Br. Faisal Jafri
This year Kansas City mourned the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (as) under the banner of the Az-Zahra Center. The Board of Trustees extends its thanks to the many volunteers who made this a success. Among these were Sister Batool Mukhi, Brothers Abu Ali Jaffri, Hajj Massoud, Hussain Mirza, Mostafa Jafari, and all those who cooked and cleaned every night until Ashura. May All-h (swt) accept their good deeds and reward them generously.
We were fortunate to have majalis in English and Urdu languages simultaneously in two adjacent rooms. The groups met and performed Matam-e-Hussain at the conclusion of their respective events. Alhumdu lillah, there were almost 225 men, women, and children present on Ashura. Br. Mustafa organized a children’s program, followed by a thought-provoking speech by Hajj Massoud. Nauha recitation was in Farsi and Urdu. The event culminated late in the evening with Niyaz-e-Hussain.
The most impressive thing about this year’s Muharram program was how the community came together as a single unit across all backgrounds. There were people from Pakistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, and the United States. We remembered the Supreme Sacrifice of Imam Hussain (as) and his companions on the banks of Euphrates. We paid homage to the brave women and children who suffered at the hands of the oppressors. We stood in silence and cried together in their remembrance. It was a true United Nations of Imam Hussain.
I have been a member of this community for the past eight years. This was certainly the largest and most diverse programs organized by the community. May All-h (swt) reward all the volunteers for forging a united community. Insha’ All-h, we will build on this and improve even more. Let us pray that the United Nations of Imam Hussain stays united. Let us also pray that we may be able to conduct our future activities in a center of our own. Events like these just make the need for having our own community center even greater. May All-h (swt) give us the strength and motivation to have our own center very soon. Ameen.