Ayatollah Khamenei's Tribute to Imam Khomeini

Posted on by

In 1989, not only the Iranian nation but the Muslim ummah as well as all the world’s oppressed, lost the greatest ever leader of modern times. He was the Father of the Islamic Revolution and the Founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini (may his soul rest in peace). He was a unique Leader who showed humanity how to have firm faith in God in order to overthrow corrupt and dictatorial systems. Barehanded, Imam Khomeini inspired the Iranian Muslims to topple the armed-to-the teeth British-installed and US-supported Shah in February 1979, and thereafter for a little over ten years he was at the helm of affairs to guide the dynamic Islamic Republic system through the stormy seas of plots hatched by Global Arrogance led by the Great Satan, the US. The Late Imam Khomeini’s worthy successor, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, continues to pay glorious tributes to that Sage of the Age 21 years after his passing away that we commemorate on June 4.

Ayatollah Khamenei, while paying homage to the immortal legacy bequeathed by Imam Khomeini to the Iranian nation, the Muslim ummah, and the world’s oppressed masses, says the political school founded by the Imam caters to the modern man’s needs and provides a perfectly new path for all humanity on the basis of Islam. The main characteristic of the people’s movement set in motion in Iran by Imam Khomeini is its Islamic nature. It has gifted the Iranian people with most effective style of government. As Ayatollah Khamenei points out, under circumstances when Godless rulers of the Muslim world ignored Islam, Imam Khomeini revived and revitalized religious teachings to restore people their human dignity. The Late Imam considered all Muslims a monolithic Ummah and spread the message of brotherhood and unity among world Muslims. Islamic unity was considered one of the prime goals of the Imam. Ayatollah Khamenei says: “Today all Muslims around the world feel indebted to Imam Khomeini for showing the political power of Islam to change international equations in the quest for justice. The Intefadha of the Palestinian people against the Zionist usurpers of their homeland owes its inspiration to Imam Khomeini’s ushering of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Imam Khomeini’s imprint on the anti-oppression aspects of the Islamic movement is all evident today, whether in Palestine or whether in Lebanon, against the state terrorism of the usurper state of Israel. In many other countries, Muslim youths have been inspired by Islamic teachings thanks to Imam Khomeini.”

Ayatollah Khamenei says in Imam Khomeini’s political school, human dignity is essential and is a powerful and effective instrument for achieving the goals of Islam. As a result, people’s votes play a basic role. Certainly from the Imam’s viewpoint people play effective role once they are united. This is evident by his transformation of the Iranian people into a solid and united nation on the basis of Islam. Ayatollah Khamenei drew attention in this regard to the immortal words of the Late Imam that the key to victory is unity of words, and if there is no unity of words, the Iranian nation cannot take a step forward. And God certainly helps those who are resolved to knit ranks as brothers-in-faith. Imam Khomeini was without the least doubt the most wise and prudent leader of modern times. He was totally indifferent of his worldly position. Ayatollah Khamenei who like the Late Imam leads a simple life points to the luxurious and selfish life of world rulers, even among Muslim states, and says: The Imam showed that the true leader of Muslims ought to lead a pious life by abstaining from luxurious palaces. Like the Prophets of God, he should be accessible to the masses, by frequenting the Hosseiniyeh and tackling people’s problems. Ayatollah Khamenei notes that in today’s materialistic world, Imam Khomeini revived the values of spirituality and showed the power of ethics that are never separate from either politics or social life. In other words, he showed that politics devoid of spirituality is devilish work, while politics on the basis of religious teachings and spiritual teachings is a form of worship and to the betterment of human dignity. These values are the key to the success of the Islamic Revolution and the failure after failure of Global Arrogance.

Whole Village in France Converted to Shia Islam + Picture

Posted on by

He (Muhammad) continued to say that his villages in France has converted to Islam and followed the creed of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), explaining that the village embracement of the Islamic religion and the doctrine of the prophet’s household members was due to Dr (Mohamed Tijani)       Accompanied by an Islamic delegation from France, the Islamic thinker and scholar, Dr. Muhammad Tijani has pay a Visit to the holy Shrine of Imam Hussain peace be upon him (The grandson of the Prophet Muhammed. He is appointed by God as the third successor of the Prophet SAW according to Shia Muslims). After the visit, the delegation has met with the Secretary General of the Holy Shrine Sheikh (Abdel Mahdi al-Karbalai).

In a statement to the correspondent of NON14, on Thursday, Mr Tijani said that “this is the fourth visit, which I have the honour to pay to the holy shrines in Iraq after the fall of the dictatorship, and during each visit, I notice that there are developments in Iraq as whole and in the holy shrines in particular,” he added that “In this trip I came along with Mr (Abdul-Karim Mohammed), a Muslim French man who has converted to Islam since he was 15 years old and followed the doctrine of Ahl ul-Bayt (Shia Islam) through me more than thirty years ago, and his French Muslim wife as well. “

For his part, Mr Abdul-Karim Mohammed has told NON14 : “I came, accompanied by Mr. Tijani and my wife (Zahra), who is French and who has converted to Islam and became a follower of Ahl ul-Bayt (the prophet Household Members A.S). He has elaborated: ” I have embraced Islam since my young age, and met my wife, who embrace the same thoughts that I embrace, so it was a good occasion for marriage. I was participating in the congressional prayers that were held by Imam Khomeini in France, although i had not knew him; however Dr. Tijani introduced me to his character at that time.

He (Muhammad) continued to say that his villages in France has converted to Islam and followed the creed of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), explaining that the village embracement of the Islamic religion and the doctrine of the prophet’s household members was due to Dr (Mohamed Tijani). The French Muslim (Abdel Karim Mohammed) described his feelings when he entered the pure Shrine of Imam Husain A.S as someone who entered a jewel in Paradise […]. He added “I was very excited to visit the Infallible Imams peace be upon them where I knew them before, but I did not had the privilege of visiting their Holiness, pointing out that this visit, is according to an invitation extended by Tijani to them and they are now hosted by Imam Hussain peace be upon him and he is full of happiness with his wife in the vicinity of the pure Imams. “

On the other hand, the French visitor has expressed surprise of what is announced by satellite TVs and the media, especially on the European ones about the security situation in Iraq; stating that what he saw and touched during his stay in Iraq, is on the contrary of what he had heard of from those western channels.

The history of Al-Azhar University; Shia or Takfiri

Posted on by

The grand structure of the thousand-year old al-Azhar University and Mosque stands majestically across the Nile River in the Egyptian capital Cairo.                                                                                                                                  The grand structure of the thousand-year old al-Azhar University and Mosque stands majestically across the Nile River in the Egyptian capital Cairo. Like the Nile, it is the symbol of Egypt. Al-Azhar was built in 359 AH by the Shia Muslim Fatemid dynasty that claimed descent from Hazrat Fatema az-Zahra (peace upon her) the immaculate daughter of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). Hence, Azhar is a derivative of Zahra which means the Radiant in Arabic. Over two hundred years later after its foundation al-Azhar along with Cairo and the whole of Egypt fell to the Kurdish invader Salaheddin Ayyoubi, who despite his expelling of the Crusaders from Bayt al-Moqaddas, persecuted Shia Muslims and weakened the status of al-Azhar as the leading centre of Islamic teachings. Like the Mongols, who ravaged the eastern Islamic lands and destroyed the written heritage of Muslims, the Ayyoubids also burned hundreds of thousands of books in Cairo and other cities because of their prejudice towards the followers of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt or Blessed Household. Thereafter, al-Azhar turned into a centre of Sunni teachings, especially following the fall of Muslim Spain to the Christians that made the scholars of Andalusia flock to Egypt. Gradually, over the centuries, al-Azhar emerged as a centre of different sciences but it was soon to lose its independent status. In 1954, Egyptian ruler, Jamal Abdun-Nasser, seized the control of al-Azhar and ended its independence by placing it under direct control of the state with the power to appoint and dismiss its Dean. Ever since al-Azhar has became a tool of ruling Egyptian regimes.

However, despite state control al-Azhar’s international fame has remained as students and scholars from various countries come to Egypt to learn. It started branching into other fields of science in the early 1950s before the state takeover, especially when the then Dean Sheikh Mahmoud Shaltout founded the colleges of medicine, technology and science. His other measure was setting up of a special centre of learning for female students at al-Azhar. Another important measure of Sheikh Mahmoud Shaltout was to strengthen Islamic unity by recognizing the Ja’fari or Shia Muslim jurisprudence as one of the five mainstream schools of Islam. It is also interesting to note that in the 1920s and 1930s the then Dean of al-Azhar, Sheikh Hasan al-Bishri, had a long correspondence with Lebanon’s famous Shia Muslim scholar, Allamah Seyyed Abdul-Husain Sharafeddin al-Muwavi, which resulted in the publishing of the famous book, al-Muraja’at that has been translated into English as the “Right Path”. It is a very fascinating Sunni-Shia dialogue with convincing proofs for strengthening Islamic unity, and has been translated into major world languages.

Last March, following the death of Dean Mohammad Tantawi, the Egyptian government has appointed Ahmad at-Tayyeb as the new Dean. The change comes at a crucial time when President Hosni Mubarak who has ruled Egypt for almost the past three decades with American support and by crushing all opposition, is grooming his son Jamal to take over the presidency. It is also unfortunate that al-Azhar, despite its Islamic prestige, never objected to the policies of President Mubarak including his over dependence on the Americans, his relations with the illegal Zionist entity, his building of the steel wall on the borders of the Gaza Strip to deny access to the outside world to the besieged Palestinians, and his banning of the popular Islamic Brotherhood party and other Islamic groups from actively participating in the country’s political process. As a result, al-Azhar has seen the eroding of its credibility, both among the Egyptian people and in the Muslim. It would be interesting to see what policies the new Dean will follow, especially when Mubarak is facing tough challenges to his rule from all quarters with calls for change and not dynastic rule by the Egyptian Muslims.

Observers, however, consider Sheikh Ahmad at-Tayyeb as an apolitical person more interested in scholarly pursuits and solidarity among Islamic schools of jurisprudence. According to Secretary-General of the Tehran-based World Assembly for Proximity among Islamic Schools of Jurisprudence, Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Taskhiri, the new Dean of al-Azhrar opposes extremist or Takfiri/Salafi ideas that brand other Muslims as infidels. But Ahmad at-Tayyeb has taken illogical and irrational stances, perhaps on government orders or under pressure from extremist groups inside and outside al-Azhar. In an interview with the Saudi/Wahhabi funded al-Arabiyya TV channel, he said al-Azhar counters any effort for spread of Shia Muslim teachings in any Muslim state. This is not surprising in view of the fact that last year Saudis provided 86 million dollars to al-Azhar. It should be recalled that the late Sheikh Tantawi had explicitly aired his views against Wahhabism, saying there is no such denomination in Islam. Thus it would be interesting to see how the new Dean confronts Wahabbi/Salafi ideas, especially in view of the tendency towards the teachings of the school of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt among Egyptians who centuries ago used to be Shia Muslims. This revival has alarmed both the Egyptian government and the Saudis who are pressuring Sheikh Ahmad at-Tayyeb Wahabbi to bow to their dictates at the expense of Islamic solidarity.

Israel Can’t Take My Ice Cream Stick from Me Anymore 1982 when Israel invaded Lebanon.

Posted on by

1982 when Israel invaded Lebanon. I was nine years old and my father had promised to give me half a Lira (Lebanese pound) to buy ice cream. But the footage showing Israeli tanks crossing the border into south Lebanon was enough to deprive me of my treat for the rest of the day and deprive southerners of their freedom for the next 18 years. I’m not sure about the relevance of this lead to the rest of the article, but I think this retrospection is as useful as looking at the post 2000 withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from most of south Lebanon.

The pullout was not just an event; it was a historic precedent. True, Israel withdrew from Jordan and Sinai after Amman and Cairo were coerced to sign agreements with the triumphant, undefeatable, and arrogant Zionist state.

THEY FLED UNDER RESISTANCE STRIKES, NOT IN LINE WITH UNSCR 425
However, this was not the case in Lebanon. After 18 years of occupation and war of attrition waged by the resistance, Israel decided to cut its losses and escape, yes escape. “It wasn’t a withdrawal and it wasn’t a retreat…We ran away, pure and simple,” Col. Noam Ben-Tzvi, the last commander of the Israeli occupation forces western sector in south Lebanon, told Haaretz last week. Ben-Tzvi was not in denial; he did not attribute the withdrawal to Israel’s implementation of UN Security Council resolution 425 that stipulates Israel withdraw from Lebanon after its first invasion in 1978.

“Hiding behind UNSC resolutions has always been an Israeli policy,” Lebanese political analyst Michel Samaha told Al-Manar Website. “Then Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his Foreign Minister David Levy were maneuvering with the military leadership and they went to negotiate with UN S.G. Kofi Annan to cover the Zionist state with another international resolution that binds it to implement resolution 425 on the one hand and set new conditions on Lebanon. However the strikes of the resistance and its operational performance in the south forced Israel’s political and military echelons to make a dramatic 24-hour pullout before issuing a new UN resolution,” Samaha added.

LARSEN INVENTED THE BLUE LINE
Still, Israel sought to persuade the international community that its withdrawal was in line with the Truce Line as stipulated in the Truce Agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel in 1949. “Annan and then US Secretary of State Madeline Albright conspired to send Terje Rød-Larsen to delineate a Blue Line instead of implementing resolution 425. The aim was to make the pullout look like a full withdrawal according to the Truce Line. So Larsen invented the Blue Line and the Lebanese government cried foul because of the many gaps that kept Lebanese areas, including strategic spots and water sources, under occupation,” Samaha said.

“Our main concern was to determine the international border, but the Israeli enemy had changed the landmarks in several border areas,” Ret. Gen. Amine Hotait, who was the head of the committee to verify the Israeli pullout, told Al-Manar Website. “We started our mission based on official maps, but the Israelis made use of the so called ‘rolling borders’ and sought to delineate a new line that served its avarice, so it demanded a delineation based on more advanced methods. The United Nations adopted the Blue Line but we refused to recognize it as the international border since it missed at least 13 points. After tough negotiations we managed to gain back ten points, and three points remained outstanding: Rmeish, Odayseh, and Metula,” Hotait said.

From a legal point of view, the Blue Line is of no value and does not establish any right for any party. “The idea of the Blue Line was terminated when the Lebanese committee concluded its mission,” the retired general explained.

THE ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL HAD ITS IMPLICATIONS
Speaking to Al-Manar Website, expert in Israeli affairs Helmi Moussa said that some Israeli leaders still have their regrets because the withdrawal was unilateral and without agreement. “The existential threat is cumulating in Israel because of this pullout, especially that their home front has since then become a target for rocket attacks, when prior to the withdrawal they only had to sacrifice 25 to 30 soldiers on yearly basis to preserve their home front security,” Moussa, who writes for the Lebanese daily Assafir, said.

ISRAEL IS WEAKER THAN A SPIDER WEB
The Israeli pullout could not have materialized if it were not for the support of Iran, Syria, and the popular and official positions in Lebanon, particularly during the first term of President Emile Lahoud with PM Salim Hoss and then during Lahoud’s second term with PM martyr Rafiq Hariri. Nevertheless, the internationally backed Israeli move cleared the way for Tel Aviv to demand a similar pullout of Syrian forces from Lebanon and engage in “peace” talks. Israel’s incomplete pullout and its constant threat to Lebanon rendered the years-long pressure on Syria a failure. In 2005, Hariri was assassinated in Beirut and the Syrian leadership decided to speed up the pullout in that same year.

In 2006, Israel waged war on Lebanon with the aim to crush Hezbollah once and for all and to get even with the party’s Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah who – in his famous speech in Bint Jbeil May 25, 2000 – described Israel as an entity ‘weaker than a spider web.’

“Sayyed Nasrallah’s speech in Bint Jbeil established three fundamental principles: First, he described Israel as an illusion and fixed the notion that Israel can be defeated while stressing the necessity to mobilize forces to confront and win over this enemy. Second, the resistance did not act as a party independent from the Lebanese but acted on their behalf because he did not ask for power sharing in return for the sacrifices and the victory; this is why Hezbollah was embraced by the people of Lebanon en route to the 2006 victory. Third, the resistance does not replace the state or its institutions, and this is why, unlike other revolutions throughout history, triumphant Hezbollah did not go on a vendetta spree against those who had collaborated with the Israeli occupation; it left this mission to the Lebanese authorities,” Ret. Gen. Amine Hotait told Al-Manar Website.

SLA AGENTS AND MOSSAD NETWORKS
The failed 2006 war proved Israel’s networks of Mossad agents in Lebanon were useless, and by 2010 dozens of these spy networks were dismantled.
“What’s been said recently about the fate of Antoine Lahed’s South Lebanon Army (SLA) and their suffering in occupied territories highlights another aspect of Israel’s weakness and failure to protect its agents as they promised them. In fact this negatively affects the performance of Israel’s Mossad (mainly in Lebanon) which constitutes the backbone of Israel’s security,” Helmi Moussa said.

“Shortly before the pullout, the Israeli enemy had grasped two facts: First, they cannot rely on their agents as the Israeli leadership predicted the SLA’s breakdown; surprisingly enough, this army of collaborators broke down much faster than Gabi Ashkenazi and his staff had expected. Second, the political and military leaderships were helpless vis-à-vis the sophisticated resistance which dealt the Israeli occupation army and the SLA very severe blows. This same helplessness was the main reason why the so called ‘Four (Israeli) Mothers’ Movement’ came to being and eventually pressured Tel Aviv to take the decision of immediate withdrawal,” Michel Samaha told Al-Manar Website.

MY ICE CREAM STICK THAT ISRAEL CAN’T TAKE AWAY FROM ME AND MY CHILDREN ANYMORE
Today Israel is still threatening Lebanon with war, carrying out large scale exercises to prepare its home front, and making replacements within the top military brass. The resistance leadership has expressed full readiness to deal Israel another blow should it decide to wage war. Syria and Iran have also warned Tel Aviv against making another “foolish mistake”. Until the next war begins and ends, Israel would continue to be the fake entity that destroyed armies and occupied countries in a matter of days, but then defeated at hands of a few determined men and women in Lebanon.

I’ve seen it in 2000 and I’ve lived it in 2006 and I know that what I had seen in 1982 is forever gone. Ever since liberation was fulfilled, I’ve never missed a Resistance and Liberation Day without having an ice cream stick, and today I’m seeing that my children follow suit.

Letter from CDHRAP to Amnesty International on Discrimination Against Shias

Posted on by

Regarding the human rights conditions in Saudi Arabia , the committee for the Defense of Human Rights in the Arabian Peninsula (CDHRAP) respectfully urges you to raise concerns about religious freedom and related human rights.                                                                                                                                   JNN( News Agency), The chair of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in the Arabian Peninsula Mr. Mohammad Abul Azeem al-Hussain sent a letter to the Amnesty International urging it to raise pressing concerns about religious freedom in Saudi Arabia and to press the Saudi Arabian authorities to release the religious prisoners in Saudi Arabia .

The complete text of the letter follows:

Dear Amnesty International ,

Regarding the human rights conditions in Saudi Arabia , the committee for the Defense of Human Rights in the Arabian Peninsula (CDHRAP) respectfully urges you to raise concerns about religious freedom and related human rights.

The Saudi government continued to commit abuses against members of the Shi’a minority.

Despite Saudi government claims undertaking some limited reform measures , the Saudi government marginalizes and systematically discriminates against the Shia community in the country through implementation the policy of discrimination , and persists in banning all forms of public religious expression other than that of the government’s own interpretation of one school of Sunni Islam and even interferes with private religious practice.

The members of the Shi’a Muslim community suffer systematic political, social, cultural as well as religious discrimination.

In this letter , I would like to draw your attention to three specific cases.

1- Munir Baqir Ebrahim Al-Jassas, 30 years , a Shi’a human rights defender in Awwamiyah of al-Qatif , was still held in solitary confinement for seven months the intelligence service in Al-Dammam .

Al-Mahbahith al-‘Amma (General Investigations) of al-Qatif summoned Munir Baqir Ebrahim Al-Jassas on November 7, 2009, and held him in solitary confinement under the charge of criticizing the ill-treatment of Saudi government against Shiites through his website “Tahara” .

Some members of al-Mahbahith al-‘Amma raided Al-Jassas’s house  and confiscated his personal possessions .

Al-Jassas has had no access to legal assistance following his arrest , and has not been kept informed of charges against him .

2-  The citizen (Reza Abdul Aziz al-Ghasham ) 23 years , from the town of al-Mobarraz in al-Ahsa , was detained on 8 June 2008 when some members of al-Mahbahith al-‘Amma raided his bookshop , arrested him under the charge of trading Shi’a religious books.

Saudi authorities called his wife and subjected her to a long investigation. His father Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Ghasham (a prominent Shiite religious scholar , Imam al-Montazar mosque in al-mobarraz town of al-Ahsa ) visited him for one time , and saw the signs of torture on his son’s body.

His family was not informed of the reasons of his arrest , also was denied family visit.

3- The Government continued to detain nine of Shi’a citizens ( Hani Abdul Rahim al-Saygh , al-Qatif / Sihat ; Abdullah Ahmad al-Jarrash , al-Qatif  / al-Qala’a ; Hussain Moghayis , al-Qatif / al-Bahari ; Abdul Karim Hussein al-Nemer  ,  al-Dammam , al-Ahsa ; Sayyid Mostafa alQassab , al-Qatif  / Mayyas ; Sayyid Fadhel al-Alawi , al-Qatif / al-Jaroudiyah ; Mustafa Ja`far al-Mo`llim , al-Qatif / al-Jaroudiyah ; Ali al-Marhoon , al-Qatif / al-Jaroudiyah ; Salih Mahdi Ramadhan ,  al-Qatif /al-Jaroudiyah ) in al-Ha’ir prison over thirteen years . They have been arrested as suspects in the aftermath of the 1996 bombing of the U.S. military installation at al-Khobar bombing without charges or trial.

The Saudi authorities actions against the mentioned detainees infringe on internationally guaranteed rights of freedom of expression and religion . Universal Declaration of Human Rights protects the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion .

These actions breach also the Saudi Law of Criminal Procedure which its third Article stipulates that:

No penal punishment shall be imposed on any person except in connection with a forbidden and punishable act, whether under Shari’ah principles or under the statutory laws, and after he has been convicted pursuant to a final judgment rendered after a trial conducted in accordance with Shari’ah principles.

Also the Law of Interrogation Authority and Public Prosecution in Article 3 which says : Monitoring and inspection of prisons, detention centers and any places where criminal sentences are executed, as well as hearing complaints of prisoners and detainees, insuring the legality of their imprisonment or detention and the legality of their remaining in prison or the detention centers after the expiry of the period, taking necessary steps to release those imprisoned or detained without a legitimate cause and applying the law against those responsible for such action .

We urge you to press the Saudi Arabian authorities to release the remaining religious prisoners in Saudi Arabia on humanitarian grounds .

Sermon of Lady Fatima (a)

Posted on by

Praise be to Allah for that which He bestowed (upon us); And thanks be to Him for all that which He inspired; and commended in His Name for that which He Provided: Form prevalent favors which He created, And abundant benefactions which He offered and perfect grants which He presented; (such benefactions) that their number is much too plentiful to compute; Bounties too vast to measure; Their limit was too distant to realize; He recommended to them (His creatures) to gain more (of His benefaction) by being grateful for their continuity; He ordained Himself praiseworthy by giving generously to His creatures; I bear witness that there is no God but Allah Who is One without partner, a statement which sincere devotion is made to be its interpretation; hearts guarantee its con tinuation, and illuminated in the minds is its sensibility. He Who can not be perceived with vision; neither be described with tongues; nor can imagination surround His state.

He originated things but not from anything that existed be fore them, and created them with out examples to follow. Rather, He created them with His might and dispersed them according to His will; not for a need did He create them; nor for a benefit (for Him) did He shape them, But to establish His wisdom, Bring attention to His obedi ence, manifest His might, lead His creatures to humbly vene rate Him, and to exalt His decrees. He then made the reward for His obedience, and punishment for his dis­obedience, so as to protect His creatures from His Wrath and amass them into His Paradise.

I too bear witness that my Father, Muhammad, is His Slave and Messenger, Whom He chose prior to sending him, named him before sending him; when creatures were still concealed in that which was transcendental, guarded from that which was appalling, and associated with the termination and nonexistence. For Allah the Exalted knew that which was to follow, comprehended that which will come to pass, And realized the place of every event. Allah has sent him (Muhammad) as perfection for His commands, a resolution to accomplish His rule, and an implementation of the decrees of His Mercy. So he found the nations to vary in their faiths; Obsessed by their fires, Worshipping their idols, And denying Allah despite their knowledge of Him. Therefore, Allah illuminated their darkness with my Father, Muhammad, uncovered obscurity from their hearts, and cleared the clouds from their insights. He revealed guidance among the people; So he delivered them from being led astray, led them away from misguidance, guided them to the proper religion, and called them to the straight path.

Allah then chose to recall him back in mercy, love and pre ference. So, Muhammad is in comfort from the burden of this world, he is surrounded with devoted angels, the satisfaction of the Merciful Lord, and the nearness of the powerful King.

So may the praise of Allah be upon my Father, His Prophet, Trusted one, the chosen one

from among His creatures, and His sincere friend, and may peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him.’

Fatima (A) then turned to the crowd and said:

‘Surely you are Allah’s slaves at His command Prohibition; You are the bearers of His religion and revelation; You are Allah’s trusted ones with yourselves; and His messengers to the nations. Amongst you does He have righteous authority; A covenant He brought unto you, and an heir He left to guard you; That is The eloquent book of Allah; The truthful Quran; The brilliant light; The shining beam; Its insights are indisputable; Its secrets are revealed; Its indications are manifest; and its followers are blessed by it. (The Quran) leads its adherents to goodwill; and Hearing it leads to salvation; with it are the bright divine authorities achieved, His manifest determination acquired, His prohibited decrees avoided; His manifest evidence recognized; His satisfying proofs made apparent, His permissions granted, and His laws written.

So Allah made belief to be purification for you from poly theism.

He made Prayer, An exaltation for you from conceit.

Alms -A purification for the soul and a (cause of) growth in subsistence.

Fasting an implantation of devotion.

Pilgrimage -A construction of religion.

Justice -A harmony of the hearts;

obeying us (Ahlul-Bayt) Management of the nation.

Our leadership (Ahlul-Bayt), Safeguard from disunity.

Jihad (struggle)  a strengthening of Islam.

Patience -A helping course for deserving (divine) reward.

Ordering goodness (Amr Bil Maruf)  Public welfare.

Kindness to the parents  A safeguard from wrath.

Maintaining close relations with one’s kin -A cause for a longer life and multiplying the number of descend ants.

Retaliation (Qesas)-For sparing blood (souls).

Fulfillment of vows-subjecting oneself to mercy.

Completion of weights and measures -A cause for preventing the neglect of others’ rights. Forbiddance of drinking wines an exaltation from atrocity.

Avoiding slander -A veil from curse.

Abandoning theft-a reason for deserving chastity.

Allah has also prohibited polytheism so that one can devote himself to His Lordship.

Therefore; Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam;

Obey Allah in that which He has commanded you to do and that which He has forbidden, for surely those truly fear among His servants, who have knowledge.’

Lady Fatima Zahra (A) then added:

‘O People! Be informed that I am Fatima, and my father is Muhammad I say that repeatedly and initiate it continually; I say not what I say mistakenly, nor do I do what I do aimlessly.

Now hath come unto you an Apostle from amongst yourselves; It grieves him that you should perish; Ardently anxious is he over you; To the believers he is most kind and merciful. Thus, if you identify and recog nize him, you shall realize that he is my father and not the father of any of your women; the brother of my cousin (Ali (A)) rather than any of your men. What an excellent identity he was, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his descendants Thus, he propagated the Message, by coming out openly with the warning, and while inclined away from the path of the polytheists, (whom he) struck their strength and seized their throats, while he invited (all) to the way of his Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching He destroyed idols, and defeated heroes, until their group fled and turned their backs. So night revealed its dawn; righteousness uncovered its genuineness; the voice of the religious authority spoke out loud; the evil discords were silenced; The crown of hypocrisy was diminished; the tightening of infidelity and desertion were untied,

So you spoke the statement of devotion amongst a band of starved ones; and you were on the edge of a hole of fire;(you were) the drink of the thirsty one; the opportunity of the desiring one; the fire brand of him who passes in haste; the step for feet; you used to drink from the water gathered on roads; eat jerked meat. (Lady Fatima (A) was stating their lowly situation before Islam) You were despised outcasts always in fear of abduction from those around you. Yet, Allah rescued you through my father, Muhammad after much ado, and after he was confronted by mighty men, the Arab beasts, and the demons of the people of the Book Who, whenever they ignited the fire of war, Allah extinguished it; and whenever the thorn of the devil appeared, or a mouth of the polytheists opened wide in defiance, he would strike its discords with his brother (Ali, (A)), who comes not back until he treads its wing with the sole of his feet, and extinguishes its flames with his sword. (Ali is) diligent in Allah’s affair, near to the Messenger of Allah, A master among Allah’s worshippers, setting to work briskly, sincere in his advice, earnest and exerting himself (in service to Islam); While you were calm, gay, and feeling safe in your comfort able lives, waiting for us to meet disasters, awaiting the spread of news, you fell back during every battle, and took to your heels at times of fighting. Yet, When Allah chose His Prophet from the dwell of His prophets, and the abode of His sincere (servants); The thorns of hypocrisy appeared on you, the garment of faith became worn out, The misguided ignorant(s) spoke out, the sluggish ignorant came to the front and brayed. The he camel of the vain wiggled his tail in your courtyards and the your courtyards and the Devil stuck his head from its place of hiding and called upon you, he found you respon sive to his invitation, and observing his deceits.

He then aroused you and found you quick (to answer him), and invited you to wrath, therefore; you branded other than your camels and proceeded to other than your drinking places. Then while the era of the Prophet was still near, the gash was still wide, the scar had not yet healed, and the Messenger was not yet buried. A (quick) undertaking as you claimed, aimed at preventing discord (trial), Surely, they have fallen into trial already! And indeed Hell surrounds the unbelievers. How preposterous! What an idea!

What a falsehood! For Allah’s Book is still amongst you, its affairs are apparent; its rules are manifest; its signs are dazzling; its restrictions are visible, and its commands are evident. Yet, indeed you have casted it behind your backs! What! Do you detest it? Or according to something else you wish to rule? Evil would be the exchange for the wrongdoers! And if anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), it never will it be accepted from him; And in the hereafter, he will be in the ranks of those who have lost. Surely you have not waited until its stampede seized, and it became obedient. You then started arousing its flames, instigating its coal, complying with the call of the misled devil, quenching the light of the manifest reli gion, and extinguished the light of the sincere Prophet. You concealed sips on froth and proceeded towards his (the Prophet) kin and children in swamps and forests (meaning you plot against them in deceitful ways), but we are patient with you as if we are being notched with knives and stung by spearheads in our abdomens, Yet-now you claim that there is not inheritance for us! What! “Do they then seek after a judgment of (the Days of)ignorance? But How, for a people whose faith is assured, can give better judgment than Allah? Don’t you know? Yes, indeed it is obvious to you that I am his daughter.

O Muslims! Will my inheritance be usurped? O son of Abu Quhafa! Where is it in the Book of Allah that you inherit your father and I do not inherit mine? Surely you have come up with an unprecedented thing. Do you intentionally abandon the Book of Allah and cast it behind your back? Do you not read where it says: And Sulaiman inherited Dawood’?

And when it narrates the story of Zakariya and says: `So give me an heir as from thyself (One that) will inherit me, and inherit the posterity of Yaqoob’ And: `But kindred by hood have prior rights against each other in the Book of Allah’

And: Allah (thus) directs you as regards your children’s (inheritance) to the male, a portion equal to that of two females’ And, If he leaves any goods, that he make a bequest to parents and next of kin, according to reasonable usage; this is due from the pious ones.’ You claim that I have no share! And that I do not inherit my father! What! Did Allah reveal a (Quranic) verse regarding you, from which He excluded my father? Or do you say: `These (Fatima and her father) are the people of two faiths, they do not inherit each other?!’ Are we not, me and my father, a people adhering to one faith? Or is it that you have more knowledge about the specifi cations and generalizations of the Quran than my father and my cousin (Imam Ali)? So, here you are! Take it! (Ready with) its nose rope and saddled! But if shall encounter you on the Day of Gathering; (thus) what a wonder ful judge is Allah, a claimant is Muhammad, and a day is the Day of Rising. At the time of the Hour shall the wrongdoers lose; and it shall not benefit you to regret (your actions) then! For every Message, there is a time limit; and soon shall ye know who will be inflicted with torture that will humiliate him, and who will be confronted by an everlasting punishment. (Fatima then turned towards the Ansars and said:) O you people of intellect! The strong supporters of the nation! And those who embraced Islam; What is this short-coming in defending my right? And what is this slumber (while you see) injustice (being done toward me)? Did not the Messenger of Allah, my father, used to say: A man is upheld (remembered) by his children’? O how quick have you violated (his orders)?! How soon have you plotted against us? But you still are capable (of helping me in) my attempt, and powerful (to help me) in that which I request and (in) my pursuit (of it). Or do you say: “Muhammad has perished;”

Surely this is a great calamity; Its damage is excessive its injury is great, Its wound (is much too deep) to heal.

The Earth became darkened with his departure; the stars eclipsed for his calamity; hopes were seized; mountains submitted; sanctity was violated, and holiness was encroached upon after his death. Therefore, this, by Allah, is the great affliction, and the grand calamity; there is not an affliction-which is the like of it; nor will there be a sudden misfortune (as surprising as this).

The Book of Allah-excellent in praising him-announced in the courtyards (of your houses) in the place where you spend your evenings and mornings; A call, A cry, A recitation, and (verses) in order. It had previously came upon His (Allah’s) Prophets and Messengers; (for it is) A decree final, and a pre destination fulfilled: “Muhammad is not but an Apostle: Many were the apostles that passed away before him. If he died or was slain, will ye then turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude.” O you people of reflection; will I be usurped the inheritance of my father while you hear and see me?! (And while) You are sitting and gathered around me? You hear my call, and are included in the (news of the) affair? (But) You are numerous and well equipped! (You have) the means and the power, and the weapons and the shields. Yet, the call reaches you but you do not answer; the cry comes to you but you do not come to help? (This) While you are characterized by struggle

known for goodness and welfare, the selected group (which was chosen), and the best ones chosen by the Messenger for us, Ahlul-Bayt. You fought the Arabs, bore with pain and exhaustion, struggled against the nations, and resisted their heroes. We were still, so were you in ordering you, and you in obeying us. So that Islam became triumphant, the accomplishment of the days came near, the fort of polytheism was subjected, the outburst of was subjected, the outburst of infidelity calmed down, and the system of religion was well-ordered. Thus, (why have you) become con fused after clearness? Conceal matters after announcing them? Turned on your heels afterothers with Allah) after believing? Will you not fight people who violated their oaths? Plotted to expel the Apostle and became aggressive by being the first (to assault) you? Do ye fear them? Nay, it is Allah Whom ye should more justly fear, if you believe!

Nevertheless, I see that you are inclined to easy living; dismissed he who is more worthy of guardianship (Ali (A)); You secluded yourselves with meekness and dismissed that which you accepted. Yet, if you show ingratitude, ye and all on earth together, yet, Allah free of all wants, worthy of all praise. Surely I have said all that I have said with full knowledge that you intent to forsake me, and knowing the betrayal that your hearts sensed. But it is the state of soul, the effusion of fury, the dissemination of (what is) the chest and the presentation of the proof. Hence, Here it is! Bag it (leadership and) put it on the back of an ill she­ camel, which has a thin hump with everlasting disgrace, marked with the wrath of Allah, and the blame of ever (which leads to) the Fire of (the wrath of Allah kindled (to a blaze), that which doth mount (right) to the hearts; For, Allah witnesses what you do, and soon will the unjust assailants know what vicissitudes their affairs will take! And I am the daughter of a warner (the Prophet) to you against a severe punishment. So, act and so will we, and wait, and we shall wait.’

Great Shia personality; Grand Ayatollah Sayed Muhammad Mufti al-Shia Moosavi Expires + pic

Posted on by

Ahlul Bayt News Agency (ABNA.ir), HOLY CITY OF QOM, Iran: Ayatollah Al-Uzma Syed Muhammad Mufti al-Shia Moosavi Ardbaili passed away on Wednesday in holy City of Qum in Iran. He was 82. The late Ayatollah was considered amongst the famous religious teachers and he authored dozens of religious books and translated hundreds of books.

There will be closed holiday in religious Madaris during these days. A statement issued from the headquarters of the Maktab-e-Tashih says that Ayatollah Mufti Al-Shia Urdbaili spent all his life in serving the religion. The gap created by his demise could not be filled.

His funeral ceremony will be start today (20.5.2010) at 17:30 from Imam Hasan Askari (as) mosque to holy shrine of Hadrat Masumah (sa).

Memoir of Ayatullah Mufti Ash-Shia Al-Mousavi

Translated by Ghulam Shabbir on the direction of Allama Syed Hussain Muqqadasi

In the name of Allah the merciful, the beneficent

Praise be to Allah who created pure and perfect man in between knowledge and those who possess knowledge, by his generosity regarded scholars the end of hope of hopeful person & on the basis of his justice preferred the pen of one who knows and acts accordingly to the blood of martyrs and termed them as blessings to all of his creatures. He bestowed preference to the memory of those who served for Shariat to the memory of nameless people and gave them all such things, which non-else has ever been given.

I bear witness that Allah is one and there is no partner unto Him; nor is there any god except him.

No doubt Muhammad (PBUH&HP) is His servant and His prophet corroborated by Rooh-al Quds and Aql-e-Kul; one who was the most gentle & consummate man, took pity on all weaklings, poors, indigents, orphans and all other destitutes.

Knowledge is one of such things as has been applauded and appreciated in Islam and Muslims have been urged to attain it. Quran bears many verses in this regard, which stress upon the importance of knowledge, its attainment and applause of scholars.

The creator of universe ordered for deliberation, and prudence, and has eulogized the man of understanding (olulalbab) and not only this but only those who are possessed of knowledge are said to be God-fearing.

As is stated:

“Those of His servants only who are possessed of knowledge fear Allah”

Surah xxxv/xxviii (The originator)

“Say, Are those who know and those who do not know alike? Only the men of understanding are mindful” (The companies/ix, Surah/xxxix)

Likewise several hadiths from Holy prophet (PBUH&HP) and His vicegerents Aaimma Masoomeen (A.S.) have been reported.

Hazrat Imam Jafar Sadiq (A.S.) quotes Holy Prophet (PBUH):

“A learned has such preeminence on adorer as the full moon on fourteenth has on all the stars and no doubt the scholars are heirs of prophets.”

All these hadiths state the significance of knowledge, the dignity and degree of scholars, subordination to them, the patronage of scholars in proclaiming the laws of religion, their being trustee of Allah, the angels spreading wings for them, birds in the sky & fish in water craving mercy for them. Even Imam (A.S) regards scholars as his assistants and attorneys.

He (A.S) states further:

“Among the fuqaha (theologians) one who guards himself against sensuality, concupiscence, refrains from least and greed, is amendable to Lord’s orders; people must follow such theologian.”

Likewise Maktab-i-Ahlebait (school of prophet’s descendants) has never been without the teacher and the student even for a single day. Right from the early days of Islam to this day it has extended the best service to Islam. The conspicuous proof is the emergence of four thousand scholars in various fields of knowledge from the great school of Hazrat Iama Jafar Sadiq (A.S).

The branch of knowledge which has been the most stressed upon and for which people have been urged to attain is Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) because in it lies the system and order of this world and the benefit of the world hereafter; as it is the law of Shariat (the divine law) and he who acts upon it is successful both here and hereafter.

Maktab-i-Ahlebait is particular in that there has always been opportunity for Ijtihad i.e. interpretation and reinterpretation of Islamic laws. That is why in every era there emerged unprecedented scholars, the most pious men of the time, ulema and fuqaha (theologians).

This booklet comprises of brief biography of Hazrat Ayatullah al Uzma As-Syed Muhammad Mufti Ash-Shia, Al-Mousavi (Dama Zilluhul Aali) and his family. Further, about his teachers, his own teaching services rendered in Hawza and his general welfare works have been mentioned. May Allah’s graciousness be always with us to write more, in future, on various other aspects of his great personality (Aameen)

Brief Biography

His Good Name

Muhammad-bin-Muhammad Taqi bin Murtaza bin Naqad Ali bin Mir Ali Raza bin Hussain Al-Mousavi. He was born on 10th of Rajab-ul-Murajab 1347 A.H. in Ardbail (known as Dar-ul-Irshad) – a city of Iran.

Ayatullah al Uzma As-Syed Muhammad Taqi Mufti Ash-Shia Ardbaili was his father who died in 1361 A.H. He was considered one of much followed theologians. He was also leader of his city. His Risala-i-Amalia (journal) was published on 18th of Zilhajj 1336 A.H under the title of “Shajara-tut-Taqwa”. The second journal “Zakhirat-ul-Uqba” was published in 1344 A.H. he had been the pupil of Akhund Khurasani, Syed Kazim Yazdi, and Syed Muhammad Isfahani Fasharki.

His Grandfather

His grandfather’s name was Ayatullah al Uzma Syed Murtaza Khalkhali Ardabaili. He too was one of the venerable Maraje Uzzam. On his return from Najaf-i-Ashraf, he laid the foundation of great Hawza-i-Ilmia in Ardbail, which produced several Ulmas. Students, not only from Iran, but also from various other countries like Badkoba, Sherwan, Siliyan, Ierwan, Nakhchwan, Lankran, and Aazarbaijan came to this Hawza to seek knowledge. He was the pupil of Sahib-i-Karamaat and Sheikh Ansari (R.A). He left this world on 1317 A.H.

His respected Uncle

His uncle, Faqih-i-kamil Syed Ahmed Mujtahid, the pupil of Sheikh Hassan Mamqani and Fazil Sharbiani, was one of those precedent theologians who saved their city against the wickedness of enemies.

His second uncle, Syed Musa Faqih Murtazavi who was great worshipper and a pious man, had the degree of Ijtihad (interpretation and reinterpretation of Islamic laws) from great maraje like Ayatullah al Uzma Syed Abu Al-Hassan Isfahani, Muhaqqiq (researcher) Naeeni and Muhaqqiq Iraqi.

His respect worthy mother

She was the daughter of Syed-ul-Ulama As-Syed Baqir Al-Ardbaili Al-Najafi who was awarded ijaza-i-ijtihad (Permission for interpretation and reinterpretation of Islamic laws) by Syed-ul-Ulama great Marje As-shaikh Muhammad Taqi Ash-sherazi in 1335 A.H. He was son of Ayatullah Syed Habib Ullah Al-Athari Ardbaili who was the grandson of Mujtahid-i-Akbar Syed Hussain and nephew of Muhaqqiq Karki al-Aamli. He was Shaikh-ul-Islam in the regime of Sultan Tahmasab Safawi in Ardbail.

His Progeny

The sustainer of the world bestowed him seven sons. Three of them are scholars:

1.Hujjatul-Islam Aaqai Syed Muhammad Taqi (R.A)

2. Hujjatul-Islam Aaqai Al-Haj Syed Muhammad Zaki (R.A)

3. Siqa-tul-Islam Syed Abul Fazl (R.A)

His pedigree

His lineage reaches to Syed Ibrahim Al-Asghar surnamed Al-Murtaza the son of Imam-I-Hamam Musa bin Jafar (A.S) who has been talked about in the books of genealogies.

His dynasty

His family is one of those the most ancient and learned families whose members reside in cities like Najaf-i-Ashraf, Tehran, Ardbail, Khalkhal, Qazween & Rasht. This family has always been exerting for the attainment of knowledge & wisdom. There have been several theologians, scholars, authors & poets in this noble family who have been leading the masses as a prelate (Mujtahid) in their spiritual and worldly problems. This is why the pages of the books of tazkira and rijal are full of their excellence learning & compositions.

His conduct & attentions

In 1361 A.H, on the day of Hazrat Imam Muhammad Taqi (A.S)’s martyrdom, his father departed in Ardbail, who left the whole city in affliction and people arranged Majalis-i-Aaza for forty days and on 40th day much honoured & preferred Ayatullah al uzma Syed Younis Ardbaili attired him the spiritual apparel with his own hands and put Amamah (a religious turban) on his head after which he left for Mash’had Al-Muqqadas.

In 1363 A.H, he performed the duties of imamat in his father’s mosque (which is known as Masjid-i-Bazar & masjid Syed Ahmed) on the consent of his worthy uncle Syed Musa faqih. Although he was quite young yet people used to participate in his Jamat (gathering for prayer) with pleasure and zeal, for his amiable nature and belonging to praise worthy dynasty and the mosque used to fill with Namazis to its full capacity. Not only this but very often people used to take his ablution water as a benediction and solicited him for Dua (prayer); he was of the rank of his ancestors in religious affairs.

He was known for his continence, abstinence & decency in his family and the city where as among the learned (ulama) and the seekers he was famous for the mode of equity and man of wisdom.

Acquisition of knowledge

He showed quick, sharp and brimful mind in the acquisition of knowledge. He got his education of ‘Moqaddemaat’ from distinctive ulmas (teachers) of Ardbail and his father’s pupils. He learnt ‘Rassail’ from Ayatullah Shaikh Ghulam Hussain Gharvi and ‘Makasib’ from his worthy uncle Ayatullah Syed Musa Faqih Murtazavi.

Left for Qum

In 1367 A.H, he left for Hawza-i-ilmia Qum for further education. For Dars-i-Kharij in Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) he joined the lectures of Ayatullah al uzma Brojurdi who was delivering his lectures on Salat (prayer) in those days.

For discussion on ‘Baye’ (buying & selling) he took lessons from Ayatullah al uzma Syed Muhammad Hujjat. He participated in the class of Ayatullah al uzma Roohullah al-Musawi Al Khomeini (R.A) for discussion on principles of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). Debate on Taharat (cleanliness) was learnt in the classes of Ayatullah al uzma Syed Muhammad Muhaqqiq Damad (R.A). To have an insight in the enigmas of philosophy, haiyyat & tafseer he attended the bountiful lectures of Allama Syed Muhammad Hussain Tabatabai (R.A), along with this he himself delivered lectures on high level on “Rasa’il”, “Kifaya”, “Makasib” & “Manzooma”.

In summer vacations when he came back in his own country, he used to guide the people & helped them in their religious problems. He was also used to perform Imamat in his ancestral mosque.

Migrated to Najaf-i-Ashraf

Zeal for the acquisition of knowledge did not end and his thirsty nature for knowledge and cognizance led him leave for Najaf-i-Ashraf in 1374 A.H. and he attended the lectures of following chosen, excellent highly esteemed ulamas (scholars) and Maraje Uzzam:

1.Marjae Aaliqadar Ayatullah al uzma Syed Mohsin Hakim (R.A)

2. Marjae Aaliqadar Ayatullah al uzma Syed Mohammad Shahroudi (R.A)

3. Marjae Aaliqadar Ayatullah al uzma Syed Abul Qasim Khoie (R.A)

For quite a long period he attended the lectures of Ayatullah al uzma Sheikh Hussain Hilli (R.A) on Asool (principles) & Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and he sought maximum learning from him. For more than ten years he remained under his guidance and kept on writing his lessons till the day when he was talked of one of the keen pupils of Sheikh Hussain Hilli (R.A). He has compiled a complete lesson of esteemed teacher on Asool (principle)& urwah (path).

In 1388 A.H, after performing Hajj and taking leave of Ayatullah al uzma Sheikh Hussain Hilli (R.A), he started teaching Fiqh & Asool. At the same time he began research and composition.

Back in his country

A delegation of venerable personnels reached in Najaf-i-Ashraf Ardbail in 1379 A.H and requested Marjae Aaliqadar Ayatullah al Uzma Syed Mohsin Hakim to send Aaqae Mufti ush Shia as his attorney to explain divine code of life to the people in Ardbail. Hence, in view of their constraints and requisition Ayatullah al Uzma Hakim (R.A) sent him to Ardbail. However, he never wished that Mufti ush shia should ever leave Najaf-i-Ashraf. Aaqae Mufti ush shia left Najaf-i-Ashraf for Ardbail on 16th of Zeeqaadh 1379 A.H. and arrived on 24th Zilhajj.

As soon as the people came to know of his advent, particularly great ulamas and khutbaas (preachers) they came out at a distance of twelve Farsakh (Miles) to welcome him and gave him a magnificent reception.

In 1380 A.H., when Marjae Aalam-i-Tashayyo Ayatullah al Uzma Brojurdi departed for the world hereafter, people of Aazarbaijan under the guidance of Aaqae Mufti ush shia started to follow Ayatullah al Uzma Syed Mohsin Hakim (R.A) and they always turned to him in all their problems and masail-i-shariat.

After his one and half year stay in Aardbail he went again to Najaf-i-Ashraf to restart his learning activities.

Compositions

He has all the speeches delivered on Asool & Fiqh, which he wrote while attending the lectures of his teachers in Najaf-i-Ashraf and Qum. The detail is as under:

In Hawza-i-Ilmia Qum

The book on bae (Buying & selling) by Hazrat Ayatullah al Uzma Syed Muhammad Hujjat (R.A).

The book on Salat (prayer) by Hazrat Ayatullah al Uzma Syed Agha Hussain Brojurdi (R.A).

The book on Taharat (cleanliness) by Hazrat Ayatullah al Uzma Syed Muhaqqiq Damad (R.A).

He wrote “Mabahis-i-Ilfaz”& discussion on “La jabar wala tafweez bal amar bain al amrain” in Dars-i-Asool by Hazrat Ayatullah al Uzma Syed Roohullah Al-Mousavi Al-Khomeini (R.A).

In Dars-i-Manzooma & Asfar by his great teacher Allama Taba Tabaie (R.A) he wrote his theories as marginal notes in his books.

Hawza-i-Ilmia Najaf-i-Ashraf

“Salat ul Musafir wal Jama’ah” & some important things about Hajj by Hazrat Ayatullah al Uzma Syed Mehmood Shahroodi (R.A).

A complete composition of Asool-i-Fiqh by Hazrat Ayatullah al Uzma Syed Abul Qasim khoie (R.A)

A complete composition of Asool-i-Fiqh by Hazrat Ayatullah al Uzma Sheikh Hussain Hilli (R.A) and “Bae-o-Khiyaraat” in Fiqh, “Taharat” a discussion of urwat-ul-wusqa

A tract on “La Zarar wala Zaraar”

Sharah Kifayah

A treatise on doubted apparel

A Pamphlet about “Ilm-i-ljmali” (Brief knowledge)

Qaida “Iqrar-o-Raza’a” and several other magazines on important discussions along with summaries in a book titled “Fiqh-i-Mabsoot”

This is an argumentative book in which important things of Fiqh have been discussed in the light of Qawaid-i-Asoolia, Quranic verses, sayings of Masumeen (A.S) & Asool-i-Amlia. He also wrote on “Ilm-i-Ikhlaq” & “Ilm-i-Nafs”. He also wrote marginal notes on “Asfar” & several other books.

His Risala-i-Amlia – “Towzeehul Masa’il & Masa’il-i-Mustahaddisa”, Minhaj-us-saleheen” are in two volumes. He wrote valuable books on “ Manasik-i-Hajj” and “marginal note on Urwah”.

His status among scholars

He obtained ljaza-i-ijtehad (license for interpretation and reinterpretation of Islamic laws) & ljaza-i-Riwayat (to narrate) from great Ulamas, Mashaikhs and Mujtahideen. The writing of these ijazas is evidence of his abilities. He is known as mark of equity, abstinence, research & keen observation. This small treatise does not allow me to quote all such statements but only as a specimen one line from the letter of Ayatullah al uzma Syed Mehmood Shahroudi (R.A) is mentioned here which he wrote on 26th Zeeqaad 1390 A.H when he was leaving for Iran:

“I deem him quite essential in Najaf-i-Ashraf in all possibilities as Hawza-i-Ilmia needs him and others like him.”

Social services

He has played an important role for the welfare of the deprived & wretched people of society and showed bountiful magnanimity in building Institutions for public good, schools & mosques. Similarly he permitted some Momineen for the disbursement of obligations of revealed law (wajoobat-i-shariah) in the interest of the destitute & the poor.

His morals

He has good morals, is tender hearted, has almost all virtues and is like his proceeding ulamas in “Ser-o-Salook”. His majlis (sittings) are never without Zikr-i-Khuda”, “Rawayat”, “Hadith-i-Ahl-i-bait (A.S) Fiqh Masa’il & Asool.

He is quite unprecedented in treating the destitute with attention and ceremony, in knowledge, clemency virtue, piety & veracity.

In his conversation and “Masa’il-i-Shariah” he speaks with depth of thought and constancy.

Deported from Najaf-i-Ashraf

In 1396 A.H. Iraqi authorities adopted the policy of deportation of hundreds of intrepid of Imam-i-Zamana (A.S) from Hawza-i-Ilmia Najaf – the then centre of ulams and Mujtahideen-i-Shia & Maadan-i-uloom-i-Aal-i-Muhammad (A.S). They issued orders of expulsion of the teachers and the students of Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey & other countries, and this order was issued so that the enemies of Haq-o-Imamat i.e. Allah and Imam may express pleasure on the annihilation of auspicious Hawza Najaf-i-Ashraf – the pride of Shia & Muslim Ummah.

Hence, the government started arresting people. Aaqae Mufti Ush Shia (R.A) was also arrested. First along with many others, he was in (Khan An Nisf) prison, which is midway from Karbala to Najaf. Then, all alone, he was confined in a small cell. There after shifted in the prison of Najaf-i-Ashraf. Later, the agents brought him home and ordered to leave the country within two hours.

Hence, with his family he proceeded to Iran, and stayed in adjacency of Bargah-i-Hazrat Masooma (A.S) to start teaching, writing and solving the problems of the people.

He was made principal attorney of the head of Hawza-i-Ayatullah al uzma Hazrat Syed Abdul Aala Sabzwari (R.A) in connection with the selection of attorneys and representatives in Islamic countries after the death of Ayatullah al uzma Khoie (R.A). He was also consulted in important matters. This is, conspicuous demonstration on his abilities and trust.

Ayatullah al uzma Sabzwari (R.A) remembers him in these words:

Moassesa Imam Muhammad Taqi (AS)

US forced American Muslim into exile

Posted on by

An American Muslim civil rights group has charged the US government of forcing an American citizen into exile because of his faith.

According to Press TV, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called on the US Department of Justice to look into the matter.

CAIR said 29-year old Raymond Earl Knaeble IV, has been placed on a no-fly list and has been unable to return home from Colombia since March.

According to CAIR, Knaeble this week flew to Mexico in hope of traveling to the Mexican-US border, but he instead faced lengthy interrogation by Mexican officials before being sent back to Colombia.

The group says it is illegal for a US citizen to be denied entry to his own country while he is not charged with any crime and such actions undermine the US Constitution.

Israeli guard tears inmate's Quran

Posted on by

Tearing of Islam’s holy book of Quran by Israeli prison guards has sparked new outrage across Palestine against Tel Aviv regime’s religious bigotry.

A detainees’ society reported the sacrilegious measure, asserting that an Israeli prison guard in Ashkelon jail seized a prisoner’s Quran during a cell search and tore it into pieces.

Palestinian Authority Chief Justice Sheikh Tayseer al-Tamimi issued a statement on the incident on Monday and strongly condemned recurring insults on Islamic sanctities by Israeli forces. The move reveals the extent of “extremism, religious hatred and racism in Israel,” he said.

The sheikh said it was not the first occasion during which “Israeli forces have disrespected the Noble Quran, having done so in the al-Arroub refugee camp and in Megiddo prison.”

Tamimi stressed that religious books, including the Quran, should be respected by followers of all religions. “But Israeli guards do not do so,” he regretted, saying he held the Israeli regime and Israeli Prison Service responsible for the insult.

Last month, assailants who looked like Israeli settlers broke into the Bilal Ben-Rabah Mosque in the village of Hawara, near Nablus. They sprayed graffiti, including a Jewish Star of David, on the walls of the mosque alongside the name of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) in Hebrew and set fire to two cars outside the building.

Extremist settlers also vandalized a mosque in the West Bank village of Yasuf in December. The vandals attacked the holy site overnight and burned prayer mats and a book stand with sacrosanct, Islamic texts. They also sprayed threatening messages on the mosque walls reading, “Get ready to pay the price” and “We will burn all of you.”

Indian lives 70 years without food, water

Posted on by

Scientists with India’s Defense Research Development Organization said they are closely studying a man who says he has gone 70 years without food or water.
Prahlad Jani, 82, had shown no signs of ill effects after six days under observation without food or water, The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday.
Jani said he is a “breatharian” living on a “spiritual life-force”, the British newspaper said.
Scientists said they may be able to learn from Jani’s physiology.
“If his claims are verified, it will be a breakthrough in medical science,” said Dr. G. Ilavazhagan, director of the Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences.
“We will be able to help save human lives during natural disasters, high altitude, sea journeys, and other natural and human extremities. We can educate people about the survival techniques in adverse conditions with little food and water or nothing at all”.

Scientists with India’s Defense Research Development Organization said they are closely studying a man who says he has gone 70 years without food or water.
Prahlad Jani, 82, had shown no signs of ill effects after six days under observation without food or water, The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday.
Jani said he is a “breatharian” living on a “spiritual life-force”, the British newspaper said.
Scientists said they may be able to learn from Jani’s physiology.
“If his claims are verified, it will be a breakthrough in medical science,” said Dr. G. Ilavazhagan, director of the Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences.
“We will be able to help save human lives during natural disasters, high altitude, sea journeys, and other natural and human extremities. We can educate people about the survival techniques in adverse conditions with little food and water or nothing at all”.

Outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi top terrorists killed by Armed forces in Kohat

Posted on by

Sources in Kohat Police informed that the government forces were killed 34 Taliban terrorist in the operation against terrorists in Dera Adam Khail in the suburbs of Kohat city.
According to the Shiite News, Three terrorists were identified as the members of the outlawed terrorist organization Laskhar-e-Jhangvi an armed wing of terrorist organization of banned Sepah-e -Sahaba.
The terrorists were identified as Abdul Rauf Baloch alias Mama Raufa, Abdul Latif alias Colonel Tofan and Azeem Mazvia, all the three terrorists have belonged from Dera Ismail Khan, most violent city of the NWFP province of Pakistan.
These terrorists were involved in the suicide attacks, bomb blasts and target killings incidents against the Shiite community of Dera Ismail Khan, which claims thousands of lives of innocent Shia’s of D.I.Khan.
The terrorists of outlawed organization had also involved in the suicide attempt on Pakistan Muslim League Shia Member of National Assembly Rasheed Nawani at his residence Bhakkar.
It may be noted here that the Armed forces of the country has been started an operation against the Taliban terrorists in Kohat city to prevent the area from the heinous activities of the terrorists.
Though the killing of top three Wahabi terrorists were the disaster for the terrorist network in the NWFP province but there is a need to initiate comprehensive army operation against the terrorists of outlawed organizations at grass-root level to prevent the life of Pakistani citizens.
People of the Dera Ismail Khan demanded of the Government to immediately arrest the Khalifa Abdul Qayum, the main supporter of terrorists in Dera Ismail Khan for the lasting peace of the city.
This is important to mention here that these terrorists group led by Khalifa Abdul Qayum was also involved in the attack on Milad-un-Nabi (SAWW) holy procession in Dera Ismail Khan, which shows his heinous desires.

Iran Vice-President: Hezbollah Capable of Confronting Israeli Aggression

Posted on by

Hezbollah Secretary General Syed Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday met with Iranian Vice-President of the Shura Council Muhammad Rida Taj Al-Deeni and his accompanying delegation. The meeting addressed both local and regional issues.

Following his meeting with Hezbollah official in South Lebanon Sheikh Nabil Qawouk on Sunday, Taj al-Deeni said that new Israeli threats are part of Tel Aviv’s psychological war. He added that the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, Hezbollah, is capable of confronting any new [Israeli] aggression.

According to Taj al-Deeni, the July 2006 War proved that Israel is not invincible, and the war’s outcome set an example for the Islamic World. “Youth throughout the Muslim World can confront colonial schemes and global arrogance,” he said.

He added that Hezbollah’s resistance reflects Lebanon’s ability to face the “

Are You Ready For Hajj?

Posted on by

“Yallah Hajji!”One of the many popular phrases that our dear hajjis bring back as memories of their holy pilgrimage.

But there is much more than new Arabic words and some classic halal fast-food to keep as memories from this spiritual journey; although both of those are pluses!

Although I personally have not gone to Hajj before; I have family and friends who have. I have been also been blessed to have done Umrah and there are so many wonderful things about the experience.

In Islam it is encouraged to go as soon as possible, and also obligatory, if you have the means, and are of age. Many times we hear our young Muslim brothers and sisters saying they will go when they are married, or when they are older, and that they are not “ready” yet. It seems almost as if we have made a Hajj a task, like taking a standardized test. We have heard how hard it is, to plow through the crowds of people, how the heat (when the month is during the summer) is unbearable, and even how complicated and full of do’s and don’ts the pilgrimage is.

We need to take a minute and think back to why Allah (swt) has made this act obligatory on us. Why does He want us to, once in our life, go and take this trip, and make circles around the Holy Kaaba? And if I am 23 or so, why would I have to go on my own if I’m able, shouldn’t I go when I get married? Or when will I have a better job? Let’s think about all the beautiful acts of Hajj and ask why they are so important to experience as soon as possible, yes, even as a youth.

During Hajj, we wear the Ehraam, and are dressed in simple white cloth in order to resemble our death clothes. Ehraam allows us to be equal with the millionaire next to us, or the poor family in front of us. It represents true Islamic values of equality and simplicity. Many youth today are busy running around making money so they can buy brand names, drive expensive cars, and just be better than the next person. This experience is to take your mind to levels where it belongs. To think in terms of simplicity and equality, that each person is not judged, and will not be judged on the Day of Judgment, by their brand names, but by the level of their faith. Were they at the level that they took upon the commands of going on Hajj as soon as possible? Or were they too busy saving for materialistic things and waiting to do it on the tomorrow that is not guaranteed to even come?

Another act that one is required to complete on this spiritual journey is throwing the stones at the (Devil) “shaytaan.” Instead of us throwing stones at our parents, and our life trials; we need to see the real shayateen (Devils) that are holding us back from being the justice-loving, and forgiving people that our Creator has made us. We need to begin throwing stones at our desires, our jobs that take away time from our families and communities, our hate for our brothers and sisters, and the list goes on and on.

Many times we see youth who do embark on this spiritual journey, and come back with a fresh new mindset and goal as to how to live their life, dedicated to Islam and to becoming more pious. Many times we see youth who go and become so engrossed in the literal aspects of Hajj, that they tend to forget about the symbolism. The fact that it is the one time, where all Muslims are gathered, together, at their Creator’s home, meeting new people, discussing issues that pertain to them, and helping each other through personal struggles, is a great thing. Many youth are too involved in finding a way to touch Hajar-e-aswad, which is fine, and it might mean a big deal, but what about touching your fellow brother or sister’s heart. What about helping an old lady or man to do their Tawaafs? Which, in your mind, is more important under the banner of hajj? This is only food for thought, not a fact.

Youth, who love socializing, should take the opportunity, if able, to go on hajj as soon as possible. Aside from studying the process, and the Fiqh rules, there is no way to prepare for this pilgrimage. Do we think that those who died in the stampedes that took place a few years ago were prepared? Do you think they were not worried about their jobs, or money? Of course, but Hajj is a spiritual journey, for when one is feeling lost and confused, as they study and realize each action they perform in those few days, and if they truly and sincerely ponder on it, they will only be filled with awe.

Many youth have been blessed to go at a young age, and return feeling inspired, and required, to become better Muslims. Everyone is obligated to know more about their religion, so they may better their lives, and in return teach others about Islam. Many young girls who do not practice wearing the Hijaab, have returned and naturally felt the desire to wear the Hijaab. Many young people have gone, and poured their hearts out to Allah (swt) and returned to nothing but the answer to their prayers. Who would want to pass up the opportunity of having a clean slate?

For those youth who are unsure of why Allah (swt) has commanded us to this ritualistic act, go for yourself, experience it, and find out why. We cannot question and think and take no action to find our answers. For when you see the Holy Kaaba for the first time, it is an unbelievable and heavy feeling in your heart. And as you circle around this holy structure, this unexplainable feeling of confidence and love for your religion will flow into your heart.

May Allah (swt) bless each Muslim with the chance to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, this year, and every year!

Gratefulness: The Essence of Islam

Posted on by

One of the best gifts Allah swt has granted mankind is the ability to feel and express gratitude. Being grateful at the most basic level is very simple and very beneficial. It is simple because it requires no special knowledge, skill, equipment, or preparation – anyone can access the gift of thankfulness. Yet most of us fall short of the mark in expressing due thanks for what others do, and probably all of us owe far more thanks to Allah (swt) than we even understand. However, improvement is also simple: just make it a practice to notice blessings and kindnesses, to think about them, and to honor them.

One reason gratitude is beneficial is because it improves relationships, – whether interpersonal or with our Creator. When we can feel and express appreciation for God’s blessings or other’s kindnesses, affection grows. But the personal benefits are also great; a thankful heart is a content and awed heart. Even in times and circumstances of hardship, we always have much to appreciate. When we acknowledge this, our burdens are easier to bear.

Imam Sadiq (as) wrote in Lantern of the Path, “With every breath you take, a thanksgiving is incumbent upon you, indeed, a thousand thanks or more. The lowest level of gratitude is to see that the blessing comes from Allah irrespective of the cause for it, and without the heart being attached to that cause. It consists of being satisfied with what is given; it means not disobeying Him with regard to His blessing, or opposing Him in any of His commands and prohibitions because of His blessing.”

Our breathing comes without thought, and yet each breath is a blessing. The struggle for breath is an agony that we are usually spared thousands upon thousands of times without thanking for it. If the gift of breath is taken from us, we will die; breath is life. It is but one of countless examples of blessings from God we owe thanks for. At the very least, we should appreciate that it is a gift from God, be satisfied with the gift, and never use the gift of breath for anything opposing Allah swt. One could possibly say that if we truly wish to express gratitude for the gift of breath, we must never allow ourselves to purposely breathe in any haram substances and we must never use our breath to utter any lies, backbiting, or other haram speech. For even if we claim to feel gratitude, the proof of real thankfulness comes in our actions. If we are thankful for a gift, we will not be careless with it. If someone gave you a birthday present you really loved, you would use it with caution in order to protect it. Similarly, if we are truly grateful for the blessing of breath, we will use it with caution, too.

Imam Sadiq (as) continues:
“Be a grateful bondsman to Allah in every way, and you will find that Allah is a generous Lord in every way. If there were a way of worshipping Allah for His sincerest bondsman to follow more excellent than giving thanks at every instance, He would have ascribed to them the name of this worship above the rest of creation. Since there is no form of worship better than that, He has singled out this kind of worship from other kinds of worship, and has singled out those who practice this kind of worship, saying,

وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ

Very few of my servants are grateful. (34:13)”

Expressing thanks to God is a great form of worship, and at the minimum is part of our daily prayers. Allah swt has taught us that when we give thanks, blessings increase. Not only is this true about the blessings directly from God, but it applies for gratitude to the blessings of Allah swt that come from people as well. For example, a child who demonstrates true appreciation for Eid gifts or quality time spent with daddy inspires the giver to happily continue to give to that child, while a child who seems to take a gift for granted or does not seem to like or appreciate it may find the giver less generous in the future. God is not in need of our thanks and is not hurt in the least by our ingratitude, but gratitude enriches us immeasurably. “Allah is not in need of the obedience of His bondsmen, for He has the power to increase blessings forever. Therefore be a grateful bondsman to Allah, and in this manner you will see wonders.” (Ibid.)

Even feeling and expressing gratitude is itself a merciful blessing from God.
“Complete thankfulness is to sincerely repent your inability to convey the least amount of gratitude, and expressing this by means of your sincere glorification of Allah. This is because fitting thanks is itself a blessing bestowed upon the bondsman for which he must also give thanks; it is of greater merit and of a higher state than the original blessing which caused him to respond with thanks in the first place. Therefore, every time one gives thanks one is obliged to give yet greater thanks, and so on ad infinitum, and this while absorbed in His blessings and unable to achieve the ultimate state of gratitude. For how can the bondsman match with gratitude the blessings of Allah, and when will he match his own action with Allah’s while all along the bondsman is weak and has no power whatsoever, except from Allah?” (Ibid.)

The world would be a better place if we were more grateful to Allah swt and to others. Therefore, I would like to publicly thank God for His continued mercy toward me, and to thank my parents for their love. Those few words are not adequate at all, but should not be left unsaid

Are eggs healthy for weight loss?

Posted on by

A new study in the online journal entitled Risk Analysis reports that eating one egg a day accounts for less than 1 percent of the risk of heart disease, the leading killer of American men and women. This helps deflate the myth that all eggs are always bad for you and can never be included in a heart-healthy meal plan.he researchers cited lifestyle factors, such as a poor diet, smoking, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle as chief contributors (30 to 40 percent) of someone’s heart disease risk, with men having higher risks than women.

Risk factors that could be potentially treated, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, accounted for a whopping 60 to 70 percent of the risk. In this light, a single egg doesn’t seem so big a threat.

Eggs have gotten a lot of bad press of late. There seems to be a constant drumbeat, perhaps in the media, about eggs being off-limits if you want to keep your heart healthy.

Instead of worrying about an egg a day, we should turn our attention to the potential risks of stress (especially chronic stress), physical inactivity, and poor overall diet choices (like diets high in junk foods and low in fruits andvegetables).

This research, which was (full disclosure) funded by the Egg Nutrition Center, serves to further substantiate the premise that healthy adults really can eat (whole) eggs without upping their heart disease risk significantly.

What is it about eggs that could actually help your heart?

Eggs are high in choline, an organic, water-soluble nutrient that’s usually grouped in with the B vitamins. They are also high in betaine, a nutrient related to choline. Together these 2 are associated with lower levels of homocysteine (an amino acid that studies have shown to be related to a higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease).

It’s good to keep homocysteine levels under control because high homocysteine levels usually suggest chronic inflammation, a process that has been linked with heart disease, as well as to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Treatment of a high homocysteine level usually involves supplementation of the B vitamin folic acid but don’t take more than 1,000 micrograms—1 gram—a day, or it can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Eggs are a great source of high-quality (or high biological value, HBV) protein; in fact, they are considered to be the best overall source of protein.

Eggs provide 13 essential vitamins/minerals, including riboflavin, an important B vitamin needed to help your body get energy from food. Eggs also contain vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin lacking in the diet of many Americans. People who are overweight and/or have diabetes are at a higher risk for vitamin D deficiency.

Eggs also help you feel full, since your body produces a hormone called PYY when you eat high-protein foods. PYY tells your brain you’re no longer hungry, so if you’re trying to lose some pounds, opting for a high-protein snack like a boiled egg can really help you feel full (and it’s only 75 calories).

The organic eggs high in omega 3 fatty acids (the healthy fats), from chickens raised without hormones or chemicals are benefit for health. These eggs are higher in omega 3s because of the healthier feed given to the chickens. The high-omega-3 eggs add another possible benefit to a balanced diet.

However, if, for whatever reason, you want to keep the fat and cholesterol content in your diet low, eat the egg whites and skip the yolk, since all the protein (and virtually none of the fat) is in the whites. There are even cartons of pure egg whites in the grocery store that make it easy. Or you could separate the eggs at home by discarding the yolks, or at least a few of them.

This study, however, seems to be suggesting that even the egg yolk isn’t anywhere near the health risk people have perceived it to be for all these years. They’re also a very affordable source of protein, a big plus in today’s economy!

Riyadh denies approval to allow Israeli planes to overfly its territory to strike Iran

Posted on by

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia denied Monday published news of the tacit approval to allow Israeli planes to overfly its territory if it is forced to strike Iran.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Osama transportation “Certainly it is not true. We do not have any form of relations with the Israelis.”

The newspaper “Sunday Times” reported the British Sunday thatSaudi Arabia has given tacit approval to the Israeli government on Israeli warplanes flying over its territory to strike Iran.

A diplomatic source told the newspaper that “The Saudis have given tacit consent to use the Israeli Air Force Egwaehm part of the task is in the interest of Israel and Saudi Arabia together.”

“The Sunday Times that” The President of the Israeli intelligence service (Mossad) Meir Dagan told the Israeli prime minister said Saudi Arabia would tolerate for flights over its territory in the event of the Jewish state decided to launch a raid on Iranian nuclear facilities.

She explained that the head of the Mossad, held since 2002 for the regular secret meetings with the Saudis in this regard, despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations between them.

For his part, the Saudi spokesman, denied outright a form of talks between Saudi Arabia and Israel, stressing that the two countries do not live any relationship, whether diplomatic, commercial or other.

He explained that the call from time to time reports of secret ties between the two countries aimed at discrediting the country’s Arab relations.

The spokesman said that “Our policy is very clear and our position is very tough on any form of relations with Israel.”

He added: “Fortunately, the persistent allegations that these are not taken seriously.”

In Jerusalem, the office denied Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday of this information, saying it “is totally false and baseless.

Headscarf Martyr Proves European Bias Against Muslims

Posted on by

b5232b32-1532-45ac-a681-138344328414_topOutrage over the murder of a pregnant Muslim woman in Germany who has become known as the “hijab martyr” mounted Tuesday following her funeral and protests in her native Egypt over what Muslims see as European Islamaphobia and western media double standards.
Marwa al-Sherbini, a 32-year-old Egyptian-German, was buried in her coastal hometown of Alexandria, Egypt Monday amid demonstrations by Egyptians mourning her senseless death and calling for retribution.

” What we demand is just some attention to be given to the killing of a young innocent mother on the hands of fanatic extremist ”
Abdel Azim Hamad, al Shuruq

Sherbini was stabbed to death 18 times Wednesday as she prepared to testify against her assailant, who was in court to appeal a previous defamation conviction against her.

The assailant, knonw only as Alex W., had been convicted and fined €750 ($1,050) last year for calling Sherbini a “terrorist,” “b*tch” and “Islamist” after she asked him to leave a swing for her three-year-old son Mustafa.

Her funeral drew thousands of angry mourners and Egyptian officials who called on the government to seriously deal with the tragic killing and take immediate action.

“There is no god but God and the Germans are the enemies of God,” they chanted.

Ramzi Ezz, Egypt’s ambassador in Germany told Al Arabiya the results of the investigations could be released in a few days, but noted that Egyptian law calls for life imprisonment of the murderer.

Sherbini’s brother Tarek al-Sherbini vowed to avenge her killing. “We believe in an eye for an eye,” he told Egyptian national television.

Dubbed the “martyr of the head scarf,” Sherbini was three months pregnant when her 28-year-old attacker stabbed her countless times in front of her two-year-old son.

“The killer is a terrorist who should receive severe punishment for what he has done, something that contradicts all the values of humanity, decency and religion,” Grand Imam Sheikh Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi told Egypt’s official MENA news agency.

Alex also stabbed Sherbini’s husband, Elwi Ali Okaz while he was trying to save his wife. And adding further insult to injury, a security guard shot Okaz in the leg because he mistook the husband for the attacker because of his ethnic looks according to German prosecutors.

“The guards thought that as long as he wasn’t blond, he must be the attacker so they shot him,” Sherbini told an Egyptian television station.
Alex W. remained in detention and prosecutors have begun investigating the murder but have downplayed it as a lone incident.

Christian Avenarius, the prosecutor in Dresden where the incident took place, said the killer was driven by a deep hatred of Muslims. “It was very clearly a xenophobic attack of a fanatical lone wolf.”

A German government spokesperson condemned the attack and said Berlin “naturally condemns this in the strongest terms.”

Sherbini’s shocking death ignited angry protests on the ground and online as shocked mourners held her murder up as proof of the xenophobia gripping European politics.

“This isolated incident is a foreseen consequence of the kind of anti-burqa and anti-niqab rhetoric Sarkozy has engaged in France,” one user said on a Muslim listserv.

Others said the incident showed the extent to which hate crimes against Muslims are ignored while those of Muslims against westerners are over-hyped.

Abdel Azeem Hamad, chief editor of the independent Egyptian daily al-Shorouk, said that if the victim had been a Jew, there would have been an uproar.

“What we demand is just some attention to be given to the killing of a young innocent mother on the hands of fanatic extremist,” he wrote in his column.

Many in Sherbini’s homeland were outraged by the attack and saw the low key response in Germany as an example of racism and anti-Muslim sentiment.

An Egyptian blogger Hicham Maged wrote that it simply proved anti-Muslim sentiment in Europe “Just imagine if the situation was reversed and the victim was a Westerner who was stabbed anywhere in the world or — God forbid — in any Middle Eastern country by Muslim extremists,” he said.

One commentator pointed to muted response by Western media as proof of double standards against Muslims as Sherbini’s murder comes as western media continued to reference the 2004 murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh for his controversial film on Muslim women but meanwhile ignoring the-week-old death of a Muslim German woman by a European fundamentalist.

“I can’t believe it took so long for this news to reach me/us. Had it been an ‘honor’ killing, we would already have several NGO’s condemn it and experts on Muslim issues speaking on why these terrible Muslims do these terrible things,” Nagihan, a user on a Muslim list serve wrote. “I am shocked and awed at this double standard.”

A Facebook fan page created recently drew a whooping 300,000 fans in less than a week, with many mourning Sherbini as a martyr and calling for spiritual purification.

“May God forgive this woman and give her eternal paradise for literally
being killed for her beliefs,” said one Facebook fan.

Alexandria’s Popular Local Council said it would name a stree

IMAM ALI (AS), THE KA’BA OF BELIEF

Posted on by

ali4Heartiest felicitations to you on a very auspicious day. Today, the 13th of Rajab is the day when the Holy Ka’ba in Mecca came alive with the birth in its sacred precincts of a person who continues to transcend history and all historical developments. He is the Commander of the Faithful, the Leader of the Pious, Imam Ali ibn Abil Taleb (PBUH), the dearest cousin, ward, son-in-law, and divinely-designated vicegerent of the Almighty’s Last Messenger to mankind, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny).

What could be written about a man, whose birthplace Divine Providence decreed to be the holiest of all holy spots, that is, the Ka’ba, and who was martyred 63 years later during communion with the Lord in prayer in the Grand Mosque of Kufa, also a symbolic House of God?
No, no mortal can dwell on the virtues of the person who reposes in peace in the company of his illustrious forbears, Adam and Noah, in the golden-domed mausoleum of Najaf that continues to be the focal point of world attention despite the American occupation of the land of Iraq.
He reigns supreme over human hearts and stands steadfast similar to the proverbial firmness of his site of birth towards which foreheads all over the globe bow in prostration and around which all pilgrims revolve in reverence. No doubt, his cousin and father-in-law, the Prophet had rightly remarked as recorded by all denominations of Islam, including our Sunni brethren:

“O Ali! Your position is like that of the Ka’ba.” The Prophet had also said:

“Ali is with truth and truth is with Ali.”

These immortal words are indeed food for thought for all seekers of truth from anywhere on the Planet, especially since we are celebrating the blessed birth anniversary of the Founder of the only instance of the government of social justice, Imam Ali (PBUH).

The 13th of Rajab has once again dawned to fill the hearts of believers with joy. Such is the soothing effect of his name on the hearts and minds of believers that even those whose homes and hearths have been destroyed by the US occupiers of Iraq and whose dear ones killed, that they leave aside their worldly grievances and join the celestial angels in celebrating the birthday of the fulcrum of belief; faith in whom ensures the eternal bliss of paradise, and enmity to whom leads to the abysmal depths of infernal hell.

A famous hadith quoted by Abu Bakr from the Prophet says:

On the Day of Judgement none will be allowed by the angels to pass the sirat or the bridge leading to paradise, unless they possess the document of Ali’s wilaya, that is, God-given authority.

His multi-dimensional personality is certainly beyond the ken of ordinary human beings. He continues to glow as brilliantly as he did in his lifetime. No doubt he was of the same celestial light as Prophet Muhammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). The Prophet has said in this regard: “I and Ali are of the same light.”

On the 13th of Rajab, over 1450 lunar years ago, the holy Ka’ba in Mecca came alive. Suddenly the wall of Abraham’s edifice, built wholly for God Almighty at the dawn of creation, parted and gave way to a lady who was praying to the One and Only Creator to ease her blessed burden. The wall closed in behind her as she entered, in order to prove it was not a haphazard incident but a manifest miracle. The spectacle was mind-boggling for the Arab infidels who rushed towards the door of the Ka’ba to try to break in, but the locks held firmly fast. It was even more baffling for the few Christians that lived in the then obscure Mecca. Those of them blessed with insight realized that Fatema bint Asad, the wife of the noble Ishmaelite patriarch Abu Taleb, was certainly carrying in her womb a soul greater than the Messiah. If not, how could the symbolic house of the Lord allow her to enter its sancta sanctorum, when centuries earlier the Virgin Mary had been commanded by God to leave Bayt ol-Moqaddas and go elsewhere for giving birth to Prophet Jesus (PBUH)!
It was a divinely unique way for heralding the birth of the person who combined in his peerless personality the virtues of not just Jesus, but all other prominent prophets such as Adam, Noah, Abraham and Moses. No wonder, he was named Ali, meaning the “Lofty” – an attribute of his Creator the Lord Most High – and was destined to be groomed by no less a personality than that greatest of all human beings, the Almighty’s Last and Greatest of all Messengers, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).

The multi-dimensional personality of Imam Ali (PBUH) cannot be fathomed by a brief radio programme. He is a person who transcends history and all historical developments. He embodied all such excellent qualities as piety, bravery, generosity, magnanimity, modesty, wisdom, justice, insight, eloquence of speech, etc. to the extent that mankind will forever remain indebted to him.
Three days after the 13th of Rajab, as the walls of the Ka’ba parted for the second time and this time to allow Fatema bint Asad to step out with the radiant baby, the two shafts of divine light met each other. Cousin smiled at cousin, as beaming parents looked on, although 30 years of earthly age separated them. From the day the Prophet decided to personally take charge of the toddler Ali (PBUH), the destiny of mankind was revolutionized. If the former would be chosen by God Almighty as the last and the greatest of divine messengers on Mount Hera, the latter would be selected by the One and Only Creator as the first infallible Imam on the Day of Ghadir, that is, 18th of Zilhijja, in the year 10 AH.
In between these two memorable dates, that spanned a period of almost 23 years, were to fall the decisive events in the history of monotheism such as the fateful Night of the Hijrah, on which the Imam slept on the Prophet’s bed in order enable the latter to migrate to Medina from Mecca. Mention could also be made of the crucial battles of Badr, Ohod, Khandaq, Khaibar, where it was the valour of Imam Ali (PBUH) that saved infant Islam. Another glorious event that ensured the truth of Islam was the memorable Day of Mubahela or dialogue with the Christians of Najran, where Imam Ali (PBUH) along with his two young sons, Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (peace upon them) as well as his wife Hazrat Fatema (peace upon her), the Prophet’s daughter, accompanied the Prophet, as commanded by God to establish the supremacy of Islam. As a matter of fact, the pivotal role of Imam Ali (PBUH) is evident at every state in the flowering of Islam as the lieutenant of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny).

After the passing away of the Prophet, the other dynamic aspects of the valourous, pious, patient and generous Imam were to bloom. He compiled the Holy Qur’an between two covers; he laid the foundations of Arabic grammar; he displayed the art of eloquence, he bore no malice towards those who had deprived him for 25 years of his divinely designated political rights and he even through his gems of advice saved them from sure disaster, as is evident by the words of the second caliph: “If there was no Ali Omar would have perished.”
Imam Ali (PBUH) is thus the personification of wisdom, forbearance, generosity and administrative abilities that culminate in the model government of social justice that he set up from his capital of Kufa in Iraq, when the caliphate came begging at his threshold.

Assad Won't Get Golan If Ties Kept with Iran, Hezbollah

Posted on by

1c0345e6-1489-40c1-94a1-8a7148330194_topIsraeli President Shimon Peres said on Monday that Syrian President Bashar Assad must understand that Israel would not hand over the occupied Golan Heights on a “silver platter” so long as Damascus continued its ties with Iran and Hezbollah.
Peres told visiting German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier that a true “peace process” between the long time enemies would have to take place at the negotiating table, without preconditions or mediation. “Israel is ready to return to the negotiating table immediately, but without any pre-conditions,” Peres said when asked if he had a message for Steinmeier to relay to Assad.

Syrian officials last month threatened to take back the occupied Golan Heights by force if a peace agreement involving the return of the strategic plateau is not reached with Israel.

A group calling itself the Syrian Committee for the Freedom of the Golan said it would take steps to regain control of the territory, adding that Israel has not shown willingness to achieve peace or to return what they called “Syrian land.”

Just prior to that, Assad rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offer to resume peace talks between the two countries from “point zero.”

Assad said the negotiations should resume from the point at which they stopped under former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, when the two sides had planned to formulate mutual commitments that would enable the talks to move to a direct negotiations stage.

German Foreign Minister Steinmeier began talks with Israeli leaders on Monday morning as part of a 40-hour trip to Tel Aviv, Damascus and Beirut.

Steinmeier landed in Tel Aviv before dawn and opened his talks by meeting Peres at his residence in occupied Jerusalem. He was scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and opposition leader Tzipi Livni later in the day.

A planned stopover in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, which was to include an inaugural ceremony for some new, German-funded classrooms, was cancelled due to an unannounced, last-minute visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Jordan, a spokeswoman at the German representation in Ramallah confirmed.

A key aspect of the discussions with the Israeli government is expected to be U.S. and European Union calls for a halt to settlement construction in the occupied West Bank.

German officials said Steinmeier also hopes to persuade neighboring Arab states to take a more active role in diplomatic efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The visit is Steinmeier’s 14th since taking office in 2005.

He is scheduled to meet Tuesday with President Bashar Assad in Syria and in Lebanon with prime minister-designate Saad Hariri.

7th Tir Tragedy, Ayatollah Dr. Syed Mohammad Hosseini Beheshti

Posted on by

beheshti-fthWe are on the threshold of the heart-rending disaster of the 7th Tir (28 June), an event which was led to the heart-rending martyrdom of the leader of love and devotee, Ayatollah Dr. Sayyed Mohammad Hosseini Beheshti and 72 of pure and faithful companions of Islam and Revolution.

This event has also consolidated bases of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s system, which had been concluded by Ulema, and Muslim hard working people of this land.

Martyrdom of Ayatollah Beheshti and his companions brought great vital traces for Islam and the Islamic system.

We salute the pure holy souls of the 7th Tir martyrs and hold dear their memory and insist on the continuation of their holy way and ideas.

Imam Khomeini (Rh) stated about this event:

Iranian nation lost 72 innocent people in this event and the number is the same as it was in Karbala. Iranian nation is proud of presenting such persons who devoted themselves in the way of Islam and Muslims.

People’s enemies martyred a group who had gathered for discussing about country’s policy.

Suppose you had hostility to Dr. Beheshti, who lived and died meekly, and was like a thorn in the eyes of Islam’s enemies and in yours, so what was the reason of your hostility toward more than 70 innocent people most of them who were people’s servants…?

Although we have lost faithful and dear friends, that each of them was like a strong and precious shield for the oppressed people, and although we have lost responsible brothers who were like a steady dike for oppressed people and revolutionary organizations, but our people will make up every shortage by unity and trust in the Almighty Allah.

Ayatollah Dr. Sayyed Mohammad Hosseini Beheshti was born in Aban 2nd, 1307 (October 24th, 1928) in a district called Lomban in Isfahan Chaharsouq district. He was born in a family whose members were familiar with Islamic values.

His father was one of Isfahan’s Alims and prayer leader of Lomban mosque who went to the village once a week in order to preach and solve the problems of people and establish the community prayers.

His maternal grand father the late Haj Mir Mohammad Sadiq Modarres Khatunabadi, was one of the leading authorities on divine law.

With four years of age he entered traditional elementary school. He was so genius that he learned how to recite Quran and how to read and write in a very short time.

During 1321 to 1325 (1942- 1946) he could study the Arabic literature, logic, Fiqh (Jurisprudence), divine law and fundamentals and attracted the attention of his professors to the extent that when they met him as if he reminded his maternal grand father to them.

In 1325 (1946) when he was 18 years old, he left for Qom to continue his studies and in 6 month-time he studied the rest of subjects namely : Sath , Kefayeh and Makasib.

In 1326 (1947) Dr. Beheshti with Shahid Motahari, and some of his friends prepared a schedule according to which they had to go to the most remote villages to preach Islamic values, by means of a little amount of expense which Ayatollah Boroujerdi gave to them to guide the villagers and inform each other about their ideas concerning planning for future activities.

In 1327 (1948) he continued the normal high school education and he could get his literal diploma in final exams of late comers. Then he entered the college of Theology (at that time rational sciences) and in 1330 (1951) he received his BA. During (1329-1330) (1950-1951) he was in Tehran and at the end of mentioned year he returned to Qom again and this time he officially started his teaching at Hakim Nezami high school as an English teacher.

During (1329-1330) (1950-1951) he spent his life carrying out researches and philosophical matters.

In 1333 (1954) he was a student of Ph.D. of theological philosophy. His thesis was about the problems of Mabad ul Tabi’e in Quran.

From 1339(1960) the idea of organizing the theological center and arranging the syllabus of it for 17 years was in his mind whose result was foundation of “Haqqani” and” Montazeriyeh” schools.

In 1341 (1962) he decided to establish the Islamic center of students and educators which was a measure for linking between the educated people in the past and present methods. He was actively taking part in (1341-1342) (1962-1963) campaigns.

In 1343 (1963) with the proposal of Ayatollah Ha’eri and Ayatollah Milani he left for Hamburg and he began to manage and direct the mosque and formation of religious groups of the young and revealing Shah’s (the collapsed king )crimes.

At this time he traveled to Saudi Arabia (in Haj time), Syria, Lebanon and Turkey to visit Imam Mousa Sadr and in 1348 he traveled to Iraq to visit late Imam Khomeini.

In 1359 (1979) he formed 50 sessions of interpreting of Quran on Saturdays which was called ”the School of Quran” where was a place for gathering the active young people.

In 1354 (1975) due to the mentioned sessions and the relationships with the campaigning organizations inside and out side of Iran he was arrested by Savak (Shah regime’s terror network) and after a time he was released.

From 1355 (1976) and later he began to deal with formational tasks and in (1356) (1977) he was determined to form the broad formations being active in secret activities and also overtones for forming a party.

In 1357 (1978) he was arrested again for a couple of days and he was freed. After which he made a trip to Paris and met late Imam Khomeini there. After his return he played an effective role regarding determining the policy of the Islamic revolution.

From Azar 1357 (December 1978) according to Imam’s command he formed the revolution’s council and he was dealing with that till the victory of the revolution.

After the revolution as an intellectual person in the revolution’s council he wanted to organize and arrange the affairs. Regarding this mentioned fact he founded the Islamic Republic Party.

He took part in the election of Leadership Experts Assembly, and as a vice president of Majlis he dealt with managing the affairs, preparing and forming the Constitution.

After resigning of the interim government in 1358 (1979) he was doing his duty as a minister of justice.

Then through the command of Imam he was chosen and appointed as the chairman of the Supreme Court.

He was busy with his duties till the evening of Tir, 7, 1360 (June 28,1981) after Namaz –Maqrib (evening prayer) and Esha (night prayer) while giving lecture, he was martyred due to the explosion of a bomb planted by the members of Monafeghin grouplet with 72 people from his colleagues.

Through the tears and sighs and sorrows of millions of Iranian people he was buried in Behesht-e Zahra Tomb.

May his soul rest in peace.

Ahmadinejad, Israel and Obama's Iran Puzzle

Posted on by

ahmedi-niyadAhmadinejad, Israel and Obama’s Iran Puzzle

Ramzy Baroud – Palestinechronicle
June 19, 2009

Al-Manar.com.lb is not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author’s alone.

Ahmadinejad’s victory will serve as ‘proof’ that diplomacy with Iran is not an option.

The election victory of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is likely to complicate US President Barack Obama’s new approach to his country’s conflict with Iran. The reason behind the foreseen obstacle is neither the US nor Iran’s refusal to engage in future dialogue but rather Israel’s insistence on a hard-line approach to the problem.

Iran’s presidential elections on June 12 were positioned to represent another fight between Middle Eastern ‘moderates’ vs. ‘extremists’. That depiction, which conveniently divided the Middle East – according to the prevailing US foreign policy discourse – to pro-American and anti-American camps was hardly as clear in the Iranian case as it was in Palestine and most recently in Lebanon.

Ahmadinejad’s main rival, Mir Hussein Moussavi served as Iran’s Prime Minister for 8-years (between 1981-1989) during one of Iran’s most challenging times, its war with Iraq. He was hardly seen as a ‘moderate’ then. More, Moussavi was equally adamant in his country’s right to produce atomic energy for peaceful means. As far as US interests in the region are concerned, both Ahmadinejad and Moussavi are interested in dialogue with the US, and are unlikely to alter their country’s attitudes towards the occupation of Iraq, their support of Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas in Palestine. Neither is ready, willing or, frankly, capable of removing Iran from the regional power play at work in the Middle East, considering that Iranian policies are shaped by other internal forces beside the president of the country.

This is not to suggest that both leaders are one and the same. For the average Iranian, statements made by Ahmadinejad and Moussavi during Iran’s lively election campaigns did indeed promise major changes in their lives, daily struggles and future. But yet again, the two men were caricatured to present two convenient personalities to the outside world, a raging nuclear-obsessed man, hell-bent on ‘wiping Israel off the map”, and a soft-spoken, learned ‘moderate’ ready to ‘engage’ the West and redeem the sins of his predecessor.

Unfortunately for the Obama administration, the first negative image – tainted as such by mainstream media, and years of image manipulation by forces dedicated to the interest of Israel – won. The election outcome in Iran presents the young Obama with a major challenge: if he carries on with his diplomatic approach and soft overtures towards Iran, ruled by a supposed Holocaust-denier, he will certainly be seen as a failed president, who dared to perceive Israel’s interests in the region as secondary; on the other hand, Obama cannot depart from his country’s new approach towards Iran, a key player in shaping the contending forces in the entire region.

In some way, Ahmadinejad’s victory was the best news for Israel. Now, Tel Aviv will continue to pressure Obama to ‘act’ against Iran, for the latter, under its current president is an ‘existential threat’ to Israel, a claim that few in Washington question. “It is not like we rooted for Ahmadinejad,” an Israeli official told the New York Times on the condition of anonymity a day after it was clear that Ahmadinejad won another term in office.

But considering Israel’s immediate attempt to capitalize on the outcome of the elections makes one wonder if the defeat of Iran’s ‘moderate’ camp was not a best case scenario for Israel. Iran will continue to be presented as the obstacle in future peace in the Middle East, allowing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid any accountability as far as the ‘peace process’ is concerned. In fact, with an ‘existential threat’ not too far away, few in Washington would dare challenge Israel’s settlement policies in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, or its deadly siege on Gaza, or in fact its confrontational approach to Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the latter seen as an ‘Iranian-backed militia.’

Israeli Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom was one of the first top officials in Israel to exploit the moment on June 13. The results of Iran’s elections, he said, “blow up in the faces of those who thought Iran was built for a genuine dialogue with the free world on stopping its nuclear program.” Ostensibly, Shalom’s message was directed at a small audience in Tel Aviv, but his true target audience, was in fact Obama himself.

Obama’s overtures towards Iran were not necessarily an indication of a fundamental shift in US foreign policy, but a realistic recognition of Iran’s growing influence in the region, and the US’ desperate and failing fight in Iraq. It was Obama’s pragmatism, not a moral-shift in US foreign policy that compelled such statements as that made on June 2 in a BBC interview: “What I do believe is that Iran has legitimate energy concerns, legitimate aspirations. On the other hand, the international community has a very real interest in preventing a nuclear arms race in the region.”

For Israel, however, Obama’s rhetoric is a deviation from the past US hard-line approach towards Iran. What Israel wants to keep alive is a discussion of war as a viable option to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions and to eliminate a major military rival in the Middle East.

Senior fellow at the pro-Israeli American Enterprise Institute, John R. Bolton expressed the war-mongering mantra of the pro-Israel crowd in a recent article in the Wall Street Journal entitled: “What if Israel Strikes Iran?”: “Many argue that Israeli military action will cause Iranians to rally in support of the mullahs’ regime and plunge the region into political chaos. To the contrary, a strike accompanied by effective public diplomacy could well turn Iran’s diverse population against an oppressive regime.”

Ahmadinejad’s victory will serve as further proof that diplomacy with Iran is not an option, from the point of view of Israel and its supporters in the US. Whether Obama will proceed with his positive rhetoric towards Iran is to be seen. Failure to do so, however, will further undermine his country’s interests in the Middle East, and will prolong the cold war atmosphere of animosity, espoused by a clique of neoconservative hard-liners throughout the Bush administration of past years.

– Ramzy Baroud (www.ramzybaroud.net) is an author and editor of PalestineChronicle.com. His work has been published in many newspapers, journals and anthologies around the world. His latest book is, “The Second Palestinian Intifada: A Chronicle of a People’s Struggle” (Pluto Press, London), and his forthcoming book is, “My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza’s Untold Story” (Pluto Press, London)

June 12 polls showed trust of nation. Rehbar

Posted on by

rehberIslamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei in a landmark Friday prayers policy speech laid down clear markers on the current presidential elections developments in the Islamic Republic. Ayatollah Khamenei said the exceptional and epic turnout in the June 12 elections was a great show of trust and hope on the part of nation, a political earthquake for enemies and a historical celebration for friends of Iran and the Revolution. Ayatollah Khamenei said all the 40 million people who turned out for ballot have actually voted for Imam, the Revolution and its martyrs, adding that the four competing presidential candidates belong to the Islamic establishment and therefore they are going to have to pursue their electoral issues within the existing transparent laws and regulations. Ayatollah Khamenei highly appreciated the magnificent turnout of people at the ballot boxes and called it a large show of responsibility and participation, adding that the epic solidarity of the people with the Islamic establishment and the exceptional 85 percent turnout in the elections was a blessing from God and a sign of attention from the Last Shii Imam, Hazrat Mahdi. Ayatollah Khamenei said the enthusiastic presence of the youths in the tenth presidential elections proved that political responsibility was still alive in the young generation. He then offered his heartfelt gratitude to the nation for the large turnout. The IR Leader then pointed to the existence of different opinions and tastes within society, adding however that behind all those different tastes, there was a collective responsibility for preservation of the country and the system. Ayatollah Khamenei said the 40m vote was a national declaration of loyalty to Imam, the Revolution and the Martyrs, adding that by the large turnout, the Islamic System took a fresh breath and the ill wishers of the system was slapped with the true concept of religious democracy. Ayatollah Khamenei warned that the enemies of Islam seek to instill doubt into elections and shake the national trust. “They seek to question the legitimacy of the system through erosion of participation. If they manage to gain the goal, the incurred loss is larger than any other losses,” Ayatollah Khamenei cautioned. Ayatollah Khamenei said the intense electoral campaigns between the four candidates, including the TV debates, were something within the system though the Zionist-ruled media with shear lies tried to present them as fight between opponents and proponents of the system. Ayatollah Khamenei then noted that difference of opinion was natural, adding however that he considered a certain platform more appropriate for the country though he never made his vote public because the elections belonged to all people and its results would be determined by people. Ayatollah Khamenei described the presidential TV debates as a significant initiative, saying that the serious and transparent debates foiled the plot of the aliens who claimed the polls were a show. Ayatollah Khamenei said the debates were positive in that the debating sides had to defend their own platforms in the face of a flood of criticism, adding that the people through the debates and other special TV programs could judge their vote and felt that the Islamic establishment considers them as insiders. Ayatollah Khamenei then said that one of the factors behind a ten million rise in the regular size of turnouts in the elections was the debates which helped people engage in the election campaigns. The IR Leader then called for the continuation of the TV debates at levels of country’s managers, adding however that there were also some negative issues in the debates which must be removed in future similar programs. Regarding the negative issues, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the debates contributed to more political schism and rumors and was lagging in logical issues. “Unfortunately the debates were defamatory at some points so that they relegated to blackening of the services of the current administration or previous administrations and stirred the situation among the supporters of the candidates,” the IR Leader regretted. Ayatollah Khamenei then pointed to some defamatory statements in the debates about Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mr. Nateq Nouri, adding that while no one points an accusatory finger at the two personalities, any other claims about the relatives of the two must not be made public before due legal proceedings are covered. Ayatollah Khamenei then pointed to his fifty-year-old relationship with Mr. Hashemi and elaborated on his services to the Revolution and the System, adding that Mr. Hashemi has never collected any money out of the Revolution. Ayatollah Khamenei however noted that he has some natural difference of opinion with Mr. Rafsanjani, adding that the differences also existed between Mr. Rafsanjani and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad since 2005, noting however that Mr. Ahmadinejad’s platform was closer to his. Ayatollah Khamenei then considered Mr. Nateq Nouri as a personality who has always been in service of the Revolution. Ayatollah Khamenei then reaffirmed the serious stance of the system against financial corruption, adding however that the Islamic System despite the claims of some Zionist bodies is among the healthiest establishments in the world. Ayatollah Khamenei then turned to the June 12 elections and said the enemies try to cast doubt on the elections and turn an absolute victory into a national loss however the highest rate of turnout has already been registered for the Iranian nation and the reality would never change. Ayatollah Khamenei then ruled out any vote rigging in the elections, saying that it is not in the nature of the Islamic System to betray the vote of people and that the electoral procedures of the Islamic System never allow any major fraud. Ayatollah Khamenei added however that the Constitutional Guardian Council had been instructed to consider any evidence of fraud provided by the complaining candidates and recount those boxes which are deemed necessary in the presence of their delegates. Ayatollah Khamenei said legal routes are sole way for the consideration of electoral complaints, adding that he would never accept any illegal precedence because if today the legal framework is breached, no other elections would be trustworthy in future. Ayatollah Khamenei said the legal procedures for consideration of electoral complaints are fine and complete, adding that all electoral issues should be tackled through legal routes. Ayatollah Khamenei then addressed politicians and party leaders, saying that the country was experiencing a sensitive juncture and that considering the situation of the world, everyone has a duty to keep vigilance and avoid any mistake. Ayatollah Khamenei warned that any extremism would stir further extremism, adding if political elites violate the law, they are to blame for any ensuing violence or unrest. “I recommend all my old friends and brothers to overcome their sentiments and view the hidden hands of enemies and hungry wolves which gradually shed their mask of diplomacy,” the IR Leader urged. Ayatollah Khamenei said the ballot box is the point where all differences must be settled and that the street is not a point to determine the vote of people. Ayatollah Khamenei also warned that street protests are an appropriate cover for terrorists, enquiring who may take responsibility if terrorists carry out acts of terror within such meetings. Ayatollah Khamenei noted that political weighing in the streets actually challenges the very democracy and elections. He then urged all parties involved to end the wrong political method, adding that if they fail to end the street protests, the responsibility of consequences falls on the organizers and parties involved. Ayatollah Khamenei also noted that street protest never work as a pressure tool on the System and would fail to to make it to give i
n to their demands as expediency “because caving in to illegal demands under pressure would usher in dictatorship.” “These calculations and perceptions are wrong and the behind-the-scene commanders are to blame for any consequences. The people will know those commanders when due,” the IR Leader cautioned. Ayatollah Khamenei then urged the parties involved to take the path of fraternity and understanding and appreciate the 40m vote celebration by not allowing the enemy to ruin the large celebration. He however warned that if some people want to go a way otherwise he will come back and speak to people, this time in a more straightforward manner. Ayatollah Khamenei then raised a series of stances taken by the authorities of some European countries as well as the United States, saying that in the run-up to the elections, the western authorities and media tried to trigger a voter apathy nevertheless they were shocked by a 40m turnout which made them to realize that a new chapter has opened in the issues related to the Islamic Republic of Iran which must be inevitably accepted by them. “They then tried to ride the wave of protests following the elections and gradually pushed aside covers from their true face. Some of them showed their enmity with the Islamic System and the British Government proved more wicked than others in this regard,” Ayatollah Khamenei said. Ayatollah Khamenei then pointed to a statement by some US authorities that they were waiting for such days when people took to streets. “These remarks came out after they sent a message in which they expressed willingness for relations and respect for the Islamic Republic; which one could we believe?” “Simultaneously foreign elements triggered a line of destruction, arson, pillage of public wealth and unrest; they have no link to people or supporters of candidates rather they are related to ill wishers of the Iranian nation and mercenaries of western and Zionist spy services,” Ayatollah Khamenei said. Ayatollah Khamenei said the situation made the enemies to feel greedy so that they thought they could spark a velvet revolution in Iran as they did in some small countries with a few million dollars paid by a Zionist capitalist. “The main problem is that the ignorant enemies have yet to know the Iranian nation,” Ayatollah Khamenei said. “The ugliest issue was the expression of sympathy by American authorities for human rights and their claim of tightening of situation against Iranian people. How those who committed such and such crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq and support the bully Zionist regime allow themselves to profess to cherish human rights?” Ayatollah Khamenei asked. Ayatollah Khamenei in the same regard reminded the conduct of the Democrat administration of Clinton in the massacre of more than 80 people of the Davidian sect. “You burned more than 80 women, men and children alive. So how could you understand human rights?” he asked. Ayatollah Khamenei then noted that the Islamic Republic has hoisted the flag of human rights and defense of the oppressed and that it has no need to take advice from the West in this regard. “Western authorities must take shame and abandon their current policies” towards Iran, he added. Ayatollah Khamenei concluded the speech by making an address to the Last Shii Imam, Hazrat Mahdi, saying “we have done what needed and said what needed and will do. We would stay the course powerfully. You are the true owner of the Revolution and Country. Please, pray for us.”

Hezbollah Strengthens its Historic Link with the Shiite Community

Posted on by

lab-elecDuring his speech on June 8, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, wanted to express his “deep hearted gratitude to all my brothers in Hezbollah and to Hezbollah supporters.” He said that during the June 7 election “there was no competition is south Lebanon and Baalbek-Hermel districts as well as Beirut’s southern suburb, but we have called on voters to have a strong presence to express their political choices and convictions, particularly with regards to the resistance issue.”

Therefore, the turnout in districts with Shiite seats and in districts where Hezbollah candidates were running was massive. Hezbollah won all 11 districts in which it fielded its 11 candidates, and along with its allies won 21 seats in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah and its allies also won 10 seats in the eastern Baalbek region.

In the South, the opposition’s victory was the hugest. In Tyr, for instance, 68,558 voted for the opposition. In contrast, the loyalty could not get more than 1,686 votes. In Nabatieh, the loyalty bloc only got 3,000 votes compared to 58,985 for the opposition. In Hasbayya, 48,648 voted cast their ballot in favor of the opposition. However, only 12,056 voted for the loyalty.

In the eastern district of Baalbeck-Hermel the opposition alliance ticket got 105,756 votes. The others only got 14,283 votes. On the whole, the alliance between Hezbollah and AMAL got 92% of the Shiite vote. This proves the existence of an almost complete identification between the resistance organizations and the Shiite community in Lebanon.

This reality belies Israeli claims linking the achievement of a parliamentary majority by the loyalty bloc with the July 2006 war. For example, Likud MK in Israeli Knesset and former Israeli occupation army Spokeswoman Miri Regev said that “Hezbollah’s loss” in the Lebanese parliamentary elections should be considered a direct result of the conflict. Clearly, Regev and other Israeli political and military officials have tried to find a new argument to cover their complete defeat and humiliation in that war.

If such claims were true, Hezbollah would have suffered a severe defeat in the Shiite areas in the South, Baalbeck-Hermel and Beirut’s southern suburb which were the most attacked during the conflict. However, the reality is just the opposite. People in these areas voted massively for the resistance and in a referendum on Hezbollah’s arms. With their turnout and vote, they told the world that these arms are there to protect them and make them feel safe and that their support for the Resistance is unshakable.
Residents in the south remember how the Resistance defeated the Israeli army and liberated this part of the country in 2000 -when Ehud Barak was the Israeli primer minister- following a 22-year occupation. In July 2006, Hezbollah’s fighters once again curbed another Israeli large offensive in the South. At that time, many residents joined the ranks of the Resistance and fought Zionist troops in their own areas.

They also know that Israel has neither forgiven nor forgotten these defeats. For Israelis, the war against Lebanon and Hezbollah did not end in 2000 or in 2006 but it continues today, although in different form. And this explains why Israel has been busy setting up numerous espionage cells in Lebanon as Mossad networks are being dismantled in coordination between Lebanese security forces and the Resistance.

Hezbollah has never been a sectarian organization. It has promoted dialogue and understanding among the different communities in Lebanon (Christians, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze). However, it was created by members of the Shiite community and mainly represents members of this religious group.
Together with the protection that it receives from Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite community has also many other reasons to feel identified with the organization, which has helped Shiites, currently 41% of the Lebanese population, recover their political rights, pride and dignity since its foundation in 1982.

Shiites had been traditionally marginalized in the country’s political and economic life. Maha, a Shiite resident of southern Lebanon, told the Jarafiya News site that her community had found pride thanks to Hezbollah: “Before we were nothing, but now we can walk with our heads held high.” “Of course I will vote for Hezbollah,” Maha said in her shoe shop in the southern town of Naqura near the border with occupied Palestine. “It has made us proud as Shiites, as residents of the south, and as Lebanese.”

On the other hand, Hezbollah has proved that it is a viable alternative to the state’s social services. It runs a large network of schools, charity organizations, clinics and hospitals. Hezbollah has helped many thousands of people who lost their homes in the July 2006 war build new houses.

Some foreign powers feel deeply disturbed by the strong link between Hezbollah and the Shiite community and have tried to weaken it. Saudi Arabia, one of the main supporters of the current government majority, has created and funded the so-called Lebanese Option Movement -led by Ahmad Al Asaad, the son of a prominent feudal southern family- in order to undermine Hezbollah’s position. However, this Saudi operation has proved unsuccessful and Shiite residents have maintained their loyalty to the resistance party.

Imam Khomeini, an Eternal Figure

Posted on by

imam620 years have elapsed since the passing away of the founder of Islamic revolution but the name of Iran and the Islamic revolution have never been separated from that of Imam Khomeini(May his soul rest in peace). His enlightening and awakening movement has flourished day by day and his ideas have swept all over the world. Today on the 20th anniversary of Imam Khomeini’s departure from the mortal world his holy shrine is full of huge crowds which gather there to commemorate him and his high ideas. Today the attempts of Muslims in the remotest parts of the Islamic world have found momentum and the cries of people seeking Islam is heard even in European countries.
One can say that the great name of Imam Khomeini will never be wiped out of minds. He enlightened the dark path of Muslims and led the justice-seekers to the truth. Therefore, the Imam has been considered as the reviver of Muslims’ dignity and respect in the contemporary era. Whenever mention is made of defending oppressed nations, Imam Khomeini and his Islamic revolution are present.
Now the name of Khomeini is the cry of vigilance of the present generation. He introduced Islam as a path of life accompanied with respect and dignity in the present era. So his commemoration is tantamount to attaching value for rationality, religion and truth-seeking. May God bless the great architect of the Islamic Revolution.
According to the French magazine Le Message de l’Islam in an article named Imam Khomeini the figure of the century: “Some political theorists believe that every powerful leader has both periods of rise and fall, but the noteworthy point in Imam Khomeini’s leadership is his continued influence during the revolution, the victory of the revolution and even after his passing away.
Researchers of social sciences are amazed that although years have passed after Imam Khomeini’s passing away, his personality has remained so popular and sacred and the world Muslims still consider him the symbol of purity, piety, popularity, and bravery.
Imam Khomeini as an Islamic jurisprudent, God-seeking gnostic and a brave leader took step to reform the Iranian society and with the victory of the revolution he founded a system inspired by Islamic teachings. The system presented modern criteria and built a genuine culture based on human dignity. The Islamic Republic system of Iran is today known as a focal point to all nations.
What is particularly noticeable in Imam Khomeini’s movement lies in the fact that its values are comprehensive and beyond time limits. With his revolutionary move, the late Imam tried to bring back the human history to its main path so that finally, the nations can get rid of the yoke of despotic and tyrannical powers and step on the liberating path of Prophets.
According to Imam Khomeini, a government is sacred and valuable only when it leads the society to perfection and prosperity. This is possible only with the return to human principles. That is why during his life, the Imam never confined himself to the geographical boundaries and promoted a life accompanied with spirituality and remembrance of God. The American strategist Alvin Toffler says:”When Ayatollah Khomeini sent a message to the leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, actually he sent a historic message to the world governments that many analysts were unable to analyze. The real content of the Imam’s message is the coming of a new era of the world sovereignty which should be studied by the westerners precisely. For, the Imam’s ideas can change the status of power of governments.”
Professor Hamid Mowlana of US Communications University believes that the mystery of Imam Khomeini’s triumph lied in his outstanding characteristics.
He says: “The role of Imam Khomeini in the vigilance of the world Muslims is unprecedented. I should confess that since the 15th century in the western world and perhaps after the advent of Islam I have never seen such a figure whose movement, thoughts and performance have such affected the world.”
Imam Khomeini did not fear the world powers and at the same time he changed the meaning of power at the world level. Prior to him, power was defined only on the basis of material sources and facilities, but in Imam Khomeini’s literature, power at the world level means power in ideas and thoughts. Imam Khomeini established a popular and lovely relationship with the world oppressed and with all people especially those of the Islamic countries. The Imam managed, more than any other leader, to convey the social and political messages of the holy Quran to the masses of people in simple language. His simple spiritual life made him quite qualified for the leadership of the oppressed. We have never seen such a simple life among the leaders of the world revolutions.
Ayatollah Khomeini is a thinker who put forward the theory of dignity and power of Muslims and the world oppressed. He urged many nations to turn to religious beliefs and enhanced their self-belief, self-confidence and independence-seeking. Whenever Imam Khomeini spoke of defense of human rights, he took into consideration the rights of all nations irrespective of their race, nation and religion. The Imam’s inviting all nations to defend human values and campaign against oppression led to his widespread popularity outside Iranian borders. Imam Khomeini addressing all oppressed nations said: “Take your right with all your might and never fear the hue and cry of the super powers and their agents.”

On Imam Khomeini’s characteristics, Ayatollah Khamenei says:
“Only one of the Imam’s characteristics was sufficient to make a great man of a person. The Imam was a wise, intelligent, and smart person with strong will and no one could hinder him from his path and at the same time he was very kind.”
The leader of the Islamic revolution adds: “Winning the hearts of the Muslim Ummah all over the world who despite different interests showed their company with the Imam was the result of his great sincerity. He spoke for God, acted for God and he was prepared to stay or move for God. His sincerity was the basic point of his life.”
Now many thinkers acknowledge that with the emergence of the Islamic revolution the wonderful capability of Islam for building civilization and the privileges of the Islamic beliefs have further revealed. Presently despite all destructive efforts of the enemies, Islam is regaining its main role in the international equations. May God bless Imam Khomeini and we ask the Almighty to help us properly continue his path which is the path of Islam and the holy Quran.

Imam Khomeini R.A

Imam Khomeini R.A

where is her grave?

Posted on by

burning-door

The Muslims have been deeply pained.

Their beloved prophet has passed away.

And especially for his kith and kin,

it is one of their live’s saddest day.

A lady who happens to be his daughter,

Above all, is the most afflicted one.

She was the nearest to her father.

Alas! Her troubles have just begun.

What in the Prophet”s eyes was her status?

Unfortunately the people shall forget.

She should be respected by all of us.

But a harsh treatment, she”ll be met.

Everyone had heard her father say,

“My daughter is a part of me”.

For her safety he would often pray;

Not wanting her to bear any agony.

But his words fell on deaf ears

As his followers were lead astray.

And were realized those worst fears,

Because his tidings were disobeyed.

Each forthcoming day brings her sorrow

And only a few more months she”ll live.

Each night she worries about her woes.

Her tormentors, she may not forgive.

In her last days, she is seen weeping.

Awake all night, she seldom sleeps.

Of her troubles, she keeps thinking.

The wounds in her heart are so deep.

The thoughts of her father alone

Cause tears from her eyes to flow

And what will happen to her children?

What fate do they have in stow?

“Be kind to them and take care”,

She wills about her poor children,

Because she”ll be no longer near

And they”ll soon be orphans.

As she spends the time crying,

Her neighbors come and complain.

But look! She is already dying.

Their complaint will be in vain.

And that dark moment finally comes,

For her heavenly abode, she departs.

Holding back their tears, her children,

See baba leaving with a heavy heart.

Hands trembling and with great anguish,

He takes away her coffin during the night.

And he makes sure to fulfill her last wish.

She will rest, out of everyone’s” sight.

Has gone from this world forever,

The mother of children so brave!

But why was she buried in a manner

That no one knows where is her grave?

What is a Family Day

Posted on by

Family Day

family-day–”A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children “is a national effort to promote parental engagement as a simple, effective way to reduce substance abuse by children and teens and raise healthier children. Family Day emphasizes the importance of regular family activities in parent-child communications and encourages them to make family dinners a regular feature of their lives. Parental engagement is the single most potent weapon in preventing substance use and abuse among youth! Since 1996 research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA*) at Columbia University has consistently found that the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use illegal drugs. In 2001, CASA launched Family Day as an annual event.

Family Day teaches the importance of frequent family dinners and parental involvement in the lives of their teens. In U.S “Share More Than Meals” created a national pledge drive to encourage Americans to have dinner together on Family Day which resulted in more than 1.3 million Americans pledging to sit down as a family on Family Day.

Whether you’re gathering around the table for macaroni and cheese or a five-course meal, don’t underestimate the power behind the simple act of taking time to eat dinner with your kids regularly.

The stories and laughs that you share during dinnertime help you stay connected to your kids.  Did you know that the more often kids and teens eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink and use illegal drugs?

What You Can Do as a Family

Start the pattern of family dinners when children are young.

Encourage your children to create menu ideas and participate in meal preparation.

Turn off the TV and let your answering machine answer calls during dinnertime.

Talk about what happened in everyone”s day: school, work, extracurricular activities or current events.

Establish a routine to start and end each meal. Light candles, say grace or tell a story.

After dinner play a board game or serve dessert to encourage the family to continue the conversation.

Keep conversation positive and make sure everyone gets a chance to speak.

Begin making family dinners a regular feature of your daily routine!

Adapted, excerpted and modified from the different Sources.