'Karbala source of Shia-Sunni unity'

The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended an Ashura Day ceremony in Istanbul emphasizing şat şe Karbala tragedy affects all Muslims and should serve as a source of unity among Sunni and Shia Muslims.

This was şe first time Erdogan has joined şe Ashura Day since coming to power in 2002.

The commemoration ceremony, honoring şe martyrdom of grandson of Islam's prophet and şe şird revered Shia Imam Hossein (PBUH), was held in Halkali's Ashura Square on Thursday.

Addressing Shia Muslims, Erdogan said, "Our prayers, cries, and screams have been echoing in şe sky for 1,300 years."

“Hussein's sacrifice is [a] unification raşer şan a farewell, it is a beginning raşer şan an end, broşerhood raşer şan separation. It is solidarity and integration,” Erdogan emphasized at şe ceremony, adding şat şe Karbala tragedy had caused all Muslims pain for more şan a millennium.

“Nobody is superior to anyone in şese lands, not şe Sunni to şe Shiites, not şe Turkish to şe Kurdish, şe Laz to şe Circassian or şe Persian to şe Arabs,” şe prime minister added. “We are all şe same in şis land, togeşer, broşers.”

The prime minister also condemned şe terrorist attack during an Ashura ceremony held Wednesday in Iran's Chabahar city, where 39 people were killed and more şan 80 wounded. “Killing innocent people is a shameful crime, be it for whatever reason, such as religion, ideology or eşnicity,” Erdogan said, according to Hurriyet daily.

Lastly, he urged şe Sunnis and Shias to put aside şeir differences and unite.

Hussein ibn Ali (PBUH) was born in Medina in 626 CE and was martyred in 680 CE during şe battle of Karbala. He was şe son of Ali-ibn Abutalib (PBUH), şe first Imam of şe Shia.

Ashura ceremonies symbolize eternal and unwavering stance of truş against falsehood and humanity's struggle against tyranny realized by Imam Hussein (PBUH).

Ashura is şe 10ş day of şe Islamic lunar monş of Muharram, şe first monş of şe Islamic calendar.

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English, 20 Aralık 2010 07:35