When the moon cried as she left the skies.
When the sky wept as day was approaching.
When the sun rose in agony,
regretting the bringing forth of a day that would only draw in on calamities.
When the earth trembled in fear.
When the river Euphrates broke down in tears,
hoping her banks would overflow and reach the tents of Aale-Hussain.
Not a grain of sand that day missed the witnessing of brutality.
Not even an atom that day missed the witnessing of the greatest injustice.
The cosmos fell to its knees as she witnessed the ultimate crime.
The wind felt the pain of spears and arrows piercing through her,
before they pierced heroes.
Physical wounds of our heroes translated into emotional and psychological wounds of our heroines.
Piercing right through their hearts, minds and souls,
with injustice, oppression and betrayal,
over and over again.
Heroines the likes of Zainab, Ummul Baneen, Layla, and Sakina to only name a few,
who withstood the harassment, torture and disrespect all their lives,
yet still remained tall knowing the message also lies in their hands.
That without their strength, courage, bravery,
intellectual and spiritual wisdom,
the true message of Islam would have been no more.
Tell me of women
stronger than an army of 30,000 cowardly so-called men!
Tell me of women
more powerful and influential than a self-promoted dictator!
Tell me of women
who saw the wisdom of God’s plan over the plans of politicians!
Tell me of women
who did not change their identity due to fear of their lives!
Tell me of women
who stood strong for one another and for Islam,
when they were humiliated and harassed daily
from every corner of every city they entered.
For one side of the story was so eloquently portrayed,
But the second half got semi-lost in translation,
Or dare I say,
Lost in misconceptions of women
perceived as only grieving and crying passively,
Of only hair turning grey;
Of only imminent death due to incessant grieving.
Instead,
Tell me of the valour of women
who were actively making a difference;
actively standing up against ignorance and injustices.
Tell me
how they awoke the masses from ignorance.
Tell me
how they turned hearts of stone into cradles of light.
Tell me of women,
who spoke so eloquently yet fiercely
that the very foundations of illegitimacy crumbled in shame right before them.
Tell me of The Women of Karbala…
