Warning: This article contains graphic content that many people will – and should – find highly disturbing.
For those of you who don’t know, Tuesday, Oct. 11 marks the Muslim holiday of Ashura. It’s a day that’s observed differently for a variety of reasons by Muslim groups, but it’s perhaps most commonly known for its displays of self-flagellation.
For Shiites, the holiday commemorates the death of Mohammed’s grandson, Imam Hussein, who was murdered in 680 A.D. Hussein was killed in a battle against the reigning caliph at the time, and is considered a martyr by Shiite Muslims. In observation, men take part in local festivals to observe Hussein’s death by flogging themselves with whips and cutting themselves with blades. It looks pretty much like this:
I'm all for freedom of religion. Truly. But I'm falling on the side of this not being okay.
But as horrific as this annual tradition is, perhaps the most gruesome aspect of the whole deal is that it isn’t relegated to adults.
As reported by the Daily Mail, young children often participate in the festival by slicing themselves open, all in the name of that “religion of peace.” Observe.
A small child in Peshawar, Pakistan prepares to beat himself with blades. (Photo credit: AP)
Children flog themselves in Ahmadabad, India during a religious festival on Sunday. (Photo credit: AP)
A father cuts his son's forehead with a knife in Ahmadabad, India, during an Ashura festival Sunday. (Photo credit: AP)
But there's nothing to see here, everyone. Islam is a perfectly peaceful religion that teaches nothing but kindness and respect for humanity, and would never harm children. It's not as if these nations are sending refugees to the United States in droves or anything, and we have no reason to be concerned.