Pakistani ambassador attacked in Tehran

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TEHRAN, May 11 (MNA) — Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran, M.B. Abbasi, has been injured in an attempt on his life in Tehran.
M.H. Jaffery, the press counselor of the Pakistani Embassy in Tehran, told the Tehran Times on Tuesday night that Ambassador Abbasi was on his way to his home in the northern Tehran neighborhood of Darous after working out at a nearby gymnasium when a man with a knife stabbed the ambassador repeatedly.

Ambassador Abbasi attempted to ward off the attack but was injured and fell to the ground.

Mr. Jaffery stated that the ambassador has been hospitalized but the doctors have not yet announced his condition and the level of his injuries.

Officials at the Pakistani Embassy in Tehran dismissed the reports of the Al Arabiya network, which said that the Pakistani ambassador had been injured in a bomb attack in which two of his bodyguards were killed.

Israeli Politician: 'Israel must stop nuclear tomfoolery'

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency , A former worker at Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility says that Tel Aviv should abandon its policy of nuclear ambiguity and acknowledge what it is doing at the site.

Former politician Uzi Even told Israeli army radio that the political footwork “by which we fool only ourselves and nobody else, is not good for us any more,” AFP reported on Monday.

“It was good, effective and successful for close to 40 years, but over 40 years many things changed, and now I am telling you clearly, this policy is no longer in our interest,” he added.

“We could open Dimona to international inspection.”

Under the nuclear ambiguity policy, which Israel successfully maintained for years with the help of the United States, Tel Aviv neither confirms nor denies it possesses nuclear weapons.

Since 1958, when Israel began building the plutonium and uranium processing facility, it has allegedly manufactured scores of nuclear warheads at the site, earning it a reputation as the only player in the Middle East with a nuclear arsenal.

Former US President Jimmy Carter has said Israel has between 200 and 300 nuclear warheads.

But now, after years of silence on the issue, the International Atomic Energy Agency plans to discuss Israel’s nuclear activities for the first time at its next meeting in June.

However, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said, “I don’t think there is a real danger or threat to Israel’s traditional position, as it has been expressed over the years.”

Islamic world calls on Israel to stop new settlements in Jerusalem

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency , Parliament speakers and parliamentarians from 29 Islamic countries, including Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Syria, adopted Istanbul Declaration here on Monday, calling on Israel to halt all settlement activities in Jerusalem.

Istanbul Declaration was adopted at the second extraordinary meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)-member states (PUOICM) held at the Conrad Hilton Hotel, Istanbul.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and Syrian Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al Abrash were among those parliament speakers from 14 countries. Deputy parliament speakers from 5 countries and parliamentarians from 10 countries attended the meeting.

The declaration condemned the continuing Israeli provocative and deliberate acts in Jerusalem and other Palestinian cities while urging Muslims and Christians in all parts of the world to work together to protect sacred sites, heritage and history in Jerusalem.

Addressing the delegates at the inauguration of the meeting, Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference ( OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said, Israel was trying to end Palestinians’ existence in Jerusalem.

Ihsanoglu said that Israel was implementing a secret plan in Jerusalem and gaining international advantage.

The issues of the Palestinians and Jerusalem are of concern to the whole Islamic community. Palestinians are going through terrible days like never before, Ihsanoglu added.

“Jerusalem happens to be under danger. Jerusalem is under Israeli occupation like never before. The identity of people living in Jerusalem is being changed with political and demographic measures,” he said.

Influence of the Zionist Lobby in EU (10)

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The influence of the Zionist lobby in the European Union, especially in the decision-making process is evident. The lobby influences political decisions through infiltrating the parties, parliament and having relations with influential political figures. In this regard, in addition to state organizations, we should not ignore the role of Zionist organs including Central Jewish Council Inc. It plays an important in Europe.

In the past and at present some British politicians as well as major parties have been working hard to strengthen the Zionist lobby through diplomatic and political channels in addition to propaganda tools. For example, the former British Labor government on many occasions prevented different efforts for international economic pressure on the Israeli regime in order to cease violence against the Palestinians.

The clear evidence of this policy can be seen in not condemning the Zionist invasions of Lebanon and Gaza, doubling the export of British military equipments to Israel in the recent years and encouraging the illegal migration of British Jews to the usurped land of Palestine.

Probably the most leading political figure who is working hard covertly and publicly to strengthen relations between Britain and Israel is the Jewish Lord, Levy. He was senior aide to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. He is a supporter of the Labour Friends of Israel and has been described by The Jerusalem Post as “undoubtedly the notional leader of British Jewry”. He is also a member of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the leadership of UK Jewish community. Levy has close ties with the Israeli Labour Party. Levy has praised Blair for his solid and committed support of the State of Israel.

He is also involved in fundraising for Jewish and Israeli causes. For this he showed a special adeptness, raising 60 million pounds for Jewish Care between the years 1988-to-1994, an amalgam of Jewish charitable organizations, of which he is now President. Simon Morris, Chief Executive of Jewish Care, said of Levy that, when it comes to fundraising, “there’s no one better in the country.”

France is among the European countries which largely backs the illegal Zionist entity. The reason may be the presence of influential Jews in the governing body. In fact, the French has supported the Zionist regime more than any other country and in the regime’s access to nuclear weapons the French companies and institutes including Saint-Gobain and Desso have played a key role. It is worth noting that the political, economic, military and cultural cooperation between France and the Zionist entity started in the 1960s and is clearly dominant today. Simultaneously, the role of Zionist organizations and institutions in France is very important in a way that on one side there is a major current backing the Zionist entity and on the other hand it tries to silence any voice opposing the usurpation of Palestine by resorting to the pretext of anti-Semitism although Israel and the Zionists have no relation at all with the Semitic race. For example, the French Central Jewish Council plays a key role in decision-makings and is considered the most powerful Jewish lobby in France. The record of the Council dates back to Second World War II. The Council tries to stabilize its position by establishing relations with Jews worldwide.

An example of French free services for Israel is that in the last days of the France’s chairmanship of the European Union, it promoted EU’s relation with the Zionist entity despite opposition by its allies. According to reports, in the conference of EU Foreign Ministers in early December of the last month of France’s presidency of the EU, a draft was approved according to which relations with Israel were promoted to a level higher and trade and political relations with that illegal entity was considered as special. The decision that was taken by the rabidly pro-Israel French President Nicolas Sarkozy was a novel gift to his Zionist friends at a time when public opinion expected France as president of the EU to condemn the Zionist massacre of the Palestinians and the unrelenting Gaza siege.

Istanbul conference calls for formation of an independent Palestine state

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Istanbul conference calls for formation of an independent Palestine state.

The Executive Committee of the parliament speakers of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) in a statement called for formation of an independent Palestinian state and independent sovereignty with the holy Qods as its capital.

The statement issued Monday evening after the end of the Executive Committee of the parliament speakers of the OIC, says the lands of the occupied Palestine including Gaza, West Bank and the holy Qods ate inseparable parts of the Palestine and the previous resolutions of the Islamic Inter-Parliamentary Union especially 2009 Istanbul resolution in support of the rights of Palestinians are stressed again.

Istanbul conference expressed disgust over the current illegal measures in Qods and the banning of Palestinians to go to holy sites, and stressed the right of the Palestinian refugees to unconditionally return to their mother land.

The parliament speakers in Istanbul conference also asked the UNSC, Human Rights Committee, and UNESCO to force the Zionist regime into accept the Geneva fourth agreement and other agreements concerning the occupied lands.

The final part of the statement says Istanbul conference calls for the opening of sea and air passages for helping the people of Gaza, and supports measures for lifting Gaza siege. The parliament speakers and representatives of 15 member countries including Islamic Republic of Iran, the host Turkey, Syria, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Burkina Faso, and Cameron participated in the conference.

Larijani Meets Turkish, Pakistani Officials

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Iran’s Majlis Speaker Dr. Ali Larijani in a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davotoglu said the oppressed Palestinian people in the current sensitive situation need to receive a firm message of support from Muslim states in realization of their denied birthrights.

Larijani said the holding of Inter-parliamentary Conference on the issue of Palestine in Istanbul is appreciable.

The Turkish Foreign Minister for his part expressed hope the Istanbul conference can deliver a strong message in support of the rights of Palestinians.

Larijani, in a separate meeting with his Turkish counterpart Mohammad Ali Shahin, regarded Iran and Turkey as two important and influential countries in the region, and said Istanbul-Tehran relations are based on mutual trust.

He also welcomed Ankara’s role in efforts to defuse the crisis raised by the West over Iran’s peaceful nuclear issue.

The Turkish Parliament Speaker for his part expressed happiness over the growing trend of Tehran-Ankara cooperation and said that the consultations between the Iranian and Turkish parliaments can be an effective for more expansion of cooperation.

Iran’s Majlis Speaker also conferred with his Pakistani counterpart, Mrs. Fahmidah Mirza. In the meeting, Larijani said the information obtained from the recently captured terrorist Abdul-Malek Rigi shows direct US support for terrorism in the region.

Larijani said the US is following a dual policy in the occupied countries of Iraq and Afghanistan, and said that the examples of such a dubious US policy can be seen in its support for terrorist groups including the Taliban.

Fahmidah Mirza for her part welcomed expansion of Iran-Pakistan economic relations and added that progress in the project of transferring Iran’s gas to Pakistan are a good example of such cooperation.

Crisis of the American Occupation of Iraq Monday, May 10, 2010

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Iraq witnessed positive political developments concerning talks for formation of the new government. With the announcement of merger by the State of Law Coalition and the Iraqi National Alliance, the Kurdistan coalition as well as the Sunni Islamic Party, have declared readiness to join the national reconciliation trend for the broad-based unity government. Despite desperate efforts by the US occupation authorities and certain reactionary Arab regimes, both of whom had meddled with the election process to hand over the marginal al-Iraqiyya of former Ba’thist Iyad Allawi a surprising 91 seats in the parliament, the Sunni Accord Front has also expressed willingness to join in the new government taking shape. The Kurds have said they will support any candidate nominated for the prime minister’s post by the Shi’ite Muslim bloc that represents the long suppressed majority of the country. The representative of Iraq’s senior-most religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Sistani has called for speedy efforts to name the new cabinet.

The manual recounting of ballot boxes of Baghdad Province started last week and according to the Iraqi High Election Commission the recounting would take at least three weeks. It is widely believed that most of the rigging was done in favour of Allawi and his marginal party under pressure from the US and the bribes of Saudi Arabia and other reactionary Arab regimes.

The trip of Prime Minister Maliki’s aide to Syria and his meeting with President Bashar Assad had reflections in the regional media.

It was disclosed by the British daily The Independent that British occupation forces in Iraq had a hand in the US-led American chemical bombardment of Falluja

Last week two consecutive blasts in Mosul killed and injured more than eighty people.

As said earlier, backed by the Iraqi masses, the State of Law Coalition of incumbent premier, Nuri al-Maliki, and the National Alliance made up Supreme Islamic Assembly Chief, Hojjatoleslam Seyyed Ammar al-Hakim and the Sadrists, have decided to merge. This positive development makes the alliance the largest single bloc in the newly elected parliament with 163 seats, thus eclipsing for good the 91 seats that were surprisingly allotted under American pressure and Arab money to former Ba’thist Iyad Allawi’s marginal group, al-Iraqqiya. With the 43-seat Kurdish coalition of President Jalal Talabani announcing its backing for the country’s Shi’ite Muslim majority and its choice of prime minister, coupled with declarations of support by some Sunni parties, the national unity government is certain to take shape since now the allies have between them more than 200 seats of the 325-seat parliament. In the statement read by senior officials of the two alliances, it was noted that the goal behind the merger is to materialize the legitimate aims and aspirations of the people of Iraq. It is interesting to note that following the start of recounting of votes in Baghdad Province, several groups of the Arab Sunni minority of Iraq, realizing that Allawi’s fraud was sure to be exposed, have voiced readiness to join Iraq’s Shi’ite Muslim majority in forming the national reconciliation government. This is likely to reduce the number of the surprising 91 seats that the Americans had gifted to Allawi. Secretary General of Islamic Party, Osama Takriti, expressed happiness over the merger of the two principal Shi’ite groups and appealed to all political groups to set aside differences joint the positive political trend.

The Iraqi Presidential Council held an emergency meeting last week to help resolve the current post-election problems. The meeting coincided with the recounting of the ballot boxes of Baghdad Province. Meanwhile, the Iraqi National Alliance called on the al-Iraqiyya Coalition of former Ba’thist and currently US-backed candidate, Iyad Allawi, to accept the results of the recounting. A member of the National Alliance, Mohammad Naji, advised al-Iraqiyya that its threat to pull out of political trend before the announcement of the results of the recounting is not a wise decision. In recent days, al-Iraqiyya has tried to make the Iraqi atmosphere tense through its provocative calls for outside interference in the deadlock following the parliamentary elections held last March. It is worth noting that al-Iraqiyya was surprisingly awarded with the most number of seats, that is, 91 in the parliamentary polls, which analysts believe was due to US meddling and the hundreds of millions of dollars that have flowed into the country from Saudi Arabia and other reactionary Arab regimes which do not want a stable and democratic Iraq. Concern over delay in forming the new government and bringing up marginal and unimportant issues by some political currents have complicated the situation in Iraq. The heads of Iraq’ three braches of government have tried to ease the current unstable atmosphere through consultations with the different political currents.

Wahabi Terrorists killed Shia Doctor in Karachi

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency , Terrorists of outlawed Wahhabi Organization on Monday night martyred Shia Doctor Haider Abbas at Metrovil III in Karachi.

Police officials were suspecting his killing as a result of sectarian violence.

Police officials said that two armed men on a motorcycle targeted and shot him thrice when he on his Toyota Corolla car bearing registration number C-2933, was on the way to AKM specialist hospital in Mominabad to attend the patients. The deceased died on the spot as he sustained bullets in his face and head.

His body was moved to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for an autopsy.

Police officials said that the incident took place near Metrolines hospital located at Metrovil SITE, within the limits of SITE ‘A’ Section police station soon after he left the hospital to make his presence in another AKM specialist hospital. DSP Rao Iqbal said that apparently, it seems an incident of sectarian killing and investigation is underway. No case was registered till the filing of this report.

The deceased was a resident of Saddat Colony Block-20, Federal ‘B’ Area and was the father of two daughters.

The mayhem continues of the Notorious Gang fuelling the hatred among the sectarian rivals, targeting innocent bystanders and intellectuals; in particular of the Shiite community.

Fed with Zionist Agenda to harm the sanctity of Islam, these off-putting powers – the offshoots of Pagan, have been working against the forces of Islam since their patron went against the will of Almighty and never prostrated Hazrat Adam (A.S).

It cannot be put past them to go beyond any means to harm the deity of our Almighty Allah, Muhammad (SAWWS) and his Progeny (A.s). It is upon realization to this failure that they stoop to levels beyond imagination; mass killing, staged bombings, gorilla warfare etc. targeting muslims who have the will to unravel and expose their true identity.

Government officials remain allay and no statement has been issued as yet. This whole year, since the heartrending incidences of Ashura and Arba’een our community lives on false pretence; an environment where security is never compromised.

Yes! It remains a housemaid to elites enrolled in government enjoying the benefits of security protocols beyond imagination; whereas citizens remain too stressed with financial concerns, load shedding, outrageous prices of utilities, etc. All issues pending are concealed with petty issues for populace to fondle over for months to come with justice molested under heaps of files.

Australian Government to spend millions to fight spread of Wahhabism

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency , The Australian Government will be earmarking millions of dollars to check the spread of extremist Wahhabis who are far from Islamic thought but kill innocent people in the name of Islam. The measure comes as part of a Federal Budget package to boost national security.

The Federal Budget to be announced on Tuesday is especially significant as it comes in an election-year. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s Government is focusing on strengthening national security to appease Australian citizens.

There has been heightened concern over the security issue following a deluge of asylum-seekers who manage to enter the country unintercepted.

In view of these concerns, the Government will announce “preventative” measures to counter the growth of radical terrorist cells across Australia, The Daily Telegraph reports.

The Government will implement its programmes carefully in order to avoid demonizing the Muslim community and the new measures will tackle potential spread of extremism in the nation’s jails, the paper said.

The Budget is expected to outline a national scheme, with religious classes and better contact between inmates and their families. This could minimize interactions that could potentially lead to the formation of radical Wahhabis caucuses, it added.

Wave of Iraq attacks kills many Shia Muslims

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency , An apparently co-ordinated series of attacks targeting security forces and a Shiite mosque in Iraq killed 31 people on Monday in the worst violence to hit the country in more than a fortnight.

The bloodshed began in Baghdad where shootings with automatic weapons against six police or army checkpoints in eastern and western sectors of the city accounted for seven of the dead, an interior ministry official said.

Two other policemen died in three bombings in south and west Baghdad.

“The attacks started at 6:30 am (0330 GMT) and ended around 8:00 am (0500 GMT),” the official said, noting that nearly all of the wounded were security personnel.

A double bomb attack near the mosque in Suwayrah, 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast of the capital, killed 11 people and wounded 70, a police lieutenant told AFP.

There were also four bomb attacks on houses in and around the former Sunni insurgent bastion of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, three of which were owned by security officials. Police and a doctor at Fallujah hospital confirmed a total of four people had been killed and 11 injured in the attacks.

Seven other people were killed in separate attacks near the main northercity of Mosul, in Iskandiriyah south of Baghdad, and near Tarmiyah, north of the Iraqi capital.

Monday’s death toll was the highest since April 23, when 58 people were killed in series of bombings in Baghdad and western Iraq, days after the government said Al-Qaeda was on the run.

There were around 20 attacks in total on Monday.

Major General Qassim Atta, a security forces spokesman in Baghdad, said the attacks appeared to be coordinated

Baghdad, Iraq — Ammar al-Hakeem, the leader of the Iraqi National Alliance (INA) bloc, met on Sunday with Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah at the al-Sayf Palace in the Kuwaiti capital city and discussed political developments in Iraq as well as bilateral relations.

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency , Baghdad, Iraq — Ammar al-Hakeem, the leader of the Iraqi National Alliance (INA) bloc, met on Sunday with Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah at the al-Sayf Palace in the Kuwaiti capital city and discussed political developments in Iraq as well as bilateral relations.

“During the meeting the two sides reviews current developments and future vistas as well as means to further bilateral relations to the interests of both the Kuwaiti and Iraqi peoples,” according to a statement published on Hakeem’s Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) web site as received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Hakeem had started a visit to neighboring Kuwait on Saturday (May 8).

His meeting with the Emir of Kuwait was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Mohammed Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah and Minister of State for Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali al-Jarrah al-Sabah

OIC meeting in Turkey to discuss Israeli damages in holy city

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency, The second extraordinary meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)-member states (PUOICM) will take place in Istanbul on Monday.

Turkey’s Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin will preside the meeting at Istanbul’s Conrad Hotel.

Sahin held bilateral talks with Yemeni Parliament Speaker Yahya al-Raee, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and Syrian Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al Abrash in Istanbul on Sunday.

Parliament speakers from 14 countries, deputy parliament speakers from 6 countries and parliamentarians from 8 countries will be in attendance at the meeting.

Israel’s damaging the holy structure of Jerusalem by opening new settlement units will top the agenda of the meeting.

Parliament Speaker Sahin, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Parliamentary Union of the OIC Secretary-General Mahmut Erol Kilic and OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu will make opening remarks of the meeting.

Established in 1969, OIC is an international organization with 57 member states from the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, Caucasus, Balkans, and South America. The Parliamentary Union of the OIC member states was established in Iran in 1999 and its headquarters is situated in Tehran.

Wave of Iraq attacks kills many Shia Muslims

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency , An apparently co-ordinated series of attacks targeting security forces and a Shiite mosque in Iraq killed 31 people on Monday in the worst violence to hit the country in more than a fortnight.

The bloodshed began in Baghdad where shootings with automatic weapons against six police or army checkpoints in eastern and western sectors of the city accounted for seven of the dead, an interior ministry official said.

Two other policemen died in three bombings in south and west Baghdad.

“The attacks started at 6:30 am (0330 GMT) and ended around 8:00 am (0500 GMT),” the official said, noting that nearly all of the wounded were security personnel.

A double bomb attack near the mosque in Suwayrah, 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast of the capital, killed 11 people and wounded 70, a police lieutenant told AFP.

There were also four bomb attacks on houses in and around the former Sunni insurgent bastion of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, three of which were owned by security officials. Police and a doctor at Fallujah hospital confirmed a total of four people had been killed and 11 injured in the attacks.

Seven other people were killed in separate attacks near the main northercity of Mosul, in Iskandiriyah south of Baghdad, and near Tarmiyah, north of the Iraqi capital.

Monday’s death toll was the highest since April 23, when 58 people were killed in series of bombings in Baghdad and western Iraq, days after the government said Al-Qaeda was on the run.

There were around 20 attacks in total on Monday.

Major General Qassim Atta, a security forces spokesman in Baghdad, said the attacks appeared to be coordinated.

Greek lawmakers back austerity bill

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Greece’s Parliament has passed a $40 billion austerity bill to prepare the ground for a much-needed bailout to save the country from a historic economic crisis.

The bill which ensures the $110 billion aid from European Union and the International Monetary Fund includes tax rises, pension reforms and major cuts in public sector bonuses, Reuters reported.

In an address to the Parliament, Prime Minister George Papandreou referred to the country’s debt and deficit which has triggered anxiety among the 16 member nation making up the euro zone. He revealed that there is no time to be lost in making big changes in Greece’s broken economy.

The legislation took place amid violent public protests, which brought thousands of angry students, workers, and pensioners to the streets.

Greek’s biggest public and private unions went on strike on Wednesday which cancelled flights, closed shops and halted the public transportation as protesters vowed to continue their campaign against governmental plans.

Blaming corrupt politicians for the spiraling economic crisis, the restless dissidents have demanded justice to be served.

Papandreou, in an effort to calm the bitter protests, has promised to crack down on financial corruption.

Shia teacher martyr’s in Mastung Balochistan Terrorists of nutritious religious organization on Thursday"Abdul Qadir Mohammad "

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According to Ahlul Bayt (A) News Agency – ABNA.ir – Terrorists opened the fire on Shia teacher Abdul Qadir, when he was arrived from the post office.

Abdul Qadir Mohammad Shai was brought to the local l Hospital of Mastung, where he was succumbed to injuries and got martyrdom.

The killing of Shia teacher Abdul Qadir was a part of a series of Shia target killing incidents that have been going on in Quetta and Balochistan from the last five years.

The genocide of Shia Muslims in Pakistan continue unabated. Recent reports from Shikarpur (Sindh), Quetta (Balochistan), Dera Ghazi Khan, Orakzai Agency  and finally from Mastung (balochistan) are incontrovertible fact that the Holocaust of Shia Muslims, anti-Shi’ism and anti-Shia Pogrom have no match in the human history.

Where is United Nations, where are self-claimed champions on war on terrorism and their local allies? Where are human rights organisations, civil society, lawyers? Where are those who are legally bound to ensure safety and security of life, property and honour of all Pakistani citizens

Ayatollah khamenei said; IRI sould turn into a reliable reference for Islamic world

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Receiving thousands of teachers from all over the country, the Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei pointed to the teachers’ vital and great role in creating and cultivating innovative, thoughtful, religious and self-confident human beings in order to continue the country’s progress, stressing: “The Iranian nation should achieve a stage of progress and exaltation so that it turns from intellectual and scientific aspects and different political and social fields into a reliable reference for nations and the thinkers of the Islamic world, and this is the Iranian nation’s historical responsibility.”
Commemorating the martyr master Morteza Motahhari and the Teachers’ Day, IR Leader called Motahhari the martyr as a complete teacher with a sense of responsibility, adding: “That great man entered bravely any arena that he felt the society has different questions and needs, and considerations and interests never blocked him.”
“The martyr Motahhari, contrary to some claimants of religious intellectualism that used to present concepts void of religious content with religious paint, presented to the society real religious concepts in coordination with the needs of the day and the audience’s understanding,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
Stressing that the martyr Motahhari never sought seminary and academic name and title, he added: “That martyr during his life fought religious innovation and deviatory and eclectic thoughts with the same strength that he fought reactionary thoughts and petrifaction and this was one of the prominent characteristics of the martyr Motahhari.”
IR Leader regarded one of the excellent characteristics of the martyr Motahhari’s works as their liveliness and novelty, stressing: “The reason why after 30 years of that master’s martyrdom and despite different progresses, the martyr Motahhari’s works are still respondent to many of today’s needs, is that great man’s sincerity.”
“Whenever a deep thought is accompanied with sincerity, God grants that thought a blessing that remains for the society as an eternal reserve and the martyr Motahhari’s works are so,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.
Considering the effect of the martyr Motahhari’s scientific and cultural works as an example of the magnitude of education and cultivation and referring to the teachers’ vital role, he said: “If teachers always consider the magnitude and greatness of the effect of their work, their faith, incentive, movement and effort will intensity.”
IR Leader regarded the teacher’s role and effect in forming children’s and teenagers’ personality and social personality as further than the effect of parents, media, social issues and even spiritual and ethical hereditary factors, adding: “The teacher with this prominent role can cultivate a faithful, enthusiast, patient, hopeful of the future, pursuant of public interests, interested in achieving the peaks of personal and social evolution, innovative, thoughtful and researching human being.”
The Leader of Islamic Revolution said should teachers fail to appreciate the importance of their role they would educate people not favorable to the society.
Ayatollah Khamenei urged all teachers not to forget their duty adding that a fundamental change in the education system should be made in compliance with the needs and goals of the country.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution added that to compensate for the deficiencies of the past a major move was required emphasizing that “the country and the nation should gain the stature they deserve and become an excellent model for the Islamic world.”
Ayatollah Khamenei said that in order to achieve that goal all intellectual and physical resources of the nation should be utilized.
“If Iranians took their rightful position in the world it would lead to a change in the Muslim world and a change in the Muslim world would certainly change the whole world,” the Leader of Islamic Revolution said.
Ayatollah Khamenei spoke of the world’s current situation as morally bad adding that the humankind could be spared a terrifying fate but first the country should change so as to become a model for the world.
He continued that education was the basis of every change and since the foundation had been laid in the past thirty years, and despite the difficulties, promising future was ahead.
Ayatollah Khamenei also added that no power in the world could obstruct the country’s forward movement adding that long years of experience had proven it.
“In a forward movement what is important is that every one fulfills his or her duty,” the Leader of Islamic Revolution said.
In the end Ayatollah Khamenei urged education authorities to fulfill their duties with enthusiasm and hard work.

Ahmadinejad at UN: US Is the "Main Suspect" in The Stockpiling And Spread of Nuclear Weapons

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According to Ahlul Bayt News Agence, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the United States should dismantle its nuclear bases around the world as a step to create a nuke-free world.

“Dismantling of nuclear weapons stationed in the military bases in the US and its allies around the world, including Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands,” President Ahmadinejad said in an address before the 2010 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday.

“Those who used nuclear weapons for the first time in history are the most detested and disgraceful people in the world,” he said, adding that nuclear arms are “the most disgusting and shameful kind of weapons in the world.”

The United Sates, despite being a signatory to the NPT, is the “main suspect” in the stockpiling, spread and threatening of other nations with nuclear weapons, the Iranian president said.

Ahmadinejad noted that “possessing nuclear weapons is nothing to be proud of,” criticizing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for adopting a double standard toward nuclear-armed countries and those seeking nuclear energy.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon opened the review conference, held every five years to strengthen the non-proliferation regime, at the UN headquarters.

Ahmadinejad, who is the only head of state attending the summit, said world powers should set a deadline to create a nuke-free world, calling on the UN to rebrand the NPT as the “Disarmament NPT.”

The Iranian president, who described as “hazardous” the production and stockpiling of nuclear weapons by world powers, criticized the United Nations for its inability to establish sustainable security for the world against nuclear weapons.

He stressed that nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation have not materialized, saying the US should be blamed for proliferation of nuclear weapons.

World powers, he said, should live up to their obligations under the NPT.

Despite all diplomatic formalities delegates of the United States, Britain and France have walked out of a UN summit as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was delivering his speech.

Iraq Shia Blocs Unite; One Step To Make Government : Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s coalition and another Shia political bloc (led by Hakim) announced last night that they would band together to form a new government.

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According to Ahlul Bayt News Agency., Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s coalition and another Shia political bloc (led by Hakim) announced last night that they would band together to form a new government.

“We formed an alliance to form the biggest bloc in the next Parliament,’’ Ali al-Allaq, a leader in Maliki’s State of Law coalition, said in an interview. “We agreed to postpone talking about the position of the prime minister until the next phase.’’

“The agreement was signed by representatives from both coalitions to form a parliamentary bloc … which will nominate the prime minister,” said State of Law official Haider al-Ebadi, who is also a member of Maliki’s Dawa Party.

Asked whether the issue of prime minister had been resolved, he said “No, not yet. The new bloc will nominate one candidate.”

Maliki’s State of Law won 89 seats in the next parliament. The other Shia-dominated coalition, the Iraqi National Alliance, won 70. The Sunni-backed Iraqiya coalition won 91 seats.

If the alliance between the Shia blocs holds, leaders would need to bring just a handful of other lawmakers into the fold to get the 163 votes required to appoint a new prime minister. The incoming parliament will have 325 members.

Such an alliance threatens to undermine US interests.

While the resulting combination of 159 seats is just short of the required majority, the Kurdish Alliance of the autonomous Kurdish region’s two long-dominant blocs holds 43 seats and has previously said it would join the new grouping if the two main blocs allied.

However, electoral authorities are carrying out a recount of votes in the key Baghdad constituency, which accounts for 70 seats.

Electrical Fire Damages Mosque; Muslims Blame Jews-:- A mosque north of Ramallah went up in flames Monday night, apparently due to a short circuit — but Muslim clerics blamed Jews from nearby communities in Samaria.

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency , A mosque north of Ramallah went up in flames Monday night, apparently due to a short circuit — but Muslim clerics said Jews from nearby communities in Samaria.

Palestinian Authority Arabs charged that “settlers” torched the mosque, forcing Israeli security forces to try to calm down villagers.

They have asked Palestinian Authority police to investigate.

The PA previously has said Jews for a long list of damage to Arab property, particularly orchards.

Iran open to new talks on fuel swap

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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterates Iran’s readiness to play a “constructive and positive” role in breaking the stalemate in nuclear fuel swap deal.

President Ahmadinejad’s offer came in talks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York on Monday on the sidelines of the 2010 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

According to the fuel swap proposal, Iran is required to ship most of its low-enriched uranium abroad for further processing and conversion into fuel rods for Tehran’s research reactor, which produces medical isotopes.

While Iran accepted the swap proposal in general terms, it demanded for tangible guarantees that the other parties involved — Russia and France — would in fact deliver the fuel in a timely manner. The talks reached a stalemate after the Iranian stipulation was ignored by the West.

Iran called for simultaneous exchange of nuclear fuels or similar guarantees after voicing concerns about past practices of Western nations in arbitrary violating and even abrogating their nuclear contracts with the Islamic Republic.

Regarding Iran’s interaction with Europe, Ahmadinejad said Iran is ready to cooperate with the European Union on a wide range of issues.

The UN chief praised Ahmadinejad’s speech at the NPT Review Conference, saying his remarks were “constructive.”

He added that the attendance of the Iranian president in the conference showed that the Islamic Republic attaches special significance to settling global issues.

Ban expressed optimism that negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Russia, China, France, Britain and the US – plus Germany (P5+1) would reconcile unresolved issues

Israeli guard tears inmate's Quran

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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.”

Indonesia calls on Israel to join NPT

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Indonesia has urged Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) voicing grave concern on the threat of nuclear proliferation across the globe.

“We must prevail on Israel to come into the NPT fold,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Raden Mohammad Marty Muliana Natalegawa said Monday in New York at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.

Israel possesses a nuclear arsenal of at least 250 warheads and has never allowed IAEA inspections of all its nuclear facilities.

The Indonesian foreign minister also demanded the establishment of new nuclear weapon-free zones, particularly in the Middle East.

“Nuclear proliferation threats, wherever their source, must be effectively addressed without discrimination and double standard on the basis of multilateralism and international law.

“We certainly find it difficult to rationalize nuclear energy cooperation involving those who have openly chosen to add to the proliferation momentum,” Natalegawa noted.

187 member countries of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) have gathered in New York for the 8th NPT Review Conference which runs between May 3 and 28.

The Review Conference is held every five years to evaluate and ensure that NPT provisions are being realized. The 2005 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was held from May 2 to May 27 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The conference proved a failure since it could not adopt a final document.

PLF STARTS ANTI-ISRAEL CAMPAIGN

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KARACHI- Palestine Foundation Pakistan on Friday announced an anti-Israel campaign to express solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine from 1st to 16th May across the country.

According to the Shiite News Correspondent, Addressing the joint press conference at Karachi press club Palestine Foundation (PLF) Leaders Qazi Ahmed Noorani Siddiqui, Allama Aftab Jaffari and Sabir Karbalai denounced the genocide of oppressed Palestinian people by the Zionist regime Israel saying that Israel is imminent existential threat to humanity.

They said that Palestine foundation has decided to hold the online referendum against Israel, protest demonstrations, media campaign, and publications to highlight the atrocities of Zionist regime against the innocent Palestinian.

Describing the details of well-polling, PLF leaders said that the online referendum on “Israel posses serious and imminent existential threat to humanity” will start from May 1st to 12th, 2010 on Palestine Foundation website www.plfpakistan.com on the occasion of Youm-e-Nakba (Catastrophe).

They said that people from across the country would cast their online vote on the referendum and expressed their sentiments in-front of the entire world.

PLF leaders said that Pakistani people would not accept any conspiracy against the Palestinian people saying that Palestine is the part of our faith and ideology.

They further said that the results of online referendum will be announced by the PLF Guardian committee members and representatives of various Political organizations on May 13th through a press conference.

“Pakistani students’ organizations have unanimously decided to observe Black Day on Youm-e-Nakba as a token of solidarity with oppressed Palestinians and condemnation for Israel” they informed.

They said that every year, the Palestinian Arabs observe the day of Nakba (Catastrophe) on May 14th to condemn establishment of Zionist regime Israel, an illegitimate, immoral and inhuman Zionist occupation of Palestine in the name of Jewish homeland, in 1948.

They added that the prominent Student organizations of the country including Islami Jamiat Talba (IJT), Peoples Students Federation (PSF),

Anjuman Talba-e-Islam (ATI), Muslim Students Federation (MSF-N), Pukhtoon Students Federation (PSF-Pukhtoon), and Imamia Students Organization (ISO) in their joint meeting with PLF office bearers finalized the program’s in connection of Youm-e-Nakab to support the Palestinian cause.

“The students want unity to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque and liberate Palestine from illegitimate Zionist occupation” PLF leaders said. On May 14, students’ organizations will observe black day and stage demonstrations. On May 15, a huge rally will be staged under the aegis of Palestine Foundation at Karachi Press Club. Countrywide protest and rallies will continue to be staged on May 16.

CNN: Egypt preoccupation, Israeli nukes not Iran

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The real problem, from the Egyptian standpoint, is not Iran which does not have a nuclear weapon, but Israel which according to many sources has more than 200 nuclear warheads, CNN’s senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman said.
“Egypt since 1995 has been pushing for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons and their focus is not so much on Iran which is engaged in a nuclear program but on Israel which it is widely believed is the only real nuclear power in the Middle East,” Wedeman added.
“The Egyptians have been involved in negotiations prior to this summit today with the Americans to come up with some sort of formula whereby the mechanisms would be put in place for a process, it would push toward creating a nuclear-free Middle East,” CNN’s correspondent continued.
“But of course, the problem in this formula is Israel because unlike Iran, unlike Egypt, Israel was never a signatory to the NPT and therefore that is the real stumbling block,” Wedeman said.
“But Egyptian diplomats have for years now been pushing for this idea of a nuclear-free Middle East and of course, the real problem from the Egyptian standpoint is not Iran which does not have a nuclear weapon but Israel which according to many sources has more than 200 nuclear warheads. So for the Egyptians that is the preoccupation not so much Iran,” he added.
“Israel frequently says that if they lose one war, it is the end of their country. So realistically, what chances are there that they would ever conceive giving up their weapons?” CNN’s presenter asked.
“Certainly, under current circumstances, the chances are pretty much close to nil. The Israelis have always been ambiguous on their possession of nuclear weapons, although we heard the former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert in 2006 essentially admitting in an indirect way that they do have those weapons and by all accounts, the chances that the Israelis would give up their nuclear capacity as a result of meeting in New York are slim to none” Wedeman replied.

The real problem, from the Egyptian standpoint, is not Iran which does not have a nuclear weapon, but Israel which according to many sources has more than 200 nuclear warheads, CNN’s senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman said.
“Egypt since 1995 has been pushing for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons and their focus is not so much on Iran which is engaged in a nuclear program but on Israel which it is widely believed is the only real nuclear power in the Middle East,” Wedeman added.
“The Egyptians have been involved in negotiations prior to this summit today with the Americans to come up with some sort of formula whereby the mechanisms would be put in place for a process, it would push toward creating a nuclear-free Middle East,” CNN’s correspondent continued.
“But of course, the problem in this formula is Israel because unlike Iran, unlike Egypt, Israel was never a signatory to the NPT and therefore that is the real stumbling block,” Wedeman said.
“But Egyptian diplomats have for years now been pushing for this idea of a nuclear-free Middle East and of course, the real problem from the Egyptian standpoint is not Iran which does not have a nuclear weapon but Israel which according to many sources has more than 200 nuclear warheads. So for the Egyptians that is the preoccupation not so much Iran,” he added.
“Israel frequently says that if they lose one war, it is the end of their country. So realistically, what chances are there that they would ever conceive giving up their weapons?” CNN’s presenter asked.
“Certainly, under current circumstances, the chances are pretty much close to nil. The Israelis have always been ambiguous on their possession of nuclear weapons, although we heard the former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert in 2006 essentially admitting in an indirect way that they do have those weapons and by all accounts, the chances that the Israelis would give up their nuclear capacity as a result of meeting in New York are slim to none” Wedeman replied.

Iran set to limit ties with UAE

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With Tehran still reeling from recent Emirati claims on three Persian Gulf islands, Iranian lawmakers move to reduce ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Last week, Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan raised hackles in Tehran when he likened Iran’s ownership of the three Persian Gulf islands to Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory.

He outraged Iranian officials even further when he repeated the claims on Sunday and urged Tehran to, once and for all, end the “occupation” of the three islands of the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa.

In the wake of these controversial remarks, the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) has instituted measures to lower the level of relations between Iran and the tiny Arab sheikhdom.

Zohreh Elahian, a member of the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said Monday that the country’s “quick and severe” response to Sheikh Abdullah is probably not enough to teach UAE officials a lesson.

“Tehran’s reaction to the outrageous claims was appropriate and well-suited, but it does not change the fact that some serious…rethinking needs to be done…to prevent such provocative behavior [recurring] in the future,” she continued.

Elahian said the Parliament will convene later this week to hand down a final decision on limiting ties with the UAE.

“Iran is the UAE’s number one trade partner in the region and persistence on baseless claims by Emirati officials will come at their own expense,” she noted.

The three Persian Gulf islands in question have long been owned by Iran, proof of which can be found and corroborated independently of each other in countless historical, legal and geographical documents in Tehran and other parts of the world.

The islands temporarily fell under British control in the 1800s, but were nevertheless returned to Iran on November 30th 1971 through legal procedures long before the statehood of the United Arab Emirates was declared and the Al-Nahyan clan assumed leadership.

New movement of Husseini Speakers created in Pakistan

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency (ABNA.ir), ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The creation of a nation-wide organization namely Tehreek Tahaffuz-i-Wila-o-Aza and Azmat-e-Sadaat (Movement for Protection of Wila, Aza and Dignity of Progeny of Holy prophet) has been announced in All Pakistan Azadari Convention organized by Bazm-i-Waezeen-o-Zakireen. A communiqué was also issued in this connection on the conclusion of the representative gathering of waezeen and zakireen who had come to Shah Allah-Ditta Islamabad from across the country.

While presenting communiqué, Allama Nasir Abbas said that defence of Pakistan’s ideological borders, unity of Muslims of Pakistan, protection of true beliefs and ideology of Shiayan-e-Pakistan, raise voice against injustices being committed against Millat-i-Jafariya being a recognized school of thought and practical struggle for national targets and religious rights under the leadership of Quaid-i-Millat Jafariya Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi were among the objectives of the Movement. He said the Convention has also decided to organize Mukhtar Force national level.

The Convention unanimously nominated renowned religious scholar Allama Agha Naseem Abbas Rizvi as the Chief Patron. Other office-bearers are: Syed Nazakat Hussain Naqvi (Chief Organizer), Agha Syed Ali Hussain Najafi (Patron), Makhdom Syed Zargham Abbas Bokhari (Chairman), Maulana Khadim Hussain Ghagri (Senior Vice-Chairman), Syed Ilyas Raza Rizvi (Vice-Chairman), Syed Madah Hussain Shah Daera Dinpanah (Central President), Haji Nasir Abbas Notak (Senior Vice-President), Malik Jafar Tayyar (Vice-President), Allama Nasir Abbas (General Secretary), Syed Aqeel Mohsin Naqvi (Additional General Secretary), Ch. Ghazanfar Abbas Gondal (Joint Secretary), Syed Sajjad Hussain Shumari (Coordination Secretary), Syed Iqbal Hussain Shah Bajar (Deputy Coordination Secretary), Allama Syed Matloob Hussain Taqi (Office Secretary), Syed Mushtaq Hussain Shah (Finance Secretary), Aala Haider Syed (Secretary Information), Syed Muazzam Rizvi (Legal Adviser). The Provincial Presidents are: Allama Mazhar Hussain Kalo (Punjab), Allama Abdul Hakim Bu Turabi (Sindh), Allama Muhammad Mohsin (Hazara-Balochistan), Allama Syed Abul Hassan Khomeini (Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa), Allama Syed Riaz Hussain Kazmi (Azad Kashmir), and Maulana Akhund Ghulam Muhammad Ammoni (Gilgit-Baltistan).

Allama Agha Nasim Abbas Rizvi, Allama Agha Ali Hussain Najafi, Zakir Syed Zargham Abbas Bokhari, and other office-bearers in their address reiterated their resolve to offer all types of sacrifice for the objectives of the Tehreek.

A resolution adopted on the occasion strongly condemned the incidents of terrorism in the country and demanded from the government to initiate impartial enquiry into all incidents of terrorism including Ashoora and Arbaeen incidents in Karachi. The resolution demanded effective implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Act and to restrict banned groups from working with new names. The resolution appealed the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to take suo moto notice of the continued incidents of terrorism in the country and set up Enquiry Board comprising High Court judges on Provincial level so as to get the country rid of the menace of terrorism. Another resolution reiterated resolve to continue struggle for the achievement of pious targets of ‘Wila’ and ‘Aza’ and for the protection of dignity of Sadaat with sincerity of purpose while they will not hesitate in offering any sacrifice on the call of Quaid-i-Millat Jafariya Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi for this purpose.

A large number of ulema, zakireen and organizers of Majalis participated in the Azadari Convention. Special security arrangements were made by the Mukhtar Force and the Islamabad District Administration on this occasion.

A Seminar on Awareness on Muslim Personal Laws Held in Bangalore

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This was the first of its kind meet where people of different schools of thoughts came on a common platform to discuss Muslim personal law.

Yusuf Hakim Muchala, senior advocate of the Supreme Court deliberated on the necessity of a body like AIMPLB to work for the protection of the personal law for the Muslims. He also dwelt on the jurisprudential bases on the Islamic law pertaining to matters of inheritance and matrimonial issues and emphasized the need to establish Darul Qaza in every state.

Hazrath Moulana Khalid Saifulla Rahmani, member AIMPLB said, “Media was showing Shariat in negative light. There is a communication gap when it comes to Shariat.” Participants also signed a memorandum to be submitted to the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India urging them to take measures to safeguard personal law of the Muslims and to take remedial measures to prohibit courts from interpreting Muslim Personal Law according to its own notion.

Statement of Ahl ul Bayt World Assembly on Discrimination against Saudi Shia Muslims

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In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ مَنَعَ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ وَسَعَى فِي خَرَابِهَا أُولَئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا إِلا خَائِفِينَ لَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ وَلَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

Who is a greater wrongdoer than him who denies access to the mosques of Allah lest His Name be celebrated therein, and tries to ruin them? Such ones may not enter them, except in fear.

There is disgrace for them in this world, and there is for them a great punishment in the Hereafter.  (Baqarah 2:114)

Unfortunately, pressures and difficulties against the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) have recently intensified in Saudi Arabia.

Some extremist lobbies dominating Saudi state institutions have been causing trouble for the Shi‘ah such as unfounded arrests, police investigations, short and long term prison sentences, ban of religious ceremonies, and infringement of citizenship rights.

The worst of these measures is the prohibition of the simplest religious right of a Muslim, i.e. public prayer, which has reached a peak.  In addition to closing the Shi‘ah mosques of al-Khabar, they are denied the right to perform congregational prayer even behind Sunni Imams at Sunni mosques.

As an international nongovernmental organization, the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) World Assembly requests the attention of global human rights organizations regarding the suffering of the oppressed people living in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia.  We also petition the Saudi government to not submit to these extremists and to put an end to these problems.

Statesmen of this country very well know that the followers of the school of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), comprising of millions of Saudi citizens, form a great part of the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula.  Therefore, exerting pressure upon them may lead to break up of the relationship between these oppressed people and the governmental structure of this country.

Consequently, concerned parties in this country are expected to thoughtfully prevent such occurrences in the future.

The Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) World Assembly
Apr. 2010

Sayyed Nasrallah to Al-Rai: Israeli Project Nearing End

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency (ABNA.ir), Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah stressed the goal of the uproar over the alleged Scud Missiles transfer from Syria to Hezbollah “is to pressure Syria and Hezbollah and to prevent us as a resistance from defending ourselves.”

Sayyed Nasrallah was speaking during an interview with the Kuwaiti television Al-Rai on Thursday. “Their campaign has failed because Syria has denied the claim and Hezbollah traditionally does not comment on such issues,” Sayyed Nasrallah said.

His eminence asked about the implications of such campaigns on the Israelis on the moral and psychological levels. He added that “this is in our interest, and all those who support the resistance have become more reassured because we’ve said that we’ll defend ourselves and Lebanon and that we’ll strike their infrastructures if they target ours.”

Sayyed Nasrallah underlined that the resistance is capable of fulfilling its commitments to defend the country. “In July 2006 the resistance proved it possesses defensive capabilities and the enemy was stunned to see what had taken place because they did not expect to face a resistance of this kind. We will not allow them to target our cities. There are red lines and we’ll hit back and we are capable of it, however we do not discuss the nature of the weapons we’ll be using.”

The Hezbollah chief said the picture taken in Damascus (President Bashar Assad, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Sayyed Nasrallah) was enough to send a message that the circumstances in the region have changed. “I assure that any new Israeli war will be an adventure with uncalculated results for the Israeli side and will eventually change the face of this region…My brothers and I believe that this intimidation does not entail a war.”

On the assassination of Resistance commander martyr Imad Moghnieh, Sayyed Nasrallah said that vengeance for his death is a matter of time. “I can’t say that operations to avenge martyr Moghnieh’s death had taken place and failed and the Azabeijan issue is a different issue. I assure that the Islamic Resistance will not be lax in avenging him. We are engaged in a battle with the Israeli enemy and when our leaders get killed anywhere we will have the right to respond in the framework of the ongoing battle. Speaking of vengeance bares some tolerance in its meaning. If we sought after vengeance by killing Israeli tourists we would have been able to so easily but we do not look at the issue from this perspective. We know where to respond and when to respond and who to target. The Israelis know this and it is only a matter of time.”

Speaking about National Dialogue in Lebanon, Sayyed Nasrallah said that “our ally, General Michel Aoun threatened to withdraw from the dialogue to protest the attack on the arms of the resistance and its intentions.” He added: “General Aoun expressed resentment from this rhetoric. Hezbollah’s representative was very clear when he told the other camp that if they wanted to bring the issue to the media, there was no problem and if they wanted to tackle it around a round table there was no problem either. Some say that the arms of the resistance give Israel the pretext to wage war on Lebanon. We condemn this rhetoric because it contradicts the simplest axioms. We cannot accept giving legitimacy to an Israeli assault on Lebanon and our people. True, there is an historic difference that dates back to the establishment of the resistance. Some political powers never believed that Israel was an enemy, and this difference in ideologies was present even before I was born. The only way to resolve this difference is through a national dialogue. This is why we were the first to present our vision on this matter. Some groups have declared through written statements that they insist on raising the arms issue to establish that it is a controversial matter. The resistance has never had consensus in any country at any time and Lebanon is not a special case. The resistance in 1982 did not enjoy consensus as there were parties who were in the same camp with the Israelis fighting for them. “

Sayyed Nasrallah stressed the resistance in Lebanon was strong especially after the 2000 Israeli withdrawal from most of Lebanon and victory in the 2006 war with Israel. He added that the arms of the resistance were not and will not be used in Lebanon to change an internal political equation or to change the constitution. “The resistance won the war but we did not ask for power and we never sought after it. Everybody remember May 25, 2000 when I spoke in Bint Jbeil. I said that what we achieved was our obligation and we didn’t want anything in return. We called on the Lebanese army to have full reign in south Lebanon, we never asked for a constitutional amendment to change the sectarian distribution of powers in Lebanon…Our experience is enough evidence that Hezbollah’s ambitions is not based on sectarian interests, in fact it is founded on national interests and I admit that Lebanon cannot stay separated from the Palestinian cause.

Speaking about the May 7, 2008 incidents in Beirut, the Hezbollah chief explained that what happened was to reverse an unjust decision by then PM Fouad Saniora’s government that was aimed at the arms of the resistance, namely its communications network which played a major role in defeating Israeli in the 2006 war. “Some ex-March 14 figures admit that those decisions were a strategic mistake. That government attacked us and it sought to ignite sedition between the army and the resistance. We were not represented in the government. When the Arab delegation arrived in Beirut we told them that our only demands were to reverse the decisions and sit around the national dialogue table, nothing else. We did not set conditions on electing a new president or on giving Saniora another term as PM. Our arms were not and will not be use in Lebanon to change equations. Our arms are to defend Lebanon and the resistance, and we do not tolerate attacking our arms because our weapons are legitimate according to all standards.”

On the investigations committee probing the assassination of former PM martyr Rafiq Hariri, Sayyed Nasrallah warned that Hezbollah did not trust the panel. “We have evidence that lead us not to trust the panel as well as the tribunal itself. If the committee does not prove it is conducting a technical and serious investigation we will reconsider cooperating with it. Mohammed Zuhair Siddiq has made a couple of statements and for the first time he implicated Hezbollah cadres in the crime. Siddiq is a false witness who deluded the investigation panel and the whole world and his false testimony led to the detention of four generals, the death of dozens of Syrian workers in Lebanon, and could have led to war in the region. He is still at large and the spokeswoman of the tribunal says that the court has nothing to do with Siddiq. How come? We will formally ask the Lebanese government to arrest Siddiq wherever he was, whether in the UAE or in the Netherlands. We have to know who was behind him, who gave him passports, who provided shelter for him, and who has been funding him. We do not believe in making a balance between justice and stability in Lebanon.  We have to be convinced that this investigation is being conducted to learn the truth and to establish justice. “

His eminence added that “if Le French Figaro was right and after it the Kuwaiti Assiyasiyya and then the German Der Spiegel and now the French Le Monde, then there is no need for an investigation, because the bill of accusation is ready against Hezbollah. We refuse any accusation Hezbollah, be it the party as a whole or members of it. There is a Israeli Mossad agent who is sentenced to death who confessed of picking up Israeli handbags full of explosives and that he used to deliver them to certain locations. Were those explosives used in some attacks or not? There are threads that lead to Israel, but there is a trend to rule out Israel from the assassination of Hariri and this is an insult to the martyr.”

Addressing Kuwaitis, Sayyed Nasrallah stressed all plots to dominate this region and the Israeli project have failed and they are nearing their end. “The last draw is to incite sedition between Shiites and Sunnis. There are some Shiites and some Sunnis who are involved in this sedition plot and they know they are. This is why I call on all Muslims to realize the danger behind this project.

His eminence said that the verdicts in Egypt against the freedom fighters who were offering support to the resistance in the Gaza Strip are politicized and unfair.  He added that “when those brothers were arrested in Egypt, we stressed – and I’ve said this personally – that those are honest resistance fighters, not outlaws, criminals, and terrorists as the judge described them. They are honest people and their only crime is that they were supporting their brothers in Gaza and giving help to the legitimate Palestinian resistance which should be embraced by everybody. Those men were fulfilling their duty and everything beside this are mere fabrications to cover the measures that were taken against them.”

Sayyed Nasrallah addressed the detained resistance men and their families: “When you chose the path of backing the Palestinian people, you knew that you could be arrested or maybe killed as martyrs at any time. What you have gone through in Jail and the sentences that have been issued today is a badge of honor on your chests.”

The Hezbollah chief added: “For Arab and Muslim peoples to know that we get detained and jailed because we believe that Allah is our God and we only abide by His order to support our brothers in Palestine and Gaza is something to be very proud of. I don’t see in this any loss for any Arab depth. On the contrary, this confirms the credibility of our position and commitment to the Palestinian people. Of course, we seek more support to them, but even this much backing is costing us. Yet, this is all under Allah’s eyes and for His sake.”

He continued: “Of course the doors are not closed in Egypt, and we are surely not going to let those brothers in prison. We will follow up this case even if a sentence was issued, and we’ll seek to resolve the matter as we did in the past, through legal and judicial channels…This case is no longer a judicial matter, so perhaps the only available exits are political ones.” “We will seek, through political and diplomatic channels to resolve this issue, establish our brothers’ rights, and not letting them in prison,” he added.

At the end of the interview, Sayyed Nasrallah stressed “this current stage requires communication and dialogue between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. We should focus on common point, not on matters that leave us apart. We have so much in common and our interest is one. We are targets, particularly when we speak about plots and schemes seeking to plunder our riches and separate us.”

His eminence warned that “What is taking place in occupied Palestine is extremely dangerous and it threatens our nation,” suggesting that all Muslims gather around this common cause.

Clinton blasts Iran, Syria in appearance before Jewish group

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As the United States prepares for a visit next week by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned his regime in some of the Obama administration’s strongest language to date in a speech Thursday night.

“Iran, with its anti-Semitic president and hostile nuclear ambitions, also continues to threaten Israel, destabilize the region, and sponsor terror,” Clinton said, addressing the annual meeting of the American Jewish Committee.

“The United States is committed to pursuing [a] diplomatic path. But we will not compromise our commitment to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.”

Ahmadinejad is expected to be in New York for a United Nations conference on nuclear nonproliferation that opens Monday. The United States has said it will likely grant the Iranian leader’s request for a visa.

Clinton also took on Syria on Thursday night, speaking of “grave dangers of Syria’s transfer of weapons to [Hezbollah],” and warning that such a move by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would “have a profoundly destabilizing effect on the region” and would violate a UN Security Council resolution

U.S. officials this month accused Syria of trying to supply weapons to Hezbollah, a Lebanese political party that the United States has labeled a terrorist organization.

“We do not accept such provocative and destabilizing behavior — and nor should the international community,” Clinton said. “President Assad is making decisions that could mean war or peace for the region.”

“There should be no mistake, either in Damascus or anywhere else: The United States is not re-engaging with Syria as a reward or a concession,” Clinton said, referring to the Obama administration’s plan to appoint an ambassador to Syria.

“Engagement is a tool that can give us added leverage and insight, and a greater ability to convey strong and clear messages aimed at changing Syria’s behavior.”

More than a thousand people, including members of Congress and diplomats, were packed into a ballroom at a downtown Washington hotel for the event. Clinton received a warm reception, with her speech repeatedly interrupted by applause.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who followed Clinton at the event, remarked on recent tensions between the Obama administration and the Jewish state, which have revolved largely around President Obama’s call for the Israelis to freeze settlements in the Palestinian territories.

“I feel very strongly that these differences, these slight disputes, are behind us,” Barak said Thursday.

Barak called 2010 a year of “exceptional threats and opportunities” for Israel and spoke of “heavy clouds looming over the horizon” in reference to Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran.

He said nations opposed to Iran moving forward with the development of nuclear weapons should support sanctions against it. “For the time-being, it is time for sanctions,” Barak said. “They should be effective.”

But he said that sanctions required clear time limits.

Four Palestinians killed in border tunnel

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(CNN) — Four Palestinians were killed, and six were hurt by toxic fumes when Egyptian security forces blew up a tunnel in Rafah, Egypt, the Palestinian Interior Ministry said.

The Egyptians on Wednesday blew up a tunnel on their side of the border with Gaza, Palestinian officials said, but fumes and chemicals from the blast seeped into an adjacent tunnel where the Palestinians were working.

Hundreds of such smuggling tunnels crisscross the border between Egypt and Gaza, providing passage for everything from weapons to humanitarian aid to people. Egyptian and Israeli forces frequently target the tunnels. Egypt has recently begun construction of a steel wall along the border to block such tunnels.

HEZBOLLAH REJECTS US ALLEGATION

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Hezbollah has sharply rejected US allegations about the Lebanese movement’s missiles, vowing to continue armed resistance against Israeli aggression.

Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah in an article published on Wednesday scoffed at recent comments by US Defense Minister Robert Gates that Hezbollah’s arms exceeded those held by many states in the world, saying Hezbollah’s arms did not compare to the “armament” and “crimes” of the United States and its ally Israel.
The Lebanese official recalled “the level of armament of the United States, which it used in its crimes against peoples around the world, from Hiroshima to the more than 100,000 killed in Iraq and the tens of thousands killed in Palestine, Lebanon and Afghanistan,” the Arabic-language newspaper As-Safir quoted him on Wednesday.
“There is a difference between arms which only serve invasions, occupations and aggressions, such as those of the United States and its ally Israel … and the arms of a resistance which defends, protects, and liberates,” he said.
“Our choice was and remains to secure all the arms of resistance that we can,” he added.
In a joint news conference with Israeli Defense Minster Ehud Barak in Washington, Gates on Tuesday accused Syria and Iran of arming Hezbollah with increasingly sophisticated rockets and missiles.
Gates’ claims came amid tensions in the Middle East intensified by Israel’s earlier accusations against Syria of providing Scud ballistic missiles for Hezbollah.
Israel views Hezbollah a major enemy, especially after the summer conflict of 2006 where the resistance forces repelled a 33-day Israeli offensive on southern Lebanon.

Iran selected for women's rights body

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Iran has won a four-year term on the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, an influential body explicitly dedicated to promoting gender equality.

A press release on the filling of vacancies in subsidiary UN bodies announced on Thursday that Iran, along with representatives from 10 other nations, has been elected to the high-profile women’s rights commission.

Other countries joining Iran for the term beginning in 2011 include, Belgium, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Estonia, Georgia, Jamaica, Liberia, the Netherlands, Spain, Thailand and Zimbabwe.

The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) is devoted to ensuring the protection of women’s rights by investigating nations that violate women’s rights, monitoring their efforts in improving women’s equality and detailing their shortcomings.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast announced Monday that the country has dropped its bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council and has instead turned its sights on a position in the reputable UNCSW.

“Iran has reconsidered its application for candidacy in the Human Rights Council and will instead run for a seat in the influential and legitimate Women’s Right Commission,” Mehmanparast explained.

Iran will always stand alongside Syria: Veep

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Iran First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi said here on Friday that Syria is prepared to confront any threat and Iran will always remain alongside it.

Ahlul Bayt News Agency (ABNA.ir), In a joint press conference with Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Otri, he added that Iran will never neglect for a moment in supporting Syria against the occupiers of the Palestine land.

He described the unity between the two countries as an iron fist on the face of those who nurture bad thoughts in their heads about a Muslim country, especially Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.

Stressing the need to strengthen economic ties between the two states, he further noted that Iran will prioritize friend countries in its economic cooperation.

Referring to the Israeli threats against the Arab country, he said that such threats are worthless.

“Iran will support Syria in all fields” Rahimi concluded.

US panel names Saudi as one of 13 religious violators

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That is the goal of the congressional act that founded the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in 1998. The commission investigates conditions in what it calls “hot spots,” where religious freedom is endangered. Its job is to recommend U.S. government policies to improve conditions.

It is a “small but critically important point of intersection of foreign policy, national security and international religious freedom standards,” the report said. “Regrettably that small point seems to shrink year-after-year for the White House and he State Department.”

This year’s list of 13 “countries of particular concern” included all eight named last year – Myanmar, also known as Burma; China; Eritrea; Iran; North Korea; Saudi Arabia; Sudan; and Uzbekistan – plus Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Vietnam.

U.S. actions currently in force against the original eight include embargoes, often on top of existing sanctions, and denial of military or financial aid. Sanctions have been waived indefinitely for Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan has a waiver of 180 days which remains in force.

President Barack Obama’s administration has not officially accepted the 2009 findings or named the specified countries as violators of religious rights. Neither did the administration of President George W. Bush between November 2006 and January 2009.

In addition to the 13 designated the worst violators, the report identified 12 countries on a watch list: Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Venezuela.

Thursday’s report described violations of religious freedom in Saudi Arabia as “systematic, egregious and ongoing” despite limited reforms implemented by King Abdullah.

“In China, the government continues to engage in systematic and egregious violations of the freedom of religion or belief,” the report said. It alleged “a marked deterioration in the past year, particularly in Tibetan Buddhist and Uighur Muslim areas.”

It had similar observations for the other countries listed. In Iran, it noted “prolonged detention, torture and executions based primarily or entirely upon the religion of the accused.” It said the Tehran government’s record deteriorated after contentious elections in June.

The commission’s chairman, Leonard Leo, said in a statement that visits to the “hot spots” had found situations “where freedom of religion is obstructed and related human rights are trampled.”

He said the report offers important foreign policy solutions that should be implemented. “The report’s conclusion is clear,” Leo said: “the administration must do more.”

Iran wins seat on UN Commission on the Status of Women

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TEHRAN, May 1 (MNA) – Iran has won a four-year seat on the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, an influential body committed to promoting gender equality.
At a meeting at UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday, Iran was elected, through a vote of acclamation, as a member on the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

Iran’s election to the commission came Just days after Iran announced it withdrew from a high-profile bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council.

When its term begins in 2011, Iran will be joined by 10 other countries namely Belgium, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Estonia, Georgia, Jamaica, Liberia, the Netherlands, Spain, Thailand and Zimbabwe to help set UN policy on gender equality and advancement of women.

The CSW, a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), is tasked with setting global standards and policies to promote gender equality, monitoring the implementation of measures for advancement of women, appraising progress made at the national, sub-regional, regional and global levels, and conducting review of cases of women rights violation across the globe.

GRAND AYATULLAH SISTANI CALLS TO IMPROVE IRAQI, ARAB RELATIONS

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The Supreme Religious Authority Ayatullah Syed Ali al-Sistani called to improve the Iraqi relations with the Arab and Islamic countries, especially Egypt.

According to the Shiite News Correspondent, Ayatullah Sistani office confirmed that after the visit of the Egyptian ambassador in Iraq Mr Sharif Shahin to Ayatollah Sistani in his office in Najaf on last Friday evening, that “The religious authority emphasized the Iraqi and Islamic identity of Iraq as well as importance of improving the Iraqi relations with the Arab and Islamic countries, especially with Egypt as well as necessity to improve the relations between the religious authority in Najaf (Hauza) and its counterpart in Egypt represented by the (Azhar).”

For its part, the Egyptian ambassador Shahin conveyed “regards of the Egyptian President Husseni Mubarak to Grand Ayatullah Sistani and discussed with him issues related to sustaining Iraqi security and stability,” according to the source.

SAUDI SHIA WRITER QUESTIONED FOR CRITICIZING THE SECTARIAN GOVERNMENTAL POLICIES

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Saudi authorities subjected Ahmed Al-Rebh lengthy sessions of questioning for his political writing and frequent criticism to sectarian government policy.

According to the Shiite News, sources informed Rasid that Qatif Intelligence Administration called Mr. Al-Rebh on Sunday and Monday for questioning that was continued for long hours.

The call for Mr. Al-Rebh is on the background of his writing in which he criticized the sectarian governmental policies against Saudi Shia.

Sources also informed Rasid that the authorities have ordered Mr. Al-Rebh to stop writing.

Mr. Al-Rebh has bravely requested UN General Secretary to send an investigating group to witness and assess Saudi Shia conditions where several Shia public figures are under detention and many Shia mosques are closed.

In his last article, Mr. Al-Rebh called the Saudi Royal Family to form a parliament and Shora assembly similar to Kuwait and Bahrain.

It should be noted that many other Shia writers were called for questioning by the Saudi Intelligence Administration.

QUETTA: SHIA PROFESSOR NAZIMA TALIB KILLED IN ACT OF TARGET KILLING

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Gunmen on Tuesday shot dead a woman university professor in southwest Pakistan, where targeted killings blamed on tribal insurgents, sectarian groups and militants are increasing, police said.

According to the Shiite News, Professor Nazima Talib Mehdi, 48, had just stepped into a rickshaw at the gate of Balochistan University in Quetta city when gunmen riding a motorbike sprayed her with bullets, senior police officer Tariq Manzoor said.

“She received multiple bullet wounds and died before she could be taken to hospital,” Manzoor said. “It was a targeted killing,” he said.

Reports suggested that the assailants chased Talib from the UoB when she had hardly covered more than 1,000 yards from the university.
With the conspicuous absence of senior police and administration officials, some personnel of police, on being informed, reached the scene and started a probe into the matter. Eyewitnesses said the police reached the spot after 20 minutes of the incident. The body of the deceased was shifted to the Civil Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Assistant Professor Nazima Talib, 48, was associated with the Mass Communication department of the University of Balochistan  for over 25 years, and was a popular faculty member in the varsity.

It may be noted here that more than One dozen Shia people died in targeted killings in the province in April  but the Provincial Government was failed to arrest a single terrorists involved in sectarian target killing of Shia Muslims.

Bomber’s head found: police

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PESHAWAR: Police have found the head of a suspected suicide bomber, who blew himself up in crowded Qissa Khwani market, killing at least 23 people and injuring dozen others.

Shafqat Malik, the head of bomb disposal squad, said that the bomber, aged between 15 to 16, used 6 kg of explosives in the attack.

23 dead as bomb rips through Peshawar bazaar

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PESHAWAR: At least 23 people were killed and dozens other injured on Monday when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the crowded Qissa Khwani Bazaar in Peshawar.

Deputy Superintendent Police Gulfat Hussain and District Naib Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Dost Muhammad were also among the dead.

According to eyewitnesses, the bomber targeted a rally organized by the JI in protest against the power outages.

Edhi sources confirmed that 23 people were killed in the powerful blast.

The blast took place in front of a Sweets shop near Kabli Police Station located in Qissa Khwani bazaar of Peshawar.

The injured were shifted to Lady Redding Hospital, where emergency was declared.

Meanwhile, the police reached the scene and cordoned off the area.

It was the second blast that took place in Peshawar today. A schoolboy was killed in the first blast.

Iraqi PM al-Maliki leading in Iraqi elections, sweeps votes in Baghdad

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Partial results of Iraqi Elections, now in from all Iraqi provinces, shows Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s bloc State of Law Coalition is leading in the parliamentary elections.
According to the Shiite News Correspondent, With more than 60 percent of the votes counted from 18 provinces of Iraq, Shiite Islamic Dawa Party’s leader Maliki’s State of Law alliance is ahead in seven key provinces including Basra and Karbala. His bloc is also ahead in the capital Baghdad.

His lead is followed by the Shia parties Iraqi National Alliance and former Secular Prime Minister Ayad Allawi’s Iraqiya bloc.
Iraqiya is leading in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk and Anbar province.
No single bloc is expected to get the majority of the votes to form a government.
However, Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has swept the vote in the country’s largest province, Baghdad, early results from parliamentary elections show.
With 60 percent of ballots counted, the prime minister’s State of Law Coalition bagged 518,203 votes, with the Iraqiya bloc of secular ex-premier Iyad Allawi coming in second with 453,028, AFP reported Monday.
The Iraqi National Alliance (INA), a coalition of Shia religious groups, was in third place with around 323,975 votes, according to the report.
More than 6,200 candidates from six major coalitions and several other tribal and minority groups contested the parliamentary elections on March 7.  The leader within the State of Law’s Coalition Adnan al-Saraj said that discussions are being held now among leaders from the Iraqi National Alliance and the Kurdistani Alliance as well as the Iraqiya Slate in Kurdistan Region after announcement of the initial results of the elections.

Target Killing

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Thursday, 18th feb,2010.

D.I.Khan: Mohammad Imran s/o anwar hussain, who belonged to Mohallah Bamo Shah was murdered in his home at 7:30 PM.

Iran Vice-President: Hezbollah Capable of Confronting Israeli Aggression

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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 “

The Big Killer of Muslims in Iraq , ‘Chemical Ali’ sentenced to death

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Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as “Chemical Ali”, has been sentenced to death for ordering the gassing of Kurds in the Iraqi village of Halabja, state television has reported. Al-Majid, who was a senior aide to Saddam Hussein, the executed Iraqi leader, was sentenced to be hanged for the 1988 attack, in which 5,000 Kurds are thought to have died.

It may be noted here that earlier Iraqi court has given the sentenced to death for Saddam cousin “Chemical Ali” over his involvement in the killing of thousands of innocent Shia Muslims of Iraq.

Families of some victims cheered in court when the guilty verdict was handed down on Sunday. The Iraqi High Tribunal also sentenced three other Saddam aides, including the former defence minister, to 10 to 15 years in prison for the Halabja attack.

In March 1988, Iraqi jets swooped over the village and sprayed it with a deadly mix of mustard gas and the nerve agents Tabun, Sarin and VX. Three-quarters of the victims in the five-hour assault were women and children. It is thought to have been the deadliest gas attack ever carried out against civilians.

Operation Anfal

Al-Majid, a cousin of Saddam, was nicknamed “Chemical Ali” for overseeing the gassing of Iraqi Kurds during the so-called Operation Anfal campaign, which culminated in 1988. About 182,000 Kurds were estimated to have been killed in gas and bomb attacks during the Anfal operation, while 4,000 villages were destroyed.

The latest sentence comes 10 months after the same court handed down a death sentence to al-Majid for his involvement in the killing and displacement of Shia Muslims in 1999. His execution has been delayed by legal disputes over his conviction.

Al-Majid was captured in August 2003, five months after US-led forces invaded Iraq and ousted Saddam.

Israeli Terrorism Should Not Be Ignored Any Longer: Indian Scholar

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It is unfortunate that the international community is keeping mum even as Israel is continuously violating the human rights by killing the innocent people of Palestine, said an Indian religious Shia leader Maulana Syed Kalbe Jawwad on Monday.

 

On the first anniversary of Israeli attacks on the Gaza strip, Maulana Jawwad, a renowned Shia scholar said that all the peace loving people and countries should take stern action against the Israeli aggression.

Expressing his dismay over the criminal silence of the international community specially the United Nations, Maulana Jawwad said that the Israeli terrorism should not be ignored any longer.

Condemning the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians especially in the Gaza, he said that the aggressors have used and still using all kinds of forces against the innocent people.

He also condemned the United States for its blind support for Israel and its crime against humanity.

Maulana Jawwad, the Friday Prayer Leader at Historical Asafi Mosque of Lucknow, also urged the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Arab League as well as the Indian government to take immediate diplomatic steps to save Palestinian from the on going genocide in Gaza and help restore peace in the region.

He demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian territories.

“Since 1948, tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians including women and children have been massacred by Israel and this cruelty is being perpetrated in the name of fighting Palestinian terrorism”, he said, adding that the root cause of the conflict in West Asia continues to remain the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

The Israeli attack on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip last year claimed lives of more than 1,000 innocent Palestinians, including 322 children and 76 women.

More than 4,560 Palestinians including 1,600 children and 678 women have reportedly been wounded in those inhuman attacks.