Four Historical Events of this Day of 9th Rabi al-Awwal

Four Historical Events of this DaFour Historical Events of this Day of Narrators of history suggest four historic events which mark the day of 9th Rabi al-Awwal as significant.y of 9th Rabi al-Awwal

Four Historical Events of this Day of Narrators of history suggest four historic events which mark the day of 9th Rabi al-Awwal as significant. Firstly, some historians are of the opinion that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born on the 9th of Rabi al-Awwal. There are two other opinions: 12th Rabi al-Awwal and 17th Rabi al-Awwal respectively. For the Shia's, the most popular narration is the one which states that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born on the 17th Rabi al-Awwal 570 AD.



Whatever the case, the date does not make a big difference. Because Ayatullah Ruhullah Musawi al-Khomeini (ra), the founder of the Islamic revolution had declared the week between 9th and 17th Rabi al-Awwal as "Usboo al-Wahda" meaning "the week of unity amongst Muslims." Muslims all over the world are urged to get together and celebrate (Eid-E-Milad un Nabi) the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) for the whole week.



Secondly, in regards to the importance of this day, it is noted that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself was seen smiling and 'celebrating' once in the gathering in the city of Madinah on this day while in the presence of Imams Ali, Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain (as) and said, "It is on this day that Allah (SWT) will destroy your enemies and the enemies of your grandfather and it is on this day when Allah (SWT) will accept the actions of your Shia and those who love you. This is the day when the words of Allah (SWT) came true where He said (in the Glorious Qur'an): 'So those are the houses fallen down because they were unjust ...' (27:52). And this is the day when the Pharaoh (Firawn) of the time of the Ahlul Bayt was destroyed ..."



Thirdly, the 9th of Rabi al-Awwal is also known as Eid-E-Zahra meaning the festival of Fatima al-Zahra (sa), because 3 to 4 years after the tragedy of Karbala, it was on this day that joy and happiness was restored in the family of Ahlul Bayt (as). From the tragedy of Karbala in 61 AH till this day, the family members of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had continuously mourned and grieved the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (as).



Then Mukhtar ibn Ubaydullah al-Thaqafi, together with Ibrahim ibn Malik al-Ashtar and others rose to avenge the blood of Imam Hussain (as). They arrested every killer of karbala and executed them. Finally, Mukhtar arrested Umar ibn Saad ibn abi Waqqas (commander-in-chief of Yazeed's army at Karbala) and Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (governor of Yazeed in Kufa). He beheaded them and sent their heads to Imam Ali ibn al-Hussain al-Zainul Abideen (as) in Madina. These two heads reached the Imam Ali ibn al-Hussain al-Zainul Abideen (as) on the 9th Rabi al-Awwal and on seeing them, Imam (as) went into prostration (Sajda-E-Shukr) and said, "I thank Allah (SWT) who kept me alive to this day so that I could see the heads of the tyrants who killed my father." Imam Ali ibn al-Hussain al-Zainul Abideen (as) then instructed the members of his family to remove the clothes of mourning, adorn themselves and celebrate the day with joy and happiness.



Umar ibn Saad ibn abi Waqqas (la), the killer of Imam Hussain (as) was the wretched criminal who was the first one to shoot an arrow towards Imam Hussain (as) on the 9th of Muharram al-Haram 61 AH, thus formally starting the war against Imam Hussain (as)! And he proclaimed, "O people of Kufa and Shaam, be witness hereto on the Day of Judgment, that I am the one who is the first to shoot an arrow at Hussain"! And saying this, he shot the arrow! Later, Imam Hussain (as) told them [the army of Yezeed whose commander-in-chief was this Umar ibn Saad ibn abi Waqqas (la)] after delivering an eye-opening Khutbah (sermon), that he needs to have a night for prayers!



Mukhtar ibn Ubaydullah al-Thaqafi announced the aims of his revolution in Masjid-E-Kufa, "I will conform to Allah's Book and to His Prophet's Sunnah. I will take the revenge on Imam Hussain's killers. I will fight against those who have broken Allah's laws. I will defend the weak against the strong." It is only the lucky ones who have the opportunity to celebrate this Eid! This was the day; when for the first time after the massacre of his father Imam Hussain (as) and his companions that our 4th Imam, Imam Ali ibn al-Hussain al-Zainul Abideen (as) smiled! Is this not enough an excuse to celebrate? For, our joys are with the joys of Masoomeen (infallible) and our grief and sorrows are for them alone!



Hence, 9th of Rabi al-Awwal is the day of glory, honour, dignity and blessings. It is a great Eid day also named as "Eid-E-Shuja."



Fourth or finally, 9th Rabi al-Awwal is the first day of the Imamate of our living Imam, al-Hujjat ibn Hassan al-Askari [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return] - a day of rejoicing and celebration.



It is true that an Imam is an Imam from birth but every Imam assumed the official role of his Imamate after the death of the previous Imam. The reason why we celebrate, in particular, the Imamate of our living Imam, al-Hujjat ibn Hassan al-Askari [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return] is to perhaps remind ourselves of his presence and about our responsibilities towards him. His father and our 11th Imam, Imam Hassan Askari (as) passed away on the 8th of Rabi al-Awwal 260 AH and our 12th Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return] assumed his Imamate formally at a young age of 5 years on the 9th Rabi al-Awwal 260 AH.



We pray to Allah (SWT) to keep us firm on His path, and to always protect us from negligence in discharging our duties towards Him and our living Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return], and to also include us among the Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return] helpers and companions - Elahi Ameen.



One of the ways which we can strive to be amongst the companions of our living Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return] is to follow the responsibilities which rest upon us, including the recitation of Dua al-Ahd (the Pledge) every morning in which we proclaim: "O' Allah, truly I renew on the dawn of this day and all the days of the remainder of my life my pledge, covenant and allegiance to him, as my obligation, which I shall neither contravene, nor neglect ... O' Allah include me among his helpers, defenders, those fulfilling his wishes and commands, his defenders, the fore-runners to carry out his intentions and those to be martyred in his presence ... O' Allah: make him the refuge for Your oppressed servants; a helper for him who has no other helper besides You; the reviver of the commandments of Your book which have been neglected; the strengthener of the sciences in Your religion, and the traditions of Your Prophet. May Allah's blessing be upon him and his progeny."



Hadith about Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return]:"The world will not come to an end," said the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), "until a man from my family (Ahlul Bayt) and of my name shall be master of the world, When you see a green ensign coming from the direction of Khorasan, then join them, for the Imam of God will be with the standards who will be called Al-Mahdi."



Last but not least: Ahmad ibn Ishaq al-Qummi was a great companion of our 11th Imam, Imam Hassan Askari (as). On the 9th Rabi al-Awwal, Muhammad Hamadani and Yahya Baghdadi came to visit him and were informed that Ahmad ibn Ishaq al-Qummi was busy performing Ghusl (Ablution) for that day. When they inquired what the Ghusl was about, they were told that Ahmad ibn Ishaq al-Qummi had heard from 10th Imam, Imam Hadi (as), who said: "9th of Rabi al-Awwal is the day of Eid. It is our greatest Eid and the Eid of our followers."



After performing his Ghusl Ahmad ibn Ishaq al-Qummi said to the two visiting men: "I have performed Ghusl because today is the Eid of 9th Rabi al-Awwal. I visited Imam Hassan Askari (as) on this day and noticed that his ring was shinning. The people of his household wore new clothes and had applied perfume. When I asked the reason, Imam Hassan Askari (as) said, 'Today is 9th Rabi al-Awwal. It is the day of Eid for us and for our followers'".

India Block 32 Pro-ISIS Websites

New Delhi: Government has blocked 32 websites citing national security concerns, as they were allegedly carrying anti-India material from terror groups such as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). "We have blocked some websites, as there were serious national security concerns," a government official.

New Delhi: Government has blocked 32 websites citing national security concerns, as they were allegedly carrying anti-India material from terror groups such as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). "We have blocked some websites, as there were serious national security concerns," a government official.



The websites that have faced the crackdown include popular video sharing platforms like DailyMotion and Vimeo, while some of them have been allowed to function after removing the objectionable content. The website were purportedly containing material about Areeb Majid, an alleged Islamic State member who was arrested by NIA, and three others hailing from North Karnataka's Bhatkal area.



Sources said the websites were being used to induce Indian youth to join ISIS and for spreading news about purported death of certain persons while fighting Allied Forces in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq.



Another senior official said the crackdown followed an order from Mumbai Court, which was approached by Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) with a plea to block some websites carrying anti-India content. During its probe into certain terror cases, the ATS had received information that some websites were carrying anti-national content, the official added.



Meanwhile, BJP's IT Cell National Head Arvind Gupta also said the websites have been blocked on the advice of ATS as they were carrying material from the ISIS. "The websites that have been blocked were based on an advisory by Anti Terrorism Squad, and were carrying anti-India content from ISIS," Gupta said in a tweet.



He further said, "The sites that have removed objectionable content and/or cooperated with the ongoing investigations are being unblocked." A list of 32 websites, purported to be a Department of Telecom (DoT) circular, also went viral on the micro-blogging site Twitter on Wednesday.



While there was no official word from the ministry, sources within the department confirmed existence of such a circular.





?129

Two martyred, five injured in ISIS mortar attacks on Samarra shrine

Two martyred and Five pilgrims were injured when two mortar shells targeted them in Samara city.

Two martyred and Five pilgrims were injured when two mortar shells targeted them in Samara city.

Security source stated The mortar shells targeted the pilgrims near the holy shrines of Imamain Askarain in Samara of southern Salah il-Din to result in martyring two and injuring five pilgrims.

Bashar al-Assad issues a Law on allocating 50% of state job vacancies to martyrs’ families

President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday issued Law no. 36 for the 2014 stipulating for allocating 50% of job vacancies in state establishments to the families of martyrs.

The job vacancies will be occupied through tests and contests that are carried out in accordance with the rules of the Basic Law of State Employees No. 50 for 2004 and its amendments.

UN: Turkey Main Route for Arms to Terrorists in Iraq, Syria

The UN says Turkey is being used as a main route for smuggling weapons to terrorist groups operating in Iraq and Syria.

The UN says Turkey is being used as a main route for smuggling weapons to terrorist groups operating in Iraq and Syria.

Militant groups such as the ISIL and the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front in Iraq and Syria have been receiving weapons and equipment smuggled “primarily by routes that run through Turkey,” read a Tuesday report by the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Implementation Monitoring Team.

They have also seized some of their weapons “from the armed forces of Iraq or (to a lesser extent) the Syrian Arab Republic,” the report added.

Senior Iraqi and Syrian officials have repeatedly criticized Turkey over links to the militants, including Turkish involvement in buying oil from both the ISIL and al-Nusra Front.

The ISIL militants “control a number of oil fields in Syria and Iraq and they smuggle this oil overland through trucks, through middlemen to Turkey or towards other countries,” Iraqi Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari told Al-Jazeera news channel on December 12.

Germany has recently blasted Turkey for its support for the ISIL Takfiri militants.

NATO must force Turkey to stop its undeclared support for ISIL militants, said Claudia Roth, deputy speaker of the German parliament, in a recent interview with Kurdish newspaper Rudaw.

“Germany must put pressure on Turkey to change course and reevaluate its policies. It should also ask NATO members to do the same,” Roth stated.

“Turkey has also allowed weapons to be transported into Syria through its borders. Also that the ISIS (ISIL) has been able to sell its oil via Turkey is extraordinary,” the German MP noted.

Reports say some extremists willing to join the ISIL militants cross the Turkish border into Syria in trucks belonging to the World Food Organization and other NGOs.

This comes as the Turkish daily Aydinlik said in a recent report that the ISIL terrorists have opened a consulate in the Cankaya district of the Turkish capital Ankara.

The militants are said to be operating freely inside Turkey without much problem.

No New Year’s fun: Indonesian Wahhabi authorities ban celebrations under Sharia law

Thousands of fireworks and party favors have been snatched up in the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh after local Wahhabi authorities began enforcing a fatwa banning New Year’s Eve celebrations in the country’s sharia-ruled province.

Thousands of fireworks and party favors have been snatched up in the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh after local Wahhabi authorities began enforcing a fatwa banning New Year’s Eve celebrations in the country’s sharia-ruled province.



The fatwa was issued by Aceh provinces clerical Ulema Consultative Assembly, which said that wishing someone ‘Merry Christmas’ or celebrating the New Year were forbidden under Sharia or Islamic law.

"All events related to New Year celebrations are contrary to Islamic culture,” Asia News cites Banda Aceh’s Deputy Mayor Illiza Saaduddin as saying.



She continued that the celebration of New Year’s "is not a religious event, but just a profane and worldly event where people only enjoy the transfer of a new day with hurrahs. Cafés and nightspots are told to stop their operation."



The city’s Buddhist, Christian and Hindus minorities “will have to show respect" to the Muslim majority, Illiza added.



Although the ban is technically not legally-binding, the city’s Sharia police and personnel from the public order agency have been mobilized to ensure the edict is observed.



Since Monday, the religious police have been conducting raids on street vendors and shops, seizing thousands of firecrackers, noise-makers, and cardboard trumpets.



They will also conduct raids on hotels and cafes, which have been warned not to mark the event.



“There should be no activity whatsoever to celebrate the turn of the year,” AFP cites Reza Kamilin, a senior Sharia police official in the city, as saying.



“We will dissolve any mass gatherings. If anyone is seen with firecrackers or trumpets, we will confiscate them,” he continued.



Other administrations in Aceh province have also reportedly banned New Year’s celebrations.



Aceh was granted the right to establish a version of Islamic Sharia law in 2001 to bring an end to nearly three decades of bloody insurrection in the province. In 2005, a peace agreement was signed that granted Aceh greater autonomy on condition that it remained within Indonesia, which comprises a sprawling archipelago of islands. The province’s non-Muslim minorities, who make up roughly 1 percent of the population, are also subject to Sharia.

Although Aceh is the only province in Indonesia in which Islamic law in implemented, an increasingly extremist form of Islam (Wahhabism) is gaining a foothold in pockets of West Java and beyond.

Whhabis have always shown an ugly face of Islam. Their fatwas are against human mind and the main framework of Islam.

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah taken to hospital

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, 91, was admitted to hospital on Wednesday for “medical checks,” the royal court said.

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, 91, was admitted to hospital on Wednesday for “medical checks,” the royal court said.

The king was admitted Wednesday to the National Guard’s King Abdulaziz Medical City hospital in the capital Riyadh. The statement did not disclose further details.

The 90-year-old monarch appeared before the press this year in a wheelchair with an oxygen tube. He reportedly underwent surgery in late 2012 for his back.

Abdullah officially assumed the throne in 2005, but had been the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia since the mid-1990s.

His successor is half brother Crown Prince Salman. Abdullah has outlived two other half brothers who held the crown prince post.

Grand Ayatollah Sistani calls for Salman’s immediate release

Iraq’s most senior Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, has called on the Bahraini government to immediately release the opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman.

Iraq’s most senior Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, has called on the Bahraini government to immediately release the opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman.

An informed source in the coalition of United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) on Wednesday disclosed information on Ayatollah Sistani’s dissatisfaction over the detention of Sheikh Salman by the Bahraini government.

Bahraini forces on Sunday arrested Sheikh Salman who leads Bahrain’s main opposition bloc, al-Wefaq National Islamic Society. Manama announced Tuesday that the cleric was remanded in custody for a week pending further questioning.

According to informed source, Iraq’s Deputy Parliament Speaker Humam Hamoudi has held a meeting with Bahrain’s ambassador to Iraq in which he voiced Ayatollah Sistani’s objection to Salman’s arrest.

The ambassador vowed to inform Bahraini government about Ayatollah Sistani’s opposition to the move, the source said.

“Ayatollah Sistani views Salman’s arrest as not beneficial to Bahrain. The senior cleric has called for Salman’s immediate release and has asked the Bahraini government to apologize for the move,” the source quoted Ayatollah Sistani as saying.

Bahrain’s arrest of Sheikh Salman came as the 49-year old respected cleric secured a new four-year term at al-Wefaq's general congress last Friday.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of protesters have held numerous rallies in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.

ISIS executes 86 foreign leaders in Mosul

On Tuesday, MP of State Law Coalition, Mowafaq Rubaie announced that the ISIS organization has executed 86 leaders of foreign nationalities in Mosul because of their attempt to escape and return to their home countries.

On Tuesday, MP of State Law Coalition, Mowafaq Rubaie announced that the ISIS organization has executed 86 leaders of foreign nationalities in Mosul because of their attempt to escape and return to their home countries.

Rubaie said that “The terrorist gangs of ISIS revealed some contacts undertaken by some of its foreign leaders with their families to request returning to their home countries without legal prosecution,” explaining that, “Those gangs carried out the executions of 86 foreign leaders who contacted their families and tried to flee after they discovering ISIS falsity of thought and duplicity.”

Rubaie added, “The gangs launched a campaign to execute its foreign leaders, because of the frequent escape outside the city of Mosul cases, for fear of the armed forces arrival.”

Noteworthy, ISIS ranks include hundreds of Arabs from the Maghreb and the eastern states, as well as foreigners; some of them with Arab descent.

Child injured by terrorist mortar attacks on Damascus and its countryside

A 4-year old child was seriously injured in a terrorist attack with a mortar shell Jaramana city in Damascus Countryside.

A 4-year old child was seriously injured in a terrorist attack with a mortar shell Jaramana city in Damascus Countryside.

A source at Damascus Countryside Police Command told that the shell fell on Daf al-Sakhir neighborhood in the city, causing the injury of the child who was taken to al-Radi Hospital in Jaramana.

On Nov. 11, four citizens were injured in a terrorist attack with a mortar shell on al-Janayin neighborhood in the city.

In Damascus, Takfiri terrorist organizations on Wednesday targeted with two mortar shells al-Abassyin area and Mazzeh 86 neighborhood causing material damages.

A source at Police Command told that a mortar shell fired by terrorists landed on al-Abassyin Hospital in al-Abassyin area which caused material damages in Kidney section with no human injures.

The source added that another mortar shell launched by terrorists landed on a house in Mazzeh 86 neighborhood causing heavy material damage to the house.

ISIS Leader Asks for Release of ex-Wife Detained in Lebanon

Militants in Syria have threatened to execute Lebanese servicemen they hold captive unless Lebanon releases the ex-wife of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group's leader and another militant-linked woman, a negotiator said Tuesday.

Militants in Syria have threatened to execute Lebanese servicemen they hold captive unless Lebanon releases the ex-wife of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group's leader and another militant-linked woman, a negotiator said Tuesday.



Salafist Sheikh Wissam al-Masri is mediating the release of 25 police and soldiers held by ISIS and the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, the Al-Nusra Front.



Masri told reporters ISIS wrote a letter to him demanding the release of Saja al-Dulaimi, the former wife of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as well as Ola Sharkas, the wife of Al-Nusra commander Anas Sharkas.



The militants also called for "the liberation of all female Muslims detained in Lebanon in connection to the war in Syria," Masri said.



Lebanese authorities announced earlier this month the arrests of Dulaimi and Sharkas's wife. Dulaimi had tried to enter Lebanon from Syria with two sons and a daughter, the interior minister said.



The soldiers and police were captured when Syria-based militants briefly overran the Lebanese border town of Arsal in August.



The fighters withdrew after a truce negotiated by clerics, but took 30 hostages.



Four have since been executed, while a fifth died from his injuries in captivity.

Shia Houthi Fighters Target of a Large Explosion in Yemen

Witnesses say a strong explosion has struck a gathering of Shiite fighters in the central Yemeni city of Ibb.

Witnesses say a strong explosion has struck a gathering of Shiite fighters in the central Yemeni city of Ibb.



It was not immediately clear how many people were killed or wounded in the explosion at a cultural center where the fighters, known as the Houthis, were preparing for celebrations of the prophet Muhammad's birthday this weekend.



No group claimed responsibility for the apparent attack, but Yemen's powerful local al-Qaeda affiliate has targeted the fighters in the past.

In September, the fighters gained control of Sana’a following a four-day battle with army forces loyal to General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, the half-brother of the former dictator.

In the same month, Ansarullah fighters and President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi’s government inked a UN-backed ceasefire deal that called for the withdrawal of the revolutionaries from the capital once a neutral prime minister was picked.

Supreme Leader: Prayers Have to be Promoted Among Youth

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday urged the need to use every possible means to promote prayers among Iranian youth.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday urged the need to use every possible means to promote prayers among Iranian youth.

The Leader made the remarks in a message to the opening session of the 23rd national conference on Namaz (prayers) which is being held in the southwestern provincial capital city of Ahvaz in Khuzestan Province.



Ayatollah Khamenei urged Iranian officials to make every possible efforts to promote the practice of Namaz among the young generation.



Ayatollah Khamenei alsao said it is improtatnt to make realistic evaluations about efforts to advocate Islamic values among the youth, Namaz in particular.



The Leader said Iranian media should use artistic ways to encourage young Iranians to perform Namaz.



The Leaders message was read to the conference by Chairman of Namaz performance center Hojjatoleslam Mohsen Qaraati.

Turkish-German NGOs Slam Islamophobic Demonstrations in Germany

Turkish and Islamic nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) based in Germany, which hosts one of the largest populations of Muslim immigrants in Europe, have harshly condemned anti-Islam demonstrations held under the guise of patriotism in eastern Germany.

Turkish and Islamic nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) based in Germany, which hosts one of the largest populations of Muslim immigrants in Europe, have harshly condemned anti-Islam demonstrations held under the guise of patriotism in eastern Germany.



Criticizing populist German politicians as well as the German media, representatives of the NGOs stated that the prejudicial attitudes and behavior of political figures and media led to the creation of racist groups such as Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West (Pegida).



“While populist politicians have for years approached their Muslim minorities in an extremely prejudiced way, the German media, with their Islamophobic headlines, have paved the way for Islamophobia,” said European-Turkish Islam Union (ATİB) chief İhsan Öner.



According to German media reports, Pegida grew out of a social media group and now comprises at least 17,000 people who have gathered regularly since early December in Dresden, the birthplace of the movement, to protest against Islam, incoming Muslim immigrants and what they call “religious extremism.”



Every Monday at 6 p.m., tens of thousands of people assemble in Dresden, a city in eastern Germany, and chant slogans against Islam, Muslim immigrants and the Islamization of the country and of Europe. The group’s Facebook page has nearly 95,000 followers. The latest rally took place on Dec. 29 and the next one is scheduled to take place on Jan. 5, 2015.



Calling for an end to the political bias and media reports that are fueling anti-Muslim sentiments and thus leading to the formation of racist groups such as Pegida within German society, NGOs such as the European-Turkish Islamic Union (ATİB), the Central Council of Muslims in Germany (ZMD), the Federation of Democratic Workers Associations (DİDF) and the Islamic Society of National Vision (IGMG) said Germany can do better in its attempts to fight racism and discrimination.



ATİB General Director Öner believes these anti-İslamic movements and behavior have increased. “We are concerned as to our future as a Muslim minority in this country,” he said.



Commenting on the claims of growing Islamization in Germany and Europe, Öner said: “How are Muslims, who are unable to preserve their cultural assets for their next generations, supposed to capture Europe? Even the crows would laugh at this!”



IGMG General Secretary Mustafa Yeneroğlu believes Pegida is the result of irresponsible security politics in Germany.



“All these concerns were fueled for years by our politicians. Since 9/11, Islam and Muslims were highlighted by politicians as the main threat in terms of internal security. There needs to be a differentiation between actual threat risks and innocent people,” Yeneroğlu said.



Yerenoğlu called on German politicians to review their security policies and urged security units to participate in intercultural and inter-religious education. “It is clear that we need enlightening programs that are important to fight far-right groups, anti-Semitism and Islam enmity.”



ZMD head Aiman Mazyek underlined that Pegida does not represent all of Germany, saying, “We live in a country full of diversity and we are proud of that.”



Demanding that they take serious measures against the anti-Islam discrimination, the Muslim DİDF board issued a statement saying, “The rallies staged under the name of Against the Islamization of Europe and those who are joining these rallies are increasing each day.



“However, Germany did not come to this point all of a sudden. This picture is a product of different parties and media which have for years agitated against refugees and asylum seekers coming from Islamic countries.” DİDF also called on the German government “to immediately stop the racist marches and hatred fueling demonstrations in Germany.”



The German government has reacted to the demonstrations. In the early days of the anti-Islamization protests, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned against discrimination. “There’s freedom of assembly in Germany, but there’s no place for incitement and lies about people who come to us from other countries,” she was quoted as saying in Berlin.



Responding to growing anti-Muslim immigrant sentiments in Germany, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Saturday that the benefits of immigration should be taken into consideration.



“The world is more open and immigration helps everyone. Just as millions of refugees helped us rebuild after World War II, so too do we need immigration today,” Schaeuble told the news source Bild Online, Reuters reported.



Germany, ever conscious of its Nazi past, has one of the most liberal asylum policies in the world. President Joachim Gauck also reacted to the demonstrations with his statement last week saying, “People are right to fear Islamist terrorism. But not Islam.”



In recent days a new anti-Pegida platform formed online at change.org calling for 1 million signatures to establish “a colorful Germany.” The campaign was initiated by Karl Lempert from the city of Hannover. By Monday of this week, more than 200,000 people had signed the petition.

Sick Palestinian Detainee Refused to be Released by Israeli Court

Ofer military court has refused Tuesday to release the sick prisoner Jaafar Awad, 22, despite his serious health deterioration as he suffers from bouts of pneumonia

Ofer military court has refused Tuesday to release the sick prisoner Jaafar Awad, 22, despite his serious health deterioration as he suffers from bouts of pneumonia, the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) revealed.



The court delayed the sick detainee’s hearing till next Sunday in order to get his complete medical file, the source added.



The sick prisoner was transferred from Assaf Harofe hospital to Ramla prison clinic despite his extreme need for health care.



In the same context, the PPS lawyer confirmed that a number of Palestinian prisoners held in Etzion jail have been subjected to severe beatings at hands of the Israeli guards.



The prisoners said that the Israeli prison administration imposed a set of punitive measures against them after they refused to hold their heads down during the daily count.



Three other detainees, from al-Khalil, were subjected to brutal beating and severe torture during their arrest, according to the PPS.



Etzion is considered Israel's worst detention center due to its very poor incarceration conditions.

Muslims and Buddhists Meet to Confront Extremism

Muslims and Buddhists have met to confront violence and extremism.

Tehran has hosted a forum titled “Cooperation between Muslims and Buddhists for Confronting Violence and Extremism”.



Religious leaders and intellectuals from Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand as well as Iranian Muslim scholars took part in the two-day event. The forum comes as Muslims in a number of countries including Myanmar have come under repeated attacks from extremist groups.



Myanmar’s 1.3 million Muslims, who are denied citizenship, are one of the world’s most persecuted communities, a fact that the UN also attests to.



Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar have faced torture, repression and neglect since the country's independence in 1948. Hundreds of Rohingyas have been killed and over 140,000 displaced in attacks over the past two years.

28 Int’l Unity Confab to Kick Off in Tehran, Iran

The 28th Islamic Unity Conference will start work in Iran Capital City of Tehran with Prominent religious clerics and high-profile government officials in attendance.

For the past three decades Iran has invited Islamic religious leaders, Sunni and Shia from all over the globe to Tehran, to discuss unity among Muslims. The Islamic Unity conference calls each year for greater convergence among Muslim groups. The 28th Islamic Unity Conference will start work in Iran Capital City of Tehran with Prominent religious clerics and high-profile government officials in attendance.





The event coincides with the unity week in Iran, a week that was named in the early years following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. This week all Muslims Sunni and Shia celebrate the birth of the prophet of Islam. Every year on this week Iran holds a conference gathering religious leaders, scholars and clerics in the capital city Tehran focusing on Islamic Unity.





The World Forum for Proximity of the Islamic Schools of Thought will mount The 28th Islamic Unity Conference under the banner of “Islamic United Ummah, Challenges and Roadmaps” on January 7th , 2015.





It is worthwhile to note that the top Unity Body will also hold a ceremony in the second of the three day conference to mark birthday of Islam Prophet (PBUH).



The 28th Islamic Unity Conference will be held in the presence of prominent religious figures and gather Islamic religious leaders, Sunni and Shia from all over the globe to Tehran.





“Palestine and Gaza” and “Islamic Unity” are of the issues which will be discussed in the event.



It is worthwhile to note that Iran President Hasan Rouhani will deliver a speech in the opening ceremony of the conference. The event will come to an end on January 9th.





Secretary of the World Form for Proximity of the Islamic Schools of Thought, Ayatollah Mohsen Araki will delineated the set objectives, programs and priorities of the event in his press conference which is to be held on Saturday January 3rd.

ISIS Pursuing US and Israel Interests, Iranian DM Says

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan underlined that the Takfiri terrorists have been created to serve Washington and Tel Aviv through disturbing security in the region.

"These hired terrorists (ISIL) are pursuing the interests of the US and Israel in the region," General Dehqan said in a joint press conference with his visiting Iraqi counterpart Khalid al-Obeidi in Tehran on Tuesday.

He reiterated that the arrogant powers have threatened the security and stability of the region through hatching plots and sponsoring a Takfiri current, and said, "Today Iraq and Syria are the scenes of inhuman and terrorist moves, and Iran and Iraq should naturally expand their cooperation in order to confront and remove such threats."

He pointed to his meeting with his Iraqi counterpart earlier today, and said, "I hope this meeting heralds further cooperation in the future …"

Earlier today, Iran and Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to broaden defense cooperation between the two Muslim neighboring states.

The MoU was signed by General Dehqan and his visiting Iraqi counterpart in Tehran on Tuesday.

During the meeting in the Iranian capital today, the two sides agreed to continue their cooperation to form a national army in Iraq in a bid to help the country maintain its territorial integrity and security.

The Iranian and Iraqi defense ministers also underlined the need to continue consultations and exchange visits to help maintain security in the region.

After signing the agreement, al-Obeidi told the joint press conference that his country needs Iran's cooperation in its ongoing fight against the Takfiri terrorists.

"We do not see any other option than cooperation and being on the same side (with Iran) to uproot the terrorists," al-Obeidi said, addressing a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan in Tehran on Tuesday.

He underlined the need for broadening defense cooperation between Baghdad and Tehran in the campaign against their common enemy.

The Iraqi defense minister arrived in Tehran on Monday to widen Tehran-Baghdad defense and security cooperation.

"Imam Hussain International Airport" Soon Initiated

The secretariat General of the Imam Hussein Holy Shrine signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Transportation Ministry for the establishment of the "Imam Hussein International Airport."

The secretariat General of the Imam Hussein Holy Shrine signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Transportation Ministry for the establishment of the "Imam Hussein International Airport."



Fouzi Esh-Shahir, Engineer of Khayrat El-Sibtein Company, and Supervisor of all Imam Hussein Holy Shrine investment projects, indicates that the establishment of the Airport will begin 30 days after the signing of the bill of understanding.



The unique structure of the Airport will be built in a way to allow the arrival and departure of 15 to 20 million passengers per year.

Palestinian Resolution Draft Rejected in Security Council

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has rejected a draft resolution demanding the recognition of an independent Palestinian state.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has rejected a draft resolution demanding the recognition of an independent Palestinian state.

On Tuesday, the Security Council did not adopt the draft resolution, which called for the recognition of an independent Palestinian state and the termination of the Israeli occupation.



The resolution needed to secure at least nine votes to be adopted by the 15-member Security Council. However, it managed to garner only eight positive votes, as the US and Australia voted against the resolution and the UK, Rwanda, Nigeria, South Korea and Lithuania abstained.



Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN, referred to the resolution, which was submitted by Jordan and backed by the Arab League, as “deeply imbalanced".



The draft resolution designated occupied East al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the capital of a future Palestinian state, addressed the issue of Palestinians in Israeli prisons and demanded the end of Israeli occupation by 2017.



Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had earlier warned that his administration would no longer deal with Israel if the bid failed.



In November 2012, the United Nations General Assembly voted to upgrade Palestine’s status at the UN from "non-member observer entity" to "non-member observer state" despite strong opposition from Israel and the US.

Australia, Arab world relation 'damaged'

Warning from the chief Palestinian representative in Canberra comes after Australia votes against the resolution demanding an end to Israeli occupation

Australia’s relationship with Palestinians and the Arab world will be damaged by its decision to vote against a United Nations resolution that demanded the end of Israeli occupation within three years, the chief Palestinian representative in Canberra has warned.



Australia was one of only two nations, along with the United States, Israel’s closest ally, to vote against the resolution.



Five other nations, including Britain, abstained from the vote, meaning that just eight of the 15 UN security council nations voted in favour of the resolution – one vote short of nine necessary for passage.



Izzat Abdulhadi, head of the general delegation of Palestine to Australia and New Zealand, said he was surprised at Australia’s vote as he expected it would “at least” abstain.



“It was very disappointing and regrettable ... and will unfortunately affect relations with Palestine and the Arab world,” Abdulhadi told Guardian Australia.



“It’s really very disappointing and I can’t understand why the decision was taken. We don’t know what the reasons are for this.”



Abdulhadi claimed there had been a shift in Australia’s position on the long-running conflict, citing what he viewed as a new Australian stance on East Jerusalem.



“There is a policy shift in Australia’s voting position, as represented with the East Jerusalem issue,” Abdulhadi said. “I hope there will be a discussion with Australia on the issue and an opportunity for engagement with the foreign minister.”



He added that Palestinians would continue the process of getting international support, despite the “bad advice from US and Australia to wait before continuing the process”.



Even if the required nine UN votes were achieved, the US would have been able to use its veto power as a permanent member of the security council. China, Russia, Britain and France are the other veto-wielding permanent members, with Australia among the 10 non-permanent members.



The Palestinian resolution set out a year-long process for a “just, lasting and comprehensive peaceful solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which it stipulated should include a “sovereign and viable” Palestinian state based on 1967 borders. All Israeli forces would withdraw from the occupied territory by 2017, under the resolution.



Gary Quinlan, Australia’s ambassador to the UN, said Australia was committed to a future where Israel and Palestine exist peacefully in side-by-side states.



Liu Jieyi, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said: “This draft reflects just demands of Arab states, including the Palestinian people, and is in accord with the relevant UN resolutions, the ‘land for peace’ principle, the Arab peace initiative and Middle Eastern peace roadmap.



“We express deep regret over the failure of the draft resolution to be adopted.”



Australia joined the security council last year. Its two-year term ends as 2014 draws to a close.

Merkel Urges Germans to Resist Anti-Islamist Protest Calls

Chancellor Angela Merkel stepped up her criticism of anti-Islamist demonstrations across Germany, saying refugees have the same aspirations as the citizens of her former communist East German homeland.

Chancellor Angela Merkel stepped up her criticism of anti-Islamist demonstrations across Germany, saying refugees have the same aspirations as the citizens of her former communist East German homeland.



Chancellor Angela Merkel stepped up her criticism of anti-Islamist demonstrations across Germany, saying refugees have the same aspirations as the citizens of her former communist East German homeland.



The Islamic State movement’s “bestial” killings of its opponents in Syria and Iraq have created a flood of refugees that’s unprecedented since World War II and it’s self-evident that Germany must help, Merkel said in her New Year’s speech. About 17,500 protesters took part in a Dec. 22 rally in Dresden, demanding stricter immigration laws.



“I say to all who go to such demonstrations: Don’t follow those who call for your participation!,” Merkel said in the address to be televised today, according to an advance text released by her office. “Because all too often there is prejudice, cold, yes, even hatred in their hearts.”

Saudi Shia Clerics to the Nation: Don’t Keep Mum on Regime Killings

Leading Shia clerics have called on people in Saudi Arabia not to remain silent on the recent killing of pro-democracy activists by Riyadh regime forces in the Eastern Province.

Leading Shia clerics have called on people in Saudi Arabia not to remain silent on the recent killing of pro-democracy activists by Riyadh regime forces in the Eastern Province.



Sheikh Abdul Karim al-Habil and Seyyed Hashem al-Shakhs condemned the atrocities and stressed that actions must be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.



“We should not stand watching as if we do not care about anything. All of us from every class or community should try our best to put an end to that tragedy,” said Sheikh al-Habil.



Al-Shakhs, for his part, said, “Shedding innocent blood, killing children and scaring people is not acceptable in any country, especially in the Islamic countries, according to our religion and principles.”



On December 20, at least five people were killed by Saudi forces in the Shia-majority town of Awamia in the Qatif region while several people were also arrested. The Saudi Interior Ministry has only confirmed four deaths.



Media reports suggest that the victims were pro-democracy activists and anti-regime campaigners.



There have been numerous demonstrations in Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich Eastern Province since 2011, with the protestors calling for political reform and an end to widespread discrimination. Several people have been killed and many others have been injured or arrested during the demonstrations.



Similar demonstrations have also been held in Riyadh and the holy city of Medina over the past few months.



The Persian Gulf monarchy has come under fire from international human rights organizations, which have criticized it for failing to address the rights situation in the kingdom. Critics say the country shows zero tolerance toward dissent.

Shia worker of a political party kidnapped and martyred in Karachi

Shia member of Karachi-based political party and an employee of federal government embraced martyrdom when kidnappers tortured him to death in Karachi. Body was found lying in Mawach Goth on Tuesday.

Shia member of Karachi-based political party and an employee of federal government embraced martyrdom when kidnappers tortured him to death in Karachi. Body was found lying in Mawach Goth on Tuesday.

Syed Sikandar Rizvi alias Kashif was kidnapped last night near airport. His body was found near Hub River Road in the limits of Baldia Town Mawach Goth. Body was shifted to Civil Hospital for medico-legal purposes. Martyr Shia Muslim belonged to a political party whose Shia office bearer was also assassinated in Punjab’s Chiniot area this month.

Another of the Sunni official of the Karachi-based party was killed in Sialkot. The party that is MQM, is vocal against the takfiri terrorists of outlawed outfits and their patron clerics such as Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid.

Shia parties and leaders have condemned the targeted murder of innocent Sunni and Shia Muslims across Pakistan. They said that takfiri and ethnic gangsters and separatists of outlawed militant outfits had joined hands in Sindh and Balochistan province and they could have assassinated many Shia Muslims due to said nexus. They demanded immediate arrest of the terrorists involved in genocide against Shia Muslims.

Anti-Muslim hate crimes on rise in UK

The number of Muslim women reporting hate crime has risen by up to 10%, according to a UK charity.

The number of Muslim women reporting hate crime has risen by up to 10%, according to a UK charity.

Tell Mama, a national project measuring anti-Muslim incidents, has told that over the last 18 months they have seen a 5-10% increase.

Fiyaz Mughal, director of Tell Mama, says over the last two years their data has shown that women suffer more incidents of hate and they also suffer more aggressive incidents of hate.

Research has shown that Muslim women are subjected to 'opportunistic' verbal or physical attacks, mostly by men, on the street.

Yasmeen Khalid, 21, from Bromsgrove, says she has always faced abuse, but the problem has become worse in recent months.

She says out of 30 different hate crime incidents, she has only ever reported two, and admits wearing a hijab has made her a target.

'By looking, they instantly know I'm Muslim... sometimes people call me a terrorist, sometimes they say 'Paki', sometimes someone has called me 'Taliban' or stuff like that,' she said.

'Sometimes I walk off humiliated - I shouldn't be humiliated but I am humiliated.

'Sometimes I speak up, sometimes I just cry, go away somewhere, and cry because I don't know what to do.'

Fiyaz Mughal, from the Tell Mama campaign, says there's 'been an enormous shift in the language of anti-Muslim hate. International and national incidents create differences in the way narratives are set.'

Shalina Litt, from Birmingham, has been the victim of racist abuse on the street while wearing the hijab.

'Actually we are mothers, we are daughters, we are sisters,' she said.

'I really just hope that any mothers, any daughters etc., can speak to their sons and say actually it's not right and we do need to change how we approach this.'

The Tell Mama project highlights there is still 'substantial under reporting' by the Muslim community about hate crime.

Part of their approach involves working with different agencies through community outreach and education.

Hollywood star 'Liam Neeson' may become Muslim

Call for prayers in Turkey’s mosques got into his spirit

Neeson said, "The mosques are just stunning, and it really makes me think about becoming a Muslim." (Supplied)



Hollywood star Liam Neeson is considering converting to Islam following a working trip to Turkey, according to a British newspaper.



Neeson, 59, told the Sun that the call for prayers in Turkey’s mosques got into his spirit while he was filming in the Muslim country.



"The call to prayer happens five times a day, and for the first week, it drives you crazy, and then it just gets into your spirit, and it's the most beautiful, beautiful thing,' he said.



“There are 4,000 mosques in the city (Istanbul). Some are just stunning, and it really makes me think about becoming a Muslim.”



Neeson said he was reared as a Catholic Christian but added, "every day we ask ourselves, not consciously, what are we doing on this planet? What's it all about?"

Muslim women are fashionable under their burkas: Countess of Wessex

The Countess of Wessex has spoken out in support of Muslim women who express their fashion sense while wearing traditional clothes like the burka.

U.K. - The Countess of Wessex has spoken out in support of Muslim women who express their fashion sense while wearing traditional clothes like the burka.



The countess told Harper's Bazaar magazine women from the Islamic world could be stylish and modest at the same time.



In an interview by the women's fashion magazine ahead of her 50th birthday on January 20, the countess said that under a burka there was probably a woman wearing "something really quite fashionable".



Her comments followed an event she hosted at Windsor Castle where she met representatives from the organisation Islamic Fashion Festival.



She said: "It's very evident that Muslim women can be fashionable while also retaining their modesty... And it's a great way of bringing people together, and saying, 'Look, this is what we're really like'.



"And what people forget is that underneath the burka and everything else, there is somebody who is probably wearing something really quite fashionable."

London: EDL to protest outside Luton Islamic Centre on New Year's Eve

AN English Defence League protest is set to take place outside Luton Islamic Centre on New Year’s Eve.

AN English Defence League protest is set to take place outside Luton Islamic Centre on New Year’s Eve.



The protest was announced on the group’s Facebook and Twitter pages this morning.



They will be protesting a three day conference held at the centre which will feature a number of Islamic scholars speaking.



This comes after a recent march by the group on November 22, where 500 members of the group took to the streets which resulted in six arrests.



As of yet it is unknown whether a counter demonstration will be held on New Year’s Eve.

Iran's SNSC: Takfiri Extremists Created to Promote Islamophobia

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani lashed out at the western countries and their regional allies for using Takfiri terrorists as a tool to promote Islamophobia in the world to prevent the spread of Islamic Awakening.

"The arrogant system's pursuit of the Islamophobia policy by creating and magnifying the savage acts of the terrorist Takfiri groups is the other side of the coin in its fight against the Islamic Awakening," Shamkhani said, addressing a ceremony in Tehran on Monday.

And this, he said, happened while Islam is the religion of kindness and the Shiite and Sunni Muslims assume defending the values and promoting humane concepts as their responsibility.

Shamkhani also stressed Iran's commitment to defending the unity and security of the Muslims world, and said, "Today, the correctness and success of Iran's policies for controlling and fighting the goals of the arrogant powers has been proved to the world nations more than ever, and it's been proved that Iran's efforts to create security in the Muslim world are real, effective and without any religious affiliation."

In relevant remarks in November, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei warned that the bullying powers were using every method and tool to spread Islamophobia among the world people.

"The world expansionist and bullying powers are highly concerned about the attraction of Islam's freedom message and the danger posed to their interests and have used all instruments, specially art tools, to intimidate the entire world people from Islam," Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing Iranian Army cadets in Tehran.

He underlined that creation of armed groups under the name of Islam and Islamic State to massacre innocent people was another instance of enemies' methods to promote Islamophobia.

"The message of the real Islam for humanity is the message of tranquility, honor and life along with security and safety, and ill-wishers do not want the nations to become familiar with this message," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

Many Iranian officials have warned on different occasions that the western powers are trying to spread Islamophobia throughout the world.

“Big and Western powers who are after their own interests in the region and seek to get their claws on the resources of Muslim countries, particularly in the oil and gas sectors, have always followed two ominous goals, namely to deepen divisions among Muslims and to spread Islamophobia in the world,” President Rouhani said, addressing the 27th International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran in January.

The Iranian president reiterated the importance of improving the notion of “dialog and interaction” in the Muslim world, particularly in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain and Libya.

“The Iranian government and nation have made it clear to the world that they are after moderation by adopting a policy of balance and prudence,” Rouhani said.

Uniquely Beautiful Mosques of Dakar, Senegal + Pics

With Senegal's capital city Dakar being the most Western point of Africa, it has become a focal point for business and the face of modern Africa, drawing attention to its architecture, and cultural art heritage.

Dakar's mosques and various architectural features offers its visitors a visual feast. With its green dome and 4 minarets, the Grand Mosquee Elhadji Omar Al Foutiyou is one of the most popular mosques attracting visitors to the city centre.

Another mosque, Grande Mosquee de Dakar, stands out as the one with the tallest and only single minaret of the mosque. With State leaders who wish to prayer the Friday and Eid prayers, this mosque is the mosque of choice, which also claims ownership to its intricate stone carvings and door engravings.

Currently under construction and scheduled to finish by the end of 2015 is the Grande Mosquee Massalikoul Jinane, it will be the largest mosque in Dakar. Mosques built in Dakar, are usually constructed in the honour of their Islamic group leader – on the edge of the Atlantic ocean the Divine Mosque was built in honour of Islamic scholar Muhammd Gorgui Seyni Gueye.

It is on of the most beautiful mosques with two domes and continues to be a highlight for visiting tourists in Dakar. With only white dress allowed at the Friday prayers, and those without white pray in the garden outside.

Ayatollah Khamenei Praises Navy for Persian Gulf Drills

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Monday commended the Navy for the successful drills in the Persian gulf.

The Supreme Leader praised the Navy in a message conveyed by Brigadier-General Mohammad Shirazi to the Public Relations Office of the Navy base in the Persian Gulf.



Shirazi told rank and file of the Navy involved in wargames in the Persian Gulf that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Sayed Ali Khamenei acknowledged successful performance of the Navy in applying the latest defensive hardware in the wargames.



'Mohammad Rasoulallah' wargames are currently underway in southern Iran.



Meanwhile, Mohammad Shirazi met and conferred with senior army commanders present in the 6-day maneuvers.



'Mohammad Rasoulallah' war games began in the Persian Gulf early on Thursday in a 2.2 million sq. km area stretching from east of Hormuz Strait to southern parts of the Gulf of Aden.

ISIS publishes interview with Jordanian pilot in propaganda magazine as he warns 'they WILL kill me'

Lt Mu'ath al-Kaseasbeh says his plane was hit by a missile over Raqqah

Asked if he knows what his fate will be he says 'Islamic State will kill me'

Latest issue of Dabiq also has article by captive journalist John Cantlie

The so-called Islamic State has published an interview with a Jordanian pilot captured by militants last week after he was forced to eject over northern Syria.



First Lieutenant Mu'ath al-Kaseasbeh bailed out near the insurgent group's de facto capital of Raqqa on Wednesday after his F-16 warplane was damaged during an airstrike.



The 26-year-old is the first foreign military pilot to fall into the extremists' hands since an international coalition began its aerial campaign against IS in September.



His interview appears as a short question-and-answer segment in the latest issue of Dabiq, Islamic State's English-language magazine.



The full-colour monthly magazine, which is distributed online as a pdf document, also contains a lengthy article apparently by captive British journalist John Cantlie, as well as praise for Sydney hostage taker Man Haron Monis.



Lt Kaseasbeh, who is pictured wearing an orange jumpsuit, describes how his jet was hit by anti-aircraft fire near Raqqa, which is located on the banks of the Euphrates River in northern Syria.



'We entered the region of ar-Raqqah to sweep the area, then the striker jets entered to begin their attack,' he was quoted as saying. 'My plane was struck by a heat-seeking missile. I heard and felt its hit.



'The other Jordanian pilot in the mission – the first lieutenant pilot Saddām Mardīnī – contacted me from a participating jet and told me that I was struck and that fire was coming out of the rear nozzle of my engine.



'I checked the system display and it indicated that the engine was damaged and burning. The plane began to deviate from its normal flight path, so I ejected.



'I landed in the Furāt River by parachute and the seat caught on some ground, keeping me fixed, until I was captured by soldiers of the Islamic State.'



Elsewhere in the interview, Lt Kaseasbeh answers questions about himself and the coalition involved in airstrikes against Islamic State targets.



He said his role in the mission was to destroy anti-aircraft positions and guard against any enemy jets. At the end of the short piece he is asked if knows what his fate will be at the hands of Islamic State.

'Yes,' he answers. 'They will kill me.'



Jordan's government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said he had seen the comments but declined to comment.



The U.S. has denied that IS shot down the Jordanian aircraft. The head of the U.S. military's Central Command, General Lloyd Austin, said the US will not tolerate IS's 'attempts to misrepresent or exploit this unfortunate aircraft crash for their own purposes'.



The new issue of Islamic State's magazine also included a long article on global economics which goes under the byline of John Cantlie, the British journalist held hostage in Syria since November 2012.



Like previous articles in Dabiq attributed to Mr Cantlie, the latest piece - headlined 'Meltdown' - appears right at the end of the magazine as its final article.



It is not clear if the 43-year-old wrote the article himself or if his name was simply added to another's work, but it does appear to be written in a less-formal, more journalistic tone than others in the magazine.

The article predicts the collapse of the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency and this rise of a gold-backed economic system - something Islamic State has backed by minting its own gold and silver coins.



'Nobody has discovered a better way for people to stay warm than wearing clothes. And nobody has found a more stable money than gold,' Mr Cantlie apparently wrote.



Islamic State also praised the attack on a cafe and ensuing hostage crisis in Sydney, Australia, this month. Two hostages and the gunman, Man Haron Monis, were killed.



Monis was a 50-year-old Iranian-born self-styled cleric with a lengthy criminal history.

While holding the hostages, Monis made two demands - to be delivered an IS flag and to speak directly with Australian prime minister Tony Abbott.



Islamic State's editorial sidesteps the issue of Monis's dubious morality, which included outstanding charges for more than 50 sexual offences, saying: 'The fact is ... that any allegations leveled against a person concerning their past are irrelevant as long as they hope for Allah’s mercy and sincerely repent from any previous misguidance.'



IS had called on Muslims to kills disbelievers in the West, including Australia.

Qom Planning to Hold Quran Interpretation Skills Course, Iran

A course on Quran interpretation skills is planned to be held by Al-Mustafa International University in the holy city of Qom.

A course on Quran interpretation skills is planned to be held by Al-Mustafa International University in the holy city of Qom.

This is according to Majid Sharifiya, director of Quran and Hadith Education Department of the university, who said that the Center of Short-Term Courses of the university will hold the 20-day program. 20 experts in Quran interpretation from 20 countries will participate in the educational program.



Prominent Iranian scholars will teach the skills of explanation and interpretation of the Holy Quran’s verses in Arabic.



Sharifiya noted that the university also organizes annual Quran memorization examinations which have been received well by Quran students of the academic center.

UN Urged Myanmar to Grant Citizenship to Rohingya Muslims

The United Nations (UN) has called on Myanmar to provide “full citizenship” to its Rohingya Muslim minority and grant it the same rights as those of other people in the country.

The UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a non-binding resolution on Monday urging Myanmar to grant the Muslim minority citizenship rights.



The resolution expressed the 193-member body’s “serious concern” about the Myanmar government’s treatment of the Rohingyas, saying the international community is united in seeking change in Naypyidaw’s attitude toward minorities.



The General Assembly urged Myanmar to ensure that the Rohingya Muslims have equal access to services, including health and education, and to address the main causes of violence and discrimination against them.



It also called on the government to ensure that Rohingyas are allowed to safely return to their communities, “and to promote peaceful coexistence.”



It said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights should open an office in Myanmar “without delay.”



The UN General Assembly’s Human Rights Committee had adopted a non-binding resolution on November 21 to pressure the Southeast Asian country to change its approach toward the Rohingya Muslims.



Under Myanmar’s national law, 1.3 million Rohingyas are denied citizenship and are considered stateless. Myanmar officials want to categorize them as Bengalis, implying they are illegal migrants from neighboring Bangladesh. Those who reject the identity would likely be detained or deported.



Reports say hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas in Myanmar are suffering from a severe shortage of food and drinking water. Humanitarian aid deliveries have slowed down in Rakhine State, where many Rohingyas live, due to an escalation of violence against them.



The UN recognizes Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims as one of the world’s most persecuted communities. They have faced torture, neglect, and repression since Myanmar’s independence in 1948.

Another Palestinian Teenager Shot Dead by Israeli Forces / Pics

Another Palestinian Teenager Shot Dead by Israeli Forces / Pics A Palestinian youth was shot dead by Israeli forces at the Tappuah checkpoint south of Nablus in the northern West Bank on Monday. Related Articles Photos: Fighting Santas in Palestine Israeli soldiers target Palestine school with tear gas France Recognizes Palestine a State Ayatollah Khamenei to Islamic Jihad Head "Palestine Must Prepare for War of Destiny" Zionist Regime Summons Swedish Envoy over Palestine Recognition

Israel Tests Illegal Weapons on Gaza, Palestinian Official says

Top official of the Palestinian National Initiative said that Israel has used the Gaza Strip as a testing ground for new and illegal weapons.

Israel has used the Gaza Strip as a testing ground for new and illegal weapons, the top official of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI) party said, as quoted by the Middle East Monitor on Monday.



"There is conclusive evidence that it used the Gaza Strip as a test bed for its deadly weaponry," PNI Secretary-General Mustafa Barghouti was quoted by MEM as saying.



Speaking at a 2014 review in the Palestinian de facto administrative capital of Ramallah in the West Bank, Barghouti claimed Israel had fired 21,000 metric tons of high explosives during the 50-day Israel-Gaza conflict in July and August.



The secretary-general added that amount was equivalent to two nuclear bombs, and said that Israel had also used internationally prohibited weapons, including white phosphorus and barrel bombs, as reported by the news outlet.



"What we are witnessing in the West Bank and Jerusalem is the appearance of a new uprising, albeit in scattered waves,” Barghouti said.



Bourghouti also warned that Gaza was set to "explode" if reconstruction materials were not allowed into the region following land, sea and air blockades imposed by Israel since 2007. On Sunday, hundreds of Palestinians marched in Gaza demanding for Israel to end the blockades which was hindering reconstruction.



Meanwhile, an amended Palestinian resolution outlining that Israel should end its occupation of the West Bank by 2017 is to be presented to the United Nations Security Council on Monday. Palestinians are seeking the creation of an independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

Iranian President: World in need of prophets’ peace and justice

Iranian President, Rouhani, extending his congratulations to all Christians around the globe on the occasion of Christmas and ahead of New Year, said that the world today, more than any other time, needed peace, justice and freedom the prophets have brought for humanity.

IRAN - President Hassan Rouhani, while congratulating Christmas and the advent of the year 2015, said the intellectuals in the Islamic and Christian countries are duty bound to get people acquainted with the spiritual message of religions and stand against the deviation from divine faiths.



He added: “Birth of Christ was a kind of gift for humankind and granted the world peace, friendship and humanity as divine and immortal values after a bloody history of violence and war. His message was a global one, his religion was a humanitarian religion and his tradition was kindness.”



President Rouhani, pointing to the long history of coexistence of Muslims and Christians in Iran and describing it a pleasant experience, said “we are proud of an Iran which is the home to all Iranians including Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians and we know that respect for all religions is the valuable teaching of Islam.”



He continued saying that the world today needed, more than ever, the message of peace, justice and freedom from divine prophets. Rouhani concluded by inviting all the people to peace and brotherhood, wishing a new year of happiness and welfare for all people around the world.

ISIS Praises the Sydney Siege Hostage-taker 'Haron Monis'

The So-called Islamic State has praised the actions of Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis in an editorial in its propaganda magazine Dabiq.

Islamic State has praised the actions of Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis in an editorial in its propaganda magazine Dabiq.

The foreword of the sixth issue of the magazine described how Monis "brought terror to the entire nation" when he entered the Lindt Cafe in Sydney's Martin Place, taking 17 people hostage.



The siege ended in the deaths of two of the hostages - 38-year-old lawyer Katrina Dawson and 34-year-old cafe manager Tori Johnson - as well as Monis.



It is understood that the gunman acted alone, but following the siege Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Monis "sought to cloak his actions with the symbolism of the ISIL death cult".



Dabiq said Monis was a "mujahid in the path of Allah" who performed a "daring raid" by "acting alone and striking the kuffar [Westerners who do not believe in an Islamic God] where it would hurt them most - in their own lands".



"The blessings in his efforts were apparent from the very outset," the article said.



The article included photos from the siege showing witnesses escaping as well as a full page dedication to Monis, including quotes from him about Allah.



It ended with a warning that others would follow the "examples" set by extremists such as Monis and Abdul Numan Haider, who was shot dead after stabbing two police officers during anti-terrorism raids in September.



"Monis added his name to the list of Muslims who answered the [caliph's] call to strike those waging war against the Islamic State," the article said.



"There will be others... all that the West will be able to do is to anxiously wait."



The magazine also published what it said was an interview with a Jordanian pilot taken prisoner by IS fighters after his jet crashed in north-eastern Syria.



Monis was on bail for a string of violent offences, including being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife, before his death.



He was also facing more than 50 sexual and indecent assault charges and had a conviction for sending abusive letters to families of deceased Australian soldiers.

Australian Fighting for ISIS Killed in Syria

A Sydney man has reportedly been killed while fighting in Syria in November.

Ahmad Mohamad al-Ghaz’zaoui was named on the online social networking site Syria 24 over the weekend as having been killed while fighting for IS militants.

Moustafa Dannoun, editor-in-chief of Syria 24 Media, said on Tuesday his sources had confirmed al-Ghaz’zaoui was killed after arriving in Syria from Turkey late last month.

He said the man was originally from Bankstown, in Sydney’s south-west.

Jamal Daoud, from the Social Justice Network in Sydney, said al-Ghaz’zaoui’s death had been announced by a close cousin, but the family’s online tributes to him were removed on Tuesday morning, following a report in the Daily Telegraph.

“He would have been killed on the 25th or 26th of December,” Daoud said. “We are trying to contact the family but they are not answering.”

Daoud said Syria 24 was an online site run by volunteers who had “some correspondents in Syria” and links within the community.

Al-Ghaz’zaoui, also spelt al-Ghazzawi, was born in Australia, but his family was from a small village in Lebanon, Daoud believed.

In response to reports that friends and family members of al-Ghaz’zaoui were calling him a martyr in social media posts, the foreign minister, Julie Bishop, said: “If people want to put stupid or idiotic things on Facebook, then that’s not an offence in itself.

“But if people are inciting or advocating or promoting terrorism under the new laws that this government has introduced, then that can be an offence.”

Bishop said the case highlighted the government’s concerns about Australian citizens heading overseas undetected and fighting with Isis in Syria and Iraq.

“The fact that some of these people are leaving Australia and are not even under surveillance or of interest to our security agencies is, of course, deeply concerning,” she said in Adelaide on Tuesday.

“We know that if people return to Australia after becoming hardened or experienced terrorists there is a possibility that they would seek to carry out terrorist activities here in Australia.”

A spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Department did not confirm the reports of his death, but urged anyone fighting with Isis or other terrorists groups to end their association and leave the conflict zone.

“We know there are some young Australians who think they’ve made the right choice in becoming involved in overseas conflicts, but that choice only adds to the suffering in Syria and Iraq and it’s putting those young Australians themselves and others in mortal danger,” the department said on Tuesday.

“Legislation recently passed by the parliament seeks to ensure that as far as humanly possible, if you leave this country to engage in terrorism and you come back to this country, you will be arrested, prosecuted and jailed, or face other measures such as control orders.

“It is illegal to fight in Syria. It is illegal to fight for a terrorist organisation anywhere, including in Iraq.”

Top Shia Scholar: Cursing other religions and sects not compatible with Islamic logic

Grand Shiite scholar, Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad-Ali Alavi-Gorgani, has met with a group of administrators from Imam Khomeini Specialized University, which is affiliated with al-Mustafa International University, and members of the organizing committee of the “Unified Ummah” Exhibition.

Grand Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Alavi-Gorgani, explained that since the beginning of the expansion of Islam until now, the sources of emulation and the scholars have always been the flag bearers of Islamic unity and sought harmony among the various Islamic sects and schools of thought. “A role model for Islamic unity was the late Grand Ayatollah [Sayyed Hoseyn] Boroujerdi,” he explained.



His Eminence said that Islam is a religion of reason and argument which always calls people to unity and fraternity because with unity all work can be accomplished. “However, every sect has its own ideology and we must ask them to express every one of their issues with reason and logic,” he said.



Ayatollah Alavi-Gorgani added: “The Prophet Muhammad was a ‘mercy for all the worlds’ and that the guardianship of the Commander of the Faithful [Imam Ali] is not just for Shi’ite Muslims. Also, unity is not something that mankind want, but is something that God Almighty wants for mankind.”



We should not think that unity is only for Muslims, but God wants us to have unity with other religions as well. Unity is the path of God and is against the goal of Satan to create differences among mankind. Why do they want to create a third category? We still see that the enemies of Islam are our enemies and the enemies of Sunnis as well,” the renowned source of emulation stated.



Ayatollah Alavi-Gorgani explained that all Muslims must gather under the umbrella of the slogan “there is no god but God.” “Even during the time of the infallible Imams, there were various schools of thought. These various schools of thought should not belittle each other, rather their scholars should express their viewpoints with reason and logic,” he said.



“This boldness in relation to others over Islamic issues is not compatible with Islam and our goal is come together under the umbrella of divine unity so that we can reach a conclusion. Today, we witness the actions of those who have murdered and pillaged in the name of Islam. Their actions and cursing other religions and sects are not compatible with Islamic logic,” Ayatollah Alavi-Gorgani stressed.



The revered scholar said that when the Prophet Muhammad conquered Makkah, he stated “today is a day of mercy,” and added that we must also act like the Prophet Muhammad did with others.



“We must not think that when we gain power we should oppress and kill others, but rather we should be thankful to God for His blessings that we have gained the power to be merciful to others,” His Eminence concluded.