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This
land of beauty enjoyed peace for long periods, but has had
its share of conflict long before India and Pakistan took to arms over it and this
year's Ashoora in Kashmir continued as normal no matter what
side was wrangling over its beautiful countryside and
mountaintops now in the present era.
It
is a fair and passable truth that there is no part or place of
the globe that remained empty of Marasim-e-Azadari Imam-e-Mazloom
Hazrat Imam Hussain ('a) who offered that great sacrifice some
1,400 years back to save the tree of Islam which is
unparalleled.
 Marasim-e-Azadari
were also held in all districts and
cities of
Azad Kashmir and also in Indian held Kashmir. On the Day of Ashoora,
mourners performed Amal-e-Ashoora followed by majalis,
matam, processions and Niyaz-e-Hussaini. Along with the
whole of the world, Azadari is observed in
Kashmir
with religious moral values and great zeal with thousands of
mourners commemorating the martyrdom of Imam-e-Alee Maqam Imam
Hussain ('a) and his ('a) companions.
Ashoora-e-Muharram was observed on Friday with due solemnity and
devotion throughout Kashmir paying tributes to Nawasa-e-Rasool ('a), Dilband-e-Ali ('a)
and Batool ('a) and his 72 companions who kissed martyrdom in
Karbala. Majalis-e-Aza were held and Zuljinah, Alam and
Tazia
processions were taken out from Imambargahs and Azakhanas
followed by Majalis Sham-e-Ghareeban.
The
Philosophy of Azadari
The
main Youm-e-Ashoor processions in Azad Kashmir were
taken out from Markazi (Hadri) Immam Bargh Bagh City, Central Immam Bargah Muzaffarabad City, Markazi Kazmia Immam Bargah Serian Syedan, Markazi Masjid and
Immam Bargah Chattrah, Markazi Immam Bargah
Teetrenote in cities i.e (Muzaffarabad, Bagh,
Havali, Rawalakot, Abbas pur, Hajaira, Kotli, Mirpur)
Mourners of Imam Hussain ('a) performed
Zanjeer-Zani and matam on this great occasion. Addressing thousands of participants of the procession at Hadri
Chowk-District Bagh, Air Port Chowk-District Muzaffarabad,
Hadri More Serian Syedan. During these processions,
the Ulama and Zakireen presented the ideology of Imam Hussain ('a).
The philosophy of Azadari is the name of preferring death
with honour than living in disgrace and grief for Imam Aali Muqaam ('a)
is not an inheritance of any particular sect and was rather his sacrifice
for human values and for the survival of the principles of Allah
(swt), which is why every conscious person is indebted to Imam Hussain ibne
Ali ('a).
Code of Azadari
- Shia-Sunni Brotherhood
During their speeches,
all the presenters said that Azadari is a universal
protest of the oppressed against oppression and the oppressors
and the sacrifice of the Imam Aali Muqaam ('a) was for the survival of
Deen-e-Islam and humanity. Speakers urged Azadars to
strictly follow the Code of Azadari announced by
Quaid-e-Millat-e-Jafariya Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi and
to promote Shia-Sunni brotherhood and unity all around.
The
thousands of Mourners gathered on the occasion, reiterated their
resolve to offer every kind of sacrifice at the call of
Quaid-e-Millat Jafariya Agha Moosavi for the promotion of
Wilayat-e-Ali ('a) and protection of Azadari-e-Hussain ('a).
Markazi Anjumen-e-Kazamia, Mukhtar Force, Mukhtar
Students Organisation, Mukhtar Generation and other political
and religious organizations took part in organising the
processions.
Arrangements
for Sabeel and Langar-e-Hussaini were also made during the
processions at various locations en route to the
processions in different cities of Azad Kashmir.
Brief
History of Kashmir: Kashmir
sold for $166
 In
1819 Sikh Ranjit Singh conquered Kashmir, but his disorganized empire fell to the British in 1846 when
they took control of Punjab. Kashmir
was then sold to the self-entitled Maharajah (Indian King)
Ghulab Singh of Jammu
for 7.5 million rupees (app US$166) under the Treaty of Amritsar.
Ghulab Singh also brought Ladakh, Zanskar, Gilgit and Baltistan
under his control. A succession of Maharajahs followed, marked
by several uprisings by the Kashmiri people, of whom a large
percentage are now Muslim. In 1889 Maharajah Pratap Singh lost
administrative authority of
Kashmir
due to worsening management of the frontier region. The British
restored full powers to the Dogra rule only in 1921.
Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi
Meanwhile
in India, the freedom movement gained strength under Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi's leadership. (The Indians gave him the name
"Mahatma" meaning "Great soul".) The
call for freedom soon echoed in several princely states,
particularly Kashmir.
After
a mass uprising against Hari Singh in 1931, Sheikh Mohammad
Abdullah formed Kashmir's first political party, the All Jammu
and Kashmir Muslim
Conference in 1932. In 1934 the Maharajah gave way and allowed
limited democracy in the form of a Legislative Assembly. The
Muslim high priest of the Kashmir Valley, Mirwaiz Maulvi Yusuf Shah, joined in the
Conference rally, but
when it became apparent that he was accepting a monthly stipend
from the Maharajah, Sheikh Abdullah steered away from the Muslim
Conference to a secular base and formed the National Conference
in 1939, comprised of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs.
Independence
for 72 days
In
1947, Muhatmah Ghandi led the Indian continent to independence
from the British in a remarkable display of perseverance. But it
came at a great cost. While Gandhi was leading a largely Hindu
movement, Mohammed Ali Jinnah was fronting a Muslim one. Jinnah
advocated the division of India into two separate states, Muslim and Hindu. When the British
left, the Muslim League created the separate states of Pakistan
(from the West Pakistan
province in India ) and
Bangladesh.
Ashurra
1423 in Kashmir
Photos
by Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah Kazmi
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