The martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS) not only inspired the hearts of the Shiites but it has also become the source of guidance for many free people of different religions and beliefs in the world. From Christians to Zoroastrians and from Jews to Assyrians, everyone bows down to the ways and customs of Seyyed al-Shahada Imam Hussain (AS) and learns from his movement against tyranny and corruption. Throughout history, many thinkers with different religions have spoken about the rise of Ashura.

Antoine Bara is a Christian thinker, that has expressed his belief and devotion toward Imam Hussain (AS). This Christian researcher and writer believes that Imam Hussain (AS) does not only belong to the Shiites, but to the whole world.

Bara maintained that Imam Husain is not exclusive to Shi’a or Muslims but belongs to the whole world because he is the “conscience of religions” as Bara puts it. It is interesting that Bara considers that being a Shi’a is “the highest degree of lover for God”. According to Bara anyone in the world, regardless of his religion, can be a Shi’a depending on his own personal interpretation “due to the greatness of following the pure family of Mohmmad (Peace be upon them) in order to preserve the beauty of his religion”

He says: “Hussain (AS) is in my heart; If Hossein was one of us, we would raise a banner for him in every corner of the earth, and we would call on people to Christianity with the name of Hussain. You Shiites and Muslims do not appreciate the value of Imam Hussain”

Antoine Bara writer of Hussain in the Chritian Thought

Antoine Bara is a Christian who spent many years of his youth conducting research on the life and rise of Imam Hussain (AS) in order to find out the facts about this great historical figure from his point of view and from the language of the Bible and the Prophet of God, Jesus Christ (PBUH).

After many years of research and study in various sources of Islamic history, he wrote a book that is unique in its kind and its special feature is that it is written by a Christian. In this comparative study, titled “Hussain in the Christianity Ideology”, using the ideas of Islam and Christianity and with commendable skill, he compared the life and martyrdom of Jesus from the perspective of Christianity with the life and martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS) from the perspective of Islam. In these comparative analyses, there are interesting and original points that are surprising and significant for every honest Muslim who is looking for the truth.

The book “Hossein in Christian Ideology” was written for the first time in 1978 and has now reached its fourth edition. This book has been translated into 17 languages and has been approved in 5 universities for master and doctoral courses. Antoine Bara, who is Syrian in origin and a resident of Kuwait, is a capable and literary writer with taste, and in addition to the mentioned book, he has also written 15 other books, most of them in the field of literature, novels and stories.

Imam Hussain (AS) is a history-making figure who is referred to as a “freeman” and every year during Muharram, his bravery comes alive in the public mind and transforms the hearts of those who demand truth and freedom. Many of those who stand against the aggression and tyranny of the arrogant powers have found the root of their stability and freedom in the resistance, justice and dignity of Imam Hussein (AS). This historical belief is also evident in the committed and contemporary literature of the journalist Antoine Barra.

He mentions Imam Hussain (AS) with the phrase “the eternal gem of religions” and says: “I have found many similarities between the personality of Hussain and that of Jesus Christ. They are very close to each other in their behaviors, actions and words. Jesus said: “When a fire breaks out in a house, it will spread from one house to another until it burns many houses unless the fire in the first house is extinguished.” This is the same with tyranny, if the oppressor is stopped from the beginning, another oppressor leader will not come after him for people to imitate him. According to Antoine Bara, Imam Hussain (AS) also talked about dealing with oppression in the same way.

Antoine Bara introduces Shiism as the highest degree of divine love. When Antoine Barra talks about Imam Hussain (AS), so much passion and devotion for Imam Hussain (AS) is evident in his words that it is as if a Shia is speaking in love and fascination. He considers Imam Hussain (AS) to be “the light of Islam”; the light that illuminated the way to salvation for millions of Muslims and prevented them from falling into the deviation with his eternal light, he showed the people of the world the right way.

He also calls Imam Hussain (AS) the “armor of Islam” because Bara believes that Hussain (AS) protected the true faith, beliefs and principles of the religion from any weakness and weakness, and if it wasn’t for him, Islam would have digressed.