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Mohammad Javad Larijani Interview with MSNBC - He Just Shut Up CFR Officials - 17 Nov 2011 - English
Iran's Secretary General of the High Council for Human Rights, Mohammad Javad Larijani has said that the recent claims by the International Atomic Energy Agency against Tehran are “laughable.”...
Iran's Secretary General of the High Council for Human Rights, Mohammad Javad Larijani has said that the recent claims by the International Atomic Energy Agency against Tehran are “laughable.”
In his November 8 report on Iran's nuclear program, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano claimed that Iran had engaged in activities related to developing nuclear weapons before 2003, adding that these activities “may still be ongoing.”
Based on the report, which Iran has called "unfounded and unbalanced," the IAEA Board of Governors on Friday passed a new resolution on the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities.
The resolution voices "deep and increasing concern" over Tehran's nuclear program and also calls for Iran and the IAEA to intensify dialogue to resolve the dispute over the issue.
Larijani made the remarks in a heated television debate aired on the American channel MSNBC.
US president of the Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. Richard Haass, Mike Barnicle and John Mitchun were the other guests on the television debate.
What follows is a rough transcription of the interview:
MSNBC: Let's go to the heart of the matter when it comes to Iran, the headlines of the past week, the IAEA report found evidence of nuclear weapons program in Iran and you are quoted as saying that is “quite laughable.” Why sir?
Larijani: The reason is very simple. There is no single evidence in that. These allegations which is aired again is based on a document which was put to us four years ago based on a laptop somewhere found by United States authorities.
And at that time, four years ago, it has been discussed with the agency and the conclusion was that none of these allegations could be verified.
So by a letter it has been closed- the whole issue. Then again it has been renewed and [let me] just give you an example. A good part of this so-called document which is on the laptop, for example lecture notes that somebody presented in Brussels or at some universities. Some of them are parts of some textbook as put together with pictures, formulas, so it is totally inconclusive.
MSNBC: Let's back up. Before I send this to Richard Haass- are you saying it doesn't exist? There is no nuclear program?
Larijani: Well we have a very extensive nuclear program but not to the direction of producing arms. Our nuclear project is very extensive, very advanced. We are number one in the Middle East but we are not pursuing the nuclear armament for two basic reasons.
Number one there is a Fatwa by Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader and it is against the Islamic jurisprudence to build and use mass destructing weapons. It is Haram we call it, unlawful.
And secondly, it doesn't add to our security. It is more liability than asset for us. Our military muscle is strong enough to repel or to deter any imminent threat and this is basically very important achievement.
MSNBC: Richard Haass, put this into perspective for us. What the reports were saying and what this gentleman is saying.
Haass: Well quite frankly it is impossible to take the Iranian denial seriously. They are preposterous. The International Atomic Energy Agency taking information from all the member states in the United Nations have put together a comprehensive and extraordinarily damning report.
And what there is, is a pattern, not a single incident, a pattern over years of Iranian program to move in the direction of developing nuclear weapons.
We see a procurement mechanism to gain access to all sorts of equipment, we see all sorts of undeclared efforts to produce nuclear material now up to 20 percent well on its way to what it needs to produce a weapon, most important there is now serious evidence about the Iranian testing of the implosive device that would actually be the heart of the nuclear weapon.
So the idea that the Iranians have all these underground and undeclared facilities, that they have been misleading the International Atomic Energy Agency for years, the idea they're doing this- this oil rich country in order to produce electricity? If you believe that you seriously have to believe in the tooth fairy.
MSNBC: Sir this doesn't sound like preposterous, little pieces of information that were roaming together randomly.
Larijani: Well the whole scenes of allegation is produced and initiated by the United States. It seems there is a good machinery to produce perpetual allegation against Iran, it is not only one case.
I am telling you exactly that there are no secret programs in our nuclear program and development. Iran's transparency is far ahead of United States, far ahead of UK, far ahead of France and incomparable to Israel which is a renegade state in the sense of NPT.
Barnicle: So you allow inspectors to just come into Iran.
Larijani: The inspectors are coming to Iran periodically, the cameras are there 24 hours. This is quite obvious.
Haass: But the whole concept the way this works, just when you talk about inspectors, let's just be clear, I am sure if everyone watching this will understand, the entire international nuclear inspection effort depends upon the willingness of the country in question to cooperate fully.
This is a gentlemen's agreement. They declare their facilities that are involved in the nuclear business then the inspectors come in and look at them. If they do not declare facilities the inspectors don't give a chance and the problem is this is a gentlemen's agreement in a world where not every country is a gentleman.
So Iran quite frankly has undeclared facilities and undeclared programs which the inspectors had not had access to and the reason we only know about it is that member states, not simply the United States sir, but many, many member states of the United Nations have provided independent information to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which by the way you know and I know is not controlled by the United States.
We have fundamental differences with this agency over the years including over Iraq. We had fundamental differences and we've also had differences over Iran where we the United States felt, this agency was not being nearly tough enough. So now they have come in with an extraordinarily damning report and Iranian officials can dismiss it.
MSNBC: So if this is a gentlemen's agreement, the gentlemen certainly don't agree and sir, you seem very confident and almost as if it's funny it's interesting because we interviewed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about this about a year ago, off camera, and he too seemed very comfortable about his position which is similar to yours.
And if you are so comfortable with your position about the lack of nuclear armament and the facilities that the IAEA is talking about, why not let inspectors completely come in? Open the door let them come in and see what you have.
Larijani: Well the mechanism that the gentleman addressed is not complete because first of all there is no single secret installment or activity which is concealed from the agency.
Secondly, two years ago we asked the agency tell us all the questions you have and he managed to put to us six groups of questions. The questions were raised by themselves not dictated by us. So one by one groups of inspectors came to Iran and we cleared them up and there is official letters from them this group has been finished then we moved to another one.
Well it doesn't make sense that every morning somebody says we guess there is some secret things done there. There should be foundation for this allegation. What do you mean the door should be open? They should ask where do you want to inspect? Did they want to inspect my bedroom or other places? I mean it doesn't make sense.
Barnicle: A few moments ago when you mentioned the nuclear programs of other nations I detected a definite edge in your voice when you mentioned the state of Israel. Do you fear an attack from the state of Israel on your nuclear facilities?
Larijani: Well I am beyond the fear. What is the difference between us and Israel? Israel has a bomb, not a member of NPT; it doesn't disclose anything to agency, nothing wrong with it. You see what the double standard is in here.
We are member of NPT, they periodically come to Iran, their cameras are there, we don't have the weapon then the whole pressure is put on us. No, not at all. We don't fear any attack from anyone. We take it serious in our calculation but we don't fear. There is a difference between that.
Mitchum: Given your tone again Sir when you talk about Israel, just a second ago why shouldn't we suspect that there would be ambitions for Iran to join the club of which Israel is a part with the nuclear arms?
Larijani: We are very advanced in the nuclear technology which is a matter of pride for us and that gentleman mentioned that we have plenty of gas and oil with all good calculations, the age of this is up to 20-25 period, 25 years from now.
It means that if we don't have it, then we should beg in front of the Western countries to light our houses and we know how bad they are treating us in this area. We are right now very happy that we have the first power plant, we know how to make the fuel. We already have more than 25 percent share of sodalite and erudite they don't give us a bit of this fuel that we need, even the twenty percent that we needed for Tehran.
Haass: It's important to keep in mind we are not talking about an established democracy that treats its own people with respect, we are talking about a country also that is the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world. So this is obvious and understandable concern about what Iran is doing.
Larijani: In terms of record I think United States of America is the largest and the greatest country supporting terrorism. The records of terrorist activity which is supported by the tax money of these people is enormous, I can go one by one.
Barnicle: Wait a minute. This is a free country. And part of our gift is we have the liberty and the freedom to say anything and to sound foolish, to sound absurd, to sound smart. That's absurd saying that America is the biggest terrorist nation in the world.
My question to you Sir is, you seem like a really nice guy, alright, why doesn't your country be a better neighbor?
Larijani: We have fantastic relations with all of our neighbors...
Barnicle: Really? [laughing]
Larijani: Definitely, but the policy of demonizing Iran, a very important policy which is pursued in the region- well it has its own benefit.
Barnicle But it's just in little things, like the American tourists cross the border, supposedly cross the border, you grab them, you scoop them, you hold them for months on end. Why?
Larijani: This is a very simple question I answered before; suppose the security of your people...
Barnicle You're here...
Larijani: No, I'm here with visa- It's quite different. [Suppose] The security of the United States' people, on a patrol with Mexico elsewhere they pick 3 Iranians and ask them why are you here? They say well we are just walking in the desert.
Well, with the whole hostility and suspicion which is between the two countries, you are in here to blow up somewhere definitely they will be put into jail for years if not in Guantanamo, they bring them somewhere else.
It took a lot of time that we convince- I was working on this case because they were like me from ... Berkeley. I talked with their families, managed to contact between them and their families when they were arrested- for their families to come to Iran to take the suspicion away.
This is very natural for security of people to suspect a cross bordering which is in the most volatile regional area of Iran- in which there is daily shooting over there.
Barnicle Ok. They're going to blow up the desert. What is the root? What do you think is the root of Iranian paranoia towards the United States and towards many of its neighbors?
What is the root of this paranoia? Is it the fear that we find out about your nuclear program?
Larijani: We don't have any paranoia about our neighbors. We are very suspicious of American paranoia with us. The question is what is wrong with Iran that this persistent hostility...
Barnicle: You have a track record of international terrorism.
Larijani: This is not true. We are ourselves the victim of international terrorism- terrorism in the area. Let me ask you, who was helping Al-Qaida and Taliban for years while we were at war with them in Afghanistan? The United States of America.
The money from the United States was pouring to Al-Qaida and Taliban- the idea was we should curb Iran by another religious front. Is it correct?
Haass: No it's not correct. The United States did support the Mujahidin; obviously in order to get rid of the Soviet... to say that the United States supported Al-Qaida is again preposterous- the fact is that Iran is supporting terrorism in Lebanon, it's supporting groups like Hezbollah, groups like Hamas; it is involved in Iraq; it is involved in Afghanistan.
Iran has basically become a regional power that is trying to destabilize many countries, trying to make them in some ways heavily influenced by Tehran and that is simply a fact of life- which again is one of the reasons the world is so concerned about Iranian nuclear program.
How do we know Iran will not become even more aggressive? How do we know that nuclear materials will not end in the hands of a group like Hezbollah? What do we see about Iran's track record that would lead us to believe that Iran in any way would be responsible with nuclear material?
This is a genuine concern and if you dismiss it as laughable Sir you are seriously underestimating not simply the American, not simply the Israeli, but I would suggest the world's concern over the direction your government is heading.
Larijani: The disastrous thing is the blind policy of the United States in supporting carte blanche renegade Israel which is the source of all tension in the region. If you call Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist groups- they are fighting to be given the permission to live. What about Israel?
Israel is involved in government sponsored terrorism. Kills anybody who thinks that it's not correct and deprives millions of people from basic tenures of life. 60 years of atrocity in that area is supported carte blanche by the US, this is even against the basic interests of that nation- they don't know it.
Mitchum:Sir do you recognize the right of Israel to exist?
Larijani: We recognize the rights of Jews, Christians and Muslims to live together in peace and tranquility- to create a racist regime in the middle of a land put the others out is like creating a small colony for the blacks and leave the rest for the whites.
Mitchum: Thank you for the answer.
Barnicle: The answer is no.
Larijani: No, the answer is not no. We respect any decision by Palestinians. We are not in a position to tell them what kind of state they [should] have. But they should be given the chance to decide.
MSNBC:This has been fascinating and a great picture window into the choices that Americans make when they're choosing their president and also a sense of what our Secretary of State and what our diplomats have to confront in dealing with when they're going out into the world and working with other countries.
It is extremely complicated and often conversations feel like they're going in circles because it's very hard to develop a common understanding or even a place where you can start engaging and I think this was an example of that. Mohammad Javad Larijani, thank you for coming on the show this morning.
More...
Description:
Iran's Secretary General of the High Council for Human Rights, Mohammad Javad Larijani has said that the recent claims by the International Atomic Energy Agency against Tehran are “laughable.”
In his November 8 report on Iran's nuclear program, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano claimed that Iran had engaged in activities related to developing nuclear weapons before 2003, adding that these activities “may still be ongoing.”
Based on the report, which Iran has called "unfounded and unbalanced," the IAEA Board of Governors on Friday passed a new resolution on the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities.
The resolution voices "deep and increasing concern" over Tehran's nuclear program and also calls for Iran and the IAEA to intensify dialogue to resolve the dispute over the issue.
Larijani made the remarks in a heated television debate aired on the American channel MSNBC.
US president of the Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. Richard Haass, Mike Barnicle and John Mitchun were the other guests on the television debate.
What follows is a rough transcription of the interview:
MSNBC: Let's go to the heart of the matter when it comes to Iran, the headlines of the past week, the IAEA report found evidence of nuclear weapons program in Iran and you are quoted as saying that is “quite laughable.” Why sir?
Larijani: The reason is very simple. There is no single evidence in that. These allegations which is aired again is based on a document which was put to us four years ago based on a laptop somewhere found by United States authorities.
And at that time, four years ago, it has been discussed with the agency and the conclusion was that none of these allegations could be verified.
So by a letter it has been closed- the whole issue. Then again it has been renewed and [let me] just give you an example. A good part of this so-called document which is on the laptop, for example lecture notes that somebody presented in Brussels or at some universities. Some of them are parts of some textbook as put together with pictures, formulas, so it is totally inconclusive.
MSNBC: Let's back up. Before I send this to Richard Haass- are you saying it doesn't exist? There is no nuclear program?
Larijani: Well we have a very extensive nuclear program but not to the direction of producing arms. Our nuclear project is very extensive, very advanced. We are number one in the Middle East but we are not pursuing the nuclear armament for two basic reasons.
Number one there is a Fatwa by Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader and it is against the Islamic jurisprudence to build and use mass destructing weapons. It is Haram we call it, unlawful.
And secondly, it doesn't add to our security. It is more liability than asset for us. Our military muscle is strong enough to repel or to deter any imminent threat and this is basically very important achievement.
MSNBC: Richard Haass, put this into perspective for us. What the reports were saying and what this gentleman is saying.
Haass: Well quite frankly it is impossible to take the Iranian denial seriously. They are preposterous. The International Atomic Energy Agency taking information from all the member states in the United Nations have put together a comprehensive and extraordinarily damning report.
And what there is, is a pattern, not a single incident, a pattern over years of Iranian program to move in the direction of developing nuclear weapons.
We see a procurement mechanism to gain access to all sorts of equipment, we see all sorts of undeclared efforts to produce nuclear material now up to 20 percent well on its way to what it needs to produce a weapon, most important there is now serious evidence about the Iranian testing of the implosive device that would actually be the heart of the nuclear weapon.
So the idea that the Iranians have all these underground and undeclared facilities, that they have been misleading the International Atomic Energy Agency for years, the idea they're doing this- this oil rich country in order to produce electricity? If you believe that you seriously have to believe in the tooth fairy.
MSNBC: Sir this doesn't sound like preposterous, little pieces of information that were roaming together randomly.
Larijani: Well the whole scenes of allegation is produced and initiated by the United States. It seems there is a good machinery to produce perpetual allegation against Iran, it is not only one case.
I am telling you exactly that there are no secret programs in our nuclear program and development. Iran's transparency is far ahead of United States, far ahead of UK, far ahead of France and incomparable to Israel which is a renegade state in the sense of NPT.
Barnicle: So you allow inspectors to just come into Iran.
Larijani: The inspectors are coming to Iran periodically, the cameras are there 24 hours. This is quite obvious.
Haass: But the whole concept the way this works, just when you talk about inspectors, let's just be clear, I am sure if everyone watching this will understand, the entire international nuclear inspection effort depends upon the willingness of the country in question to cooperate fully.
This is a gentlemen's agreement. They declare their facilities that are involved in the nuclear business then the inspectors come in and look at them. If they do not declare facilities the inspectors don't give a chance and the problem is this is a gentlemen's agreement in a world where not every country is a gentleman.
So Iran quite frankly has undeclared facilities and undeclared programs which the inspectors had not had access to and the reason we only know about it is that member states, not simply the United States sir, but many, many member states of the United Nations have provided independent information to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which by the way you know and I know is not controlled by the United States.
We have fundamental differences with this agency over the years including over Iraq. We had fundamental differences and we've also had differences over Iran where we the United States felt, this agency was not being nearly tough enough. So now they have come in with an extraordinarily damning report and Iranian officials can dismiss it.
MSNBC: So if this is a gentlemen's agreement, the gentlemen certainly don't agree and sir, you seem very confident and almost as if it's funny it's interesting because we interviewed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about this about a year ago, off camera, and he too seemed very comfortable about his position which is similar to yours.
And if you are so comfortable with your position about the lack of nuclear armament and the facilities that the IAEA is talking about, why not let inspectors completely come in? Open the door let them come in and see what you have.
Larijani: Well the mechanism that the gentleman addressed is not complete because first of all there is no single secret installment or activity which is concealed from the agency.
Secondly, two years ago we asked the agency tell us all the questions you have and he managed to put to us six groups of questions. The questions were raised by themselves not dictated by us. So one by one groups of inspectors came to Iran and we cleared them up and there is official letters from them this group has been finished then we moved to another one.
Well it doesn't make sense that every morning somebody says we guess there is some secret things done there. There should be foundation for this allegation. What do you mean the door should be open? They should ask where do you want to inspect? Did they want to inspect my bedroom or other places? I mean it doesn't make sense.
Barnicle: A few moments ago when you mentioned the nuclear programs of other nations I detected a definite edge in your voice when you mentioned the state of Israel. Do you fear an attack from the state of Israel on your nuclear facilities?
Larijani: Well I am beyond the fear. What is the difference between us and Israel? Israel has a bomb, not a member of NPT; it doesn't disclose anything to agency, nothing wrong with it. You see what the double standard is in here.
We are member of NPT, they periodically come to Iran, their cameras are there, we don't have the weapon then the whole pressure is put on us. No, not at all. We don't fear any attack from anyone. We take it serious in our calculation but we don't fear. There is a difference between that.
Mitchum: Given your tone again Sir when you talk about Israel, just a second ago why shouldn't we suspect that there would be ambitions for Iran to join the club of which Israel is a part with the nuclear arms?
Larijani: We are very advanced in the nuclear technology which is a matter of pride for us and that gentleman mentioned that we have plenty of gas and oil with all good calculations, the age of this is up to 20-25 period, 25 years from now.
It means that if we don't have it, then we should beg in front of the Western countries to light our houses and we know how bad they are treating us in this area. We are right now very happy that we have the first power plant, we know how to make the fuel. We already have more than 25 percent share of sodalite and erudite they don't give us a bit of this fuel that we need, even the twenty percent that we needed for Tehran.
Haass: It's important to keep in mind we are not talking about an established democracy that treats its own people with respect, we are talking about a country also that is the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world. So this is obvious and understandable concern about what Iran is doing.
Larijani: In terms of record I think United States of America is the largest and the greatest country supporting terrorism. The records of terrorist activity which is supported by the tax money of these people is enormous, I can go one by one.
Barnicle: Wait a minute. This is a free country. And part of our gift is we have the liberty and the freedom to say anything and to sound foolish, to sound absurd, to sound smart. That's absurd saying that America is the biggest terrorist nation in the world.
My question to you Sir is, you seem like a really nice guy, alright, why doesn't your country be a better neighbor?
Larijani: We have fantastic relations with all of our neighbors...
Barnicle: Really? [laughing]
Larijani: Definitely, but the policy of demonizing Iran, a very important policy which is pursued in the region- well it has its own benefit.
Barnicle But it's just in little things, like the American tourists cross the border, supposedly cross the border, you grab them, you scoop them, you hold them for months on end. Why?
Larijani: This is a very simple question I answered before; suppose the security of your people...
Barnicle You're here...
Larijani: No, I'm here with visa- It's quite different. [Suppose] The security of the United States' people, on a patrol with Mexico elsewhere they pick 3 Iranians and ask them why are you here? They say well we are just walking in the desert.
Well, with the whole hostility and suspicion which is between the two countries, you are in here to blow up somewhere definitely they will be put into jail for years if not in Guantanamo, they bring them somewhere else.
It took a lot of time that we convince- I was working on this case because they were like me from ... Berkeley. I talked with their families, managed to contact between them and their families when they were arrested- for their families to come to Iran to take the suspicion away.
This is very natural for security of people to suspect a cross bordering which is in the most volatile regional area of Iran- in which there is daily shooting over there.
Barnicle Ok. They're going to blow up the desert. What is the root? What do you think is the root of Iranian paranoia towards the United States and towards many of its neighbors?
What is the root of this paranoia? Is it the fear that we find out about your nuclear program?
Larijani: We don't have any paranoia about our neighbors. We are very suspicious of American paranoia with us. The question is what is wrong with Iran that this persistent hostility...
Barnicle: You have a track record of international terrorism.
Larijani: This is not true. We are ourselves the victim of international terrorism- terrorism in the area. Let me ask you, who was helping Al-Qaida and Taliban for years while we were at war with them in Afghanistan? The United States of America.
The money from the United States was pouring to Al-Qaida and Taliban- the idea was we should curb Iran by another religious front. Is it correct?
Haass: No it's not correct. The United States did support the Mujahidin; obviously in order to get rid of the Soviet... to say that the United States supported Al-Qaida is again preposterous- the fact is that Iran is supporting terrorism in Lebanon, it's supporting groups like Hezbollah, groups like Hamas; it is involved in Iraq; it is involved in Afghanistan.
Iran has basically become a regional power that is trying to destabilize many countries, trying to make them in some ways heavily influenced by Tehran and that is simply a fact of life- which again is one of the reasons the world is so concerned about Iranian nuclear program.
How do we know Iran will not become even more aggressive? How do we know that nuclear materials will not end in the hands of a group like Hezbollah? What do we see about Iran's track record that would lead us to believe that Iran in any way would be responsible with nuclear material?
This is a genuine concern and if you dismiss it as laughable Sir you are seriously underestimating not simply the American, not simply the Israeli, but I would suggest the world's concern over the direction your government is heading.
Larijani: The disastrous thing is the blind policy of the United States in supporting carte blanche renegade Israel which is the source of all tension in the region. If you call Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist groups- they are fighting to be given the permission to live. What about Israel?
Israel is involved in government sponsored terrorism. Kills anybody who thinks that it's not correct and deprives millions of people from basic tenures of life. 60 years of atrocity in that area is supported carte blanche by the US, this is even against the basic interests of that nation- they don't know it.
Mitchum:Sir do you recognize the right of Israel to exist?
Larijani: We recognize the rights of Jews, Christians and Muslims to live together in peace and tranquility- to create a racist regime in the middle of a land put the others out is like creating a small colony for the blacks and leave the rest for the whites.
Mitchum: Thank you for the answer.
Barnicle: The answer is no.
Larijani: No, the answer is not no. We respect any decision by Palestinians. We are not in a position to tell them what kind of state they [should] have. But they should be given the chance to decide.
MSNBC:This has been fascinating and a great picture window into the choices that Americans make when they're choosing their president and also a sense of what our Secretary of State and what our diplomats have to confront in dealing with when they're going out into the world and working with other countries.
It is extremely complicated and often conversations feel like they're going in circles because it's very hard to develop a common understanding or even a place where you can start engaging and I think this was an example of that. Mohammad Javad Larijani, thank you for coming on the show this morning.
10:58
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Leader Message on Eid-ul-Ghadeer - Sayed Ali Khamenei - 13 Oct 2014 - English
n the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to congratulate all the dear audience, the dear brothers and sisters, the dear people of Iran, all Shia Muslims and all those...
n the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to congratulate all the dear audience, the dear brothers and sisters, the dear people of Iran, all Shia Muslims and all those people who feel proud of and who enjoy the truths of Islam and knowledge about the content of this holy religion on the occasion of the auspicious day of Eid al-Ghadir. And I welcome all the dear participants, particularly the dear brothers and sisters who have come from distant cities and who have ornamented this meeting with their presence.
I would like to say a few things about the issue of Ghadir and then I will say a few things about the responsibilities that the issue of Ghadir and awareness about the deep lessons of Ghadir entrusts to us. We should pay attention to these responsibilities.
The issue of Ghadir is a very important issue in the history of Islam. First, the essence of this astonishing and important event and this holy statement - \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Whomsoever\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Moula [leader] I am, Ali is also his Moula\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" - is not something that has been narrated by Shia only. This event is among clear and absolute truths. Those who wanted to find faults with this event did not cast doubts on the origin of this statement. Rather, they resorted to ta\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'weel and interpretation of this sentence.
The issue of Ghadir is a clear historical and Islamic issue. The doubts and questions - about the meaning of this sentence - that have come to the minds of some intellectual and philosophical newcomers of today are the same doubts and questions that have been raised since a thousand years ago. And these questions have been answered by great ulama. Therefore, there is not any room for raising doubts about the essence of this issue, this event and what the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) said.
On that day, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) asked the people, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Am I not closer to you than your own selves?\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" This sentence was a reference to a Quranic ayah which said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 33: 6]. Then, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Whomsoever\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Moula I am, Ali is also his Moula\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". So, there is not any room for doubt about the essence of this issue.
What should be said about the content of this historical, holy and meaningful sentence - apart from the appointment of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) as the caliph and Imam after the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) which is the common meaning of this sentence - is that there is another important issue which should not be ignored. This issue is the attention of Islam to the issue of government and politics and the significance of this issue from the viewpoint of Islam.
The answer to those people who have tried to throw Islam out of the arena of social and political issues, to confine it to personal and individual affairs and to adopt a secular outlook towards Islam - the hands of the enemies and their propaganda efforts have been promoting this outlook among Muslims for many years - is the issue of Ghadir. At the command of Allah the Exalted, the Holy Prophet (God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s greetings be upon him and his household) addressed an important and fundamental issue in that sensitive condition and during the last months of his life. This important issue was attending to the issue of government after the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) time.
Here, the appointment of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) was not confined to spiritual aspects. Rather, it can be said that spiritual aspects are not things that someone can be appointed and elected for. Those issues for which someone can be appointed are government, politics and the management of the country and the Islamic society. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) recommended this to the people. This is an important point on the issue of Ghadir and it is a rejoinder to all those people who think and promote the idea that Islam should be kept away from political issues, issues related to the government and the like.
Therefore, these two truths - that is to say, the truth about the appointment of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) as the Imam after the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and the truth about attending to the issue of government, politics, imamate and managing the Islamic Ummah after the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) - and these two very important and sensitive issues exist in the event of Ghadir. They are among teachings that have been guaranteed by Ghadir and they are a great lesson for all Muslims, whether for their present time or for their future.
Today, what we should pay attention to is that the issue of Ghadir is an ideological issue. Shia and the followers of the school of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) household and the school of imamate are committed to the issue of Ghadir. Without a doubt, this is the base of Shia philosophy and there is no room for any discussion on this issue. Those who doubt this and those who have a question in this regard can take part in scholarly and expert meetings and discuss it.
Shia\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s logic is strong. Its reasoning is decisive and impeccable. However, this should not influence the public lives of Muslims, their cooperation with and brotherhood towards one another. The issue of differences between Muslim denominations - whether Shia and Sunni denominations or the different denominations that exist inside these two major denominations - has been one of the targets of the greed of the enemies of Islam, not just the enemies of Shia Islam.
For many years, there has been an effort to create discord between Muslims. This is because the existence of discord between Muslims will make them spend their efforts, energy and motivation on domestic fights. This makes them ignore foreign affairs and their great enemies. This has been the major policy of colonialism for many years and after the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the formation of the Islamic Republic. Because they witnessed the development of the Islamic Republic\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s thoughts in the world of Islam, they placed more emphasis on and showed more persistence in creating discord. They invested in doing this in order to separate the world of Islam from the Islamic Republic.
The Islamic Republic, our great Revolution and our great Imam (r.a.) managed to attract the thoughts of the world of Islam and the hearts of Muslims. They managed to channel their motivations and their moves. This frightened the enemy. This frightened colonialism, arrogance and Zionism - particularly American politicians. As a result of this, they resorted to their old weapon which is the weapon of creating discord.
Since many years ago until today, they have been fueling the fire of discord between Shia and Sunni so that they can divert the attention of the two sides from the main enemy - who is the enemy of Islam, not the enemy of Shia or Sunni in particular - and so that they can busy them with each other. This is the policy of colonialism. And the experts on this policy are the political and security hands of the vile English government which has been active in this area since long ago. They have made many efforts in this area and they know how to create discord between Muslim denominations. They have experience in the ways for doing this. Therefore, they know how to do it and they are extremely active in this arena.
This takfiri orientation - the thing that has emerged in Iraq, Syria and some other regional countries today and that confronts all Muslims, not just Shias - is the handicraft of colonialists themselves. They made something called al-Qaida and DAESH in order to confront the Islamic Republic and the movement of the Islamic Awakening. However, this product has become a burden for themselves. Today, it has become a burden for themselves.
Of course, if we take a careful and analytical look today, we see that the unreal effort which America and its allies are making in the region today under the name of confronting DAESH is, in fact, an effort for channeling enmities among Muslims more than it is an effort for nipping this evil movement in the bud. They try to pit Muslims against one another. Today, they have chosen this ignorant, prejudiced, fossilized and dependent group as the element for doing this. Otherwise, the goal is the same old goal.
They are trying to divert Muslims\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' attention from the main enemy. We - whether Shia and Sunni Muslims or anyone who is committed to Islam and who believes in the authority of the Holy Quran - should know that America and American, arrogant and Zionist policies are the enemy of Islam, Islamic awareness and the rule of Islam. The effort that they are making today is the continuation of the effort that they have been making for 35 years. It is 35 years now that they have been making all sorts of efforts. However, by God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s permission and grace, they were defeated in all the efforts that they made against the Islamic Republic. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, they will definitely be defeated in this one as well.
What the responsibility of Muslims - whether Shia or Sunni Muslims - is, is that they should not help the enemy by provoking the feelings of one another. Shia should know that if there is a fight between Shia and Sunni and if feelings are provoked, it is the common and the main enemy who will benefit from this. Therefore, it should not let this happen. The same is true of Sunni. The two sides should be careful. They should not provoke each other\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s feelings, they should not insult each other\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s holy beliefs and they should not fuel the fire of discord between Muslim tribes and groups - particularly between Shia and Sunni - because this is what the enemies of Islam want. Everyone should pay attention to this.
If someone does something to provoke the feelings of the other side and to create enmity, they should certainly know that they are helping America, vile England and Zionism. They should know that they are helping those people who create DAESH, al-Qaida and the like and who create the takfiri orientation in order to create discord between Shia and Sunni. Today, Islamic unity, Islamic brotherhood and Islamic solidarity is one of the most necessary and urgent responsibilities for all Islamic societies. All of us should be committed to this responsibility.
Of course, the religious, wise and insightful Muslims who live in the Islamic Republic are familiar with their responsibilities. I hope that they show commitment to such responsibilities on this matter and all other matters. I hope that God bestows success on all of you and I hope that He will help all of you and the entire world of Islam to benefit from the blessings of Eid al-Ghadir.
Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings
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n the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to congratulate all the dear audience, the dear brothers and sisters, the dear people of Iran, all Shia Muslims and all those people who feel proud of and who enjoy the truths of Islam and knowledge about the content of this holy religion on the occasion of the auspicious day of Eid al-Ghadir. And I welcome all the dear participants, particularly the dear brothers and sisters who have come from distant cities and who have ornamented this meeting with their presence.
I would like to say a few things about the issue of Ghadir and then I will say a few things about the responsibilities that the issue of Ghadir and awareness about the deep lessons of Ghadir entrusts to us. We should pay attention to these responsibilities.
The issue of Ghadir is a very important issue in the history of Islam. First, the essence of this astonishing and important event and this holy statement - \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Whomsoever\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Moula [leader] I am, Ali is also his Moula\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" - is not something that has been narrated by Shia only. This event is among clear and absolute truths. Those who wanted to find faults with this event did not cast doubts on the origin of this statement. Rather, they resorted to ta\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'weel and interpretation of this sentence.
The issue of Ghadir is a clear historical and Islamic issue. The doubts and questions - about the meaning of this sentence - that have come to the minds of some intellectual and philosophical newcomers of today are the same doubts and questions that have been raised since a thousand years ago. And these questions have been answered by great ulama. Therefore, there is not any room for raising doubts about the essence of this issue, this event and what the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) said.
On that day, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) asked the people, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Am I not closer to you than your own selves?\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" This sentence was a reference to a Quranic ayah which said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 33: 6]. Then, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Whomsoever\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Moula I am, Ali is also his Moula\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". So, there is not any room for doubt about the essence of this issue.
What should be said about the content of this historical, holy and meaningful sentence - apart from the appointment of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) as the caliph and Imam after the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) which is the common meaning of this sentence - is that there is another important issue which should not be ignored. This issue is the attention of Islam to the issue of government and politics and the significance of this issue from the viewpoint of Islam.
The answer to those people who have tried to throw Islam out of the arena of social and political issues, to confine it to personal and individual affairs and to adopt a secular outlook towards Islam - the hands of the enemies and their propaganda efforts have been promoting this outlook among Muslims for many years - is the issue of Ghadir. At the command of Allah the Exalted, the Holy Prophet (God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s greetings be upon him and his household) addressed an important and fundamental issue in that sensitive condition and during the last months of his life. This important issue was attending to the issue of government after the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) time.
Here, the appointment of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) was not confined to spiritual aspects. Rather, it can be said that spiritual aspects are not things that someone can be appointed and elected for. Those issues for which someone can be appointed are government, politics and the management of the country and the Islamic society. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) recommended this to the people. This is an important point on the issue of Ghadir and it is a rejoinder to all those people who think and promote the idea that Islam should be kept away from political issues, issues related to the government and the like.
Therefore, these two truths - that is to say, the truth about the appointment of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) as the Imam after the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and the truth about attending to the issue of government, politics, imamate and managing the Islamic Ummah after the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) - and these two very important and sensitive issues exist in the event of Ghadir. They are among teachings that have been guaranteed by Ghadir and they are a great lesson for all Muslims, whether for their present time or for their future.
Today, what we should pay attention to is that the issue of Ghadir is an ideological issue. Shia and the followers of the school of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) household and the school of imamate are committed to the issue of Ghadir. Without a doubt, this is the base of Shia philosophy and there is no room for any discussion on this issue. Those who doubt this and those who have a question in this regard can take part in scholarly and expert meetings and discuss it.
Shia\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s logic is strong. Its reasoning is decisive and impeccable. However, this should not influence the public lives of Muslims, their cooperation with and brotherhood towards one another. The issue of differences between Muslim denominations - whether Shia and Sunni denominations or the different denominations that exist inside these two major denominations - has been one of the targets of the greed of the enemies of Islam, not just the enemies of Shia Islam.
For many years, there has been an effort to create discord between Muslims. This is because the existence of discord between Muslims will make them spend their efforts, energy and motivation on domestic fights. This makes them ignore foreign affairs and their great enemies. This has been the major policy of colonialism for many years and after the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the formation of the Islamic Republic. Because they witnessed the development of the Islamic Republic\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s thoughts in the world of Islam, they placed more emphasis on and showed more persistence in creating discord. They invested in doing this in order to separate the world of Islam from the Islamic Republic.
The Islamic Republic, our great Revolution and our great Imam (r.a.) managed to attract the thoughts of the world of Islam and the hearts of Muslims. They managed to channel their motivations and their moves. This frightened the enemy. This frightened colonialism, arrogance and Zionism - particularly American politicians. As a result of this, they resorted to their old weapon which is the weapon of creating discord.
Since many years ago until today, they have been fueling the fire of discord between Shia and Sunni so that they can divert the attention of the two sides from the main enemy - who is the enemy of Islam, not the enemy of Shia or Sunni in particular - and so that they can busy them with each other. This is the policy of colonialism. And the experts on this policy are the political and security hands of the vile English government which has been active in this area since long ago. They have made many efforts in this area and they know how to create discord between Muslim denominations. They have experience in the ways for doing this. Therefore, they know how to do it and they are extremely active in this arena.
This takfiri orientation - the thing that has emerged in Iraq, Syria and some other regional countries today and that confronts all Muslims, not just Shias - is the handicraft of colonialists themselves. They made something called al-Qaida and DAESH in order to confront the Islamic Republic and the movement of the Islamic Awakening. However, this product has become a burden for themselves. Today, it has become a burden for themselves.
Of course, if we take a careful and analytical look today, we see that the unreal effort which America and its allies are making in the region today under the name of confronting DAESH is, in fact, an effort for channeling enmities among Muslims more than it is an effort for nipping this evil movement in the bud. They try to pit Muslims against one another. Today, they have chosen this ignorant, prejudiced, fossilized and dependent group as the element for doing this. Otherwise, the goal is the same old goal.
They are trying to divert Muslims\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' attention from the main enemy. We - whether Shia and Sunni Muslims or anyone who is committed to Islam and who believes in the authority of the Holy Quran - should know that America and American, arrogant and Zionist policies are the enemy of Islam, Islamic awareness and the rule of Islam. The effort that they are making today is the continuation of the effort that they have been making for 35 years. It is 35 years now that they have been making all sorts of efforts. However, by God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s permission and grace, they were defeated in all the efforts that they made against the Islamic Republic. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, they will definitely be defeated in this one as well.
What the responsibility of Muslims - whether Shia or Sunni Muslims - is, is that they should not help the enemy by provoking the feelings of one another. Shia should know that if there is a fight between Shia and Sunni and if feelings are provoked, it is the common and the main enemy who will benefit from this. Therefore, it should not let this happen. The same is true of Sunni. The two sides should be careful. They should not provoke each other\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s feelings, they should not insult each other\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s holy beliefs and they should not fuel the fire of discord between Muslim tribes and groups - particularly between Shia and Sunni - because this is what the enemies of Islam want. Everyone should pay attention to this.
If someone does something to provoke the feelings of the other side and to create enmity, they should certainly know that they are helping America, vile England and Zionism. They should know that they are helping those people who create DAESH, al-Qaida and the like and who create the takfiri orientation in order to create discord between Shia and Sunni. Today, Islamic unity, Islamic brotherhood and Islamic solidarity is one of the most necessary and urgent responsibilities for all Islamic societies. All of us should be committed to this responsibility.
Of course, the religious, wise and insightful Muslims who live in the Islamic Republic are familiar with their responsibilities. I hope that they show commitment to such responsibilities on this matter and all other matters. I hope that God bestows success on all of you and I hope that He will help all of you and the entire world of Islam to benefit from the blessings of Eid al-Ghadir.
Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings
3:18
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FOX News - Bias Reporting - Brain-feeding Viewers - English
FOX News - Bias Reporting - Brain-feeding Viewers - English. FOX news is attempting to prepare general population for another UNJUSTIFIED war against Islamic Republic of Iran. Fox News is trying to...
FOX News - Bias Reporting - Brain-feeding Viewers - English. FOX news is attempting to prepare general population for another UNJUSTIFIED war against Islamic Republic of Iran. Fox News is trying to prove that there is Al-Qaida residing in Iran. There is no evidence for this baseless accusation. Although the aggressors would love this to be the case. Death to aggressors.
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Description:
FOX News - Bias Reporting - Brain-feeding Viewers - English. FOX news is attempting to prepare general population for another UNJUSTIFIED war against Islamic Republic of Iran. Fox News is trying to prove that there is Al-Qaida residing in Iran. There is no evidence for this baseless accusation. Although the aggressors would love this to be the case. Death to aggressors.
Utho Keh Kay Ya Hussain (a.s) - Samarrah Tragedy - Urdu
Utho Keh Kay Ya Hussain (a.s) - Samarrah Tragedy - Urdu. Once again the peaceful Community of Shias has been struck by the evil forces. As history indicates - the Shias are a peaceful and...
Utho Keh Kay Ya Hussain (a.s) - Samarrah Tragedy - Urdu. Once again the peaceful Community of Shias has been struck by the evil forces. As history indicates - the Shias are a peaceful and tolerant people. We believe in the philosophy of live and let live. And this is the reason that we are a thorn in the eyes of the Salafis Wahabis Al-Qaida and the Taliban. From the very beginning the Wahabis and the other similar groups have always incited trouble while compelling others to engage in evil and hate. It is not that we the Shias are weak but that it is against the teachings of Islam which we adhere to. Intolerance injustice and oppression have always been strictly against the teachings of the last Prophet of Islam. The Quran clearly states that to you-your religion and to me-mine. It is unfortunate and tragic that Islam has been viscously hijacked by barbarians who have nothing to do with humanity let alone Islam. However the latest attack in Samarrah is way beyond belief and shatters all decency. We will not retaliate with violence. However we will strongly voice our opinions and demand our rights through all and only legal means necessary. In that spirit-I on my personal behalf and on the behalf of my Shia Community- strongly condemn and denounce this recent heinous act. We the Shias deplore all acts of oppression and injustice wherever it may occur in the world. We condemn all desecration to all sacred sites wherever they may be - and to whomever it may belong. We condemn all acts of terrorism and violence regardless. We request everyone to take a unified stand against all the injustices and tyranny occurring in the world. It is vital that now every citizen on Earth bond and strive towards truth, justice and tolerance against the common enemy inflicting pain and hate.
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Description:
Utho Keh Kay Ya Hussain (a.s) - Samarrah Tragedy - Urdu. Once again the peaceful Community of Shias has been struck by the evil forces. As history indicates - the Shias are a peaceful and tolerant people. We believe in the philosophy of live and let live. And this is the reason that we are a thorn in the eyes of the Salafis Wahabis Al-Qaida and the Taliban. From the very beginning the Wahabis and the other similar groups have always incited trouble while compelling others to engage in evil and hate. It is not that we the Shias are weak but that it is against the teachings of Islam which we adhere to. Intolerance injustice and oppression have always been strictly against the teachings of the last Prophet of Islam. The Quran clearly states that to you-your religion and to me-mine. It is unfortunate and tragic that Islam has been viscously hijacked by barbarians who have nothing to do with humanity let alone Islam. However the latest attack in Samarrah is way beyond belief and shatters all decency. We will not retaliate with violence. However we will strongly voice our opinions and demand our rights through all and only legal means necessary. In that spirit-I on my personal behalf and on the behalf of my Shia Community- strongly condemn and denounce this recent heinous act. We the Shias deplore all acts of oppression and injustice wherever it may occur in the world. We condemn all desecration to all sacred sites wherever they may be - and to whomever it may belong. We condemn all acts of terrorism and violence regardless. We request everyone to take a unified stand against all the injustices and tyranny occurring in the world. It is vital that now every citizen on Earth bond and strive towards truth, justice and tolerance against the common enemy inflicting pain and hate.
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US Air Raid fuels Afghan anger - 27Jan09 - English
US Air Raid fuels Afghan anger - 27Jan09 - English. Afghan civilians have rallied against America amid reports that civilians were killed in a US air raid over the weekend.
The US military says...
US Air Raid fuels Afghan anger - 27Jan09 - English. Afghan civilians have rallied against America amid reports that civilians were killed in a US air raid over the weekend.
The US military says 15 fighters were killed in Laghman province, but the provincial governor says at least 10 civilians were among the dead.
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Description:
US Air Raid fuels Afghan anger - 27Jan09 - English. Afghan civilians have rallied against America amid reports that civilians were killed in a US air raid over the weekend.
The US military says 15 fighters were killed in Laghman province, but the provincial governor says at least 10 civilians were among the dead.
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Pakistani Crack Down on Militants - English
The Pakistani Army says at least 35 militants have been killed during military operations by security forces in South Waziristan agency in northwest Pakistan.
Official sources told Press TV...
The Pakistani Army says at least 35 militants have been killed during military operations by security forces in South Waziristan agency in northwest Pakistan.
Official sources told Press TV that the operation against Baitullah Mehsud and Taliban militants is under way in South Waziristan tribal region as the troops have targeted several pockets of the militants in an effort to clear the region.
Thirty five militants have been killed in the region during the last 24 hours, the official said.
According to the sources, security forces have attacked militants' hideouts in Brond, Sarokei, Kotkei, Mola Khan Suriai and destroyed three hideouts including one of their important centers
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Description:
The Pakistani Army says at least 35 militants have been killed during military operations by security forces in South Waziristan agency in northwest Pakistan.
Official sources told Press TV that the operation against Baitullah Mehsud and Taliban militants is under way in South Waziristan tribal region as the troops have targeted several pockets of the militants in an effort to clear the region.
Thirty five militants have been killed in the region during the last 24 hours, the official said.
According to the sources, security forces have attacked militants' hideouts in Brond, Sarokei, Kotkei, Mola Khan Suriai and destroyed three hideouts including one of their important centers
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US Doom: The nation is killing itself - English
Max Keiser and co-host, Stacy Herbert, look at hard assets versus high assets, Hu Jintao bonds, political witches and more bank bailouts.
Max Keiser and co-host, Stacy Herbert, look at hard assets versus high assets, Hu Jintao bonds, political witches and more bank bailouts.
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Hezbollah Leader Sayyed Nasrallah Directs a Message to Al-Qaeda in Syria - Arabic sub English
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s latest comments on the Syrian crisis, in which he directs a message to Al-Qaeda on their involvement in the fighting in...
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s latest comments on the Syrian crisis, in which he directs a message to Al-Qaeda on their involvement in the fighting in Syria.
Includes English Subtitles.
This is an excerpt from a speech given on 16/12/2012.
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Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s latest comments on the Syrian crisis, in which he directs a message to Al-Qaeda on their involvement in the fighting in Syria.
Includes English Subtitles.
This is an excerpt from a speech given on 16/12/2012.
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[30 Dec 2012]19+ Shia Martyred pilgrims in SUICIDE bus BOMBING in Pakistan mastung - All Languages
Asuicide bomber driving a vehicle packed with explosives rammed into a bus carrying Shia Muslim pilgrims in south-west Pakistan on Sunday, killing 19+ people, a government official and witnesses...
Asuicide bomber driving a vehicle packed with explosives rammed into a bus carrying Shia Muslim pilgrims in south-west Pakistan on Sunday, killing 19+ people, a government official and witnesses said.
Earlier on Sunday, 21 tribal policemen believed to have been kidnapped by the Taliban were found shot dead in Pakistan\\\\\\\'s troubled north-west tribal region, government officials said.
Pakistan has experienced a spike in killings over the past year by radical Sunni Muslims targeting Shias who they consider heretics. The violence has been especially pronounced in Baluchistan province, where the latest attack occurred.
In addition to the 19 people killed in the bombing in Baluchistan\\\\\\\'s Mastung district, 25 others were wounded, many of them critically, said Tufail Ahmed, a local political official. The blast completely destroyed the bus that was hit and damaged a second bus carrying Shias that was close by.
A witness who was travelling in the second bus told Pakistan\\\\\\\'s Geo TV the first bus contained over 40 pilgrims heading to neighbouring Iran, a popular religious tourism destination for Shias.
A second witness said the bomber rushed by in a truck, swerved in front of the first bus and braked suddenly. The bus slammed into the truck and then a big explosion occurred.
Shias make up around 15% of Pakistan\\\\\\\'s 190 million people. They are scattered around the country but the province of Baluchistan has the largest community, mainly made up of ethnic Hazaras, easily identified by their facial features which resemble those of Central Asians.
The 21 tribal policemen who were shot dead were found by officials early on Sunday, in the Jabai area of Frontier Region Peshawar after being notified by one policeman who escaped, said Naveed Akbar Khan, a top political official in the area. Another policeman was found seriously wounded, said Khan.
The 23 policemen went missing before dawn on Thursday, when militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons attacked two posts in FRP. Two policemen were also killed in the attacks.
Militants lined the policemen up on a cricket pitch late on Saturday night and gunned them down, said another local official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media.
Also on Sunday, two Pakistani soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the North Waziristan tribal area, the main sanctuary for Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the country, security officials said.
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Description:
Asuicide bomber driving a vehicle packed with explosives rammed into a bus carrying Shia Muslim pilgrims in south-west Pakistan on Sunday, killing 19+ people, a government official and witnesses said.
Earlier on Sunday, 21 tribal policemen believed to have been kidnapped by the Taliban were found shot dead in Pakistan\\\\\\\'s troubled north-west tribal region, government officials said.
Pakistan has experienced a spike in killings over the past year by radical Sunni Muslims targeting Shias who they consider heretics. The violence has been especially pronounced in Baluchistan province, where the latest attack occurred.
In addition to the 19 people killed in the bombing in Baluchistan\\\\\\\'s Mastung district, 25 others were wounded, many of them critically, said Tufail Ahmed, a local political official. The blast completely destroyed the bus that was hit and damaged a second bus carrying Shias that was close by.
A witness who was travelling in the second bus told Pakistan\\\\\\\'s Geo TV the first bus contained over 40 pilgrims heading to neighbouring Iran, a popular religious tourism destination for Shias.
A second witness said the bomber rushed by in a truck, swerved in front of the first bus and braked suddenly. The bus slammed into the truck and then a big explosion occurred.
Shias make up around 15% of Pakistan\\\\\\\'s 190 million people. They are scattered around the country but the province of Baluchistan has the largest community, mainly made up of ethnic Hazaras, easily identified by their facial features which resemble those of Central Asians.
The 21 tribal policemen who were shot dead were found by officials early on Sunday, in the Jabai area of Frontier Region Peshawar after being notified by one policeman who escaped, said Naveed Akbar Khan, a top political official in the area. Another policeman was found seriously wounded, said Khan.
The 23 policemen went missing before dawn on Thursday, when militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons attacked two posts in FRP. Two policemen were also killed in the attacks.
Militants lined the policemen up on a cricket pitch late on Saturday night and gunned them down, said another local official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media.
Also on Sunday, two Pakistani soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the North Waziristan tribal area, the main sanctuary for Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the country, security officials said.
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