- The Imam’s Karbala was only the first
As the Muharram moon unveils itself, it brings with it the memory of the sacrifice made 1400 years ago. The oppressed stood up against the oppressor and taught us the difference between right and wrong. The one in Karbala though preached a message of love and peace but at the same time advocated standing up for the truth even if it meant getting your head severed.
Hussain (AS) stood up to the thousands of soldiers surrounding him with a thirst for his blood. No matter what the odds were, he and his followers fought to death against oppression. Yazid and his supporters did celebrate the purported victory. However, time taught us who actually won the war. Yazid tha, Hussain (AS) hai aptly summarises the battle of Karbala.
Even though the battle of Karbala took place over 1400 years ago yet, what we fail to understand is that the battle never stopped. It never will. Till such time that there is tyranny and oppression prevalent in the world, the battle of Karbala is ongoing. Every fight against injustice is part and parcel of the battle of Karbala.
Yazid wasn’t just a man, he was an ideology. An ideology which promotes oppression, injustice, hatred, tyranny and unwelcome authoritarian rule. When the free will of the common man is suppressed and bitter rule is imposed, it echoes the voice of Yazid. The human race has witnessed different forms of this ideology over the past centuries. The likes of Adolf Hitler would suffice to formulate an understanding of the concept.
At different times since man inhabited this planet, different societies have encumbered different forms of oppression. Be it the atrocities against the Jews or the racism against the black community, different segments of society have witnessed one or more forms of oppression. Each time, someone stood up against injustice. The message of Karbala has been learnt and has enabled countless communities to stand up for their rights and fight against persecution.
The Yazid of today continues to win on the face of it yet, the will and determination of the Kashmiri people refuses to fade away. For them, each day is Karbala. Their sacrifices will not be in vain and will be rewarded in this life or the next. The only question remains is, do we want to be remembered as the people of Kufa or would we prefer to be counted amongst the 72 who stood for Haq against Baatil?
Ironically, if we were to attempt and locate where the battle of Karbala continues today, we won’t have to look far. A little gaze towards the North-east of our country would reveal the battlefield for the battle of Karbala being fought today. Millions of Kashmiri men, women and children encounter the truest form of the modern-day Yazid’s ideology every minute of their lives. Though the subjugation has been there for decades, however, this past month it aggravated to another level.
Unimaginable atrocities are being committed against the Kashmiri Muslims every minute of the day. Physical torture, rape, imprisonments and confinement are the rule of the day in occupied Kashmir. Surrounded by hundreds of thousands of soldiers, unarmed Kashmiris are subjected to inhumane treatment within the sanctity of their homes. Rape is employed as a favourite tool by the Indian forces to demoralise and humiliate the Kashmiris.
The battle is indeed being fought. It might be inconsequential but the Kashmiris are putting up resistance to the extent they can. They have shown the will and capacity to endure the hardships being inflicted on them and yet have not cowered down in the wake of a fresh tirade of tyranny.
The question is, where do we stand amidst the battle? Forget about the rest of the world and let us analyse our position in this battle. Kashmir hour and rallies are fantastic when it comes to steering our emotions but what good does it do to the people of Kashmir? Actions are indeed louder than words. At the moment it seems as though we stand in juxtaposition with the people of Kufa. The silent spectators. The very same people who witnessed the tragedy on the plains of Karbala and yet chose to turn a blind eye. For the time being, we do not seem to be any different.
I am not suggesting declaring war against India. Such an act would most certainly be counterproductive and would have more far reaching destructive effects. But the least we could do is call out those who are willingly abstaining from speaking out against India. We do claim to have given rise to a narrative against Indian atrocities and yet what we see is our brotherly Arab nations conferring their highest awards on the fascist Indian Prime Minister. The bare minimum would be to strongly resist and object to such acts.
A trending post on social media suggested a blanket boycott of Middle Eastern airlines. It may or may not make a huge difference but the message would be quite clear. If a nation refuses to side with the fateful Kashmiris then they are not welcome to share a seat at our table. Though we do heavily rely on Arab money, let us not forget they also need us for armed assistance and other security related matters. Maybe toning down on such cooperation would make it clear to our allies that for us, Kashmir is the real deal.
Sadly, we have abandoned the Kashmiris for far too long. Instead of steering the international narrative in their favour we have failed to avoid the Indian annexation of occupied Kashmir. Our armed forces are ever ready to engage the Indians but our political leadership over the past few decades have had little time to focus on the rights of the Kashmiris. The very Kashmiris who raise our flag as a sign and symbol of hope and get themselves killed in the process but choose to die clinging on to the green colour. Only the regretful part is, the greens have failed to live up to their expectations.
The Yazid of today continues to win on the face of it yet, the will and determination of the Kashmiri people refuses to fade away. For them, each day is Karbala. Their sacrifices will not be in vain and will be rewarded in this life or the next. The only question remains is, do we want to be remembered as the people of Kufa or would we prefer to be counted amongst the 72 who stood for Haq against Baatil?