Doctor's Free Time: Islamic New Year

It seems I was seriously mistaken, an astonishing 82% of people called/texted in to vote Jade Goody out of the Celebrity Big Brother house. My view of the Big Brother audience was wrong to say the least. I'm pleasantly surprised. Goody's career looks to be over, in a great sense of irony; the programme that made her has also destroyed her (hopefully). Watford Man, being a media boff (!), came up with a great idea for her to restore her career - after CBB has finished, Goody should make a documentary about a trip to India and have Shilpa Shetty as her tour guide around Mumbai - millions would watch and she could create some genuine credibility.

Finally a win to savour for Liverpool on Saturday as they completely destroyed Chelsea. I watched the match in High-Definition for the first time - an amazing viewing experience. Coupled with Arsenal's comeback against Man Utd and maybe, just maybe we can start dreaming of a belated title challenge. Meanwhile, enjoy the goals from the Chelsea game below.

Sunday saw the start of the first month of the Islamic calendar, Muharrum. The reason why majority of muslims and especially all Shias do not celebrate an Islamic New Year, is because of a significant event which occurred in the first 10 days of the month almost 1300 years ago - the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (a.s.) and his family and friends and the hands of the evil tyrant ruler Yazid.

Only a few years after the Holy Prophet's demise, Islamic rule had fallen into the corrupt hands of Muawiyah who handed over the reigns to his even more corrupt son, Yazid. Driven by power, he demanded the acceptance of Imam Hussain (a.s.), grandson of the Holy Prophet, which would legitimise his leadership. When this was declined despite the threat of death, Yazid engaged his armed forces in a horrific massacre of the Imam and his companions in Karbala (Iraq) in the 7th century. Although the event lead to the death of the family and friends of Imam Hussain (a.s.), it ended up saving Islam from the grip of destruction.

Shia's across the globe gather at mosques and Islamic centers every day for the first 10 days to remember his great sacrifice which saved Islam. Every year the numbers in attendance seems to increase and the message of Imam Hussain's (a.s.) sacrifice continues to spread. It never ceases to amaze me the power of the story of Karbala. It has to go down as the greatest sacrifice for mankind. Imam Hussain (a.s.) watched his family members including his brother, nephews and sons (including his 6 month-old son, Ali Asghar) ruthlessly murdered by the army of Yazid. I can't even begin to imagine the level of resolve and belief in Islam it would take in order to endure such horrific events, but Imam Hussain (a.s.) had it in abundance.

Islam is often criticised for its apparent oppression of women. Women don't have equal rights, have to wear hijab, have to stay at home etc. All incorrect, but nevertheless a widespread view. The message of Karbala and Imam Hussain's (a.s.) sacrifice would've been lost had it not been for the women of his camp. After the terrible events on the 10th day of Muharrum - Ashura, the women of the camp of Imam Hussain (a.s.) were rounded up and marched to Damascus, Syria and duly imprisoned. After their eventual release, the sister of Imam Hussain (a.s.), Bibi Zaynab, spread the message of Karbala and made sure it would not be forgotten. Through the centuries the message has continued to spread and hence Shia's across the globe commemorate the martyrdom at every Muharrum.

With each passing year the message of Karbala seems to get more and more poignant. With Muslims being oppressed across the globe either by their rulers or by foreign nations, now, more than ever, the sacrifice of Imam Hussain (a.s.) seems relevant. Remembering the ultimate sacrifice can only strengthen our resolve especially those Muslims living in Iraq and Palestine. For us, living in the comfort of the Western world, it provides an opportunity to look at ourselves and continue our drive to increase our faith inshallah.

Over the next few days, I hope to type some more about the sacrifice of Imam Hussain and his companions. I've had a long-term ambition of producing a sort of docu-drama on the story of Karbala and this year it seems I've been beaten to it with the imminent release of Karbala - When Skies Wept Blood, I'll leave you with the trailer below and hopefully will have the time this week to type more on the issue or perhaps any of the readers might want to contribute? Who knows, not many people seem to be reading the blog anymore!