Ashura Services at Sunni Mosque Promote Unity
Speakers at the Ashura commemoration, which was held Friday, Oct. 17, emphasized the importance of combating divisions and promoting unity.
Ashura commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS).
Yazid, the sixth Caliph, killed Imam Hussein(AS), the grandson of the prophet Mohammad (PBUH), for refusing to pledge allegiance to him in 860.
A large congregation of Sunnis and Shia attended the services on Friday.
Shia Sheikh Mohamad Dbouk said commemorating Imam Hussein (AS) in a Sunni mosque sends a message that Muslims are united and Ashura is not a sectarian occasion.
"We are the children of one religion, whose message is peace and tolerance," he said.
Mardini said Imam Hussein (AS) is revered by all Muslims, and the symbolism of his revolution is not exclusive to one sect.
He added that Imam Hussain's (AS) revolution was against injustice.
"At this time when Muslims are facing all kinds of injustice and discrimination, we need to express solidarity, especially during the days of Ashura," Mardini said.
Osama Siblani, the publisher of The Arab American News, emphasized the importance of the event as a stand against sectarianism, which he described as a "disease."
"We have no choice but to work together, Sunnis and Shia, to resist the waves of extremism and Islamophobia," Siblani said. "We are in one boat; we survive together, or we drown together."
The Sunni-Shia commemoration in Dearborn garnered international attention, from several Middle Eastern media outlets, including Lebanon's AlJadeed TV.
Source: Arab American News
