The Ashura is a day of mourning for Muslims around the world. It is observed on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram.

Imam Ḥusayn (RA) and members of his family in the year 61 AH were martyred on the battlefield of Karbala, to uphold truth and justice. The harrowing story of that sacrifice is hauntingly echoed in today’s grim reality in Gaza. Innocent people of Gaza including child, much like in Karbala, are enduring severe oppression and suffering under Israeli aggression. 

The brutality in Gaza is a look alike of Karbala—the same grief, same cruelty, and the same reflection of resistance.

On this Ashura, the news from Gaza remains bleak. Israeli forces continue relentless attacks on the Gaza Strip. Each day, hundreds of lives are lost. Starving Palestinians, waiting for humanitarian aid, are being mercilessly killed by Israeli forces.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, since the end of May, at least 743 people have been killed near aid distribution centers operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), supported by Israel and the United States. Since October 2023, a staggering 57,338 people have been killed.

This report does not seek to equate the genocide in Gaza directly with the tragedy of Ashura. Rather, it seeks to reflect how, despite more than a thousand years separating the two events, the tactics of the oppressors remain strikingly similar.

Both sides in these conflicts have invoked religion. Israel repeatedly claims that Palestine is their “God-given” land—using this belief to justify occupation and violence as a religious duty. Prime Minister Netanyahu often cites scriptures to defend his brutal campaigns.

Whenever, the occasion Ashura comes a big character Yazid’s name must be uttered, who too wore the mask of religion to justify his crimes. Islamic historians have long described him as a tyrant, alcoholic, and immoral ruler. Yet, by claiming the seat of the Islamic caliphate, he portrayed himself as a guardian of faith.

On October 7, 2023, Israel cut off Gaza’s access to water, food, and electricity. From the third day of the war, Gazans had no water. In a chilling parallel, Yazid’s forces in Karbala blocked water to Imam Ḥusayn (RA) and his family three days before Ashura. In the scorching desert, they died of thirst.

Thousands of women and children have already died under Israeli bombardment. International law clearly prohibits the killing of children, yet Israel continues to violate this with impunity. Karbala saw the same horror—even Imam Ḥusayn’s (RA) infant son was murdered. Other children and teenagers were brutally slaughtered.

After the massacre at Karbala, Yazid’s army imprisoned the surviving members of Imam Ḥusayn’s (RA) family—especially the women—and took them to Damascus in chains. Today, Palestinian women and children are being arbitrarily arrested, tortured, detained, and in many cases, killed by Israeli forces.

Israel claims to be acting in “self-defense,” painting Palestinians as “terrorists.” Similarly, Yazid’s regime declared Imam Ḥusayn (RA) a rebel against the caliphate. But Imam Ḥusayn (RA) had declared his mission was to restore the path of his grandfather, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Back then, those who supported Imam Ḥusayn (RA) were silenced—threatened, imprisoned, or killed. Today, voices supporting Palestine often face job loss, blacklisting, or public shame in many Western countries.

Former British Prime Minister David Cameron once called Gaza an “open-air prison.” Over two million people live in a narrow strip of land, 41 kilometers long and 10 kilometers wide, trapped by Israel’s total control over land, air, and sea. No one is allowed to leave. In Karbala, Imam Ḥusayn’s (RA) tents were surrounded. There was no escape. There was no water.

After the massacre, the heads of the Karbala martyrs were paraded on spears through the streets of Damascus. The women were humiliated in chains. In Gaza, prisoners are often stripped and tortured in public. Women are violated and mocked by soldiers in scenes eerily reminiscent of the horrors of Karbala.

In every war, women suffer the most. Men may start wars, but women bear their consequences—losing fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons. Their silent grief becomes a permanent scar.

In Karbala, one woman became the voice of truth. Without Hazrat Zaynab (RA), the story of Karbala might have been lost to history. While Imam Ḥusayn (RA) gave his life for justice, it was his sister who preserved that legacy.

After losing everything, even under physical and emotional torture, Hazrat Zaynab (RA) stood firm. In Yazid’s court, she boldly declared the truth of Karbala—fearless and unbroken.

From Karbala to Gaza—those who stand for truth never truly lose. Time reveals who the real victors are. Mahatma Gandhi once said he learned from Imam Ḥusayn (RA) how to attain victory through suffering, and how to win even when facing defeat.

On November 3, 2023, former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah referred to “martyrs on the road to Jerusalem” in a televised address. He reminded supporters that Hezbollah had been at war with Israel since October 8.

In media teasers leading up to his speech, Hezbollah invoked the moral teachings of Karbala—the eternal battle between justice and injustice. “Every day is Ashura, every land is Karbala,” the slogan goes. Nasrallah framed the war in Gaza not only as political, but also a moral and spiritual struggle. He likened Israel, the U.S., and the UK to modern-day Yazids.

While Imam Ḥusayn’s (RA) sacrifice symbolizes the ultimate devotion to truth, Nasrallah claimed that the fighters of Gaza are attaining the same dignity through martyrdom. To him, jihad is not merely battle—it is giving one’s life in the path of truth.

Although he avoided overtly Shia terms for wider appeal, Nasrallah’s message was clear: Gaza is Karbala. The oppressors are the same in nature. The victims are the same in suffering.

Oppressors often present themselves as victims to justify brutality. Israel does this through media propaganda—despite being the occupier, it seeks sympathy by portraying Palestinians as aggressors. In this way, its soldiers are desensitized and its crimes hidden.

But for those who truly feel the pain of Karbala, the cries from Gaza today are impossible to ignore. You do not have to be Shia, or even Muslim, to understand Karbala. It is not only a religious story—it is a symbol for the oppressed everywhere.

We see Palestinian children, despite bombings and blockades, waving their flags and resisting. Their defiance reminds us of the Vietnamese against the U.S. military, or Algerians resisting French colonization. Outnumbered, outgunned—but unbowed.

That is the spirit of Karbala. Imam Ḥusayn (RA), with only 72 loyal followers, stood against a vast army. His martyrdom became the ultimate act of resistance. Ashura reminds us we must choose: to stand with a small group fighting for justice, or to remain silent in the face of tyranny.

The lesson of Karbala is not just sorrow—it is sacrifice. Imam Ḥusayn (RA) knew he would be martyred. He knew his death would reveal the true face of Yazid. By giving his life, he immortalized his message.

Today in Gaza, people are being killed simply for being Palestinian. They too are martyrs. Their deaths raise a mirror to the world, forcing us to ask: Who are the oppressed? Who are the oppressors?

The ideology of Imam Ḥusayn (RA) transcends faith. In every era, it is about choosing the side of justice.

One timeless element of Karbala is mourning. In Gaza, children cry beside the bloodied bodies of their loved ones. They cannot understand why their lives are torn apart. These tears reflect those of the orphaned children of Karbala.

Just as the Muslim ummah failed to answer Imam Ḥusayn’s (RA) call, many today remain silent to the suffering of Palestine. But Karbala teaches us: to mourn is not weakness—it is humanity. To cry for distant lands or distant pasts is to care. It is a mark of conscience.

The genocide in Gaza asks a final question to humanity’s soul. Let us remember what Rosa Luxemburg said: “Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.” Let us move. Let us speak. Let us carry the torch of truth—like Imam Ḥusayn (RA) once did in Karbala.

MSK/