From All Walks of Life: The 10th Day

Nour Rida

From all the walks of life, they joined hands and effort to spread the words and teachings of Imam Hussein. Addressing all the peoples of the world, they introduce the traits of this treasure personality, who fought for peace and justice.
Under the name "The 10th Day", activists of Mohebban al-Mahdi Youth Foundation based in Manchester, UK, started a wide campaign to say "Life is Hussein".

Sayyed Raza Naqvi, Chairman of Mohebban Youth Foundation, said that in 2012, the foundation decided to embark on a movement to inform and educate the general public on one of the leading figures in history: Hussein the son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, and grandson of the Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (pbut).

In an interview with al-Ahed news, Sayyed Naqvi explained "Using the inspirational story from the tragic event of the battle of Karbala in Iraq, our foundation identified a universal message which should be delivered to the whole of mankind regardless of religion, color, or creed."

"Hussein stood up for fundamental human rights and the notion of justice, freedom and equality for all. He was a champion of truth, a beacon of humility, and a guardian of the epitome of moral standards," the chairman added.
With such a powerful legacy to communicate, the 10th Day project faced initial hurdles with funding and having unsuccessful discussions with the local Council, according to the foundation member.
 
The effort and dedication of our volunteers was reflected in their ability to get high profile individuals such as Members of Parliament on board with the project, recounted Naqvi.

Asked about the practical outcome of the campaign, Sayyed Naqvi pointed out that hard work paid off with the campaign piloting around the campus of Manchester University and surrounding areas including the city Centre. The outcome was as follows:

"Bus stops were transformed; lamp post flags were erected in the streets, and phone booths were decorated with the message of Hussain. With the word quickly spreading, the 10th Day became more popular which thankfully led to further support from the local community in funding and promotion. Now in 2013, the 10th Day is back, and stronger than ever," he elaborated.

More volunteers joined the campaign, and with the efforts, technical support and funding multiplying, Sayyed Naqvi said "more flags and the new bus advertisements were put, the 10th Day awareness campaign is successfully spreading important lessons from the battle of Karbala, and the principles and values embodied within Hussein."

All this pours with the sincere intention of transporting the message of Hussein to the streets of Manchester and beyond.

"This is only the start of our exciting campaign, and our initial success is only a small indication of what we can achieve in the future. In years to come we will be embarking on a journey to raise awareness of Hussein in every corner of the globe, leaving a positive impact on society as a whole," he went on to say.

When debuting such an initiative, it is normal to be apprehensive about how it will be interpreted, and to see how people will respond to the campaign.
However, the chairman underlined "We are lucky to have had incredible feedback form people not only in the UK but also internationally. People want to know more about Hussein, also how to get involved in the project and have a similar campaign set up in their home town or city.

He iterated "We have also had a fantastic response regarding our merchandise such as hoodies. Seeing this only confirmed to us the scope of Hussein's message, and the evident need in our society to find an individual who can inspire us to stand for justice."

As for the role of social media, the foundation member asserted that "Recognizing the power of social media in this day and age, we were eager to use this means as a vehicle to further take our campaign to the masses."

He further added "With the use of sites such as facebook, twitter and Instagram, we have been able to post pictures and details of the 10th Day publicly on a platform which reaches hundreds of thousands of people. Subsequently, this has also allowed us to see members of the public contact us with their own pictures and messages of support from the campaign. We have been receiving endless amounts of retweets and likes from people all over the world including high profile individuals. Our advertisement on the streets of Manchester is one thing, but seeing the 10th Day being communicated internationally has been phenomenal."

Concerning the reaction on the ground, Sayyed Naqvi elaborated that in Manchester, there is a buzz on the streets with people looking twice and taking pictures of our flags and posters in and around the Centre of Manchester.
"We've had many people from a range of backgrounds asking what is the 10th Day? What happened? Who did it involve? These are precisely the type of questions which we've wanted to initiate which has led to a consequent surge in visitors to our website and social media accounts to find out more information. Because the story of the incident in Karbala is so tragic, it has easily gripped captured the hearts of people in Manchester."

Despite holding the name "the 10th Day" yet the bus advertisements and flags will be present for a month after the 10th Day of Muharram dubbed Ashoura.
Also, the chairman accentuated that the campaign will continue throughout the year on the internet and via our social network sites.

"We hope to create an even bigger physical presence in Manchester next year when we will once again commemorate the event of the 10th Day," he wished.
Prior to 2012, Manchester never had a campaign such as the 10th Day hit its streets. It is just the tip of the iceberg, as Sayyed Naqvi believes "this is only the beginning of the road for us, and we hope to continue in our efforts and potentially spread the legacy of Hussein and the campaign itself in other cities not only in the UK but around the world."

Source: Al-Ahed news