The result was that British quashed the resistance and...

The result was that British quashed the resistance and killed many of the forces of the Indian governor. Then they issued a decree to kill the women and children, and the city was subjected to brutal massacre, and the bodies of the victims remained unburied for several days such that animals fed on them. In this way the British managed to rule Indian subcontinent.

One of the laws they instituted was that they banned the Qur’an recitation sessions and Husayni Sha’a’er programs, whereas the Indian Muslims used to actively organise and participate in such programs. Under the new British law anyone who organises such programs is imprisoned for a period of ten years. However one of the scholars decided to actively oppose this ‘law’ and set up Qur’an lessons for the youngsters and encouraged parents to send their children to his Qur’an lessons.

The man was charged for breaking the imposed law and imprisoned for ten years. On his release from prison, and with undiminished determination he continued his Qur’anic lessons for the youngsters, in addition to organising other lessons as well as Husayni Sha’a’er. The successes of his programs were such that similar programs were also set up in other mosques, and they became as widespread as before.

Such programs have a direct role in uprooting tyranny from the Islamic countries and freeing them from the grips of the multinationals. 43 The Holy Qur’an, [6: 151] 44 The Holy Qur’an, [18: 102] The significance of the mourning programs As for the truths and validity (of the Sha’a’er), they are reflected in the realities we come across in our daily lives. One of the Maraje’ in the holy city of Qum narrated to me an interesting account of his encounter with a Christian priest.

He said, “When I was studying in Najaf (in Iraq), I once went to Baghdad with some of the fellow students. While there we heard that there is a priest who actively preaches for Christianity, so we decided to wear normal clothing (not the usual ‘Aba and turban) and attend his session.

At the end of the program, and when the people left the hall, the priest turned to us and asked us, “Who are you?” we replied, “we are native” he said, “I don’t mean that, but it seems to me that you are scholars and I do not think you came here to learn from me.” I replied that we study theology. I could tell that from the outset, he replied.