Shia Strength: [MahdiUniteMuslims] Mumbai Bohras breathe new life into Iraq shrine

Sunday, March 21, 2010

[MahdiUniteMuslims] Mumbai Bohras breathe new life into Iraq shrine - Times of India

Mumbai Bohras breathe new life into Iraq shrine

Kartikeya | TNN

Kufa (Iraq): A sprinkling of Dawoodi Bohras, with their white and gold pillbox skullcaps, stand out among thousands of pilgrims paying obeisance at one of the holiest Islamic shrines—the Great Mosque at Kufa in Iraq. But hardly anybody among the faithful knows that the small trading community from Mumbai has single-handedly rebuilt the site at the peak of strife in the beleaguered Arab country.
   Residents say the shrine was a rundown and neglected structure thanks to then Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussain's apathy, before Bohras started rebuilding it in 1998. The mosque marks the place where Imam Ali, whom Shiites consider the successor to the Prophet Muhammad, was killed in 661. On the banks of the Euphrates river, Kufa, around 170 km from Baghdad, is one of the five Iraqi cities of great importance to Shiites.
   "They (Bohras) did their job very quietly,'' said Harvard University historian Tamara Chalabi. According to her, the mosque is standing today only due to their work. "They even brought architects and designers for the job,'' said Tamara, Iraqi leader Ahmed Chalabi's daughter.

Bohras had to brave odds to rebuild shrine

Kufa: Bohras, a denomination of Ismaili Shiites of Gujarati descent, have had historical ties running for centuries with Najaf and Karbala, two of the holiest Muslim shrines. The Prophet's grandson, Imam Hussain, was killed in the epic battle of Karbala in 680. The giant courtyard of the Kufa mosque, which the Bohras have rebuilt, is entirely made of gleaming white marble carted from Makrana in Rajasthan, while its golden domes and intricate blue carvings testify to the centuries-old shrine's recent makeover. The mosque was refurbished in 2009 and has since attracted thousands of pilgrims from across the world. The sanctum, where Imam Ali prayed, is brightly lit with huge chandeliers and covered with ornate carpets.
   When Bohras floated the idea of rebuilding the mosque, Saddam was still in power and the 11-year project only got difficult after the 2003 American invasion. "People don't understand how difficult it was to work during Saddam's regime,'' Harvard University historian Tamara Chalabi said. The Bohras got around the politics by maintaining an extremely low profile and worked mostly through the local government in Najaf and avoided getting into controversies or trouble with officials in Baghdad. Tamara said one of the grandest mosques in the Arab world, which holds a special place in the heart of every Shiite, wouldn't have been possible without the material and manpower support from India.
   The most trying times for the project came after the second US invasion, which was followed by the worst sectarian strife in the country that left hundreds dead. The highway to Najaf often witnessed brutal bloodletting in which dozens of pilgrims were killed in suicide and roadside bombing. The highway was the scene of the most recent attack on March 6, 2010. But even amidst all this, the Bohra volunteers continued to work. The signs of the strife are visible along the highway. The road is lined with burnt cars and buses and Iraqi army soldiers carrying automatic rifles patrol every corner along the highway.