Today is Tuesday; 7th of the Iranian month of Azar 1396 solar hijri; corresponding to 9th of the Islamic month of Rabi al-Awwal 1439 lunar hijri; and November 28, 2017, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1374 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 as captives to the courts of the tyrants in Kufa and Damascus, the noble women and children of the household of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). A seditious person throughout his life, Omar ibn Sa’d who failed to heed the earnest advice of Imam Husain (AS) before the battle to save his soul from perfidy, was executed by his own brother-in-law (i.e. 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.

1179 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). A day before his father, Imam Hasan al-Askari (AS), was martyred through poisoning. His mother was the noble and virtuous Greek lady, the Byzantine emperor’s granddaughter, Hazrat Narjis (SA), who on her mother's side she was descended from Simeon the loyal disciple of Prophet Jesus (AS). 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.

1081 solar years ago, on this day in 936 AD, Shi Jingtang was enthroned as the first emperor of the Later Jin Dynasty of China by Emperor Taizong of Liao, following a revolt against Emperor Fei of Later Tang.

899 solar years ago, on this day in 1118 AD, Manuel I, the 3rd emperor of the House of Komnenos of Byzantine was born. At the age of 25 he succeeded his father, John II, and during his long fluctuating reign of 37 years, his ambitious foreign policy resulted in defeats at the hands of Muslims in Anatolia, Syria, and Egypt. In the process he made alliances with the Latin Pope in Rome, invaded unsuccessfully the Norman Kingdom of Sicily which had a strong Muslim-Arab culture, and provided passage to Palestine for the Crusader invaders from Europe. Facing Muslim advances, however, he ganged up with the Crusaders to invade Egypt, but suffered defeats at the hands of the ruling Fatemid Shi’ite Muslim Dynasty. Although he reshaped the political maps of the Balkans, placing Hungary under Byzantine hegemony, in the east he suffered defeats. His most decisive defeat was at the Battle of Myriokephalon in 1176 in Sivas in Anatolia (modern Turkey), against the Seljuq Sultanate of Roum led by Sultan Qilij Arslan II. It was to be the final unsuccessful attempt by the Byzantine Greeks to recover the interior of Anatolia from the Muslims. This was followed by more defeats that had a serious effect upon Manuel's vitality; he declined in health and in 1180 succumbed to a slow fever at the age of 62. Like Manzikert, a century and five years earlier when Emperor Romanos IV had suffered a shattering defeat and captured by Sultan Alp Arsalan of the Isfahan-based Greater Seljuq Empire, the Muslims had gained the upper hand. Manuel never again attacked the Turks, and after his death they began to move further west, deeper into Byzantine territory until the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and its renaming to Islambol (Istanbul).

724 solar years ago, on this day in 1293 AD, Emperor Yesun Temur of China’s Yuan Mongol dynasty was born in Mongolia to Gammala, a son of Zhenjin, who in turn was son of the Emperor Kublai Khan. On his father’s death in 1302 he became the ruler of Mongolia and grew up into a powerful administrator earning respect from the other Mongol princes. In 1323, on the suspicious assassination of Shidebala Gegeen Khan, he was made Emperor of China through intrigue and subsequently the 10^th Great Khaqan of the whole Mongol-ruled lands, although nominally, due to division of the empire. To secure support from the Chinese populace, he showed his respect for the Confucian tradition. Nevertheless, Muslim and Mongol officials from the steppe (who came with him from Mongolia) constituted the majority of posts in the Yuan government during this period. Dowlat Shah served as the manager of the governmental affairs of the Central Secretariat, then as censor in chief, and finally as grand councilor. Other high ranking Muslims were Ubaidullah and Bayanchar, who served as managers of governmental affairs in the Secretariat, while Mahmoud Shah and Hassan Khoja managed the Bureau of Military Affairs. In contrast with the Muslims, Chinese officials exerted little influence on the administration. He died in 1328.

598 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 (SAWA). 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” (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 (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.

544 solar years ago, on this day in 1470 AD, Wen Zhengming, a leading Chinese painter, calligrapher, poet, and scholar, was born. He was regarded as one of the Four Masters of Ming painting.

260 solar years ago, on this day in 1757 AD, William Blake, English poet, artist, and printer, was born in Soho, London. He wrote “Songs of Innocence”, “All Religions are One”, and “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.” Blake has become famous for his relief etching, a form of art in which the artist incised an image into the copper plate – a complex and laborious process, with plates taking months or years to complete. Blake employed intaglio engraving in his own work, most notably for the illustrations of the “Book of Job”, completed just before his death in 1827.

222 solar years ago, on this day in 1795 AD, the newly founded United States of America had to pay $800,000 and a frigate as tribute to the powerful rulers of Algiers and Tunis in order to carry out trade in the Mediterranean Sea.

197 solar years ago, on this day in 1820 AD, German philosopher, Friedrich Engels, was born. A close friend of his compatriot, Karl Marx, who coined the theory of Marxism, he was persecuted for his political views and fled to Britain in 1850. The book “Communism Manifesto”, published in 1848 is the joint work of Engels and Marx. Engels died in 1895.

158 solar years ago, on this day in 1859 AD, American essayist, author, historian, attorney, and diplomat, Washington Irving, died at the age of 76. Born in New York City he was prolific writer and served as the US representative to London and as US Minister of Spain, where he had access to medieval era archives and was fascinated by Islamic art, architecture and culture. From writing fables such as "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", he now wrote on history such as “Conquest of Granada” and “Alhambra”. In 1850, nine years before his death, he wrote the biography of the Prophet of Islam titled: “Lives of Mahomet and His Successors”, in which he has paid glowing tributes to the Martyr of Karbala, Imam Husain (AS). He writes:

“It was possible for Husain to save his life by submitting himself to the will of Yazid. But his responsibility as a reformer did not allow him to accept Yazid's caliphate. He therefore prepared to embrace all sorts of discomfort and inconvenience in order to deliver Islam from the hands of the Omayyads. Under the blazing sun, on the parched land and against the stifling heat of Arabia (Iraq) stood the immortal Husain.”

Washington Irving, who says the spirit of the uprising (of Imam Husain) will last forever, also wrote:

“The death of Imam Husain (AS) is something about which that I don't like to talk about too much, because of the magnitude of this tragedy. In the history of Islam, nothing more nefarious than this has ever happened. Though the assassination of Imam Ali (AS) was a heavy grief for mankind, but, the fate of Imam Husain (AS) was so horrible that it sends shivers down one's spine. It was a terrible tragedy.”

145 solar years ago, on this day in 1872 AD, the Modoc War of 1872-73 began in Siskiyou County, northern California when fighting broke out between Modoc Chief Captain Jack and a cavalry detail led by Captain James Jackson. At Lava Beds National Monument in northern California Amerindian Modoc warriors held off over 1,000 US Army troops for five months, before these natives were deceived and defeated by the white army.

112 solar years ago, on this day in 1905 AD, Arthur Griffith formed Sinn Fein in Dublin. Sinn Fein is Gaelic for “We Ourselves”, but also for “Ourselves Alone”. This political party became the unofficial political wing of militant Irish groups in their struggle against British rule.

105 solar years ago, on this day in 1912 AD, Albanian delegates at Vlora declared the independence of Albania from centuries of Ottoman Turkish rule and established a provisional government. This marked Albania’s Independence Day. Albania is a predominantly Muslim country in Europe.

90 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.

74 solar years ago, on this day in 1943 AD, during World War II the Tehran Conference was held in the Iranian capital and attended by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin. The three discussed war strategy against Germany from 28 November to 1 December. The 4-day meeting held in the Soviet Embassy in Tehran was the first of the World War II conferences between the "Big Three" Allied leaders. It closely followed the Cairo Conference which had taken place on 22-26 November 1943, and preceded the 1945 Yalta and Potsdam Conferences. Although all three of the leaders arrived with differing objectives, the main outcome of the Tehran Conference was the commitment to the opening of a second front against Nazi Germany by the Western Allies. The conference also addressed relations between the Allies and Turkey and Iran, operations in Yugoslavia and against Japan as well as the envisaged post-war settlement. A separate protocol signed at the conference pledged the Big Three's recognition of Iran's independence and withdrawal of all foreign forces. The Pahlavi Shah of Iran, being a British client, was treated as no more than a puppet by the three leaders, who did not even rise to greet him, and made him stand while they were seated.

57 solar years ago, on this day in 1960 AD, Mauritania gained its independence from French occupation. Mauritania is located in northwestern Africa and covers an area of 1030700 sq km. It shares borders with Algeria, Mali, and Senegal. It is an Arabic-speaking country and its capital is Nouakchott, located on the Atlantic coast.

46 solar years ago, on this day in 1971 AD, with the withdrawal of British occupation troops, the Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs, returned to Iran’s sovereignty. These three Iranian islands are strategically located near the Strait of Hormoz, which links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Britain had seized these islands in 1887.

37 solar years ago, on this day in 1980 AD, almost two months after the start of the 8-year war imposed on Iran by the US through Saddam, Iran’s Navy defeated the Iraqi navy, destroying a large number of vessels and inflicting huge damage on al-Bakr oil platform at the headwaters of the Persian Gulf. The Iraqi navy was virtually eliminated, and to mark this great victory, this day has been marked over the past 31 years as Navy Day in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

11 solar years ago, on this day in 2006 AD, Iran's President Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed a letter to the American people to be released at UN headquarters in New York. He urged them to demand the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and reject the Bush administration's blind support for the illegal Zionist entity and its illegal and immoral actions against Palestinians in the usurped land. The US mainstream media afraid of the impact of this letter on public opinion virtually ignored it.

7 solar years ago, on this day in 2010 AD, Iran and Turkmenistan inaugurated the last section of the Sarakhs-Tehran pipeline for supply of Turkmen gas to northeast Iran.

AS/MG