Tehran (IQNA)-“The beauty of commemorating the uprising of Imam Hussein (as) lies in the diversity of its meaning and in the efforts to grasp it. In fact, for each part of society, one dimension becomes more important over time and for another part, it is another dimension that matters, which is not a problem,” David said. Coolidge.
He converted to Islam in 1994 and has published numerous articles on Islam and Shiism. A doctoral student in Islamic studies and a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, from 2008 to 2013 he worked as a Muslim preacher at Dartmouth College and then at Brown University. From 2014 to 2017, he taught an undergraduate course in Islamic Law at New York University. He has served on the boards of various American Muslim institutions, including Zaytuna College and the Talaf Collection.
David Coolidge in a lecture on various aspects of Ashura ceremonies, said: “The story of Imam Hossein’s (AS) uprising covers different areas in terms of linguistic and cultural storytelling. There have been narrations in Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Turkish, and in recent centuries in other Muslim groups. The basic historical framework for the narration of the Imam Hussain movement is the same in different cultures, but the ceremonies to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS), are different. In the United States, this variation exists in the commemoration of the month of Muharram, the tragedy of Karbala, and the sacrifice of Imam Hussain (as) and his family. What is interesting is that this ceremony caught the attention of those who grew up here with a different culture. Several times I tried in the (Muslim) community to understand how Ashura was celebrated, and I saw that firstly, the history of Ashura shows that the worst things happen to the best people. Second, this story goes back years before the Quran was written and religions were formed. Third, achieving spiritual perfection requires sacrifice. When we look at the companions of Hussain (as) we understand their greatness and their sacrifice. And the fourth thing is that love can conquer even injustice and death.
In fact, for each part of society at one time, one of the issues is more important, and for another part of society, another is important, and that is not a problem.
In western culture, love is something that is embedded in all western cultural products, movies, television, music, art, poetry. The concept of freedom is also widely present in English-speaking culture, and for those who are familiar with these two issues, these two (love and freedom) are dependent on each other, and love can only grow there. where there is freedom.
This definition of love is therefore closely linked to the definition of human freedom.
I believe this is what Imam Hussain speaks of very clearly on the night of Ashura. On the day of Ashura, Hussain (as) witnessed the murder of all his companions, including his own son. Her heart broke several times. All of them proved their love and showed it on the battlefield”.
Full video of this speech at:
4076346