As Muslims worldwide observed Ashura on Tuesday 9 August, a procession took place also in India’s predominantly Buddhist Leh. Despite divides between Buddhists and Muslims in India, the event was peaceful.
Ashura is the tenth day of Muharram which is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, who lost his life in the battle of Karbala in 680 AD.
Although India’s Leh is predominantly Buddhist, it is also home to a large Shia Muslim population so thousands of people gathered on Tuesday to mourn together.
They had Islamic headbands on and were holding Shia flags and banners with the words of Imam Hussain. Some were wearing t-shirts with slogans opposing oppression, referring to the teachings of Imam Hussain, who said that ‘those who are silent when others are oppressed are guilty of oppression themselves.’
Typically, Shia Muslims mourn by walking together in a procession and rhythmically beating their chests while chanting Ya Hussain. Some, however, perform tatbir, a ritual which involves people beating themselves with chains and hitting their heads with knives until blood comes out. They do that to honour the innocent blood of Imam Hussain.
During the event, medics were walking around, treating some for excessive blood loss and fainting.
As tatbir is a form of self-harm, many Shia Muslims consider it to be haram and condemn the practice. While tens of people still do it in Leh, in most Muslim societies, self-flagellation does not take place on Ashura.
