Shia activist invites Al-Azhar Sheikh to attend Muharram funeral

Sayyid Taher al-Hashemi, who is a member of the Ahl-ul-Bayt World Assembly, asked al-Tayyeb to deliver a speech in the program on the event of Ashura, Bawaba website reported.

He also invited Egyptian Awqaf ministry official and members of the country’s Islamic Studies Center to take part in the ceremony, according to Iran’s Quran News Agency.

Al-Hashemi’s call has drawn some objections, however. Muhammad al-Shahat, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Islamic Affairs Council, considered it to be a move aimed at “introducing Shia ideology and imposing Shia school of thought on Sunnis”.

Due to anti-Shia propaganda, Egyptian Shias face a lot of challenges living and practicing their faith freely in a country that spent a significant part of its history under Shia rule.

Every year, millions of Shias and other Muslims around the world mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) and his 72 faithful companions on Ashura, the tenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar year, Muharram.

Ashura ceremonies symbolize eternal and unwavering stance of truth against falsehood and humanity’s struggle against tyranny realized by Imam Hussein (AS).

This year, the day of Ashura falls on Tuesday, November 4.