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THE MARTYRDOM OF HUSAYN
The A.D. 680 martyrdom of Ali’s son, Muhammad’s
grandson, Husayn, at Kerbala is the cornerstone
event for the Shias. Every year on the 10th day of
the Islamic month of Muharram (a day called Ashura
meaning the “tenth”) Shias around the world
commemorate the bravery and suffering endured by
Husayn and his followers through mourning rituals
and sympathetic self-injury. Likewise, themes of
guilt, suffering, betrayal and public atonement
permeate Shia culture.30
The Kerbala event is also recognized historically by
Sunnis as a tragic event. But the Shia rituals and
deep veneration of Ali and his family have been
condemned by conservative Sunnis as heretical
deviations from Islam that dangerously resemble idol
worship.
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