ON every Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram, a large number of Muslims across the world remembers the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in the battle of Karbala.

The significance of the battle of Karbala was never a one-off incident of history as has been proved by history itself. It was a battle between what is right and what is wrong regardless of circumstances. That is what the actual significance of Karbala has always been and will continue to be.

Today, we have extremists under various titles and banners who try to portray themselves as the true representatives of Islam globally. But they are who they are; hardliners who promote violence, carry out blasts, attack peaceful religious processions, and take innocent lives of unarmed individuals with impunity.

The battle of Karbala was meant to lay down a good foundation for a truly Islamic state. The first universal lesson that Karbala teaches us is to never support injustice and oppression no matter how powerful the oppressor might be. Karbala shows the difference between the good and the evil.

The incident of Karbala is important because it created a movement against the evil for all ages to come. Karbala asks us to keep up our voice against tyranny and oppression, and stand up against exploitation. To keep alive the spirit of Islam, Karbala was, is and will always be a significant milestone.

Arsalan Mehndi
Chiniot

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2022