🏴 Husayni Mourning Around the World – 2026

🌐 76. Turkey:

Ashura International Foundation / Husayni Mourning News:

On the occasion of the arrival of Muharram, a commemoration ceremony mourning the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (a.s.) and his loyal companions was held with the cooperation of Iran’s Cultural Attaché and hosted by our country’s embassy in Turkey.

The mourning ceremony for Imam Husayn (a.s.) was held at the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Istanbul, with the presence of Iranians residing in Istanbul and a group of Shiites and devotees of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) from Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Turkey.

Hojat al-Islam Sayyed Mohammad Ali Fattahzadeh, a religious figure, while referring to the character-building dimensions of the Ashura event, elaborated on the philosophy of Imam Husayn’s (a.s.) uprising, the lessons and morals of the Karbala movement, and the atrocities committed in the martyrdom of the beloved grandson of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.).

He described the presence and opportunity to participate in the mourning gatherings of Sayyed al-Shuhada (a.s.) (the Master of Martyrs) as a divine blessing that is not granted to everyone, and emphasized the need to be grateful for this opportunity.

At this ceremony, the memory of the martyrs of the Ramadan War, the commanders and martyred mujahideen of the Resistance Front, the martyred leader of the Islamic ummah, Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei (r.a.), and the martyrs of the Shajareh Tayyebeh School in Minab was also commemorated.

Abulqasem Zamani, a eulogist of the AhlulBayt (a.s.), through elegy recitation and mourning poetry in lamentation of Imam Husayn (a.s.) and his loyal companions, filled the atmosphere of the gathering with Husayni fervor and spirituality, and the attendees expressed their devotion to Sayyed al-Shuhada (a.s.) through chest-beating and mourning.

Additionally, another ceremony was held with the presence of hundreds of thousands of devotees of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) at the Zeynebiye Halkalı in Istanbul.

Hasan Babur, the head of the Association for Research, Education, and Introduction of the Ja’fari School, in his remarks, described the Ashura uprising as the eternal school of justice-seeking, freedom, and resistance against oppression, and stated, “The message of Karbala is the perpetual responsibility of human beings to stand alongside truth and justice.”

Mesut Yıldırım, the head of Alevi Islamic Faith Services at the Cem Foundation, and Esma Ersin, the head of Culture and Houses of the Alevi-Bektashi Community, referring to the exalted status of the Ashura movement, described Imam Husayn (a.s.) as a symbol of justice, human dignity, and the fight against oppression, and emphasized the necessity of promoting human values, coexistence, unity, and brotherhood in society.

Hossein Simaee Sarraf, the Minister of Science, Research and Technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran, described Ashura as a symbol of the confrontation between the culture of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) and the culture of rationality, justice, human dignity, and peace, and emphasized: The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) was sent to establish justice, equality, tolerance, and rationality, and the uprising of Imam Husayn (a.s.) was the continuation of this same divine path, and today we mourn one of the descendants of Imam Husayn (a.s.) who stood against the Yazid of his time and was martyred unjustly, just like his forefather.

Hojat al-Islam Sheikh Salahuddin Özgündüz, one of Turkey’s prominent Shiite scholars, in his remarks emphasized the necessity of preserving the unity of the Islamic ummah, mutual respect among Muslims, and avoiding religious divisions, and described Ashura as a symbol of defending pure Muhammadan Islam and standing against deviation.

Cevdet Yılmaz, the Vice President of Turkey, emphasized the necessity of strengthening Muslim unity, respecting religious differences, and focusing on the commonalities of the Islamic ummah.

He added: The message of Imam Husayn (a.s.) in defending justice, human dignity, and confronting oppression continues to inspire all the free people of the world, and confronting injustice is the most important lesson of Ashura for humanity.

The ritual performance “Husayn is the Hope of the World,” performed by the Zeynebiye Theater Group and directed by Erdoğan Ünlü, narrated the epic of Ashura and was met with widespread reception and deep emotion from the attendees.