Today is Friday; 19th of the Iranian month of Azar 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 9th of the Islamic month of Rabi al-Awwal 1438 lunar hijri; and December 9, 2016, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1373 lunar years ago, on this day in 65 AH, Omar ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, the commander of Yazid's army in the Battle of Karbala, was executed for his unpardonable sin of perpetrating the tragic martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS), his family, and his companions, including the 6-month old infant, Ali Asghar; decapitating the martyrs and mounting their heads on lances; trampling the corpses of martyrs by horses; and dragging the noble women and children of the blessed household of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) as captives to the courts of the tyrants in Kufa and Damascus. Omar ibn Sa’d was executed by his own brother-in-law (that is, his wife's brother), Mokhtar ibn Abi Obayda Thaqafi, a virtuous Muslim who had vowed to avenge the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS). Mokhtar’s uprising succeeded in driving out the Omayyads from Iraq and bringing to justice all the principal killers of the Prophet's grandson.

1286 solar years ago, on this day in 730 AD, in the Battle of Marj as-Sabalan on the outskirts of Ardabil in northwestern Iran, the army of Hisham ibn Abdul-Malik, the 10th self-styled caliph of the usurper Omayyad regime, was annihilated by Khazar Turkic nomads led by Barjik, the son of the Khaqan. The Omayyad commander, Jarrah Ibn Abdullah al-Hakami, was among the 20,000 Arab forces killed along with their Iranian allies including the Zoroastrian Dehqan of Azarbaijan, Mardan Shah. The Khazars then mercilessly plundered Ardabil and other towns and cities, carrying off immense loot as well as over 40,000 men, women and children as captives. The next year Barjik penetrated as far as Mosul in northern Iraq, where he was defeated and forced to retreat to the northern Caucasus. Earlier, Jarrah Ibn Abdullah, known as "Farres ahl ash-Sham" (Chief Cavalier) of the Syrians, who had served at various times as governor of Basra, Sistan, Khorasan, Armenia, Azarbaijan and Arran, had penetrated the northern Caucasus to attack the Khazar capital. The Omayyad setback in the Caucasus and northwestern Iran was accompanied by defeats in the subsequent years on all fronts, including France, Central Asia, India, and finally Khorasan, from where the Abbasids launched their revolution under their Iranian general, Abu Muslim Khorasani, to seize the caliphate.

1268 solar years ago, on this day in 748 AD, Nasr Ibn Sayyar, the last Omayyad governor of Khorasan, who as an anti-Islamic Arab nationalist terrorized the people of northeastern Iran and Central Asia for decades, died at the age of 85 in Saveh (southwest of Tehran) while fleeing, after a string of defeats suffered by his Syrian-North Arabian army at the hands of the Arab-Iranian Muslim revolutionaries determined to overthrow the Omayyads and replace them with members of Prophet Mohammad's (SAWA) family. The uprising was hijacked by the Abbasids, who seized the caliphate and once again deprived the Ahl al-Bayt of their political rights. Nasr ibn Sayyar earned lasting damnation for killing the Prophet’s venerable descendent, Yahya ibn Zaid – Imam Zain al-Abedin’s (AS) grandson – whom he martyred in battle in Jowzajan (in today’s Afghanistan) and sent the head to the Omayyad court in Damascus. Nasr’s policy, like that of other Omayyad governors in Spain, France, the Caucasus, and Sindh, was to prevent the masses from becoming Muslims, since this would deprive the self-styled caliphs in Damascus of the revenues they reaped by levying heavy taxes on non-Muslims.

1178 lunar years ago, on this day in 260 AH, marks the first day of the divinely-decreed Imamate or leadership of mankind of Imam Mahdi (AS), the 12^th and Last Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), following the martyrdom the day before of his father, Imam Hasan al-Askari (AS). His mother was the noble and virtuous Greek lady, the Byzantine emperor’s granddaughter, Hazrat Narjis (peace upon her), who on her mother's side she was descended from Simeon the loyal disciple of Prophet Jesus (peace upon him). When he was orphaned the 12^th Imam was 5 years old and was brought up in secrecy, since the Abbasid caliphs were fearful of the Prophet’s famous hadith that the 12^th and the Last of his Infallible Heirs would rise as Qa'em al-Mahdi to cleanse the world of all traces of oppression and corruption by establishing the global government of peace, prosperity, and justice. The Abbasids launched a manhunt to find the orphaned boy but by God's Grace he was safe from his enemies in what is called the state of “Ghaybat as-Soghra” (Minor Occultation). In 329 AH, the “Ghaybat al-Kobra” (Major Occultation) started, which still continues, and by the Grace of God, the Redeemer of mankind, along with Prophet Jesus, will reappear in the end times when the earth would be filled with injustice.

724 solar years ago, on this day in 1292 AD, the world-acclaimed Persian poet of Iran, Shaikh Mosleh od-Din Sa’di, passed away in his hometown Shiraz. He left at a young age for Baghdad where he studied at the famous Nizamiyyah Academy, excelling in Islamic Sciences, law, governance, history, Arabic literature and theology. The unsettled conditions following the Mongol invasion of Iran led him to wander for 30 years through Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, and Anatolia or what is now Turkey. He also refers in his works about his travels in Sindh or present day Pakistan, as well as India and Central Asia. Sa'di performed the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. Even during his travels he composed beautiful Persian and Arabic poems. On return to his hometown, Shiraz, he composed his two famous masterpieces, “Bustan” (the Orchard) and “Golestan” (Rose Garden). The poems in “Bustan” speak of such topics as justice, love, kindness, modesty, contentment, education, repentance, and prayers. The next year he completed “Golestan”, which is in prose, and also contains his Arabic and Persian poems, in addition to moral and social anecdotes in 8 chapters. His collection of poems also includes odes and quatrains. The tomb of Sa’di in Shiraz is a frequently visited site.

597 lunar years ago, on this day in 841 AH, work started for construction of the Gowharshad Mosque in the southern courtyard of the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the 8^th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). This magnificent mosque was built on the orders of Empress Gowharshad Begum, the virtuous Iranian wife of Shahrukh Mirza, the son and successor of the fearsome Turkic conqueror, Amir Timur. Gowharshad also set up a waqf (or endowment) for maintenance of this grand mosque and its library. The architect was Qawwam od-Din Shirazi, who is responsible for so many of Shah Rukh's great buildings. The mosque’s portal continues the Samarqand style of arch within arch, enriched by a succession of bevels that give it depth and power. The thick, tower-like 40-meter high twin minarets, merging with the outer corners of the portal screen, extend to the ground and, together with the high foundation revetment of marble, give the ensemble the impression of solidity necessary to support its exuberant colour. The entire court facade is faced with enamel brick and mosaic faience of the finest quality. The full scale of colours includes a dominant cobalt blue and turquoise, white, a transparent green, yellow, saffron, aubergine and mirrorblack - all tones fluctuating through several shades. The mosque has an area of 9410 square meters. It has a big 50-meter high azure dome, four verandas, a courtyard and seven big shabestans (or chambers for late night prayers). An inscription, written by Gowharshad’s son Baysunqur Mirza, who was a famous calligrapher of his time, still remains on the margins of the entrance of the veranda. Inside the mosque, near the prayer niche is a high exquisitely carved pulpit of walnut wood that was made in 1243 lunar hejira, without any nail or iron used in it. It is showcased in glass and no preacher sits on it, since it is reserved for the Lord of the Age, Imam Mahdi (AS), when he reappears.

408 solar years ago, on this day in 1608 AD, English poet and polemical pamphleteer, John Milton, was born in London. Among his important works are “Paradise Lost”, and “Paradise Regained” which are epic poems. An opponent of monarchy and a supporter of religious freedom (but only for Christian sects), in 1644, at the height of the civil war in England, he wrote “Areopagitica”, a pamphlet decrying censorship. It is considered an influential philosophical defence of the principle of a right to freedom of speech and expression. At the age of 36 he lost one eye and at 44 went completely blind. After overthrow of the monarchy he served under Oliver Cromwell in the Commonwealth of England as Secretary of Foreign Tongues to handle correspondence with European states as well as propaganda for the regime. On restoration of the monarchy, Milton retired from public life and died at the age of 66.

274 solar years ago, on this day in 1742 AD, the Swedish chemist and one of the pioneers of modern chemistry, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, was born in Stockholm. After years of experiments he discovered gas chlorine, which is an important chemical element and has numerous applications in the industrial sector. He also discovered magnesium and glycerin. Scheele died in 1786.

258 solar years ago, on this day in 1758 AD, the 13-month long Madras War between Britain and France started in southern India, following the French attack on Fort St. George on the Bay of Bengal. The 3,000 French forces were heavily outnumbered by the 22,000-strong British-led troops of local sepoys (corruption of the Persian word “sipahi” for soldier). The surrender of the French in January 1761, paved the way for the rise of the British in India, where infighting among the various Muslim successor states of the Mughal Empire, enabled them to establish their rule as the paramount colonial power.

160 solar years ago, on this day in 1856 AD, the Iranian city of Bushehr on the Persian Gulf was seized by the invading British forces after long battles lasting several years with the local Iranian defenders. The British plan was to stop Iran from liberating the Khorasani city of Herat from joint Afghan-British occupation. The British, taking advantage of the weakness of the Qajarid dynasty, soon spread their control over all of southern Iran. This situation lasted till 1913, when Iranian resistance started and continued during World War I under the leadership of Raees Ali Delvari, forcing Britain to move its diplomatic, commercial, and military headquarters to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, which had been earlier seized from Iran.

99 solar years ago, on this day in 1917 AD during World War I, the British forces, made up of Arab and Indian contingents under Field Marshal Edmund Allenby, defeated the Ottoman troops in Palestine, and occupied the Islamic holy city of Bayt al-Moqaddas, which houses the former qibla (or focal point of prayers) of Muslims. By October 1918 when the war ended, the British forces inflicted more defeats on the Turks and driving them out of Syria and Iraq, occupied more lands in West Asia. The seizure of Palestine was a step toward materialization of the notorious Balfour Declaration of the then British Foreign Secretary, Arthur James Balfour, who had called for setting up of a Jewish state in the heart of the Muslim World by illegally settling European Jews in Palestine.

89 lunar years ago, on this day in 1349 AH, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Sistani was born in the holy city of Mashhad, Khorasan, northeastern Iran, in a family of religious scholars. During the Safavid period, his ancestor Seyyed Mohammad was appointed by Shah Sultan Hussain to the office of Sheikh ol-Islam in Sistan province, where he settled, and hence became known as "Sistani". Grand Ayatollah Sistani began his religious education as a child, first in Mashhad and later in Qom. In 1951, Sistani traveled to Iraq to study in the famous seminary of the holy city of Najaf, and in 1960, at the young age of 30 years, attained Ijtehad. In 1992, following the deaths in quick succession of Grand Ayatollah Abu’l-Qassem Khoei and Grand Ayatollah Sabzevari, he became the leading authority of Iraq. During the years of Saddam’s repressive rule, survived the violent Ba'thist repression and persecution that resulted in the martyrdom of several ulema. Since the overthrow of the Ba'th Party, Grand Ayatollah Sistani has played an increasingly prominent role in regional religious and political affairs and he has been called the "most influential" figure in post-invasion Iraq. He has a large worldwide following.

69 solar years ago, on this day in 1947 AD, in western Java up to 430 Indonesian Muslim men were rounded up and shot by Dutch colonial troops in the village of Rawagedeh. The Dutch called the incident a "police action" to quell an uprising. In 1995, the Dutch government admitted that summary executions had taken place in Rawagedeh (now known as Balongsari), but said prosecutions were no longer possible. In September, 2011, a court ordered the government to compensate the widows of Indonesian villagers, to apologize for the killings and to give each of the 10 plaintiffs $27,000. The money was never properly distributed among the families of the victims.

52 solar years ago, on this day in 1964 AD, the exegete of the holy Qur’an, Seyyed Hussain Ithna Ash’ari E’temadi, passed away in his hometown Rayy, south of Tehran, at the age of 66 and was buried in the mausoleum of Seyyed Abdul-Azim al-Hassani. An expert in literature, he completed his religious studies in holy Qom, and on return to Rayy, led the daily ritual prayers in the mausoleum of Seyyed Abdul-Azim. He breathed his last due to a heart attack while preaching from the pulpit. His famous work is the exegesis of the holy Qur’an titled “Tafsir Ithna Ash’ari”.

32 solar years ago, on this day in 1984 AD, by the order of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), the High Council of Cultural Revolution was formed, made up of the heads of three branches of the government (Executive, Legislature, Judiciary), prominent ulema and cultural figures for giving direction to the country’s higher educational system and cultural centres. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, anti-social elements, communists and agents of the US and the West, had taken control of universities and higher education centres, as part of the plots against the Islamic Republic. The plot was nullified by the closing of the universities and purging of the anti-Islamic teaching staff. The universities reopened after three years and thus the High Council of Cultural Revolution was formed in order to provide guidelines to universities and cultural centres on the basis of Islamic teachings, and in line with the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

29 solar years ago, on this day in 1987 AD, the first Intefadha or Islamic uprising of the Palestinian people against the usurper entity, Israel, started in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Muslims were inspired by the Islamic Revolution of Iran, and were disillusioned by the nationalist and socialist parties like the PLO, which in collaboration with the US and Europe entered into the infamous Oslo Accord with Israel, in a vain bid to offset the Islamic movement.

25 solar years ago, on this day in 1991 AD, the UN, in a report, declared the Iraqi Ba’th minority regime as aggressor of the 8-year war- imposed on Iran on September 22, 1980 on the orders of the US. UN Secretary General, Ecuador's Javier Perez de Cuellar also emphasized in his report that based on UN Charter, and international rules and regulations, Saddam should accept responsibility for his unjustified aggression. On September 22, 1980, Iraq launched unprovoked air and ground attacks on Iran, and during the invasion, which was fully backed by the capitalist west and the socialist east, several Iranian frontier cities and towns were occupied and innocent women, children, and men were martyred. The Iranian combatants rallied under the guidance of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (may his soul rest in peace), stage epics of resistance during the holy defence to blunt the Ba'thist aggressors and liberate Iranian territory until the acceptance of UN Security Council Resolution 598 in July 1988.

4 solar years ago, on this day in 2012 AD, Iran announced that it has decoded all of the data from a RQ-170 Sentinel craft, an advanced CIA spy drone captured in eastern Iran earlier this month.

AS/ME