Latest news with #Ashura
News.com.au
a day ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne breaks silence on video of Muslims at St Patrick's Cathedral
The Archbishop of Melbourne has broken his silence after a video showing thousands of Muslims gathered outside the city's largest church went viral around the world. exclusively reported last weekend that footage filmed on July 7 outside St Patrick's Cathedral showing the annual Ashura Muslim procession had drawn a huge response globally. Videos of the event had been viewed millions of times and attracted the attention of anti-Islam personalities with huge followings around the world, many of whom suggested it showed something sinister taking place. Some prominent Australian ex-politicians also joined the pile-on, including former Victorian Liberal politician Bernie Finn who wrote: 'Pretty damn odd, thousands of Muslims surrounded St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne.' But as this author pointed out, the footage was selective and misleading and characterised a peaceful event — a significant day in Islam, particularly for Shia Muslims — as something dangerous. On Tuesday afternoon, after being approached by Archbishop Peter Comensoli issued a statement calling for calm and clarifying that the event has the support of the church. 'On 7 July, members of the Shia Muslim faith community in Melbourne engaged in a religious procession through the streets of Melbourne,' he said. 'This was a peaceful event that has occurred annually for over a decade. This procession has been misrepresented in some quarters as an attack on Christians and, specifically, on St Patrick's Cathedral. This is simply not the case. 'Like all Victorians, the Islamic community is entitled to exercise freedom of religion. As Catholics, we expect nothing less.' understands that the Catholic Archdiocese has been in contact with leaders within the Shia community to discuss the misrepresentation of the procession on social media and to assure them that they had no problem with the procession. But concerningly, the Archbishop said he has been made aware of 'a rally being organised for this weekend which appears to be a protest against the procession'. 'Such a rally does nothing for peace and harmony, nor for promoting religious freedom,' he said. 'I strongly urge people not to attend the rally and hope the organisers have the wisdom to call it off. Instead, I urge Catholics and all people of good will to take up the call of Pope Leo to pray for peace in our world, for an end to war and suffering. 'As Catholics, we place our trust in Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. May He reign in all our hearts.' has seen the protest promotional material. It reads: 'Our monuments and heritage deserve respect. It is unacceptable for Australia's Christian monuments to face hostility and disrespect.' But as was pointed out several days ago, there was no disrespect — the Ashura procession has been taking place along the same route since 2009. Social media videos of the event suggested that Muslims stopped outside the church to chant in an act of deliberate provocation. watched a video of the entire 1hr 42min procession. It showed the group stopping at 30 second intervals. Videos showing the Shia gathering appearing to chant directly at the church appeared to be misleading. They showed the backs of hundreds of Muslims who had lined the side of Albert Street. The procession was passing between them and the Cathedral, moving along the street when footage was shot from a low angle. The Ashura Committee which organised the event told the group took longer passing the Cathedral because it had to account for traffic, including trams passing in front of the iconic bluestone church. 'We're accommodating Yarra Trams and the size of the procession itself. It's not just that it has to stop, it's just the length of it stops,' a spokesperson said. Management at the Hossaini Society of Victoria, a non-profit Islamic Community Organisation based in Melbourne, gave a similar account of the 'brief stop' outside the church. 'The brief stop near St. Patrick's Cathedral was simply a point where participants paused to allow others to catch up and for traffic management purposes,' a spokesperson said. 'There was no religious or political intention behind stopping at that particular location.' A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed to they were aware of the event and respect the rights of individuals 'to practice their faith peacefully'. 'Police were aware the annual Ashura Procession took place in Melbourne on 7 July. There were approximately 5000 people in attendance and the crowd was well behaved. 'There were no incidents during the event that were reported to police. Victoria Police respect the right for individuals to practice their faith peacefully.' A police source told police believe the group paused at Albert Street near the Cathedral to allow the tail end of the group in the march to catch up. The story initially gained traction when right-wing internet personalities took exception to the footage. British anti-Islam campaigner Tommy Robinson, who has a legion of fans including 1.3 million followers on X, shared a video with the words: 'Insane scenes as hundreds of Muslims circle Melbourne cathedral.' It was viewed almost two million times and followed by thousands of hateful comments. Failed Liberal candidate for Sydney's Northern Beaches, Katherine Deves, whose views on the trans community were met with backlash across both sides of politics in 2022, wrote of the scenes: 'A horde of Muslim men surround Melbourne's St Patrick's Catholic cathedral in a display of dominance & intimidation.' Ashura marks the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, who stood against injustice and oppression 1400 years ago and died for what he believed in — which happened to be a peaceful and spiritual version of Islam. Ashura falls on the 10th day of the Islamic calendar month and processions take place in major cities all over the world — including New York, London and Melbourne. A map shared by organisers of the Melbourne procession shows the route each year travels from Treasury Gardens along Landsdowne Street, turns left on Albert Street, goes past St Patrick's Cathedral to Parliament House on Spring Street and finishes back in Treasury Gardens.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Iran's leaders turn to a new brand of nationalism after Israeli and US attacks
The event had all the typical trappings of Ashura, Iran's ritualistic Shi'ite Muslim mourning period. The kneeling crowds were dressed in black. They beat their chests in unison. Then Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , beckoned the man leading the chants and whispered in his ear. Grinning, the singer broke into a tune that would have been wildly out of place at a religious ceremony for the Islamic Republic just a few weeks ago: 'Ey Iran, Iran', a patriotic anthem. 'In my soul and spirit, you remain, O homeland,' he sang, as the crowd recited the words back to him. 'Wasted be the heart that does not tremble for you.' Iran has emerged from its war with Israel – briefly joined by the United States – deeply wounded. Its military defences are battered, its nuclear programme was pummelled and its population has been devastated by a heavy civilian toll over the 12-day war. READ MORE Amid that bleak outlook, the country's leaders see an opportunity. Outrage over the attacks has sparked an outpouring of nationalist sentiment, and they hope to channel that into a patriotic moment to shore up a government facing daunting economic and political challenges. A billboard in Tehran depicts missiles and the mythological figure of Arash the archer. Photograph: Arash Khamooshi/The New York Times The result has been an embrace of ancient folklore and patriotic symbols that many of Iran's secular nationalists once saw as their domain, not that of a conservative theocracy that often shunned Iran's pre-Islamic revolutionary heritage. In the ancient city of Shiraz, a billboard depicts Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu kneeling before a statue of Shapur I, the third-century Persian king, mimicking a frieze from the ruins of the ancient city of Persepolis. In Tehran's Vanak Square, a popular shopping area, a billboard has been erected for Arash the Archer, the mythological figure said to have created Iran's borders by launching his life force from an arrowhead. Now, instead of arrows, it is the missiles of the Islamic Republic being fired across his bow. 'We are witnessing the birth of a fusion of Shi'ite identity and Iranian nationalism – and it is the result of the attack on Iran,' said Mohsen Borhani, a law professor at Tehran University and well-known political commentator. With no reliable polling data to offer insights on popular sentiments, the effectiveness of this patriotic craze has been hotly debated among Iranians and analysts alike. Some Iranians are sceptical that any newfound nationalism will increase the government's popularity, arguing that it simply reflects the widespread anger over the Israeli and US attacks. Government supporters gather in Tehran to commemorate victims of Israel's recent attacks. Photograph: Arash Khamooshi/The New York Times Before the Israeli attacks, some Iran analysts had expected domestic turmoil this summer: Alongside an economic crisis, Iran's water, electricity and fuel supplies had been failing as temperatures soared. The war seems to have led to an opposite effect. Now some Iranians appear willing to stomach more government restrictions, including the tightening of internet access. The Iranian government has also begun a massive crackdown against what it says are infiltrators and spies, but which rights groups say is also sweeping up dissidents and minorities. US president Donald Trump and Netanyahu's calls for Iranians to rise up against the government in the wake of the strikes has led even some critics of the Iranian government to argue that they could not countenance protesting right now. 'People do not want domestic change to be driven by foreign governments,' Lida, who works in Tehran, told The New York Times in a voice message. She asked not to be identified by her full name because of the government's warnings against contact with foreign media. 'It goes against my national pride that a country comes and violates my land and hits our nuclear sites,' she said. 'OK, fine, this nuclear programme is not my dream or aspiration, but in the end it is part of my land and territory.' This is not the first time that leaders of the Islamic Republic have leaned on nationalism or traditional symbols in times of crisis. At the end of the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, historians say, Iran's revolutionary leadership often turned to nationalist rhetoric. But the scale and scope of the latest effort to galvanise the population is different, Iran experts say. 'The revolutionary leadership has recognised that when the going gets tough you have to dive deep into that nationalist rhetoric to bring people together,' said Ali Ansari, the founding director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews. 'They want to use the war as a way of encouraging national solidarity – something that they haven't had for many years.' That approach was especially striking as the country entered Muharram at the end of June, a period of mourning in Shi'ite Islam that lasts for about a month. Ashura, marking the 10th day of that period, is when Shi'ites grieve for Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. This year, Iran's madahs, or religious singers, brought politics into the celebrations. At shopping malls in the city of Yazd, they blended pious verses into patriotic songs that were once banned – including a religious version of an anthem penned during the second World War, and often associated with the era of the Pahlavi monarchy that the Iranian revolution overthrew in 1979. Some Iranians have not welcomed the fusion of nationalist and Islamic rhetoric, including the family of Tooraj Negahban, the lyricist who penned Ey Iran, Iran. The madah who recited it in front of Khamenei wove in religious phrases including 'Iran of Karbala' and 'Iran of Ashura'. A critic of the Islamic Republic, Neghaban died in exile in Los Angeles in 2008. 'For years, you have silenced our voices. You have erased our names from books and the media,' the family wrote in a post on an Instagram page in his name. 'Now that you have nothing left to shout, you are singing the same anthems you used to curse.' Some Iranians, like Borhani, the Tehran University professor, argue that the theocracy's turn to nationalism shows that religion alone can no longer galvanise Iran's 90 million people, particularly those in their 30s or younger, who form the bulk of the population. Others say the widespread use of patriotic tunes in Ashura rituals around the country has created an authentic new expression of Iranian patriotism. Shahrzad, a university student in Tehran, described the shift as 'engineered nationalism.' 'Authentic nationalism comes from the streets, from protests, from shared pain, not from government podiums,' she said in a voice message. Even if the war – and the wave of nationalism it has spurred – has helped the government retain control, some question how long it will last. 'When the dust settles and people start to ask questions, they will see that there's still no water, still no gas, still no electricity,' Ansari said. 'Everything depends on the country having an economic renaissance – and it can't do it.' – The New York Times
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Iran's Leaders Turn to a New Brand of Nationalism After Israeli and U.S. Attacks
The event had all the typical trappings of Ashura, Iran's ritualistic Shiite Muslim mourning period. The kneeling crowds were dressed in black. They beat their chests in unison. Then, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, beckoned the man leading the chants, and whispered in his ear. Grinning, the singer broke into a tune that would have been wildly out of place at a religious ceremony for the Islamic Republic just a few weeks ago: 'Ey Iran, Iran,' a patriotic anthem. 'In my soul and spirit, you remain, O homeland,' he sang, as the crowd recited the words back to him. 'Wasted be the heart that does not tremble for you.' Iran has emerged from its war with Israel — briefly joined by the United States — deeply wounded. Its military defenses are battered, its nuclear program was pummeled and its population has been devastated by a heavy civilian toll over the 12-day war. Amid that bleak outlook, the country's leaders see an opportunity. Outrage over the attacks has sparked an outpouring of nationalist sentiment, and they hope to channel that into a patriotic moment to shore up a government facing daunting economic and political challenges. The result has been an embrace of ancient folklore and patriotic symbols that many of Iran's secular nationalists once saw as their domain, not that of a conservative theocracy that often shunned Iran's pre-Islamic revolutionary heritage. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Shafaq News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Between devotion and drought: Karbala braces for Arbaeen under strain
Shafaq News Karbala, one of Iraq's most sacred cities, is struggling with intensifying shortages in water and electricity as it prepares to host millions of pilgrims for the Arbaeen commemoration next month. With temperatures soaring and infrastructure under strain, both residents and officials have raised concerns about the city's readiness to accommodate the massive influx. Home to around 1.3 million people and covering nearly 5,000 square kilometers, Karbala annually becomes the focal point of one of the world's largest religious gatherings. The Arbaeen pilgrimage, which falls on Friday, August 15 this year, marks the 40th day after Ashura and commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein Ibn Ali, the third Iman for Shia Islam. In 2023, the city received more than 22 million pilgrims; last year, close to 21 million arrived, many traveling on foot for days. Similar figures are expected this year. But as preparations move forward, the city is reeling under basic service disruptions. 'Karbala is going through one of its worst periods due to electricity shortages and water scarcity,' warned MP Jawad al-Yasiri, who represents the province, in a briefing with Shafaq News. He explained that while a parliamentary committee had been formed to improve services during Arbaeen, no tangible progress has been made. The most recent crisis stemmed from a malfunction in a pipeline linked to a major water project, triggering a sharp drop in supply. The situation was further exacerbated by diminishing water levels in both the Al-Husseiniya River and the Euphrates—Karbala's primary water sources—combined with high evaporation and increasing demand during the summer heat. MP Zuhair al-Fatlawi, also from Karbala, emphasized to Shafaq News the national scale of the issue. 'The electricity crisis is not limited to Karbala; it affects most provinces.' With Iranian electricity imports decreasing and domestic demand spiking, the system has come under enormous stress. 'In Karbala, efforts are underway to boost supply by connecting additional power lines through the Middle Euphrates Distribution Directorate,' he continued. Water scarcity, meanwhile, mirrors a deeper national challenge. Iraq's reserves have shrunk to 90 billion cubic meters, down from more than 350 billion in previous decades. The Ministry of Water Resources is currently releasing around 740 cubic meters per second, while inflows from upstream countries are less than 300. 'Iran has halted releases completely, while inflows from Turkiye and Syria are insufficient,' al-Fatlawi elaborated, warning that 'Without capable negotiators and long-term agreements, Iraq might one day need to offer oil in exchange for water.' Public Discontent Across Karbala, residents have begun to voice frustration. In one district, Umm Ali described to our agency how essential services have ground to a halt. 'There has been a complete water outage in our area for two days,' she reported, highlighting that 'With continuous power cuts and extreme heat, people are now buying drinking water just to get by.' She also accused local authorities of neglecting peripheral areas, stating that 'We keep hearing promises of better services, but nothing changes.'' 'The local government is absent and does not respond to our complaints,' she added, warning that growing discontent could soon boil over into protest. However, officials have sought to reassure the public. Mohammed al-Masoudi, a member of Karbala's Provincial Council, clarified to Shafaq News that recent power outages are temporary and tied to infrastructure upgrades. 'These cuts are linked to new electricity projects being finalized in preparation for the Arbaeen pilgrimage,' he noted, pointing out that Karbala's water share has been officially increased. 'The enhanced releases began yesterday and will continue rising from 1 Safar (Sunday, July 27), reaching their peak by 7 Safar (Saturday, August 2). We expect no water shortage during Arbaeen.' While local authorities insist that services will stabilize before the pilgrimage, pressure is mounting. Welcoming millions of pilgrims demands coordination across transport, health, security, and essential utilities—yet even water and electricity remain uncertain.
Libya Observer
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Libya Observer
Cultural Evening Titled: "Ashura, My Beloved"
by Anas Sat, 19/07/2025 - 19:31 The organization Tafaseel, in collaboration with the My Heritage is My Identity group and the Old City of Tripoli Management Authority, organized a cultural evening titled "Ashura, My Beloved". The event was led by folklorist Mr. Salah Houdana, with the participation of Ms. Latifa Al-Tayyib. The evening revived the traditional atmosphere of Ashura as experienced by Libyans in the past, highlighting aspects of the cultural heritage associated with the occasion — from traditional foods and children's games to religious chants and popular celebrations that once marked this day in the collective memory of the city. Culture Tagged:
