The Curse of Tamir Lane

On June 21, 1941, the tomb of Tamir Lane was opened and his skull removed. The very next day, Hitler's forces crossed into the Soviet Union to start World War II. In November 1942, the Soviets decided to return Tamir's body to the tomb with a proper Islamic burial. When the local Uzbek elders heard of the search and plan excavation, they spoke out in protest. They made reference to an old book that made it clear just how bad of an idea it was to open the tomb. But no one listened. All told, the Soviet Union lost 26.6 million men and women to the invasion.