“In the history of Islam, the life of Imam Hussain remains a unique, incomprehensible and unattainable example. Without this martyrdom, Islam would have disappeared long ago. He became the savior of Islam, and thanks to his martyrdom, Islam took such deep roots that today it cannot be destroyed or even imagined its destruction”. (London, 1911, vol. 5, pp. 391-392).
Thomas Carlyle, 1795-1881 (British writer, publicist, historian and philosopher):
“Hussein and his comrades-in-arms proved by their indomitable faith in God and worthy deeds that the number of weapons before moral strength does not play any role. I am fascinated by Hussein’s victory over evil, despite the small number of fighters.” (“The life of the fourteen innocents”, Kermani, p. 183)
Victor Hugo, 1802-1885 (French writer, leader and theorist of French Romanticism):
“The principles of Hussein’s revolution have become close to every rebel who seeks to regain their rights from their oppressors.”
Charles Dickens, 1812-1870 (English writer, novelist and draftsman):
“If Hussain was fighting for personal purpose and wealth, then why did he go to Karbala with his family, sisters and young children? Reason gives only one answer to this: he took such a risk for the sake of Islam.” (“Imam Hussein and his friends”, p. 52)
Edward Granville Brown, 1862-1926 (British writer and Orientalist):
“is there such a heart that would not hear of the tragedy of Karbala and would not weep? Even non-Muslims cannot dispute the purity of the martyrs who died there.” (“Life of managers”, p. 83)
Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948 (one of the leaders and ideologues of the movement for India’s independence from Great Britain):
“I did not bring new ideas to the people of India. The slogan ‘Freedom or Death’ came from my study of the hero of Karbala – Hussein, and this slogan I gave to all Hindus. If we want to save the people of India, then we must follow the example of Hussein ibn Ali.” (“Hussein as the leader of the people”, vol. 30)
György Lukács, 1885-1971 (Hungarian neo-Marxist philosopher):
“Husain’s principles were centered on a free character and aimed at making the people of his people happy in their lives, in order to be able to resist the radical rulers who enslaved them, and whom Hussain opposed with all his strength and determination.”
Freya Madeleine Stark, 1893-1993 (British traveler, writer):
“Shia throughout the Islamic world revive the memory of Al-Husseini and his assassination and mourn him during the first ten days of the month of Muharram… There he pitched his camp while his enemies surrounded him and cut off access to water: details alive now as they were then 1257 years ago… No one can visit the holy cities with much profit unless he knows something of the history for whom this tragedy is built into their very foundation. This is one of the few stories , which I cannot read without crying.”
Roberto Bolaño Avalos, 1953-2003 (Chilean poet and novelist):
“The assassination of Husayn by Yazid is the greatest political blunder committed by the Umayyads, which has been forgotten and all traces or details of it have disappeared.”
Antoine Barou, 1943 (Christian writer from Lebanon):
“There is no battle in modern or past human history that has won more sympathy and admiration, and taught more lessons, than the martyrdom of Husayn at the Battle of Karbala.” (“Hussein in the ideology of Christianity”).