Today is Sunday; 26th of the Iranian month of Esfand 1397 solar hijri; corresponding to 10th of the Islamic month of Rajab 1440 lunar hijri; and March 17, 2019, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1829 solar years ago, on this day in 180 AD, Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, died after a 19-year reign that saw his generals emerge as victors of the 5-year long war (161-65) against the Parthian Empire of Iran in Armenia and Mesopotamia (Iraq), following initial Iranian victories in Syria and Anatolia (Turkey). The Roman success was short-lived. Despite the sacking of the Iranian-controlled Greek city of Seleucia on the eastern banks of the Tigris and plunder of the Parthian capital, Ctesiphon, on the eastern banks of the same river, the Iranians soon remobilized and reclaimed lost ground, although Armenia was briefly lost. The Parthian Empire was at that time under the long 44-year rule of Balaash, known to the Romans as Vologases IV.

1395 solar years ago, on this day in 624 AD, Abu Jahl (literally ‘Father of Ignorance’), a hardcore Arab polytheist and one of the most bitter enemies of Islam, died following the fatal wounds he had received in the Battle of Badr, which he and fellow pagan of Mecca had imposed upon Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Named Amr and notorious for his persecution, torture, imprisonment, and killing of the early Muslims of Mecca, he vehemently opposed the message of Islam, imposed the 3-year economic-social boycott of the Prophet, denied miracles, and was the evil mind behind the pagan plot to murder the Prophet with the help of assassins from various clans – a plot that failed because of the migration of the Prophet to Medina, with instructions to his cousin Imam Ali (AS) to sleep on his bed, so that the conspirators would have no idea of his leaving Mecca.

1383 solar years ago, on this day in 636 AD, Bayt al-Moqaddas was liberated by Muslims, who defeated the Romans to free Palestine from European control. Over four centuries later, the Europeans launched the bloody Crusader Wars to occupy Bayt al-Moqaddas and Palestine. In 1187, after 88 years of the illegal existence of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, Bayt al-Moqaddas and Palestine were once again liberated by a united Muslim army of Kurds, Turks, Arabs and Persians. The Christians of Europe again occupied these lands briefly but were finally defeated by the Turkish Mamluk rulers of Egypt and expelled from Palestine in early 14th century. Over six hundred years later in 1917, during World War I, Palestine and Bayt al-Moqaddas were re-occupied by the Europeans, and this time by the British, who illegally settled in this Muslim land, hundreds of thousands of Zionists from Eastern Europe. In 1948, upon British withdrawal, the illegitimate birth of Israel took place, and simultaneously the Zionist terrorists expelled into neighbouring lands over 700,000 Palestinians. Today, 66 years later, the struggle for liberation of Palestine and Bayt al-Moqaddas still continues, and the Muslims are confident of weeding out the Zionists one day.

1380 lunar years ago, on this day in 60 AH, the infant Martyr of Karbala, Hazrat Ali Asghar (AS), was born in Medina to the Prophet's grandson, Imam Husain (AS). He was the youngest son of the Imam. He was only six months old when he was brutally martyred by an arrow shot by the heartless Harmala bin Kahel that pierced his tender throat, when his father took him in his arms and asked the cruel forces of Yazid to at least provide some water for the thirsty infant. Every year millions of Muslims around the world commemorate the martyrdom of the infant Ali Asghar in the month of Moharram by taking out processions of empty bloodstained cradles, followed by wailing mothers carrying children in their arms – a pathetic sight that brings tears to the eyes of even the hardest hearts. It is also customary to distribute milk to the children and others in the month of Moharram in memory of the Infant Martyr of Karbala.

1256 solar years ago, on this day in 763 AD, the tyrant Haroun ar-Rashid, the 5^th caliph of the usurper Abbasid regime, was born in Rayy near modern Tehran, to Khayzaran a Yemeni concubine of dubious character of Mahdi al-Abbasi. He seized power after the suspicious death of his elder brother Hadi al-Abbasi. He consolidated his rule over the vast realm from North Africa up to the borders of China and India, largely through the administrative abilities of the Iranian Barmakid family, whose head Yahya Barmaki was made prime minister. The crafty Haroun gradually liquidated the Barmakids and behaved ruthlessly with all those who opposed his immoral and illegitimate rule, especially the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). During his tyrannical rule of 23 years, he cruelly martyred over 60 descendants of the Prophet, including the most noblest of them all, the 7th Infallible Imam, Musa al-Kazem (AS). Haroun died in Khorasan at the age of 45 while on his way to suppress an uprising in Kabul, in what is now Afghanistan and was buried in Tous. Today there is no sign of his rotten grave, while the sprawling golden-domed mausoleum of Imam Reza (AS), the Prophet’s 8^th Infallible Heir in Mashhad, beckons millions of pilgrims from all over the world, as testimony to the triumph of the Ahl al-Bayt over the usurper caliphs.

1245 lunar years ago, on this day in 195 AH, Imam Mohammad Taqi (AS), the 9th Infallible Successor to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), was born in the city of Medina. The mantle of Imamate rested on his shoulders at the tender age of 8 years following the martyrdom of his infallible father, Imam Reza (AS). Due to his proverbial generosity, not just in material matters but also in the realm of diffusion of knowledge and wisdom, he earned the epithet of al-Jawad or the Exceptionally Generous. His period of imamate or divinely-decreed leadership of mankind was 17 years, during which he groomed a great many scholars in various fields. His lively debates with scholars of various creeds and schools of thought are recorded in books of hadith and history. He reposes in eternal peace besides his grandfather, Imam Musa Kazem (AS) in the holy double-domed shrine of Kazemain, north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. We hereby congratulate all Muslims across the world on the auspicious occasion of birth anniversary of Imam Jawad (AS), and later in our programme will present you a special feature on his life and times.

567 solar years ago, on this day in 1452 AD, the Battle of Los Alporchones was fought in southern Spain between the troops of the Muslim Emirate of Granada and the combined Christian forces of the Kingdom of Castile and the Kingdom of Murcia. The Spanish Muslim army was commanded by Malik ibn al-Abbas, while the Christian mercenaries were led by Alonso Fajardo el Bravo. The battle was fought in the area around the city of Lorca and resulted in a victory for Castile.

492 solar years ago, on this day in 1527 AD, the Battle of Khanwa was fought near the village of the same name, about 60 km west of Agra. It was the second major battle fought by the first Moghal Emperor Zaheer od-Din Mohammad Babar after the Battle of Panipat a year before, and firmly established his rule in northern India. As the Moghal Empire expanded it faced new opponents especially in the regions around Agra and inside Rajputana. After defeating Sultan Ibrahim Lodi of the Delhi Sultanate, Babar faced many Lodi Afghan warriors including Sikandar Lodi and his son Mahmud Lodi who rallied behind the Muslim Rajput ruler Raja Hassan Khan Mewatpatti of Mewat, in alliance with Rana Sanga, the Hindu Rajput ruler. Hindu Rajputs in league with Muslim Rajputs and the Pashto opponents of Babar gathered a formidable army, but were soundly defeated by the combined Moghal-Tajik army.

159 solar years ago, on this day in 1860 AD, the First Taranaki War began at the place of the same name in New Zealand between British occupiers and the indigenous Maori people. It was a major phase of the New Zealand wars over land ownership and sovereignty that took place in North Island and lasted for a year. The war was sparked by a dispute between the British occupiers and Maori landowners over the sale of a property at Waitara, but spread throughout the region. The British brought more than 3,500 troops from Australia, as well as volunteer soldiers and militia, against Maori forces that fluctuated between a few hundred and about 1,500. The First War ended in a ceasefire, with neither side explicitly accepting the peace terms of the other. Although there were claims by the British that they had won it, the widely held view was that they had suffered a humiliating result.

112 solar years ago, on this day in 1907 AD, famous Iranian poetess, Parvin E’tesami, was born in Tabriz in an academic family. Her father, Yusuf E’tesam ol-Molk, was a translator and author who frequented the company of prominent poets and literary figures, such as the Poet Laureate Malik osh-Sho’ara Mohammad Taqi Bahar, and the Lexicographer Allamah Ali Akbar Dehkhoda. She learned Persian and Arabic literature from her father and showed her talents for writing poems as of childhood. On graduation from high school she started teaching in Tabriz. She accompanied her father on his journeys around Iran and abroad, gaining valuable experiences and reflecting them in her poetry. Her Divan includes odes, elegies, and other styles of poetry. A realistic poetess she maintained strong ethical and religious beliefs. Parvin E’tesami passed away at the young age of 35 years in 1941.

99 solar years ago, on this day in 1920 AD, Sheikh Mujib ur-Rahman, the Founding Leader of Bangladesh, was born in Bengal state of British India. In 1940 he joined the All India Muslim Students Federation while studying law at the Islamia College of the University of Calcutta. In 1943 he joined the Bengal Muslim League and grew close to the faction led by Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardi, who was to become Prime Minister of Pakistan. Mujib worked actively for the establishment of Pakistan. After partition, he became a prominent political leader of East Pakistan, and organized protests when Urdu was made the official language. He was jailed and after release set up the Awami League. With his emphasis on Bengali culture and ethnicity, he was viewed by the government in Islamabad as an Indian agent trying to destabilize Pakistan. In the 1970 elections, the Awami League won the majority of seats and increased demands for autonomy of East Pakistan. The war with India worsened the crisis. Mujib was imprisoned in West Pakistan, but the Mukti Bahini militia created with the support of Indian troops, forced the Pakistani army to surrender. On release he became head of the new country Bangladesh in January 1972, and was assassinated in 1975 by army officers disgruntled with his policies.

71 solar years ago, on this day in 1948 AD, representatives of Britain, France, Belgium, Holland, and Luxemburg met in the Belgian capital to sign the Brussels Pact for a joint defense system and to develop economic and cultural ties. This set the stage for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in April 1949 with the US and Canada as new members.

63 solar years ago, on this day in 1956 AD, French chemist, Irene Joliot-Curie, died. She shared the 1935 Nobel Prize for synthesis of new radioactive isotopes with her husband Frederic. They bombarded stable atoms with alpha particles to transmute them into radioactive elements. They created nitrogen from boron, phosphorus from aluminum and silicon from magnesium. She was the daughter of the famous scientists Marie and Pierre Curie.

24 solar years ago, on this day in 1995 AD, Hojjat al-Islam Seyyed Ahmad Khomeini, the younger son of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), passed away at the age of 50. Born in holy Qom, he studied under his prominent father, and later joined him in exile in Najaf. He played an important role in communications between his father and the revolutionaries in Iran. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he returned to Iran along with his father. During the six years, which he was alive after his father, he continued to support the Islamic Republic System and the leadership of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

22 solar years ago, on this day in 1997 AD, prominent teacher of the famous seminary of holy Qom, Ayatollah Ahmad Payani Ardabeli, passed away at the age of 69. Born in Ardabel, northwestern Iran, at the age of 20 he moved to Qom for higher studies, and after completing his religious education, embarked on teaching at the seminary. He was also politically active during the events leading to the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. 

13 solar years ago, on this day in 2006 AD, notorious terrorist, Abdul-Malek Rigi, supported by the US, Saudi Arabia and the Zionist entity, send his henchmen to pose as security forces on the southeastern Zabol-Zahedan road in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan Province in order to indiscriminately kill people. As a result, almost 30 innocent men, women and children were slaughtered in cold blood. Four years later Rigi was caught by Iranian security personnel while travelling from Dubai to a Central Asian country for a secret meeting with a senior American official. The plane carrying him was forced to land at Bandar Abbas airport, and after due trial, he was executed in June 2010 for his numerous crimes against humanity.

AS/SS