GAZA IS NEW KARBALA & ARBA’EEN MARCH IS GAZA MARCH

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“What’s happening to Gaza today is a new Karbala… The event is to remind people of historical oppression and the present oppression of the people of Gaza.” —Imam Husham Al-Husainy, Dearborn [Detroit Free Press]. ¹

On Saturday, Aug. 16, Dearborn will again close northbound Greenfield (Ford → Warren) for the annual Arba’eén march. Participants will pray at the Karbalaa Islamic Educational Center (KIEC), 15332 W. Warren, then process to Ford Woods Park; police will manage rolling closures for several hours. Last year, organizers reported ~37,000 attendees. ¹

Arba’eén marks 40 days after ʿĀshūrāʾ, the martyrdom of Imam Ḥusayn, grandson of the Prophet, who refused to legitimize an unjust ruler and was killed at Karbalā in 680 CE. Across Shiʿa memory, Karbalā is not only a place in Iraq; it is a moral map for any society facing tyranny. ¹³⁴

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“Every day is ʿĀshūrāʾ. Every land is Karbalā.”

For generations, Shiʿa thinkers have used a simple sentence to collapse time and space: “Every day is ʿĀshūrāʾ; every land is Karbalā.” The phrase is commonly linked to the Iranian sociologist Ali Shariati, who popularized it as an ethic of action, not only mourning. ⁵⁶ The idea: wherever the powerful prey on the powerless, the test of Karbalā returns.

Imam Khomeini’s public teachings pressed the same point: “Everyday people should think that today is ʿĀshūrāʾ and here is Karbalā, and we must resist repression.” ⁷ The line is not an authenticated ḥadīth in the classical canon, as scholars note, but a modern slogan of responsibility distilled from Ḥusayn’s stand. ⁸

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Ḥayhāt minnā l-dhilla — “Never to humiliation!”
—Imam Ḥusayn’s reported cry at Karbalā, a vow that dignity is non-negotiable. ⁹

If every day can be ʿĀshūrāʾ, then August in Dearborn can be, too. If every land can be Karbalā, then Gaza—under bombardment and blockade—is a Karbalā that demands more than sympathy; it demands stance.

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What Arba’eén Means—And Why Gaza Fits the Frame

Arba’eén is observed by millions globally—among the largest annual gatherings on earth. ¹⁰ Organizations like Who Is Hussain? teach that Ḥusayn’s refusal to endorse a corrupt ruler was a stand for social justice, dignity, and compassion, inspiring marches in cities worldwide to “symbolise the eternal nature of Hussain’s revolution.” ⁴

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“Hussain… made the ultimate stand for social justice against the ruler Yazid.” —Who Is Hussain? ⁴

On Gaza, the Najaf-based marjaʿ Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a widely circulated statement condemning the “continuous bombing” and “stifling siege” of civilians, calling on the world to stop the occupying forces and end the tragedy by granting Palestinians their legitimate rights. ¹¹ Whatever one’s school or nationality, that is Arba’eén’s grammar: identify oppression, side with the oppressed, demand redress.

Some will object that international politics “politicize” a sacred day. But Ḥusayn’s own language refuses quietism. One of the most-quoted lines in Shiʿa sources attributes to him: “If you do not believe in religion and do not fear the Hereafter, then at least be free in this world.” ¹² Freedom here isn’t a feeling; it’s a refusal to serve cruelty.

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Dearborn Voices: Ritual, Solidarity, and the Bridge to Gaza

Local feeds and flyers (Karbalaa IEC and others) call the procession a “march for justice”—“Labbaik Ya Hussain” as an ethic of serving the oppressed. ²¹³ City advisories and community pages amplify the traffic notices—a reminder that Dearborn has normalized public space for a justice-centered ritual many neighbors now understand. ¹

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“Arba’eén isn’t only religious or spiritual; it’s about awareness.” —Imam Husham Al-Husainy ¹

The same awareness applies to Gaza. If Arba’eén teaches no bayʿa (no legitimation) to unjust power, then it also teaches no silence about a people besieged. That is why many imams and lay leaders in Dearborn explicitly connect Karbala ↔ Gaza in speeches, banners, and duʿāʾ.

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By the Numbers (Stat Callout)

• ~37,000 — estimated Arba’eén turnout in Dearborn, 2024. ¹
• “Thousands expected” — city guidance for 2025; NB Greenfield closed Ford → Warren with rolling restrictions on Warren. ¹
• Millions — annual global Arba’eén pilgrims in Karbala, Iraq. ¹⁰

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From Slogan to Practice: What It Would Mean to Make Arba’eén a “Gaza March”

If we truly believe “Gaza is new Karbalā,” then Arba’eén can be the on-ramp to sustained civic action:

1. Name the injustice clearly. Use banners that pair Ḥusayn’s words (Ḥayhāt minnā l-dhilla) with concrete calls: ceasefire, humanitarian corridors, municipal divestment from firms enabling war crimes.
2. Borrow the mawakib model. Neighborhood hospitality tents (water, shade, stroller areas), legal observers, medics—turn crowd into care.
3. Lift cross-tradition consciences. Invite Sunni, Christian, and civic partners who center protection of civilians; Arba’eén has long been a coalition builder.
4. Educate with context. Distribute brief cards: “Who was Ḥusayn? Why Arba’eén? Why Gaza now?” with QR links to Who Is Hussain?, AP explainer, and Sistani’s statement. ⁴¹⁰¹¹

This is not “politicizing religion.” It is taking Ḥusayn seriously.

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Practical Info for Saturday (from public notices)

• Where/when: Dhuhr/ʿAṣr prayers at Karbalaa IEC (15332 W. Warren Ave.), then march to Ford Woods Park (5700 Greenfield Rd.) beginning 1 p.m. ¹
• Roads: NB Greenfield closed Ford → Warren; restrictions extend from Warren at start. Police on site; event lasts several hours. ¹
• Bring: Prayer mats, water, sun protection. ¹

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Closing Meditation

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“Every day is ʿĀshūrāʾ; every land is Karbalā.” —an ethic popularized by Ali Shariati and embraced in modern Shiʿa conscience. ⁵⁸⁷

If that sentence means anything in Dearborn, it means this: let our Arba’eén not end at the park. Let it flow—to city hall, to school boards, to aid convoys, to daily choices that refuse humiliation for any neighbor. If Gaza is Karbalā today, then Arba’eén is our Gaza march—in intention, in prayer, and in action.

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References (footnote-style; live links)

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Footnotes

1. Detroit Free Press (Nour Rahal), “NB Greenfield Rd. to close Saturday for Dearborn’s Arba’een march honoring Imam Hussain,” Aug. 14, 2025—route, timings, expected turnout, Al-Husainy quotes. Link. Who is Hussain ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹
2. Karbalaa Islamic Educational Center (Dearborn)—event posts/flyers and special announcements (2025). “Special Announcement” post • Events page. Facebook+1 ↩ ↩²
3. Who Is Hussain? main page—Ḥusayn as a revolutionary leader against tyranny. Link. Who is Hussain ↩
4. Who Is Hussain?, “What is the Day of Arba’een?”—Ḥusayn as a stand for social justice; global marches. Link. Who is Hussain ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
5. Christianity Today, “A Marxist and an Ayatollah Shaped Iran’s Islamic Republic,” Jul. 11, 2025—on Ali Shariati popularizing “Every day is ʿĀshūrāʾ; every land is Karbalā.” Link. Christianity Today ↩ ↩²
6. Ali Shariati, Marxism and Other Western Fallacies (PDF excerpt)—phrases in revolutionary banners; the slogan’s mobilizing role. Link. Blogs @ Columbia Law School ↩
7. Imam-Khomeini.ir (official site), “The Real Meaning of…”—“everyday think today is ʿĀshūrāʾ and here is Karbalā; resist repression.” Link. Imam Khomeini ↩ ↩²
8. Wikishia, “Every day is ʿĀshūrāʾ and every land is Karbalā”—on the phrase’s usage and lack of canonical ḥadīth sourcing. Link. Wikishia ↩ ↩²
9. Wikishia, “Ḥayhāt minnā l-dhilla (Never to humiliation!)”—Imam Ḥusayn’s reported declaration at Karbalā. Link. Wikishia ↩
10. Associated Press, “Millions of Shiite Muslim pilgrims head to Iraq’s Karbala for Arbaeen,” Aug. 24, 2024—millions attending; scale of pilgrimage. Link. AP News ↩ ↩² ↩³
11. Office of Grand Ayatollah Sistani (Najaf), “Statement regarding the continuous bombing throughout the Gaza Strip,” Oct. 11, 2023—condemns siege and bombing; calls the world to stop brutality and grant Palestinians their rights. Link. Sistani.org ↩ ↩²
12. Erfan.ir (scholarly Shiʿa portal), “Sayings of Imam Hussain (A.S.)”—“If you don’t believe in any religion… at least be free in this world,” cited to Bihār al-Anwār 45:51. Link. Erfan ↩
13. Karbalaa IEC event flyer with Ḥusayn quote and route details (2025). Link. Facebook ↩