(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The sound of drum beat echoes through the streets of Oslo. It is a centuries-old tradition from the Middle East symbolizing the battle of Karbala. These Muslims try to tell the world what happened in Karbala on the day of Ashura nearly fourteen centuries ago.
Ashura is commemorated throughout Norway, all the way up to Tromsoe in the Arctic. But the Ashura procession is held only in the capital Oslo. And it has become a yearly tradition. This year it is being held a few days after the Ashura Day, which marks the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein and his companions in Karbala.
Imam Hussain was Prophet Muhammad's grandson. He stood against Yazid, to whom the caliphate was passed on by his father Muawiyah. Imam Hussain believed Yazid was a corrupt tyrant and unfit to lead the Muslim World. So, he refused to pledge allegiance to Yazid. Consequently, he and seventy-two of his companions were massacred by Yazid's army of thirty-thousand soldiers.
The commemorations to mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, his family and companions will continue for about two months. However, the Ashura procession is the biggest outdoor activity during the mourning season.
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Ashura is commemorated throughout Norway, all the way up to Tromsoe in the Arctic. But the Ashura procession is held only in the capital Oslo. And it has become a yearly tradition. This year it is being held a few days after the Ashura Day, which marks the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein and his companions in Karbala.
Imam Hussain was Prophet Muhammad's grandson. He stood against Yazid, to whom the caliphate was passed on by his father Muawiyah. Imam Hussain believed Yazid was a corrupt tyrant and unfit to lead the Muslim World. So, he refused to pledge allegiance to Yazid. Consequently, he and seventy-two of his companions were massacred by Yazid's army of thirty-thousand soldiers.
The commemorations to mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, his family and companions will continue for about two months. However, the Ashura procession is the biggest outdoor activity during the mourning season.
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