Article:
I certainly agree with you....zanjeer maatam has always been a very difficult subject...I fail to understand its meaning...If outsiders are shown our zanjeer maatam...i believe many of them if not all will certainly not like to join our faith...Its unfortunately "the" ritual that sometimes i personally believe put us off track of the real meaning/goal of shiaism....I wonder sometimes whether we the shia do understand the scarifice of Imam Hussain(as).....He certainly did not go through the Karbala Tragedy so that we his followers will for rest of our times cut ourselves into bleeding......May Allah give us strenght and wisdom to know what is right and shun from what is wrong....

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Replying to Original Article:

Very briefly, this is my personal view. As a person who grew up doing a lot of zanjeer maatam, i feel that this should not be shown on the web. Self-flagellation and bleeding does not portray our love from Imam Husain (A.S.) any more than lamentation or even better, spreading the message of Imam and Kerbala to others.




We tend to get very emotional during these 50 days till Chehlum (& then we lose our interest and energy in religion till next Muharram). We treat this as a seasonal thing but the message that Imam Husain (A.S.) left us in Kerbala is anything but seasonal.




Another negative about portraying these images or video clips on the web is that, they show as cold, may be even ruthless individuals who will shed our (or as the media sees it, others') blood easily.




Besides, there are other recent issues like aids that do not make this practice entirely safe or acceptable everywhere. As a matter of fact, Islamic Republic of Iran has banned zanjeer maatam since 1997. Also, the blood that is shed during zanjeer maatam can be better utilized in saving a human being. Let's donate blood. What better way to spread the message of Imam than by saving a life?




Again this is an entirely personal viewpoint and other people have a right to differ.