I don’t like to backbite but there are some
people who need to be remembered because they were sufficiently bad to stand
out despite the centuries of years that separate them from us. One of them is Mutawakkil (born March
822, Iraq—died December
861). One of his party pieces was that
when he wanted to make merry he would summon his ministers, councillors and
functionaries to his presence and let loose a box of scorpions in the assembly
and forbid anyone to move. A real fun
kind of guy to have around. Indeed, when someone was stung he would burst forth in boisterous laughter.
He immediately tore down synagogues and
churches in Baghdad. Then he razed to
the ground the famous Islamic shrine of Husayn Ali and did not allow
pilgrimages to take place there. The
tomb of Husayn ibn Ali is one of the holiest
places for Shias outside of Mecca and Medina. In case you are thinking why would a Muslim
like Mutawakki seek to eradicate such a special place, it has to be remembered
he was a Sunni and regarded this shrine as a Shia site. Such was the hostility towards the Shias that
even remembering the death of Husayn Ali, grandson of Muhammad, was not to be
tolerated. Muhammad had clearly
indicated that other religious groups like the Christians and Jews should be
protected and allowed to practice their religion. So it is typical of Mutawakkil that he
totally ignored this and only a little over two hundred years after the death
of Muhammad began to target the Jews and Christians.
He reversed
the tolerant attitude towards Christians and Jews that Muhammad had insisted on,
and requiring them to wear distinctive dress. In 850, he decreed that all
"people of the book" must wear "honey-coloured" hats and
belts, churches and synagogue built "after the advent of Islam were to be
destroyed," one-tenth of their property confiscated and government posts
were closed to them.
Anyone that Mutawakkil felt had offended
him, even prior to his reign, was dealt with cruelly. The former Vizier was tortured in an iron
maiden (don’t ask!). Even a small
accident could be costly. One of his own
military commanders stumbled during a drinking session and fell on the caliph,
this was enough to have the commander sent to prison without water, killing him
slowly and painfully.
Even the oldest religion in the land was
not left immune. Zoroastrianism,
established in the 6th century BC, held in deep respect a Cypress tree in Turshiz,
Khurasan. It had been planted at the
time of Zoroaster and was thought to be 1450 years old. Zoroaster (or else his patron King Gushtasp,
i.e. Vishtaspa) had actually planted the tree outside a temple.
“Doing
good to others is not a duty. It is a joy, for it increases your own health and
happiness.”
Quote from Zoroaster (c.628 - c.551)
This
cypress tree was said to be unique in beauty, height, and size. It was considered one of
the wonders of Khurasan. (In case one
doubts the ability of the cypress tree to reach such an age, one need only
examine the e-Abarkooh – Abarkooh, in Iran.
This is cypress is 4000 years old. see photo above) Al-Mutawakkil was told about this
special tree in Khurasan and was anxious to see it. Typical of the man he ordered that it be cut
down and brought to him! Naturally, when
the people of Khurasan heard of his order there was much uproar and they even
offered money for its preservation.
Unfortunately, Mutawakkil was not a man to be turned. The huge tree of such historical and
religious significance was hewn down and transported to Mutawakkil’s
palace. It is suitably ironic that the
day it arrived at his palace Mutawakkil was stabbed to death at the hand of one
of his slaves.
