What is matam?
I read an article about Ashura on Monday, 1st March' 2004. I was quite shocked when I read a couple of sentences which were misleading. First of all, matam is not self-inflicted torture using knives or chains. Matam is the beating of one's chest using only bare hands . Though many people here and elsewhere around the world use chains and knives to inflict pain, it is not the way matam is performed. Also usage of knives etc. during matam is discouraged in the religion. And, Hussain / Hussein is always spelt with 'u'.
Unfortunately, people in this country wrongly pronounce the name with an 'o', but that should not change the spelling of the name.
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