Thursday, July 12, 2007
http://www.cais-soas.com/News/2007/June2007/28-06.htm

Tomb of Firuzan (Abu-lolo) in Kashan to be Destroyed


Source: CAIS NEWS

The tomb of Firuzan commonly known as Abu-lolo (or Abu Lulu)
in Kashahn, Isfahan province is being locked to visitors, it is
announced there is a plan the shrine to be destroyed by the order of
the Islamic Regime.

A large crowd of Iranians however, have gathered outside the
governor's office on Tuesday, June 26th, to voice their objection
regarding the closure and possible destruction of the Iranian
heritage, and a shrine which was one of the symbols of Iranian
resistance against the Arab invaders in 7th century CE, and to some, a
Shia and a revered Sufi.

Umar al-Khattab, the second Moslem Caliph was put to death by Firuzan
in 645 CE. It is said that Firuzan was a POW captured after the fall
of Ctesiphon in what is today known as Iraq, and sold as a slave. A
parvenu Arab leader called Mughira ibn Shu'ba bought him and took him
to Medina in Arabia for slavery work.

Most probably Firuzan was a Zoroastrian (by some accounts he was a
priest), as the majority of Iranian were at the time of Arab
occupation of Iran in 7th century.

"His [Firuzan] action was in response to atrocities that were
committed by Arab-Muslim invaders in Iran, which resulted in massacre,
rape, looting of our country – we Iranians never forgot nor forgive
their crimes against us", said one of the protestors.

Some Arab, as well as committed Muslim historians, in order to
undermine Firuzan's bravery and heroism have claimed (ultimately all
derived from Ibn Shihab account) that he murdered Umar after an
argument over the tax levy.

During the Safavid era and the rise of Shia Islam to power, the
dynasty named him Bābā Shojā ul-Din (the one who is brave in the cause
of religion) and claimed that he was a devout Shia and a martyr.

Another angry protester said: "they say he is not buried here - or
some say he wasn't Muslim at all - so what? - as far as we concern
this edifice represents him, our faith and resistance against the
uncivilised invaders" - and another one added: "if Abu Lolo was an
Arab, they would have erect a golden dome on top of his shrine, rather
than destroying it - but no, no - they destroy his shrine, just
because he was an Iranian - a noble Iranian - this is an insult to
Iranian nation".

Mohammad Salim Al'awa, the Secretary-General of the International
Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), who believes God have "created women
for pregnancy and childbirth" purposes speaking to Al-Arabiat
New-agency said: "the request for its destruction was delivered to
Iran by a group of Arab representatives a few months ago, after the
Doha assembly at the beginning of the year. At the assembly a large
number of Sunni scholars asked Iran for the total destruction of the
tomb".

"Imagine the Germans asking Britain to destroy the graves of the
brains behind the British plan to kill Hitler [Operation Foxley]
during WWII, sine it is considered an insult to Protestants - would
the British accept that? - the murder of Omar by Firuz[an] wasn't to
do with religion, it was simply removing a despot and a tyrant from
the face of the earth - as the British wanted to do the same with
Hitler", said N. one of the protestors outside the governor's office
in Kashan.

Firuzan mausoleum located on the road from Kashan to Fins, constructed
in an eleventh century distinctive Persian-Khwarezmian dynastic
architectural style, consisted of a courtyard, porch and conical dome
decorated with turquoise coloured tiles, and painted ceilings. The
Original date of it's construction is unknown, but in second-half of
fourteen century it was fully restored and a new tombstone was placed
over his grave.