Reflections on Baqee

[Naqi Haider]

Salaams all,

First I'd like to congratulate the organizers for their successful work around Baqee. I was impressed by the coordination between communities this year. The branding and messaging has really improved over the past 5 years and should be recognized.  Here are some of my thoughts regarding Baqee and organizing around it

• Educating our own community: The narrative around Baqee is unclear within our own community.  For example we sight the destruction that occurred in the 1920s but not the earlier destruction that 1800s. We should have a clear understanding of the history surrounding the destruction. The global outcry that occurred in the 1920s and any historical accounts for the 1800s. This is important because the tombs were rebuilt by the Ottomans after the 1800s and this fact could be of strategic value for future rebuilding efforts.

• Having a variety of stake holders interested in Baqee: Baqee could gain support form: human rights organizations, architectural heritage foundations, and UNSECO (however to get world heritage status one needs support from the host country) 
  

• Contextualizing Baqee for the modern non-Muslim audience:  we need a strategy to make Baqee a mainstream issue. This could mean contextualizing it for the general public with the recent events in Palmyra and the destruction of the Baymina.  These events need to be conflated and written about in op-Eds and articles.
  

• Contextualizing Baqee for the non-Shia audience: We need a strategy to make allies within the Sunni community who could can address the issue of Baqee and speak to it's importance for their own community members.  

• Encouraging Academic work on Baqee: I have done a comprehensive literature search on Baqee and there are only a hand full of articles written on the topic in academic journals. There are some historical accounts from westerns personal narratives form the 1800s and news paper clippings in English/French/German from the 1800s. We need to encourage PhD students in history/ architecture/ law/ human-rights to write their dissertations on Baqee. This will help the lay down the intellectual work required for eventual reconstruction. This would require a method to fund such such research.
  

• Baqee in light of Geo-politics of Turkey and Iran: Turkey has historical and geopolitical reasons to support the cause the of Baqee. We need a geo-political strategy that balances the interests of Iran with Turkey. If Turkey puts international pressure on Saudi it will be seen as more legitimate than if Iran was to do the same. 
  

• Having a long term plan: I think we need to have a 25-50 year plan. In my reading I came across the case of Hurva Synagouge that was destroyed in 1721, was rebuilt in 1864, destroyed again and rebuild again in 2010. We should look at this as a case study. Over the course of 300 years the combination of a ideological and economic framework led to the Synagouge being consistently rebuilt. We need to have similar approach if we want to see Baqee re-built. 
  

I would like to thank the organizers for there work. Hope my humble reflections are of some use.

w/Duas

Naqi

On Mon, Jul 10, 2017 at 11:54 PM, 'Ali Naquvi' via American Council for Freedom in Bahrain <ACFBa...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Yes, I am in touch with the organizers and also introduced them to a non-Muslim activist who was able to fill-in at short notice, as one of their speakers was denied a visa. I also wrote the press release for the event, so I am plenty proactive but you know that already :) My response was to your praise of Urdu speeches at a protest, which I don't agree with, as the audience is largely English-speaking Americans. I'm also aware that they have retained an international human rights lawyer, inshallah that proves successful.

I do think public criticism of community organizations is important, especially when we seem to be making the same mistakes every year. These are not personal attacks but issues of importance to all of us, so public commentary should be allowed, not silenced.

If you do come across any media coverage, please do send along to all of us.

Best,

Ali

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On Monday, July 10, 2017, 7:15:39 PM EDT, Wizarat Rizvi <wiz...@gmail.com> wrote:

Yes there were a couple of speeches in Urdu, one by FSA, but majority of the speeches were in English. It would be nice to be proactive than to talk about it in these forums. It would help to provide your feedback directly to the organisers to improve the program. They have these once a year and have even retained an attorney to file legal briefs against the Saudis at the UN as a starter. If you have suggestions feel free to reach out to Kumail/Sajjad etc and get involved with them to improve the program.

Wizarat

On Mon, Jul 10, 2017 at 5:43 PM, 'Ali Naquvi' via American Council for Freedom in Bahrain <ACFBa...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Thanks, Wizarat Uncle. I did hear there was quite a few media outlets there but was looking for links to articles or videos of news reports to spread on social media. Please do provide if you or anyone else have any.

I also don't think Urdu speeches are effective in such a setting, no matter how high profile the speaker is.

Best,

Ali

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On Monday, July 10, 2017, 4:37:10 PM EDT, Wizarat Rizvi <wiz...@gmail.com> wrote:

Yes. the media was there and we had close to 5000 participants there in the Protest March.

FRA (Senator Faisal Raza Abidi) did a remarkable job in his short speech as usual.

However I agree that we should have more participation from all corners of our community.

Wizarat Rizvi

On Mon, Jul 10, 2017 at 3:25 PM, GULAMHUSAIN AHMED <gahm...@msn.com> wrote:

Salams Ali

I don’t know if media was there – there was Duniya Pakistani TV, and am not sure who else

In retrospect I think we all and the baqee org need to work together to re define the role of this org and how we climb to the next level

We know how to organize the protest – been doing it for a decade -  we have the people’s attention – now what next to Serve our Imam e Zamana

We need strategic thought,  add other non-Desi shia groups  (can’t count on other Muslims)  and also recast this as a world heritage site problem to get traction from non Muslim  e.g. unesco bodies etc.

Pray Insha’Allah our Imam helps us

With salams and duas  and salams to your Dad

Gulamhusain

 

From: 'Ali Naquvi' via American Council for Freedom in Bahrain [mailto:ACFBahrain@ googlegroups.com]
Sent: Monday, July 10, 2017 3:14 PM
To: ACFBa...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Yawme Gham/ Baqee protest in Washington Monday 3 July = 8th Shavval

 

Wasalaam and Eid Mubarak, thank you for this. Do you know if there was any media coverage? Without that, it is largely ineffective.

Best,

Mohammad Ali

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On Monday, July 10, 2017, 12:21:03 PM EDT, GULAMHUSAIN AHMED <gahm...@msn.com> wrote:

Salaams,

It is now 94 years since Baqee was destroyed. In 6 years it will be a century. We need to continue to raise our voices to the highest level so leaders round the world should hear us and take action against the Saudis.

We participated in the annual protest in Washington DC at the Saudi embassy at 1 pm and then marched to White Hosue to protest till 5 pm. It is reported that over 1000 people participated, by some reports 2,200. It was hot and humid at 93deg F.  The demonstration was led by ulema from America, Canada and UK.  Also present were Shahid Baltistani and Farhan Ali Waris.  May Allah SWT accept our ibada, ameen.   The baqee organization based in Chicago did a wonderful job to organize. Their effort is overwhelming. http://baqee.org/   

Please see the pics and videos below and circulate them widely.   Please also check out google and facebook for more news on these demonstrations around the world.

With Salams an duas,

(Babu)  Gulamhusain Ahmed   Allentown PA

               

 

             

  

 

Baqi Rally    https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=zw36x3d0jgs       watch  4.45  and 29.12  and 47 mins

 

https://www.facebook.com/ baqeeorg/    see videos belwo    the pics above are from the 2 videos below

 

https://www.facebook.com/ jannat.albaqee/videos/ 655744971291118/

 

https://www.facebook.com/ jannat.albaqee/videos/ 655681257964156/

 

 

 

 

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[Nasir Husain]

ASAK Naqi,

Baqee organizers are consistently improving and striving to make it very effective. Your suggestions and reflections are precious and I am sure these will be a valuable guidance for the organizing team.

I sincerely thank you and all others who helped or participated for the cause of Alhle Baith AS and hope we will not need a long term plan as current Saudi regime continues to nose dive into oblivion.  We pray to build the sacred shrine by our own hands soon inshallah.

However, the points you mention will be very helpful in near and long term planning. We are thankful to Souls March and ACF Bahrain for their help and look forward to have their support for any future event.

Wassalam,

Nasir Husain

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[syed-mohsin naquvi]

Dear Naqi,

This is a brilliant write up and a very comprehensive analysis of the situation vis-a-vis Baqee and what could and should be done about it.

If the community can come together on this on issue and work in a united way, taking such a holistic approach, I am certain we will bring about a change.

Let us work on it.

Thank you

Sincerely,

Syed-Mohsin Naquvi

==========================

[Syed Rizvi]

In complete concurrence with Naqi’s brilliant ideas and appreciating as Mashallah Baqee did a fantastic job this year.

An additional thought  is collection of all clippings of such demonstrations and symposia held in many different parts of the world. I saw many on social media, depicting even Hindu leaders in India and Sunnis in Pakistan coming together for the cause.

 

Regards

W

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[Naqi Haider]

Ws'salaam,

Thank you for your feedback.

In my spare time I have been putting together historical resources regarding Baqee. 

I have attached an article form: Journal of the American Oriental Society (1930) titled Ibn Jubayr's Visit to Al-Medina.

Ibn Jubayr's travel journals from approximately 1083 A.D. describe Baqee at that time and what the tombs looked like.

The article also includes a map of Masjid al-Nabawi of how it was structured in ~1083 AD.

The article is short. It would be valuable to anyone interested in History of Baqee to look into Ibn Jubayr's manuscripts. I am not sure if they are available or have been reproduced.

Best

Naqi

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