Tuesday Nov. 5, 2013 -- beginning of month of Muharram (Islamic New Year)

from Religion and Ethics Newsweekly (PBS programming) November Muharram (Islamic) The month of Muharram marks the beginning of the Islamic liturgical year. The first day of the month, al-Hijra, remembers the migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. It also marks the beginning of the ten-day Shi’ite Remembrance of Muharram, a period of intense grief and mourning of the martyrdom of Hussein, the son of Ali and grandson of Muhammad. from www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/multifaith-calendar