Azerbaijan, Baku, 19 January / corr. Trend S. Agaeva/ The tenth day of the month of Muharrem - Asura (gashura from the word gashara which means "ten" in Arabic) is marked in Azerbaijan on 19 January. The special mourning measures are being taken in mosques and other sacred places on this day.
The Shiite mark this day as a commemoration of imam Hussein, the of son Ali and Fatima, the grandson of
Prophet Muhammad. He was killed on 10 Muharrem of 61 on Hegira calendar (on 10 October of 680) in Karbala. Hussein with a small number of troops fought against Yazid, who, to the Shiites's viewpoint, seized the power which did not belong to him. Hussein was defeated and he died as a result of the wounds he received.
The tragedy in Kerbala greatly impressed the contemporaries of Hussein. Hussein was announced the greatest martyr and Karbala became the place of worship of Muslim. The day he was murdered is marked by Muslims with special mourning rituals.
Many believers of Azerbaijan mark the Day of Ashura in Teze Pir, Ejder, Nardaran and Bibi Eybat mosques. The memorial ceremonies began last night and are accompanied with the prayer recitations from Koran. People donated their blood for those who suffer from thalassemia in the chief mosques of the country.
The day before the chairman of the Muslims Clerical Port, Sheikh-ul-Islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh addressed all the Muslims of the country and called them on to carry out the religious mourning calmly without torturing themselves and to keep order in sacred places. The donation of blood is organized in the mosques of the country. The doctors and the medical staff of the Hematology and Transfusiology Institute of the Ministry of Public Health of Azerbaijan are receiving donor blood for the Blood Bank of the Thalassanemia Center.
