Triumph of truth at Karbala

The daunting challenges faced by Muslims all over the world today demand a harking back to the memorable message and mission of Hazrat Imam Husain (RA). His supreme sacrifice to reclaim the true spirit of Islam that was getting corroded under the corrupting influence of those who claimed to be its custodians must be imbibed not merely in words but in deeds.

He embarked on his crusade with courage of conviction and rare resolution. Though materially and militarily the odds against him and his small band of followers were formidable, spiritually and morally this modest army turned out to be a mighty force against those of oppression and injustice.

It is but natural for us to grieve over a heart-rending tragedy unparalleled in human history. A stage sometimes comes in human affairs when one is confronted with a dilemma - a hard choice between coming to terms with evil for reasons of expediency, and accepting the challenge of a struggle involving incalculable risks and grave perils.

By choosing the latter course, Imam Husain set an example of struggle and sacrifice unparalleled in human history. But it will be unrealistic to assume that one Karbala has saved the faith and made it safe for all times.

Islam is a dynamic faith and as such has to face challenges from within and without. Imam Husain's refusal to surrender to a usurper of power shows the path to all Muslims.

He laid no claim to caliphate; all he did was to refuse allegiance to Yazid. The so-called caliph wanted Imam Husain to publicly acknowledge his claim to caliphate, because that would have made his job easy. In refusing to do that, Husain was guided by two considerations: Yazid had become caliph without having been elected by the community's elders; the second stemmed from his reservations about Yazid's character, for it left much to be desired.

Imam Hussain's mission served to emphasize his commitment to truth and to the highest principles of Islam. He was not itching for a fight at Karbala, which in fact was thrust on him, and he fought to prove that one must not compromise on principles; that an Islamic state must be ruled by a man who not only had the community's sanction behind him but who was also a man of character and possessed the virtues that Islam expects of all its followers.

The challenge symbolised by Yazid's defiance and deviation is staring the Muslims in the face today. The drift away from the true spirit of the faith needs to be stopped by the Millat from a united platform.

To measure up to this task, we as a body must emulate the inspiring example of Hazrat Imam Husain. What was fought at Karbala was a real Jihad - a term being misused and abused today. The cause for which Imam Husain gave his life was to save the essence and spirit of Islam.

Reaffirmation of Faith is a matter of life and death for a true Muslim. Only when cause and conviction combine to take complete hold of heart and soul could such a remarkable response come forth. That is why a seeming setback at Karbala actually marked the triumph of truth.

If we look around us today and search our hearts, we would realize that the dichotomy between our profession and practice is the root cause of our decline and regression. Fracticidal conflicts and sectarian schisms are the main causes of the crisis facing us today.

The world community is only exploiting the differences and discord in our ranks. If we really want to pay homage to Husain's lofty mission and martyrdom, let us resolve to uphold Islam's teachings of truth, justice and brotherhood. The spectre of Karbala is once again haunting the Ummah. Hazrat Imam Husain's glorious example must be revived as a guiding motivation for action at this critical hour.

A deplorable incident

Sunday's attack on the Karachi Press Club by a group of people agitating against a certain TV channel's programme on Muharram is most deplorable. Instead of staging their demonstration peacefully and making their point of view known through slogans, placards and banners, the protesters became unnecessarily violent, forced their entry into the club by scaling the outer wall, beat up the night guard at the gate and indulged in acts of vandalism inside, causing damage to club property.

This marked a sad departure from the long established practice of such demonstrations, including hunger strikes, being staged in front of the KPC round the year without ever causing a breach of peace or behaving recklessly.

Apparently, Sunday's unfortunate incident is the result of the intolerant mood and attitude being openly displayed by some religious parties, groups and factions against each other on sectarian grounds.

Coming to the cause of the protest, perhaps the TV channel in question should have been more discreet in not airing a controversial programme with sectarian overtones knowing the sensitivities during the holy month of Muharram. That was however no reason for those feeling hurt to go red-eyed in anger and frenzy and resort to violent conduct and hooliganism that were witnessed on Sunday at the KPC.

It is for the authorities, as well as the more responsible among the religious leaders on both sides, to counsel restraint and tolerance and ensure that Sunday's ugly incident is not repeated in the future.

What next in Haiti?

Months of anarchy have forced the erstwhile Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to finally resign and go into exile. He was Haiti's first democratically elected leader who rose to power in 1990, but only to be ousted by the military a year later.

American sanctions and, later, the threat of an outright US invasion forced the military to relinquish power. Mr Aristide returned home in 1994 and, again, a period of political upheaval ensued. The subsequent government of President Rene Preval also remained deadlocked over differences with the opposition.

Mr Aristide was re-elected president for a second term in 2000 amid charges of rigging, with the opposition and rebel groups resorting to street protests. By early this year, there was a near-complete breakdown of order, with the state's economy having all but collapsed.

This time round, President Aristide blamed the US for his own and Haiti's political and economic distress, saying Washington's lack of support for his government encouraged rebel groups to spread lawlessness and chaos.

The poorest of nations in the Americas, Haiti has also had the misfortune of having been misruled by a succession of despots, including the voodoo practitioner Francois Duvalier, and his son Jean-Claude Duvalier, popularly nicknamed 'Papa Doc' and 'Baby Doc', respectively.

The two self-declared presidents-for-life wreaked havoc on the social and political fabric of Haitian society - what with voodoo spell casting and resorting to other modes of medieval practices - for thirty long years until 'Baby Doc' finally went into exile in 1986. Haiti today lacks sustainable state institutions and has become virtually ungovernable.

The UN Security Council's emergency deployment of a multinational peacekeeping force there should thus be seen as a first step towards restoring peace and public order. The international community must keep itself seriously engaged in Haiti until a sustainable political and economic order is restored there, and its people not condemned to live in misery and chaos.