Translated from Urdu to English by AI.
The sacred month of Muharram has begun. It is one of the few religious observances that carries a profound message. The essence of Muharram is that monarchy and authoritarian rule hold no moral legitimacy in a civilized world. The state exists for the welfare of its people, and if any ruler usurps the basic rights of the people, then it becomes the responsibility of every conscious human being to resist.
Today, capitalism dominates the world. This system, as predicted by Karl Marx, has fully transformed into one of pure exploitation. To sustain it, imperial powers have crossed all limits of oppression. In recent times, the Middle East has seen a sharp rise in brutality by the client state of the West, Israel, against the Palestinian people. Thousands of civilians in Gaza, including women and children, have lost their lives. Progressive voices around the world are condemning this genocide, yet the so-called superpower, the United States, continues to openly support Israel.
Iran’s ruling clerical regime claims to be a follower of Imam Hussain, but in truth, the oppression inflicted on the Iranian people—especially women—is no less than Yazidi tyranny. Over the past four decades, millions of Iranians have been imprisoned or killed for charges such as progressivism and socialism. Not long ago, the state had to face a massive women’s protest against its draconian compulsory hijab laws, which was eventually crushed by force. Iran is not an anti-imperialist state; rather, like all religious states, its regime safeguards capitalism.
In global geopolitics, Iran currently aligns with the China-Russia bloc. The enmity between Israel and Iran is not a battle between “Hussainiyat” and “Yazidiyat”, but a clash of regional interests. Through Israel, the U.S. seeks to weaken Iran and establish full control over the Middle East to serve its capitalist objectives. This led to a recent Israeli assault on Iran. In retaliation, Iran launched a strong counterattack that seriously damaged Israel. Unable to bear the blow, Israel felt its very existence under threat. At that point, its guardian—the U.S.—stepped in and launched an attack on Iran’s nuclear assets. Although the attack was not entirely successful, it did manage to silence Iran’s rhetoric. A ceasefire was then announced.
During these developments, Pakistan’s role was remarkably peculiar. It is well known that Pakistan currently has a puppet political government. The real ruler of the country is Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. At the height of the Iran-Israel conflict, the President of the United States invited Field Marshal Asim Munir to a state dinner. Around the same time, the government of Pakistan made a surprising move: it officially nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize—citing his role in the ceasefire between Pakistan and India. This entire episode appeared contradictory and even absurd, especially because Pakistan was also condemning the Israeli attack on Iran and voicing moral support for Iran. Iran’s parliament even publicly thanked Pakistan for this support. The only conclusion one can draw from this complex web is that all these global powers are in fact aligned. None of them represent the spirit of Hussain—they are all Yazidi in essence. Pakistan’s role mirrors that of Kufa: it chants “Hussain, Hussain” but ultimately supports Yazid.
Fourteen centuries ago, Imam Hussain and his companions were not politically powerful, and today too, the true followers of Hussain—the oppressed working-class people of the world—are weak and voiceless. But this condition is temporary. Humanity, driven by the rapid evolution of intellect and consciousness, will soon achieve the pinnacle of welfare through the ideology of socialism. The truth is, there is no other path left for humanity’s survival.
In the words of the revolutionary poet Josh Malihabadi, here is a poignant stanza from his elegy:
“See! The palace of hell has risen once again,
The tents of night and day are engulfed in flames,
Thousands of rulers command this land,
Flames, smoke, thunder, lightning and sparks rule all.”
“O Hussain! Life is once again upon the volcano’s edge,
The world burns, O Hussain—fire or water