Imam Hussain A.S: The Message of Karbala; A Call for Justice and Humanity

Fortune Fox Studio

Imam Hussain A.S (626-680 CE) was a noble and revered figure in Islamic history, known for his courage, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to justice and righteousness. He was:  1. Grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (SAWW) 2. Son of Imam Ali (AS) and Lady Fatima (AS) 3. Brother of Imam Hasan (AS) 4. Leader of the Hashemite family 5. Renowned for his piety, generosity, and compassion 6. Famed for his remarkable bravery and martial skills 7. A symbol of resistance against oppression and tyranny 8. Martyred in the Battle of Karbala (680 CE) alongside his family and companions 9. Considered a hero and a role model by millions of Muslims worldwide 10. Remembered for his famous quote: "Death with dignity is better than life with humility"  Imam Hussain's legacy is a beacon of hope, inspiring generations to stand up against injustice and fight for what is right, even in the face of overwhelming odds. His martyrdom is commemorated annually during Muharram, a time for reflection, mourning, and spiritual growth.  Courtesy @Abdulkareem

Transcript

00:00Having left the ancient city of Babylon earlier today,

00:04we are continuing our adventure around Iraq and driving to the holy city of Karbala.

00:11Millions of Shia Muslims make their way to Karbala each year

00:15to pay their respects to the shrines of Imam Hussain and Abbas.

00:19We feel very lucky to be visiting Karbala a few days before Ashura,

00:24and while I myself am not Muslim, I respect all cultures and religions

00:29and I'm excited to visit this beautiful city.

00:34So guys, we are currently at the main checkpoint to Karbala,

00:38and just as we were going through, like all the other checkpoints have been fine so far,

00:41but they just said that women have to put on a headscarf just going into the city,

00:46so, well, going through the checkpoint from now on, I guess.

00:49So, here we go!

00:59As we are getting ready to go see the holy shrines of Karbala,

01:07I decided I should probably get changed, so I put on a longer skirt

01:11and just like a shirt that covers my arms and my elbows,

01:14and a headscarf as it is required here when you are a woman in Karbala.

01:19So, let's go check it out and see what it's like. Let's go!

01:29These guys are just drinking chai at the side of the road.

01:34We have left our hotel and now we are walking down the main street here in Karbala

01:38towards the holy shrine.

01:40We had to go through another sort of walking checkpoint just to get onto this street,

01:45so the men went through one side and the women went through another.

01:48And it kind of just reminded me of like when you're in the airport

01:51and you walk through and they, you know, just pat you down, check in your bag,

01:55make sure you're not bringing anything that you shouldn't be.

01:59Bye!

02:04Obviously, like I said before, it's definitely more conservative,

02:07but everyone's like super friendly.

02:08Like when I was going through that checkpoint, they were just like,

02:10where are you from? Welcome to Iraq!

02:22Okay, the bad news is that I'm not covered enough to go inside,

02:26so they say I have to wear an abaya and also they want me to wear socks,

02:29so I had to go and buy black socks and I have an abaya now that I need to put on.

02:33As this was my very first time wearing an abaya,

02:36I had to ask a local lady if she could help me to put it on correctly.

02:40Once properly covered, we were given permission to go inside

02:44the Imam Hussein Mosque and Shrine.

02:57The Imam Hussein Mosque

03:20That has to be one of the most beautiful places I've ever been inside in my whole life.

03:23I mean, I can't even really describe how beautiful that was.

03:26Luckily, we were able to film a few clips.

03:29Somebody called somebody and gave us permission to film inside,

03:32so we were able to get a few small clips just to show you guys how beautiful this place really is.

03:38Imam Hussein Mosque

03:53Right now we are visiting a place that is kind of just like a chill-out area between the two shrines.

03:58Everyone's just sitting on the ground, relaxing.

04:01I don't know if you can see around me.

04:03And it's quite an important place.

04:05It's quite busy.

04:06And it is located between the two shrines.

04:08I'm going to show you the other shrine now in a second.

04:11But wow, this place is really busy.

04:14Imam Hussein Mosque

04:36Imam Hussein Mosque

04:45Okay guys, so we're going to taste a drink that is special to Karbala.

04:48It's 1000, so it's like less than a dollar.

04:50It's like 70 cents.

04:51Let's try it.

04:52Vinegar in a drink.

04:53Yay, I love vinegar.

05:01Thank you.

05:02It's so good.

05:03It's huge.

05:05Wow.

05:13Oh, it's actually really tasty.

05:15Is it?

05:16Yeah, you have to try it.

05:17Please, please, please.

05:19Thank you.

05:25Wow, that's really good.

05:27I'm not going to lie.

05:29With the ingredients, I thought it was going to be terrible.

05:31Yeah.

05:32But it's pretty good.

05:33It is.

05:34It's like Jay went to buy a drink and he wouldn't take the money.

05:36And then the guy wouldn't let us pay for our drink either.

05:39We actually already paid and then he just forced us to take all the money back.

05:43Who pays?

05:44That's crazy.

05:54Okay, so we're just here at another restaurant in Karbala

05:57before we set off on our next adventure

05:59as part of our big road trip across southern Iraq.

06:01So we ordered lots of delicious local food,

06:03lots of dal, bread, chicken, and loads of different side dishes.

06:07So we're going to dig in now, get a good feed before we hit the road.

06:11How hungry are you guys?

06:12So hungry.

06:13So hungry.

06:14I ate a small amount of breakfast, but it's now 3.30.

06:17Yeah.

06:18So let's eat this.

06:19It's definitely appetizing.

06:21Wow.

06:22Look at that chunk of beef.

06:23It's huge.

06:27Dougie, Dougie.

06:28Dougie, Dougie.

06:29They told me that a lot of the people in this restaurant that are cooking,

06:32the chefs, are actually women.

06:34So I want to go check it out.

06:35So I'm going back into it.

06:37Oh, it's the green rice.

06:38Yeah.

06:39So good.

06:40So delicious.

06:41This man is cooking the meat over here.

06:43It's chicken?

06:44Yeah.

06:45So.

06:50So we were just about to leave Karbala and head to our next destination,

06:53but we are making one last stop at this local,

06:56I guess you could say candy store.

06:57It's kind of like a sweet dessert store.

06:59And apparently this type of food, candy, dessert, is very traditional to Karbala.

07:06So apparently it would be shameful for us to leave this region,

07:09this city, without going inside and checking it out.

07:11So let's go.

07:21Oh, it's super hot.

07:23So apparently it translates to oily.

07:25And it looks pretty oily.

07:27It's got coconut flakes on top.

07:30There's a lot of sugar.

07:32A lot of sugar.

07:36Really good.

07:39It tastes like something I'm familiar with, but I can't think of what.

07:42It's really chewy, really gooey.

07:45So much sugar.

07:51Jay works here now.

07:53How much?

07:55Okay, so they have more over here as well.

07:58It's kind of like pistachio on top.

08:02Look how beautiful this is.

08:07Okay, they say I can taste it.

08:09Thank you.

08:12Let me try this.

08:14Speak English?

08:15Yes.

08:20What's your name?

08:22Janet.

08:24Nice to meet you.

08:28This is yummy.

08:29I think I prefer the other one, but this is pretty good as well.

08:38But chewy.

08:39Ready?

08:40Open your mouth.

08:42That was so easy.

08:44I just want to show you guys how big these trays are.

08:47Look at this.

08:49It is massive.

08:51Wait.

08:52Hold it up and look at the camera again.

08:57Oh, it's so heavy.

09:02Say hello.

09:04What is your name?

09:13Thank you.

09:15After an incredible 24 hours in Karbala,

09:17checking out the holy shrine, meeting the local people,

09:20we hit the road and headed south to the Iraqi marshes.

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