Thursday, January 24, 2008

9th Moharam Amin Imambada


9th Moharam Amin Imambada
Originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1

I have never shot so intensely at Amin Imambada on 9th Moharam, to be honest with all of you I am scared shitless, two years back while shooting here 9 th Moharam scourgings I almost lost my eye , a guys blade opened up my eye lid..I was plumb lucky, the first aid guy from JUST a social organisation held it cleverly applying only rose water, and I cried tears of thanks to the Almighty.I avoid this place, but this year I took my chances standing on a platform where the Iranian drums are beaten once the crowd swells in..I personally think this is a war zone situation , you can be thrown into the crowds , and here they are all in a frenzy, a spiritual resurgence of Shia faith.
These are young kids hardened in the art of self mutilation, even Death does not matter if it came while bloodletting -this is Shiasm.
I as a photographer will not talk on the rest of my pictures..but I shall explain those situations that are alien to your western culture,,
This is a very long series shot in a single night from here I left for Kaiser Bagh missing out the Fotowat juloos.
I will not post all these pictures at my other web sites ..so you will have to see them at my Flickr photostream..
While this matam was going on another dramatic event began to play you have a person impersonating Imam Hussain , and others of his family, this is Iranian passion play of the Tragedy of Karbala.
Two men dressed as women move with the cradle of Ali Asghar the Imams three month old son who was shot dead by the arrow of Harmullah an archer of the Yazidi forces,So the women in the crowd hand over their children dressed in green to these two persons and the child is placed in the Cradle for good luck,,
I thought this was very important to understand my pictures of kids hanging in mid air..
This aspect is played more vividly at Amin Imambada on 10th of Moharam Ashura another long series I have yet to post..

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