Today is Tuesday; 26th of the Iranian month of Bahman 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 16th of the Islamic month of Jamadi al-Awwal 1438 lunar hijri; and February 14, 2017, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1269 solar years ago, on this day in 748 AD, after years of secret networks and simmering discontent, the Hashemiyya Movement came to surface as the Iranian warlord Vehzaadaan-Pour Vandaad Hormoz, known as Abu Muslim Khorasani, drove out the battle-hardened governor, Nasr ibn Sayyar, to capture Merv, capital of the Omayyad province of Khorasan, marking the consolidation of the Abbasid revolt. With the slogan of restoring to the most worthy descendent of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), the rule of the vast Islamic realm – stretching from Spain in the west till the borders of China and India in the east – the Abbasids attracted the support of both Arabs and Persians to the movement to overthrow the Godless Omayyad regime. Merv, founded in the 6th century BC by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid Empire, became a base for spread of the movement in Khorasan and Transoxiana that resulted in a string of defeats for the Omayyads in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt, and led to the emergence in 750 of a new dynasty of usurpers. The Abbasids, who claimed descent from the Prophet’s uncle Abbas, exploited the sentiments of the Muslim masses to deprive the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt of their divinely-decreed right of political leadership. Abu Muslim, who ordered his partisans to don black clothes (hence Siyah-Jamegaan) and deceitfully named all males born that year in Khorasan as “Yayha” in memory of the 4^th Infallible Imam’s grandson, Yahya ibn Zaid, who was martyred in Jowzajan in 742 by the Omayyads, managed to absorb the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt, whom he eventually betrayed by endorsing the caliphate of Abbas as-Saffah (Bloodshedder) in Kufa, rather than pledge allegiance to the Prophet’s 6th Infallible Heir, Imam Ja’far as-Sadeq (AS) in Medina. Abu Muslim continued to rule Merv and Khorasan as a semi-independent ruler until he paid the price with his life of having supported the Abbasid usurpers. In 755, at the age of 55, when he went to Iraq to meet the 2nd self-styled caliph, Mansur Dawaniqi in Mada’en (Ctesiphon the former Parthian & Sassanid capital), the latter accusing him of heresy in spite of being reminded of his key role in placing the Abbasids in power, was killed and his body thrown into the River Tigris. Throughout the Abbasid era, Merv remained the capital and most important city of Khorasan. From 813 to 818, it was effectively made capital of the Muslim world by Mamoun, the 7th self-styled Abbasid caliph, who forced the Prophet’s 8th Infallible Heir, Imam Reza (AS) to come to Merv from Medina, and after declaring him heir-apparent against his will, martyred him through poisoning in Tous (Mashhad). Merv, which for over two millenniums was an integral part of Iran, was seized in 1785 by Shah Murad the Emir of Bukhara, and is presently part of the Republic of Turkmenistan.

1100 lunar years ago, on this day in 338 AH Ali ibn Buyeh Daylami, titled Emad ad-Dowlah, the founder of the Buwaiyhid dynasty of Iran-Iraq-Oman, died. He first entered the services of the Iranian Samanid dynasty of Bukhara in Central Asia under Nasr II, and later joined Maakaan, who ruled Gorgan and Rayy as a governor of the Samanids. He managed to occupy a high position and gained army commissions for his two younger brothers, Hassan and Ahmad. When Maakaan rebelled against the Samanids by seizing Khorasan, and was attacked by Mardavij the Ziyarid prince, Ali, along with his brothers, switched sides. Soon Ali was granted administrative rule over Karaj (near modern Tehran). When warned of Mardavij's plan to eliminate him, Ali with a small number of Daylamite troops decided to expand his position. Moving against the heretical Khurramites, who controlled the surrounding mountains, he gained control of the region, and in order to further secure his position, he decided to take control of Isfahan, which was then under control of the Abbasid governor Yaqut. Mardavij's appearance, however, forced him to abandon Isfahan. Ali now took Arrajan, between Fars and Khuzestan, and after a series of battles, entered Shiraz. Mardavij continued to pose a threat but before he could invade Khuzestan, he was assassinated. Bolstered by many of Mardavij's Turkish mercenaries that had joined him, as well as the collapse of Ziyarid control over central Iran, Ali decided that Isfahan should be taken and sent his brother Hassan to accomplish this. After Hassan took Isfahan, Ali sent his other brother Ahmad to take Kerman. Ali next sent Ahmad to Khuzestan, from where he entered Iraq, and finally Baghdad. The Abbasid caliph conferred upon him the title of Mo'iz ad-Dowla, while Ali and Hassan were given the titles of Emad ad-Dowla and Rokn ad-Dowla, respectively. The Buwaiyhid dynasty ruled Iran, Iraq and Oman for 110 years, and were patrons of learning and literature, both Arabic and Persian. They encouraged the development of science and technology, and built many architectural monuments, including hospitals, bridges, dams, mosques, and the holy shrines of the Infallible Imams and Imamzadehs.

778 lunar years ago, on this day in 660 AH, the famous scholar, Izz od-Din Abdul-Aziz Ibn Abdus-Salaam, passed away in Cairo at the age of 83, spending his last 21 years in Egypt. Born in Damascus, his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence made him the Friday Prayer Leader of the Omayyad Mosque, from where he delivered scathing sermons forbidding the selling of weaponry to the Crusaders with whom the Ayyubid ruler of Syria was openly dealing, despite the fact that these arms were being used against Muslims. As a result, he was dismissed and left for Egypt where he was welcomed, but got into controversies in Cairo as well.

668 solar years ago, on this day in 1349 AD, over a thousand Jews were publicly burned to death by Christian mobs while the remainder of their population was forcibly driven away from the German city of Strasbourg, as part of the pogroms, the Church used to frequently conduct against the followers of Judaism in Europe, at a time when Jews living in Islamic lands enjoyed all the freedom and privileges of Muslims, even rising to the post of ministers. The massacre followed the deadly bubonic plague of 1348 which was blamed on the presence of Jews in Christian lands. The practices and behaviour of the Jews was also partly responsible for such massacres, because the Jews played the role of money-lenders and manipulated the economy, which brought about serious problems. European chroniclers report that the Jews were arrogant and unwilling to grant anyone else precedence. Those dealing with them could hardly come to an agreement with them. The Jews’ intransigence, coupled with their slandering of Prophet Jesus and his Virgin mother, Mary (peace upon them), were the reason for their frequent massacres by Christians. Until the start of the 18th century, Jews were forbidden to remain in town after 10 pm in any European country, and heavy taxes were levied on them, including a special tax for any horse that a Jew would ride or bring into the city.

534 solar years ago, on this day in 1483 AD, the founder of the Moghul Dynasty of South Asia, Zaheer od-Din Babar, was born in Andijan in the Ferghana Valley in what is now Uzbekistan. Son of the local ruler, Omar Sheikh – a great-grandson of the Central Asian conqueror, Amir Timur – he was on his mother's side a grandson of Yunus Khan, the ruler of Moghulistan and thus a direct descendent of the fearsome Genghis Khan. Like the rest of the Timurids, Babar had embraced Persian language and culture, although his mother tongue was Chaghatai Turkic. In his obsession to take control of Samarqand he lost Ferghana as well to Obaidullah Khan Shaibani Khan, the ruler of the Uzbeks, who were newcomers to the region and were fast displacing the local Tajiks (or Persian speakers). He accepted Shah Ismail I, the founder of the Safavid Empire of Iran, as suzerain, after rejecting demands from the Ottoman Sultan to acknowledge him as overlord. This alliance enabled him to chalk out an independent kingdom in Kabul, which he used as a base to recapture Samarqand with Safavid help, but soon lost it. Later with his combined Tajik and Turkic military, he conquered the northern parts of the Subcontinent by defeating the Afghan king, Ibrahim Lodhi of Delhi at the Battle of Panipat in 1526 and then routing the huge Rajput-Afghan joint army of Rana Sanga in 1527 to establish the Moghul Empire. He was a poet in both Persian and his Turkic, and was a devotee of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA).

238 solar years ago, on this day in 1779 AD, Captain James Cook, who is supposed to have discovered Australia, was killed by Hawaiians near Kealakekua on Hawaii Island at the age of 50 for his arrogant colonialist intentions. He spent several years surveying the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland. He made three expeditions to the Pacific on supposedly scientific trips that were a cover for forcing islands to submit to Britain’s colonial rule.

79 solar years ago, on this day in 1938 AD, illegal Zionist migrants from Europe, who formed the Palmach terrorist outfit in British-ruled Palestine, stormed the Palestinian village of Sa'sa, and for two days indulged in the massacre of men, women, and children, killing over 60 Muslims, as part of their ethnic cleansing campaign to create the illegitimate state of Israel.

72 solar years ago, on this day in 1945 AD, Britain and the US jointly conducted the deadliest bombardment of World War 2 by using a total of 1,773 aircraft to flatten German cities and towns. For three continuous days bombs were rained on population centres, turning them into rubble and killing at least 250,000 men, women and children.

55 solar years ago, on this day in 1962 AD, Iranian dramatist and playwright, Seyyed Ali Nasr, considered to be one of the founders of theatre in Iran, passed away in Tehran at the age of 70. Born in Kashan, after completing his education, he came to Tehran to study French language, literature, and mathematics. He was an active supporter of the Constitutional Movement. He went to Europe to study theatre, and on coming back to Iran, he founded an intellectual group named “Iran comedy” in 1925. Many prominent Iranian theatrical figures were part of this group and it became a very important factor in the development of modern Iranian drama. Nasr wrote many plays, and also founded an acting school in Tehran in 1939, where many important dramatists and actors studied. His plays expressed didactic, moralistic themes promoting modernization, including literacy, and opposition to social backwardness. His best known play is "Wedding of Hussain Aqa", written in 1939. He was also active in administrative affairs, serving as Minister of Post and Telegraph, and ambassador to India, China, and the UN. He taught the history of art at the university level and wrote several books including the 6-volume “Science of Physics”, and “History of Iran”. He also translated into Persian “History of Greece” and “History of France”.

54 solar years ago, on this day in 1963 AD, English surgeon, Martin Scott successfully carried out for the first time a kidney transplant at a hospital in Leeds.

29 solar years ago, on this day in 1988 AD, Kuwait’s leading Shi’a Muslim religious leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Abbas Musawi al-Mohri, passed away in Tehran at the age of 73. Born in Fars Province, after completing his religious education in holy Najaf, Iraq, he was invited to Kuwait by the people of that tiny Persian Gulf Sheikhdom, and soon became a naturalized citizen. As a staunch follower of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), his house in Kuwait served as the link between Najaf and the outside world, especially Iran, for broadcast of the latter’s speeches and announcements. An eloquent orator himself, he awakened the Kuwaiti people through his lectures and religious discourses. He wrote several works including “Shu’a min at-Tarikh” (Ray of History). Within a year of the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran, Ayatollah Abbas al-Mohri was expelled to Tehran by the Kuwaiti regime. His eldest son, Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Baqer Musawi al-Mohri, who was a respected scholar in Kuwait, passed away in that sheikhdom, two years ago. His second son, Ayatollah Seyyed Murtaza Musawi al-Mohri, is still active in Kuwait.

12 solar years ago, on this day in 2005 AD, former Lebanese Premier, Rafiq Hariri, was assassinated by Israeli agents in a bomb blast in Beirut. The US and its proxies in Lebanon by setting up a Kangaroo tribunal under the UN, first tried to put the blame on Syria, and then on the legendry anti-terrorist movement, the Hezbollah, but to no avail, since all documented evidence points in the direction of the Zionist entity.

6 solar years ago, on this day in 2011 AD, as part of the Islamic Awakening, the people of the Persian Gulf island state of Bahrain launched their peaceful uprising against the repressive Aal-e Khalifa minority regime, through a series of mass demonstrations in the capital Manama, calling it the “Day of Rage”. The people’s demand for democratic changes, including end of discrimination against the long-suppressed Shi’ite Muslim majority, was met with teargas and bullets. The first martyr of the peaceful uprising this day was 21-year old Abdul-Hadi Saleh Ja’far Mushaima. The “Maidan Lu’lu” (Pearl Square) soon became the site of peaceful mass protests that were savagely attacked by the regime with the help of Saudi Arabian soldiers who desecrate mosques and Hussainiyahs, and burn copies of the holy Qur’an.

5 solar years ago, on this day in 2012 AD, US filmmaker Sean Christopher Stone embraced the truth of Islam in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and added “Ali” to his name in honour of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), the dear cousin, son-in-law and divinely-decreed heir of the Almighty’s Last Messenger to all mankind, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Son of the famous film director, Oliver Stone, he told a news conference, following his conversion: “It's a mistake to believe that Islam is antagonistic towards Judaism and Christianity. What we need is to understand each other's beliefs and to establish dialogue. The most important thing is I hope I can help Americans to understand the true nature of Islam. I feel good when I enter a mosque. I believe there is only one God.”

He is currently making a documentary focusing on Jinns of genie – a species of semi intelligent shadowy beings created of fire, unlike the human being whose essence is of clay.

AS/MG