Anger over Pakistani support-English
Pakistan has agreed to support the king against the protestors
ONE Middle Eastern intervention makes the headlines every day. The other barely rates a mention. The first is ostensibly aimed at...
Pakistan has agreed to support the king against the protestors
ONE Middle Eastern intervention makes the headlines every day. The other barely rates a mention. The first is ostensibly aimed at protecting civilians and at facilitating change, the second at safeguarding the status quo.
Libya’s Muammar Qadhafi has been told he must go. Bahrain’s ruling Al Khalifa family, on the other hand, must stay. Some Arabs, one could be forgiven for assuming, are worthier of democracy and civil rights than others.
Yet the degree of hypocrisy may not be as great as it seems. After all, while the future of Tunisia and Egypt remains unwritten, there can be little reason to doubt that the US and its allies would prefer to preserve the basic structures of the Ben Ali and Mubarak regimes, albeit with new figureheads and, if possible, less visible signs of oppression and the odd concession to pluralism.
From their point of view, the ideal outcome in Bahrain would be similar: a few nods in the direction of cosmetic reform to placate the restive segments of society, but not much more than that — and certainly nothing that could jeopardise Bahrain’s crucial strategic relationship with the US, especially its status as a home for the Fifth Fleet. The trouble, of course, is the impossibility of rearrangements that could be passed off as regime change.
At best the prime minister, in situ for four decades, could be replaced. But he is the king’s uncle, and even if he could be persuaded, without occasioning a family split, to step aside, his successor would inevitably be another Al Khalifa.
That US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton felt obliged earlier this month to mildly berate the regime in Manama for its transgressions against mostly peaceful protesters was obviously in large part a consequence of not wishing the contrast with western actions in Libya to seem too stark. It is highly unlikely that the decision by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to send in troops was taken without Washington’s imprimatur, given that both are effectively American satrapies in geo-strategic terms.
The foreign troops, which are officially supposed to guard strategic installations, rather than assist in ‘crowd control’, were evidently despatched under a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) agreement dating back to Saddam Hussein’s neighbour-threatening rhetoric in 1990, which preceded the invasion of Kuwait. (His stance was thoroughly embarrassing at the time for oil-rich states that had during the previous decade supported Iraq in its war against Iran.)
That was, however, a joint defence pact among the Gulf potentates, to the effect that the violation of any GCC state’s sovereignty would be construed as aggression against all. Internal unrest did not figure in their calculations. Bahrain does not face any external threat, although there can be little doubt its emissaries have, in private discussions, conjured up the bogey of a threat from Iran.
Tehran’s domestic and foreign policies are often indefensible, but cables from Bahrain-based US diplomats over recent years, released by WikiLeaks, suggest it hasn’t lately been going out of its way to interfere in Bahrain. The Gulf state’s majority Shia population resents the almost exclusively Sunni regime because of irrefutable instances of discrimination rather than because of imprecations from Iran.
Given that at least 70 per cent of Bahrainis are Shias, it is hardly surprising that the majority of those who are economically disadvantaged fall in the same category. But their exclusion from privilege is not just a matter of demographics.
For instance, in order to keep out Bahraini Shias from the security forces, the government regularly recruits troops from abroad — notably from Yemen and Pakistan. And whereas the value of public representation can be judged by the fact that a royally nominated senate can overrule the elected lower house, even so the constitutional arrangements sanctioning the latter preclude the possibility of a Shia majority.
It inevitably follows that the monarchy’s supporters are mostly Sunni and its opponents mostly Shia, and even though the protests launched last month weren’t, on the face of it, sectarian in nature, casting them in that light tends to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Bahrain does not differ from its Gulf neighbours only in a demographic sense: it’s also relatively less well endowed with natural resources, and therefore poorer in per capita terms. And it has been rocked by popular unrest more frequently.
Referring to an uprising in the mid-1950s, Prof Fred Halliday noted in Arabia Without Sultans: “The British realised that Bahrain had a more advanced and therefore dangerous political character than any other Gulf country. Because the oil revenue and level of production was so much lower than in Kuwait, they had been unable to turn the indigenous population into a parasitic class with an enslaved migrant proletariat underneath. Their response was intensified repression, and a tightening of control by the Al Khalifa family.”
Notwithstanding the differences, however, Bahrain’s neighbours realise that if the Al Khalifas are toppled the Al Sauds, Al Nahyans and Al Jabers could follow. The marriage of tribal feudalism and modern capitalism cannot forever endure, but efforts will no doubt be made to preserve it for as long as petroleum remains crucial to meeting western energy needs.
In terms of totalitarian tactics, the Al Sauds in particular are more than a match for Qadhafi and his sons. But don’t expect any push for democracy in Saudi Arabia. Pressure for often intangible and invariably more or less meaningless reforms is at far as it will go.
Bahrain falls in the same basket, essentially. Were the situation to become too fraught, the US would probably begin disentangling itself from its intricate defence links with the troubled kingdom. In the interests of advancing potentially democratic interests, it would make much more sense to do so right away. But don’t hold your breath.
The Yemeni regime, meanwhile, will also continue, for as long as it is feasible, to enjoy the benefit of the doubt. Syria, on the other hand, is a much more likely candidate for the Libyan treatment.
More...
Description:
Pakistan has agreed to support the king against the protestors
ONE Middle Eastern intervention makes the headlines every day. The other barely rates a mention. The first is ostensibly aimed at protecting civilians and at facilitating change, the second at safeguarding the status quo.
Libya’s Muammar Qadhafi has been told he must go. Bahrain’s ruling Al Khalifa family, on the other hand, must stay. Some Arabs, one could be forgiven for assuming, are worthier of democracy and civil rights than others.
Yet the degree of hypocrisy may not be as great as it seems. After all, while the future of Tunisia and Egypt remains unwritten, there can be little reason to doubt that the US and its allies would prefer to preserve the basic structures of the Ben Ali and Mubarak regimes, albeit with new figureheads and, if possible, less visible signs of oppression and the odd concession to pluralism.
From their point of view, the ideal outcome in Bahrain would be similar: a few nods in the direction of cosmetic reform to placate the restive segments of society, but not much more than that — and certainly nothing that could jeopardise Bahrain’s crucial strategic relationship with the US, especially its status as a home for the Fifth Fleet. The trouble, of course, is the impossibility of rearrangements that could be passed off as regime change.
At best the prime minister, in situ for four decades, could be replaced. But he is the king’s uncle, and even if he could be persuaded, without occasioning a family split, to step aside, his successor would inevitably be another Al Khalifa.
That US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton felt obliged earlier this month to mildly berate the regime in Manama for its transgressions against mostly peaceful protesters was obviously in large part a consequence of not wishing the contrast with western actions in Libya to seem too stark. It is highly unlikely that the decision by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to send in troops was taken without Washington’s imprimatur, given that both are effectively American satrapies in geo-strategic terms.
The foreign troops, which are officially supposed to guard strategic installations, rather than assist in ‘crowd control’, were evidently despatched under a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) agreement dating back to Saddam Hussein’s neighbour-threatening rhetoric in 1990, which preceded the invasion of Kuwait. (His stance was thoroughly embarrassing at the time for oil-rich states that had during the previous decade supported Iraq in its war against Iran.)
That was, however, a joint defence pact among the Gulf potentates, to the effect that the violation of any GCC state’s sovereignty would be construed as aggression against all. Internal unrest did not figure in their calculations. Bahrain does not face any external threat, although there can be little doubt its emissaries have, in private discussions, conjured up the bogey of a threat from Iran.
Tehran’s domestic and foreign policies are often indefensible, but cables from Bahrain-based US diplomats over recent years, released by WikiLeaks, suggest it hasn’t lately been going out of its way to interfere in Bahrain. The Gulf state’s majority Shia population resents the almost exclusively Sunni regime because of irrefutable instances of discrimination rather than because of imprecations from Iran.
Given that at least 70 per cent of Bahrainis are Shias, it is hardly surprising that the majority of those who are economically disadvantaged fall in the same category. But their exclusion from privilege is not just a matter of demographics.
For instance, in order to keep out Bahraini Shias from the security forces, the government regularly recruits troops from abroad — notably from Yemen and Pakistan. And whereas the value of public representation can be judged by the fact that a royally nominated senate can overrule the elected lower house, even so the constitutional arrangements sanctioning the latter preclude the possibility of a Shia majority.
It inevitably follows that the monarchy’s supporters are mostly Sunni and its opponents mostly Shia, and even though the protests launched last month weren’t, on the face of it, sectarian in nature, casting them in that light tends to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Bahrain does not differ from its Gulf neighbours only in a demographic sense: it’s also relatively less well endowed with natural resources, and therefore poorer in per capita terms. And it has been rocked by popular unrest more frequently.
Referring to an uprising in the mid-1950s, Prof Fred Halliday noted in Arabia Without Sultans: “The British realised that Bahrain had a more advanced and therefore dangerous political character than any other Gulf country. Because the oil revenue and level of production was so much lower than in Kuwait, they had been unable to turn the indigenous population into a parasitic class with an enslaved migrant proletariat underneath. Their response was intensified repression, and a tightening of control by the Al Khalifa family.”
Notwithstanding the differences, however, Bahrain’s neighbours realise that if the Al Khalifas are toppled the Al Sauds, Al Nahyans and Al Jabers could follow. The marriage of tribal feudalism and modern capitalism cannot forever endure, but efforts will no doubt be made to preserve it for as long as petroleum remains crucial to meeting western energy needs.
In terms of totalitarian tactics, the Al Sauds in particular are more than a match for Qadhafi and his sons. But don’t expect any push for democracy in Saudi Arabia. Pressure for often intangible and invariably more or less meaningless reforms is at far as it will go.
Bahrain falls in the same basket, essentially. Were the situation to become too fraught, the US would probably begin disentangling itself from its intricate defence links with the troubled kingdom. In the interests of advancing potentially democratic interests, it would make much more sense to do so right away. But don’t hold your breath.
The Yemeni regime, meanwhile, will also continue, for as long as it is feasible, to enjoy the benefit of the doubt. Syria, on the other hand, is a much more likely candidate for the Libyan treatment.
28:30
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Effects Of Darwinism On Society-English
Charles Darwin, the father of modern evolution still casts his shadow of ideas over the entire world. Was he a biased manipulator of the real facts of biology? His ideas influence the opinions of...
Charles Darwin, the father of modern evolution still casts his shadow of ideas over the entire world. Was he a biased manipulator of the real facts of biology? His ideas influence the opinions of billions of people! Today?s media, education, pop culture,
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Description:
Charles Darwin, the father of modern evolution still casts his shadow of ideas over the entire world. Was he a biased manipulator of the real facts of biology? His ideas influence the opinions of billions of people! Today?s media, education, pop culture,
New Energies in Iran - March 13 2011 - English
The issue of energy resources has always been a critical and controversial topic.
The high cost of producing electricity at one hand and the pollution causing by fossil fuels on the other, are...
The issue of energy resources has always been a critical and controversial topic.
The high cost of producing electricity at one hand and the pollution causing by fossil fuels on the other, are some of the reasons among others why countries are always searching for cost effective ways to use renewable sources of energy.
In this edition of Iran program, Arash Khalatbari presents us with the new energy sources in Iran.
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Description:
The issue of energy resources has always been a critical and controversial topic.
The high cost of producing electricity at one hand and the pollution causing by fossil fuels on the other, are some of the reasons among others why countries are always searching for cost effective ways to use renewable sources of energy.
In this edition of Iran program, Arash Khalatbari presents us with the new energy sources in Iran.
92:10
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How Big Pharma takes your money and makes you sick Mike Adams - English
How Big Pharma takes your money and makes you sick Mike Adams interviewed by G. Edward Griffin Mike Adams, known as the Health Ranger to his fans, is the author of numerous books on natural health...
How Big Pharma takes your money and makes you sick Mike Adams interviewed by G. Edward Griffin Mike Adams, known as the Health Ranger to his fans, is the author of numerous books on natural health and editor of the popular internet site called News Target. Although self-taught, his knowledge of natural medicine is nothing short of phenomenal, as you will see from this interview. Be prepared for an enlightenment that could change your life. DVD, 107 minutes. TOPICS * How Mike cured himself when doctors failed. * Aspartame: The sweetest poison money can buy. * How Big Pharma controls the FDA. * Inventing mental disease to sell pharmaceuticals. * Modern medicine is riddled with junk science. * The cancer industry: A medical con game. * The best medicine contains freedom of choice. * The criminalization of vitamins by the United Nations. * The health crisis that looms ahead. * What you can do on your own to help. * Sidestep restrictions by growing your own medicine. * The importance of pH balance to optimum health. * The importance of sunlight to optimum health
More...
Description:
How Big Pharma takes your money and makes you sick Mike Adams interviewed by G. Edward Griffin Mike Adams, known as the Health Ranger to his fans, is the author of numerous books on natural health and editor of the popular internet site called News Target. Although self-taught, his knowledge of natural medicine is nothing short of phenomenal, as you will see from this interview. Be prepared for an enlightenment that could change your life. DVD, 107 minutes. TOPICS * How Mike cured himself when doctors failed. * Aspartame: The sweetest poison money can buy. * How Big Pharma controls the FDA. * Inventing mental disease to sell pharmaceuticals. * Modern medicine is riddled with junk science. * The cancer industry: A medical con game. * The best medicine contains freedom of choice. * The criminalization of vitamins by the United Nations. * The health crisis that looms ahead. * What you can do on your own to help. * Sidestep restrictions by growing your own medicine. * The importance of pH balance to optimum health. * The importance of sunlight to optimum health
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Palestine-Israel conflict with Noam Chomsky at UCLA - English
Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA is proud to present world renowned linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky to speak on current developments, options and prospects within the...
Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA is proud to present world renowned linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky to speak on current developments, options and prospects within the Palestine-Israel conflict. From the current situation to the options ahead, come out for Professor Chomsky's insightful analysis on one of the most polarizing issues in modern times.
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Description:
Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA is proud to present world renowned linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky to speak on current developments, options and prospects within the Palestine-Israel conflict. From the current situation to the options ahead, come out for Professor Chomsky's insightful analysis on one of the most polarizing issues in modern times.
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How to Render Transparent Web Site Elements CSS Opacity Tutorial - English
If you do not want your text or images to fade inside, click here for that method:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nWK6Y8RZsc
Learn how to make your web page elements expose your cool backgrounds...
If you do not want your text or images to fade inside, click here for that method:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nWK6Y8RZsc
Learn how to make your web page elements expose your cool backgrounds and add a general modern feel to the look of your page. Not many webmasters apply it so it may help your designs stand apart a little bit more when cool background images are involved on the page. Brought to you by http://www.developphp.com
More...
Description:
If you do not want your text or images to fade inside, click here for that method:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nWK6Y8RZsc
Learn how to make your web page elements expose your cool backgrounds and add a general modern feel to the look of your page. Not many webmasters apply it so it may help your designs stand apart a little bit more when cool background images are involved on the page. Brought to you by http://www.developphp.com
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13 Rajab - Iran puts second satellite into orbit - All Languages
The Islamic Republic of Iran successfully launches its second satellite christened Rassad (Observation) into the earth's orbit.
The satellite, which is the country's first such...
The Islamic Republic of Iran successfully launches its second satellite christened Rassad (Observation) into the earth's orbit.
The satellite, which is the country's first such imaging device, was launched by the Safir-e-Rassad satellite carrier on Wednesday thanks to Iranian aerospace scientists and experts' endeavor, IRNA reported.
Despite its 15.3-kilogram weight, which puts it under the category of the micro-satellites, Rassad has all features of a big satellite.
It has undergone all the stages required for its designing, manufacturing, assembly, test and preparation for launch inside the country.
It will orbit the earth at an altitude of 260 kilometers 15 times every 24 hours.
Its mission is to take images of the earth's surface and relay them to the earth-based stations together with telemetric information.
The satellite is equipped with solar panels and uses solar energy to work.
Iran launched its first domestically-produced satellite Omid (Hope) in 2009, which made it the ninth country to develop satellite launch capability.
Tehran also plans to launch the country's first manned mission to space by 2019.
More...
Description:
The Islamic Republic of Iran successfully launches its second satellite christened Rassad (Observation) into the earth's orbit.
The satellite, which is the country's first such imaging device, was launched by the Safir-e-Rassad satellite carrier on Wednesday thanks to Iranian aerospace scientists and experts' endeavor, IRNA reported.
Despite its 15.3-kilogram weight, which puts it under the category of the micro-satellites, Rassad has all features of a big satellite.
It has undergone all the stages required for its designing, manufacturing, assembly, test and preparation for launch inside the country.
It will orbit the earth at an altitude of 260 kilometers 15 times every 24 hours.
Its mission is to take images of the earth's surface and relay them to the earth-based stations together with telemetric information.
The satellite is equipped with solar panels and uses solar energy to work.
Iran launched its first domestically-produced satellite Omid (Hope) in 2009, which made it the ninth country to develop satellite launch capability.
Tehran also plans to launch the country's first manned mission to space by 2019.
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Iran successfully launches second satellite " RASAD" into orbit - Jun 15 2011 - English
Amir Mehdi Kazemi, Press TV,Tehran
Another achievement for Iran's aerospace industry; a new satellite project aimed at bringing Iranian scientists a step closer to a more advanced space...
Amir Mehdi Kazemi, Press TV,Tehran
Another achievement for Iran's aerospace industry; a new satellite project aimed at bringing Iranian scientists a step closer to a more advanced space technology.
According to Iran's space organization the Safir-e- Rasad Iran's second satellite carrier is responsible for placing the 15.3 kilogram Rasad satellite into orbit. Just minutes after the launch signals were sent down to earth via space cameras, indicating that the satellite had been placed successfully into its circuit on a two month mission.
The project has been the result of cooperations between the aerospace organization and Malek Ashtar University both affiliated to Iran's ministry of defense and Iran's space organization.
The Rasad is the country's first imaging satellite. Despite its small dimensions which puts it under the category of micro-satellites the device has all the features of big satellite.
It will orbit the earth at an altitude of 260 kilometers 15 times every 24 hours.
The satellite is equipped with solar panels and uses solar energy to work.
Iran launched its first home made satellite Omid in 2009. The telecommunication satellite put Iran's name in the list as the ninth country to develop satellite launch capability.
With Iran's space projects speeding up the sky no longer seems to be the limit for scientists in Iran. Tehran says that it plans to launch the country's first manned mission to space by 2019.
More...
Description:
Amir Mehdi Kazemi, Press TV,Tehran
Another achievement for Iran's aerospace industry; a new satellite project aimed at bringing Iranian scientists a step closer to a more advanced space technology.
According to Iran's space organization the Safir-e- Rasad Iran's second satellite carrier is responsible for placing the 15.3 kilogram Rasad satellite into orbit. Just minutes after the launch signals were sent down to earth via space cameras, indicating that the satellite had been placed successfully into its circuit on a two month mission.
The project has been the result of cooperations between the aerospace organization and Malek Ashtar University both affiliated to Iran's ministry of defense and Iran's space organization.
The Rasad is the country's first imaging satellite. Despite its small dimensions which puts it under the category of micro-satellites the device has all the features of big satellite.
It will orbit the earth at an altitude of 260 kilometers 15 times every 24 hours.
The satellite is equipped with solar panels and uses solar energy to work.
Iran launched its first home made satellite Omid in 2009. The telecommunication satellite put Iran's name in the list as the ninth country to develop satellite launch capability.
With Iran's space projects speeding up the sky no longer seems to be the limit for scientists in Iran. Tehran says that it plans to launch the country's first manned mission to space by 2019.
War Drills: Iran shows underground silos, test-fires missiles - 28Jun2011 - English
Iran has tested medium and long-range missiles as part of ten-day drills. It says the missiles are intended to protect the country from possible threats from Israel and U.S. forces in the Gulf. On...
Iran has tested medium and long-range missiles as part of ten-day drills. It says the missiles are intended to protect the country from possible threats from Israel and U.S. forces in the Gulf. On Monday, Iran released footage of its underground launch pads which can't be detected by satellites. Tehran is facing international pressure over its nuclear programme, which the west claims is intended to build nuclear weapons.
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Description:
Iran has tested medium and long-range missiles as part of ten-day drills. It says the missiles are intended to protect the country from possible threats from Israel and U.S. forces in the Gulf. On Monday, Iran released footage of its underground launch pads which can't be detected by satellites. Tehran is facing international pressure over its nuclear programme, which the west claims is intended to build nuclear weapons.
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Race for space - 30Jun2011 - English
Amir Mehdi Kazemi, Press TV's correspondent reports from central Iran on the Iranian space technology and the launch of the country's 2nd satellite, "Rasad", into space
Amir Mehdi Kazemi, Press TV's correspondent reports from central Iran on the Iranian space technology and the launch of the country's 2nd satellite, "Rasad", into space
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IRAN Test-Fires Surface-to-Sea Missiles CCTV News - July 7, 2011 - English
Iranian state television has aired footage that showed surface-to-sea missiles being tested. Al-Alam TV reported that three missiles were launched at dummy targets in Iranian territorial waters in...
Iranian state television has aired footage that showed surface-to-sea missiles being tested. Al-Alam TV reported that three missiles were launched at dummy targets in Iranian territorial waters in the Oman Sea, as well as in international waters.
The launches were part of 10-day military exercises, which end on Thursday, dubbed "Great Prophet 6". Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said the missile maneuver conducted by the IRGC in the past 10 days was successful and achieved its objectives. A military spokesman said that all the missiles used in the war-game were optimized by the Iranian experts and are ready to be used for defensive purposes.
Information provided by cctv.com Thank you http://www.cctv.com
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Description:
Iranian state television has aired footage that showed surface-to-sea missiles being tested. Al-Alam TV reported that three missiles were launched at dummy targets in Iranian territorial waters in the Oman Sea, as well as in international waters.
The launches were part of 10-day military exercises, which end on Thursday, dubbed "Great Prophet 6". Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said the missile maneuver conducted by the IRGC in the past 10 days was successful and achieved its objectives. A military spokesman said that all the missiles used in the war-game were optimized by the Iranian experts and are ready to be used for defensive purposes.
Information provided by cctv.com Thank you http://www.cctv.com
24:57
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[Iran Today] Iranian Technological advancement, Missile capabilities - 08Jul2011 - English
On June 27th 2011, Iran's revolutionary guard launched a ten day military maneuver.
Various missiles were tested. Among them were Shahab 3A and 3B, Iran's first medium-range ballistic missiles....
On June 27th 2011, Iran's revolutionary guard launched a ten day military maneuver.
Various missiles were tested. Among them were Shahab 3A and 3B, Iran's first medium-range ballistic missiles. Nine Zelzal solid propellant missiles and the Fateh 110, which is a single stage solid- propellant, surface to surface missile with very high accuracy.
And another major part of the maneuver was the unveiling of one of Iran's secret underground silos, from which
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Description:
On June 27th 2011, Iran's revolutionary guard launched a ten day military maneuver.
Various missiles were tested. Among them were Shahab 3A and 3B, Iran's first medium-range ballistic missiles. Nine Zelzal solid propellant missiles and the Fateh 110, which is a single stage solid- propellant, surface to surface missile with very high accuracy.
And another major part of the maneuver was the unveiling of one of Iran's secret underground silos, from which
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The Life of Prophet Muhammad PBUH - Episode 1 - BBC Two By Rage - English
In a first for British television, from the director/producer of the acclaimed Seven Wonders Of The Muslim World, Faris Kermani (Crescent Films), The Life Of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)...
In a first for British television, from the director/producer of the acclaimed Seven Wonders Of The Muslim World, Faris Kermani (Crescent Films), The Life Of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) charts the extraordinary story of a man who, in little more than 20 years, changed the world forever.
In a journey that is both literal and historical, Rageh Omaar travels to the place of Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH)birth to re-trace the actual footsteps of the Prophet; from humble beginnings in Mecca, to his struggles with accepting his Prophetic role, his flight to Medina, to the founding of the first Islamic constitution, and his subsequent military and political successes and failures -- through to his death and his legacy.
Filmed on location in Saudi Arabia, Jerusalem, Turkey, Syria, the USA, the UK and Jordan the series also draws on the expertise and comment from some of the world's leading academics and commentators on Islam, including, amongst others: Tariq Ramadan (academic and fellow of St Anthony's College, Oxford), Ziauddin Sardar (writer and broadcaster), Tom Holland (historian and author), HRH Princess Badiya El Hassan of the Jordanian Royal Family, Amira K Bennison (Senior Lecturer in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Cambridge University), Sajjad Rizvi (Associate Professor of Islamic Intellectual History, Exeter University), Bishop Nazir-Ali (Author of Islam: A Christian Perspective) and John L Esposito (Professor of Religion and International Affairs and Islamic Studies, Georgetown University).
Raising questions about Islam's role in the world today and exploring where Islam's attitudes towards money, charity, women, social equality, religious tolerance, war and conflict originate, the series offers a fascinating, timely and truly unique insight into the Islamic faith.
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Description:
In a first for British television, from the director/producer of the acclaimed Seven Wonders Of The Muslim World, Faris Kermani (Crescent Films), The Life Of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) charts the extraordinary story of a man who, in little more than 20 years, changed the world forever.
In a journey that is both literal and historical, Rageh Omaar travels to the place of Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH)birth to re-trace the actual footsteps of the Prophet; from humble beginnings in Mecca, to his struggles with accepting his Prophetic role, his flight to Medina, to the founding of the first Islamic constitution, and his subsequent military and political successes and failures -- through to his death and his legacy.
Filmed on location in Saudi Arabia, Jerusalem, Turkey, Syria, the USA, the UK and Jordan the series also draws on the expertise and comment from some of the world's leading academics and commentators on Islam, including, amongst others: Tariq Ramadan (academic and fellow of St Anthony's College, Oxford), Ziauddin Sardar (writer and broadcaster), Tom Holland (historian and author), HRH Princess Badiya El Hassan of the Jordanian Royal Family, Amira K Bennison (Senior Lecturer in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Cambridge University), Sajjad Rizvi (Associate Professor of Islamic Intellectual History, Exeter University), Bishop Nazir-Ali (Author of Islam: A Christian Perspective) and John L Esposito (Professor of Religion and International Affairs and Islamic Studies, Georgetown University).
Raising questions about Islam's role in the world today and exploring where Islam's attitudes towards money, charity, women, social equality, religious tolerance, war and conflict originate, the series offers a fascinating, timely and truly unique insight into the Islamic faith.
3:09
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Iran atop Muslim countries in nanotechnology - July 18, 2011 - English
Ghanbar Naderi, Press TV, Tehran
Iran began its nanotechnology program back in 2001 and quickly became first in the production of nanotechnology and nano-science in the region and the Muslim...
Ghanbar Naderi, Press TV, Tehran
Iran began its nanotechnology program back in 2001 and quickly became first in the production of nanotechnology and nano-science in the region and the Muslim world. It is now among the world's top 15, that according to the officials at the Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council.
The INIC official told Press TV that Iran is also among few countries that have compiled a National Nanotechnology Plan. Being the 15th in nanotechnology, he says, is also a major progress because Iran was 59 back in 2000.
Under Iran's Ten-Year Nanotechnology Plan, the priorities in nanotechnology development are energy, health, environment, water, materials and construction.
Sarkar predicted that nanotechnology would be a multi-billion-dollar market and that under the right circumstances Iran should enjoy a 2% share of this lucrative business in the coming years.
Asadifard said, however, that the ultimate goal is to create new job opportunities and generate wealth nationwide through the development of nanotechnology.
Iran has been chosen to host the next Asia Nano Forum. The regional gathering will be held on the sidelines of the 4th International Nanotechnology Festival and the Grand Industries Exhibition.
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Description:
Ghanbar Naderi, Press TV, Tehran
Iran began its nanotechnology program back in 2001 and quickly became first in the production of nanotechnology and nano-science in the region and the Muslim world. It is now among the world's top 15, that according to the officials at the Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council.
The INIC official told Press TV that Iran is also among few countries that have compiled a National Nanotechnology Plan. Being the 15th in nanotechnology, he says, is also a major progress because Iran was 59 back in 2000.
Under Iran's Ten-Year Nanotechnology Plan, the priorities in nanotechnology development are energy, health, environment, water, materials and construction.
Sarkar predicted that nanotechnology would be a multi-billion-dollar market and that under the right circumstances Iran should enjoy a 2% share of this lucrative business in the coming years.
Asadifard said, however, that the ultimate goal is to create new job opportunities and generate wealth nationwide through the development of nanotechnology.
Iran has been chosen to host the next Asia Nano Forum. The regional gathering will be held on the sidelines of the 4th International Nanotechnology Festival and the Grand Industries Exhibition.
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[Iran Today] Nanotechnology in Iran - 22 Jul 2011 - English
After a decade of dedication Iran has made leaps and bounds in a relatively new but undoubtedly revolutionary science, nanotechnology.
After a decade of dedication Iran has made leaps and bounds in a relatively new but undoubtedly revolutionary science, nanotechnology.
[Audio] A Brief Account of the Life of Martyr Allameh Motahhari - English
Martyred professor, Allameh Morteza Motahhari, was born on February 2, 1919 in the town of Fariman, 75 kilometers from the holy city of Mashhad. At the age of twelve, he set off for Mashhad...
Martyred professor, Allameh Morteza Motahhari, was born on February 2, 1919 in the town of Fariman, 75 kilometers from the holy city of Mashhad. At the age of twelve, he set off for Mashhad seminary to embark on learning the basics of Islamic sciences. In 1937, despite Reza Khan’s intense confrontation with clergymen and also opposition by some of his friends and relatives, he left for Qom seminary to complete his studies.
During 15 years of his stay in Qom, he benefited from the presence of Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi (in jurisprudence and the principles of jurisprudence), Imam Khomeini (12 years in the philosophy of Molla Sadra, gnosis, ethics and principles of jurisprudence) and Allameh Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Tabatabaiee (in philosophy). He had also benefited from the presence of the late Ayatollah Haj Mirza Ali Aqa Shirazi in ethics and gnosis. Among other teachers of professor Motahhari mention can be made of the late Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Hojjat (in principles of jurisprudence) and the late Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Mohaqqeqdamad (in jurisprudence). While he was in Qom, in addition to education, he participated in socio-political affairs as well and he was in contact with Fadaiyan-e-Eslam group.
In 1952, he migrated to Tehran though he was one of the renowned teachers and among the future hopes of the seminary. In Tehran, he taught at Marvi School and delivered well-researched speeches. In 1955, the first session of the exegesis of the holy Qur’an in the Students\\\' Islamic Association was held by professor Motahhari. In the same year, he began teaching at the faculty of divinity and Islamic teachings of Tehran University. In 1958-59 concurrent with the establishment of the Physicians\\\' Islamic Association, professor Motahhari was one of the main speakers of the Association and during 1961-1971 he was the only speaker of the Association leaving behind a number of important deliberations.
In 1962, with the start of Imam Khomeini’s uprising, professor Motahhari accompanied him to the extent that one can consider the organizing of the June 5th uprising in Tehran and its coordination with Imam Khomeini’s leadership as being indebted to him and his companions. Having given an enlightening speech against the Shah on Wednesday, 5th of June 1963, Ayatollah Motahhari was detained by the police at 1 a.m. and sent to the interim police headquarters and was imprisoned with a number of Tehrani clergymen. 43 days later, following the migration of Ulema from other provinces to Tehran and public pressure, he was freed together with other clergymen.
After the formation of groups called “Mo’talefe Eslami”, which was among the combatant groups of the time, Imam Khomeini called on martyr Motahhari to lead these groups along with a number of clergymen.
Following Imam Khomeini\\\'s exile, professor Motahhari and his companions shouldered a heavier responsibility. At that time, he wrote books covering social requirements and delivering speeches at universities, the Physicians\\\' Islamic Association and mosques. Professor Motahhari made a lot of ideological efforts to Islamicize the content of the movement and strongly fought against diversions and falsehoods. In 1967, he established Hosseinieh Ershad with the help of some friends.
In 1969, after releasing an announcement signed by him, Allameh Tabatabai and Ayatollah Haj Seyyed Abolfazl Mojtahed Zanjani calling for collection of aid for the displaced Palestinians and because of publicizing it during a speech in Hosseinieh Ershad, he was detained and held in solitary confinement for a short while. From 1970-72 he supervised publicity works by Al-jawad mosque where he was the main speaker until the mosque and the Hosseinieh were closed and professor Motahhari was detained for a while. Later, Ayatollah Motahhari gave speeches at Javid, Ark and a number of other mosques. After a while Javid mosque was also closed. Around the year 1974 he was forbidden to speak which lasted till the triumph of the Islamic revolution.
Presenting genuine Islamic ideology through teaching, speech and writing books were among the valuable activities of professor Motahhari reaching its climax particularly during the years 1972-78; since in those years the leftists had increased their propaganda and groups of leftist Muslims and also those with a hotchpotch of ideas had emerged. After Imam Khomeini, professor Motahhari was the first figure who found out the ideological deviation of the heads of the so-called “Mojahedin-e-Khalq” organization and prevented others from cooperating with them and even foresaw their change of ideology. In those years, upon Imam Khomeini’s recommendation, professor Motahhari traveled to Qom twice a week to teach at its seminary where he taught important courses and at the same time he taught some courses at home in Tehran. In 1976, following an ideological dispute with a communist teacher of the faculty of divinity, he became retired prematurely. Furthermore; in those years Ayatollah Motahhari, in collaboration with some clergymen, established “Jameye Rohaniat-e-Mobarez” of Tehran hoping that such an institution would be gradually established in other cities as well.
Although professor Motahhari’s contact with Imam Khomeini continued after the Imam’s exile in France via letters and other means, in the year 1976 he managed to travel to the holy city of Najaf and consulted with Imam Khomeini on the important issues of the revolution and also seminaries. After the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini and the start of the new phase of the Islamic revolution, professor Motahhari fully devoted himself to the revolution and hence played a fundamental role in all of its phases.
At the time of Imam Khomeini’s stay in Paris, Ayatollah Motahhari traveled to France where he spoke with the Imam on the important issues of the revolution and it was then that Imam Khomeini urged him to shape the Islamic Revolution Council. Upon Imam Khomeini’s return to Iran, he personally took the responsibility of the welcoming committee and till the victory of the revolution and after that he always acted as a supporter of the leader of the Islamic revolution and served as a kind and trusted advisor for him. But at 22:20 p.m. of Tuesday, 1st of May 1979 he was martyred by a grouplet called “Forqan” after leaving an ideological and political gathering. This caused profound sorrow and grief for Imam Khomeini and the Islamic Ummah who had a lot of hopes for this great man’s future.
There remain tens of works by Ayatollah Motahhari. These works deal with a variety of religious issues and offer responses to many of the important questions of religious society so much so that we can name his works as a reliable source concerning the Islamic ideology system.
Some of Imam Khomeini’s Words on Martyr Allameh Morteza Motahhari
[Motahhari] was rare in Islamology and different Islamic and Qur’anic sciences. I have lost a very dear child. I am mourning for him who was one of the figures who was considered the fruit of my life. Martyrdom of this righteous child and immortal clergyman created a vacuum in the dear Islam that cannot be filled by any means.
Motahhari, who was rare in purifying spirit, the strength of belief and the power of speech, flew to the ethereal world, but the ill-wishers should know that his Islamic, scientific and philosophical personality won’t perish with his departure.
Motahhari was a dear child for me and a firm stronghold for the religious and scientific seminaries and a useful servant for people and country.
I recommend the students and the committed intellectuals not to let this dear professor’s books be forgotten by non-Islamic schemes.
In his short life, [Motahhari] left behind immortal works which stemmed from a wakeful conscience and a spirit filled with the love for religion. He embarked on educating and training the society with an eloquent style and an able thought in analyzing Islamic subjects and explaining philosophical facts with a popular diction and without uncertainty. His oral and written works are unexceptionally instructive and inspiring; and his advice and admonitions, which sprang from a heart filled with faith and belief, are useful both for the Ulema and the laymen.
Late Motahhari was an individual who had different aspects of personality; and few people have done the service to the young generation and others as Motahhari has done. All his works are unexceptionally good and I don’t know anybody else whose works I could call unexceptionally good. His works are unexceptionally good and constructive for humans.
Professor Motahhari from the Viewpoint of Ayatollah Khamenei
Interview with the Supreme Leader on Martyr Motahhari
‘I consider myself Mr. Motahhari’s pupil’
As you know late professor Motahhari was a philosopher; the science sought by him was mostly the philosophical science. Later on; however, he got to the subjects of theology, i.e. he dealt with Islamic issues with new argumentation method of modern philosophy. But he spent most of his time on philosophical matters. He was considered the philosophical student of Imam Khomeini and Allameh Tabatabaiee. Thus what he maintains in theology is Hekmat Mota’aliah, i.e. the Philosophy of Molla Sadra.
His behaviour was like that of the mystics who would set out to find a perfect instructor. Basically his spiritual and moral condition was in such a way. He would search to know for example if a perfect elderly instructor is somewhere in the world, and he would go to him to stay by him. Indeed, spiritually, such a situation was fitting him. Yet he had found such a perfect instructor in Iran. He was absorbed in Imam Khomeini and Allameh Tabatabaiee. He was captivated by their love and regarded their scientific and mystic status very high.
Morally, late Motahhari was a prominent man; and a pure-hearted, enlightened, just, self-possessed and mature person. In his personal bonds with God he was a mystic, a man of God’s remembrance, journey towards God and worship. He used to say: “I have learnt paying attention to and worship of God from my father.”
Professor Motahhari had a lot of historical information especially about the recent history, and particularly on the issues related to the Ulema, seminaries, scientific, spiritual, philosophical and mystic figures. These pieces of information were not registered in any book and are heard from the professors and great figures and kept in mind. Since he knew all professors and Ulema of Najaf, Samarra and Isfahan, he was well-informed about their events and he would talk of them in the gatherings and visits held on different occasions.
Supereme Leader’s Words on Professor Motahhari’s Personality and Works
“As time passes from his martyrdom, his spiritual and ideological works and bounties manifest more fresh dimensions. The ideological and scientific works of that grand clergyman become clearer in the scene of the country press and religious knowledge; and one understands that an intellectual clergyman with responsibilities could have so fruitful life.”
Martyr Motahhari with his strong and decent thought stepped in the fields of Islamic subjects that hitherto nobody had stepped; and considering the ideas that had prevailed or were going to prevail in the country---through translation and import from the west and east, he entered a profound, vast and interminable scientific challenge. He both embarked on a very clever struggle to confront with the Marxists and entered the scene to confront with the western and Liberalist thoughts. This role is very important; it needs both courage and self-confidence, it requires both thinking strength and Ijtihad (being well- qualified in jurisprudence and different theological fields), it both needs certainty and resolute belief. This great man had all these together; he was both a learned man and very faithful, he was firm in his belief and had self-confidence, too; these are all necessary.”
Leader’s Visit with Martyr Motahhari’s Family (1996)
He had three characteristics regarding ideological issues: First, he had a strong thought and he was a true thinker. Secondly, while presenting and spreading the ideological principles, he had no intention but God’s nearness, promotion of the truth and fighting against the false. There was sincerity in him and his personal actions which would naturally make the second characteristic tangible. For example think of some people who are thinkers, yet do not present their thought for God’s sake, but they present it to show that they are knowledgeable, to draw people’s attention and to say that they are philosophers. Martyr Motahhari was not such. He would present thought for God’s sake and for Islam. He would truly burn up [like a candle] and would gush forth [like a fountain] and would present [Islamic ideas]. The reason for his survival is his second characteristic. It means that sincerity will have its impact and the Almighty God will grace any deed done with sincerity. The third characteristic was his working hard and his inexhaustibility.
The truth is that he wouldn’t sit till he might be referred to; but rather he would himself go after activity. He had these three characteristics.”
Leader’s Visit with Martyr Motahhari’s Family (1998)
“We should introduce Mr. Motahhari to the world especially the Islamic world. And if we want to introduce him, which points should be highlighted? I think this is your most important job. Some aspects of a figure’s personality are either unique that must be highlighted or are very outstanding that should be stressed.
In the life of the late Martyr Ayatollah Motahhari, his personality and his scientific identity there are numerous examples of these. One point, that in my opinion has the prime importance, is the new interpretation of the Islamic teachings. This is apart from his philosophical aspect and his strong and compelling arguments in the footnotes of ‘The principles of philosophy’ by ‘Ayatollah Tabatabaiee. This is another point. He elucidated Islamic concepts and teachings with a novel diction and expression which was much needed. I don’t say that if the works of the predecessors were pondered and scrutinized signs of this exegesis would not be found. Really if one had attentively studied the works of the Ulema he would have found some hints and cues; but I want to say that nobody had done this. As far as we know, nobody had done it before Mr. Motahhari. Even the modernist writers, who had emerged in the Arab countries, and we knew some of them, had not done this. These Egyptian authors, who were modernists and would write things with a broader sight and who knew the world somewhat more than Martyr Motahhari, most of them had traveled a lot and had visited different universities. Yet he [Ayatollah Motahhari] was not so, he was confined. I mean he was inside Iran and Tehran but his profound vision of the Islamic issues and his novel understanding of the verses [of Qur’an] and the narrations [of the Ahl-ul-Bayt], in my opinion, was one of his most outstanding aspects. It was he who, for the first time, substantively expressed the subjects related to principles of ideology, piety, patience, love, fairness, justice, and so on in the ideological atmosphere of Iran.
We thank God that Mr. Motahhari’s name was not forgotten in our society and the mental atmosphere of this country; but rather it became more prominent day by day. Many of the world phenomena are naturally perishable and by the lapse of time they become older. Most of the world phenomena are such. Yet there are some phenomena that not only do not fall into oblivion via lapse of time but become brighter, more manifest, more spectacular and more impressive. The phenomena based on reality are usually such. I clearly feel that, thank God, Martyr Ayatollah Motahhari’s thoughts are such.”
Memoirs of Dr. Ali Motahhari (Martyr Motahhari’s Son)
Night Supplication in front of the Word Allah
As it is said he didn’t give up midnight vigilance, midnight prayer, and wakefulness since his youth till the end of his life. It was his practice both at the time of studentship and after that and even at the time of martyrdom. I remember that facing our house there was the house of one of the previous regime’s officials which was usually guarded by two police officers. Apparently since the official had seen that the lamp of our house was lit at midnight, had worried to find the reason and it was important for him from the security point of view. He had told the guards to look for the reason. Professor [Motahhari] had a neon board of Allah which was green when lit. He would turn it on and perform his midnight prayer in its light. After the revolution one of the officers said, we had examined several nights and I had looked through the window to see what was going on inside the house. At the end I myself saw that he came at midnight and started worshipping for an hour. We were somehow absorbed by the professor, and despite much negative propaganda against the clergymen and him in particular to make us pessimist to them, we became very interested in him so much so that some would say we got our salary from the government but it was as if we were guarding him.
A Voice vis-à-vis MHe was very sensitive against ideological deviations and believed that we were seeking Islamic revolution and not mere revolution. It is not important that Shah goes but it is important to see what system is established after his going. Because if after the ouster of the Shah, for example the Mojahedin-e-Khalq take the lead, it is much better not to stage a revolution at all. Thus the deviated groups had found out professor Motahhari’s sensitiveness and had become his enemy. Three or four months before the victory of the Islamic revolution, a person, who had some tendencies to Mojahedin-e-Khalq and the leftists and was intended to be religious, too, was freed from the prison. Professor [Motahhari] said we had better visit him. I was with the professor. There was a man by the name of Ashuri as one of the heads of the Forqan group. He spoke of Islam and Marxism and said: ‘These two religions say one single thing and their content is the same with different forms. They speak of the laborers and we speak of the oppressed. Therefore our word is the same. We should unite to topple the regime of Shah and basically there is no difference between Islam and Marxism, etc.’ Professor was very upset and that man knew that professor Motahhari would answer him. That’s why he rose to leave. The professor said: ‘No, Be seated! Be seated!’ He made him sit and explained him in detail that our path is fundamentally separate from that of the Marxists. In no way can the forms be different with the same content. And we cannot unite with the Marxists in any way.
Immortal among People
Prior to the victory of the Islamic revolution, at the time of Imam Khomeini’s staying in Paris, it was heard everywhere that the regime of Shah wanted to arrest the leaders and prominent figures of the revolution.
Some people told him [Ayatollah Motahhari] it was better to go somewhere else to hide. He said: ‘Such actions are not good for clergymen. It is not good for us to escape from one place to another to hide; such things are not good for us.’ He stayed at home like before and nothing happened.
His Method of Training Children
One of the features of the professor’s training method for his children was that he would never resort to force and coercion and he would let them to realize and choose the right path with their own thought and wisdom. About choosing the field of education and the way of spending leisure time and the like he would never force us to do something necessarily; but he would show us the way. As the holy Qur’an says: ‘…be he grateful or ungrateful.’ And it was we who would choose the way. There was never force over our heads and we would choose one way with interest and free will.
The Professor’s Arrest after anti-Israel Speech
I have another memory from the year 1969 when he delivered the provocative speech on Palestine in Hosseinieh Ershad. This speech has been broadcast many times by IRIB. It was a very provocative, important and interesting speech which shook the regime of Shah; and it required a lot of courage to deliver such a speech when the regime of Shah was in the zenith of power and had the highest level of relations and unity with Israel. When the Israeli planes would refuel in Iran’s airport(s) during the 1967 war and would fly over the heads of the Arabs and Muslims, much bravery was needed to give such a speech and we saw that professor Motahhari gave that speech and was promptly arrested and taken away. When he was freed he said, ‘They made me sit in a car and blindfolded me and the car set out. I told them there is no need to blindfold and I will not look. If you want me not to look I will close my eyes. But they didn’t agree. Yet I realized the route till Ferdowsi square but didn’t realize after that.’ Apparently they had taken him to the committee of the SAVAK which was presumably located in the same Ferdowsi Street.
Allameh Tabatabaiee’s Message on the Occasion of Ayatollah Motahhari’s Martyrdom
In the name of the Almighty God
In memory of a scientific and philosophical personality who cast a world into grief and made the world of science and merit mournful with his departure.
Late Motahhari, who was a scientist, a thinker and a researcher with an overflowing intellect, a bright thought and a realistic mind, has left behind marvelous works and researches written about scientific and argumentative purposes that are seen in his books.
Late Motahhari, through his precious and blissful life that was abundant with scientific effort and philosophical thinking, sends an expressive and valuable message to the enthusiasts of science and philosophy never to repose from effort towards perfection and never forget scientific struggle for perfection; and in the market of realities turn their life--which is the best human commodity-- to the spiritual life— which is the lofty human life and is lasting till the world exists; and not to be absorbed and deceived by fabricated and imaginary personalities in this short life.
Yes, a narrow route opened by a scientist towards realities will bestow eternal life upon him and this is more valuable than the world and what it contains.
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Martyred professor, Allameh Morteza Motahhari, was born on February 2, 1919 in the town of Fariman, 75 kilometers from the holy city of Mashhad. At the age of twelve, he set off for Mashhad seminary to embark on learning the basics of Islamic sciences. In 1937, despite Reza Khan’s intense confrontation with clergymen and also opposition by some of his friends and relatives, he left for Qom seminary to complete his studies.
During 15 years of his stay in Qom, he benefited from the presence of Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi (in jurisprudence and the principles of jurisprudence), Imam Khomeini (12 years in the philosophy of Molla Sadra, gnosis, ethics and principles of jurisprudence) and Allameh Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Tabatabaiee (in philosophy). He had also benefited from the presence of the late Ayatollah Haj Mirza Ali Aqa Shirazi in ethics and gnosis. Among other teachers of professor Motahhari mention can be made of the late Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Hojjat (in principles of jurisprudence) and the late Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Mohaqqeqdamad (in jurisprudence). While he was in Qom, in addition to education, he participated in socio-political affairs as well and he was in contact with Fadaiyan-e-Eslam group.
In 1952, he migrated to Tehran though he was one of the renowned teachers and among the future hopes of the seminary. In Tehran, he taught at Marvi School and delivered well-researched speeches. In 1955, the first session of the exegesis of the holy Qur’an in the Students\\\' Islamic Association was held by professor Motahhari. In the same year, he began teaching at the faculty of divinity and Islamic teachings of Tehran University. In 1958-59 concurrent with the establishment of the Physicians\\\' Islamic Association, professor Motahhari was one of the main speakers of the Association and during 1961-1971 he was the only speaker of the Association leaving behind a number of important deliberations.
In 1962, with the start of Imam Khomeini’s uprising, professor Motahhari accompanied him to the extent that one can consider the organizing of the June 5th uprising in Tehran and its coordination with Imam Khomeini’s leadership as being indebted to him and his companions. Having given an enlightening speech against the Shah on Wednesday, 5th of June 1963, Ayatollah Motahhari was detained by the police at 1 a.m. and sent to the interim police headquarters and was imprisoned with a number of Tehrani clergymen. 43 days later, following the migration of Ulema from other provinces to Tehran and public pressure, he was freed together with other clergymen.
After the formation of groups called “Mo’talefe Eslami”, which was among the combatant groups of the time, Imam Khomeini called on martyr Motahhari to lead these groups along with a number of clergymen.
Following Imam Khomeini\\\'s exile, professor Motahhari and his companions shouldered a heavier responsibility. At that time, he wrote books covering social requirements and delivering speeches at universities, the Physicians\\\' Islamic Association and mosques. Professor Motahhari made a lot of ideological efforts to Islamicize the content of the movement and strongly fought against diversions and falsehoods. In 1967, he established Hosseinieh Ershad with the help of some friends.
In 1969, after releasing an announcement signed by him, Allameh Tabatabai and Ayatollah Haj Seyyed Abolfazl Mojtahed Zanjani calling for collection of aid for the displaced Palestinians and because of publicizing it during a speech in Hosseinieh Ershad, he was detained and held in solitary confinement for a short while. From 1970-72 he supervised publicity works by Al-jawad mosque where he was the main speaker until the mosque and the Hosseinieh were closed and professor Motahhari was detained for a while. Later, Ayatollah Motahhari gave speeches at Javid, Ark and a number of other mosques. After a while Javid mosque was also closed. Around the year 1974 he was forbidden to speak which lasted till the triumph of the Islamic revolution.
Presenting genuine Islamic ideology through teaching, speech and writing books were among the valuable activities of professor Motahhari reaching its climax particularly during the years 1972-78; since in those years the leftists had increased their propaganda and groups of leftist Muslims and also those with a hotchpotch of ideas had emerged. After Imam Khomeini, professor Motahhari was the first figure who found out the ideological deviation of the heads of the so-called “Mojahedin-e-Khalq” organization and prevented others from cooperating with them and even foresaw their change of ideology. In those years, upon Imam Khomeini’s recommendation, professor Motahhari traveled to Qom twice a week to teach at its seminary where he taught important courses and at the same time he taught some courses at home in Tehran. In 1976, following an ideological dispute with a communist teacher of the faculty of divinity, he became retired prematurely. Furthermore; in those years Ayatollah Motahhari, in collaboration with some clergymen, established “Jameye Rohaniat-e-Mobarez” of Tehran hoping that such an institution would be gradually established in other cities as well.
Although professor Motahhari’s contact with Imam Khomeini continued after the Imam’s exile in France via letters and other means, in the year 1976 he managed to travel to the holy city of Najaf and consulted with Imam Khomeini on the important issues of the revolution and also seminaries. After the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini and the start of the new phase of the Islamic revolution, professor Motahhari fully devoted himself to the revolution and hence played a fundamental role in all of its phases.
At the time of Imam Khomeini’s stay in Paris, Ayatollah Motahhari traveled to France where he spoke with the Imam on the important issues of the revolution and it was then that Imam Khomeini urged him to shape the Islamic Revolution Council. Upon Imam Khomeini’s return to Iran, he personally took the responsibility of the welcoming committee and till the victory of the revolution and after that he always acted as a supporter of the leader of the Islamic revolution and served as a kind and trusted advisor for him. But at 22:20 p.m. of Tuesday, 1st of May 1979 he was martyred by a grouplet called “Forqan” after leaving an ideological and political gathering. This caused profound sorrow and grief for Imam Khomeini and the Islamic Ummah who had a lot of hopes for this great man’s future.
There remain tens of works by Ayatollah Motahhari. These works deal with a variety of religious issues and offer responses to many of the important questions of religious society so much so that we can name his works as a reliable source concerning the Islamic ideology system.
Some of Imam Khomeini’s Words on Martyr Allameh Morteza Motahhari
[Motahhari] was rare in Islamology and different Islamic and Qur’anic sciences. I have lost a very dear child. I am mourning for him who was one of the figures who was considered the fruit of my life. Martyrdom of this righteous child and immortal clergyman created a vacuum in the dear Islam that cannot be filled by any means.
Motahhari, who was rare in purifying spirit, the strength of belief and the power of speech, flew to the ethereal world, but the ill-wishers should know that his Islamic, scientific and philosophical personality won’t perish with his departure.
Motahhari was a dear child for me and a firm stronghold for the religious and scientific seminaries and a useful servant for people and country.
I recommend the students and the committed intellectuals not to let this dear professor’s books be forgotten by non-Islamic schemes.
In his short life, [Motahhari] left behind immortal works which stemmed from a wakeful conscience and a spirit filled with the love for religion. He embarked on educating and training the society with an eloquent style and an able thought in analyzing Islamic subjects and explaining philosophical facts with a popular diction and without uncertainty. His oral and written works are unexceptionally instructive and inspiring; and his advice and admonitions, which sprang from a heart filled with faith and belief, are useful both for the Ulema and the laymen.
Late Motahhari was an individual who had different aspects of personality; and few people have done the service to the young generation and others as Motahhari has done. All his works are unexceptionally good and I don’t know anybody else whose works I could call unexceptionally good. His works are unexceptionally good and constructive for humans.
Professor Motahhari from the Viewpoint of Ayatollah Khamenei
Interview with the Supreme Leader on Martyr Motahhari
‘I consider myself Mr. Motahhari’s pupil’
As you know late professor Motahhari was a philosopher; the science sought by him was mostly the philosophical science. Later on; however, he got to the subjects of theology, i.e. he dealt with Islamic issues with new argumentation method of modern philosophy. But he spent most of his time on philosophical matters. He was considered the philosophical student of Imam Khomeini and Allameh Tabatabaiee. Thus what he maintains in theology is Hekmat Mota’aliah, i.e. the Philosophy of Molla Sadra.
His behaviour was like that of the mystics who would set out to find a perfect instructor. Basically his spiritual and moral condition was in such a way. He would search to know for example if a perfect elderly instructor is somewhere in the world, and he would go to him to stay by him. Indeed, spiritually, such a situation was fitting him. Yet he had found such a perfect instructor in Iran. He was absorbed in Imam Khomeini and Allameh Tabatabaiee. He was captivated by their love and regarded their scientific and mystic status very high.
Morally, late Motahhari was a prominent man; and a pure-hearted, enlightened, just, self-possessed and mature person. In his personal bonds with God he was a mystic, a man of God’s remembrance, journey towards God and worship. He used to say: “I have learnt paying attention to and worship of God from my father.”
Professor Motahhari had a lot of historical information especially about the recent history, and particularly on the issues related to the Ulema, seminaries, scientific, spiritual, philosophical and mystic figures. These pieces of information were not registered in any book and are heard from the professors and great figures and kept in mind. Since he knew all professors and Ulema of Najaf, Samarra and Isfahan, he was well-informed about their events and he would talk of them in the gatherings and visits held on different occasions.
Supereme Leader’s Words on Professor Motahhari’s Personality and Works
“As time passes from his martyrdom, his spiritual and ideological works and bounties manifest more fresh dimensions. The ideological and scientific works of that grand clergyman become clearer in the scene of the country press and religious knowledge; and one understands that an intellectual clergyman with responsibilities could have so fruitful life.”
Martyr Motahhari with his strong and decent thought stepped in the fields of Islamic subjects that hitherto nobody had stepped; and considering the ideas that had prevailed or were going to prevail in the country---through translation and import from the west and east, he entered a profound, vast and interminable scientific challenge. He both embarked on a very clever struggle to confront with the Marxists and entered the scene to confront with the western and Liberalist thoughts. This role is very important; it needs both courage and self-confidence, it requires both thinking strength and Ijtihad (being well- qualified in jurisprudence and different theological fields), it both needs certainty and resolute belief. This great man had all these together; he was both a learned man and very faithful, he was firm in his belief and had self-confidence, too; these are all necessary.”
Leader’s Visit with Martyr Motahhari’s Family (1996)
He had three characteristics regarding ideological issues: First, he had a strong thought and he was a true thinker. Secondly, while presenting and spreading the ideological principles, he had no intention but God’s nearness, promotion of the truth and fighting against the false. There was sincerity in him and his personal actions which would naturally make the second characteristic tangible. For example think of some people who are thinkers, yet do not present their thought for God’s sake, but they present it to show that they are knowledgeable, to draw people’s attention and to say that they are philosophers. Martyr Motahhari was not such. He would present thought for God’s sake and for Islam. He would truly burn up [like a candle] and would gush forth [like a fountain] and would present [Islamic ideas]. The reason for his survival is his second characteristic. It means that sincerity will have its impact and the Almighty God will grace any deed done with sincerity. The third characteristic was his working hard and his inexhaustibility.
The truth is that he wouldn’t sit till he might be referred to; but rather he would himself go after activity. He had these three characteristics.”
Leader’s Visit with Martyr Motahhari’s Family (1998)
“We should introduce Mr. Motahhari to the world especially the Islamic world. And if we want to introduce him, which points should be highlighted? I think this is your most important job. Some aspects of a figure’s personality are either unique that must be highlighted or are very outstanding that should be stressed.
In the life of the late Martyr Ayatollah Motahhari, his personality and his scientific identity there are numerous examples of these. One point, that in my opinion has the prime importance, is the new interpretation of the Islamic teachings. This is apart from his philosophical aspect and his strong and compelling arguments in the footnotes of ‘The principles of philosophy’ by ‘Ayatollah Tabatabaiee. This is another point. He elucidated Islamic concepts and teachings with a novel diction and expression which was much needed. I don’t say that if the works of the predecessors were pondered and scrutinized signs of this exegesis would not be found. Really if one had attentively studied the works of the Ulema he would have found some hints and cues; but I want to say that nobody had done this. As far as we know, nobody had done it before Mr. Motahhari. Even the modernist writers, who had emerged in the Arab countries, and we knew some of them, had not done this. These Egyptian authors, who were modernists and would write things with a broader sight and who knew the world somewhat more than Martyr Motahhari, most of them had traveled a lot and had visited different universities. Yet he [Ayatollah Motahhari] was not so, he was confined. I mean he was inside Iran and Tehran but his profound vision of the Islamic issues and his novel understanding of the verses [of Qur’an] and the narrations [of the Ahl-ul-Bayt], in my opinion, was one of his most outstanding aspects. It was he who, for the first time, substantively expressed the subjects related to principles of ideology, piety, patience, love, fairness, justice, and so on in the ideological atmosphere of Iran.
We thank God that Mr. Motahhari’s name was not forgotten in our society and the mental atmosphere of this country; but rather it became more prominent day by day. Many of the world phenomena are naturally perishable and by the lapse of time they become older. Most of the world phenomena are such. Yet there are some phenomena that not only do not fall into oblivion via lapse of time but become brighter, more manifest, more spectacular and more impressive. The phenomena based on reality are usually such. I clearly feel that, thank God, Martyr Ayatollah Motahhari’s thoughts are such.”
Memoirs of Dr. Ali Motahhari (Martyr Motahhari’s Son)
Night Supplication in front of the Word Allah
As it is said he didn’t give up midnight vigilance, midnight prayer, and wakefulness since his youth till the end of his life. It was his practice both at the time of studentship and after that and even at the time of martyrdom. I remember that facing our house there was the house of one of the previous regime’s officials which was usually guarded by two police officers. Apparently since the official had seen that the lamp of our house was lit at midnight, had worried to find the reason and it was important for him from the security point of view. He had told the guards to look for the reason. Professor [Motahhari] had a neon board of Allah which was green when lit. He would turn it on and perform his midnight prayer in its light. After the revolution one of the officers said, we had examined several nights and I had looked through the window to see what was going on inside the house. At the end I myself saw that he came at midnight and started worshipping for an hour. We were somehow absorbed by the professor, and despite much negative propaganda against the clergymen and him in particular to make us pessimist to them, we became very interested in him so much so that some would say we got our salary from the government but it was as if we were guarding him.
A Voice vis-à-vis MHe was very sensitive against ideological deviations and believed that we were seeking Islamic revolution and not mere revolution. It is not important that Shah goes but it is important to see what system is established after his going. Because if after the ouster of the Shah, for example the Mojahedin-e-Khalq take the lead, it is much better not to stage a revolution at all. Thus the deviated groups had found out professor Motahhari’s sensitiveness and had become his enemy. Three or four months before the victory of the Islamic revolution, a person, who had some tendencies to Mojahedin-e-Khalq and the leftists and was intended to be religious, too, was freed from the prison. Professor [Motahhari] said we had better visit him. I was with the professor. There was a man by the name of Ashuri as one of the heads of the Forqan group. He spoke of Islam and Marxism and said: ‘These two religions say one single thing and their content is the same with different forms. They speak of the laborers and we speak of the oppressed. Therefore our word is the same. We should unite to topple the regime of Shah and basically there is no difference between Islam and Marxism, etc.’ Professor was very upset and that man knew that professor Motahhari would answer him. That’s why he rose to leave. The professor said: ‘No, Be seated! Be seated!’ He made him sit and explained him in detail that our path is fundamentally separate from that of the Marxists. In no way can the forms be different with the same content. And we cannot unite with the Marxists in any way.
Immortal among People
Prior to the victory of the Islamic revolution, at the time of Imam Khomeini’s staying in Paris, it was heard everywhere that the regime of Shah wanted to arrest the leaders and prominent figures of the revolution.
Some people told him [Ayatollah Motahhari] it was better to go somewhere else to hide. He said: ‘Such actions are not good for clergymen. It is not good for us to escape from one place to another to hide; such things are not good for us.’ He stayed at home like before and nothing happened.
His Method of Training Children
One of the features of the professor’s training method for his children was that he would never resort to force and coercion and he would let them to realize and choose the right path with their own thought and wisdom. About choosing the field of education and the way of spending leisure time and the like he would never force us to do something necessarily; but he would show us the way. As the holy Qur’an says: ‘…be he grateful or ungrateful.’ And it was we who would choose the way. There was never force over our heads and we would choose one way with interest and free will.
The Professor’s Arrest after anti-Israel Speech
I have another memory from the year 1969 when he delivered the provocative speech on Palestine in Hosseinieh Ershad. This speech has been broadcast many times by IRIB. It was a very provocative, important and interesting speech which shook the regime of Shah; and it required a lot of courage to deliver such a speech when the regime of Shah was in the zenith of power and had the highest level of relations and unity with Israel. When the Israeli planes would refuel in Iran’s airport(s) during the 1967 war and would fly over the heads of the Arabs and Muslims, much bravery was needed to give such a speech and we saw that professor Motahhari gave that speech and was promptly arrested and taken away. When he was freed he said, ‘They made me sit in a car and blindfolded me and the car set out. I told them there is no need to blindfold and I will not look. If you want me not to look I will close my eyes. But they didn’t agree. Yet I realized the route till Ferdowsi square but didn’t realize after that.’ Apparently they had taken him to the committee of the SAVAK which was presumably located in the same Ferdowsi Street.
Allameh Tabatabaiee’s Message on the Occasion of Ayatollah Motahhari’s Martyrdom
In the name of the Almighty God
In memory of a scientific and philosophical personality who cast a world into grief and made the world of science and merit mournful with his departure.
Late Motahhari, who was a scientist, a thinker and a researcher with an overflowing intellect, a bright thought and a realistic mind, has left behind marvelous works and researches written about scientific and argumentative purposes that are seen in his books.
Late Motahhari, through his precious and blissful life that was abundant with scientific effort and philosophical thinking, sends an expressive and valuable message to the enthusiasts of science and philosophy never to repose from effort towards perfection and never forget scientific struggle for perfection; and in the market of realities turn their life--which is the best human commodity-- to the spiritual life— which is the lofty human life and is lasting till the world exists; and not to be absorbed and deceived by fabricated and imaginary personalities in this short life.
Yes, a narrow route opened by a scientist towards realities will bestow eternal life upon him and this is more valuable than the world and what it contains.
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مفهوم انقلابی بودن و سبک زندگی H.I. Panahiyan - Farsi
“گره یک برنامه تلویزیونی نیست، گره یک دغدغه است، گره یک آرمانه، گره یک مواجهه انتقادی با وضع موجوده، گره...
“گره یک برنامه تلویزیونی نیست، گره یک دغدغه است، گره یک آرمانه، گره یک مواجهه انتقادی با وضع موجوده، گره سؤالهای سخت نسل جدید از نسل قدیمه، گره اصل از خود شروع کردن و از خودمون تغییر رو آغاز کردنه. گره یک مواجهه انتقادی با مبانی تمدن غربه، گره یک مرگ بر آمریکای عملیه. گره یک سؤال جدی بیتعارفه: انقلاب من کو؟ سه مفهوم در سبک زندگی ما به هم گره خوردهاند: ایرانی بودن، مدرنیته و غرب، اسلام، و حاصل این شده است که ما نه این هستیم نه آن! و دنبال این هستیم که بفهمیم بالاخره کدام هستیم؟! پس برای باز کردن این گره در وهله اول باید نسبت خودمون رو با این مفاهیم مشخص کنیم.”
حجت الاسلام پناهیان، در آخرین قسمت از برنامه گره، درباره انقلابی بودن و سبک زندگی به بحث و گفتگو پرداخت، و گفت: سیاستمداران باید به نخبگانی که ویژگیهای لازم را دارند بها دهند و پای سخنان آنها، از قانونی کردن تا اجرای آن، فداکارانه بایستند. جامعه باید چراغ به دست، به دنبال نخبگانی باشد که بتوانند تحول ایجاد کنند. اینطور نیست که هرکسی مشهور شد، یا هر کسی که تجربۀ مدیریت داشت، یا هر کسی که علم داشت بتواند تحول ایجاد کند.
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“گره یک برنامه تلویزیونی نیست، گره یک دغدغه است، گره یک آرمانه، گره یک مواجهه انتقادی با وضع موجوده، گره سؤالهای سخت نسل جدید از نسل قدیمه، گره اصل از خود شروع کردن و از خودمون تغییر رو آغاز کردنه. گره یک مواجهه انتقادی با مبانی تمدن غربه، گره یک مرگ بر آمریکای عملیه. گره یک سؤال جدی بیتعارفه: انقلاب من کو؟ سه مفهوم در سبک زندگی ما به هم گره خوردهاند: ایرانی بودن، مدرنیته و غرب، اسلام، و حاصل این شده است که ما نه این هستیم نه آن! و دنبال این هستیم که بفهمیم بالاخره کدام هستیم؟! پس برای باز کردن این گره در وهله اول باید نسبت خودمون رو با این مفاهیم مشخص کنیم.”
حجت الاسلام پناهیان، در آخرین قسمت از برنامه گره، درباره انقلابی بودن و سبک زندگی به بحث و گفتگو پرداخت، و گفت: سیاستمداران باید به نخبگانی که ویژگیهای لازم را دارند بها دهند و پای سخنان آنها، از قانونی کردن تا اجرای آن، فداکارانه بایستند. جامعه باید چراغ به دست، به دنبال نخبگانی باشد که بتوانند تحول ایجاد کنند. اینطور نیست که هرکسی مشهور شد، یا هر کسی که تجربۀ مدیریت داشت، یا هر کسی که علم داشت بتواند تحول ایجاد کند.
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[Iran Today] Nanotechnology in Iran - 28 Oct 2011 - English
On Wednesday 5th October 2011 Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled 5 new nanotechnology products.
Four of them are high tech nanotechnology laboratory tools and the fifth is a drug...
On Wednesday 5th October 2011 Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled 5 new nanotechnology products.
Four of them are high tech nanotechnology laboratory tools and the fifth is a drug that cures cancer.
Iranian scientists have taken a strong interest in nanotechnology, planning to contribute considerably to this new science, despite the obstacles.
In this edition of the show we'll be looking at Iran's latest developments in the nanotechnology field. `
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Description:
On Wednesday 5th October 2011 Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled 5 new nanotechnology products.
Four of them are high tech nanotechnology laboratory tools and the fifth is a drug that cures cancer.
Iranian scientists have taken a strong interest in nanotechnology, planning to contribute considerably to this new science, despite the obstacles.
In this edition of the show we'll be looking at Iran's latest developments in the nanotechnology field. `
The Money Masters - Full Length Documentary - English
THE MONEY MASTERS is a NON-FICTION, historical documentary that traces the origins of the political power structure. The modern political power structure has its roots in the hidden manipulation...
THE MONEY MASTERS is a NON-FICTION, historical documentary that traces the origins of the political power structure. The modern political power structure has its roots in the hidden manipulation and accumulation of gold and other forms of money. The development of fractional reserve banking practices in the 17th century brought to a cunning sophistication the secret techniques initially used by goldsmiths fraudulently to accumulate wealth. With the formation of the privately-owned Bank of England in 1694, the yoke of economic slavery to a privately-owned "central" bank was first forced upon the backs of an entire nation, not removed but only made heavier with the passing of the three centuries to our day. Nation after nation has fallen prey to this cabal of international central bankers.
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Description:
THE MONEY MASTERS is a NON-FICTION, historical documentary that traces the origins of the political power structure. The modern political power structure has its roots in the hidden manipulation and accumulation of gold and other forms of money. The development of fractional reserve banking practices in the 17th century brought to a cunning sophistication the secret techniques initially used by goldsmiths fraudulently to accumulate wealth. With the formation of the privately-owned Bank of England in 1694, the yoke of economic slavery to a privately-owned "central" bank was first forced upon the backs of an entire nation, not removed but only made heavier with the passing of the three centuries to our day. Nation after nation has fallen prey to this cabal of international central bankers.