By: Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer

Today, Tuesday, August 10, marks the start of the Islamic Lunar Calendar, 1443 AH, which in the Islamic Republic of Iran has coincided with the start of the 4-year term of the new Iranian president.
Although Hojjat al-Islam Seyyed Ibrahim Raisi is yet to introduce his cabinet of ministers to the parliament for due approval, the coming days of Muharram when mourning ceremonies are held all over the country and the people and officials draw inspiration from the life of the Martyr of Karbala, Imam Husain (AS), he is expected to take some concrete steps.
The Prophet’s grandson courted martyrdom, along with his male family members and friends in Karbala, in order to establish social justice and preserve humanitarian values by unmasking hypocrisy.
Therefore, the Islamic Republic, which adheres to the path of Imam Husain (AS), will take every step to ensure the smooth functioning of the country, since it is irreligious to indulge in outward modes of worship, while ignoring social, cultural, political and other issues that govern human life.
Likewise, it is self-deception to ignore the Divine Law and give free rein to whimsical ideas of the fallible mind, thereby allowing the fate of the people to slip into a state of injustice, which in turn provides breeding ground for misrule.
The Islamic Republic shoulders the responsibility of conveying to the world the message of Islam at a time when the US and Israel are trying to destabilize Muslim countries by pitting Muslims against each other.
Islam also does not allow Muslims to shed the blood of fellow Muslims, as the Takfiris and other deviated groups practice today by massacring Muslims. This is surely not what was taught to us by the Messenger of Mercy.
Muharram is the month that jolts human conscience to expose the roots of terrorism which in our days is trying to tarnish the humanitarian image of Islam.
In other words, Muharram and its life-inspiring mourning ceremonies are considered a catalyst for triumph of truth over falsehood.
Iran has always played an important role in this regard, much to the chagrin of its enemies, especially the US and the illegal Zionist regime.
In view of these facts, because of the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping across Iran and the world, the Muharram gatherings will strictly follow the rules and regulations set by medical experts in conformity with the religious authorities, by maintaining proper social distancing, sanitization measures, wearing of masks, and checking of temperatures and oxygen levels of the devotees visiting the Hussainiyahs and mosques.
Another feature this year will be the “Online Mourning Assemblies” in order to prevent crowding and to facilitate the spread of the message of Muharram to homes through computers and TVs.