The Emergency Responder and Understanding Shi’a Islam’s Holiest Day
A few weeks ago, I found myself trekking slowly through the labyrinth of roadways traversing the greater Los Angeles area. Typically, my morning commute is spent returning messages from those that insist on emailing/calling me late into the evening; finalizing strategies with my peers to address the slew of committees, meetings, and projects that dominate each day; or addressing the latest emergency that happened over night — but not this day.
This day, I had the opportunity to enjoy some alone time—time to escape before the day took hold…time to reflect…time to myself.
What better way to enjoy the peace and quiet afforded me, than to tune into the radio (insert sarcasm). One of the first words to emanate from the speakers was “…Ashura…” In an instant, my quiet moment transgressed into an abundance of thoughts ranging from martyrdom, to the merciless schism between Shi’a and Sunni Muslim’s, and Islam’s redefined place in American society. I sifted through historical remembrances and imagery I associate with Ashura, and ended up thinking of my coworkers and colleagues—the emergency responder community.
Each day, emergency responders—our firefighters, paramedics, and law enforcement professionals—respond to a myriad of incidents affecting our neighborhoods and communities. These civil servants are dedicated to providing aid to those that are injured or dying; protecting the innocent from those that wish to inflict harm; and battle to decrease damage afflicted to our homes, businesses, and places of worship—and at times—with great personal risk.
What often goes unnoticed is the breadth of knowledge and innumerable skill-sets required to effectively contend with any situation that may arise. I mention this because my rambling thoughts encircling the tributes associated with Ashura reminded me of the importance that understanding the diversity of the communities we serve is critical to effectively and wisely perform the respective duties of the emergency responder. Furthermore, recognizing historical events that hold high importance within our secular society is key. For our Shi’a citizenry, Ashura is one of those defining
historical moments we should understand.
The divide between Shi’a and Sunni Islam originated from a disagreement of the rightful successor to the Prophet Mohammad—blood lineage or the individual who has demonstrated to be the most theologically worthy. This divide continued to widen within Islam, and in the year 680 C.E. the split became rooted with the Battle of Karbala and the martying of Hussein ibn Ali (son of Ali), grandson to the Prophet Mohammad. Hussein was traveling with 72 of his followers to the city of Karbala; although there is differing opinion as to the intent behind his journey, combat of epic proportion occurred with Hussein’s arrival. Hussein and the followers that accompanied him, perished to the overwhelming forces loyal to the Caliph Yazid.
Many religions of the world, celebrate historical events through prayer, sacrifice, and feasts just to mention a few, and Shi’a Islam is no different. Ashura occurs on the tenth day of the first month of the Islamic calendar. The holiest of days for Shi’a Islam…Shi’a Muslims partake in homages to
Imam Hussain and the Battle of Karbala. Some commemorative events involve Quaranic recitations and sermons — Majilis, oration of poetry — nohas, and reenactments of the Battle of Karbala. The rituals associated with Ashura pay respect to Hussein’s martyrdom and represent Shiism’s foundational beliefs of justice and the strength to fight against tyranny. Moreover, the memorials further illustrate the grief felt by Shi’a Muslim’s for the losses sustained in Karbala.
These gatherings dominate the remembrances; however, there are other rituals that unfortunately frame the headlines and are cast as the norm. This includes the act of self-flagellation through the use of chains—zanjir or the
cutting with knives—tatbeer. Tatbeer and zanjir are practiced as a physical representation of mourning and grief expressed by those Shi’a partaking in this practice.
The act of self-flagellation is not isolated to the practice of Islam; rather, it has been a part of many religious practices throughout history with the practice being an integral part of Christian history—and current practice amongst some. The custom of self-flagellation has been banned in many religions, yet the custom still persists. The Roman Catholic Church initially condemned this practice in 1349 by Pope Clement VI and “some Shia theologians argue that to physically hurt the body Allah gave you itself is a sin”, yet the act still persists today and the emergency responder should be aware.
Specific to the holiday of Ashura, members of the Shi’a community practicing tatbeer may become weakend due to excessive blood loss or gashes that may require suturing. Moreover, these acts are not limited to the adult only. Often, small children and adolescence youth participate in these ritualistic ceremonies sustaining similar injuries as the adult. Regardless of
origin—Muslim or Christian, understanding this is a sharing of tradition and tribute to faith is a perspective that must be explored.
It is easy to view the act of self-flagellation through the lens of society at large which immediately cries of abuse, yet the emergency responder must pause before reacting. These traditions are not in line with societal norms, yet they are not malevolent in origin. Rather, these customs represent an expression of deep love and adherence to religious belief. This posting is not intended to excuse nor condemn the acts of zanjir matam or tatbeer matam. It is intended to inform the emergency responder to a custom associated with some within the communities we serve. Moreover, it is intended to give the tool of knowledge when faced with a situation that normally screams for swift and potentially aggressive action to take a more measured approach when addressing cultural differences.
