🏴 Husayni Mourning Around the World – 2026

🌐 114. Turkey:

Ashura International Foundation / Husayni Mourning News – June 23, 2026

Kowsar Mosque in Istanbul continues to host the devotees of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) through Muharram mourning ceremonies. At this ceremony, Sheikh Qadir Akaras, the head of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) Scholars Assembly of Turkey, in his remarks emphasized that Karbala is not merely a historical tragedy belonging to the past, but rather a summary of human history and a school for teaching values such as sacrifice, loyalty, sincerity, and forgiveness.

Sheikh Qadir Akaras, in his remarks, referring to Imam Husayn’s (a.s.) call for help on Ashura, stated, “The plea for help of Imam Husayn (a.s.), which resonated on that day, continues to whisper in our ears today. We respond to the cry of the oppressed in Lebanon, Gaza, and wherever the downtrodden exist. Attendees at mourning gatherings, inspired by the lessons of Karbala, declare their readiness for any sacrifice and devotion.”

The Pillars of the Karbala School; Sacrifice and Forgiveness

The head of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) Scholars Assembly of Turkey, stating that the school of Karbala presents even the deepest philosophical concepts in a language understandable to all, emphasized concepts such as sacrifice, charity, and forgiveness.

In the concluding part of his remarks, he addressed the issue of loyalty and sincerity and noted that sometimes certain individuals exploit religious values and even the name of Imam Husayn (a.s.) for worldly gains.

Akaras stated, “Standing alongside Imam Husayn (a.s.) is itself a great human virtue and a lofty value. If someone expects worldly status or benefit from this companionship, that is no longer love for Husayn.”

He then, referring to Abal-Fazl al-Abbas (a.s.) as the most prominent model of loyalty and sincerity, said that when he reached the Euphrates River, despite his intense thirst, he remembered the thirst of Imam Husayn (a.s.) and the children of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) and refrained from drinking water—an act which, according to him, has remained as one of the most unparalleled manifestations of loyalty in history.

The mourning ceremony at Kowsar Mosque in Istanbul concluded with the recitation of elegies and the holding of chest-beating rituals.