Zuljana Islam at Crossroads

Zuljana Islam at Crossroads, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

written by photographerno1 Sat Jun 9 2007 0:43 MST

Imam Hussain was the grandson of the Holy Prophet of Islam.After the passing away of the Prophet , there was a clamoring of power , though the Holy Prophet had inadvertently mentioned at Ghadir Qum Man Kunto Moula Ali Fazhaiun Moula , simply translated it meant give Ali the same respect as you give me.

However on his death , there was a political conspiracy, hatched in such a way that Ali lost his right to the Caliphate. Abubaker became the First Caliph of Islam.The followers of Ali could not take the disparage so a non temporal, spiritual post came into being called Imamat. Ali was the first Imaam..All the Imams died tragic death.The 12th Imam for the Shias is Hidden he is known as the Mahdi or Al Muntazar or Imam e Zamana .This is the irrevocable difference between Shias and Sunnis who form the majority Islamic sect.The Shia are about 15% scattered in some countries but a majority in Iraq Iran Azaerbaijan.

Imam Hussain was asked to pay allegiance to the Caliph of his time Yazid of the Ummayad Caliphate, Hussain declined as Yazid was anti Islam corrupt and a despot. A battle took place between the warriors of Yazids army led by Shimr.. Imam Hussains 72 warriors, this was one of the most barbaric chapters of Islam, where not even a six month child of the imam was spared.Ali Asghar was shot down by an arrow with which you shoot wild life Water was blocked at the Euphrates, everyone was killed save a surviving sickly son of the Imam known as Sajjad or Zainul Abedin the ladies and the indomitable sister of the Imam , Bibi Zainab , a four year daughter Bibi Sakina . Imam Hussain was shot down by arrows, Zuljana his faithful steed taking the brunt of the attack, after that Shimr decapitated the Imams head , their clothes belongings looted, bodies trampled by horses, their head put up on spears, women children enslaved, taken to Damascus to the court of Yazid..

This was the beginning of Jehadi terrorism or Yazidiyat , in the name of Allah, this was the treatment meted out to the Holy Prophets family. In India when Alexandra conquered Porus, Alexandra asked him what treatment should I mete out to you..or how should I treat you. Porus replied a treatment befitting a King..this is Indian thought, hospitabilty to which Imam Hussain was enamoured, when he was stopped at Karbala before the carnage and genocide he told the Yazidi forces to allow him to go to Hindustan , where he said I know there are no Muslims, but yes there are human beings..he was talking of a land that belonged to Brahma Vishnu Mahadev..

So Moharam is not just about shedding blood , cutting foreheads , self flagellation, its about human dignity defying death ,upholding the principles of Truth..

Zuljana a four legged animal symbolises faithfulness that was lacking among the Yazidi forces , they knew the enemy they had come to crush was the grandson of the Holy Prophet but they impotently kept mum, like todays rulers Muftis , Islamic heads of State who watch the terror inflicted on Humanity, but have no balls to stand up collectively and say.. Stop this Carnage.This is not the Islam preached by the Holy Prophet..or his Imams.

This is the honest truth as I see it , Islam is at crossroads , it is a crusade not between the Cross or the Crescent , it is a crusade of Hate ,yes Muslims are bent on destroying Islam, Muslims love killing Muslims.. This is a picture of Zuljana at a Moharam Juloos.Every Juloos is incomplete without the Zuljana.

Today Islam has been politicized for personal gains , by vested interests,this mornings paper talked of a threat to India by a subsidiary of Al Qaeda called Qaeede Hind..this is criminalization of a spiritual thought of Islam , this is satanism , the Shia shedding blood is called Heresy, the Puritanical Muslim killing Humanity is called Jehad.. For once I am shocked at the moderation of my Intelligence.. Yes I would rather be a Shia cutting myself up…shedding my own blood than asking little kids to decapitate Journalist heads, a dead Pearl of Wisdom..