Date:	Sunday, August 2, 2009
Time:	11:00am - 5:00pm
Location:	Islamic Centre of England (Nearest Tube Station: Kilburn Park)
Street:	140 Maida Vale W9 1QB
City/Town:	London, United Kingdom

Phone:	00447817549140
Email:	khaidri@hotmail.com

On Sunday 2nd August 2009, a conference will be held at the Islamic Centre of England to mark the 21st anniversary since the martyrdom of Martyr Arif Hussain Al-Hussaini.

Martyr Arif Hussain Al-Hussaini was born in the Kurram Agency, Pakistan on 25th November 1946. He received his primary education and thereafter he went to Najaf for further studies.

While Shaheed Hussaini was studying in Najaf, Imam Khomeini (RA) was also living in Najaf in exile. He was one of the commendable few who would attend the lectures and notably prayed in the front row of the congregational prayers behind Imam Khomeini (RA) undeterred by the harassment, increased vigilance and monitoring that he would face.

In response to peoples? advice to distance himself from Imam Khomeini (RA), he delivered the following inspirational reply:

..We are amongst those who say ?Labaik" to the call of ?Hul Min Nasirun Yansuruna" by our Imam (AS). We are in search of truth and we support every movement for truth and justice wherever it is in the world. This is our duty. Pray that this son of Zahra (SA) remains safe from the enemies while trying to spread his message. Remember that if anything happens to this leader, God forbid, then for many years, no scholar will be able to rise to speak against the tyranny. If he succeeds in his endeavour, God willing, then it will be a victory for Islam, and once again the value of the scholars will greatly improve. So repent to Allah and throw such cowardly and evil thoughts from your heart.?

In 1973, Shaheed Hussaini briefly returned to his hometown of Parachinar. Thereafter, when he tried to return to Najaf in 1974 he was declined entry due to his involvement with Imam Khomeini (RA). He decided to continue his religious studies in Qom, where he studied Principles of Faith, Philosophy, Jurisprudence, Theology and History under some of the renowned teachers of the Hawza Institution, namely Ayatullah Waheed Khorasani, Ayatullah Shaheed Murtadha Mutahhari, Ayatullah Makarem Shirazi and Ayatullah Tabrizi.

Concerned about the worsening situation in Pakistan, Shaheed Hussaini decided to return to Pakistan and initially strived to remind the Shias of the Islamic principles that must be followed. In his speeches, he emphasized the importance of segregation of men and women, and the observance of the Hijab by women.
He also uncovered America?s intentions to disconnect all Shia centres with the Islamic revolution, for they feared its spread all over the world especially in areas like Parachinar which had an all-shia population and could be easily be influenced by Iran. Shaheed Hussaini acted preemptively by setting up the Alamdar foundation comprising of around 1200 area youths to defend the area, and the Shaheed Foundation to help the families of martyrs.

With the president at the time, General Zia ul Haq, enforcing his biased policies against Shias, which led to their massacre in the thousands, there was a need to converge the Shia population of Pakistan under one platform. For this very purpose the Tehreek Nifaaz Fiqh Jaaferiya (TNFJ) was established, and in 1984 Shaheed Hussaini was named as its new leader. Soon after, Imam Khomeini (RA) issued a written statement announcing Shaheed Hussaini as his representative in Pakistan. On witnessing the popular support for him, General Zia ul Haq?s government implemented a two-phase campaign against the Shias. In the first phase, the mourning processions for the martyred grandson of the Holy Prophet of Islam, Imam Al-Hussain (AS) were interrupted and incidents of firing occurred. In the second phase, discriminatory laws were passed against the Shias of Pakistan. However, their efforts failed, and Shaheed Hussaini continued to speak against the dictator, and the corrupt system of the country.

Shaheed Quaid understood fully that the vision of Pakistan, as a true Islamic state could never be fulfilled unless unity among different sects of Muslims was achieved. So with the demand to change the system, he started to strive for unity among Muslims.

?Shi'as and Sunnis should keep their historic differences in limits because they are not enemies of each other. America, Russia and Israel are their mutual enemies. It is no matter to them if we are Shi'as or Sunnis; they wanted to destroy Islam. So in such circumstances, we should set aside our differences, and we should strive together to counter enemies of Islam" (Shaheed Hussaini, 1984).

As a leader, Shaheed Quaid Allama Arif ul Hussain Al Hussaini visited country wide and introduced Imam Khomeini?s (RA) thoughts to the masses. He firmly believed that the only solution to problems faced by the Islamic world is to follow the way of Imam Khomeini (RA)".

On 13th Jan, 1986, when the President of Iran, Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei visited Pakistan, Shaheed Quaid Allama Arif ul Hussain Al Hussaini welcomed him with his thousands of supporters, not as President of Iran, but as the representative of Imam Khomeini (RA).

With the increasing support for Shaheed Hussaini throughout Pakistan, the corrupt government of Pakistan resorted to their last cowardly attempt to bring down their main opponent. August 5, 1988 recorded a tragic day when Shaheed Arif Hussain Al-Hussaini, was killed in Peshawar, Pakistan. After the morning prayers in the mosque, two gunmen came in to the Mosque. As they saw him coming downstairs, one of the assailants fired immediately but he only fired one bullet which pierced his heart. After his arrest, the one who fired revealed that he wanted to fire more bullets but his right hand paralyzed instantaneously as he couldn't move his fingers and his right hand is still paralyzed. Both of the attackers managed to run away but later they were arrested. Maulana Jawwad Hadi was the first to see him lying in his own blood. They took him to a nearby hospital but he breathed his last in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.

At the age of 42, Shaheed Arif ul Hussain Al Hussaini left us to meet his absolute creator. Five children of Shaheed Hussaini and a nation were orphaned.

In September of 2008, Ali Al-Hussaini, the second eldest son of Shaheed Hussaini became a victim of an explosion that occurred in Parachinar, Pakistan. Fortunately he survived, but is unable to walk as both legs are paralyzed. Many similar incidents have recently taken place and are likely to happen in the foreseeable future.
To raise awareness of the current situation in Pakistan and worldwide, a Martyrs of Islam conference is being held at the Islamic Centre of England on Sunday 2nd August 2009

Time: 11:00am - 5:00pm
Location: Islamic Centre of England (Nearest Tube Station: Kilburn Park)
Street: 140 Maida Vale W9 1QB
City/Town: London, United Kingdom
Phone: 07817549140