A Shiite Muslim man flagellating along with women mourning during the mourning
procession to commemorate the martyrdom Imam Hussein at a Kashmiri Gate
Masjid on November 15, 2013 in New Delhi, India. Muharram is a month of
mourning in remembrance of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet
Muhammad. The month is the first of the twelve months in the Islamic calendar,
thereby marking the Islamic New Year. It is one of the four sanctified months
wherein unlawful acts are strictly prohibited, especially the shedding of
blood. Even the literal meaning of Muharram is haram, which means forbidden.
(Photo by Jasjeet Plaha/Hindustan Times)
