dumb European here, would you be so kind and explain what Muharram is?

enecoo:

Muharram is the first month in the Islamic calendar, which marks the start of the Islamic New Year, however, Muharram is especially important for all Shi’a Muslims because it marks the month when the Prophet’s (pbuh&hf) grandson Imam Hussain (a), son of Imam Ali (a) went out from Mecca to Karbala (a holy place in today’s Iraq) to stop the oppressive rule of the tyrant Yazid (l.a) and his governors. The whole journey from Mecca to Karbala took ten days until Imam Hussain (a), his family members and companions reached Karbala where a bloody war ensued between him and Yazid’s (l.a) army.

The battle led to the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (a) and many members of his family and companions. The tenth day is of special importance, because it marks the Day of Ashura, where Imam Hussain (a) met his martyrdom at the hands of the evil Shimr (l.a), a soldier of Yazid (l.a). Some of his family members were taken captive and brought in chains to Yazid’s palace in Damascus where the members of Hussain’s (a) family even resisted against the face of the tyrant himself no matter how much he would try and humiliate them. Imam Hussain (a) did all of this because he was living up to his Grandfather’s religion and so, we stand with Imam Hussain (a), his son, Imam Zain Al-abedeen (a), his sister, Lady Zainab (s.a), his brothers, Imam Hasan (a) and Abu Fadhl Al-Abbas (a), his mother, Lady Fatimah (s.a) and his father, Imam Ali (a) as their soldiers.

So Muharram is a month of sadness and lamentation due to the tragedy that led to his martyrdom. The day signifies triumph but at the cost of the blood of Imam Hussain (a) and his fellow compatriots.

The day is especially important to us because it’s a day where we remember that we must never be humiliated, to never show ourselves to be weak in front of the oppressors even if we’re small in numbers, to stand against all sorts of oppression and make our voices loud and clear where we stand, we are here to have patience in the face of adversity and to resist injustice, even if death engulfs us.

The event of Ashura is an anti-oppression rally in a global size and scale, where we say ‘NO’ to injustice and to a coercive political persecution even if it is perpetrated by a so-called Muslim caliph/ruler. It is a day where we all gather together to show the world that our tears are proof of 1400 years of oppression, that truth has been presented without any doubt; It is the day where we change our garments and flags to black to mourn the oppressed; it is a day where we tell the world; it is the day we tell the world “Never to humiliation!”; it is the day where we tell the world, either you stand with Al-Hussain (a) or you stand with the oppressors.

Indeed, Yazid (l.a) believed he had caused Imam Hussain (a) and his family to feel disgraced to which Lady Zainab (a) said ”I saw nothing but beauty…”