Thousands are expected to march in Dearborn on Sunday, June 26, at an annual event for Shia Muslims that illustrates the growth of a faith community that remembers its traditions through prayers, services, and public processions.
Ashura has been celebrated for decades in metro Detroit, but in recent years, it has grown in size, with packed services and bigger outdoor processions in Dearborn and Detroit. Over the past two weeks, Shia Muslims have gathered inside mosques and community centers for recitations and mournful ceremonies remembering the tragic death of a Muslim leader in the 7th century who fought an unjust ruler.
Although a time of mourning, when worshippers weep together during nightly services, the sacred days also celebrate community as many come together to cook meals and distribute food. Some Shias donate their time and services, such as medical care, to the needy during a 10-day period that begins on the first day of the Islamic New Year and ends 10 days later on Ashura, which fell this year on Thursday, June 25.
The annual Ashura procession on Sunday starts at 10 am at Fordson High School and will head west on Ford Road to Ford Woods Park, where there will be religious ceremonies that include chants, speeches and rhythmic swaying. Numerous flags of various colors will be waved with Arabic-language writing on them that praises Imam Hussain, a grandson of Islam’s prophet who was slain in battle. The gathering starts at 9:30 am in front of the school.
The Ashura procession is organized by the Ashura Project, which is part of the Taha Foundation, a nonprofit based in Dearborn Heights. Dearborn city council voted in May to approve the annual march, but has prohibited the flying of helicopters above the procession, which happened in 2024.
The walk is called the “March for Justice” by organizers, which reflects the themes of the sacred holiday. Shias believe the struggle for justice that took place on the battlefield in Iraq in the 7th century lives on today in battles for justice in the present. Shias have faced attacks this year in Iran and Lebanon, as the U.S. and Israel struck sites in the two nations. Some link the historical battles with the battles today against rulers they see as unjust, such as Israeli leaders. Others link the struggles to fighting for social justice inside America.
“We mourn what happened to Imam Hussein … knowing that the responsibility is today to ensure that we stand with every oppressed individual in this world against every oppressor, and with that comes the responsibility to engage,” Abbas Alawieh of Dearborn, a state Senate candidate, said during Ashura services on Thursday at the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn Heights. “His example is a call to act,” Alawieh added in a post on Instagram.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a rising politician in the Democratic Party who is Shia Muslim and attends Ashura services, brought national attention to Ashura with a post on X on June 25 that read, in part: “Today, on the 10th day of Muharram, we are reminded of Imam Hussain’s unwavering commitment to truth and dignity. His timeless legacy reminds us of the enduring values of faith, service to one another, and the belief that justice is always worth fighting for.”
Muharram refers to the first month of the Islamic calendar, and its first 10 days are a mourning period for Shias that ends with Ashura.
The Mainstay Foundation, a Dearborn nonprofit, was held from June 15-27 at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center in Dearborn in what it called the world’s first Muharram Convention, drawing visitors for daily services and lectures.
The annual Ashura procession started in 2013, organized by Lebanese American leaders. Except for a couple of years during the COVID pandemic, the walk has been held every year. There’s also an Arbaeen procession in Dearborn by Shia Muslims that takes place about a month after Ashura. The attendance at the processions appears to be larger than at older parades that take place in Detroit, such as the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, reflecting the growth of immigrant communities.
“Imam Hussein, his message, and his legacy are a legacy for all times,” said Sayed Saleh Qazwini of the Muslim Educational Community Center of America, a mosque in Canton. “The message of Imam Hussein does not die. … His stance on the day of Ashura was to preserve Islam, his stance was to preserve human dignity and honor.”
Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com, X @nwarikoo or Facebook @nwarikoo
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ashura holiday events grow in Michigan with march, services, prayers
Reporting by Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
