Today is Sunday; 21st of the Iranian month of Mordad 1398 solar hijri; corresponding to 10th of the Islamic month of Zil-Hijjah 1440 lunar hijri; and August 12, 2019, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

Today is 10th of the Islamic month of Zil-Hijjah, the day of Eid al-Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice, which is also known as Eid-e Qorban. It commemorates the divine test of Prophet Abraham, who as commanded by God took his firstborn son, Ishmael, for sacrifice, but at the last moment, a ram from heaven was miraculously substituted for his son. Thus, Muslims across the world celebrate the day as a glorious Islamic Eid, promoting the spirit of purity, sincerity and servitude to the Almighty. Many sacrifice an animal, preferably a ram, this day as thanksgiving, and distribute the meat amongst family, friends, and the needy people. We hereby congratulate all Muslims on the auspicious occasion of Eid al-Adha

2049 solar years ago, on this day in 30 BC, Cleopatra VII Philopator, the last ruler of the Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty, committed suicide, by means of an asp bite, twelve days after her lover, the Roman general, Marcus Antonius (Mark Anthony), killed himself in cowardly manner following his defeat in the Battle of Actium against Octavian – later Emperor Augustus Caesar. The 39-year old queen was the daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes – descendant of Alexander of Macedonia’s Greek general, Ptolemy Soter, who following end of the Iranian Achaemenid Empire’s almost 150-year rule over Egypt, turned it into the Ptolemaic kingdom. A promiscuous woman, she successively married – as per the pagan Pharaonic Egyptian custom – her two brothers, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, before becoming sole ruler of Egypt. When Roman dictator Julius Caesar entered Egypt she seduced him, becoming his mistress and giving birth to a son outside wedlock, named Caesarion, whom Caesar never acknowledged as his child. On Caesar’s assassination she seduced Mark Anthony who fathered three of her children without marrying her. Cleopatra funded Anthony’s invasion of Iran’s Parthian Empire that ended in disastrous defeats for him in the Levant and in what is now Turkey in 34 BC, when Emperor Farhad IV (Phrates) launched counter attacks, although in Jerusalem, Anthony managed to install Herod as puppet king of Judaea by replacing the Parthian appointee Antigonus. With Cleopatra’s death, the three-century rule of the Greek Ptolemaic Dynasty ended and Egypt became a Roman province for the next six-and-a-half centuries – except for a brief 8-year period from 621 to 629 when it was occupied by Iran’s Sassanid Emperor, Khosrow II – until the advent of Islam in 641 and its total transformation into an Arab land. 

1145 solar years ago, on this day in 875 AD, Louis II (the Younger), who was King of Italy and later Roman Emperor – from 855 – died at the age of 50. He was notorious for his enmity towards Italian Muslims, whom he frequently massacred. In 871 he ended the Emirate of Bari in southern Italy, forcing Muslims into slavery, turning mosques into churches and burning libraries.

1112 lunar years ago, on this day in 328 AH, the well-known Muslim author, exegete, and linguist, Abu-Bakr Baghdadi, known as Ibn-e Anbari, died at the age of 57. He had a sharp memory and was known for his ethical virtues. Those, who attended his classes, said that he only relied upon his memory in his classes; hardly using books. His books include "Adaab al-Kateb".

920 solar years ago, in 1099 AD, the army of the Fatemid Ismaili Shi'a Muslim rulers of Egypt-North Africa-Syria lost the Battle of Ascalon to the European Crusader invaders led by Godfrey of Bouillon. The Fatemid vizier, al-Afzal Shahanshah, who personally led a large force of Turks, Arabs, Persians, Armenians, Kurds, and Ethiopians, had earlier misunderstood the Crusaders as Byzantine mercenaries. This misperception and his slow march from Cairo had brought about the fall of Bayt al-Moqaddas a month earlier to the Crusaders. At Ascalon (Asqalan in Arabic), this same lethargy led to the defeat of the Muslim forces, although the Fatemids continued to hold this city, which is near Gaza in Palestine, for another 54 years. The Crusaders mercilessly killed Muslims in the captured territories.

898 solar years ago, on this day in 1121 AD, taking advantage of the weakening of the Iran-based Great Seljuq Empire to which Georgia or Gorjestan in the Caucasus was a tributary, King David IV triumphed in the Battle of Didgori, 40 km west of Tiflis (modern Tbilisi) over the forces of Najm od-Din Ilghazi the Turkic Artuqid ruler of the Mardin emirate in southeastern Turkey. As a result, the ancient city of Tiflis was lost after four centuries of Muslim rule, and became the capital of the emergent Christian kingdom of Georgia. The modern Republic of Georgia continues to remember the event as an annual September festival known as Didgoroba or the Day of Didgori.

855 solar years ago, on this day in 1164 AD, in the Battle of Harim, the Turkic ruler of Syria, Noor od-Din Zangi, defeated the Crusader occupiers of the Lebanese port city of Tripoli and of the Principality of Antioch, which historically has been a part of Syria, until the occupation by Turkey in 1937. He also went on to liberate Banias and other coastal areas from Crusader occupation.

595 solar years ago, on this day in 1424 AD, Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty of China, known by his era name as the Yongle Emperor, died at the age of 64 after a reign of 22 years. Though he favoured Confucianism, he called for the construction and repair of Islamic mosques during his reign. Two mosques were built by him; one in Nanjing and the other in Xi'an and they still stand today. Repairs were encouraged and the mosques were not allowed to be converted to any other use. As part of his desire to expand Chinese influence throughout the known world, the Yongle Emperor sponsored the massive and long term expeditions led by his Muslim Admiral of Iranian origin, Shams od-Din, who was known in China as Zheng He. These expeditions were China's only major sea-going explorations of the world, although the Chinese may have been sailing to Arabia, East Africa, and Egypt since the Tang Dynasty or earlier. Zheng, who was great-great-great-grandson of Seyyed Ajjal Shams od-Din – a Persian from Bukhara who served the Mongol Empire and was the Governor of Yunnan – launched his first expedition in 1405 (18 years before Henry the Navigator began Portugal's voyages of discovery). Seven expeditions were launched between 1405 and 1433, reaching major trade centers of Asia – as far as Hormuz and Aden – and Malindi in north-eastern Africa. Relations between the Yongle Emperor's China and Shakhrukh's empire in Persia and Transoxania considerably improved after the death of Amir Timur, who intended to invade China. The two empires exchanged large official delegations on a number of occasions. Both the Chinese envoy to Samarkand and Herat, Chen Cheng, and his opposite party, Ghiyas od-Din Naqqash left detailed accounts of their visits to each other's country. The Persians spent 5 months at the court of the Yongle Emperor. According to Naqqash, their main handler at the Yongle Emperor court was one Mowlana Haji Yusuf Qazi, who occupied an important office in the emperor's government, and knew Arabic, Mongolian, Persian, and Chinese languages. Ghiyas od-Din Naqqash kept a diary of his travels throughout China, where he wrote about China's wealthy economy and huge urban markets, its efficient courier system as compared to that in Persia, the hospitality of his hosts at the courier stations in providing comfortable lodging and food, and the fine luxurious goods and craftsmanship of the Chinese.

577 solar years ago, on this day in 1442 AD, Sultan Ahmad Shah I of Gujarat, the founder of the city of Ahmadabad, died after a reign of 31 years – during which he consolidated his kingdom in the face of rebellions and invasions – and was succeeded by his son Moiz od-Din Mohammad Karim Shah. He was the second king of the Muzaffarid Dynasty founded by his father, Zafar Khan (son of a Rajput chief who embraced the truth of Islam), who took the title Muzaffar Shah on declaring independence from the Delhi Sultanate. Ahmad Shah embellished Ahmadabad with mosques, libraries, bridges and other public places, built in a unique Indo-Persian style. The Ahmad Shah Mosque and the sprawling Jame’ Masjid are two of the architectural masterpieces built by him, along with his mausoleum. The court language was Persian and the Muzaffarid Dynasty ruled for almost 200 years until the conquest of Gujarat by the Mughal Empire. Soon after his accession, Ahmad Shah was faced with a rebellion of his uncles, led by his eldest uncle Firuz Khan, who declared himself king. Ultimately his uncles surrendered to him. During this rebellion Sultan Hoshang Shah of Malwa invaded Gujarat, but was repelled. He invaded again in 1417 along with Nasir Khan, the Faruqi dynasty ruler of Khandesh and occupied Sultanpur and Nandurbar, but was again defeated. Ahmad Shah in retaliation led four expeditions into Malwa in 1419, 1420, 1422 and 1438. In 1429, Kanha Raja of Jhalawar with the help of the Bahmani Sultan ravaged Nandurbar, but was defeated by Ahmad Shah, who annexed Thana and Mahim (near modern Mumbai) from the Bahmani kingdom of Iranian origin of the Deccan (southern India).

539 solar years ago, on this day in 1480 AD, the fortress of Otranto in southeastern Italy was taken by a Turkish army sent by the Ottoman Sultan, Mohammad II, a few centuries after the end of Muslim rule in parts of southern Italy. Since it was only 27 years after the fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire, there was fear that Rome, the seat of the Catholic sect of Christianity, would suffer the same fate. Plans were made for the Pope to evacuate the city, and in a bid to incite Christians against Muslims, lies were spread of the massacre of Italians by the Turks. However, following the death of Mohammad II, the Ottoman forces concluded a treaty with the Kingdom of Naples and withdrew to Albania from Otranto on 11 September 1481. In 1537, the famous Ottoman admiral Khair od-Din Pasha (Barbarossa) again captured Otranto and the Fortress of Castro, but later the Muslims were eventually forced to withdraw from this Italian city and the rest of Puglia. All traces of Muslim rule, including mosques and public baths, were removed by the Italians.

338 solar years ago, on this day in 1681 AD, Danish-Russian navigator, Vitus Jonassen Bering, was born in the Netherlands. He was commissioned by Czar Peter the Great to travel the coast of Asia to see if it was connected to North America. He sailed through the Bering Strait in 1728. He discovered Alaska on his second voyage in 1741, with several scientists on board, explored its coast, and discovered the Aleutian Islands. He died stranded during the winter following a shipwreck. The Bering Sea and Bering Island (where he died) are named for him.

332 solar years ago, on this day in 1687 AD, the Second Battle of Mohacs, also known as the Battle of 'Berg Harsany' (Harsany Mountain), was fought between the forces of Ottoman Sultan Mohammad IV, commanded by the Grand-Vizier Sari Suleyman Pasha, and the forces of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, commanded by Charles of Lorraine. The result was a defeat for the Turks. After the battle, the Ottoman Empire fell into deep crisis. There was a mutiny among the troops. Suleyman Pasha became frightened that he would be killed by his own troops and fled from his command, first to Belgrade and then to Istanbul. When the news of the defeat and the mutiny arrived in Istanbul in early September, Abaza Siyavush Pasha was appointed as the commander and soon as the Grand Vizier. However, before he could take over his command, the whole Ottoman Army had disintegrated and the Ottoman household troops (Janissaries and Sipahis) started to return to their base in Istanbul under their own lower-rank officers, as the Christian troops occupied large parts of southeastern Europe. Though Suleyman Pasha was executed, leading Ottoman statesmen decided to depose Sultan Mohammad IV on 8 November 1687 after a 39-year reign and replace with his younger brother Suleyman II.

218 solar years ago, on this day in 1801 AD, French orientalist, Eugene Burnouf, who made significant contributions to the deciphering of Old Persian cuneiform, was born in Paris to a scholarly father. He studied Sanskrit at the Collège de France; and in 1826 in collaboration with the Norwegian Orientalist Christian Lassen, he published “Essai sur le Pali” (Essay on Pali), on one of the languages of Indian Buddhism. He next turned to deciphering the Zoroastrian manuscripts first brought to France in the early 1760s by the French Orientalist A.H. Anquetil-Duperron. Through his research of the Avestan language, he caused the “Vendidad Sade” (the ritual prescriptions for the Zoroastrian priesthood) to be lithographed with the utmost care from the manuscript in the Bibliotheque Nationale, and published it in folio parts, 1829–1843. From 1833 to 1835 he published his “Commentaire sur le Yacna, l'un des livres liturgiques des Parses” (Commentary on the “Yasna”). In 1836, he discovered that the first of the inscriptions contained a list of the satrapies of Darius I, the Achaemenian Emperor of Iran. With this clue in his hand, he was able to identify and publish an alphabet of thirty letters, most of which he had correctly deciphered. His constant reference to Vedic Sanskrit inspired Burnouf with the intuition of what would later be labeled the “Indo-Iranian” branch of the Indo-European languages. In addition to his Sanskrit edition and French translation of an important Hindu text, “Le Bhagavata Puraṇa” in 3 volumes in 1840, he published a “History of Buddhism” in 1845. He died in 1852.

171 solar years ago, on this day in 1848 AD, English inventor of Locomotive, George Stephenson, died at the age of 67. The maximum speed of his locomotive was 20 kilometers per hour and its capacity stood at 90 tons. Later, locomotives gradually improved, while their speed and transportation capacity were enhanced.

147 solar years ago, on this day in 1872 AD, German Orientalist, Fritz Johann Heinrich Krenkow, was born. He moved to England aged 12, earned a living with a hosiery firm in Leicester, and later acquired a reputation as an Arabic scholar. He became a Muslim and changed his name to Mohammad Salem. He travelled to India and became a professor at the Aligarh Muslim University during 1929-30, and then at University of Bonn 1931-35

123 solar years ago, on this day in 1896 AD, Mirza Reza Kermani, was hanged and attained martyrdom for his revolutionary execution of the repressive Qajarid king, Nasser od-Din Shah. Years earlier, during the Tobacco Movement against British colonialism, he had been jailed for four years on the alleged provoking of people against the regime. Following his release, he went to Istanbul where he became familiar with the exiled pan Islamic Iranian thinker, Seyyed Jamal od-Din Asadabadi. He came to Tehran in 1896 and decided to eliminate Nasser od-Din Shah, who was the root cause of corruption in the country. He carried out his revolutionary act in the city of Rayy at the shrine of Seyyed Abdul-Azim al-Hassani (AS).

70 solar years ago, on this day in 1949 AD, the convention on proper treatment of the wounded and prisoners of war (POWs) was signed at the European Headquarters of the UN in Geneva, Switzerland. Drafted following the inhuman treatment of the wounded and captured soldiers during World War II, the Geneva Convention set rules and regulations for their humane treatment. It specifies that countries at war have no right to kill or torture the wounded and the POWs. They should provide medical treatment and all other amenities including the right to correspond with their relatives as well as access to relief personnel of the International Committee of the Red Cross, along with the complete POW list. Unfortunately, most states ignore these rules and regulations.

43 solar years ago, on this day in 1976 AD, over 3,500 Palestinian refugees were massacred by the Zionist-backed Christian Phalangist militia of Lebanon at the Tel az-Zaatar camp, one of the bloodiest events of the Lebanese Civil War. The camp, located northeast of Beirut was burnt to the ground.

19 solar years ago, on this day in 2000 AD, the United Nations held the first International Youth Day (IYD) in order to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth.

4 lunar years ago, on this day in 1436 AH, in Mena during the climax of the Hajj rituals, while pilgrims were proceeding in huge numbers for the symbolic stoning of the Satan, the sudden closing of all other paths leading to the site, except for path 204 on which pilgrims were also coming from the opposite direction, led to a horrible stampede and the death of more than seven thousand men and women, including 464 Iranian citizens. This was yet another proof of the mismanagement of the annual Hajj by the Aal-e Saud, who, since 1925 are in occupation of the Land of Revelation which they had seized by massacring tens of thousands of Muslim men, women, and children in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The tragedy in Mena could have been averted if the current Heir Apparent, Mohammad bin Salman and his entourage, had not violated the laws by speeding in a motorcade through the parallel paths, oblivious of the plight of pilgrims. Moreover, the security forces not just indifferently watched the stampede but did not allow medical rescue teams to rush to the aid of the victims. They then brought trailers and dumped the corpses along with the injured, resulting in more deaths. The victims were from 42 countries; mostly from Iran, Nigeria, Mali, Egypt and Bangladesh and Indonesia. To add insult to injury the Saudi regime refused to take responsibility for the tragedy and dismissed it as Divine Providence, a factor that angered world Muslims and has led to increasing demands for governance of the holy cities by an international Islamic body and end of Wahhabi occupation of Islam’s two holiest sanctuaries.

AS/SS