You might ask,
"Hey Wyckolus, how on Earth could an Arabian event like Karbala be relevant to a state holding Superpower across the Globe?"
At first glance, it seems unrelated. But if you observe the historical patterns of power abuse, civil wars, opposition silencing, grief, revenge mindsets, unjust killings, unstable governance, and the exploitation of global conflicts for economic gain, you will start to see the relevance.
The tragic event of Karbala was not just a localized religious or political clash—it was a spark in the long chain of history that eventually contributed to the world we live in today, including the rise of America as a superpower.
Still not convinced?
Let me explain this in fine detail.
The Chain Reaction Begins: Karbala
It started when Yazid ibn Mu'awiya, leader of the Umayyad dynasty, sent his army to force allegiance from Imam Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Imam Husayn refused to submit to tyranny, leading to the massacre at Karbala in 680 CE. His martyrdom became a symbol of standing against oppression, but it also left the Muslim world fractured.
The Umayyads became the subject of heavy accusations: murderers of the Prophet's family, sowers of civil war, and oppressors of dissenting voices. This chaos paved the way for the Abbasid Revolution, which overthrew the Umayyads.
Flight to the West: The Umayyad Escape
Some of the Umayyad survivors fled westward, escaping Abbasid vengeance. They moved across Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco, eventually sailing to Al-Andalus (Spain). There, they established a new seat of Umayyad rule.
But centuries later, during the Reconquista, the Christian monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella sought to eliminate Muslim presence in Spain. This led to the mass killings, forced conversions, and exiles of Muslims and Jews from the Iberian Peninsula.
The Blockade and the Accidental Discovery of America
Around the same period, the Ottoman Empire (Uthmani tribe) rose to power. They blocked the land trade routes from Europe to India and the East. This forced European powers to seek alternative sea routes for the spice trade and other resources.
Enter Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian navigator who proposed a westward sea route to the East. Following his guidance, the Spanish sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, hoping to reach India.
But instead of India, they stumbled upon a new continent—North America. This accidental discovery would change the fate of the world forever. The name "America" itself comes from Amerigo Vespucci.
The Rise of American Power
What followed was centuries of conquest, colonization, and war:
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The American Revolutionary War – Breaking away from British colonial control. (Apr 19, 1775 – Sep 3, 1783)
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The enslavement of African people – Building the American economy on systemic racism and forced labor.
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The American Civil War – Internal conflicts about freedom, federal power, and race. (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865)
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World War I and The Great Depression – The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. America grew from isolation to influence via WWI. (Jul 28, 1914 – Nov 11, 1918)
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World War II – With Hitler's rise and the Holocaust, America intervened, emerging as a global superpower after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (Sep 1, 1939 – Sep 2, 1945)
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The Cold War – A prolonged global struggle for ideological control between USSR & USA. (March 12, 1947 – 1991)
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9/11 – A modern echo of civilizational conflict, once again tied to the Middle East. (September 11, 2001 at 6:46 PM GMT+6)
So, What's the Connection?
If you trace the cause-and-effect pattern of history, you’ll notice that:
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The Karbala tragedy led to civil unrest, dynastic changes, and the eventual flight of Muslim rulers to the West.
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The collapse of Muslim Spain forced Europe to seek new trade routes.
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The discovery of America happened because of that search, leading to colonization and empire-building.
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Modern America rose from this chain of colonial events, becoming the world’s current superpower.
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Meanwhile, the themes of Karbala; power abuse, unjust killings, economic control, and civil wars keep repeating in the new world order, from Iraq to Afghanistan, from Guantanamo to drone strikes.
History is Not Just Dates—It's Echoes
When you look at history not as isolated incidents, but as a domino chain of human greed, oppression, and survival, you realize that Karbala is not over. It just morphed into new forms.
The swords have changed into missiles,
The deserts have changed into global economies,
But the struggle of Husayn vs Yazid still reflects in every system where truth is crushed by power,
And where innocents pay the price for the ambitions of rulers.
Final Thoughts
Understanding this hidden historical connection is not just about knowing the past—
It’s about recognizing the patterns of today.
History is not a dead story.
It’s a living mirror.
And sometimes, that mirror shows us the same fight,
Just in a different costume.
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