The month of Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calender. With the start of this month, many millions remember the heroic struggle of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), against the corruption of Islamic ideals and human rights by the tyrant ruler Yazid. Hussain was martyred along with many of his companions on the tenth day (‘Ashura) of Muharram in Karbala. The commemoration of this tragedy is a source of inspiration for the seekers of truth and justice all over the world.

"Hussain accepted and set out from Mecca with his family and an entourage of about seventy followers. But on the plains of Karbala they were caught in an ambush set by the … caliph, Yazid. Though defeat was certain, Hussain refused to pay homage to him. Surrounded by a great enemy force, Hussain and his company existed without water for ten days in the burning desert of Karbala. Finally Hussain, the adults and some male children of his family and his companions were cut to bits by the arrows and swords of Yazid's army; his women and remaining children were taken as captives to Yazid in Damascus. The renowned historian Abu Reyhan al-Biruni states; "… then fire was set to their camp and the bodies were trampled by the hoofs of the horses; nobody in the history of the human kind has seen such atrocities." - Ta'ziyeh: Ritual and Drama in Iran, New York, 1979, p. 2

“Of that gallant band, male and female knew that the enemy forces around were implacable, and were not only ready to fight, but to kill. Denied even water for the children, they remained parched under the burning sun and scorching sands, yet not one faltered for a moment. Husain marched with his little company, not to glory, not to power of wealth, but to a supreme sacrifice, and every member bravely faced the greatest odds without flinching.” - Dr. K. Sheldrake

“The best lesson which we get from the tragedy of Cerebella (Karbala) is that Husain and his companions were rigid believers in God. They illustrated that the numerical superiority does not count when it comes to the truth and the falsehood. The victory of Husain, despite his minority, marvels me!” - Thomas Carlyle

“Imam Husain uprooted despotism forever, till the Day of Resurrection. He watered the dry gardens of freedom with a surging wave of his blood, and indeed he awakened the sleeping Muslim nation. If Imam Husain had aimed at acquiring the worldly empire, he would not have traveled the way he did. Husain weltered in blood and dust for the sake of truth. Verily, therefore, he becomes the foundation of the Muslim creed ‘La Ilaha Il-lallah,' meaning, there is no deity but Allah (God).” - Sir Mohammad Iqbal