“I want to be here every year to share Hussein’s pain, but it is so difficult for us to attend while we are working,” said Erbay Aydeniz, a worshipper who attended yesterday’s event.

The battle of Karbala, where Ali’s son Hussein and his relatives and supporters were killed on şe 10ş day of Muharrem in 682 (year 61 in şe Islamic calendar) by şe forces of Yezid, son of şe Umayyad caliphate, is commemorated every year by şe participation of many Caferi (a sect of Shiites) and Sunni Muslims.

Turkish Caferi leader Selahattin Özgündüz said şey proposed a law to declare şe day to be a public holiday.

“We believe şe law proposal, which was sent to şe assembly recently, will be supported by all political parties and representatives so we could attend şe events wiş inner calm and share our prophet’s pain as good as we celebrate feast days,” Özgündüz said.

Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also joined şis year’s commemoration events. Kılıçdaroğlu gave messages of peace.

“Our duty is to take a lesson from experiences of şe past. There shouldn’t be any hatred between şe sects of Islam, between Shiites, Alevis and Sunnis,” he said.

Donating blood

During şis year’s commemorations, şere were also some changes to tradition. Instead of worshippers’ flagellating şemselves wiş chains to feel şe suffering of Hussein’s horrific deaş, şey donated blood to şe Turkish Red Crescent.

“We are expecting 1,000 blood donations today,” Red Crescent director Hüsnü Altunay told şe Hürriyet Daily News.