Hussain’s example benefits all says Milwaukee’s Shia Muslim Community

Photos by Kamal Moon

(Left to right) Sheikh Hasan Rafati of Dar ul-Hikmah, Sheikh Trenton Carl of Sacred Roots, ELCA Pastor Anthony Acompanado and MU Muslim Chaplain Sayyid Sameer Ali led a march of 100 people Saturday commemorating Imam Hussain.

As more than 22 million Shia Muslims and people of other faiths from around the world prepare to embark on a journey to Karbala, Iraq, for the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage to the shrine of Imam Hussain, around 100 people marched down Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee Saturday to commemorate Hussain’s legacy.

The Arbaeen pilgrimage, the biggest annual pilgrimage on Earth, will take place Aug. 25 this year, marking one of the most important holidays in the Shia Muslim calendar. Arbaeen, which means 40 in Arabic, is the 40th day after Imam Hussain was killed at the Battle of Karbala in 680 A.D.

Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, was seen by his supporters as the Prophet’s rightful heir. Just over 50 years after the death of Prophet Muhammad, Hussain took a stand against the Muslim ruler of the Ummayad caliphate, Yazid. Hussain knew would likely be killed. Both he and his half-brother Abbas died in battle. (For more information, see a documentary from the non-profit organization Who is Hussain? here.)

Dar ul-Hikmah imam Sheikh Hasan Rafati led prayer before the annual four-hour march to honor Imam Hussain.

Dar ul-Hikmah (House of Wisdom), the Shia Muslim Center in the Milwaukee area, sponsored Saturday’s march. An announcement on its website said the march was “open for all to join (Muslims all sects, non-Muslims as well) and learn about the message and sacrifices of our beloved Imam Hussain (a.s.), his family and his loyal companions.”

Hasan Dhoondia, founder of the charitable organization L.O.A.F., co-founded the Remembering Hussain March.

Taking it to the street

Why a march? Why a public demonstration? the Wisconsin Muslim Journal asked the Remembering Hussain March organizers.

The example of Imam Hussain and inspiration drawn from it is not just for Shia Muslims—it is for everyone, explained Hasan Dhoondia, facilitator of the march and founder of L.O.A.F., a nonprofit organization that provides essential services and supplies to the less fortunate. Dhoondia and Sayyid Sameer Ali, Marquette University’s Muslim chaplain, founded the Remembering Hussain Commemoration March seven years ago. (As it was not held during the COVID pandemic, the fifth march took place this year).

Imam Hussain’s life holds significance that transcends any one religion, Dhoondia continued. It symbolizes universal values we can all embrace in our daily lives, as individuals and in our communities.

Marchers spent four hours moving from The Calling, an orange, metal statue at the east end of Wisconsin Avenue to The Building, a modern blue-glass office tower across from Grand Avenue Mall, and back, stopping at points along the way to listen to guest speakers and community members talk about qualities of Imam Hussain and his family, and ways they can be incorporated in one’s life today.

Children and youth participated actively in the march, carrying placards and chanting. Some recited poetry and others delivered speeches about qualities they see in Imam Hussain they want to incorporate in their lives.

At six stops, speakers and participants reflected on courage, sincerity, loyalty, purpose, hope and gratitude. Speakers included Dhoondia, Ali, Sheikh Trenton Carl of Sacred Roots Muslim Community in Chicago, Pastor Anthony Acompanado of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Sheikh Hasan Rafati, imam of Dar ul-Hikmah (House of Wisdom) and a variety of Milwaukee area youth and adult speakers.

As they marched on the south side of Wisconsin Avenue, volunteers strolled along the north side of the street, answering questions from the public and handing out brochures. Other volunteers circulated through the participants, offering bottles of cold water and snacks

Halfway through the march, everyone broke for lunch. Volunteers distributed 175 lunch bags purchased for them by Dar ul-Hikmah that included sharwama sandwiches, fruit, water and Trail Mix packets . Families shared sweets they brought with friends and strangers alike.

Applying Imam Hussain’s lessons

Several speakers spoke of the need to follow Imam Hussain’s example of standing up against oppression and injustice today, particularly the unjust suffering of the Palestinians and the destruction of Gaza.

“In Karbala, a small group of 72 people were standing against an army of thousands,” noted MU chaplain Sayyid Sameer Ali. “We see today that thousands of Palestinians have lost their lives. Today 100 of them lost their lives at fajr time (dawn) while they were seeking shelter … So when you see oppression, raise your voices against it. Make sure you have no part in that oppression. If something you are giving contributes to that oppression, call for it to stop and be diverted from that place. Many students across this country have been successful in calling for stopping the oppression against the Palestinian brothers and sisters.”

Khadijah Dhoondia of Pewaukee, Hasan Dhoondia’s daughter, has participated in the Remembering Hussain March since its inception. It inspired her to write a poem against the oppression of Palestinians and others.

Khadijah Dhoondia of Pewaukee shared her poem about fighting oppression. She said the Battle of Karbala inspired her.

“Although my focus will be on the conflict in Palestine, this poem is applicable to the oppression faced by anyone anywhere, be it Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan or Somalia. As I read this poem, I ask all of you, as lovers of the Ahlul-Bayt, to reflect on your purpose and what role you play in the face of modern oppression and injustice, and how you personally can draw inspiration from Imam Hussain’s sacrifice. With that, I will begin.”

In the sands of Karbala, where courage stood tall,
Imam Hussain answered a desperate call.
Against tyranny’s hand, with hearts pure and bright,
He faced down injustice, defending the right.

Hussain’s sacrifice, a beacon through time,
Inspires the fight against oppression’s crime.
His blood in the desert, a symbol so clear,
That justice and truth must persevere.

In the land of Palestine, where olive trees sway,
Injustice unfolds day by day.
Children in rubble, with dreams in their eyes,
Cry out for their freedom, for hope to arise.

In every land where tyranny reigns,
We can learn from Karbala and Imam Hussain
As lovers of the Ahlul-Bayt, it is our duty to rise and to stand,
To lend our voices to those in this land.

So hear the call, let your heart feel the weight,
Injustice persists; we must not hesitate.

For every tear shed, for every lost dream,
Fight for justice, stay steadfast and strong.
Every voice and action, as little as they seem,
By Allah, it will be seen

So brothers and sisters, let us remember the lessons of the past,
In the fight for justice, our voices will last.
From Karbala’s plains to Palestine’s cries,
The fight for freedom never dies.

Rev. Anthony Acompanado, a pastor with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, says Imam Hussain’s courage in standing for justice inspires him.

Imam Hussain’s universal appeal

While most of Milwaukee’s marchers were Shia Muslims, a few participants came from other faith backgrounds, including ELCA Rev. Tony Acompanado, pastor of Ascension in Waukesha.

“There is a sense of deep morality in Imam Hussain. That he would not compromise his morals for earthly pursuits, that he was really so focused on God, that to me is something I find so much in my belief system as a person of faith,” Acompanado said. To follow God that faithfully when you’re faced with lots of adversity is inspiring.

“Many humans would certainly succumb to taking the easier road rather than staying faithful to our morals and true to what God is asking us. There is something very honorable when you can hold that level of faith. An event like this, when you have followers of somebody who is that faithful speaks something different into the world and that’s exciting.”

Sheikh Trenton Carl, from Sacred Roots Muslim Community in Chicago, was attending Milwaukee’s Remembering Hussain March for the first time. “It’s a beautiful gathering and a good reminder to not be fearful of spreading the word of truth and justice in a public setting,” he said.

“What is paramount is to find a way to reiterate on this project so the public can be more receptive to the universal components of the story. Sometimes you get bogged down in the particular elements of the history. The fundamental components of truth, justice, community, camaraderie—those are the things people are searching for. I see this gathering as one step in the direction of trying to spark that conversation in society.”

Sheikh Trenton Carl of the Sacred Roots Muslim Community in Chicago said Milwaukee’s Remembering Hussain March is an opportunity to share universal lessons from Imam Hussain’s example.