Today is Sunday 12th of the Iranian month of Azar 1396 solar hijri; corresponding to 14th of the Islamic month of Rabi al-Awwal 1439 lunar hijri; and December 3, 2017 of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1706 solar years ago, on this day in 311 AD, Roman Emperor Diocletian, an obstinate pagan who mercilessly persecuted monotheists and followers of other religions, committed suicide six years after abdicating the throne, following 21 years of tyrannical rule. Of low birth and cruel and crafty by nature, he was proclaimed emperor by his soldiers in Asia Minor on the sudden and suspicious death of Numerian, the son and successor of Emperor Carus – who days earlier had died of wounds in Mesopotamia during the war against Emperor Bahram II of the Sassanid Persian Empire. Diocletian massacred tens of thousands of monotheist followers of Prophet Jesus as well as adherents of the sect called Christianity, invented by Paul the Hellenized Jew. He destroyed the newly built church in Nicomedia in present day Turkey and burned all scriptures. He ordered the persecution of Manicheans, as a political ploy, compounding religious dissent with international politics, since followers of this creed amongst the Romans were supported by the Sassanid Empire of Iran, which he had managed to defeat with great difficulty in 299 and impose the humiliating Peace of Nisbis in northern Mesopotamia and Armenia on Emperor Narseh.

1374 lunar years ago, on this day in 64 AH, the Godless tyrant, Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah, was struck by divine wrath and fell into the bowels of hell, after committing three most blasphemous crimes during his illegal rule of 3 years and nine months. Born out of wedlock to a morally-loose nomadic Arab Christian woman named Maysun bint Bajdal al-Kulaibi an-Nasrania, who was ravished and abandoned by the Omayyad usurper Mu’awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan, he was suckled by several whores while growing up in the desert. Years later, Mu’awiyya, who failed to produce any male issue from the women of his harem, suddenly remembered the illegitimate brat he had abandoned, brought him to Damascus as a young man, and after some years of training under his supervision, named him successor on his deathbed in 60 AH in gross violation of the terms of the Treaty of 41 AH by which he had usurped rule of the Islamic realm from Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS), the elder grandson of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). An infidel, who did not believe in any religion, although a crucifix given by his Christian mother used to dangle from his neck, Yazid was a drunkard and frequently asked his slaves to sodomize him. The first thing the libertine Yazid did was to demand allegiance to his ungodly and un-Islamic rule from the Prophet's younger grandson Imam Husain (AS), and when this was rejected he had the Imam mercilessly martyred in Karbala in 61 AH along with 18 members of the Prophet's family, including the 6-month infant, Ali Asghar. The children and womenfolk of the Prophet's progeny were then dragged as captives to his court in Damascus. The second abominable crime committed by him was to attack the holy city of Medina in Zilhijja 63 AH after the infamous Battle of Harra in which 10,000 people were massacred, including hundreds of the Prophet's companions. Yazid's soldiers entered Medina, desecrated the Prophet's shrine, and were given permission to loot public property and rape women for three days – resulting in the birth of several thousand illegitimate children that year who are known in history as "Awlad-e Fitna". In the beginning of Rabi al-Awwal 64 AH, Yazid ordered his forces to attack Mecca and storm the holy Ka'ba. Catapults were placed on mountains overlooking the “Masjid al-Haraam” (Sacred Mosque) to hurl blazing naphtha pots at Islam’s holiest sanctuary. The Symbolic House of God caught fire and was almost burnt to the ground when the attack was called off because of Yazid's sudden death this day in Damascus. Yazid, who since the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS), suffered severe bouts of headache, collapsed in the state of drunkenness in the toilet and died. According to another account, divine wrath struck him while on a hunting trip, and only his charred leg was found in the stirrup of his horse with no trace of his body. He was 37 years of age and his whole body had turned black. Some 58 years later in 132 AH, when the Abbasid caliph, Abu'l-Abbas as-Saffah, ordered the opening of the graves of the Omayyad caliphs, including that of Mu'awiyah, and the burning of their bones, only a piece of a leg bone was found in Yazid's grave and nothing else except blackened dust resembling ashes after the body and skeleton has been burnt, which indicates divine punishment. Both Sunni and Shi'a Muslims consider Yazid an infidel, for openly saying there was neither any Prophet nor divine revelation. At the sight of Imam Husain's (AS) head placed before him in a tray, he wished, if only his infidel ancestors were alive to see how he has avenged the death of his kinsmen killed in the Battles of Badr and Ohad they had imposed on the Prophet.

1113 lunar years ago, on this day in 325 AH, Abu'l-Hassan Ahmad bin Farres, the scholar and lexicographer of Arabic language was born near the city of Qazvin in Iran. He traveled widely in Iran and Iraq for higher studies and earned prominence in jurisprudence, hadith, grammar, literature and poetry. He died in Rayy (presently a suburb of Tehran) in 395 AH at the age of 70 and was buried there. He trained many scholars, and among his works, mention could be made of "as-Sahabi fi Fiqh", "Maqayees al-Lugha", and "Asbab al-Ishtehad".

886 lunar years ago, on this day in 552 AH, Sultan Moiz od-Din Ahmad Sanjar bin Malik Shah bin Alp Arsalan, died, and with him the Seljuqid Empire in Central Asia, Iran, and Iraq, came to its end after 120 years of domination by this Turkic tribe. A branch of the Seljuqs, however, survived in Anatolia (modern Turkey), and northern parts of Syria for another 150 years. Sanjar died in captivity of the Oghuz Turks in the Khorasani city of Merv (in present day Turkmenistan) three years after suffering a heavy defeat at the hands of the infidel Qara Khitai Turks at the Battle of Qatawan near Samarqand. The Seljuq Turks, who overthrew the Ghaznawid Turks in Khorasan and then wiped out the Daylamite Persian dynasty in Iran and Iraq, had adopted Persian culture and language, and were patrons of Iranian poets.

570 solar years ago, on this day in 1447 AD, the 8th Ottoman Sultan, Bayezid II, was born to Mohammad II, the conqueror of Constantinople. He ascended the throne in 1481 and during his 31-year rule which ended in 1512 with his overthrow by his son, Selim I, and death a few months later, he consolidated the Empire. Though he defeated a joint army of Croatia and Hungary at the Battle of Krbava in 1393, and in 1501 conquered the whole of Peloponnese Peninsula from the Venetians, he has earned lasting notoriety for betraying the aspirations of the Muslims of Spain, starting inter-Muslim warfare with the Mamluk Dynasty of Egypt-Syria, and picking up a quarrel with the Safavid Empire of Iran by ordering massacre of followers of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). In 1485, he invaded Mamluk-controlled southern Anatolia instead of concentrating on European campaigns, much to the relief of Spanish Christians besieging the Emirate of Granada, the last stronghold of Muslims in Iberia or Andalus, which fell in 1492 and whose ruler had appealed to the Mamluks for help. The 6-year Ottoman-Mamluk War ended in 1491 with the boundaries remaining unchanged, following two heavy defeats suffered by Bayezid’s forces. In 1492, Bayezid sent his navy under Admiral Kemal Reis to evacuate Jews from Spain and resettle them throughout the Ottoman Empire. He issued a farman to the provincial governors to give them a friendly reception, threatening with death all those who treated the Jews harshly or refused them admission. On the advice of Moses Capsali, a Jewish friend, Bayezid imposed a tax upon the rich to ransom Jews from persecution in Europe. Under his rule, Jews enjoyed a cultural flourishing, with the presence of such scholars as the Talmudist Mordecai Comtino and the liturgical poet Menahem Tamar. In his last year in power, he opened up hostilities with the local Qizilbash Turks of Anatolia as a provocation against the rising power of Shah Ismael of Iran.

419 lunar years ago, on this day in 1019 AH, Mohammad Ibn Hakim, known as Chang Ji Mai in Chinese language, was born in the Iranian city of Isfahan. His ancestors were from Samarqand (presently in Uzbekistan), and at the age of 9, along with his uncle, he migrated to China. Chang Ji Mai taught Islamic sciences as well as Arabic and Persian literature in China and trained talented students in different fields. The Grand Mosque of Ji Nien is his masterpiece. He is known as a great scholar and interpreter of the holy Qur'an in China.

145 solar years ago, on this date in 1872 AD, a translation from cuneiform tablets of the ancient Chaldean account of the Great Deluge, discovered in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) was read by George Smith before the Society of Biblical Archaeology in London, causing sensation, since this predated the Jewish account of the Great Flood by several centuries. Smith had pieced together fragments of tablets at the British Museum brought from Ninevah. This is now known as the eleventh tablet of the Gilgamesh epic. The most reliable account of the Great Deluge or Flood that occurred in the days of Prophet Noah, is given in the holy Qur'an – God's Final Revelation to mankind. According to historical evidence, Kufa in Iraq was Noah's hometown with the exact location of his house being what is now the Grand Mosque of Kufa – the 3rd holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina – from where the flood waters started. The sinners drowned, while Noah and the faithful aboard the Ark were saved. It is interesting to note that an ancient plaque found on Mount Ararat in the Caucasus where Noah's Ark came to rest, is being kept at the Moscow Museum in Russia. Written in a now extinct Semitic language, its contents have been deciphered by scholars who say it is a supplication to the One and Only God invoking the names of five holy personages – Hmda, Eiliya, Batoula, Shabara, and Shubayra, which Islamic scholars point out are a reference to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), Imam Ali (AS), Hazrat Fatema Zahra (SA), Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Husain (AS), whose names, as the Chosen Ones of God, were invoked by all Prophets since Adam, including Moses and Jesus (peace upon them).

133 solar years ago, on this day in 1884 AD, India’s first president, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, was born in Siwan district of Bihar State. His father was a scholar of both the Persian and Sanskrit languages, and despite being a Hindu, placed his five-year-old son under the tutelage of an accomplished Muslim scholar to learn the Urdu and Persian languages, as well as arithmetic. After obtaining MA in economics, he joined the Indian National Congress in 1911 for struggle against British colonial rule, and was soon elected chairman of the party. Following India’s independence in 1947 and establishment of republican system in 1950, he was elected as the country’s first president, a post which he retained for 12 years until his death in office.

123 solar years ago, on this day in 1894 AD, Scottish writer, Robert Louis Stevenson, died in Samoa in the Pacific Ocean at the age of 44. He was the author of such works as “Treasure Island”, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, “The Master of Ballantrae”, and “Kidnapped”.

107 solar years ago, on this day in 1910 AD, modern neon lighting was first demonstrated by Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show.

106 solar years ago, on this day in 1911 AD, the Iraq-based ulema of Iran decided to migrate to Tehran to save the country from colonialist plots, following a Russian ultimatum to the elected Majlis to dismiss American lawyer William Morgan Shuster, from his post as Treasurer-General, or face war. Following triumph of the Constitutional Movement, Shuster, as a representative of an independent and emerging country, was appointed by the Majlis to improve Iran’s financial position which the weak Qajarid monarchy had mortgaged to the two colonialist powers, Britain and Russia. When the Majlis, encouraged by the support of the ulema, rejected the Russian ultimatum, Russia invaded and occupied the northern parts of Iran. Meanwhile, Shaikh Abdullah Mazandarani, who along with Ayatollah Akhound Khorasani and others, was all set to travel to Iran, suddenly died under suspicious conditions in Iraq (believed to be poisoning by colonialist agents), thereby disrupting the planned migration to Tehran. Under Russian and British pressure, and against the will of the Majlis, Shuster was dismissed. On returning to the US, he wrote a scathing indictment of Russian and British meddling in the affairs of Iran, titled “The Strangling of Persia”.

98 solar years ago, on this day in 1919 AD, acclaimed French painter, Auguste Renoir, passed away at the age of 78. He was one of the pioneers of the Impressionist Movement in painting.

73 lunar years ago, on this day in 1366 AH, the jurisprudent Ayatollah Seyyed Hussain Tabatabaie Qomi, passed away at the age of 84 in holy Najaf, Iraq. Born in holy Qom, after completing his religious studies in his hometown and Tehran, he left for Iraq to pursue higher religious sciences at the famous seminary of holy Najaf. He then moved to Samarra, and on the invitation of the people of holy Mashhad came to this city in Khorasan catering to the spiritual needs of the local people. His egalitarian views came into conflict with the repressive policies of the British-installed and US-backed Pahlavi regime, which exiled him to Iraq. He wrote several books such as “Zakhirat-al-Ebad wa Tareeq an-Nejat”.

46 solar years ago, on this day in 1971 AD, India and Pakistan fought their 3rd and last war that ended 13 days later with the surrender of Pakistani forces to the Indian army on the eastern frontier in East Pakistan, which became the new country of Bangladesh.

38 solar years ago, on this day in 1979 AD, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Constitution was ratified following overwhelming majority of votes, cast by the people. The Constitution determines the principal policies of the country based on Islamic teachings and values, social justice, and human rights. In 1989, an amendment to the Constitution took place following its ratification by the Guardian Council and vote of approval by the people.

33 solar years ago, on this day in 1984 AD, a major catastrophe occurred in the central Indian city of Bhopal following leakage of chemical gases from the US-run Union Carbide factory, resulting in the immediate death of some 4,000 people, mostly Muslims, and injuries to some 600,000 others, of which some 6,000 later died from their injuries in one of the worst industrial disasters in history. Over 40 tons of highly poisonous MIC gas leaked out of the pesticide factory around midnight, enveloping an area of 40 sq km, and causing acute breathlessness, pain in the eyes and vomiting to the people. Poison clouds hung close to the ground for more than four hours. To date the victims have not been adequately compensated, although the US says it paid money to India in 1989. Many believe the leakage was deliberate to see how many people would be affected and to what degrees.

31 solar years ago, on this day in 1986 AD, following the call of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), for bolstering of defence forces on the frontlines of the war imposed by the US through Saddam of Iraq’s repressive Ba’th minority regime, tens of thousands of volunteers registered nationwide, vowing their resolve for jihad and martyrdom for protection of the Islamic Republic. The result was formation of the elite “Mohammad Rasoulollah Corps” which created panic in the hearts of the enemies of Islamic Iran.

30 solar years ago, on this day in 1987 AD, Iran test-fired its first ballistic surface-to-surface missile during the US-imposed war on the Islamic Republic of Iran through Saddam’s repressive Ba’th minority regime. It was a major stride for the defence industries following years of sanctions on purchase of weapons from abroad during the 8-year unequal war, in which the Islamic Republic was fighting virtually the whole world – the Capitalist West and the Communist East. Soon, Iran started mass producing ballistic missiles, and now has an arsenal of highly advanced missiles of various categories– surface, air, marine – far longer in range, faster in speed, and accurate on targets.

AS/MG