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[17 Nov 2013] The Debate - US Afghan Security Pact - English
Afghan president Hamid Karzai has given a thumbs up to extend the presence of US troops beyond 2014. However he has also said that the Loya Jirga or the assembly of elders must approve the security...
Afghan president Hamid Karzai has given a thumbs up to extend the presence of US troops beyond 2014. However he has also said that the Loya Jirga or the assembly of elders must approve the security pact between Kabul and Washington. Many Afghan citizens want Washington to leave their country. The central issue for the assembly is the issue of immunity for American troops that will remain in the country after the withdrawal of its allies\' forces by the end of 2014. What will this do to Afghanistan? And why does the US want to stay in Afghanistan, when more and more Americans are dissatisfied with the deteriorating socio-economic conditions back home?
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Afghan president Hamid Karzai has given a thumbs up to extend the presence of US troops beyond 2014. However he has also said that the Loya Jirga or the assembly of elders must approve the security pact between Kabul and Washington. Many Afghan citizens want Washington to leave their country. The central issue for the assembly is the issue of immunity for American troops that will remain in the country after the withdrawal of its allies\' forces by the end of 2014. What will this do to Afghanistan? And why does the US want to stay in Afghanistan, when more and more Americans are dissatisfied with the deteriorating socio-economic conditions back home?
3:27
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[17 Nov 2013] Hollande says he will not tolerate proliferation of nuclear arms - English
The French President has arrived in Israel on a three-day visit aimed at fortifying Paris-Tel Aviv ties. Upon arrival, French president Francois Hollande said he will not tolerate the proliferation...
The French President has arrived in Israel on a three-day visit aimed at fortifying Paris-Tel Aviv ties. Upon arrival, French president Francois Hollande said he will not tolerate the proliferation of nuclear arms. Hollande added that his country will continue with sanctions on Iran, saying he\'s not certain if Tehran has decided to give up on its nuclear weapons. France was the first country to give Israel nuclear arms. Tel Aviv is the sole possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, with an estimated 400 nuclear warheads. It\'s so far refused to sign any regulatory international nuclear agreement. Iran on the other hand is a signatory to the NPT with its facilities under regular inspection. The International Atomic Energy Agency has once again in its recent report verified the non-diversion of Iran\'s nuclear energy program.
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The French President has arrived in Israel on a three-day visit aimed at fortifying Paris-Tel Aviv ties. Upon arrival, French president Francois Hollande said he will not tolerate the proliferation of nuclear arms. Hollande added that his country will continue with sanctions on Iran, saying he\'s not certain if Tehran has decided to give up on its nuclear weapons. France was the first country to give Israel nuclear arms. Tel Aviv is the sole possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, with an estimated 400 nuclear warheads. It\'s so far refused to sign any regulatory international nuclear agreement. Iran on the other hand is a signatory to the NPT with its facilities under regular inspection. The International Atomic Energy Agency has once again in its recent report verified the non-diversion of Iran\'s nuclear energy program.
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[17 Nov 2013] Pakistan plans to put Musharraf on trial for treason - English
Pakistan\'s interior minister says the government plans to put former military ruler Parviz Musharraf on trial for treason.
Musharraf would be the first military ruler tried for treason in a...
Pakistan\'s interior minister says the government plans to put former military ruler Parviz Musharraf on trial for treason.
Musharraf would be the first military ruler tried for treason in a country that has experienced three military coups in its 66-year history. He could face the death penalty if convicted of treason for declaring a state of emergency while in power. Musharraf has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Musharraf was forced to step down in 2008 after ruling for about a decade and left the country shortly afterwards. He returned to Pakistan in March to run in the national elections in May, but was disqualified. Musharraf had been held under house arrest for months and was freed earlier this month after he received bail in four other cases, including the investigation of the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
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Pakistan\'s interior minister says the government plans to put former military ruler Parviz Musharraf on trial for treason.
Musharraf would be the first military ruler tried for treason in a country that has experienced three military coups in its 66-year history. He could face the death penalty if convicted of treason for declaring a state of emergency while in power. Musharraf has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Musharraf was forced to step down in 2008 after ruling for about a decade and left the country shortly afterwards. He returned to Pakistan in March to run in the national elections in May, but was disqualified. Musharraf had been held under house arrest for months and was freed earlier this month after he received bail in four other cases, including the investigation of the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
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[18 Nov 2013] Afghan official: Pres. Karzai rejects a provision of security pact with US - English
A senior Afghan official says President Hamid Karzai has rejected a provision of a security pact with the United States just days before the country\'s elders gather to debate it.
Media outlets...
A senior Afghan official says President Hamid Karzai has rejected a provision of a security pact with the United States just days before the country\'s elders gather to debate it.
Media outlets have quoted the official as saying that Karzai has rejected the enter-and-search provision. The question of whether foreign troops will be allowed to search Afghan homes after their combat mission ends next year has long been a sticking point of the Kabul-Washington deal. The final draft will be discussed by the Loya Jirga, an assembly of tribal elders, later this week. Karzai has already announced that if the Loya Jirga does not approve the deal, it will not be signed. Last month, the United States and Afghanistan hammered out a draft deal that allows thousands of U-S troops to stay in the country beyond 2014.
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A senior Afghan official says President Hamid Karzai has rejected a provision of a security pact with the United States just days before the country\'s elders gather to debate it.
Media outlets have quoted the official as saying that Karzai has rejected the enter-and-search provision. The question of whether foreign troops will be allowed to search Afghan homes after their combat mission ends next year has long been a sticking point of the Kabul-Washington deal. The final draft will be discussed by the Loya Jirga, an assembly of tribal elders, later this week. Karzai has already announced that if the Loya Jirga does not approve the deal, it will not be signed. Last month, the United States and Afghanistan hammered out a draft deal that allows thousands of U-S troops to stay in the country beyond 2014.
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[19 Nov 2013] US Natl. Security Adviser: US will not apologize to Afghans - English
A top White House official says Washington does not need to apologize to Afghanistan for over a decade of killing and injuring civilians in the war-torn country. National Security Advisor Susan...
A top White House official says Washington does not need to apologize to Afghanistan for over a decade of killing and injuring civilians in the war-torn country. National Security Advisor Susan Rice made the remarks following reports that US President Barack Obama would apologize for the United States\' mistakes. Earlier, an Afghan presidential spokesman said that as a part of the Washington-Kabul security pact, the U-S would write a letter admitting the errors it made during its war in Afghanistan. But according to Rice, no letter has been drafted and it is off the table. Meanwhile, a group of Afghan elders known as the Loya Jirga will discuss the so-called Bilateral Security Agreement between the two countries on Thursday. If confirmed, the strategic partnership deal will allow US troops to stay in the country beyond the 2014 planned pullout and grant them immunity from prosecution in Afghanistan.
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A top White House official says Washington does not need to apologize to Afghanistan for over a decade of killing and injuring civilians in the war-torn country. National Security Advisor Susan Rice made the remarks following reports that US President Barack Obama would apologize for the United States\' mistakes. Earlier, an Afghan presidential spokesman said that as a part of the Washington-Kabul security pact, the U-S would write a letter admitting the errors it made during its war in Afghanistan. But according to Rice, no letter has been drafted and it is off the table. Meanwhile, a group of Afghan elders known as the Loya Jirga will discuss the so-called Bilateral Security Agreement between the two countries on Thursday. If confirmed, the strategic partnership deal will allow US troops to stay in the country beyond the 2014 planned pullout and grant them immunity from prosecution in Afghanistan.
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[21 Nov 2013] Loya Jirga discussing presence of US forces beyond 2014 - English
Afghan tribal elders have convened in the capital Kabul to debate the fate of the US forces in the war-torn country beyond 2014.
The participants in the gathering known as Loya Jirga are...
Afghan tribal elders have convened in the capital Kabul to debate the fate of the US forces in the war-torn country beyond 2014.
The participants in the gathering known as Loya Jirga are discussing the draft of a long-awaited bilateral security deal between Kabul and Washington. The draft agreed on Wednesday appears to meet US demands on some thorny issues. Among them are US troops\' unilateral operations, their authority to enter Afghan homes and immunity from prosecution. In his opening speech at the meeting, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said 15000 foreign forces would remain in Afghanistan if the deal is inked. The presence of US-led forces in Afghanistan has generated deep anti-US sentiments among Afghans who accuse Washington of violating their country\'s sovereignty and killing civilians.
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Afghan tribal elders have convened in the capital Kabul to debate the fate of the US forces in the war-torn country beyond 2014.
The participants in the gathering known as Loya Jirga are discussing the draft of a long-awaited bilateral security deal between Kabul and Washington. The draft agreed on Wednesday appears to meet US demands on some thorny issues. Among them are US troops\' unilateral operations, their authority to enter Afghan homes and immunity from prosecution. In his opening speech at the meeting, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said 15000 foreign forces would remain in Afghanistan if the deal is inked. The presence of US-led forces in Afghanistan has generated deep anti-US sentiments among Afghans who accuse Washington of violating their country\'s sovereignty and killing civilians.
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[26 Nov 2013] Lawyer takes legal action against Pakistan Government for not stopping US drones - English
Human rights lawyer Shazhad Akbar is spearheading a movement against the US assassination drone strikes in the Pakistani tribal areas.
Earlier this year he won a major legal battle when a top...
Human rights lawyer Shazhad Akbar is spearheading a movement against the US assassination drone strikes in the Pakistani tribal areas.
Earlier this year he won a major legal battle when a top court in Pakistan declared that drone strikes are amounted to war crime and directed the government to use all available means to stop such illegal strikes.
However, according to Shazad, Islamabad has failed to implement the court order.
Anger is growing with every passing day in Pakistan over the continued US drone strikes.
Last week several religious and political parties held a massive protest in the north western city of Peshawar blocking supply lines of the US-led forces stationed in Afghanistan.
Despite strong public opposition, the US has expanded drone campaign to beyond the tribal areas.
The development has prompted the provincial government in the North West of the country to file a legal case against the CIA for killing innocent people.
The Pakistani government is under pressure to take a decisive action against US drone strikes. Many experts here believe that authorities need to come up with a clear plan to stop the United States from violating the country\'s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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Human rights lawyer Shazhad Akbar is spearheading a movement against the US assassination drone strikes in the Pakistani tribal areas.
Earlier this year he won a major legal battle when a top court in Pakistan declared that drone strikes are amounted to war crime and directed the government to use all available means to stop such illegal strikes.
However, according to Shazad, Islamabad has failed to implement the court order.
Anger is growing with every passing day in Pakistan over the continued US drone strikes.
Last week several religious and political parties held a massive protest in the north western city of Peshawar blocking supply lines of the US-led forces stationed in Afghanistan.
Despite strong public opposition, the US has expanded drone campaign to beyond the tribal areas.
The development has prompted the provincial government in the North West of the country to file a legal case against the CIA for killing innocent people.
The Pakistani government is under pressure to take a decisive action against US drone strikes. Many experts here believe that authorities need to come up with a clear plan to stop the United States from violating the country\'s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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[01 Dec 2013] Hekmatyar called on President Hamid Karzai to reject the security pact with the US - English
The leader of Afghanistan\'s Islamic Party has called on President Hamid Karzai to reject the security pact with the United States.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar says the so-called bilateral security...
The leader of Afghanistan\'s Islamic Party has called on President Hamid Karzai to reject the security pact with the United States.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar says the so-called bilateral security agreement is not in the interest of Afghans and that Karzai should not sign it. The famous warlord has warned that the partnership deal will not end bloodshed in Afghanistan; on the contrary it will cause more troubles. The security deal paves the way for US military presence in the war-torn country beyond the 20-14 withdrawal of foreign forces. Many Afghans believe the pact is a threat to their country\'s sovereignty as it allows American soldiers to carry out unilateral operations while having legal immunity.
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The leader of Afghanistan\'s Islamic Party has called on President Hamid Karzai to reject the security pact with the United States.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar says the so-called bilateral security agreement is not in the interest of Afghans and that Karzai should not sign it. The famous warlord has warned that the partnership deal will not end bloodshed in Afghanistan; on the contrary it will cause more troubles. The security deal paves the way for US military presence in the war-torn country beyond the 20-14 withdrawal of foreign forces. Many Afghans believe the pact is a threat to their country\'s sovereignty as it allows American soldiers to carry out unilateral operations while having legal immunity.
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Leader Address to Paramilitary Basij Forces - 20 November 2013 - Farsi sub English
Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei addresses the country\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s paramilitary Basij Forces on the 20th of November, 2013.
In the speech, Ayatollah Khamenei touches on a range of...
Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei addresses the country\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s paramilitary Basij Forces on the 20th of November, 2013.
In the speech, Ayatollah Khamenei touches on a range of issues including the past crimes of Western colonialism, America\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s human rights record, and his country\\\\\\\'s nuclear negotiations with the global powers.
(With English Subtitles)
Credit: KeysToEternity
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Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei addresses the country\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s paramilitary Basij Forces on the 20th of November, 2013.
In the speech, Ayatollah Khamenei touches on a range of issues including the past crimes of Western colonialism, America\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s human rights record, and his country\\\\\\\'s nuclear negotiations with the global powers.
(With English Subtitles)
Credit: KeysToEternity
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[09 Dec 2013] Hagel in Pakistan to seek Islamabad help with Washington pressing issues - English
Chuck Hagel is in Islamabad, the first ever visit by a US Defense Secretary over the past four years. What brings him to Pakistan is continued unofficial blockage of NATO supply line via...
Chuck Hagel is in Islamabad, the first ever visit by a US Defense Secretary over the past four years. What brings him to Pakistan is continued unofficial blockage of NATO supply line via northwestern routes of the country to Afghanistan. However, the central government in Islamabad has little control over autonomous northwestern provincial government. The regional government unofficially blocked the supply routes last month to protest against the killing of thousands of civilians in US drone attacks in country\'s tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
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Chuck Hagel is in Islamabad, the first ever visit by a US Defense Secretary over the past four years. What brings him to Pakistan is continued unofficial blockage of NATO supply line via northwestern routes of the country to Afghanistan. However, the central government in Islamabad has little control over autonomous northwestern provincial government. The regional government unofficially blocked the supply routes last month to protest against the killing of thousands of civilians in US drone attacks in country\'s tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
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[12 Dec 2013] Ukraine political crisis - English
Ukraine has been hit with a wave of political unrest since late November when President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign a trade pact with the European Union.
The refusal to sign the deal...
Ukraine has been hit with a wave of political unrest since late November when President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign a trade pact with the European Union.
The refusal to sign the deal triggered major street protests by the opposition supporters, who want Ukraine to become closer to the EU and distance itself from Russia.
Clashes erupted several times between the anti-government protesters and police forces during the demonstrations. Several arrests were made in the course of the protests as well.
In an effort to calm the political unrest, Yanukovych on Wednesday invited all parties, including the opposition, to engage in dialog to resolve the crisis facing the country.
Ukrainian opposition leaders rejected Yanukovych\'s offer of negotiations, calling for dismissal of his government and release of detained protesters.
Russia has criticized Western nations for interfering in Ukraine, saying protests against Kiev\'s decision to back away from the EU deal were destabilizing the former Soviet state.
The Russian parliament, the State Duma, in a non-binding statement on Tuesday urged the West to \"stop mounting external pressure on the politics of a country that is brotherly to us.\"
The lower house of parliament also called on Ukrainian opposition forces to \"stop illegal actions\" over the political crisis.
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Ukraine has been hit with a wave of political unrest since late November when President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign a trade pact with the European Union.
The refusal to sign the deal triggered major street protests by the opposition supporters, who want Ukraine to become closer to the EU and distance itself from Russia.
Clashes erupted several times between the anti-government protesters and police forces during the demonstrations. Several arrests were made in the course of the protests as well.
In an effort to calm the political unrest, Yanukovych on Wednesday invited all parties, including the opposition, to engage in dialog to resolve the crisis facing the country.
Ukrainian opposition leaders rejected Yanukovych\'s offer of negotiations, calling for dismissal of his government and release of detained protesters.
Russia has criticized Western nations for interfering in Ukraine, saying protests against Kiev\'s decision to back away from the EU deal were destabilizing the former Soviet state.
The Russian parliament, the State Duma, in a non-binding statement on Tuesday urged the West to \"stop mounting external pressure on the politics of a country that is brotherly to us.\"
The lower house of parliament also called on Ukrainian opposition forces to \"stop illegal actions\" over the political crisis.
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[17 Dec 2013] Iran envoy addresses UNSC on Afghanistan - English
Since the US. and Britain first launched their attack in October of 2001, things have been very unstable and insecure in Afghanistan. The country has one of the lowest life expectancies on earth...
Since the US. and Britain first launched their attack in October of 2001, things have been very unstable and insecure in Afghanistan. The country has one of the lowest life expectancies on earth according to the CIA World Factbook. Instability and violence persists as foreign troops continue to occupy the country. UN Ambassador Mohammed Khazee of the Islamic Republic of Iran, explained the efforts that need to be taken in order to improve the situation at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
Khazee made clear that in such a process, the self-determination and sovereignty of Afghanistan should be protected. Khazee made specific reference to the problem of narcotic drugs, that resurfaced in Afghanistan, and caused difficulties throughout the entire region, since the overthrow of the Taliban. With foreign troops scheduled to leave in 2014, among many other big changes, many are hopeful that the situation in Afghanistan can improve.
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Since the US. and Britain first launched their attack in October of 2001, things have been very unstable and insecure in Afghanistan. The country has one of the lowest life expectancies on earth according to the CIA World Factbook. Instability and violence persists as foreign troops continue to occupy the country. UN Ambassador Mohammed Khazee of the Islamic Republic of Iran, explained the efforts that need to be taken in order to improve the situation at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
Khazee made clear that in such a process, the self-determination and sovereignty of Afghanistan should be protected. Khazee made specific reference to the problem of narcotic drugs, that resurfaced in Afghanistan, and caused difficulties throughout the entire region, since the overthrow of the Taliban. With foreign troops scheduled to leave in 2014, among many other big changes, many are hopeful that the situation in Afghanistan can improve.
4:41
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[18 Dec 2013] UN warns deadly violence spreading to other regions in South Sudan - English
The UN chief is warning that violence is spreading in South Sudan as fighting between rival army factions continues unabated. Ban Ki-moon says he\'s deeply concerned about the situation in the...
The UN chief is warning that violence is spreading in South Sudan as fighting between rival army factions continues unabated. Ban Ki-moon says he\'s deeply concerned about the situation in the country and that the crisis should be dealt with through dialog. Meanwhile, a UN official says at least 19 people are killed in fresh clashes in Bor, the capital of Jonglei state. The army now says it has lost control of the city. Tensions are also rising in other part of the country. South Sudan has been witnessing deadly violence after President Salva Kiir accused former vice president Riek Machar of trying to launch a coup. Machar who was sacked in July has denied the accusations. Based on U-N figures, up to 500 people have been killed and 800 others wounded since the violence broke out on Sunday.
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The UN chief is warning that violence is spreading in South Sudan as fighting between rival army factions continues unabated. Ban Ki-moon says he\'s deeply concerned about the situation in the country and that the crisis should be dealt with through dialog. Meanwhile, a UN official says at least 19 people are killed in fresh clashes in Bor, the capital of Jonglei state. The army now says it has lost control of the city. Tensions are also rising in other part of the country. South Sudan has been witnessing deadly violence after President Salva Kiir accused former vice president Riek Machar of trying to launch a coup. Machar who was sacked in July has denied the accusations. Based on U-N figures, up to 500 people have been killed and 800 others wounded since the violence broke out on Sunday.
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[20 Dec 2013] UN fears on inter clan war in South Sudan as bloodshed heightens - English
The United Nations Security Council has expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis and the deteriorating security situation in South Sudan amid a fierce political battle.
The UN said an...
The United Nations Security Council has expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis and the deteriorating security situation in South Sudan amid a fierce political battle.
The UN said an attack by armed men on its compound in Jonglei state left two Indian peacekeepers dead on Thursday. The targets of the attack were said to be members of President Salva Kiir\\\'s tribe who had sought refuge in the UN compound. The violence began on Sunday in the capital Juba following a failed coup and has since spread rapidly across the country. The president has accused former vice president Riek Machar of attempting to seize power by force. At least 500 people are believed to have died since Sunday in the fighting between the army and Machar\\\'s supporters. The oil-rich country has been struggling to achieve stable government since it seceded from Sudan in 2011, with Western support.
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The United Nations Security Council has expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis and the deteriorating security situation in South Sudan amid a fierce political battle.
The UN said an attack by armed men on its compound in Jonglei state left two Indian peacekeepers dead on Thursday. The targets of the attack were said to be members of President Salva Kiir\\\'s tribe who had sought refuge in the UN compound. The violence began on Sunday in the capital Juba following a failed coup and has since spread rapidly across the country. The president has accused former vice president Riek Machar of attempting to seize power by force. At least 500 people are believed to have died since Sunday in the fighting between the army and Machar\\\'s supporters. The oil-rich country has been struggling to achieve stable government since it seceded from Sudan in 2011, with Western support.
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[27 Dec 2013] US, Russia, China, Syria and OPCW to Discuss Syria chemical Arsenal - English
Representatives from the US, Russia, China, Syria and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are to meet in Moscow to discuss ways of safely destroying Syria\\\'s chemical arms....
Representatives from the US, Russia, China, Syria and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are to meet in Moscow to discuss ways of safely destroying Syria\\\'s chemical arms.
The meeting will be held behind closed doors. This, as a Russian official says Syria\\\'s chemical weapons will be taken out of the country through its maritime borders. The Arab country agreed to the destruction of its chemical arsenal after the August 21 deadly gas attack near Damascus. The Syrian government and Russia have repeatedly said that the attack was carried out by insurgents to provoke Western governments, particularly the U-S into a military intervention in Syria.
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Representatives from the US, Russia, China, Syria and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are to meet in Moscow to discuss ways of safely destroying Syria\\\'s chemical arms.
The meeting will be held behind closed doors. This, as a Russian official says Syria\\\'s chemical weapons will be taken out of the country through its maritime borders. The Arab country agreed to the destruction of its chemical arsenal after the August 21 deadly gas attack near Damascus. The Syrian government and Russia have repeatedly said that the attack was carried out by insurgents to provoke Western governments, particularly the U-S into a military intervention in Syria.
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[29 Dec 2013] Tribesmen have blown up a major oil pipeline in southern Yemen - English
Tribesmen have blown up a major oil pipeline in southern Yemen.
Officials say the flow of crude has been halted due to the explosion in Ash-Shihr town of Hadramawt province. This is the second...
Tribesmen have blown up a major oil pipeline in southern Yemen.
Officials say the flow of crude has been halted due to the explosion in Ash-Shihr town of Hadramawt province. This is the second such attack in the past three days. On Thursday, the country\\\'s main oil pipeline was bombed in the central province of Ma\\\'arib. Over the past two years, oil and gas pipelines in Yemen have come under repeated attacks, causing fuel shortages and slashing export earnings in the impoverished country. Yemen depends on oil exports for some 70 percent of government spending.
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Tribesmen have blown up a major oil pipeline in southern Yemen.
Officials say the flow of crude has been halted due to the explosion in Ash-Shihr town of Hadramawt province. This is the second such attack in the past three days. On Thursday, the country\\\'s main oil pipeline was bombed in the central province of Ma\\\'arib. Over the past two years, oil and gas pipelines in Yemen have come under repeated attacks, causing fuel shortages and slashing export earnings in the impoverished country. Yemen depends on oil exports for some 70 percent of government spending.
0:49
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[29 Dec 2013] Imran Khan: PM Nawaz Sharif covertly backing US strikes on Pakistan - English
A leading Pakistani opposition politician accuses Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of secretly supporting deadly US drone attacks in the country.
Imran khan-- the head of the Tehreek-e-Insaf party,...
A leading Pakistani opposition politician accuses Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of secretly supporting deadly US drone attacks in the country.
Imran khan-- the head of the Tehreek-e-Insaf party, says the premier has failed to talk forcefully to the US administration about the strikes, despite his earlier pledge. He also criticized the government for refusing to take the issue to the UN Security Council, which under Chapter Seven, can take binding action against the attacks. He made the remarks after Nawaz Sharif implied that anti-drone protests are pushing Pakistan into isolation. Imran khan has been spearheading an anti-drone campaign by blockading main NATO supply routes into Afghanistan. Anti-drone sentiment is running high in the country over civilian casualties of the drone strikes.
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A leading Pakistani opposition politician accuses Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of secretly supporting deadly US drone attacks in the country.
Imran khan-- the head of the Tehreek-e-Insaf party, says the premier has failed to talk forcefully to the US administration about the strikes, despite his earlier pledge. He also criticized the government for refusing to take the issue to the UN Security Council, which under Chapter Seven, can take binding action against the attacks. He made the remarks after Nawaz Sharif implied that anti-drone protests are pushing Pakistan into isolation. Imran khan has been spearheading an anti-drone campaign by blockading main NATO supply routes into Afghanistan. Anti-drone sentiment is running high in the country over civilian casualties of the drone strikes.
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[30 Dec 2013] 2009 popular support for the government insured the Islamic establishment - English
Dey 9th in the Iranian calendar or December 30th marks a very special day in the history of Iran\\\'s Islamic Revolution. On that day in 2009, an epic was created by the mass turnout of the nation...
Dey 9th in the Iranian calendar or December 30th marks a very special day in the history of Iran\\\'s Islamic Revolution. On that day in 2009, an epic was created by the mass turnout of the nation to show their support for the Islamic establishment following post-election unrest in the country in that year.
On December 30, 2009, Iranians took to the streets in the millions to condemn what was called the \\\"seditious movement\\\" and to show anger for the unrest that took place after the June\\\'s presidential election especially on Ashura-- a day Shia Muslims mark the martyrdom anniversary of Prophet Muhammad\\\'s grandson, Imam Hussein (PBUH). After the presidential election, supporters of two of the defeated candidates made allegations of vote fraud. But such allegations were dismissed by the country\\\'s election officials. The guardian council -which based on Iran\\\'s constitution, supervises election- concluded there were no irregularities, dismissing election complaints. But the street protests -supported by foreign powers- continued on different occasions for more than six months. Then on December 30th, the nation poured to the streets to show support for the establishment. That day, the Iranians once more proved that if the Islamic establishment is threatened by the western-backed soft war, they are ready to sacrifice. They sent the message of unity to the entire world. The 2009 post-election unrest and the following incidents proved that the nation has enough insight and they firmly stand against foreign threats.
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Dey 9th in the Iranian calendar or December 30th marks a very special day in the history of Iran\\\'s Islamic Revolution. On that day in 2009, an epic was created by the mass turnout of the nation to show their support for the Islamic establishment following post-election unrest in the country in that year.
On December 30, 2009, Iranians took to the streets in the millions to condemn what was called the \\\"seditious movement\\\" and to show anger for the unrest that took place after the June\\\'s presidential election especially on Ashura-- a day Shia Muslims mark the martyrdom anniversary of Prophet Muhammad\\\'s grandson, Imam Hussein (PBUH). After the presidential election, supporters of two of the defeated candidates made allegations of vote fraud. But such allegations were dismissed by the country\\\'s election officials. The guardian council -which based on Iran\\\'s constitution, supervises election- concluded there were no irregularities, dismissing election complaints. But the street protests -supported by foreign powers- continued on different occasions for more than six months. Then on December 30th, the nation poured to the streets to show support for the establishment. That day, the Iranians once more proved that if the Islamic establishment is threatened by the western-backed soft war, they are ready to sacrifice. They sent the message of unity to the entire world. The 2009 post-election unrest and the following incidents proved that the nation has enough insight and they firmly stand against foreign threats.
4:12
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[01 Jan 2014] Lebanon arrests Saudi terrorist behind Iran Embassy bombing - English
The Lebanese government confirms the arrest of the leader of an al-Qaeda-linked group involved in the recent bombing outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut.
Lebanon\\\'s defense minister says...
The Lebanese government confirms the arrest of the leader of an al-Qaeda-linked group involved in the recent bombing outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut.
Lebanon\\\'s defense minister says Majed al-Majed, who headed the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, was captured by the country\\\'s intelligence service in Beirut. It\\\'s not clear yet when the arrest took place. Majed is a high-profile terrorist wanted by the U-S and other countries. He had earlier traveled to Syria to pledge his allegiance to the notorious al-Nusra Front, which is fighting against the Syrian government. His group claimed responsibility for November\\\'s twin bombings that killed about two dozen people outside the Iranian embassy. The arrest is seen as a major achievement for the Lebanese army, which has seen a series of suspicious bombings and assassinations in the country in recent years.
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Description:
The Lebanese government confirms the arrest of the leader of an al-Qaeda-linked group involved in the recent bombing outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut.
Lebanon\\\'s defense minister says Majed al-Majed, who headed the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, was captured by the country\\\'s intelligence service in Beirut. It\\\'s not clear yet when the arrest took place. Majed is a high-profile terrorist wanted by the U-S and other countries. He had earlier traveled to Syria to pledge his allegiance to the notorious al-Nusra Front, which is fighting against the Syrian government. His group claimed responsibility for November\\\'s twin bombings that killed about two dozen people outside the Iranian embassy. The arrest is seen as a major achievement for the Lebanese army, which has seen a series of suspicious bombings and assassinations in the country in recent years.
3:43
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[02 Jan 2014] Hezbollah calls for national unity to avoid Lebanon destruction - English
Lebanon\'s resistance movement Hezbollah has called for national unity to avoid the destruction of the country.
Hours after a terrorist bombing in Beirut, Hezbollah\'s Deputy Secretary General,...
Lebanon\'s resistance movement Hezbollah has called for national unity to avoid the destruction of the country.
Hours after a terrorist bombing in Beirut, Hezbollah\'s Deputy Secretary General, Sheikh Na\'eem Qassem has warned that the country cannot be saved without a political understanding. Qassem called for the speedy formation of a national unity government to face the criminal attacks across Lebanon. Iran and Syria have also condemned the bombing and called for the punishment of terrorists and their supporters. The powerful car bomb explosion in southern Beirut left several people dead and dozens injured.
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Description:
Lebanon\'s resistance movement Hezbollah has called for national unity to avoid the destruction of the country.
Hours after a terrorist bombing in Beirut, Hezbollah\'s Deputy Secretary General, Sheikh Na\'eem Qassem has warned that the country cannot be saved without a political understanding. Qassem called for the speedy formation of a national unity government to face the criminal attacks across Lebanon. Iran and Syria have also condemned the bombing and called for the punishment of terrorists and their supporters. The powerful car bomb explosion in southern Beirut left several people dead and dozens injured.
0:56
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[05 Jan 2014] It appears that mutual interests are drawing israel and Saudi Arabia closer together - English
A report by The Jerusalem Post suggests that the Saudi Ambassador to the US Adel al-Jubeir plays an important role in boosting relations between Tel Aviv and Riyadh. He frequently holds secrets...
A report by The Jerusalem Post suggests that the Saudi Ambassador to the US Adel al-Jubeir plays an important role in boosting relations between Tel Aviv and Riyadh. He frequently holds secrets meetings with the leaders of Jewish organizations in Washington. Based on the leaked information from their latest meeting, al-Jubeir has harshly criticized the US government\'s policies in the Middle East. He has even mentioned that Washington has betrayed Riyadh in some cases. The Saudi ambassador\'s remarks come as political norms usually prevent a diplomat from openly criticizing the host country. The report suggests that the Saudi diplomat made those comments despite being aware that the conversation was probably being monitored by the NSA. As the gap between Riyadh and Washington becomes deeper, the Arab country has apparently turned to Israel for support.
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Description:
A report by The Jerusalem Post suggests that the Saudi Ambassador to the US Adel al-Jubeir plays an important role in boosting relations between Tel Aviv and Riyadh. He frequently holds secrets meetings with the leaders of Jewish organizations in Washington. Based on the leaked information from their latest meeting, al-Jubeir has harshly criticized the US government\'s policies in the Middle East. He has even mentioned that Washington has betrayed Riyadh in some cases. The Saudi ambassador\'s remarks come as political norms usually prevent a diplomat from openly criticizing the host country. The report suggests that the Saudi diplomat made those comments despite being aware that the conversation was probably being monitored by the NSA. As the gap between Riyadh and Washington becomes deeper, the Arab country has apparently turned to Israel for support.
22:34
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[15 Jan 2014] The Debate - Failing Extremism - English
On the war on Syria: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned that Saudi Arabia\'s political and religious ideology is \"a...
On the war on Syria: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned that Saudi Arabia\'s political and religious ideology is \"a threat to the world\". Has Saudi Arabia\'s support for terrorists reached such an alarming level that UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki Moon has said it will discuss Saudi support for terrorists in Iraq with UN members? In this edition of the debate, we\'ll discuss how isolated Saudi Arabia and its policy in Syria have become. Turkey, that has long called for the ouster of President Bashar Assad, is now calling for a shift in government policy towards Syria. In addition, we\'ll discuss how the U-S has come to recognize that their support for these insurgents has backfired, and further analyze reports of Western intel. agencies wanting to cooperate with Syria, Iran, and Russia in battling these extremists.
Guests:
- Journalist & Middle East Analyst, Sharif Nashashibi (LONDON).
- Author & Historian, Webster Griffin Tarpley (WASHINGTON).
Subjects:
1. REAX: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned that Saudi Arabia\'s political and religious ideology is \"a threat to the world\".
- He was referring to Wahhabism, an ultra-conservative tradition which is predominant in Saudi Arabia, a key backer of insurgents fighting the Syrian government.
2. Saudi Arabia\'s ambassador to Britain wrote an op-ed in the New York Times entitled Saudi Arabia Will Go It Alone: with statements like \"Nothing is ruled out in our pursuit of peace in the Arab World... Act independently by rejecting a seat on the UN. The way to prevent the rise of extremism: is to support the champions of moderation: financially, materially and yes, militarily, if necessary. Saudi Arabia will continue on this new track for as long as proves necessary
- This seemed to reiterate the sentiment expressed by Saudi intelligence chief Bandar bin Sultan back in October when he talked of shifting away from the alliance with the U.S.:
3. It appears Saudi support for insurgents from AL Qaeda groups to otherwise, has created havoc in the region: From Syria, to Lebanon, to Iraq: And partly in Jordan, so much so that the UN chief Ban Ki Moon has said it may discuss this with security council members?
4. Turkey, has been a supporter of President Bashar Assad\'s ouster. But now Turkish President Abdullah Gul is now calling for a shift in government policy towards Syria. President Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday that \"I am of the opinion that we should recalibrate our diplomacy and security policies given the facts in the south of our country (in Syria).\" What do you make of Gul\'s call for a change in his country\'s policy?
5. MAJOR DEVELOPMENT: The Syrian deputy foreign minister says Western intelligence agencies have been recently visiting Damascus for talks on combating extremist insurgents. Mekdad: Mekdad said that the contacts appeared to show a rift between the political and security authorities in some countries opposed to Assad. Has the US and other Western countries like France and the UK realized that support for these insurgents have now backfired?
6. If Western intel. agencies are cooperating with Syria, which by default will include Iran, then why is the US then insisting Iran not to participate n Geneva 2, or only participate on the sidelines, a precondition that Iran has rejected?
7. United States, the West, Iran, Russia, Syria and the geopolitical shift, which has left Saudi Arabia isolated: Yet the pattern of global terrorism has been sponsored by the US, Israel, and their Arab partners Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Will the US stop its support for terrorists?
8. How far will the US go to counter Saudi Arabia\'s destructive role at least regionally: Are the 2 countries headed for a clash?
More...
Description:
On the war on Syria: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned that Saudi Arabia\'s political and religious ideology is \"a threat to the world\". Has Saudi Arabia\'s support for terrorists reached such an alarming level that UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki Moon has said it will discuss Saudi support for terrorists in Iraq with UN members? In this edition of the debate, we\'ll discuss how isolated Saudi Arabia and its policy in Syria have become. Turkey, that has long called for the ouster of President Bashar Assad, is now calling for a shift in government policy towards Syria. In addition, we\'ll discuss how the U-S has come to recognize that their support for these insurgents has backfired, and further analyze reports of Western intel. agencies wanting to cooperate with Syria, Iran, and Russia in battling these extremists.
Guests:
- Journalist & Middle East Analyst, Sharif Nashashibi (LONDON).
- Author & Historian, Webster Griffin Tarpley (WASHINGTON).
Subjects:
1. REAX: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned that Saudi Arabia\'s political and religious ideology is \"a threat to the world\".
- He was referring to Wahhabism, an ultra-conservative tradition which is predominant in Saudi Arabia, a key backer of insurgents fighting the Syrian government.
2. Saudi Arabia\'s ambassador to Britain wrote an op-ed in the New York Times entitled Saudi Arabia Will Go It Alone: with statements like \"Nothing is ruled out in our pursuit of peace in the Arab World... Act independently by rejecting a seat on the UN. The way to prevent the rise of extremism: is to support the champions of moderation: financially, materially and yes, militarily, if necessary. Saudi Arabia will continue on this new track for as long as proves necessary
- This seemed to reiterate the sentiment expressed by Saudi intelligence chief Bandar bin Sultan back in October when he talked of shifting away from the alliance with the U.S.:
3. It appears Saudi support for insurgents from AL Qaeda groups to otherwise, has created havoc in the region: From Syria, to Lebanon, to Iraq: And partly in Jordan, so much so that the UN chief Ban Ki Moon has said it may discuss this with security council members?
4. Turkey, has been a supporter of President Bashar Assad\'s ouster. But now Turkish President Abdullah Gul is now calling for a shift in government policy towards Syria. President Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday that \"I am of the opinion that we should recalibrate our diplomacy and security policies given the facts in the south of our country (in Syria).\" What do you make of Gul\'s call for a change in his country\'s policy?
5. MAJOR DEVELOPMENT: The Syrian deputy foreign minister says Western intelligence agencies have been recently visiting Damascus for talks on combating extremist insurgents. Mekdad: Mekdad said that the contacts appeared to show a rift between the political and security authorities in some countries opposed to Assad. Has the US and other Western countries like France and the UK realized that support for these insurgents have now backfired?
6. If Western intel. agencies are cooperating with Syria, which by default will include Iran, then why is the US then insisting Iran not to participate n Geneva 2, or only participate on the sidelines, a precondition that Iran has rejected?
7. United States, the West, Iran, Russia, Syria and the geopolitical shift, which has left Saudi Arabia isolated: Yet the pattern of global terrorism has been sponsored by the US, Israel, and their Arab partners Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Will the US stop its support for terrorists?
8. How far will the US go to counter Saudi Arabia\'s destructive role at least regionally: Are the 2 countries headed for a clash?
0:48
|
[15 Jan 2014] OPCW: Syria security concerns slows transport - English
The raging conflict in Syria is affecting efforts to neutralize its chemical arsenal.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says security challenges have slowed the transport...
The raging conflict in Syria is affecting efforts to neutralize its chemical arsenal.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says security challenges have slowed the transport of the Arab country\'s chemical weapons abroad for destruction. The OPCW says it\'s taking additional measures to complete its mission, and that Syria\'s chemical arms will be destroyed as planned by the end of June. Damascus agreed to hand over its chemical weapons to the body as part of a plan proposed by Russia to prevent a US attack on the country. Washington threatened airstrikes on Syria, following the August 21 chemical attack near the Syrian capital. The gas attack killed hundreds of people there. Both Damascus and Moscow say it was carried out by insurgents to provoke a Western invasion of Syria.
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Description:
The raging conflict in Syria is affecting efforts to neutralize its chemical arsenal.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says security challenges have slowed the transport of the Arab country\'s chemical weapons abroad for destruction. The OPCW says it\'s taking additional measures to complete its mission, and that Syria\'s chemical arms will be destroyed as planned by the end of June. Damascus agreed to hand over its chemical weapons to the body as part of a plan proposed by Russia to prevent a US attack on the country. Washington threatened airstrikes on Syria, following the August 21 chemical attack near the Syrian capital. The gas attack killed hundreds of people there. Both Damascus and Moscow say it was carried out by insurgents to provoke a Western invasion of Syria.
[19 Jan 14] Islamic Unity Conference - Full Speech by Leader Sayed Ali Khamenei - [ENGLISH]
This video is the English audio transcription of the speech delivered on January 19, 2014 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with government officials...
This video is the English audio transcription of the speech delivered on January 19, 2014 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with government officials and foreign participants of the 27th Conference on Islamic Unity. The meeting was held in Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah on the occasion of the birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and Imam Sadiq (a.s.).
Supreme Leader\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Speech in Meeting with Government Officials and Participants of Conference on Islam Print
19/01/2014
The following is the full text of the speech delivered on January 19, 2014 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with government officials and foreign participants of the 27th Conference on Islamic Unity. The meeting was held in Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah on the occasion of the birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and Imam Sadiq (a.s.).
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to congratulate all of you dear audience who are present in this meeting, the dear guests of Unity Week, the ambassadors of Islamic countries and all the honorable officials who have accepted heavy responsibilities in the country, on the occasion of the auspicious birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and his outstanding grandson - Imam Sadiq (a.s.). I would like to extend my congratulations to all the people of Iran, all Muslims and all liberated people throughout the world.
This auspicious birthday is the source of many blessings which have been bestowed on the lives of human beings over the course of many centuries. It has helped nations, peoples and humanity in general to achieve the best human, intellectual and mental qualities. It has helped them to create a lofty civilization and to achieve bright prospects for a better life. On this birthday anniversary, what is important for the world of Islam and the Islamic community is to pay attention to the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) expectations of the Islamic community and to try hard to meet these expectations.
The happiness of the world of Islam lies in this and nothing else. Islam emerged for the liberation of humanity- both liberation from the suppression and pressures of oppressive and dictatorial regimes which have ruled over all people and in order to form a just government for the entire humanity, and liberation from deceptive thoughts and illusions which dominate the lives of people and which make their lives deviate from the right path.
At a time when Islam was about to emerge, the Commander of the Faithful (peace and greetings be upon him) described the environment in which people were living as an environment of \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"fitna\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\":
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"At that time, people had fallen into fitna, whereby the rope of religion had been broken\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 2]. Fitna means a dusty climate in which one cannot see anything. In such a climate, one cannot see the path and he does not know what to do. This was the conditions of the people who lived in that difficult area.
The same conditions dominated - in a different way - the lives of the people in great countries and civilizations which existed at that time. It is not the case that we can think the people who were living in the Arabian Peninsula at a time when Islamic was about to emerge had terrible conditions while other people living in other areas were happy. The domination of cruel and oppressive regimes, their indifference towards the position of human beings and human principles and the outbreak of disastrous wars which were waged by powers for the sake of power had destroyed the lives of people. History shows that the two well-known civilizations of those days - that is to say, the Persian Sassanid civilization and the Roman civilization - were in such terrible conditions that it makes one pity the masses of the people who were living in those societies. The living conditions of those people were terrible and they were living in captivity.
In such conditions, Islam came and freed people. This freedom first manifests itself in the hearts and souls of people. When one feels that he is free and when he feels the need to break chains, the forces inside him will be influenced by this feeling and then he can achieve social freedom if he shows determination and if he moves forward. Islam did this for people. The same message that Islam delivered at that time exists today in the world of Islam and in other parts of the world. The enemies of freedom kill the thought of freedom in people. When there is no thought of freedom, the movement towards freedom will either slow down or stop.
Today, what we Muslims should do is to try to achieve the kind of freedom that Islam wants. The independence of Muslim nations, the establishment of popular governments throughout the world of Islam, the participation of all people in making decisions and determining fates and their movement on the basis of Islamic sharia are things which liberate nations. Of course, Muslim nations feel that they need this movement today. This feeling exists throughout the world of Islam and without a doubt, it will finally achieve results.
If outstanding personalities - whether political, scientific and religious personalities - in Muslim countries carry out their responsibilities in the proper way, then the future of the world of Islam will be a bright one. Muslims are hopeful about this future. Today, the world of Islam feels that it is awake. It is exactly at this point that the enemies of Islam - those people who are opposed to Islamic Awakening, independence of nations and the domination of God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s religion in all countries - enter the arena. It is exactly at this point that all kinds of tricks are used for creating obstacles in the way of Islamic societies. And the most important trick that they use is creating discord.
It is 65 years now that the world of arrogance has been trying with all its power to impose the existence of the Zionist regime on Muslim nations and to make them accept this regime. But it has failed. We should not look at some countries and governments which are willing to act against their national interests in order to safeguard the interests of their foreign friends - who are the enemies of Islam - and to consign Islamic interests to oblivion. Peoples are opposed to the presence of the Zionists.
It is 65 years now that they have been trying to erase the memory of Palestine, but they have failed. During the 33-day war in Lebanon and during the 22-day war and - for the second time - the eight-day war in Gaza which were waged in recent years, Muslim nations and the Islamic Ummah showed that they are alive. The Islamic Ummah showed that despite the investment of America and other western powers, it has managed to preserve its identity, to slap the fake and imposed Zionist regime across the face and to frustrate the allies of oppressive Zionists who did their best during this time to preserve this imposed, oppressive and criminal regime. The Islamic Ummah showed that it has not forgotten about Palestine. This is a very important issue.
It is in such conditions that the enemy is focusing all its efforts on making the Islamic Ummah forget about Palestine. How do they want to do this? They want to do this by creating discord, waging domestic wars, promoting deviant extremism in the name of Islam, religion and Islamic sharia. They want a group of people to say takfiri things against Muslims. The existence of these takfiri orientations which have emerged in the world of Islam is good news for arrogance and the enemies of the world of Islam. It is these takfiri orientations that attract the attention of Muslims towards insignificant issues instead of letting them pay attention to the truth about the existence of the malevolent Zionist regime.
This is the exact opposite of what Islam wants. Islam has asked Muslims to be \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"strong against unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 48, 29]. Muslims should be strong against the enemies of religion. They should stand firm and they should not be influenced by the enemies. Being \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"strong against unbelievers\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" is the clear message of this ayah. Muslims should be compassionate towards one another, they should stay together and join hands and they should hold fast to the rope which Allah stretches out for them. This is the command of Islam.
Now what happens if an orientation emerges which divides Muslims into believers and unbelievers, which targets a group of people as unbelievers and which pits Muslims against one another? Who can doubt the role of arrogance and the security services of arrogant and malevolent governments in creating, supporting and enriching these orientations and in equipping them with weapons? These arrogant powers sit and plan for this. The world of Islam should attend to this issue because it is a grave danger.
Unfortunately, a number of Muslim governments unwittingly add fuel to the fire of this discord. They do not understand that fueling this discord will kindle a fire which will burn them as well. This is what arrogance wants: they want a group of Muslims to wage a war against another group of Muslims.
Those who give rise to this war are people who benefit from the money provided by puppet rulers. These puppet rulers give them money and weapons in order to pit people in such and such a country against one another. This move has been reinforced by arrogance in the past three, four years during which a wave of Islamic Awakening has emerged in a number of Islamic and Arabic countries. They want to do this in order to overshadow Islamic Awakening. By making this move, they are pitting Muslims against one another.
Moreover, the propaganda networks of the enemies are projecting an ugly image of Islam for public opinion throughout the world. They are doing this by magnifying events. What do people think of Islam when media networks show a person who is devouring the liver of another person in the name of Islam? The enemies of Islam have planned this.
These are not things that happen all of a sudden and out of the blue. These are things for which many plans have been devised over a long period of time. There are different policies and spy rings behind these moves. There is big money behind these moves. Muslims should confront any phenomenon which is against their unity. This is a great responsibility for all of us. Both Shia and Sunni Muslims, and different groups which exist among Shia and Sunni Muslims should shoulder this responsibility.
Unity means reliance on common points. We have many common points. Muslims\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' common points are more than their disagreements and therefore, they should rely on them. The main responsibility in this regard falls on the shoulders of outstanding personalities - whether political, scientific or religious personalities. Religious scholars in the world of Islam should prevent Muslims from creating sectarian and religious discord. Academic scholars should help students understand that today, unity is the most important issue in the world of Islam. The most important issue is unity for the sake of reaching goals. These goals are achieving political independence, establishing religious democracy and observing divine rules in Islamic societies.
Islam invites people to freedom, dignity and honor. This is an obligation and responsibility today. Political personalities too should know that their dignity and honor lies in their reliance on Muslim peoples, not on foreigners and those who are arch enemies of Islamic societies.
One day, arrogant powers dominated people everywhere in Islamic regions. One day, policies carried out by America and before that England and other countries, dominated the lives of people in Islamic regions. Nations gradually managed to liberate themselves from this direct domination. In the present time, the enemies want to replace this direct domination, which they imposed during the era of imperialism, with indirect domination - that is to say, political, economic and cultural domination. Of course, in some areas they are imposing this direct domination again. As you see, a number of European countries want to create the same situation which existed in the past in Africa.
The path is Islamic Awakening. The path is awareness about the position of Muslim nations. Muslim nations have many resources, they have sensitive geographical locations, they have a very valuable historical legacy and they have unique economic resources. If Muslims collect themselves, find their true identity, rely on themselves and extend the hand of friendship, then this region will be an outstanding and enlightened region and the world of Islam will witness dignity, greatness and honor.
By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, this is what will happen in the future. One can see the signs of this future such as the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the establishment and stability of the Islamic Republic in this sensitive region.
It is 35 years now that arrogant regimes - including America and other powers - have been doing their best to work against the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran. Despite this, the people of Iran and the Islamic Republic are becoming stronger, more rooted, more powerful and more influential on a daily basis. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, this strength, this stability and this power will increase in the future.
In the world of Islam too, one sees that the awareness of people and youth about Islam and the future of Islam has increased compared to the past. In some countries, people are much more aware than they were in the past. Of course, the enemy is making some efforts, but if we look carefully and vigilantly, we will see that - by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor - this wave of Islamic movement is going forward.
God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy be upon our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) who opened up this path for us. He taught us that we should rely on God, ask Him alone for help and be hopeful about the future. Then, we moved forward on this path and by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, we will continue to do this. I hope that Islam and Muslims achieve victory and I ask God to bestow His mercy and forgiveness on the martyrs of this bright path.
Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings
Source: http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1859
More...
Description:
This video is the English audio transcription of the speech delivered on January 19, 2014 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with government officials and foreign participants of the 27th Conference on Islamic Unity. The meeting was held in Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah on the occasion of the birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and Imam Sadiq (a.s.).
Supreme Leader\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Speech in Meeting with Government Officials and Participants of Conference on Islam Print
19/01/2014
The following is the full text of the speech delivered on January 19, 2014 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with government officials and foreign participants of the 27th Conference on Islamic Unity. The meeting was held in Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah on the occasion of the birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and Imam Sadiq (a.s.).
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to congratulate all of you dear audience who are present in this meeting, the dear guests of Unity Week, the ambassadors of Islamic countries and all the honorable officials who have accepted heavy responsibilities in the country, on the occasion of the auspicious birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and his outstanding grandson - Imam Sadiq (a.s.). I would like to extend my congratulations to all the people of Iran, all Muslims and all liberated people throughout the world.
This auspicious birthday is the source of many blessings which have been bestowed on the lives of human beings over the course of many centuries. It has helped nations, peoples and humanity in general to achieve the best human, intellectual and mental qualities. It has helped them to create a lofty civilization and to achieve bright prospects for a better life. On this birthday anniversary, what is important for the world of Islam and the Islamic community is to pay attention to the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) expectations of the Islamic community and to try hard to meet these expectations.
The happiness of the world of Islam lies in this and nothing else. Islam emerged for the liberation of humanity- both liberation from the suppression and pressures of oppressive and dictatorial regimes which have ruled over all people and in order to form a just government for the entire humanity, and liberation from deceptive thoughts and illusions which dominate the lives of people and which make their lives deviate from the right path.
At a time when Islam was about to emerge, the Commander of the Faithful (peace and greetings be upon him) described the environment in which people were living as an environment of \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"fitna\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\":
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"At that time, people had fallen into fitna, whereby the rope of religion had been broken\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 2]. Fitna means a dusty climate in which one cannot see anything. In such a climate, one cannot see the path and he does not know what to do. This was the conditions of the people who lived in that difficult area.
The same conditions dominated - in a different way - the lives of the people in great countries and civilizations which existed at that time. It is not the case that we can think the people who were living in the Arabian Peninsula at a time when Islamic was about to emerge had terrible conditions while other people living in other areas were happy. The domination of cruel and oppressive regimes, their indifference towards the position of human beings and human principles and the outbreak of disastrous wars which were waged by powers for the sake of power had destroyed the lives of people. History shows that the two well-known civilizations of those days - that is to say, the Persian Sassanid civilization and the Roman civilization - were in such terrible conditions that it makes one pity the masses of the people who were living in those societies. The living conditions of those people were terrible and they were living in captivity.
In such conditions, Islam came and freed people. This freedom first manifests itself in the hearts and souls of people. When one feels that he is free and when he feels the need to break chains, the forces inside him will be influenced by this feeling and then he can achieve social freedom if he shows determination and if he moves forward. Islam did this for people. The same message that Islam delivered at that time exists today in the world of Islam and in other parts of the world. The enemies of freedom kill the thought of freedom in people. When there is no thought of freedom, the movement towards freedom will either slow down or stop.
Today, what we Muslims should do is to try to achieve the kind of freedom that Islam wants. The independence of Muslim nations, the establishment of popular governments throughout the world of Islam, the participation of all people in making decisions and determining fates and their movement on the basis of Islamic sharia are things which liberate nations. Of course, Muslim nations feel that they need this movement today. This feeling exists throughout the world of Islam and without a doubt, it will finally achieve results.
If outstanding personalities - whether political, scientific and religious personalities - in Muslim countries carry out their responsibilities in the proper way, then the future of the world of Islam will be a bright one. Muslims are hopeful about this future. Today, the world of Islam feels that it is awake. It is exactly at this point that the enemies of Islam - those people who are opposed to Islamic Awakening, independence of nations and the domination of God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s religion in all countries - enter the arena. It is exactly at this point that all kinds of tricks are used for creating obstacles in the way of Islamic societies. And the most important trick that they use is creating discord.
It is 65 years now that the world of arrogance has been trying with all its power to impose the existence of the Zionist regime on Muslim nations and to make them accept this regime. But it has failed. We should not look at some countries and governments which are willing to act against their national interests in order to safeguard the interests of their foreign friends - who are the enemies of Islam - and to consign Islamic interests to oblivion. Peoples are opposed to the presence of the Zionists.
It is 65 years now that they have been trying to erase the memory of Palestine, but they have failed. During the 33-day war in Lebanon and during the 22-day war and - for the second time - the eight-day war in Gaza which were waged in recent years, Muslim nations and the Islamic Ummah showed that they are alive. The Islamic Ummah showed that despite the investment of America and other western powers, it has managed to preserve its identity, to slap the fake and imposed Zionist regime across the face and to frustrate the allies of oppressive Zionists who did their best during this time to preserve this imposed, oppressive and criminal regime. The Islamic Ummah showed that it has not forgotten about Palestine. This is a very important issue.
It is in such conditions that the enemy is focusing all its efforts on making the Islamic Ummah forget about Palestine. How do they want to do this? They want to do this by creating discord, waging domestic wars, promoting deviant extremism in the name of Islam, religion and Islamic sharia. They want a group of people to say takfiri things against Muslims. The existence of these takfiri orientations which have emerged in the world of Islam is good news for arrogance and the enemies of the world of Islam. It is these takfiri orientations that attract the attention of Muslims towards insignificant issues instead of letting them pay attention to the truth about the existence of the malevolent Zionist regime.
This is the exact opposite of what Islam wants. Islam has asked Muslims to be \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"strong against unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 48, 29]. Muslims should be strong against the enemies of religion. They should stand firm and they should not be influenced by the enemies. Being \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"strong against unbelievers\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" is the clear message of this ayah. Muslims should be compassionate towards one another, they should stay together and join hands and they should hold fast to the rope which Allah stretches out for them. This is the command of Islam.
Now what happens if an orientation emerges which divides Muslims into believers and unbelievers, which targets a group of people as unbelievers and which pits Muslims against one another? Who can doubt the role of arrogance and the security services of arrogant and malevolent governments in creating, supporting and enriching these orientations and in equipping them with weapons? These arrogant powers sit and plan for this. The world of Islam should attend to this issue because it is a grave danger.
Unfortunately, a number of Muslim governments unwittingly add fuel to the fire of this discord. They do not understand that fueling this discord will kindle a fire which will burn them as well. This is what arrogance wants: they want a group of Muslims to wage a war against another group of Muslims.
Those who give rise to this war are people who benefit from the money provided by puppet rulers. These puppet rulers give them money and weapons in order to pit people in such and such a country against one another. This move has been reinforced by arrogance in the past three, four years during which a wave of Islamic Awakening has emerged in a number of Islamic and Arabic countries. They want to do this in order to overshadow Islamic Awakening. By making this move, they are pitting Muslims against one another.
Moreover, the propaganda networks of the enemies are projecting an ugly image of Islam for public opinion throughout the world. They are doing this by magnifying events. What do people think of Islam when media networks show a person who is devouring the liver of another person in the name of Islam? The enemies of Islam have planned this.
These are not things that happen all of a sudden and out of the blue. These are things for which many plans have been devised over a long period of time. There are different policies and spy rings behind these moves. There is big money behind these moves. Muslims should confront any phenomenon which is against their unity. This is a great responsibility for all of us. Both Shia and Sunni Muslims, and different groups which exist among Shia and Sunni Muslims should shoulder this responsibility.
Unity means reliance on common points. We have many common points. Muslims\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' common points are more than their disagreements and therefore, they should rely on them. The main responsibility in this regard falls on the shoulders of outstanding personalities - whether political, scientific or religious personalities. Religious scholars in the world of Islam should prevent Muslims from creating sectarian and religious discord. Academic scholars should help students understand that today, unity is the most important issue in the world of Islam. The most important issue is unity for the sake of reaching goals. These goals are achieving political independence, establishing religious democracy and observing divine rules in Islamic societies.
Islam invites people to freedom, dignity and honor. This is an obligation and responsibility today. Political personalities too should know that their dignity and honor lies in their reliance on Muslim peoples, not on foreigners and those who are arch enemies of Islamic societies.
One day, arrogant powers dominated people everywhere in Islamic regions. One day, policies carried out by America and before that England and other countries, dominated the lives of people in Islamic regions. Nations gradually managed to liberate themselves from this direct domination. In the present time, the enemies want to replace this direct domination, which they imposed during the era of imperialism, with indirect domination - that is to say, political, economic and cultural domination. Of course, in some areas they are imposing this direct domination again. As you see, a number of European countries want to create the same situation which existed in the past in Africa.
The path is Islamic Awakening. The path is awareness about the position of Muslim nations. Muslim nations have many resources, they have sensitive geographical locations, they have a very valuable historical legacy and they have unique economic resources. If Muslims collect themselves, find their true identity, rely on themselves and extend the hand of friendship, then this region will be an outstanding and enlightened region and the world of Islam will witness dignity, greatness and honor.
By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, this is what will happen in the future. One can see the signs of this future such as the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the establishment and stability of the Islamic Republic in this sensitive region.
It is 35 years now that arrogant regimes - including America and other powers - have been doing their best to work against the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran. Despite this, the people of Iran and the Islamic Republic are becoming stronger, more rooted, more powerful and more influential on a daily basis. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, this strength, this stability and this power will increase in the future.
In the world of Islam too, one sees that the awareness of people and youth about Islam and the future of Islam has increased compared to the past. In some countries, people are much more aware than they were in the past. Of course, the enemy is making some efforts, but if we look carefully and vigilantly, we will see that - by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor - this wave of Islamic movement is going forward.
God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy be upon our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) who opened up this path for us. He taught us that we should rely on God, ask Him alone for help and be hopeful about the future. Then, we moved forward on this path and by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, we will continue to do this. I hope that Islam and Muslims achieve victory and I ask God to bestow His mercy and forgiveness on the martyrs of this bright path.
Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings
Source: http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1859
2:11
|
[20 Jan 2014] Pakistan prepares new security policy to end violence - English
This is the aftermath of the latest attack in Pakistan\'s garrison city of Rawalpindi.The violence carried out by pro-Taliban militants has left over a dozen people dead including a number of...
This is the aftermath of the latest attack in Pakistan\'s garrison city of Rawalpindi.The violence carried out by pro-Taliban militants has left over a dozen people dead including a number of security officials.
This was the second deadly attack in as many days.The unrest took place just hours before the country\'s federal cabinet met to discuss the new national security policy for dealing with the growing violence. Chairing a special cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has strongly condemned the series of attacks targeting security forces. He says the country is facing an extra ordinary situation which calls for extra ordinary steps
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Description:
This is the aftermath of the latest attack in Pakistan\'s garrison city of Rawalpindi.The violence carried out by pro-Taliban militants has left over a dozen people dead including a number of security officials.
This was the second deadly attack in as many days.The unrest took place just hours before the country\'s federal cabinet met to discuss the new national security policy for dealing with the growing violence. Chairing a special cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has strongly condemned the series of attacks targeting security forces. He says the country is facing an extra ordinary situation which calls for extra ordinary steps
Islamic Unity Conference -Birthday of Prophet & Imam Sadiq A.S - Syed Ali Khamenei - Farsi Sub English
[English Sub] Islamic Unity Conference - Birthday of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w / Imam Sadiq a.s Ayatullah Ali Khamenei\\\\\\\'s Full speech Farsi sub English 19 january 2014.
Supreme...
[English Sub] Islamic Unity Conference - Birthday of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w / Imam Sadiq a.s Ayatullah Ali Khamenei\\\\\\\'s Full speech Farsi sub English 19 january 2014.
Supreme Leader\\\\\\\'s Speech in Meeting with Officials and Participants of Conference on Islamic Unity Print
19/01/2014
The following is the full text of the speech delivered on January 19, 2014 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with government officials and foreign participants of the 27th Conference on Islamic Unity. The meeting was held in Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah on the occasion of the birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and Imam Sadiq (a.s.).
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to congratulate all of you dear audience who are present in this meeting, the dear guests of Unity Week, the ambassadors of Islamic countries and all the honorable officials who have accepted heavy responsibilities in the country, on the occasion of the auspicious birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and his outstanding grandson - Imam Sadiq (a.s.). I would like to extend my congratulations to all the people of Iran, all Muslims and all liberated people throughout the world.
This auspicious birthday is the source of many blessings which have been bestowed on the lives of human beings over the course of many centuries. It has helped nations, peoples and humanity in general to achieve the best human, intellectual and mental qualities. It has helped them to create a lofty civilization and to achieve bright prospects for a better life. On this birthday anniversary, what is important for the world of Islam and the Islamic community is to pay attention to the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) expectations of the Islamic community and to try hard to meet these expectations.
The happiness of the world of Islam lies in this and nothing else. Islam emerged for the liberation of humanity- both liberation from the suppression and pressures of oppressive and dictatorial regimes which have ruled over all people and in order to form a just government for the entire humanity, and liberation from deceptive thoughts and illusions which dominate the lives of people and which make their lives deviate from the right path.
At a time when Islam was about to emerge, the Commander of the Faithful (peace and greetings be upon him) described the environment in which people were living as an environment of \\\\\\\"fitna\\\\\\\":
\\\\\\\"At that time, people had fallen into fitna, whereby the rope of religion had been broken\\\\\\\" [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 2]. Fitna means a dusty climate in which one cannot see anything. In such a climate, one cannot see the path and he does not know what to do. This was the conditions of the people who lived in that difficult area.
The same conditions dominated - in a different way - the lives of the people in great countries and civilizations which existed at that time. It is not the case that we can think the people who were living in the Arabian Peninsula at a time when Islamic was about to emerge had terrible conditions while other people living in other areas were happy. The domination of cruel and oppressive regimes, their indifference towards the position of human beings and human principles and the outbreak of disastrous wars which were waged by powers for the sake of power had destroyed the lives of people. History shows that the two well-known civilizations of those days - that is to say, the Persian Sassanid civilization and the Roman civilization - were in such terrible conditions that it makes one pity the masses of the people who were living in those societies. The living conditions of those people were terrible and they were living in captivity.
In such conditions, Islam came and freed people. This freedom first manifests itself in the hearts and souls of people. When one feels that he is free and when he feels the need to break chains, the forces inside him will be influenced by this feeling and then he can achieve social freedom if he shows determination and if he moves forward. Islam did this for people. The same message that Islam delivered at that time exists today in the world of Islam and in other parts of the world. The enemies of freedom kill the thought of freedom in people. When there is no thought of freedom, the movement towards freedom will either slow down or stop.
Today, what we Muslims should do is to try to achieve the kind of freedom that Islam wants. The independence of Muslim nations, the establishment of popular governments throughout the world of Islam, the participation of all people in making decisions and determining fates and their movement on the basis of Islamic sharia are things which liberate nations. Of course, Muslim nations feel that they need this movement today. This feeling exists throughout the world of Islam and without a doubt, it will finally achieve results.
If outstanding personalities - whether political, scientific and religious personalities - in Muslim countries carry out their responsibilities in the proper way, then the future of the world of Islam will be a bright one. Muslims are hopeful about this future. Today, the world of Islam feels that it is awake. It is exactly at this point that the enemies of Islam - those people who are opposed to Islamic Awakening, independence of nations and the domination of God\\\\\\\'s religion in all countries - enter the arena. It is exactly at this point that all kinds of tricks are used for creating obstacles in the way of Islamic societies. And the most important trick that they use is creating discord.
It is 65 years now that the world of arrogance has been trying with all its power to impose the existence of the Zionist regime on Muslim nations and to make them accept this regime. But it has failed. We should not look at some countries and governments which are willing to act against their national interests in order to safeguard the interests of their foreign friends - who are the enemies of Islam - and to consign Islamic interests to oblivion. Peoples are opposed to the presence of the Zionists.
It is 65 years now that they have been trying to erase the memory of Palestine, but they have failed. During the 33-day war in Lebanon and during the 22-day war and - for the second time - the eight-day war in Gaza which were waged in recent years, Muslim nations and the Islamic Ummah showed that they are alive. The Islamic Ummah showed that despite the investment of America and other western powers, it has managed to preserve its identity, to slap the fake and imposed Zionist regime across the face and to frustrate the allies of oppressive Zionists who did their best during this time to preserve this imposed, oppressive and criminal regime. The Islamic Ummah showed that it has not forgotten about Palestine. This is a very important issue.
It is in such conditions that the enemy is focusing all its efforts on making the Islamic Ummah forget about Palestine. How do they want to do this? They want to do this by creating discord, waging domestic wars, promoting deviant extremism in the name of Islam, religion and Islamic sharia. They want a group of people to say takfiri things against Muslims. The existence of these takfiri orientations which have emerged in the world of Islam is good news for arrogance and the enemies of the world of Islam. It is these takfiri orientations that attract the attention of Muslims towards insignificant issues instead of letting them pay attention to the truth about the existence of the malevolent Zionist regime.
This is the exact opposite of what Islam wants. Islam has asked Muslims to be \\\\\\\"strong against unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 48, 29]. Muslims should be strong against the enemies of religion. They should stand firm and they should not be influenced by the enemies. Being \\\\\\\"strong against unbelievers\\\\\\\" is the clear message of this ayah. Muslims should be compassionate towards one another, they should stay together and join hands and they should hold fast to the rope which Allah stretches out for them. This is the command of Islam.
Now what happens if an orientation emerges which divides Muslims into believers and unbelievers, which targets a group of people as unbelievers and which pits Muslims against one another? Who can doubt the role of arrogance and the security services of arrogant and malevolent governments in creating, supporting and enriching these orientations and in equipping them with weapons? These arrogant powers sit and plan for this. The world of Islam should attend to this issue because it is a grave danger.
Unfortunately, a number of Muslim governments unwittingly add fuel to the fire of this discord. They do not understand that fueling this discord will kindle a fire which will burn them as well. This is what arrogance wants: they want a group of Muslims to wage a war against another group of Muslims.
Those who give rise to this war are people who benefit from the money provided by puppet rulers. These puppet rulers give them money and weapons in order to pit people in such and such a country against one another. This move has been reinforced by arrogance in the past three, four years during which a wave of Islamic Awakening has emerged in a number of Islamic and Arabic countries. They want to do this in order to overshadow Islamic Awakening. By making this move, they are pitting Muslims against one another.
Moreover, the propaganda networks of the enemies are projecting an ugly image of Islam for public opinion throughout the world. They are doing this by magnifying events. What do people think of Islam when media networks show a person who is devouring the liver of another person in the name of Islam? The enemies of Islam have planned this.
These are not things that happen all of a sudden and out of the blue. These are things for which many plans have been devised over a long period of time. There are different policies and spy rings behind these moves. There is big money behind these moves. Muslims should confront any phenomenon which is against their unity. This is a great responsibility for all of us. Both Shia and Sunni Muslims, and different groups which exist among Shia and Sunni Muslims should shoulder this responsibility.
Unity means reliance on common points. We have many common points. Muslims\\\\\\\' common points are more than their disagreements and therefore, they should rely on them. The main responsibility in this regard falls on the shoulders of outstanding personalities - whether political, scientific or religious personalities. Religious scholars in the world of Islam should prevent Muslims from creating sectarian and religious discord. Academic scholars should help students understand that today, unity is the most important issue in the world of Islam. The most important issue is unity for the sake of reaching goals. These goals are achieving political independence, establishing religious democracy and observing divine rules in Islamic societies.
Islam invites people to freedom, dignity and honor. This is an obligation and responsibility today. Political personalities too should know that their dignity and honor lies in their reliance on Muslim peoples, not on foreigners and those who are arch enemies of Islamic societies.
One day, arrogant powers dominated people everywhere in Islamic regions. One day, policies carried out by America and before that England and other countries, dominated the lives of people in Islamic regions. Nations gradually managed to liberate themselves from this direct domination. In the present time, the enemies want to replace this direct domination, which they imposed during the era of imperialism, with indirect domination - that is to say, political, economic and cultural domination. Of course, in some areas they are imposing this direct domination again. As you see, a number of European countries want to create the same situation which existed in the past in Africa.
The path is Islamic Awakening. The path is awareness about the position of Muslim nations. Muslim nations have many resources, they have sensitive geographical locations, they have a very valuable historical legacy and they have unique economic resources. If Muslims collect themselves, find their true identity, rely on themselves and extend the hand of friendship, then this region will be an outstanding and enlightened region and the world of Islam will witness dignity, greatness and honor.
By Allah\\\\\\\'s favor, this is what will happen in the future. One can see the signs of this future such as the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the establishment and stability of the Islamic Republic in this sensitive region.
It is 35 years now that arrogant regimes - including America and other powers - have been doing their best to work against the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran. Despite this, the people of Iran and the Islamic Republic are becoming stronger, more rooted, more powerful and more influential on a daily basis. By Allah\\\\\\\'s favor, this strength, this stability and this power will increase in the future.
In the world of Islam too, one sees that the awareness of people and youth about Islam and the future of Islam has increased compared to the past. In some countries, people are much more aware than they were in the past. Of course, the enemy is making some efforts, but if we look carefully and vigilantly, we will see that - by Allah\\\\\\\'s favor - this wave of Islamic movement is going forward.
God\\\\\\\'s mercy be upon our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) who opened up this path for us. He taught us that we should rely on God, ask Him alone for help and be hopeful about the future. Then, we moved forward on this path and by Allah\\\\\\\'s favor, we will continue to do this. I hope that Islam and Muslims achieve victory and I ask God to bestow His mercy and forgiveness on the martyrs of this bright path.
Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings
Source: http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1859
More...
Description:
[English Sub] Islamic Unity Conference - Birthday of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w / Imam Sadiq a.s Ayatullah Ali Khamenei\\\\\\\'s Full speech Farsi sub English 19 january 2014.
Supreme Leader\\\\\\\'s Speech in Meeting with Officials and Participants of Conference on Islamic Unity Print
19/01/2014
The following is the full text of the speech delivered on January 19, 2014 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with government officials and foreign participants of the 27th Conference on Islamic Unity. The meeting was held in Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah on the occasion of the birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and Imam Sadiq (a.s.).
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to congratulate all of you dear audience who are present in this meeting, the dear guests of Unity Week, the ambassadors of Islamic countries and all the honorable officials who have accepted heavy responsibilities in the country, on the occasion of the auspicious birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and his outstanding grandson - Imam Sadiq (a.s.). I would like to extend my congratulations to all the people of Iran, all Muslims and all liberated people throughout the world.
This auspicious birthday is the source of many blessings which have been bestowed on the lives of human beings over the course of many centuries. It has helped nations, peoples and humanity in general to achieve the best human, intellectual and mental qualities. It has helped them to create a lofty civilization and to achieve bright prospects for a better life. On this birthday anniversary, what is important for the world of Islam and the Islamic community is to pay attention to the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) expectations of the Islamic community and to try hard to meet these expectations.
The happiness of the world of Islam lies in this and nothing else. Islam emerged for the liberation of humanity- both liberation from the suppression and pressures of oppressive and dictatorial regimes which have ruled over all people and in order to form a just government for the entire humanity, and liberation from deceptive thoughts and illusions which dominate the lives of people and which make their lives deviate from the right path.
At a time when Islam was about to emerge, the Commander of the Faithful (peace and greetings be upon him) described the environment in which people were living as an environment of \\\\\\\"fitna\\\\\\\":
\\\\\\\"At that time, people had fallen into fitna, whereby the rope of religion had been broken\\\\\\\" [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 2]. Fitna means a dusty climate in which one cannot see anything. In such a climate, one cannot see the path and he does not know what to do. This was the conditions of the people who lived in that difficult area.
The same conditions dominated - in a different way - the lives of the people in great countries and civilizations which existed at that time. It is not the case that we can think the people who were living in the Arabian Peninsula at a time when Islamic was about to emerge had terrible conditions while other people living in other areas were happy. The domination of cruel and oppressive regimes, their indifference towards the position of human beings and human principles and the outbreak of disastrous wars which were waged by powers for the sake of power had destroyed the lives of people. History shows that the two well-known civilizations of those days - that is to say, the Persian Sassanid civilization and the Roman civilization - were in such terrible conditions that it makes one pity the masses of the people who were living in those societies. The living conditions of those people were terrible and they were living in captivity.
In such conditions, Islam came and freed people. This freedom first manifests itself in the hearts and souls of people. When one feels that he is free and when he feels the need to break chains, the forces inside him will be influenced by this feeling and then he can achieve social freedom if he shows determination and if he moves forward. Islam did this for people. The same message that Islam delivered at that time exists today in the world of Islam and in other parts of the world. The enemies of freedom kill the thought of freedom in people. When there is no thought of freedom, the movement towards freedom will either slow down or stop.
Today, what we Muslims should do is to try to achieve the kind of freedom that Islam wants. The independence of Muslim nations, the establishment of popular governments throughout the world of Islam, the participation of all people in making decisions and determining fates and their movement on the basis of Islamic sharia are things which liberate nations. Of course, Muslim nations feel that they need this movement today. This feeling exists throughout the world of Islam and without a doubt, it will finally achieve results.
If outstanding personalities - whether political, scientific and religious personalities - in Muslim countries carry out their responsibilities in the proper way, then the future of the world of Islam will be a bright one. Muslims are hopeful about this future. Today, the world of Islam feels that it is awake. It is exactly at this point that the enemies of Islam - those people who are opposed to Islamic Awakening, independence of nations and the domination of God\\\\\\\'s religion in all countries - enter the arena. It is exactly at this point that all kinds of tricks are used for creating obstacles in the way of Islamic societies. And the most important trick that they use is creating discord.
It is 65 years now that the world of arrogance has been trying with all its power to impose the existence of the Zionist regime on Muslim nations and to make them accept this regime. But it has failed. We should not look at some countries and governments which are willing to act against their national interests in order to safeguard the interests of their foreign friends - who are the enemies of Islam - and to consign Islamic interests to oblivion. Peoples are opposed to the presence of the Zionists.
It is 65 years now that they have been trying to erase the memory of Palestine, but they have failed. During the 33-day war in Lebanon and during the 22-day war and - for the second time - the eight-day war in Gaza which were waged in recent years, Muslim nations and the Islamic Ummah showed that they are alive. The Islamic Ummah showed that despite the investment of America and other western powers, it has managed to preserve its identity, to slap the fake and imposed Zionist regime across the face and to frustrate the allies of oppressive Zionists who did their best during this time to preserve this imposed, oppressive and criminal regime. The Islamic Ummah showed that it has not forgotten about Palestine. This is a very important issue.
It is in such conditions that the enemy is focusing all its efforts on making the Islamic Ummah forget about Palestine. How do they want to do this? They want to do this by creating discord, waging domestic wars, promoting deviant extremism in the name of Islam, religion and Islamic sharia. They want a group of people to say takfiri things against Muslims. The existence of these takfiri orientations which have emerged in the world of Islam is good news for arrogance and the enemies of the world of Islam. It is these takfiri orientations that attract the attention of Muslims towards insignificant issues instead of letting them pay attention to the truth about the existence of the malevolent Zionist regime.
This is the exact opposite of what Islam wants. Islam has asked Muslims to be \\\\\\\"strong against unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 48, 29]. Muslims should be strong against the enemies of religion. They should stand firm and they should not be influenced by the enemies. Being \\\\\\\"strong against unbelievers\\\\\\\" is the clear message of this ayah. Muslims should be compassionate towards one another, they should stay together and join hands and they should hold fast to the rope which Allah stretches out for them. This is the command of Islam.
Now what happens if an orientation emerges which divides Muslims into believers and unbelievers, which targets a group of people as unbelievers and which pits Muslims against one another? Who can doubt the role of arrogance and the security services of arrogant and malevolent governments in creating, supporting and enriching these orientations and in equipping them with weapons? These arrogant powers sit and plan for this. The world of Islam should attend to this issue because it is a grave danger.
Unfortunately, a number of Muslim governments unwittingly add fuel to the fire of this discord. They do not understand that fueling this discord will kindle a fire which will burn them as well. This is what arrogance wants: they want a group of Muslims to wage a war against another group of Muslims.
Those who give rise to this war are people who benefit from the money provided by puppet rulers. These puppet rulers give them money and weapons in order to pit people in such and such a country against one another. This move has been reinforced by arrogance in the past three, four years during which a wave of Islamic Awakening has emerged in a number of Islamic and Arabic countries. They want to do this in order to overshadow Islamic Awakening. By making this move, they are pitting Muslims against one another.
Moreover, the propaganda networks of the enemies are projecting an ugly image of Islam for public opinion throughout the world. They are doing this by magnifying events. What do people think of Islam when media networks show a person who is devouring the liver of another person in the name of Islam? The enemies of Islam have planned this.
These are not things that happen all of a sudden and out of the blue. These are things for which many plans have been devised over a long period of time. There are different policies and spy rings behind these moves. There is big money behind these moves. Muslims should confront any phenomenon which is against their unity. This is a great responsibility for all of us. Both Shia and Sunni Muslims, and different groups which exist among Shia and Sunni Muslims should shoulder this responsibility.
Unity means reliance on common points. We have many common points. Muslims\\\\\\\' common points are more than their disagreements and therefore, they should rely on them. The main responsibility in this regard falls on the shoulders of outstanding personalities - whether political, scientific or religious personalities. Religious scholars in the world of Islam should prevent Muslims from creating sectarian and religious discord. Academic scholars should help students understand that today, unity is the most important issue in the world of Islam. The most important issue is unity for the sake of reaching goals. These goals are achieving political independence, establishing religious democracy and observing divine rules in Islamic societies.
Islam invites people to freedom, dignity and honor. This is an obligation and responsibility today. Political personalities too should know that their dignity and honor lies in their reliance on Muslim peoples, not on foreigners and those who are arch enemies of Islamic societies.
One day, arrogant powers dominated people everywhere in Islamic regions. One day, policies carried out by America and before that England and other countries, dominated the lives of people in Islamic regions. Nations gradually managed to liberate themselves from this direct domination. In the present time, the enemies want to replace this direct domination, which they imposed during the era of imperialism, with indirect domination - that is to say, political, economic and cultural domination. Of course, in some areas they are imposing this direct domination again. As you see, a number of European countries want to create the same situation which existed in the past in Africa.
The path is Islamic Awakening. The path is awareness about the position of Muslim nations. Muslim nations have many resources, they have sensitive geographical locations, they have a very valuable historical legacy and they have unique economic resources. If Muslims collect themselves, find their true identity, rely on themselves and extend the hand of friendship, then this region will be an outstanding and enlightened region and the world of Islam will witness dignity, greatness and honor.
By Allah\\\\\\\'s favor, this is what will happen in the future. One can see the signs of this future such as the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the establishment and stability of the Islamic Republic in this sensitive region.
It is 35 years now that arrogant regimes - including America and other powers - have been doing their best to work against the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran. Despite this, the people of Iran and the Islamic Republic are becoming stronger, more rooted, more powerful and more influential on a daily basis. By Allah\\\\\\\'s favor, this strength, this stability and this power will increase in the future.
In the world of Islam too, one sees that the awareness of people and youth about Islam and the future of Islam has increased compared to the past. In some countries, people are much more aware than they were in the past. Of course, the enemy is making some efforts, but if we look carefully and vigilantly, we will see that - by Allah\\\\\\\'s favor - this wave of Islamic movement is going forward.
God\\\\\\\'s mercy be upon our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) who opened up this path for us. He taught us that we should rely on God, ask Him alone for help and be hopeful about the future. Then, we moved forward on this path and by Allah\\\\\\\'s favor, we will continue to do this. I hope that Islam and Muslims achieve victory and I ask God to bestow His mercy and forgiveness on the martyrs of this bright path.
Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings
Source: http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1859
11:24
|
[27 Jan 2014] The Debate - Egypt on the edge (Part.1) - English
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NakkIu...
Egypt\'s military leaders have endorsed army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sissi for president, hours after he was promoted to the rank of Field...
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NakkIu...
Egypt\'s military leaders have endorsed army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sissi for president, hours after he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshall, the highest position in the country\'s armed forces. Over the weekend, large crowds turned out in rallies calling for the man who ousted President Mohammed Morsi to run for president. At the same time, security forces cracked down on anti-government protesters demanding Morsi\'s reinstatement. Nearly 50 protesters were killed. So what lies ahead for Egypt? Will the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections push the country towards or away from democracy?
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Description:
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NakkIu...
Egypt\'s military leaders have endorsed army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sissi for president, hours after he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshall, the highest position in the country\'s armed forces. Over the weekend, large crowds turned out in rallies calling for the man who ousted President Mohammed Morsi to run for president. At the same time, security forces cracked down on anti-government protesters demanding Morsi\'s reinstatement. Nearly 50 protesters were killed. So what lies ahead for Egypt? Will the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections push the country towards or away from democracy?
11:37
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[27 Jan 2014] The Debate - Egypt on the edge (P.2) - English
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy0WHQ...
Egypt\'s military leaders have endorsed army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sissi for president, hours after he was promoted to the rank of Field...
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy0WHQ...
Egypt\'s military leaders have endorsed army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sissi for president, hours after he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshall, the highest position in the country\'s armed forces. Over the weekend, large crowds turned out in rallies calling for the man who ousted President Mohammed Morsi to run for president. At the same time, security forces cracked down on anti-government protesters demanding Morsi\'s reinstatement. Nearly 50 protesters were killed. So what lies ahead for Egypt? Will the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections push the country towards or away from democracy?
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Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy0WHQ...
Egypt\'s military leaders have endorsed army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sissi for president, hours after he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshall, the highest position in the country\'s armed forces. Over the weekend, large crowds turned out in rallies calling for the man who ousted President Mohammed Morsi to run for president. At the same time, security forces cracked down on anti-government protesters demanding Morsi\'s reinstatement. Nearly 50 protesters were killed. So what lies ahead for Egypt? Will the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections push the country towards or away from democracy?