Various religious traditions have different repercussions in different countries. Let’s have a look at the day of Ashura, when Shi’a Muslims mourn the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. This day, people provide free meal, but also chest-beat, self-flagellate and do several other things in remembrance.

The countries with Shia Muslim population witness these customs and traditions of Ashura, but things look different in each of them. Azerbaijan is unique in this sense, with the difference being of humanistic and social nature.

Even during the soviet period of its history, Azerbaijan was the place where all these traditions were observed despite the pressures from the atheistic communist authorities. Since gaining independence in 1991, people of Azerbaijan continued in even larger scale mourning at Ashura, but the core rituals turned from self-imposed pain and suffering to other, socially more important actions.

In contemporary Azerbaijan, the majority donates blood and provides food to the needy. This is the case both for the capital city of Baku and the regions of Azerbaijan. Interestingly, last years the foreigners, including non-Muslims, also joined the people in these efforts. Among those, who donated blood this year were many representatives of the diplomatic missions, including the U.S. Ambassador Anne Derse, other representatives of the diplomatic corps.

It is, indeed, crucial to put social and humanistic substance into the customs and traditions we observe for centuries, to adapt religious dogma to the realities of a secular society. And if you want to know how, come to Azerbaijan.

Tahir&Khazar