If one looks at the cultural history of Muslims in India, its hard to ignore the festival of Nowruz: The spring festival of Persia and central Asia which marks the start of spring of the start of Persian New Year. For more than a thousand years Nowroz was an official festival of the imperial courts in Dehli and Agra. Later it enjoyed the support of the princely states like Awadh and Hyderabad. Most Indians may remember K.Asif’s epic Moghul e Azam , which shows Jashen e Nowruz of Moghul court.
Nowruz was not just a fashion of muslim elites of India, rather it had a multi-dimensional character. After the Arab-muslim conquest of Persia, the festival of Nowruz became the symbol of a cultural resistance against Arabization and Arab imperialism. With the alliance of the sunni clerical establishment with the Caliphate in Baghdad after the initial resistance of the great Sunni Imams like Abu-Hanifa , Imam Malik and others , the Persian metaphysics and culture came under increasing attack from the state in name of Islam.
The resistance movements in the conquered and converted lands of Arab empire took shape of an “alternative” understanding of Islam, one which was radically different from vision of Abbasids and their supporters the Sunni clerics. The converted people looked towards their traditional philosophies, mythologies and cultural symbologies to understand Islam. Result was development of mysticism and different shades of Shia Islam. It must be understood that the political movement of proto- Shia was predominantly an Arab phenomenon with no theological differences with the proto-sunnis. The theological shia emerged quite later just as the their sunni counter part as the result of looking at Islam through the rich metaphysical tradition of Persians, Coptics, Nestorians, Arians and Pagans. The constant friction between the Ismaili Fatmid and Abbasid Empire played a great role. Its easily forgotten today that what is today dismissed as “heresy” was once the official Islam of half of the Moslem world and its continuous dawa in Abbasid lands made it “people’s religion” in other. Many “sanits” or Sufis could very much be Ismaili dais. Sufism shows a great resemblance to Ismaili theology esp in its understanding of concept of “beyond”. An account of this process with the resultant dissent in Islam is explained here and here.
In this environment Nowruz, the ancient festival of Persia was re-invented by the Shia and Sufi theologians as a potent symbol of resistance against Arab cultural invasion as well as against the rigid and loyalist Islam. Since most of the resistance against Arab imperialism was surrounding one or another Alavite cause, Nowruz was linked with the Holy House of Muhammed, whose status was under attack by the Arab rulers, Against the de-mystifying attempts of Abbasid and their loyalist clerics against Muhammed and Alavites, the Sufis and Shia trends merged both of them with the ancient Gnostic metaphysics with which the conquered people were very familiar. Nowruz became the day when Ali was awarded the “wilayah” in time before Time began. It was the day of Muhammed’s declaration of prophet hood in the zone beyond time, it was the day universe was created, and the day when Mehdi will deliver humanity from tyranny
Through Sufi teaching and its accompanying Ismaili dawa the festival reached the Sunni lands of Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakhtoonkhawa, India, Turkey, Albania and Bosnia. Kurds also adopted the day due to the esoteric mystic tradition which mostly had Ismaili relations. With formation of Pakistan and its increasing Arabaization and State sponsored Anti Shia militancy, festival of Nowruz has virtually gone into obscurity. Its not that Nowruz is not celebrated in Pakistan, it is widely celebrated but is ignored. Even Pakistan’s self pro-claimed progressives and secularists who have a mantra of tolerance and pluralism on their lips 24/7 are insensitive to an “alternative cultural expression”.
Shias make a sizeable population in Pakistan and they celebrate Nowruz as an “Eid”, special ceremonies and prayers are offered in the Imam Bargahs , sweets, fruits, perfumes, flowers usually mark the offerings of Nowruz. The Aga Khani Ismaili community also celebrates Nowruz in Pakistan. In certain Northern areas of Pakistan which have Shia and Ismaili majority Nowruz has a very potent cultural expression. All of this fails to find any representation in mainstream Pakistan, result is an average educated Urban Pakistani simply doesn’t know about Nowruz. The Pakistani intellectuals are usually busy lecturing India on tolerance and pluralism on issues like Varun Gandhi etc etc and usually don’t care about such small things. The Shia holocaust in Pakistan also goes un noticed by most of our secular-progressive-sufi- Elitist intellectuals. Thanks to them no one in Pakistan knows whats going on against Shias in Parachinar and other areas. A fellow blogger Abdul recently spoke about this criminal silence by those who have a claim to Alternative media in Pakistan. Here is the article by Abdul and other links about Anti Shia holocaust going on in Pakistan. Here , here and Here. Most of our protests on these issues are also met with the same response. Indifference
Pakistani Shias celebrated this Nowruz with an increasing awareness of Talibanization. Yet another Pakistani community celebrates Nowruz. It’s the Bahai community. Scattered through out Pakistan, the Bahai community leads life of invisibility due to “cultural holocaust and apartheid” which is order of the day in Pakistan. Bahai’s through out Pakistan celebrated Nowruz.
The Persian speaking people of Pakistan [this is yet another information for an average educated Pakistani, that there exist people in Pakistan whose mother tongue is Persian] also celebrates Nowruz. Darri speaking [Afghani Persian] Hazaras of Baluchistan also celebrate Nowruz. [Yet another victim of state sponsored holocaust]
Yet another Pakistani community which celebrates Nowruz is the Zoroastrian community commonly known as the “Parsi community”. The community is trying to preserve the ancient pre-Islamic heritage of Iran. Geographically Nowruz is celebrated with greater enthusiasm in Karachi, Quetta, Peshawer, Northern Areas of Pakistan especially Hunza valley, Gilget and Baldistan , Multan and Kashmir. In Pakistan the customs of Nowruz are different than those of Iran.
In Pakistan Nowruz is mostly celebrated as “Alam Afrouz” or the new day. People dress up and visit each other. There are special ceremonies and “aamal” and prayers in Imam Bargahs and Jamat Khanas. Hina, bangles and eidi are also part of Nowruz celebration. In villages the practice of burning wood logs and jumping over it was an established practice on Nowruz but now has almost died. Special sweets like “laddo”, ”rus malai”, ”gulab jaman” “cream rolls” and Suhan Halva are made on this day. These sweets plus roses and perfumes replace the tradition “Haft sen” of Nowruz,
Since in mystic and Shia theology Nowruz is the day to celebrate the wilayah of Ali and house of Muhammed , I have selected a “Ginan”, which are the mystic lyrics wrote of Saints of Indo-Pk , many of them were Ismaili dais [as the Ismaili history is slowly being de-mystified] in praise of the Imams who were in occultation in those days. Shamas the mysterious mystic was also an Ismaili dai who introduced Rumi to “Batin”, what lies beyond the words of Quran.
This particular Ginan is being offered by none other than Queen of mystic music Abida Parveen and it speaks about the “Raj”, the Millennium when charismatic Imams, the continuation of Koranic symbology of Noor-un-ala-noor will rule the humanity. The start of this was affirmation of Ali in realm of spirits an act which is symbolized in day of Nowruz. In modern times this Ginan is specially recited on coronation of the Aga Khan the “Hazir Imams”, the continuation of Ismaili Imamat and the most philosophical rich movement in Islam whose metaphysics contributed a lot in development of mysticism. The devotion of Abida Parveen is worth seeing, a truly spiritual experience. HE Prince Karim Aga Khan, the Hazir Imam can be seen enjoying the Ginan.
March 25, 2009 at 2:14 am
Great post, it was nice to learn more about Nowruz. Even President Obama sent a message to the Iranian people on the occasion. I thought it was great hearing him say “Eid-e-Shoma Mubarik” in Farsi. Made a really welcome change from Bush:)
Now how about a post on the other forgotten Spring festival in Pakistan, Holi?
March 25, 2009 at 10:05 am
yes next he will send drones there. Bush also use to hold Ramadan and Eid gathering at White House
March 25, 2009 at 10:40 am
oh sherryx you can be a total killjoy with your reality checks. Kabir obviously doesn’t condone any drone attacks.
March 25, 2009 at 10:43 am
oh honey good to see you, i was missing you. and it was not for our darling Kabir , rather for Obama , who he prefers over me. LOl
March 25, 2009 at 10:51 am
loved your post, loved how you ended by paying tribute to the traditions of ‘heresy’ in islam.
hey, got a question: how widely is nowruz celebrated in iran now? how mystical/subversive is the experience of shiism in iran now for the common people?
March 25, 2009 at 10:59 am
Nowruz is very widely celebrated in Iran. I think its week long holiday there.
With regards to Shiism in Iran, things have changed, with evil Mullahs in control, a form of Shiism stands against the people. The result is more re discovery of pre islam Persia by a section of intellectuals. But one must understand “subversion” persist as a 1000 years old Shia tradition and 40 y old tradition of ruling wont change it.
Sharaiti’s Black Shia vs Red Shia already sharpened this division, now Abdolkarim Soroush has emerged as a great challenge to Shia-islamism
March 25, 2009 at 11:09 am
Its very important to understand the Indian muslims are product of heresy in Islam. Most saints who wandered this soil were heretics.Many of them were Ismaili dais. Mansura and Multan were Fatmid capitals. This region played an important part in development of Druze faith.
Ismaili and Daruzi dawat and Jihad went on these sands.
The saints of today why many of them wore hindu jogia shirts? These Qalandars who spoke of Mola Ali and re incarnations
No one remembers Pir Roshan of Pakhtoonkhowa
Sub ku Varun Gandhi hi yad he—-
March 25, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I’m sorry you’re jealous of my preferring Obama. The man is President of the world’s only remaining superpower, how can you compete with that:)
Now, when I am going to get my post on Holi?
March 25, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Honey now you know why i am so much against imperialism and capitalist degeneration of love 🙂
March 27, 2009 at 4:47 am
Thanks for this wonderful and informative post. Your writings are well researched and well written.
“Sufi theologians as a potent symbol of resistance against Arab cultural invasion as well as against the rigid and loyalist Islam”.Does that not ring a familiar bell in today’s Pakistan? The rise of militant/rigid Wahabism in Pakistan replacing the peace-loving message of the mystics/saints. Sufi saints have always been targeted as heretics by the clergy.
“The converted people looked towards their traditional philosophies, mythologies and cultural symbologies to understand Islam.”
Very well said!
I always considered Nawruz as a cultural festival. Thanks for the insight into its significance in the different sects of Islam.
The Mullahs seem to be the backbone of all the controversies/issues in Pakistan 🙂
March 28, 2009 at 7:17 am
Great post, Sherry. it makes me very sad to think of the vacuum in the cultural knowledge for those of us who grew up in Pakistan after the 80s. Will we ever be able to recover it or will the culture of our land just be wiped out from history like so many others. It’s a very depressing thought.
March 29, 2009 at 8:16 am
Sometimes I wonder if it would be a right slogan to purify Islam from the unholy clasps of the puritanical wahhabis / neo-deobandis?
Great post, Sherry. I congratulate you for your scholarly jihad against the puritanical, evil forces.
March 29, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Mansura , thanks for the kind words. You are right what is happening today is continuation of the same tradition which started with Mullahs entering in alliance with Abbasids. This link of state with Islam continues
March 29, 2009 at 9:08 pm
@Rabia, its indeed very depressing thought. Its exactly this which haunts me and force me to write like that. This usually results in people labeling anti-islam, anti-Pakistan etc etc.
The problem , i think Rabia is not the ignorance of post 80 generation but the crime of continuously keeping them ignorant by detached radicalism one which abuses resistance and revolutionary terminology. What Nadeem Farooq Paracha wrote today “the ghostly caricatures” being bombarded to them.
March 29, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Abdul, unfortunately this kind of slogan wont work, Mysticism had its time with the capitalism, mysticism cant re-acquire its radical character. Any attempt to bring it up and as opposing and replacing theory against wahabis will create yet another monster.
Its vulgar expression is Sunni Tehriq , who are no different than Taliban. They killed 22 y old Hindu in Karachi in most barbaric way, gouging out his eyes for “toheen e risalat”, i wrote on it in my blog “strange fruits of Pakistan”. If you watch their channel the imbecile cleric sits there reading a long list of Indian songs which are “kuffer”.
More sophisticated versions are likes of Qudrat Ullah Shahab, Wasif , Ishhfaq Ahmad, Shahab with Ayub Khan destroyed the Left wing media, the progressive papers limited which left us in this mess of right wing media hegemony. Ishfaq and co sat in the feet of Zia , teaching ppl to sit homes n search for babas while ppl were being killed.
We have to adopt uncompromising secularism, and look for advance socialist society
March 30, 2009 at 3:13 pm
I agree to pretty many points cited in your post.
However, the differences and divisions of Sunni/Shia also arose out of the acutely-different-in-culture Iranians’ want to stay different from Arabs and hence, devise a personal version of Islam.
Granted things changed at the Arab end too, nevertheless, things changed alot at the Shi’ite end too where people went on making innumerable factions, each with its own mysterious interpretations of Quran and Islam.
And the Shia/Sunni conflict was nothing different at the Shia’s end either, if not in ratio, then of course and surely in the means adopted to ‘record the protest’ to the anti-Shia holoucast you mentioned to.
March 30, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Sherry, a beautiful post. Thanks very much for sharing this.
March 31, 2009 at 2:00 am
Obama needs Iran’s help, because in essence the US lost in Iraq, and wants to redeploy to Afghanistan. The holiday greetings was to symbolize the US is opening to Iran. Israel sent holiday greetings as well.
Belated holiday greetings comrade.
March 31, 2009 at 8:15 am
@Salman, It is interesting to see the coupling of Shia with Iran. What about the majority of Shias in Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain and a significant population in Yemen (45%), Kuwait (30%), Saudi Arabia (10-20%), Syria (15%) and other parts of the Arab world? Do they represent the Iranian culture? The coupling of Shia’ism with Iran is a part of the usual Wahhabi propaganda I must say. Instead of being judgmental about ‘mysterious ways’ of each others’ faith, I think Shia, Sunni, Muslims, non-Muslims must learn to live and let live.
April 3, 2009 at 12:03 pm
i love reading your blogs, because perhaps as rabia lamented, our generation has gone to waste, but we can at least inculcate the future with these thoughts.
we shouldn’t be embarassed to have our ignorance erased.
speaking of, i was not aware that there were bahai’s in pakistan. who would’ve thought?
to be fair, as a shia, i increasingly see the character of the sect evolve into something more aggressive, assertive, confrontational. it comes at a loss to its vast philosophical gravitas. i think its happened due to the fact that we now have our own empire (the state of Iran) and with the rise of the wahabis/salafis etc, shias are more interested in defending themselves. unfortunately, the arms they are using is not the pen, but the sword.
April 3, 2009 at 12:37 pm
shah sb you are right, with Iranian revolution and Zia era a systematic attempt was made to impose clericalism to Pakistani Shias who were staunchly anti clerical.
The split is now getting worse, Shia masses are confused.
Shias must fight clerical control
April 3, 2009 at 6:27 pm
@Abdul
Any faction or faith spreads in neighbouring regions if those nurturing its roots steadfastly cling to the core ideology. Shi’ism had a big motivations to exist and persist after the tragedy of Karbala. That explains the existence of the population in those regions.
I totally agree with you that the principle ought to be ‘live and let live.’ But any prejudices cited against others must be clarified! (:
April 3, 2009 at 8:25 pm
@Salman
In principle we agree but we need to keep one thing in perspective. Shias are a minority in Pakistan. With this situation changes. Every where minorities are victimized and a social mania is created against them
In Pakistan Shias are selectively being targeted, its not at all a “sectarian” or communal issue here.
Its part of state sponsored Talibanization which started in Zia era.
Minority needs protections. Ones doesnt call blacks racist when they express there anger against whites.
April 3, 2009 at 8:40 pm
I agree that in the position of being a minority, the rights of Shias in Pakistan were,are voilated. But the other reality is, as pointd out by a fellow commentator, that with the establishment of a post-revolution Iran, the backlash from the Shias is no less in ways and means adopted to confront the discrimination. This has only aggravated the situation where we need to disarm the aggressors are both sides and give em a chill pill or things may go terribly wrong, particularly bad for Shias in case government and media intervention doesn’t happen at the right time.
April 4, 2009 at 9:57 am
Sherry, “Ones doesnt call blacks racist when they express there anger against whites.” You may recall that there are quite a few white supremacists who call blacks racist to justify their own racism.
Also, some of the comments being presented in this thread remind me of the Israel’s justification of the Gaza genocide that we witnessed only a few months ago.
Two faces, two yard sticks, two standards. We know that is a hallmark of….
April 4, 2009 at 11:13 am
It’s the usual Mullah-cratic way of putting things : you and me. Those in favor of what I say, and those against it. That’s really the worst way to engage into a plausible discussion.
I see people differentiating every single one here into those who condemn the Sunnis and those who don’t, failing to realize the possibility of view points existing amid. And those lingering at extremes, to me, are extremists not wanting to establish peace but merely speak for a certain faction!
Peace!
April 4, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Salman, you wrote “I see people differentiating every single one here into those who condemn the Sunnis and those who don’t”.
Do you equate Taliban with Sunnis?
Someone once posted the following comment on my blog which I reproduce here. It might help:
“What surprises me most is the fact that when taleban captures or attacks cities like Bajaur, its a taleban insurgence but when the same ill-led organisation clamps down shias in Parachinar, Hangu or recently DI Khan, it is tagged as a sectarian rift. This is NOT a sectarian conflict! Shias and Sunnis have long lived together and would ever do so in the land of pure but Taleban is doing the most to destroy this peace in general and to terrorise the Shia community in specific.”
I might not be able to read and respond to your future comments because I am not usually good at extended internet conversations.
April 4, 2009 at 6:03 pm
@Abdul
I am sorry at my ‘sheer incompetence’ at grasping the flow of the discussion, where it turned from the general rift between Sunnis and Shias to some particular terrorist faction in Pakistan vs Shias.
I’m simply astounded by the amount of intellect put into this discussion and don’t wish to continue it either.
Odias!
April 4, 2009 at 7:30 pm
@ Salman
I think there has been lot of misunderstanding here. What was Abdul and to some extent my view point was
1) Targeted killing of a sect is going on for decades now, 1st it was given a sectarian angle [in 90s] now Talibanization.
2) we dont consider it a sectarian or communal issue as we dont see any sectarianism at least how it should be if its genuine in Pakistan
3). This according to us is a by product of State policy, objectives changed over decades
4). We consider it counter productive if its given a sectarian angle, ie shias are killing sunnis , n vice versa. bcz its not the case. The Shia militant organizations which rose in Zia’s time and later in 90s were very limited phenomenon, most were state managed as well and have died out completely
5. Its a targeted killing for a decades Karachi saw selected targeted killing of Shia doctors, etc etc.
6. In any way we dont see empirically that its a communal war, where both factions are killing eachother. Its empirically not demonstrateable.
7. I condemn Shia clericalism, i consider it as evil as Taliban, but its true in Iran, In case of Pakistan such an analysis will further marginalize an already marginalized community
In case of Pakistan its most important to taget and criticize Sunni extremism which is base of
1) Taliban militancy
2)Rise of political Right wing in PK
How non sectarian masses are that they voted for PPP whose leadership is Shia. When Zia created anti shia mania , it was to break the back of PPP n Left [which as the rule is minorities always form back bone of Left parties every where in the world]
April 5, 2009 at 8:31 pm
I pretty much agree to those statements and nowhere have I demonstrated my opposition to either of them. The communal problem indeed is grave and has disastrous implications and need be addressed immediately and effectively.
November 9, 2009 at 9:52 pm
This is an excellent post. So much of information and so interesting… Could you show the sources, at least for the first part of the post – I want to read more about how Nowruz was adapted to Islam, particularly Shi’ism.
Thanks
November 9, 2009 at 9:53 pm
I mean share the sources 🙂
May 27, 2010 at 12:50 am
Hehe I am actually the only comment to this awesome article!
March 8, 2012 at 3:47 pm
I dont know about navroz but i want to know about Ismailis . Because i love someone her name is Zarin Taj.She is very pretty but i m not in the Community but I LOVE her. My name is Rabeel Ahmad.