A Protest for the History Books
That’s what we accomplished on the 3rd of August 2025. Against all odds, we marched, and we raised our voices into the hearts of the world as more than 100,000 of us walked in solidarity with the pro-Palestinian movement.
For those who say, "What do protests accomplish?", we accomplished human unity. We stood against oppression, and we demanded our voices be heard. Just look at what our beloved Albo did in response.
The protest was an accomplishment, but there was one incident that has gone absolutely viral, and I want to share my reflection process with you.
In the midst of the protest, we encountered a flag incident where a Shia Muslim was waving the flag of Imam Hussein. This resulted in a group of Salafi Muslims snatching the flag and calling Shia "Kafir". Something I’m sure we Shia are accustomed to hearing by now.
There have been countless videos made and endless discussions had regarding this.
Was he a coward for not fighting back and allowing them to take Imam Hussein’s flag and throw it on the floor? Or was he wise in staying calm in the face of provocation?
WHAT WOULD IMAM HUSSEIN DO?
I reflected on this, and the first question I asked myself was: What would Imam Hussein (a.s) do in this scenario?
Subhanallah, a story of our beloved Imam Ali (a.s) came to mind.
In the Battle of Khandaq, Imam Ali was about to kill an enemy of Allah. Just before he delivered the strike, the enemy spat in Imam Ali’s face. The basic human response to that would be to strike with anger but no. Our Imam rose up, sheathed his sword, and went for a little walk in circles around the enemy. Finally, after a few minutes, he returned to the enemy, who had by then attacked Imam Ali again, and the enemy was killed.
Imam Ali did not act upon anger. Instead, he walked away, gathered himself and his intentions, and revisited the situation. He knew that the battle he was fighting was bigger than a physical one. It was a battle of the self.
DISCIPLINE OVER EGO
It’s easy to fight back. It’s easy to bash and get bashed. But what requires more strength and discipline is swallowing that ego and pride, and knowing when to react.
"The best reaction to a fool is silence."
Imam Ali (a.s)
In that particular time and place, would a violent reaction have been helpful to the cause, or would it have been detrimental to that protest and all future ones?
Let’s be honest with ourselves. The world was watching. One wrong move, one punch thrown, one brawl caught on video, and the media headlines would not have been “100,000 March for Palestine”. It would have been something like “Sectarian Violence Erupts at Pro-Palestine Rally.”
The media is always waiting for us to make a mistake to make us look like the bad guys. That doesn’t mean we give them a reason.
What that brother did, whether it was out of fear, wisdom, or both was an act of discipline. An act of resistance against his nafs. He chose the harder path, and I believe that deserves recognition.
We claim to love Imam Hussein (a.s), but his legacy isn’t in reacting. It’s in enduring. His fight was never for his pride, but for justice. And if we want to carry his flag, we need to understand what that flag really represents, not just blood and sacrifice, but patience and wisdom.
WHY WERE WE THERE?
This protest was for Palestine. For the starving men, women and children. For the people who have no voice.
It was not about ego, sectarianism, or “who’s more brave.”
Our enemies want us to fight each other to distract us from the real purpose.
Don’t give them that satisfaction.
Yours Truley,
That Muslim Girl