Good Friday and Chelum

On this day, society commemorates the martyrdom of the Prophet Jesus for spreading the word of Allah. It is a day that Christians and Muslims alike respect, even if the interpretation of dates and details differ.

This is a day that, like Lent, I personally find to be symbolic of the brotherhood of Islam and Christianity, sons of Abraham. For when a Shi'a thinks of the sacrifices made by those most favored by Allah, all on our behalf, how can he not think of Imam Husain AS? Chelum is almost here, and the memory of Ashara is still fresh.

Let the piety of Issa AS, and the nobility of Imam Husain AS, be a reminder to us all, irrespective of creed, of the character to which we should aspire, inshallah.

Explosion in Texas City

Reports coming in that a gigantic explosion in Texas City at the BP refinery. Four people are confirmed dead, reports of a dozen injured so far. Texas City is the largest concentration of oil infrastructure in the United States, and Houston's mayor White had just been complaining that we aren't getting our fair share of homeland security money. I don't think there's any evidence that the explosion was anything other than an industrial accident.

Texas City is about 15 miles from my house in League City. Our house is safe, there is no indication of any problem there at home according to our nanny. My wife, who is doing a surgery rotation at UTMB hospital on Galveston island, says that it's pretty insane over there, however, with all the injured being rushed to them because that's the only level 1 trauma facility in the county (Ben Taub in Houston is about 30 miles away).