Source: The Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/6829305.html
Ailia Ahmed wants to start the new year right, so she's organizing a blood drive to mark Moharram and the Islamic new year.
The Islamic year isn't one meant to be celebrated with big parties, but instead, for Shiite Muslims, is a somber occasion commemorating the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussein, and his followers in the month of Moharram.
Many Muslims, namely Shiites, mark the day with black clothes and mourning because it is believed that Huss ein sacrificed his life and his family's lives to restore the principles of Islam: serving God, being kind and generous to others and making personal sacrifices for the greater good of humanity.