Comments on this article by:

(1) Mirza I Ashraf (2) Dr. Fayyaz Sheikh (3) Dr. Shoeb Amin

(4) Syed  Suhail Rizvi (5) Noor Salik

I read this article in Dawn on 24th of Nov. I discussed this with a friend Dr. Mullazam Khan a well informed moderate shia Muslim, while we were sitting together on 10th of Muharram at a wedding in Watertown. We discussed this article and both believe that this is all fiction. I am really surprised that the editorail board of Dawn would permit the publication of such an article which has no historical standing. What about this:

I must point out to an amazing version of these events that an Indian historian, Chawala, has come up with. It says that one of the wives of Hazrat Imam Husain, the Persian princess Shahr Banu, was the sister of Chandra Lekha or Mehr Banu, the wife of an Indian king Chandragupta. We know that he ruled over Lahore. When it became clear that Yazid ibn Muawiya was determined to eliminate Hussain ibn Ali, the son of Hussain (named Ali) rushed off a letter to Chandragupta asking for assistance. The Mauriyan king, allegedly, dispatched a large army to Iraq to assist. By the time they arrived, the Tragedy of Karbala had taken place.

Chandergupta was of Mauriyan Dynesty who ruled 320-260 BCE. How can a Mauriyan king send help to Imam Hussain when even the Prophet of Islam was born in sixth century CE.

Mirza I Ashraf

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I agree with Sohail. Whether story true or myth, the point of story is respect for each others’ beliefs.

It should be posted.

Fayyaz

We should look for things which bring us together that  are examples of tolerance and goodwill towards each other. Nasik Elahi’s e-mail was timely in this respect. I am in favor of posting even though it is rigorously not Thinker Forum stuff.  Sometimes back I sent you something on Hindu-Muslim-Christian cooperation and resistance on bringing out the Tazia in Trinidad over more than a century ago. That was a great example of people of Indian Subcontinent banding together.*****Suhail

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There are a lot of things in this that may resemble mythology but no harm in putting it on our blog.

Shoeb

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My personal view is that the contents of original article in Dawn are highly improbable.

nSalik