On October 9th, in the year 680 AD, the intra-Islamic Battle of Karbala pitted the forces of Mohammad's grandson Husayn ibn Ali against the forces of the Umayyad Caliph, Yazid.  The defeat and death of Ali and his followers is celebrated by Shi'a as Ashoura, a day of self-flagellation.

As mentioned earlier following the Battle of Siffin, Ali ibn Abi Talib (leader of what came to be known as the Shi'a) was assassinated in a mosque, during prayer, by a Muslim assassin using a poisoned dagger.  His son Husayn ibn Ali took over the mantle of Shi'a leadership.

The Sunni Umayyad Caliph, Yazid, sent his troops to chase down the Shi'a, from Medina to Mecca to Kufa to, finally, Karbala, in modern Iraq.  As in the Battle of Siffin, the actions and words of the day resonate to the present day for the Shi'a.  They know the names of the participants, what they said, how they felt, how and when they died.  As in the Battle of Siffin, with it's account of a brave warrior asking for a glass of milk during battle, there is a beverage-related story that is inspiring, moving, and most of all, hilarious.

Abbas ibn Ali [brother of Husayn ibn Ali] continued his advance into the heart of [Sunni Umayyad] ibn Sa'ad's army. He was under heavy shower of arrows but was able to penetrate them and get to the branch leaving heavy casualties from the enemy. He immediately started filling the water skin. In a remarkable and immortal gesture of loyalty to his brother and Muhammad's grandson he didn't drink any water despite being severely thirsty. He put the water skin on his right shoulder and started riding back toward their tents. Amr Saad ordered an outright assault on Abbas ibn Ali saying that if Abbas succeeds in taking water back to his camp, we won't be able to defeat them till the end of time. A massive enemy army blocked his way and surrounded him. He was ambushed from behind a bush and his right hand was cut off. Abbas put the water skin on his left shoulder and continued his way but his left hand also cut off from wrist. Abbas now held the water skin with his teeth. The army of ibn Sa'ad started shooting arrows at him. One arrow hit the water skin and water poured out of it. Abbas ibn Ali turned his horse back in to ibn Sa'ads forces because he does not want to go back without water and arrow's started hitting his chest and Abbas fell off his horse and called his brother just before his death.

"'Tis but a flesh wound.  Come back and fight, you cowards." - Monty Python

I've read some pretty zany stories in Shi'a lore, but nothing compares to a talking, jumping 6-month old baby who takes an arrow to save dear old dad.  This story offers a very spooky window into the mindset of Muslims, and lays waste to the notion that "we are all the same,"  "we all share the same beliefs."

When nobody was left in Imam Hussain's camp, Imam Hussain cried for help by saying, "Is there anyone who can help me?" Hearing this call, Imam Hussain's six-month-old baby dropped himself from the cot, saying "LABAIK", meaning I am at your service. Imam Hussain only realized and came to know about this when he heard the women crying and wailing. He went to the tent and asked his sister Zainab what was the reason for them to cry and she said that after hearing his call for help Ali Asghar had dropped himself from his cot. He then asked Abdullah Alradea's mother to dress Ali Asghar up in new clothes because he wanted to take him to the battlefield so that he could ask some water for his child, and he was about to meet with Allah so he needed to look his best. Abdullah Alradea's mother handed him over to Imam Hussain. Imam Hussain then took Ali Asghar towards the enemy camp. After getting near the enemy camp he cried out, "Is there anyone who can give some water to my thirsty child?" When no one came forward he again pleaded and said, "OK, if you think that I will drink the water then fine, I will put my son down on the burning sand anyone who wants to give him water can come forward and do so." Imam Hussain put his son down on the burning sand and waited ... but no one came forward. He then picked him up and Imam Hussain told him to open his mouth and show his tongue; even if you just had some nice cold water and if you stuck out your tongue then you would need water right away. Ali Asghar started to roll over his tongue over his lips to convey to Yazeed's army that he really was thirsty. [Ed.: Or that he was seeking another way out of his predicament.] Seeing this, many in Yazeed's army started crying, but the commander of the army, Omar Ibn Saad, was unfazed by it. He sent for his best archer, Hurmula, and ordered him to take aim and shoot an arrow in Ali Asghar's direction. He took aim and launched an arrow, but it missed; he shot again, and it also missed; and then he shot a third time, and that missed as well. Then Omar said, "You are my best archer; why can't you kill the child who is lying still?" Hurmala answered, "His mother is watching from the tent and I can see that if I kill this child then I will go to hell." But with the money in mind, Hurmala shot his 3-pronged arrow, the kind used to kill horses. When Hurmala shot the arrow then Ali Asghar saw that it would hit Imam Hussain, so Ali Asghar jumped and the arrow pierced his throat, killing him instantly. The arrow end came out and attached itself, along with Ali Asghar, to Imam Hussain's arm.

So anyways, the Sunnis killed Husayn, beheaded him, stuck his head on a pike, trampled his body with horses until nothing was left, and so on and so forth.  His male followers were all killed, and their wives and daughters were taken as sex slaves, per the holy, holy Qur'an.

This is how Muslims treated Muslims (including the grandson of Mohammad), from the very earliest days of the founding of Islam.  This is the peace that emanates from the Religion of Peace™.  And by the way, what happened to the men involved in the killing of Husayn?  Although Allah was powerless to save Husayn, He was able to miraculously kill every one of Husayn's killers, after making them suffer.  Some excerpts:

• The man who had shot an arrow at Imam Hussain and had stopped him from drinking water, had been sent by Allah the Almighty a terrible thirst which could not be quenched, no matter how much water he drank.  He was always restless with thirst.  Eventually his stomach burst thus meeting his death.
• Ibn Ziyad was severely tortured to death.  His head was similarly placed in front of Mukhtar Saqfi on the same spot as the Imam Hussain's head was placed in front of him (Ibn Ziyad), and his lips were similarly prodded with a stick.
• Umaro bin Al-Hahhah who was one of those who presented Imam Hussain's head to Ibn Ziyad was haunted with thirst.  When he fell down because of his thirst and heat, he was killed.
• Malik bin Bashir who made away with Imam Hussain's cap had both his hands and feet cut off and was then thrown into the open, and he died in extreme desperation.
• Hakim bin Tufail who had shot an arrow at Imam Hussain was captured alive and made a target.  Arrows were thrown at him in such a number that he became like a sieve and died.
• Zaid bin Rifadh had thrown an arrow at Abdullah, the son of Imam Hussain's nephew Muslim bin 'Aqil, ... he (Abdullah) saved his face by covering it with his palm.  The the arrow pierced through the palm and penetrated into his forehead thus fixing his palm to his forehead.  Zaid bin Rifadh was arrested.  Firstly, he was stoned and then shot with arrows.  Whilst still alive, he was thrown into fire.
• A man from the Bani Daram tribe picked up Imam Hussain's sword.  He became a leper and died because of that.

Peace, peace, peace.  Nothing to see but peace here, folks.  Move along.

Previous Days in the "Religion of Peace™":

Oct 8: "Palestinian" pro-Osama Bin Laden rally
Oct 6: Assassination of Anwar Sadat
Oct 3: Black Hawk Down in Mogadishu
Oct 1: Systemic mass murder in Indonesia
Sept 30: Mohammad al-Dura Hoax