UN Security Adviser Visits Imam Husain (AS) Shrine in Karbala: 'Even Christians' Find Inspiration

Worshippers pray beneath chandeliers inside a Shia holy shrine.

KARBALA, Iraq — A senior United Nations security official visited the Holy Shrine of Imam Husain (AS) in Karbala on Monday, October 5, and described the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a source of inspiration not only for Muslims, but "even Christians — of whom I am one."

Olga Mokrova, the UN's Senior Security Adviser for Iraq, made the remarks in an interview with Iraq's Non News Agency, as reported by Shafaqna English and the Iraqi Video Agency. According to Karbala Intel, a news site of the Holy Shrine of Imam Husain (AS), the UN delegation also included Ali Hammoud, Director of Security Operations and Information for Iraq; Riyasat Khan, Security Director for the World Food Programme; and Zaid Mohammed Fadhil, UN Security Coordinator for Iraq.

A visit to open channels of cooperation

Mokrova said the purpose of the trip was practical. "Today, we traveled to the city of Karbala to establish cooperation's channels with the United Nations and, through these channels, bring our programs and projects to the cities of Karbala and Najaf," she said, according to Shafaqna.

During the visit, the delegation met Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalaei, a senior cleric at the shrine, inside its holy courtyard. According to the reports, Sheikh al-Karbalaei receives thousands of Iraqis from across the country for several hours each day after prayers, except on Fridays and Tuesdays, to hear their problems and requests. Institutions affiliated with the shrine provide medical, humanitarian, social and financial services to visitors. Karbala Intel reported that he welcomed the delegation and gave an overview of the shrine's history, its major projects and the services it offers pilgrims.

Mokrova said she found him "fulfilling his humanitarian duty and providing services to people" inside the shrine. "I saw wisdom, patience, and gentleness in his manner of speaking," she said. She added that she had asked him "to pray to Almighty God for peace for all the people of this country."

"Today, I had the honor of visiting the holy shrine of Imam Hussain (AS). The name of Imam Hussein is a source of inspiration for Muslims in general, Iraqis in particular, and even Christians — of whom I am one." — Olga Mokrova, UN Senior Security Adviser for Iraq

She also spoke of the shrine as a place of prayer for anyone: "I believe that, in this place, people's messages and supplications reach Almighty God in the shortest possible time. I also believe that anyone who needs to humbly plead and commune with Almighty God should pray in this place."

Shrine attendants care for the sanctuary of a holy tomb.

Who is Imam Husain (AS)?

For readers who are not Muslim, Mokrova's words may raise a natural question: why would a Christian diplomat find inspiration at the tomb of a seventh-century Muslim figure?

Imam Husain ibn Ali (AS) is the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He is the son of Imam Ali (AS) and Lady Fatima al-Zahra (SA), the Prophet's daughter. Shia Muslims honor him as the third Imam, one of the divinely guided leaders who, in Shia belief, carried forward the Prophet's message after him. The Prophet's love for Husain and his elder brother, Imam Hasan (AS), is a cherished part of Shia tradition.

In 680 CE (61 AH), Imam Husain (AS) refused to pledge allegiance to Yazid, a ruler whose reign he regarded as unjust and corrupt. He declared that he had set out to reform the community of his grandfather and to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. On the plains of Karbala, in present-day Iraq, he and a small band of family members and companions, numbering around 72, were surrounded by a far larger army and cut off from water. On the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram, known as Ashura, Imam Husain (AS) and his companions were martyred. The women and children of his family, led by his sister Lady Zaynab (SA), were taken captive, and her sermons kept his message alive.

Ashura, Arbaeen and a message for all people

For Shia Muslims, Karbala is not only a historical tragedy but a living lesson: that standing for truth and justice is worth any sacrifice, and that dignity cannot be surrendered to tyranny. Each year, Shia communities around the world, including here in the United States, commemorate Ashura with gatherings of remembrance known as majalis, recitations and acts of charity.

Forty days after Ashura comes Arbaeen, when millions of pilgrims walk to Karbala, many on foot from Najaf and beyond, in one of the largest annual gatherings on earth. Along the route, local families and volunteers offer free food, water and shelter to strangers, a tradition of hospitality that reflects the values Imam Husain (AS) stood for.

That universal message has long reached beyond the Muslim world. Imam Husain (AS) is remembered by people of many faiths as a symbol of conscience and courage in the face of oppression. Mokrova's remarks in Karbala are a recent example of how his name continues to speak to people across religious lines.

Why it matters

For Shia Muslims in the United States, many of whom have family ties to Iraq or have made the pilgrimage to Karbala, the visit is a reminder that the shrine cities are centers of humanitarian service as well as worship. The interest the UN delegation expressed in bringing programs and projects to Karbala and Najaf is worth following, and the Shia Muslim Foundation will continue to report on developments.

It is also a reminder of what Imam Husain (AS) means to the people who love him: a figure whose stand for justice belongs not to one community alone, but to anyone who seeks to live with dignity, compassion and courage.

Sources: Shafaqna English (Oct. 7, 2026); Karbala Intel (Oct. 8, 2026); Video Agency (Oct. 6, 2026).

SMF and Idara e Jaferia to Host Faith & Mental Health Workshop

BURTONSVILLE, MD — The Shia Muslim Foundation and Idara e Jaferia will host a Faith & Mental Health Workshop on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to noon at Idara e Jaferia in Burtonsville, Maryland.

The workshop will bring together state officials, mental health professionals, and community members for a conversation about coping with tragedy, religious discrimination, and stress through faith and support. Adults, students, and young people in the Shia Muslim community are invited to attend.

For many Shia Muslims, news of wars and suffering abroad comes alongside concerns about religious hatred and discrimination locally. The workshop will provide a space to discuss these pressures, ask questions, and learn about available support and services.

Rahat Husain, Executive Director of Shia Muslim Foundation, said:

“Many people in our community are carrying grief over suffering abroad while also dealing with stress and discrimination here at home. We want to make it easier to talk about those experiences, seek support, and connect with mental health professionals. Faith and community can play an important role in that conversation.”

Featured Speakers

The workshop will feature Dr. Rachel Talley, MD, Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health at the Maryland Department of Health, and Dr. Lora Hargrove, PhD, DMin, MDiv, Director of Faith Outreach at the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives.

Their participation will bring perspectives from Maryland’s behavioral health leadership and faith outreach efforts to the community discussion.

Program and Community Resources

The program will include welcome remarks and introductions, a presentation on faith and mental health, and a panel discussion with community mental health professionals. Resource tables and informational materials will offer information about available services and support.

The conversation will address concerns relevant to adults, students, and young people, with an emphasis on connecting community members with practical resources.

Event Details

• Saturday, October 17, 2026

• 10:00 a.m. to noon

• Idara e Jaferia

• 3140 Spencerville Road

• Burtonsville, MD 20866

Muslim Students Face Disproportionate Religious Discrimination on U.S. College Campuses, New Data Shows

WASHINGTON — Muslim students in the United States are reporting religious discrimination on college campuses at rates substantially higher than students from other religious groups, according to data highlighted in a new higher education resource from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.

The findings are part of ISPU’s “Countering and Dismantling Islamophobia” toolkit, which includes recommendations specifically aimed at universities and colleges. The data point to discrimination involving fellow students, people in positions of authority, institutional practices and restrictions on religious expression.

According to ISPU’s American Muslim Poll 2025, 63 percent of Muslims surveyed reported experiencing religious discrimination during the previous year, compared with 50 percent of Jewish respondents, 27 percent of Protestants, 25 percent of Catholics and 22 percent of religiously unaffiliated respondents. The survey was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago between April 2 and May 8, 2025.

The disparities become particularly pronounced when researchers examine higher education.

Among respondents who said they had experienced religious discrimination, 25 percent of Muslims reported experiencing discrimination while interacting with peers at a university or college. The corresponding figures were 13 percent among Jewish respondents and 6 percent among Protestants.

Nearly another quarter, 24 percent, of Muslims who experienced religious discrimination reported encountering it while dealing with people in positions of authority at their academic institutions, including faculty, administrators or staff, according to ISPU’s university findings.

Muslim students report greater discrimination than Muslim nonstudents

Earlier ISPU research suggests that attending college itself may be associated with greater exposure to religious discrimination among Muslims.

In research based on polling conducted from December 2023 through January 2024, 84 percent of Muslim students in higher education or vocational programs reported experiencing religious discrimination during the preceding year, compared with 66 percent of Muslims who were not students.

The difference was also visible in particular settings. Seventy eight percent of Muslim students reported religious bias from peers, compared with 56 percent of Muslim nonstudents. Sixty eight percent reported discrimination involving people in authority, compared with 50 percent of Muslim nonstudents.

The results indicate that discrimination is not confined to isolated interactions between students. ISPU describes Muslim students as encountering bias from peers, faculty and institutional policies.

Students report pressure to remain silent

Another issue identified by the research is self censorship.

ISPU’s university toolkit, citing research from Muslim Campus Life, reports that 53 percent of Muslim students self censor generally and 69 percent report self censoring when interacting with professors, the highest levels among the religious groups measured.

The finding raises concerns beyond religious accommodation. Students who believe that expressing religious, social or political views could result in academic or professional consequences may choose not to participate fully in classroom discussions or campus activities.

Muslim Campus Life, an organization focused on Muslim experiences in higher education, maintains a national tracker documenting reported incidents involving Islamophobia, anti Muslim racism, anti Arab racism and anti Palestinian racism on college campuses.

Other research points to a broader campus problem

ISPU’s findings are consistent with other recent research examining Muslim students.

A 2024 study by CAIR California surveyed 720 Muslim students attending 87 public and private colleges and universities in California. Nearly half reported experiencing harassment or discrimination on campus during the 2023 to 2024 academic year, an increase from 40 percent in the organization’s previous campus climate study.

Among students who reported harassment or discrimination because of their Muslim identity, 53 percent said their institution’s official statements regarding Palestine and Israel made them feel excluded on campus.

Institutional reviews have documented similar concerns. Harvard University’s 2025 Presidential Task Force on Combating Anti Muslim, Anti Arab and Anti Palestinian Bias reported concerns from Muslim students regarding prayer space, halal food, Ramadan meals and institutional support for Muslim religious life.

Muslim religious spaces have also been targeted

Recent incidents have demonstrated that campus discrimination can extend beyond speech or institutional policy.

During Eid al Fitr in April 2024, the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University was broken into and vandalized. Religious artifacts and other property were damaged. Federal prosecutors subsequently charged a New Jersey man with a federal hate crime involving obstruction of religious practice.

In April 2025, a Muslim prayer room inside a New York University library was vandalized. University officials reported obscene imagery on a wall and urine on prayer mats and publicly condemned the desecration.

These incidents illustrate the range of problems Muslim students may encounter, from interpersonal discrimination and inadequate religious accommodation to attacks on spaces specifically designated for Muslim religious practice.

ISPU calls for institutional action

ISPU’s recommendations for universities and colleges call for campus climate assessments, clear procedures for reporting anti Muslim discrimination, religious accommodations, reviews of policies that may disproportionately affect Muslim students and training for faculty and administrators on Islamophobia and anti Muslim bias.

The toolkit also calls for consistent application of free speech and academic freedom protections and recommends accommodations for Ramadan, Eid, daily prayers and dietary requirements.

The data provide university leaders with measurable evidence that Muslim students’ concerns cannot be treated solely as individual disputes or isolated campus incidents. Across multiple studies, Muslim students report problems involving classmates, faculty, administrators, institutional policies and the ability to practice their faith.

For Muslim civil rights and community organizations, the findings also underscore the importance of documenting incidents and holding institutions accountable to religious freedom and nondiscrimination protections.

The Shia Muslim Foundation encourages Muslim students, families and campus organizations to document incidents of anti Muslim discrimination, preserve relevant communications and use established university reporting procedures when problems occur. Universities should apply their nondiscrimination, religious accommodation and free expression policies consistently to Muslim students and other campus communities.