Self-Flagellation, A Real-Life Crucifixions

Some minority religious sects among the major world religions practice self-flagellations as a ritual. During these rituals there is blood in the street and it’s a sad spectacle.  Some of the pictures have not been shared due to their graphic nature. We hope that everyone understands respect and importance of human body and life.

Among the Christians, a sect of Roman Catholics, named as Flagellates, practised the self-flagellation. This practice was later condemned and banned by the Roman Catholic Church in 14th century.

This practice is currently being practiced by catholic Christians of Philippines. On the occasion of Good Friday hundreds of barefoot Filipinos march on the roads. During the procession they carry wooden crosses and whip their backs until they start bleeding. They consider it to be a form of religious worship which is practised in the week leading up till the Sunday of Easter.

Shia Muslims engage in self-flagellation in celebration of Ashura, one of the holiest days in Shia Islam.

For Shias, Ashura commemorates the killing of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the prophet Muhammad, in 680 CE.

Shias constitute Islam’s second-largest denomination (about 10-15 percent of the world Muslim population), and consider Hussein to be the one true heir of Muhammad’s legacy.

A minority of Shias mark the holiday with bloody self-flagellation rituals. One such ritual is called “tatbeer,” participants cut their heads with swords and spears in mourning for the fallen Imam Hussein.

Another Shia self-flagellation ritual involves the use of a zanjeer (a chain with blades). Participants wear black and March through the streets chanting and hitting themselves in the chest with whips and chains to ritually punish their bodies.

Particularly disturbing is the participation of minors in the Ashura rituals of self-mutilation.

Day of Ashura observances are carried out in countries with large Shia populations, including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Lebanon, India, and Bahrain.

Through the bloody rituals, Shia Muslims mourn Hussein’s death and express regret for the fact that they were not present at the battle to fight and save Hussein and his family

Not all Shias condone the blood letting ritual, and the practice has been condemned by some Shia leaders. Ashura blood drives are often organized as a substitute for the bloody and self-destructive spectacle.

The Day of Ashura is on the tenth day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram.

Ashura is commemorated by Sunni Muslims (who refer to it as The Day of Atonement) as the day on which the Israelites were supposedly freed from the Pharaoh.