Muslims worldwide observe sorrowful ‘World Baqee Day’
Muslims and Shia devotees of AhlulBayt, peace be upon them, around the world took to the streets, on the 8th of Shawwal 1444 A.H, coinciding to April 29th 2023, to demand the Saudi authorities to reconstruct the holy site of Jannat-ul-Baqee which was demolished a hundred years ago by the enemies of AhlulBayt.
Jannat-ul-Baqee site is located right across Al Masjid-al-Nabawi in Medina, and is widely revered and glorified by Muslims in general and Shia followers of AhlulBayt, peace be upon them, in particular.
The reverence and glorification this place enjoys is based on the fact that it embraces the pure bodies of four of the Infallible Imams of AhlulBayt, peace be upon them, namely; Imam Hassan Al-Mujtaba, Imam Ali Zain-ul-Abideen, Imam Muhammad-ul-Baqir, and Jafar-ul-Sadiq, peace be upon them all. Other members and immediate relatives of the Noble Prophet, Mohammed, Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him and his family, are also buried in the Baqee Cemetery.
The 8th of Shawwal, the day on which the holy graves of the Imams of AhlulBayt were demolished by the Wahhabis and Salafists, is revived by the Shia committed Muslims across the world to raise awareness of the atrocities and attacks inflicted upon the Prophet’s purified Family and their holy sites.
The “World Baqee Day” was first established by Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Sadiq al-Husseini al-Shirazi, who annually urges Muslims across the world to commemorate this day to inform the world of the aggression and oppression AhlulBayet, peace be upon them, had been subjected to, both in their life and after their martyrdom.
According to historians, Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed al-Husseini al-Shirazi and his brother the martyre Sayyed Hassan al-Shirazi were the first who struggled and demanded the reconstruction of the Baqee Cemetery. They, as confirmed by the historian, had exerted serious efforts on this issue and that the current fence surrounding the cemetery is the result of those blessed efforts.
The Supreme Religious Authority, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq al-Husseini al-Shirazi, extended his heartfelt condolences to Imam Al-Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honorable reappearance, on this sorrowful occasion; reiterating his demands on the reconstruction of Jannat-ul-Baqee.
His Eminence also urged all Muslims worldwide to assume full responsibility towards demanding the reconstruction of this holy site, as he severely condemned the gross violation against the Prophet’s family, whose love Allah Almighty has deemed as obligatory in the Noble Qur’an.
Shia organizations and centers around the world held rallies protesting the indifference on the Saudi authorities’ part represented by ignoring their demands to rebuild the Jannat-ul-Baqee and to inform the International Community of the atrocities and attacks inflicted upon the Prophet’s family.
In Iraq, large number of people interacted with the ‘International Baqee Day’ campaign launched earlier by Imam Hussein Media Group and other human rights organizations and cultural foundations, demanding the reconstruction of Al-Baqee Cemetery.
Prominent Indian newspapers and agencies covered the protesting assembly the followers of AhlulBayet organized on Friday in the city of Lucknow.
The representative of Grand Ayatollah Shirazi in India, Hujjat-ul-Islam wa-al-Muslimeen Sheikh Adeeb Al-Hindi and the director of the Shirazi office, Saif Abbas, confirmed that notable national newspapers had reported the protest held in front of the Husseiniya of Abu Talib, peace be upon him, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the hate-driven demolition of Jannat-ul-Baqee Cemetery.
In Washington DC, Shia Muslims gathered in front of the Saudi Embassy in the US to protest and demand Saudi authorities to rebuild Al-Baqee holy site. During the assembly, prominent activists, religious clerics and community members delivered speeches to raise awareness of the seriousness of this occasion.
Large numbers of the Shia Community members in the UK also organized assemblies in front of the Saudi Embassy in London, demanding the reconstruction of the graves of AhlulBayt, peace be upon them.
The protests were centered around calling on the Islamic governments and human rights organizations to urge the Saudi regime to stop its defiling campaign aimed at the AhlulBayt sites and to rebuild them.
In Majunga, Madagascar, the office of Grand Ayatollah Shirazi allocated a part of the office’s garden to establish symbolic graves of the Imams of Al-Baqee and to remind the attendees of the hatred and injustice of the enemies of AhlulBayt.
It is worth noting that Imam Hussein Media Group has established the ‘Baqee Week’ to direct the attention of the Shia Muslims and the Muslims across the globe towards pressuring the Saudi regime to rebuild the holy sites of the Imams, peace be upon them.
In 1925 coinciding to 1344 AH, Al-Saud regime took its wrath on al Baqee cemetery, where four of the Infallible Imams and other members of the Prophet Muhammad’s family (peace be upon them) are buried. As it lies in ruins, al Baqee came to represent resistance – the call of people against the injustice of radicalism, the need for people to reclaim its history so that cultural and religious identity would not be lost.
It Is worth mentioning that Grand Ayatollah Shirazi annually renews his calls to the faithful Muslims and the devoted Shias around the world to raise their voices in the face of oppression and tyranny and to demand the reconstruction of Jannat-ul-Baqee through organizing peaceful protests and assemblies.
