The Cellar Image of the Day

Happy Ashoura (Ashura?) (Ashara?) day, a day which we noted last year as well. This Shiite Muslim ceremony marks the AD 680 battle in which Imam Hussein, the grandson of Islam's Prophet Mohammed, was killed.

These guys are really into it, but the practice is generally more angled towards the children. They are ritually cut, after which you're supposed to hit the wound to really make the blood spread impressively.

It seems if you're really into it, you use a big ol' sword or knife instead of a razor, and if you're really really into it, you hit the wound WITH the sword or knife. That's what it seems, but I'm just going by the various images of it.

More Yahoo News Photos

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Basically it is the story of the battle between Imam Hussein, the grandson of the prophet Mohammed, and Caliph Yazid on the Kerbala desert in 680 A.D.
Imam Hussein is to return to Kufa/Iraq after he has been reassured that the people there will help him in his struggle after he had fled to Mecca under the threat of being assassinated by Yazid’s people. On his way back the horse he is riding stops at a certain place near the Euphrates and doesn’t move. When the Imam asks the name of this place he is told it is the desert of Karbala (karrun wa bala2) which roughly means harm and calamity. He tells his followers that this is the place where he will be killed as prophesied. Tents are put up and they are very soon after that surrounded by Yazid’s army. The Imam does not have many people with him and most of them are family members with women and children. We’ll move a bit quickly thru the events now. First their water supply is cut off for three days, and then the battle starts, family members of the Imam die one after the other trying to protect Imam Hussein including his young sons. After all the men have been killed, Yazid’s army moves thru the camp and burns the tents down. Imam Hussein’s head is then taken to Damascus to prove to Yazid that al-Hussein has been killed.

Instead of wasting that blood they ought to be banking it for the Iraqi Red Crescent Society. They're going to be needing it all too soon.

It's really NOT all that much blood. Probably less than an ounce.

Angled more towards children?? I know that I shouldn't judge other cultures by our standards, but ... couldn't they just have the kid sit in the lap of the prophet and deliver a wish list or something?? Hunt for toy swords maybe?

WOLF !!!

You're back!! How are you feeling? You were greatly missed on this site.

The only thing more primitive would be actually drinking the blood of their "god" (with a flesh chaser...hmm yummy)

MY religion wouldn't have ANY of that fairy tale demonic non sense.
Well.... transubstantiation not withstanding of course.

piously hypocritical and blissfully ignant, Lilkey

I consider a personal, private relationship with God, worthy of veneration. Likewise, certain relationship bonds between friends and family also deserve reverence.

Because sometimes I look at the world in slightly strange ways ...

Perhaps, like some people enjoy public displays of affection, some Gods do too ...

I suppose it is odd to most Westerners to see expressions of a more experiential religion than what they are used to.

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Originally Posted by wolf

I'm glad that no 'western' religions would ever involve cutting kids or require body modification or ritualise the drinking of blood and flesh............

The neoconservatives' goal is the same as Osama bin Laden's – to spread instability in the Middle East. The neocons seek to foment instability in order to justify more U.S. invasions in an insane quest to remake the Middle East in the American image. Bin Laden seeks instability in order to topple the secular rulers and recreate Islamic rule. Bin Laden does not want U.S. troops out. He wants to suck America in deeper in order to create revolutionary insurgency throughout the Middle East. I guess its a win win situation.