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A door to Heaven has opened for us ============================== Follow us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Panahianen/ ... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PanahianEN/... Twitter: https://twitter.com/PanahianEN Telegram: https://telegram.me/Panahianen/ ============================== Do you know why we don’t repent, worship, do good deeds or endeavor to have a good intention very much? Because we think we always have these opportunities! That’s it. There is a very old joke. It may not seem as funny nowadays. A person was told, “If you want money, go to Tehran. It’s all over the place there [meaning it’s easy to make money there].” “Really?!” “Yes.” When he got off the bus, he saw a bill on the ground next to his foot. He thought, “It’s really true that money is all over the place in Tehran. I’ll start collecting from tomorrow. I have come a long distance and I’m tired now.” The next day, he asked the motel, “Do you have a bag?” “What do you want it for?” “I want to collect money,” he said. “From where?” “They said it’s all over the place!” he replied. “Yesterday when I got off the bus, I saw a bill,” he continued. “You should have picked up that bill! It’s not like that.” Many people think like this. “I’ll do it later.” God doesn’t like such an attitude. Are you sure you will have a chance in the future?! Who will give you this chance? When a good deed comes to your mind, does it come for no reason? O God, I should repent very much for the times when it occurred to me to come to You, but I told myself I’ll do it later. I thought I will always have these opportunities. It is said that when something good comes to your heart, don’t ignore it! Think, “An angel has inspired this thought in me!” See how the Immaculate Ones talk to God. They have said that when you want to talk to God, imagine that this is your last chance. Think, “Will there be any other opportunities? Will I have such an opportunity again?” We don’t think like this. We think we always have such opportunities! But the Immaculate Imams tell us there aren’t always these opportunities! This is the last chance. It is said, “Appreciate the opportunities you have. They pass by like a cloud passing by.” It’s like small, scattered clouds that come into the sky for a short time. When you look again, they’re not there anymore. This is how opportunities are. The Commander of the Faithful, Ali (as), has said this and not just any person! He knows the universe better than others. He said that this is how we should look at matters. One of these opportunities is the Night of Destiny and the month of Ramadan. There are many opportunities that we miss unfortunately. We have been told to read the Jawshan Kabeer Supplication on the Nights of Destiny. A door to Heaven has opened for us! Don’t read even one line of the Jawshan Kabeer Supplication negligently. Don’t call God by even one of His attributes in the Jawshan Kabeer Supplication negligently. “God, did You hear me? I am saying this to You. O He Who plans the day and the night. O He Who gives the sustenance of the small child. O God, did You hear me? I said this about You! See.” Whether you cry or not, pay attention while you are saying these and they will have an effect on the world! Do you know why we don’t repent, worship, do good deeds or endeavor to have a good intention very much? Because we think we always have these opportunities! Many people think like this. “I’ll do it later.” God doesn’t like such an attitude. Are you sure you will have a chance in the future?! Who will give you this chance? When a good deed comes to your mind, does it come for no reason? When something good comes to your heart, don’t ignore it! Think, “An angel has inspired this thought in me!

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A beautiful reminder highlighting what the Holy Prophet (S) and his great grandson, Imam Sadiq (A) said about your status in this Holy Month of Ramadhan. This is your chance, so take it! It only takes a minute to change the way you feel! #OneMinuteWisdom #Ramadhan

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Iran\'s automotive industry is the second most active in the country after oil and gas, the country passed the one million mark in production in 2007. Iran is one of the biggest manufactures of automobiles and automotive parts in the Middle East, in an expo held in Tehran, they showcased their latest advancements.

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Thanks to the 3-dimensional printing technology, now visually-impaired people have the chance to imagine and grasp a better understanding of what the world looks like. One school in Japan is giving such an opportunity to its visually-impaired students with the help of 3D printing technology. One of the students had never seen a snow flake before, but the detailed model of a snow flake made it easier for him to imagine it all in his mind. The machine allows these people to imagine and understand things that are too big, too small or too dangerous to be handled. So, with just a simple press of a button, the students can choose from Japan\'s iconic Mount Fuji to a miniature elephant figure, in perfect detail and rendered in 3D.

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As International diplomacy with Iran over its nuclear program enters the next phase, Iranians talk of their demands from the six world powers for the upcoming talks in Vienna. Iranians on the streets told us of their concerns and the mistrust that has been built from the actions of the West, especially the US. Just three months ago in Geneva, optimism followed the interim deal between Iran and the so-called 5p+1, Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S., plus Germany.

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#Coronavirus or #Covid-19 has infected many countries around the globe. How does Islam look at the Coronavirus? Is it a curse? Is it a punishment? Or is it an opportunity for humanity? Ayatollah Jawadi Amoli is one of the highly esteemed scholars of Islam in Qom, Iran. He explains how a believer should look at this pandemic. Allah has given humanity another chance to reflect and get its act together.

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Iran questions Obama's 'change' Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has criticized his American counterpart Barack Obama for failing to realize his campaign trail promise of "change." "They (the Americans) announced that they had pulled out part of their forces from Iraq in recent days and claimed that their move was in line with their slogan of 'change,'" Fars News Agency quoted President Ahmadinejad as saying on Wednesday. "You said you would withdraw all your troops from Iraq, why is it that some of them are still in this country? Secondly, where are you relocating your forces from Iraq?" "The Americans want to relocate their soldiers to Afghanistan. What kind of a change in their military policy is this?" the president asked during a speech in the western Hamadan Province. Ahmadinejad went on to say, "Real change means that you take your forces... and leave our region." The president also referred to the standoff over Iran's nuclear program, urging the US leader "not to miss another chance" over Tehran's nuclear fuel swap proposal. "Obama missed last year's chance for fuel swap, but this opportunity is once again on the table today. We have informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that we are ready for fuel swap and for negotiations from mid-Ramadan (September)." The president dismissed a recent host of unilateral sanctions imposed against Iran by the US, the European Union, Canada, and Australia, as "ineffective." Western powers, led by the US and Israel, accuse Iran of following a covert military nuclear program. Tehran denies the charges, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) it has the right to civilian nuclear technology. Earlier reports on Wednesday said that the president's motorcade had come under a grenade attack during the trip to Hamadan. The President's office, however, rejected the reports.

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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.

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Abū Ḥamza al-Thumali was a prominent student of of Imam Ali Zainul Abidīn (as) , as well as a companion of Imam Jafar as Sadiq (as) . Al-Thumālī narrated this supplication from Imam Sajjad (as), and is cited by various scholars, such as Shaykh Tusi in Misbah al-Mutahajjid, Sayyid ibn Tawus in Iqbal al-A’mal, Ibrahim ibn Ali al-Kaf’ami in Al-Balad al-Amin, and Allama Majlisi in Bihar Al-Anwar. It is known to be one of the longest Dua’s and is meant to be read in the Month of Ramadan before sunrise. This supplication is beautiful in its eloquence as it holds many spiritual teachings, such as finding the balance between hope and fear, death, and gratitude. For example, we know that as humans we are greatly flawed and bound to sin, in which we may fear that we are not worthy of mercy and forgiveness of Allah swt. This path towards wrongdoings can lead one to hopelessness, however, the Dua teaches us that we must remember Allah swt is All Forgiving and All Merciful, and by these virtues of Allah swt that we should remain hopeful, and to not be fearful of Allah swt, but rather to be cautious and scared of our own actions. The Dua of Abu Hamza also contains supplications for our needs and wants for this world, as well as the hereafter. It is said that if the whole of this supplication is read then the supplications of our needs have been sufficiently covered, as this Dua mentions a variety of wishes that one may ask for. This includes the wellbeing of our families, the whole of society, and ourselves. As this Dua is mainly recited in the month of Ramadan, there is also the request to be amongst those who receive the chance to perform Hajj, as it is narrated that on Laylatul Qadr, the names of those who will be given such a chance are written. With the many needs that this Dua addresses, Imam Sajjad (as) has also included in it the bounties of Allah, so that we may practice gratitude and be grateful for that which Allah has blessed us with. Lastly as all of us must face death at one point or another, in this supplication, the Imam (as) prepares us for what will come after death, and reminds us to strive for the Hereafter.

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This supplication is beautiful in its eloquence as it holds many spiritual teachings, such as finding the balance between hope and fear, death, and gratitude. For example, we know that as humans we are greatly flawed and bound to sin, in which we may fear that we are not worthy of mercy and forgiveness of Allah swt. This path towards wrongdoings can lead one to hopelessness, however, the Dua teaches us that we must remember Allah swt is All Forgiving and All Merciful, and by these virtues of Allah swt that we should remain hopeful, and to not be fearful of Allah swt, but rather to be cautious and scared of our own actions. The Dua of Abu Hamza also contains supplications for our needs and wants for this world, as well as the hereafter. It is said that if the whole of this supplication is read then the supplications of our needs have been sufficiently covered, as this Dua mentions a variety of wishes that one may ask for. This includes the wellbeing of our families, the whole of society, and ourselves. As this Dua is mainly recited in the month of Ramadan, there is also the request to be amongst those who receive the chance to perform Hajj, as it is narrated that on Laylatul Qadr, the names of those who will be given such a chance are written. With the many needs that this Dua addresses, Imam Sajjad (as) has also included in it the bounties of Allah, so that we may practice gratitude and be grateful for that which Allah has blessed us with. Lastly as all of us must face death at one point or another, in this supplication, the Imam (as) prepares us for what will come after death, and reminds us to strive for the Hereafter.

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A must to see Day before Hajj. A spiritual approach to compare how Hajj is related to death and how it gives another chance to a person to be born again and live again. Presented by Khalil Jaffer. First Edition Sept 2007

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Manchester, England. 1 March 2008. Five years after the invasion of Iraq, two leading opponents of the US-led occupations in the Middle East come to Manchester to talk about the reality of the War on Terror on the ground at a public rally. The event is organised by the Stop the War Coalition as part of its build up to the World Against War demonstrations that were due to take place globally on March 15th 2008. This meeting is a chance to hear key figures from the Middle East and leading activists and writers from Britain discuss the impact of the war on terror and the continuing campaign to get the troops out. The speakers include two eyewitness reports from Iraq and Lebanon: 1. Ibrahim al-Moussawi is editor of the Lebanese Hezbollah newspaper, al-Intiqad, and one of the key spokespeople for the popular resistance to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2006. 2. Hassan Juma'a is President of the Iraqi Oil Workers Federation, and a leader of the campaign to stop the US-led privatisation of Iraqi oil. They are joined at the rally by Chris Nineham, national chair of the Stop the War Coalition. Ibrahim Mousawi defies a campaign by warmongering Conservative Party leader, David Cameron, to keep him out of the country. "Governments should not censor what people have to say and confiscate the right of intelligent people to decide what to hear or not to hear. I'm a staunch defender of political freedoms and freedom of speech," retorted al-Moussaw. This particular clip shows Ibrahim al-Moussawi, editor of the Hezbollah newspaper, speaking at the event.

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Manchester, England. 1 March 2008. Five years after the invasion of Iraq, two leading opponents of the US-led occupations in the Middle East come to Manchester to talk about the reality of the War on Terror on the ground at a public rally. The event is organised by the Stop the War Coalition as part of its build up to the World Against War demonstrations that were due to take place globally on March 15th 2008. This meeting is a chance to hear key figures from the Middle East and leading activists and writers from Britain discuss the impact of the war on terror and the continuing campaign to get the troops out. The speakers include two eyewitness reports from Iraq and Lebanon: 1. Ibrahim al-Moussawi is editor of the Lebanese Hezbollah newspaper, al-Intiqad, and one of the key spokespeople for the popular resistance to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2006. 2. Hassan Juma'a is President of the Iraqi Oil Workers Federation, and a leader of the campaign to stop the US-led privatisation of Iraqi oil. They are joined at the rally by Chris Nineham, national chair of the Stop the War Coalition. Ibrahim Mousawi defies a campaign by warmongering Conservative Party leader, David Cameron, to keep him out of the country. "Governments should not censor what people have to say and confiscate the right of intelligent people to decide what to hear or not to hear. I'm a staunch defender of political freedoms and freedom of speech," retorted al-Moussaw. This particular clip shows Ibrahim al-Moussawi, editor of the Hezbollah newspaper, speaking at the event.

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Manchester, England. 1 March 2008. Five years after the invasion of Iraq, two leading opponents of the US-led occupations in the Middle East come to Manchester to talk about the reality of the War on Terror on the ground at a public rally. The event is organised by the Stop the War Coalition as part of its build up to the World Against War demonstrations that were due to take place globally on March 15th 2008. This meeting is a chance to hear key figures from the Middle East and leading activists and writers from Britain discuss the impact of the war on terror and the continuing campaign to get the troops out. The speakers include two eyewitness reports from Iraq and Lebanon: 1. Ibrahim al-Moussawi is editor of the Lebanese Hezbollah newspaper, al-Intiqad, and one of the key spokespeople for the popular resistance to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2006. 2. Hassan Juma\'a is President of the Iraqi Oil Workers Federation, and a leader of the campaign to stop the US-led privatisation of Iraqi oil. They are joined at the rally by Chris Nineham, national chair of the Stop the War Coalition. Ibrahim Mousawi defies a campaign by warmongering Conservative Party leader, David Cameron, to keep him out of the country. \"Governments should not censor what people have to say and confiscate the right of intelligent people to decide what to hear or not to hear. I\'m a staunch defender of political freedoms and freedom of speech,\" retorted al-Moussawi. This particular clip shows Hassan Juma\'a speaking at the event.

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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the Threat of US Attack and International Criticism of Iran’s Human Rights Record In part one of an interview with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talks about the threat of a US attack on Iran and responds to international criticism of Iran’s human rights record. We also get reaction from CUNY Professor Ervand Abrahamian, an Iran expert and author of several books on Iran. JUAN GONZALEZ: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the United Nations General Assembly this week, while the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, is meeting in Vienna to discuss Iran’s alleged nuclear program. An IAEA report earlier this month criticized Iran for failing to fully respond to questions about its nuclear activities. The European Union told the IAEA Wednesday that it believes Iran is moving closer to being able to arm a nuclear warhead. Iran could face a fourth set of Security Council sanctions over its nuclear activities, but this week Russia has refused to meet with the US on this issue. The Iranian president refuted the IAEA’s charges in his speech to the General Assembly and accused the agency of succumbing to political pressure. He also welcomed talks with the United States if it cuts back threats to use military force against Iran. AMY GOODMAN: As with every visit of the Iranian president to New York, some groups protested outside the United Nations. But this year, President Ahmadinejad also met with a large delegation of American peace activists concerned with the escalating possibility of war with Iran. Well, yesterday, just before their meeting, Juan Gonzalez and I sat down with the Iranian president at his hotel, blocks from the UN, for a wide-ranging discussion about US-Iran relations, Iran’s nuclear program, threat of war with the US, the Israel-Palestine conflict, human rights in Iran and much more. Today, part one of our interview with the Iranian president. AMY GOODMAN: Welcome to Democracy Now!, President Ahmadinejad. You’ve come to the United States. What is your message to people in the United States and to the world community at the UN? PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] In the name of God, the compassion of the Merciful, the president started by reciting verses from the Holy Quran in Arabic. Hello. Hello to the people of America. The message from the nation and people of Iran is one of peace, tranquility and brotherhood. We believe that viable peace and security can happen when it is based on justice and piety and purity. Otherwise, no peace will occur. JUAN GONZALEZ: Mr. President, you’re faced now in Iran with American soldiers in Iraq to your west, with American soldiers and NATO troops to your east in Afghanistan, and with Blackwater, the notorious military contractor, training the military in Azerbaijan, another neighbor of yours. What is the effect on your country of this enormous presence of American forces around Iran and the impact of these wars on your own population? PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] It’s quite natural that when there are wars around your borders, it brings about negative repercussions for the entire region. These days, insecurity cannot be bordered; it just extends beyond boundaries. In the past two years, we had several cases of bomb explosions in southern towns in Iran carried out by people who were supervised by the occupying forces in our neighborhood. And in Afghanistan, following the presence of NATO troops, the production of illicit drugs has multiplied. It’s natural that it basically places pressure on Iran, including costly ones in order to fight the flow of illicit drugs. We believe the people in the region are able to establish security themselves, on their own, so there is no need for foreigners and external forces, because these external forces have not helped the security of the region. AMY GOODMAN: Do you see them as a threat to you? PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Well, it’s natural that when there is insecurity, it threatens everyone. JUAN GONZALEZ: I’d like to turn for a moment to your domestic policies and law enforcement in your country. Human Rights Watch, which has often criticized the legal system in the United States, says that, under your presidency, there has been a great expansion in the scope and the number of individuals and activities persecuted by the government. They say that you’ve jailed teachers who are fighting for wages and better pensions, students and activists working for reform, and other labor leaders, like Mansour Ossanlou from the bus workers’ union. What is your response to these criticisms of your policies? PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] I think that the human rights situation in Iran is relatively a good one, when compared to the United States and other countries. Of course, when we look at the ideals that are dear to us, we understand that we still need to do a lot, because we seek divine and religious ideals and revolutionary ones. But when we compare ourselves with some European countries and the United States, we feel we’re in a much better place. A large part of the information that these groups receive come from criticisms coming from groups that oppose the government. If you look at it, we have elections in Iran every year. And the propaganda is always around, too. But they’re not always true. Groups accuse one another. But within the region and compared to the United States, we have the smallest number of prisoners, because in Iran, in general, there is not so much inclination to imprison people. We’re actually looking at our existing laws right now to see how we can eliminate most prisons around the country. So, you can see that people in Iran like each other. They live coexistently and like the government, too. This news is more important to these groups, not so much for the Iranian people. You have to remember, we have over 70 million people in our country, and we have laws. Some people might violate it, and then, according to the law, the judiciary takes charge. And this happens everywhere. What really matters is that in the end there are the least amount of such violations of the law in Iran, the least number. So, I think the interpretation of these events is a wrong one. The relationship between the people and the government in Iran is actually a very close one. And criticizing the government is absolutely free for all. That’s exactly why everyone says what they want. There’s really no restrictions. It doesn’t necessarily mean that everything you hear is always true. And the government doesn’t really respond to it, either. It’s just free. JUAN GONZALEZ: Let me ask you in particular about the question of the execution of juveniles. My understanding is that Iran is one of only five or six nations in the world that still execute juveniles convicted of capital offenses and that you—by far, you execute the most. I think twenty-six of the last thirty-two juveniles executed in the world were executed in Iran. How is this a reflection of the—of a state guided by religious principles, to execute young people? PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Firstly, nobody is executed under the age of eighteen in Iran. This is the first point. And then, please pay attention to the fact that the legal age in Iran is different from yours. It’s not eighteen and doesn’t have to be eighteen everywhere. So, it’s different in different countries. I’ll ask you, if a person who happens to be seventeen years old and nine months kills one of your relatives, will you just overlook that? AMY GOODMAN: We’ll continue our interview with Iranian President Ahmadinejad after break. [break] AMY GOODMAN: We return to our interview with the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. JUAN GONZALEZ: I’d like to ask you, recently the Bush administration agreed to provide Israel with many new bunker buster bombs that people speculate might be used against Iran. Your reaction to this decision by the Bush administration? And do you—and there have been numerous reports in the American press of the Bush administration seeking to finance a secret war against Iran right now. PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Well, we actually think that the US administration and some other governments have equipped the Zionist regime with the nuclear warhead for those bombs, too. So, what are we to tell the American administration, a government that seeks a solution to all problems through war? Their logic is one of war. In the past twenty years, Americans’ military expenditures have multiplied. So I think the problem should be resolved somewhere else, meaning the people of America themselves must decide about their future. Do they like new wars to be waged in their names that kill nations or have their money spent on warfare? So I think that’s where the problem can be addressed. AMY GOODMAN: The investigative reporter Seymour Hersh said the Bush administration held a meeting in Vice President Cheney’s office to discuss ways to provoke a war with Iran. Hersh said it was considered possibly a meeting to stage an incident, that it would appear that Iranian boats had attacked US forces in the Straits of Hormuz. Do you have any evidence of this? PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Well, you have to pay attention to find that a lot of this kind of stuff is published out there. There’s no need for us to react to it. Of course, Mr. Bush is very interested to start a new war. But he confronts two big barriers. One is the incapability in terms of maneuverability and operationally. Iran is a very big country, a very powerful country, very much capable of defending itself. The second barrier is the United States itself. We think there are enough wise people in this country to prevent the unreasonable actions by the administration. Even among the military commanders here, there are many people with wisdom who will stop a new war. I think the beginning or the starting a new war will mark the beginning of the end of the United States of America. Many people can understand that. But I also think that Mr. Bush’s administration is coming to an end. Mr. Bush still has one other chance to make up for the mistakes he did in the past. He has no time to add to those list of mistakes. He can only make up for them. And that’s a very good opportunity to have. So, I would advise him to take advantage of this opportunity, so that at least while you’re in power, you do a couple—few good acts, as well. It’s better than to end one’s work with a report card of failures and of abhorrent acts. We’re willing to help him in doing good. We’ll be very happy. AMY GOODMAN: And your nuclear program? PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Our time seems to be over, but our nuclear program is peaceful. It’s very transparent for everyone to see. Your media is a progressive one. Let me just say a sentence here. I think that the time for the atomic bomb has reached an end. Don’t you feel that yourself? What will determine the future is culture, it’s the power of thought. Was the atomic bomb able to save the former Soviet Union from collapsing? Was it able to give victory to the Zionist regime of confronting the Palestinians? Was it able to resolve America’s or US problems in Iraq and Afghanistan? Naturally, its usage has come to an end. It’s very wrong to spend people’s money building new atomic bombs. This money should be spent on creating welfare, prosperity, health, education, employment, and as aid that should be distributed among others’ countries, to destroy the reasons for war and for insecurity and terrorism. Rest assured, whoever who seeks to have atomic bombs more and more is just politically backward. And those who have these arsenals and are busy making new generations of those bombs are even more backward. I think a disloyalty has occurred to the human community. Atomic energy power is a clean one. It’s a renewable one, and it is a positive [inaudible]. Up to this day, we’ve identified at least sixteen positive applications from it. We’re already aware that the extent to which we have used fossil fuels has imbalanced the climate of the world, brought about a lot of pollution, as well as a lot of diseases, as a result. So what’s wrong with all countries having peaceful nuclear power and enjoying the benefits of this energy? It’s actually a power that is constructively environmental. All those nuclear powers have come and said, well, having nuclear energy is the equivalent of having an atomic bomb pretty much—just a big lie. AMY GOODMAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Tomorrow, part two of our conversation. But right now, we’re joined by Ervand Abrahamian. He’s an Iran expert, CUNY Distinguished Professor of History at Baruch College, City University of New York, author of a number of books, most recently, A History of Modern Iran. Welcome to Democracy Now! Can you talk about both what the Iranian president said here and his overall trip? Was it a different message this year? ERVAND ABRAHAMIAN: No, it’s very much the same complacency, that, you know, everything’s fine. There may be some problems in Iran and in foreign relations, but overall, Iran is confident and is—basically the mantra of the administration in Iran is that no one in their right senses would think of attacking Iran. And I think the Iranian government’s whole policy is based on that. I wish I was as confident as Ahmadinejad is. JUAN GONZALEZ: And his dismissing of the situation, the human rights situation, in Iran, basically ascribing any arrests to some lawbreakers? Your sense of what is the human rights situation right there? ERVAND ABRAHAMIAN: Well, I mean, he basically changed the question and talked about, you know, the probably two million prisoners in America, which is of course true, but it certainly changes the topic of the discussion. Now, in Iran, you can be imprisoned for the talking of abolishing capital punishment. In fact, that’s considered blasphemy, and academics have been charged with capital offense for actually questioning capital punishment. So, he doesn’t really want to address those issues. And there have been major purges in the university recently, and of course the plight of the newspapers is very dramatic. I mean, mass newspapers have been closed down. Editors have been brought before courts, and so on. So, I would find that the human rights situation—I would agree with the Human Rights Watch, that things are bad. But I would like to stress that human rights organizations in Iran don’t want that issue involved with the US-Iran relations, because every time the US steps in and tries to champion a question of human rights, I think that backfires in Iran, because most Iranians know the history of US involvement in Iran, and they feel it’s hypocrisy when the Bush administration talks about human rights. So they would like to distance themselves. And Shirin Ebadi, of course, the Nobel Peace Prize, has made it quite clear that she doesn’t want this championing by the United States of the human rights issue. AMY GOODMAN: Big protest outside. The Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, the Israel Project, UJ Federation of New York, United Jewish Communities protested. They invited Hillary Clinton. She was going to speak. But they invited—then they invited Governor Palin, and so then Clinton pulled out, so they had had to disinvite Palin. And then you had the peace movement inside, meeting with Ahmadinejad. ERVAND ABRAHAMIAN: Yes, I think—I mean, the demonstrations outside are basically pushing for some sort of air strikes on the premise that Iran is an imminent threat and trying to build up that sort of pressure on the administration. And clearly, I think the Obama administration would not want to do that, but they would probably have a fair good hearing in the—if there was a McCain administration. AMY GOODMAN: Well, we’re going to leave it there. Part two of our conversation tomorrow. We talk about the Israel-Palestine issue, we talk about the treatment of gay men and lesbians in Iran, and we talk about how the Iraq war has affected Iran with the Iranian president President Ahmadinejad was interviewed recently in New York by Democracy Now