Sheikh Isa Qassim Says Imam Hussain’s Legacy Will Prevail Over Tyranny

Bahrain’s highest Shiite religious authority, Sheikh Isa Qassim, said the struggle between Islam and tyranny is eternal and irreconcilable, describing Imam Hussain as the embodiment of Islam’s resistance to oppression.

“Islam is in a constant and unceasing pursuit of tyranny, and tyranny is likewise in constant pursuit of Islam; there can be no reconciliation or peaceful coexistence between them,” Sheikh Qassim said in a statement issued on Sunday ahead of Ashura, which commemorates the 7th century martyrdom of Imam Hussain at the Battle of Karbala.

“Imam Hussain embodies Islam. Thus, tyranny pursues him in his life and after his martyrdom, while he, in turn, pursues tyranny both in life and in death,” the statement reads.

Sheikh Qassim explains that modern forms of tyranny have been denied the opportunity to kill Imam Hussain and have instead “directed their war against him toward erasing his memory, his school of thought, the history of his revolution, and every noble legacy of his sacrifice.”

“This tyranny must wage war against everyone who raises his name and banner, spreads his knowledge and guidance, and seeks to honor his legacy. It seeks to persecute and bring them down,” the statement added.

“Yet Hussain will remain, for as long as this world endures, a sun that never fades, a leadership that threatens oppression and ultimately overthrows it,” Sheikh Qassim concluded. “You will not kill Hussain. You will not kill Islam. Indeed, Hussain will destroy your tyranny.”