). Новий SID для CCTV 8 на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2: SID: 8 (PID: 208 [H.265] / 308aac Англійська - DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). SBN HD кодований на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2 SID: 14 ​​PID: 214 [H.265] / 314aac Китайська (DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). CCTV 8 кодований на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2 SID: 7 PID: 207 [H.265] / 307aac (DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). CCTV 5 кодований на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2 SID: 5 PID: 205 [H.265] / 305aac (DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). CCTV 1 HD кодований на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2 SID: 1 PID: 201 [H.265] / 301aac Китайська (DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). CCTV 3 кодований на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2 SID: 3 PID: 203 [H.265] / 303aac Китайська (DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). Нова передача почалася DVB-S2 DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt: CCTV 6 HD (Китай) на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2 SID: 6 PID: 206 [H.265] / 306 aac Китайський. Нова передача почалася DVB-S2 DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt: CCTV 9 HD (Чилі) на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2 SID: 9 PID: 209 [H.265] / 309 aac Китайський. Новий SID для CCTV 8 на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2: SID: 8 (PID: 208 [H.265] / 308aac Англійська - DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). Новий SID для CCTV 13 на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2: SID: 10 (PID: 210 [H.265] / 310 aac - DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). Новий SID для CCTV 14 на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2: SID: 11 (PID: 211 [H.265] / 311 aac - DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). Hollywood HD відключений на 10856.00MHz, pol.V (DVB-S2 SID: 11 PID: 211 [H.265] / 311 aac) Discovery Science Taiwan HD відключили на 10856.00MHz, pol.V VB-S2 SID: 10 PID: 210 [H.265] / 310 aac Китайський). Eutelsat 21B (21.6E) Новий SID для CCTV 13 на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2: SID: 10 (PID: 210 [H.265] / 310 aac - DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). Новий SID для CCTV 14 на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2: SID: 11 (PID: 211 [H.265] / 311 aac - DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). Новий SID для CCTV 8 на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2: SID: 8 (PID: 208 [H.265] / 308aac Англійська - DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). SBN HD кодований на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2 SID: 14 ​​PID: 214 [H.265] / 314aac Китайська (DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). CCTV 8 кодований на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2 SID: 7 PID: 207 [H.265] / 307aac (DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). CCTV 5 кодований на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2 SID: 5 PID: 205 [H.265] / 305aac (DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). CCTV 1 HD кодований на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2 SID: 1 PID: 201 [H.265] / 301aac Китайська (DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). CCTV 3 кодований на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2 SID: 3 PID: 203 [H.265] / 303aac Китайська (DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). Нова передача почалася DVB-S2 DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt: CCTV 6 HD (Китай) на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2 SID: 6 PID: 206 [H.265] / 306 aac Китайський. Нова передача почалася DVB-S2 DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt: CCTV 9 HD (Чилі) на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2 SID: 9 PID: 209 [H.265] / 309 aac Китайський. Новий SID для CCTV 8 на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2: SID: 8 (PID: 208 [H.265] / 308aac Англійська - DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). Новий SID для CCTV 13 на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2: SID: 10 (PID: 210 [H.265] / 310 aac - DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). Новий SID для CCTV 14 на 10856.00MHz, pol.V SR: 30000 FEC: 1/2: SID: 11 (PID: 211 [H.265] / 311 aac - DVB Scrambling & VisionCrypt). Hollywood HD відключений на 10856.00MHz, pol.V (DVB-S2 SID: 11 PID: 211 [H.265] / 311 aac) Discovery Science Taiwan HD відключили на 10856.00MHz, pol.V (DVB-S2 SID: 10 PID: 210 [H.265] / 310 aac Китайський).
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news4dzhozhar · 6 years
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I FIRST MET Dzhokhar “Jahar” Tsarnaev in seventh grade, on the basketball court at the Cambridge YMCA in Central Square, where I played on weekdays & in a Saturday league. He went to the gym to use the weight room & shoot around. I disregarded him  —  he sucked at basketball.
Basketball helped me feel like an American, instead of a Muslim whose single mother dragged him here from Morocco looking for a better life, then worried constantly that we wouldn’t find it. Before basketball, I didn’t really fit in. I wasn’t particularly smart or witty. Worse, I had started second grade in Cambridge the very same month that the Twin Towers fell. On the playground, kids would call me “sand [expletive]” “Saddam Hussein’s son,” or “Abu,” after Aladdin’s monkey. One kid nicknamed me “Unicef,” which was brilliant, in a way: It rhymed with my name & alluded to my African heritage, financial situation, & emergent unibrow. When we were a little older, kids would come up to me, place fake “bombs” on my body & then run away making ticking noises. I got into a fair amount of fights until my mother, who worked three jobs, told me I had to stop. Even if it meant saying nothing when bullies taunted me, I had to exercise self-control. It felt completely debilitating.
My mom always made me stay in the apartment until I finished my homework. But she agreed that as long as I kept my grades up, I could play basketball after school. I began spending hours on courts across Cambridge. This freedom allowed me to meet a slew of people who helped me develop as a young man & truly feel a part of the culture of Cambridge. As I improved, I gained confidence, sociability, & friends.
I met Jahar again in high school, when we enrolled in the same lifeguarding course in my sophomore year, his junior year. Lifeguards were paid well for minimal effort: You sit in a chair & watch people swim, or so we thought. We were actually terrible swimmers, but our teacher stressed that if we failed during a rescue attempt, people could die. So we learned how to breathe while swimming with our heads in the water, & swam endless laps to get in shape. We took turns “drowning” at the bottom of the pool, holding our breath & waiting to be “rescued.” Jahar & I learned to trust one another in the pool — and that trust soon extended beyond class. After we became certified, a group of us from the class applied to be lifeguards at Harvard University during the summer of 2010. To our surprise, we each landed positions.
Jahar & I became part of a small group that would gather at “808,” a tall apartment building off Memorial Drive overlooking the Charles River. After dark, we frequented a party spot nearby that we referred to as the Riv. We were all classmates, peers, co-workers, & good friends who shared common interests. We called ourselves the Sherm Squad. We didn’t know that “Sherm” referred to Nat Sherman cigarettes dipped into liquid PCP (I didn’t even know what PCP was). All we knew was the word Sherm had a negative connotation. We used it to mean someone who messed up a lot; we called it being a Sherm. I felt Jahar & the Sherm Squad accepted me unconditionally; they became my home base of friends, almost an adopted family
My real family’s life centered on Islam. I was raised to follow the teaching of the Koran & the five pillars of Islam, which boil down to self-discipline, love for yourself & toward others, & growing your relationship with God. We typically went to the mosque on Prospect Street twice a week, plus whenever my mother forced me to come to some event she’d volunteered for. I never looked forward to it. Men & women separate when they enter the mosque, which drove home my lack of a father or other male role models (I have an older brother, but we haven’t talked in years). So I would sit by myself or with someone else I knew who didn’t want to be there, engaging only when the call for prayer was sung.
One Friday near the end of sophomore year, my mother yelled at me to go to prayer.
When I walked in, I did a double take  —  Jahar was sitting there, listening intently to the imam. We had been hanging out all that year & he had never mentioned being Muslim. I picked my way through the large crowd sitting on the patterned carpet & squeezed into a spot next to him. “What are you doing here?” I whispered. “You’re not supposed to be here!
He chuckled and whispered back: “I’ll tell you after.”
After we prayed, he told me his family were also Muslim immigrants who expected him be a model Muslim. We both were trying to maintain an image as wholesome Muslim youths at home while being normal American teenagers away from it.
Balancing our family & American lives was stressful. As a junior, I played point guard on Cambridge Rindge & Latin School’s famed basketball team, and Jahar, a senior, was the wrestling team’s co-captain. During the fierce month of Ramadan or on the fast day before Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, we might endure grueling sports workouts on empty stomachs & no water. At least we could complain to each other.
Maintaining separate Muslim & American lives sometimes meant keeping secrets from & even lying to those closest to us about our other life. We were shamed just for being Muslim by strangers, the media, & even some of our peers, just as our Muslim families shamed us when we were caught committing a sin. Jahar & I shared countless hours toking herb, hanging out, & hitting social events. We lived near each other, & often walked home together from parties. We’d hit Cambridge Street, dap each other up with a handclap and bro hug, then head off to our Muslim lives.
He was fun to be around  —  always cracking jokes, coming up with things to do. He was smart, warm, respectful & a good listener; and many of us admired his ability to “code switch,” moving effortlessly between social crowds & people of different races. He was also adept academically, holding his own in honors & Advanced Placement classes. He was generous, too. Whenever I ran short of funds, he’d give me money for lunch & crack “Stop being a broke boy!” in a way I found endearing.
Sometimes, when we were hanging out, he’d get calls from his older brother, Tamerlan, telling him to get home. Jahar mostly heeded these requests without question. (He admired his older brother, and I envied their seeming closeness.) At one point, Jahar told me that his family was arranging a marriage for him & he was considering it. All I could say was, “Well, it’s your life, bro.”
* *
IN SENIOR YEAR, my priorities were playing basketball, finding the right college, my fantasy basketball team, girls, watching the Celtics, partying with friends, the prom, & making sure to get my homework done. In the secular, diverse melting pot that is Cambridge, I had my American life at school & my Muslim life at home. Adhering to the tenets of Islam, especially the daily prayers, was a struggle, & it didn’t help that Jahar, one of my main confidantes, was off at college.
My mother still expected me to act like a strict Muslim, even though by now I was really only going to the mosque on the major holy days. She forbade me from attending “unwholesome” social gatherings, including school dances & any event held at the home of a female. I was not to swear, use drugs or alcohol, or flirt, among other vices. My mother knew little of what I actually did when I left the house, since I usually climbed out my bedroom window after she had gone to bed. But she often guessed at what I was up to, & frequently berated me as unworthy.
I was much more interested in my American life, where religion was immaterial. You were judged on your social standing, whether your personality added life to the party, and how you expressed yourself through fashion or music. When Jahar was back from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on breaks, it seemed like we picked up right where we left off, cruising the city with the homies in his green Honda, looking for a party. My future felt bright. I was going to attend Bentley University, & become an entrepreneur. I had fulfilled my mother’s American-immigrant dream of getting into college & building a real life in America.
* * *
DURING MY FRESHMAN YEAR at Bentley, I realized that I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in school. I took a leave during second semester & went back to Cambridge.
I was at a friend’s house on April 15, 2013, when the bombs went off on Boylston Street. We ended up on a nearby rooftop, watching the commotion — the helicopters scouring the city & flashing police lights everywhere. I felt angry & under attack. I wanted the monsters who had committed this atrocity to get what they deserved.
On the 19th, I was at another friend’s house and still up at 3 a.m. when I got a call. “Turn on the news!” my friend said. They were broadcasting a photo of the possible suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing. “Just look at the picture, fam,” he said to me.
I looked at the blurry image on screen. “What am I supposed to be looking at, bro? I don’t know who that is.”
“Yo, doesn’t he look like Jahar!”
I thought that was outrageous. I fell asleep on the couch, & the next morning I woke up to see my friends huddled around the TV. I had never seen kids my age so absorbed in the morning news. I wondered if maybe a late spring snowstorm was approaching. They told me Cambridge residents had been asked to stay inside, and it did sort of feel like a snow day.
Suddenly, Jahar’s face appeared on the screen — there was no mistaking him this time. He was the bombing suspect still at large, the anchors said. Aside from the sound crackling on the TV, the room was dead silent. I felt like 10,000 volts of electricity were coursing through my body. It had to be a mistake. The Jahar I knew wouldn’t even do something mean, let alone commit an act of terrorism.
One of the girls’ cellphones rang; the call was from a TV newsroom where her sister’s friend was working. As our friend answered questions, her name appeared on the screen & we heard her voice come from the television. Within minutes, the doorbell rang. Our high school principal came into the house, along with two FBI agents wearing bulletproof vests. The FBI agents said they were looking for Jahar, and collected our cellphones. They had us sit in the living room & pulled us into the kitchen one by one to question us.
It didn’t take long for one of the FBI agents to step in the room and say, “To save time, which one of you knew him the best?” I raised my hand. In the kitchen, they asked what I knew about the bombing  —  nothing  —  where I thought Jahar was, whom he might try to contact. I answered their questions as best I could, and then they left.
Much later on that surreal day, a group of us were walking around Central Square, saying almost nothing. A pizza shop had its TV on & that’s where we saw a news update: A body had been found in a boat in Watertown, it said. Though we’d later learn he’d been captured alive, at that moment we believed our friend was dead. I remember a man riding toward us on his bike screaming like some sort of modern-day Paul Revere: “They caught him! They caught the bomber!”
This infuriated us, and we started screaming insults & epithets at him. I’ll never forget his shocked expression. That’s probably how most people reacted over the next few days when some of us defended Jahar, saying he was a good kid. But really, that’s the Jahar we knew.
* * *
SOON WE KNEW THE FACTS of the despicable acts Jahar committed with his brother, Tamerlan. We witnessed the heartbreak & loss suffered by those they hurt & by the families of those they killed. Jahar left behind an ocean of pain that is still washing across my city, & my country, sowing hatred & division between people who hardly know each other’s lived reality. Jahar wounded those he grew up with as well as millions who practice a religion he perverted with his crime. He made suspects of everyone who knew him.
Jahar put our safety & freedom in direct peril. Cambridge gave way to the real world, a place where I found myself feeling clueless. Like many of my friends, I did not have easy access to a lawyer. Later, I would realize I didn’t have access to what I needed even more: medical advisers, counselors, or therapists. Some of our mutual friends made bad choices & ended up in jail.
In the fall of 2013, I returned to Bentley to start my second semester, but I was still struggling to cope with the aftermath of the bombing, the FBI calls & questions. I felt guilty I even knew Jahar, after what he’d done. I was ashamed about what had happened to his victims  —  I still feel terrible for them. It feels awful that innocent people were hurt by a person I cared so deeply for.
That November after the bombing, three days before midterms, the FBI interrogated me for five hours, as far as I could tell simply because I had been friends with Jahar. I had nothing to tell them; I still felt betrayed by him, & knew he deserved the full brunt of the judicial system. After that interview, I found myself completely unable to focus on my studies. I asked my professors for extensions, but all of them made me take my midterms. I failed several of them, & soon after I took another leave.
This time I entered a downward spiral of addiction, insomnia, severe stomach pains, & depression, which fed off each other. I didn’t sleep more than a couple of hours a night for months. I felt paranoid & distrustful in every social interaction. Every aspect of my American life I had had to figure out on my own, and it seemed as though I hadn’t figured out anything at all. I felt like I had fallen behind my peers, unable to compete with their intelligence, their access, their privilege.
I was exhausted from maintaining multiple, often conflicting identities as a Muslim-American, from not being Muslim enough for my family, but too Muslim to feel secure in a hostile, post-9/11 environment. It was soul crushing; I felt I had lost touch with the person & identity I fought for years to establish. It got to the point where I could no longer follow a normal conversation. I lost around 25 pounds, and the ability to play basketball, which had been my sanctuary.
CONTINUED AT THE LINK
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husseinwhosaidno · 2 years
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Steven Warbeck, English composer, won an Oscar in 1999 for the soundtrack of the movie "Shakespeare in Love" by John Madden. He was also nominated for BAFTA Film Awards and Grammy Awards for Best Music for "Shakespeare in Love" in the same year. In addition, Warbeck has been nominated three times for TV BAFTA Awards and recently he won the prize for one of the episode of the movie series (The Hollow Crown 2013). Warbeck received Jury Prize of the Cannes Film Festival (2011) for "Polisse" and also worked as a composer in the movie "Hussein Who Said ‘No’" directed by Ahmad Reza Darvish in 2014. “Hussein Who Said ‘No’” (THE MISSION OF IMAM HUSSEIN IS RECOUNTED IN A SPECTACULAR EPIC)
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ahlulbaytnetworks · 2 years
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Jesus son of Mary (AS), son of God or Messenger? Crucified or Occulted? The very riveting and fascinating life of Jesus son of Mary (AS) is being unravelled in a series of lectures right here on Imam Hussein TV 3. Join Dr Sayed Ammar Nakshawani every night for this treasure hunt of a journey as he seeks to explore the many topics concerning Jesus son of Mary (AS).
🔵
19:00 LDN | 14:00 DC | 21:00 KRB
🔵
Now on sky! Channel 789
Exclusively on Imam Hussein TV 3
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A few weeks ago I was crying on my prayer mat, really feeling so so helpless and broken. I felt as if I was drowning in my tears. As if nothing on earth could solve the worries surrounding me.
In that utter grief I suddenly felt that I needed to run away, far away.
But where to go?
How can one escape from life?
Which corner of the earth can give us refuge when worries surround us from every side?
It was then that the answer came to me with a huge rush that filled all of my senses.
I felt this huge, overpowering need and deep urgency to rush to the shrine of Imam Hussein a.s in Kerbala.
I picked up the piece of marble that I keep on my musalla (obtained during the renovations of the harram of Imam Hussein a.s gifted to me from the Official Shrine of Imam Hussein a.s) and I held it to my eyes and I sobbed,
“Maula, my heart is so heavy. Just call me to you so that I can come to you and cry at your shrine.
I just need the safety of your shrine to cry and to let out all that I have bottled up in my heart.
So that I can find myself less alone.
So that I can find peace for this restless heart.
Maula I don’t dare ask for a miracle to solve the impossible.
All I ask is that you call me to you.
That will be enough for my grieving heart to give it the strength to keep living.”
I placed the marble piece down and did my Sajda of shukr and I stood up from my musalla.
And then I walked over to my bedside, picked up my cell phone and just glanced at the phone screen in my hand as I walked to the bedroom door.
My eyes were still blurry from the tears but what I saw made me stop dead in my tracks and just stare at the screen.
I couldn’t believe the words in front of me. I wiped my eyes and tried to read again.
Right there on my screen was a message from an unknown number. Sent literally 2 mins earlier. It read,
“Assalam Alaikum Zakira Shyrose. Would you be able to join us to recite majlis in Kerbala for this Ashura?”
I could not believe my eyes. I kept rereading the message and checking the time it was sent.
It had literally come at the exact moment when I had begged tearfully to my Maula Hussein a.s to call me.
My hair literally stood up and a chill went through me. In fact I still get goosebumps when I remember that moment of realization and utter confirmation:
Subhanallah!! our imams a.s truly DO hear us, truly ARE with us. Truly do hear our LABAYK to their call.
I told myself at that point that even if God Forbid I don’t actually get to be in Kerbala, this message from Imam a.s was enough to let me know that I am always being called, whenever I feel alone.
That Maula a.s has honoured me with a special invitation. A bulawa.
A few days later I received another call from another Caravan also asking me to join them.
It was surreal.
The Ashura trip didn’t happen even though I was emotionally ready—Allah swt was being Merciful so that I could complete and do justice to the 2 Ashras I had committed to recite (Ashra majlis for Australia and LIVE on Hidayat TV and for 12 Children’s majalis for NASIMCO Channel)
But by the 4th of Muharram I received another text message once again to invite me— this time for Arbaeen.
And since then I have received 3 other calls from various kafelas inviting me to join them. Inshalah I have even been booked for December 🥰🥰🥰.
I am still in shock.
Imam a.s is calling me again and again. Like a father calls their crying child again and again to give them comfort and offering to solve all the issues that scare and worry them.
What’s most incredible is that my 24 yr old son has himself expressed a wish to join me. He told me he wants to hold hands with me and to walk with me from Najaf to Kerbala towards Maula Hussein a.s
He told me he wants to help push wheelchairs and to carry suitcases for the zaireen of Maula a.s.
To serve water and food at the mowkibs.
I told him it will be hot and there will be huge crowds and it is a pandemic. Was he sure? He said, “I am ready to come, mummy.”
The impossible has suddenly become possible. The miracle
has happened before I have even left my home.
Perhaps when I will arrive at the shrine it won’t be to cry in grief after all. It may just be to cry tears of utter thankfulness for the hajaat that has been accepted and for the miracle that has occurred
I wait for the next few weeks to know for sure if this miracle is truly happening. I can’t trust myself to rejoice just yet.
So much has to happen until I am actually sitting in my airplane seat.
For now I need your duas as these next few weeks are crucial.
With your duas and if Allah swt Wills, I may actually be in Kerbala with my son beside me, in just over 2 weeks…..
Will you join us?
Say LABAYK YA HUSSEIN 🤚 and cry to Maula a.s and beg him to call you.
Come with us-whether you are Shia, Sunni, Hindu, Christian or even just searching for God.
This journey and this blessing is for all. Imam Hussein a.s is there for all on this earth.
And together we will travel towards his shrine, recite marsiya and nawha and shed tears at the musibah that befell the family of the Holy Prophet (saww) and their loving companions.
Imam Ali a.s awaits us in Najaf.
Hazrat Abbas a.s awaits us in Kerbala.
The blessed land of Sammarrah and Khadmain await our footsteps.
Join me on that place on earth which is a refuge for the broken-hearted and the helpless.
Where the portals to heaven open and the angels await to greet the visitors.
Where Maula Hussein a.s awaits with outreached arms and smiles when he hears his faithful lovers answer to the call he made 1,400 years ago,
“Hal min naasirin yansurna?!!
Is there anyone there to assist us?”
Here we are Maula!! Here we are! Here we come rushing towards you from every corner of the earth!!
LABYAK YA HUSSEIN! 🤚
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coochiequeens · 3 years
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Over the last two years, 58 Palestinian women were murdered in domestic violence incidents. Palestinian women’s rights organizations reprimanded the Palestinian Authority for not drafting laws that could have prevented them, Palestinian Media Watch reported on Thursday.
The Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC,) an NGO, found that 21 Palestinian women were murdered in 2019 and 37 in 2020, totally at an increase of 176%, PA Daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadid reported on July 3.
Honor Killings and domestic violence in the Arab society have grown into a common and consistent issue. Though the PA has been more attentive to these cases, no legal or legislative actions have been taking to prevent the abuse.
“The laws play a central role in protecting the social sectors, the individual, his possessions, and his beliefs, and particularly the women. The laws also increase the consciousness in society regarding rights, and also constitute a deterrent and bring about security and stability. Therefore, ratifying the law to defend the family against violence will limit the violence against women and will thus protect them from the danger of murder,” said Sana’a Shbeita, Secretary of the Women’s Activity Committees Association in Nablus.
“In the absence of the law to defend the family against violence, the men of the family will continue to do as they please with the women.” Tahrir Al-A’araj, Director-General of the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy added.
Not only are there no laws protecting women from violence, but in 2019, the imam of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Head of the Supreme Muslim Council Sheikh Ikrima Sabri issued a fatwa (religious ruling) prohibiting Palestinian Muslim women from submitting complaints to Israeli authorities over their husbands' behavior.
The Mufti of the Palestinian Authority Sheikh Muhammad Hussein supported the prohibition, saying: "It is better to leave the matter to the good people and reliable figures [in our society] in order to deal with the issue."
Additionally, In December 2018, in the midst of a PA campaign to prevent violence against women, the PA’s Supreme Shari'ah Judge and Mahmoud Abbas' advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs, Mahmoud Al-Habbash told TV viewers that men are permitted to beat women, that doing it was for her own good.
Bader Al-A’araj, a social sciences lecturer at the Bir Zeit University, explained that the tolerance for domestic violence exists because the abuser is someone who is close to the woman “her relative, husband or lover”.
ICHR Legislation Monitoring Department Director Khadija Zahran added that the concept of “marital rape” is not even recognized in Palestinian culture because women’s bodies are “a right permitted to the man”.
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khadim-alzahra · 7 years
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The heavenly site (maqām) of Imam Mūsā b. Ja’far al-Kādhīm, ‘alehī salām, in Sacred City of Karbala, located near the shrine of our Master, Imam Abū Fadhil al-’Abbas, ‘alehi al-salam. Many visitors of Karbala neglect this Zīyarāh because the tour groups and caravans usually don’t spend time at these historic sites either because they lack the knowledge or spend time elsewhere. The story and history of this maqām is truly wonderful and I urge the visitors of Imam to visit this site as it holds the remnants of Imam al-Kadhim, ‘alehi al-salam, and for those who want an accurate description of the location, feel free to ask or if you like a video description that has gives a short insight on this place than visit the following link:  
https://youtu.be/xpsg20FGFx0?list=PLgz_bSlK7VLzJDV5FULthAYM_6XdLGBQv
youtube
Allah accept everyone’s Ziyarāh and grant us all their Ziyarāh in this world and intercession in the next.
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zinattango · 7 years
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Shaikh Abdul Hamid Khishq Famous Egyptian Scholar and Preacher of Cairo on the 10th of Muharram said something beautiful. He said, "Knowledge lies on the ground in Karbala, while Music sits on the throne of Damascus."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkRaDwtbUtE
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politicoscope · 4 years
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Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani Biography and Profile
New Post has been published on https://www.politicoscope.com/ayatollah-ali-al-sistani-biography-and-profile/
Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani Biography and Profile
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Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani’s prime influence comes from his status as Shi’ism’s leading marjah al-taqlid, the title (literally object of emulation) given to a cleric whom Iraq’s 15 million Shia Muslims regard as a guide in every aspect of their lives. Born in Mashad, Iran, the young Ali began studying the Koran as a youthful prodigy at the age of five. He has lived immersed in Islamic study ever since, first as a student in Qom and then for the past four decades in Najaf which has been the centre of Shia learning for 1,000 years. He has studied philosophy, rhetoric and law under the great scholars of his day and has developed a reputation for penetrating to the “real meaning” behind the words of key Islamic texts. His followers speak of his holiness, personal asceticism and intellectual rigour characterised by a keen interest in modern science, economics and international politics.
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is seldom seen in public. He does not do TV interviews. He communicates only through written edicts or through lower-ranking members of the network of scholars who study the Koran and Islamic law in the provincial town of Najaf. And yet the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani is undoubtedly now the most powerful man in Iraq. Revealingly it has taken almost a year for George Bush to wake up to that fact.
Sistani was said to be of the “quietist” school of Islamic tradition. He had, after all, lived in uneasy stalemate with the Saddam regime, spending long periods under house arrest and largely staying out of politics. And in the early months of the US occupation he had seemed malleable enough. His initial response to the invasion was to advise “believers not to hinder the forces of liberation, and help bring this war against the tyrant to a successful end for the Iraqi people”. What the Americans failed to note was that he added that Iraqis working with the occupiers should ask, at the end of every conversation with them, “when they were leaving”.
Most revealingly he is a specialist in ijtihad, the use of reason to apply Koranic values to contemporary situations – a discipline which only the most distinguished Shia clerics are allowed to practise. (The “gates of ijtihad” were closed to Sunni Muslims 1,000 years ago.) This allows Islam to be reinterpreted in light of changing circumstances.
Who is the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani?
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, born 4 August 1930, the most important Shiite cleric in Iraq, where the population is about 60 percent Shiite. The reclusive, Iranian-born wields great influence over Iraq’s future. Sistani’s clout was confirmed August 27 when he negotiated an end to a bloody three-week standoff between Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mehdi Army and U.S. AND Iraqi forces around the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf, one of Shiism’s holiest sites. Sistani’s intervention stopped the violence after efforts by Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, the Iraqi Interim Government (IIG), and the Iraqi National Conference had failed.
What is the source of his influence? He is a revered Islamic thinker and one of the most respected Shiite clerics in the world. The majority of Iraq’s Shiite Muslims, as well as millions of Shiites around the world, turn to Sistani for guidance on how to live their lives in accordance with Islamic law. He has also shown himself to be a critical figure on the national political stage. “Without Sistani, they would not have had a solution to the Najaf crisis,” says Kenneth Katzman, senior Middle East analyst for the Congressional Research Service. “The IIG is almost completely beholden to Sistani to keep Sadr in check.”
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani Quick Facts
Personal:
Birth date: August 4, 1930
Birth place: Mashhad, Iran
Birth name: Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani
Father: Sayyid Mohammad Baqir, a religious scholar
Mother: Name unavailable publicly
Marriage: Information unavailable publicly
Children: Muhammad Rida al-Sistani – eldest son. Total number of children unavailable publicly.
Religion: Shiite Muslim
Other Facts:
He is a member of a well-known family of religious scholars and began studying at the age of 5.
Al-Sistani has written many books and treatises on Islamic law and life.
During Saddam Hussein’s regime, Sistani was under house arrest for many years.
Rarely does interviews and is rarely seen in public.
Timeline:
1952 – Sistani moves to the holy city of Najaf, Iraq, to study with Shiite clerics there.
1990 – Is chosen by other religious figures to lead an important network of schools in Najaf.
September 2002 – Issues his first political fatwa, urging Muslims to unite and defend Iraq against outside aggressors.
April 2003 – Sistani’s house arrest is lifted after the US-led invasion of Iraq. Sistani issues his second political fatwa, urging the Iraqi people to remain neutral and not to interfere with the US forces.
June 3, 2004 – Sistani endorses the new Iraqi government. Says the new government lacks “legitimacy of elections” and does not represent “in an acceptable manner all segments of Iraqi society and political forces. … Nevertheless, it is hoped that this government will prove its efficiency and integrity and show resolve to carry out the enormous tasks that rest on its shoulders.”
August 3-26, 2004 – Fighting engulfs the city of Najaf. Militiamen loyal to Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr battle US forces for control of the area.
August 6, 2004 – Sistani, who seldom leaves his home in Najaf, travels to London for treatment for heart problems.
August 25, 2004 – Sistani returns to Iraq and begins negotiating a ceasefire in Najaf. Before his return he asks all Iraqis to “march to Najaf in order to rescue the city.”
August 26, 2004 – Arrives at his home in Najaf, where he and Sadr reach an agreement to put an end to the violence in the region.
February 13, 2005 – The results of Iraq’s January 30, 2005, election are released. Sistani’s United Iraqi Alliance comes in first, with more than four million votes.
December 2008 – Sistani endorses the Iraqi government and US military troop withdrawal proposal.
January 2009 – Releases a statement urging Iraqis to vote in the upcoming provincial elections but states that he is not endorsing any candidates.
March 2011 – To express his dissatisfaction with Iraqi political leaders, Sistani refuses to meet with them.
March 2013 – Sistani issues a fatwa prohibiting shedding Iraqi blood, particularly Sunni blood.
June 13, 2014 – Through his representative, Sistani appeals to his followers to join the security forces in fighting ISIS militants. “Citizens who are able to bear arms and fight terrorists … should volunteer and join the security forces to achieve this holy purpose.
May 11, 2018 – Ahead of the first parliamentary elections since the defeat of ISIS, Sistani urges voters to learn from the past and not reelect “corrupt” lawmakers. Unlike in past elections, he doesn’t insist everyone get out and vote to ensure a solid Shia showing at the polls.
July 13, 2018 – As protests spread across southern Iraq over a lack of jobs and government services, Sistani urges authorities to address the complaints, but also calls for peaceful protests.
What are Sistani’s political views? He favors an Islamic state, but not a theocracy as in neighboring Iran. Sistani has said that no law in Iraq should conflict with Islamic principles, and he wants Islam to be recognized in law as the religion of the majority of Iraqis. However, he has not promoted an official role for Islamic clerics in Iraq’s new government. Sistani supports an Islamic state that is compatible with elections, freedom of religion, and other civil liberties. And although Sistani does not favor violent confrontation with the United States, he has defied U.S. authorities when their plans conflicted with his views.
How have Sistani’s views clashed with the United States? In June 2003, he issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, stating that the framers of Iraq’s constitution had to be elected, not appointed, by U.S. officials and members of the now-defunct Iraqi Governing Council. In November 2003, he issued a statement saying that elections—not a system of regional caucuses envisioned by the U.S.-led coalition authorities—would be the proper way to select a transitional government. He also demanded U.N. involvement in overseeing the election process. In another difference with U.S. plans, Sistani called for a transitional assembly to ratify an interim constitution drafted by the Iraqi Governing Council and to define the terms under which U.S. and allied troops would remain in Iraq after sovereignty was handed over June 28. All of Sistani’s views have been accommodated.
What is the difference between Sistani’s philosophy and that of Iran’s government? The Iranian revolution deepened a growing disagreement within the Shiite community over the proper relationship between religion and politics, says Juan Cole, an expert on Iraqi history at the University of Michigan. Ayatollah Khomeini was a proponent of an Islamic political theory that emerged in the mid-20th century called velayat-i-faqih, or rule by Islamic jurist. This theory backed the idea that governments with authority over Shiites should be run by religious clerics in accordance with Islamic law. A more traditional Shiite position—often called quietism—holds that clerics shouldn’t get involved in day-to-day affairs and instead should serve as an authority independent from politics. Sistani has long favored the quietist, or moderate, tradition.
Does Sistani appear in public? Rarely. Because of his failing health and security concerns, he meets privately with visitors and issues statements from his office in Najaf. When he went to London August 6 to seek medical treatment, it was the first time he had left his home in six years.
How did the recent peace plan affect Sistani’s stature? Experts say Sistani has proven he’s the most powerful political leader in the country, a role he was in danger of losing to Sadr. “Before Sistani came back [from Great Britain], his popularity had slipped,” Katzman says. “Sadr had seized the spotlight and was saying to Shiites, ‘No one will speak for you but me.’ But Sistani’s return and engagement won back a lot of support,” he says. The majority of Shiites are deeply grateful to Sistani for preventing damage to the holy shrine to Imam Ali, says Amatzia Baram, senior fellow and Iraq expert at the U.S. Institute for Peace. But some middle-class and educated Shiites think Sistani’s plan let Sadr get away with too much, Baram says.
What are the details of the peace plan?
The agreement called for:
Najaf and Kufa to be declared weapons-free cities
All foreign forces to withdraw from Najaf
Iraqi police to be placed in charge of security
The IIG to compensate those harmed by the fighting
A census to be taken in preparation for national elections scheduled for January
Many experts say this agreement represents a victory for Sadr, because it does not require the Mehdi Army to disarm or Sadr to face outstanding charges for the murder of a rival cleric last year. The agreement also covers only Najaf and does not address violence by Sadr supporters in other cities, including Baghdad. A Sadr spokesman told Al Jazeera August 30 that Sadr wanted the Najaf agreement “to cover all of Iraq,” but did not provide details. Baram says the cease-fire is still quite fragile. “The whole thing is hanging in the air,” he says.
Why does Sistani support elections? In part because they are the most legitimate expression of the will of the Iraqi people, Sistani says. If chosen through elections, “the parliament would spring from the will of the Iraqis and would represent them in a just manner and would prevent any diminution of Islamic law,” he wrote in his November 2003 statement. Analysts say Sistani believes elections will put Iraq’s majority Shiites in power, and that group would affirm Islamic ideals if given the chance. “Sistani thinks the elections will lead to a Shia-run regime, and he wants the Shia to cooperate,” Katzman says.
What is Sistani’s background? Sistani was born near the Iranian city of Masshad, a holy place of Shiite pilgrimage centered on the tomb of Imam Reza, the eighth Shiite imam. At age five, Sistani began studying the Quran, the Muslim holy book, and continued his studies as a young man in the Iranian city of Qom, according to Sistani’s website, www.sistani.org. His rise to eminence began when he moved to Najaf in 1952. There he studied with some of the most important Shiite clerics of the time, including the Grand Ayatollah Imam Abul Qassim al-Khoei, a major figure in the quietest tradition. When Khoei died in 1992, Sistani was selected by his peers to head the most important hawza—or network of schools—in Najaf. He has written many books on Islamic jurisprudence and over the years has gained a reputation as one of the top Shiite religious authorities in the world. Some 10 percent to 20 percent of the world’s 1.4 billion Muslims are Shiites.
Did Sistani have any rivals for leadership of the hawza? Yes, experts say. One of the most important was Mohammed Baqir al-Sadr, who was gunned down in 1999 along with two of his sons (Saddam Hussein’s forces are suspected in the murder). Sadr preferred the more activist, Khomeini-like tradition, urging underground resistance to Saddam’s rule. Sadr and other critics portrayed Sistani as a coward and referred to him derisively as the “silent authority,” experts say. Today, Sadr’s son Muqtada has positioned himself as a rival to Sistani. Experts say Sistani has not attacked Sadr directly or otherwise addressed Sadr’s challenge to his authority. “Sistani’s doing it the old way,” Baram says. “He’s letting Sadr discredit himself.”
How are Shiite leaders chosen? They rise by consensus through the ranks, from the level of prayer leader to ayatollah, a title awarded to those who have exhibited mastery of Islamic law and jurisprudence and have attracted many followers. The apex of the hierarchy is the marjah al-taqlid, or object of emulation. Sistani has attained the level of marjah.
What’s the role of a marjah? A marjah has the authority to interpret Islamic law and provide guidance to Shiites on day-to-day matters. All lay Shiites—even relatively non-religious ones—have a marjah, Cole says. The marjah’s admonitions are often related to mundane questions of so-called personal law, such as whether a Muslim is permitted to wear perfume (yes, according to Sistani) or sell lottery tickets (no—it’s a form of gambling, Sistani says). While Shiites around the world today follow more than one marjah, Sistani is probably the most influential, Cole says.
Is the marjah speaking in the name of God? No, Islam experts say. He is practicing ijtihad, the competence to use independent judgment to decipher the Quran and other sacred Islamic texts. Only the most advanced clerics are awarded permission by the hawza to practice ijtihad. The interpretation of a marjah is his best judgment and can sometimes be wrong. But according to Shiite tradition, as long as the marjah gives the interpretation his best effort, Allah will forgive any error, Cole says.
Is it significant that Sistani is Iranian-born? The position of the marjah is similar to that of the pope in Roman Catholicism: he has moral and religious authority across national boundaries. Opponents of Sistani have sometimes played up his Iranian roots in an attempt to argue that he maintains some loyalty to the Iranian state. But Sistani’s views reflect his independence from the Iranian clergy, experts say. “He’s an ally, but not an instrument,” Katzman says. “He doesn’t take orders from Tehran.” Other Shiite groups and leaders in Iraq—such as the Shiite political party Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution—maintain much more active ties with Iran than Sistani does, he says.
Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani Biography and Profile
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