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Mahe Muharram 1432 in Bosnia

Updated 2 February 2011

The Muharram programme this year commenced on Wednesday, 7 December 2010. Programmes were held on 11 consecutive evenings. The theme selected this year was Irfan – The spiritual journey towards Allah.

The speaker during this Muharram programme was Muallim Taha Dharsi from London.
The programme was structured to ensure that at the end of each set of lectures masaib of Imam Hussein was recited. The delivery of the lectures and masaib was in English with a simultaneous translation into Bosnian.

The audience was composed of ladies and gents of all ages. The programme was also attended by non-Shias living in the vicinity of the centre. Some of the non-Shias travelled distances to participate. The speaker established his credibility and the content by presenting the importance of struggling to improve oneself through simple practical examples of remembering Allah SWT and achieving closeness to Him; at the same time simplifying some complex Irfan concepts. Furthermore the love for the Ahlul Bayt was conveyed by expressing emotionally their sufferings on the journey from Medina to Mecca and onto Kerbala culminating in the martyrdom on the day of Ashura..
His relationship with the audience was established from the first evening. Several brothers used to stay after the programmes to discuss various issues, like the history of the Khoja community, their experience of living in the West as Muslims, problems within the community, etc. Some of them used the opportunity to practice and improve their English.

The programmes resulted in invitations to several Shia and non-Shia family homes. A request which was accepted. In addition, Muallim Taha was requested to conduct an English class session at the Persian-Bosnian College in Ljesevo.

On Ashura day we travelled to the Sarajevo Husainiyya for the central programme where Bosnian Shias came together from different parts of Bosnia. The programme was conducted in Farsi with translation in to Bosnia.

Muallim Taha Dharsi commented: "I am grateful to Kucha Bosanska for having provided me an opportunity to serve Imam Hussein and the Ahlul Bayt. The community in Bosnia whilst tender is open and very receptive. The members are warm and the hospitality par excellence. I am grateful to Haji Abdullah Shabbar for the time he gave me and the trouble he took, to take me all the way to Mostar and other towns to meet up with our Shia Brothers. The inclement weather did not dissuade him!.(Snow and -10c)"

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