Understanding SHAHADAT” (Martyrdom) in Shi’a Iran
Dear Friends,
I hope this finds you all well. Since the U.S. - Israel -Iran war started on February 28, 2026, there has been a lot of interest in learning more about the Iranian people, their history, their belief-system, and their thoughts and feelings at this time. At our upcoming meeting on April 28, 2026, the focus of our conversation will be Iran.
The outline of our proposed program is as follows:
Opening Speaker: Azam Saeed will be making a brief presentation on “U. S. Conflict with Iran: A Brief History Recap Since 1953.” Many thanks to Azam for his excellent Notes which are being attached to this announcement. Azam has sent this message to our Group members: “A small number of these bullets will be discussed. People should feel free to throw at me whatever bullets they want to hear about (I have numbered them for easy identification. (20 minutes)
Distinguished Guest Speaker: Dr. Fariba Kashan who is an outstanding educator who has been a Core Member of The Salaam Network from its inception. She will share her personal experience as an Iranian-American watching the devastation in Iran. She will talk about her anxiety regarding her family and friends living in various Iranian cities, about the faith that sustains her and other Iranians, and about the impact of the war on the psyche of the Iranian people engaged in an existential struggle for survival. (30 minutes with 10 minutes for Q & A later).
Personal Testimony: Dr. Dennis Neyman sent 1975-1979 in beautiful Isfahan (About which it is said: “Isfahan Nisf Jahan”- Ishahan is half of the world). He will be talking to us about his memories of his time in Iran. (15 minutes)
There will be Q & A after the three presentations.
A Note about My Paper: I had mentioned in my earlier communication with you that I would write a paper on “Understanding SHAHADAT” (Martyrdom) in Shi’a Iran” which would be in three parts. The focus of Part One would be on relevant events and factors during the early phase of Islamic history from the death of Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE to the Shahadat of Imam Husayn in 680 CE. The focus of Part Two would be Imam Husayn’s journey from Medina to Kufa and the Battle of Karbala in which he along with most members of Prophet Muhammad’s family were besieged and killed by the order of Yazid ibn Mu‘awiyah. The focus of Part Three would be the paradigmatic impact of this massacre on the subsequent history of Muslims (particularly of Shi‘i Muslims)
When I started writing Part One of the paper I began to see a pattern of resistance to injustice, inequality and elite power in the early history of Islam from the time of Prophet Muhammad to the shahadat of Imam Husayn. It seemed to me that it was very important to trace this pattern from 632 CE to 680 CE which involved a longer and deeper review than what I had envisaged at the start of the project. Now that I have a much better idea of the ground which I will cover I think that it will take two meetings to present my findings. I propose to make this presentation in two special meetings on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, and Tuesday, May 19, 2025. For those of you who have not studied Islam in an academic setting, what I hope to offer is a crash course equivalent in substance to a 500-level class. I hope that you will be able to find the time - three hours - needed for taking this class - it will help you understand the heart and spirit of Islam (which means that you will also be able to respond to Islamophobia in various contexts such as in Palestine and Iran). The paper I am writing will be in three parts and as each part is written I will share it with you by email. Please feel free to comment or ask questions.
The zoom link to the upcoming meeting is as follows:
Topic: The Salaam Network's Zoom Meeting
Time: Apr 28, 2026 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87969419710?pwd=LMaJfQai9dQXY3t9ChthVOSofn5Hkh.1
Meeting ID: 879 6941 9710
Passcode: 998533
If anyone is unable to access the link, please call me at 502-426-2979
I look forward to seeing you all on April 28. 2026.
Warm regards,
Riffat Hassan
