Iran, Bahrain should take common stances on Muslim world issues

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Al-Zahrani and Iran’s Ambassador to Bahrain Amir Abdollahian also in the meeting discussed ways of expanding bilateral ties, particularly in the parliamentary domain and in the regional and international levels.

He said the Arab and Muslim world support Islamic sanctities in noble Quds and Abraham Mosque.

Bahraini parliament had recently released a statement supporting sacred places in Palestine occupied territories and noble Quds, condemning continued settlement construction and insult to sanctities by the Zionist regime.

Iraqi demonstrators call for recount of ballots

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Hundreds of Iraqis have taken to the streets in the southern city of Basra to demand the nationwide recount of votes from the country’s March 7 parliamentary elections.  The demonstrators who support Prime Minister Nouri Maliki’s demand for a manual recount of around 12 million ballots, gathered outside the provincial government’s offices in Basra on Wednesday.

They held placards reading “We demand a recount,” and shouted “No! No to fraud, Yes! Yes to Maliki, Yes! Yes to Iraq.”  Hundreds of people had also took to the streets of Najaf and Karbala a few days ago to protest the results which gave Maliki’s main rival, former premier Iyad Allawi a slim lead in a tight election race, based on 95 percent of votes cast.

Over the weekend, the national election commission rebuffed Maliki’s demand for a manual recount of the ballots cast, saying as it had not seen any widespread fraud in the election, any recount is unnecessary. It said that political parties and groups would have to present evidence of wrongdoing to substantiate their complaints before full results are announced on Friday.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the heads of 10 provincial councils called for the election commission to authorize a recount of the votes due to the possibility of fraud “and manipulation of the election results.”  The statement said “if the commission does not respond to the demand of the provincial councils … the 10 provinces will begin a major escalation of measures.”

Watchdog urges Saudi Government to free Shia dissident

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Human Rights Watch called on Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to free Shia activist Munir Jassas, saying that no charges had been pressed five months after his detention by domestic intelligence agents.

Jassas was arrested on November 7 last year after posting on internet websites a series of calls for protests over the government’s treatment of Shias, the New York-based watchdog said.

Shias make up about 10 percent of the population of the Wahabi kingdom, and Wabahi Saudi clerics frequently issued the hatred statements against the Shiite Muslims.

Jassas’s arrest came two months after he had been required by the intelligence service to sign a pledge not to post any more critical pieces on the Internet.

One of his postings had expressed support for Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who earlier this year proposed that Shia-majority regions of Saudi Arabia — which include some of the world’s biggest oil fields — break away after a spate of violent incidents involving Shias.  Saudi authorities have sought to arrest Nimr, who remains in hiding.

Human Rights Watch said that Jassas was held in solitary confinement for four months after being arrested, and that charges have yet to be pressed. ”Jailing a peaceful critic for months on end shows just how far Saudi officials will go to avoid criticism,” the watchdog’s Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson said.

“Silencing Shia advocates will do nothing to hide the Saudi government’s record of harassment and discrimination against the group.”

Celebrations on Birth Anniversary of Holy prophet (PBUH) and Imam Jafar Sadiq(as) in Kargil

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Eid-E-Milad-Un-Nabi, Birth Anniversary of Holy prophet (PBUH) and his grandson Imam

Jafar Sadiq(as) was celebrated in Kargil (Ladakh) with full zeal and zest. A large

gathering was held at Madrasa Islamia School Kargil organized by Youth Wing Islamia

School. Thousand of people from various villages came to Kargil at Islamia School to

celebrate Eid.

According to Shiite News Correspondent,On this occasion Chief Executive councilor K. Ahmad Ali Khan, Executive Councilor,

Agriculture, Haji Ghulam Amir, Ajaz Ahmad Bhat, Kacho Mohammad Shah, AC PWD, Deputy

Chief Medical Officer, Executive Engineer R&B Div. II, Executive Engineer SVD Sankoo

other Officers and large number of public were present.

Sheikh Mussa Sharifee (Imam Jumma-wal-Jamat) also addressed on the occasion and prayed

to God for Brotherhood and Harmony in the Muslim world.