To witness the wonder of how devotion beautifies art one has to travel to Chiniot. But the place has something more than that to offer.
In a country where every month is turned into a Muharram, owing to the bloodshed and violence across its map, Chiniot presents a reason for the bewilderment of the propagandists. In this town the tazias associated with the tragedy of Karbala are created, decorated and carried by not Shiites only, but the Sunnis, too. In fact, it can be easily claimed that they are in majority in these processions.
The mourning of Hussain (AS) and the tazias from the town of Chiniot have a history older than that of Pakistan. Amazingly, and perhaps most fortunately, the former’s history is free of any sectarian divides or violence. This little miracle in the town of Punjab is like sprinkling of peaceful rain over the soil that is burning with violence and hatred.
Distant from the desire of fame or the sectarian hatred, the hands and hearts that create these hallmarks of unity, these masterpieces of art, are themselves creatures of devotion, for it is devotion that kneads man’s essence into purity.
But as important as devotion is from one end, so is praise and appreciation from the other. How hard can it be to realise that it is these creators who, like the poets who created the form marsia (loose variant of elegy) in poetry with a distinguishable place, create these structures in their distinguishable space.
When Mir Anees departed from this world, Dabeer had spoken of him in a couplet that made history, in which Dabeer dubbed Anees the God’s conversationalist.
It is difficult to imagine if there will be a Dabeer for every Anees from Chiniot. In the war of faiths, it is culture that is supressed and targeted. If culture is martyred, our breaths would not be enough to count us alive. It will be a death that will not be mourned by anyone. There will be no elegies. There will be no tazia. The art of making history is not for the vainly dead. -Translate from Urdu by Aadarsh Ayaz
tazia and taaziyat (condolence) seems to have same root. It may represent janaza of Imam Hussain or may be process of taking family of Prophet from Iraq to Syria. A shia poster can explain this
****MULTAN: Christmas for 700 Christian families in Multan was made extra special this year, as the Shia community showered them with gifts the day before the Chehlum of Imam Hussain.
The goodwill step was taken by Chairman Markazi Azdari Imam Hussain Council (MAIHC) Hasan Mashadi in collaboration with religious leaders from other religious sects. The gifts were sponsored by Multan’s civil society.
Hundreds of Christian families from Gulshanabad Colony, Raza Abad Colony, Grass Mandi Colony, Chungi No One Colony and Double Phaatak Colony received the Christmas gifts with open arms and much excitement.
MAIHC was assisted in gift distribution by over 200 male and female volunteers of the Shia community in Multan, who went door-to-door in the form of small delegations.
When Mariyam Masih from Double Phatak Colony was given a gift for her three-year-old daughter by the Shia delegation, she began to weep. She said the gift reaffirmed her belief in the ideology of Pakistan.
One of the volunteers, 17-year-old Jawad Haider said that the time has come to show in practice the ideology of Imam Hussain (RA).
MAIHC’s Mashadi also revealed they began this initiative in Multan because it is known as the ‘city of saints.’
“I believed tolerance will one day find a place in our society where right now religious is used as a tool to dictate and suppress minorities,” Mashadi added.
Christmas coincides with Jinah's birthday.. so everyone gets a holiday
Jinnah solved at least one religious dispute through his birth :D
I think most Kashmiris are barelvis.
People in my hubby's village told me that they are deobandis, nearly 20 percent are shias though,my information is based on just this fact, may be in total population they might be majorly barelvis :)
Jinnah solved at least one religious dispute through his birth :D
People in my hubby's village told me that they are deobandis, nearly 20 percent are shias though,my information is based on just this fact, may be in total population they might be majorly barelvis :)
Do you know about shrines in valley other than Dargah Hazrat Bal?
Do you know about shrines in valley other than Dargah Hazrat Bal?
No, I don't, Hazrat bal is in Sri Nagar and Barahmulla is just 57 kms, valley is even more extended further. And there is little of kashmiri Islam that my family is interested so it becomes even more difficult to learn from travelling there :)