Nov 25, 2012

Ashura 2012

You may hear that there are different sects of Muslims - Sunni and Shia.  This last week was the Ashura holiday that Shia Muslims participate in.  During this holiday, they remember the deaths of Hussain and Ali, the son and grandson of Mohammed.  They were killed in the Battle of Karbala, which took place in Iraq.  This is a 10 day long ritual that happens every year.  The last two days - the 9th and 10th of Muharram - are usually days off for most schools, businesses and government offices. 

This year we experienced it a little more closely.  As the week goes on, more and more people participate in the rituals in the Manama center, which is right next two where we now live.  (oh yeah, we've moved!  I'll post pictures another time).  Because people from all over Bahrain, and other Gulf countries, come to Manama center to participate, we end up being in lock-down mode.  Which means there are so many cars that we have difficulty driving out.  And if we do, there's no guarantee that someone won't park in front of our garage entrance while we're away. 

Since we live so close, I've been able to visit the Ashura activities a couple of times over the last week and show my New Zealand and American friends around (I've been down before, so I have a general sense of what is going on, and where things are at).  Even though it is a more sombre event, people are quite welcoming towards us.  

Some key experiences of Ashura: 
  • Families (and by family I mean hoards of cousins, aunts, uncles, etc) will stay in a familiy house in Manama and prepare food and snacks that people can freely take.  We sampled tea, various dates, falafal and other treats. 
  • Aza'a:  the men will march while hitting themselves (sometimes lightly, some times not) and listening to someone recite various aspects of the story of Hussain and Ali.
  • Art:  the Islamic Art Society of Bahrain hosts an art gallery every year with art depicting various scenes from the Battle of Karbala.
Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures, but I will certainly take my camera next year and share with a little more color. 

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