Aug 10

Aug 10 Arbaeen Procession

Donald J. Trump, Demonstrations, Parades, Performance, Public Declarations

Today is August 10th in the Christian-dominated West. In the Muslim world, today is the 40th day following the Day of Āshūrā. For Shia Muslims, Āshūrā is a day of mourning for Husayn ibn Ali, the prophet Muhammad’s grandson. Husayn was the third Shia imam.

The Umayyad caliph, Yazid ibn Mu’awiya, demanded that Husayn pledge his allegiance to Yazid, but Husayn refused to do so because he contested Yazid’s status as caliph. Husayn believed the caliph was attached to the house of Ali rather than Umayyad. Moreover, Yazid headed a corrupt regime, further undercutting his claim to leadership. To continue to wield his power, Yazid needed an endorsement from Husayn, who was revered. It was not forthcoming.

While traveling with 70 men to Kufa, the seat of the Ali caliph in what is now Iraq, Husayn was met by Yazid’s 30,000-man army on the plains of Karbala. During the ensuing battle, Husayn and many of his relatives and companions were killed. Anticipating his impending death, Husayn said, “Death with honor is better than a life of degradation.”

Following Husayn’s death, Yazid took the woman and children who had accompanied Husayn, forcing them to march to Damascus in what is now Syria, where they were imprisoned. Arbaeen marks the day that the prisoners were released from captivity.

Today, Shia Muslims commemorate that release with an 80-kilometer (50 miles) pilgrimage from Najaf to Karbala. During the reign of Saddam Hussein, the pilgrimage was banned, but quickly grew in size after Hussein was deposed. It is now the second largest human gathering—the Hindu Kumbh Mela in India is the largest—with somewhere between 20 million to 25 million Shia Muslims participating. it is marked by acts of charity, with the pilgrims receiving water and sumptuous amounts of food as they make the journey.

Chicago’s Shia Community held an Arbaeen procession at 10:00 AM today for those who did not make the journey to Iraq for the pilgrimage. It began with an hour of prayer and symbolic Tatbir in Daley Plaza. Tatbir involves striking one’s head with a sword, hoping to draw blood to simulate the pain that Husayn endured.

Most Shia clerics now forbid the practice of Tatbir. As a symbolic alternative, the participants in today’s procession rhymically slapped their chests with their hands. At times, the men gathered in a circle, slapping their chests in unison, as they alternated between leaning back and leaning forward. Throughout, the participants changed up the force of the slaps—sometimes surprisingly hard and others times much softer,

Following the service in Daley Plaza, the participants lined up behind gigantic flags and banners. Over the next two hours, they marched east along Washington Street to State Street, where they turned north until they reached Upper Wacker Drive, where they turned westward. When I left at 12:40, they were at the intersection of Wacker and Dearborn. During the procession, the participants stopped for extended periods for what appeared to be prayer.

I heard one organizer tell a police officer that the event was planned for three hours, so I assume sometime around 1:00 PM, they returned to Daley Plaza. As I headed to another demonstration scheduled for 1:00 PM, I could seen the group still standing at the intersection of Dearborn and Wacker.

Today’s procession did not have nearly the number of participants at the Āshūrā procession did 40 days ago. No more than 150 to 200 people took part. The numbers were equally divided between males and females, with the two groups separated from each other. Many participants were dressed in black pajama-like suits and hijabs. I assume the black signified mourning.

Not surprisingly, parents brought their children. For some of the boys, the day meant several rites of passage. Proud fathers watched several teenagers take the mic, reciting prayers or singing songs in a public setting.

As my photographs depict, each large banner was supported by one man using a harness wrapped around his waist and back to hold the pole erect and steady. Others assisted by holding guide ropes that supported the banners.

When the procession stopped at strategic points along the route, teenage boys could be seen temporarily relieving the man who wore the harness. A boy would step into the man’s position, temporarily putting on the harness and taking control of the pole. Within a minute, another boy would repeat the process. Someday, when these boys are men, they may have the honor of carrying the banner during the procession.

As was true at the Āshūrā event, the community was very welcoming. People answered my questions, volunteered information, and offered me cold water. Someone even offered me a chocolate chip cookie.

One veteran of pro-Palestinian demonstrations was on hand with his anti-Israel signage. I was told he is a Shia Muslim, so like everyone else who attended today’s event, he was presumably commemorating Arbaeen. Yet, one of the organizers asked him to stand across the street as the group gathered in Daley Plaza. I was told that the organizers did not want present-day politics to mar the day. This was a religious commemoration.

On either Thursday or Friday night, I heard an interview with a Christian Nationalist, who of course, wants to make Christian fundamentalism the state religion despite First Amendment’s prohibition against an established state religion. Unfortunately, many now want to undermine that prohibition.

Given the current preference on the right for a Christian nation, I took great pleasure in seeing Chicago’s Shia Muslim community take to the streets in celebration of their religion. That they felt comfortable coming out is a positive sign: the country, at least for the time being, still supports diverse religious beliefs.

As noted, today had nothing to do with politics for those participating in the commemoration. As for me, I viewed the day through a far more political lens. In my mind, the people praying on State Street were giving the finger to that Christian Nationalist and Donald J. Trump, who is probably the least religious person in the country, but who is willing to exploit the gullible Christian Nationalists.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]