A bloody ritual

Mourning, the hard way

Originally posted on Google+, 15 January 2012.

Shiite devotees during Chehlum flagellations in Gilgit, Pakistan

A warning: The photos in this post are graphic and not suitable for people who can't see blood. Also, if you are at risk of self-harm, I'd recommend to stay away. This is about a deeply religious event, but still, some people might find the images disturbing – even shocking.


The photos you will see below are from my archive, taken in the early 1990s, but they couldn't be more current. They show a ritual of extreme mourning, and the last time it was performed was yesterday. That's because yesterday marked the end of a 40-day mourning period for a religious leader who has been slaughtered, along with almost all of the people who were with him, by a rival for the position of leading the faithful.

That incident happened a while back, but every year the supporters of the victim mark the anniversary by trying to share in the experience of their killed leader, attempting to make up for the fact that they hadn't been there at his side, reliving the pain and the desperation of that moment. Their grief took on a ritualized form which, at the raw end, is what you see below.

Legacy of a massacre

So who is all the fuss about? Well, saying that the killing happened "a while back" may have been an understatement. The dead man was Hussein, son of Ali, and grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. His followers believed that the community of the faithful should be led by a family member of the prophet. After the prophet died, they first championed Ali. When Ali was assassinated, they backed his son Hussein. They called themselves the "Party of Ali", shiat Ali in Arabic, which got shortened to "the Party", or – now here we go – "the Shia".

The massacre of Hussein and his companions, 1386 years ago in southern Iraq, turned out to be a catastrophe for the Shia, and became the defining moment for their movement. Because from now on, they were the underdogs, despised and sidelined by the believers of the victorious mainstream. They were bullied to such an extent that they made it legitimate to practice their belief in secret and, when asked, deny their true faith.

With the death of Hussein, they had lost the chance to ever dominate the mainstream of Islam. So when Shiites commemorate their historic defeat each year, not only do they grieve the loss of an important figure in the early days of Islam. The massacre stands as a symbol of their own fate, for centuries of oppression. Never is this more true than during the days of mourning, when Shiites become a target, even in areas where they are in the majority. Yesterday and today, bombs went off at processions in Iraq, killing more than 60, and in Pakistan, where the death toll currently stands at 16.

The ins and outs of flagellation

Most of these processions aren't as bloody as the one you see here. In some places, people just beat their chest, chanting religious slogans. In others, they use symbolic wooden sticks instead of metal blades for the flagellations, which makes it a largely pain-free symbolic exercise – depending on the intensity, of course.

In Pakistan, actual blades are more common, and while some folks try to use them with a degree of caution, others really go for it and whip themselves into a trance-like state. As bloody as it may be, it is not meant to cause lasting physical harm. If someone is losing control, helpers will intervene, stop him and carry him off. That is not nearly as easy as it sounds because a devotee like that usually puts up stiff resistance. On one of the photos, you see five men struggling to carry one such devotee off the scene.

I felt I needed to provide some context first. But finally, here are the photos: the flagellations during Chehlum, as it is called, in Gilgit, northern Pakistan.

Shiite devotees during Chehlum flagellations in Gilgit, Pakistan
Something is missing in the picture: the sound. The ritual I witnessed was accompanied by rhythmic chanting from a large loudspeaker mounted on a car. Participants moved to the rhythm, much like in a group dance. Most of the participants appeared to be in control, not in a trance-like state.
Shiite devotees during Chehlum flagellations in Gilgit, Pakistan
Some devotees went much further than others. Everyone who took part had a bloodied back, but this man stood out.
Participating boy during Chehlum flagellations in Gilgit, Pakistan
Children participated in the ritual, too. The intensity did not match that of the adults, but the blades were similar.
An overzealous devotee is taken away during Chehlum flagellations in Gilgit, Pakistan
An overzealous devotee was taken away. He resisted, and the rescue team struggled as they carried him away.
A boy, more bloodied than the others, during Chehlum flagellations in Gilgit, Pakistan
A boy, more bloodied than the others, paused during the flagellations.
A teenager wanting to prove himself during Chehlum flagellations in Gilgit, Pakistan
Some of the older kids apparently wanted to prove themselves and keep up with the adults. It was a disconcerting sight.
A participant approaching a trance-like state during Chehlum flagellations in Gilgit, Pakistan
A participant approaching a trance-like state. The rhythmic motions and the chanting seemed to block the pain.