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Muslims should not keep silent toward aggression on al-Aqsa Mosque

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Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani said on Saturday that Muslims must avoid keeping silent toward Israeli aggression on al-Aqsa Mosque and Saudi bombardment on Yemen.

Theological schools, Ulema and religious leaders will condemn desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque by the Zionists.

They believe that the Saudi aggression on the oppressed people of Yemen is the same as the crimes and atrocities of the Zionists in Gaza, said Ayatollah Hamedani.

Al-Aqsa Mosque belongs to all Muslims and the Zionist regime wants to occupy it through a savage move, he said.

It is the duty of all Muslims to resist to the Zionist regime and its allies, said Ayatollah Hamedani adding that world Muslims should exercise vigilance and avoid keeping mum in dealing with the issue.

The Zionist forces stormed al-Aqsa Mosqu on Friday during which a number of Palestinians were injured or arrested.

Referring to deterioration of humanitarian situation in Yemen due to the war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Saudi government in Yemen, the religious leader said that the Saudi regime has proved its illegitimacy and in fact it has unveiled its real face to the world public opinion.

Islam commands all Muslims not to keep mum toward tyrannical powers and they are duty-bound to stand up to the tyrants, said Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani.

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Britain’s Labor Party Leader Blames West over Emergence of ISIL Terrorist Group

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Speaking in an interview with the Middle East Eye, Corbyn said that the ISIL is, in part, the product of western interventions in the Middle East.

The Labor leader said the ISIL terrorist group didn’t come from nowhere.

“The London policy of supply Riyadh with weapons has been a mistake,” the anti-war politician underscored.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Corbyn said that the UK would be much safer if it stopped following the US foreign policy.

He further added that the western efforts to bomb Syria would “create more mayhem”.

“The ISIL terrorist group should be isolated and the other parties in the region should grow more united to eradicate the ISIL,” Corbyn further added.

A week ago, Veteran far-left lawmaker Jeremy Corbyn won the leadership election of the UK Labor Party after obtaining over 59 percent of votes in the first round.

Sixty-six-year-old Corbyn has been widely referred to as one of the most “rebellious” Labor members of parliament. In 1984, Corbyn was arrested outside the South African embassy for violating a protest ban during apartheid times. He had voted against Britain’s participation in the Iraq war, criticized ex-Labor leader Miliband for too much austerity, and had repeatedly spoke out against renewing the British Trident nuclear deterrent infrastructure.

Corbyn is also the chairman of the Stop the War Coalition.

The leadership race was triggered by Labor leader Ed Miliband’s resignation, after his party garnered only 232 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, the lower house of British parliament, at the May 7 general election. The Conservatives won 331 seats, securing a majority government.

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Syria: Cautious Calm in Kefraya, Foaa as Popular Committees Foil Militant Attack

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Cautious calm prevails over the vicinity of the towns of Kefraya and Al-Foaain  Idlib countryside after popular committees thwarted an armed attack by Al-Nusra Front, the so-called Turkestan Islamic Party, Jund al-Aqsa and others from Osbkih and Chechen nationalities.

The insurgent attack was launched on Friday afternoon by pounding Kefraya and Foaa with hundreds of shells followed by a failed attempt to break through the defense lines of the People’s Committees.

The clashes are considered the deadliest in the region since the imposition of the blockade on the besieged villages in which the insurgents used booby-trapped machines to break the first lines of defense of the popular committees, but these attacks were aborted and dozens of them were killed and wounded. 

The militants’ corpses were still on the battlefield. The committees also destroyed three tanks, five IED machines, a BMP and several machines armed with 23 machine guns.

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Takfiri militants execute 56 Syrian army soldiers at captured airbase / Photos

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The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a pro-opposition monitor based in the UK with a network of activists on the ground, confirmed the executions on Saturday, raising the death toll on the government side to 71 loyalists, according to SOHR head Rami Abdul Rahman.

Abu al-Duhur, a strategic military airport located 30 miles southeast of Idlib city, had been besieged by opposition forces for more than two years.

It was the last remaining government military stronghold in Idlib province, which was overrun by a loose coalition of Islamist factions called the Army of Conquest in a ferocious campaign last March.

Nine days ago, the Army of Conquest, as well as al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra and the Turkistan Islamic Party, launched an attack on the base during an hours-long sandstorm.

With air defences crippled due to low visibility, militants broke through the defensive perimeter and killed dozens of government soldiers while taking others captive.

Syrian pro-government media had confirmed the fall of the airport, but insisted the soldiers protecting the base had withdrawn safely.

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Indian Muslims should first watch the film "Muhammad" then judge it

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By: Taran N Khan

Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Celebrated Iranian director Majid Majidi, whose film Muhammad: The Messenger of God has landed in trou ble in India -earning him and its music director AR Rahman a fatwa from a Mumbai-based Sunni organisation -has strongly defended the film, Rahman, and the need to present Islam in a new light.

In an exclusive interview to Taran N Khan for Mumbai Mirror, Majidi, known across the world for his moving portraits of childhood, like the acclaimed Children of Heaven and The Colour of Paradise, said he is surprised that people have raised objections, even demanded a ban, without watching the movie.

Mumbai-based Raza Academy has objected to physical representation of the Prophet, which many Muslims consider taboo, in Majidi’s movie, and demanded that Rahman read the kalmas again and re-solemnise his marriage to make amends. Last week, the group wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, seeking a ban on the film. Some clerics at Egypt’s Al Azhar University too have sought a ban.

Speaking extensively about how the film, first of a planned trilogy, was made and the many hurdles it faced, the director clarified that at no point in the film is the Prophet’s face revealed. “You only see his hands and feet in the cradle as a baby, and as a child from the back,” he said.

Referring to Rahman as one of the best musicians in the world, Majidi said that apart from his creativity, the other most important thing for him was that Rahman is an observant Muslim. “And so I thought he can touch the spirit of the film better than anyone else.”

Majidi said even when they were recording for the film with an orchestra in Berlin, Rahman would take breaks to offer his prayers.

The film is set in the sixth century and made on a budget of around $35 million, Iran’s most expensive production yet. It is also only the second major film to take on the subject, after the 1977 The Message by Moustapha Akkad.Stressing on the need for a new film on the Prophet, Majidi said there have been around 200 films made on Jesus Christ and around 120 on Moses. “Even the other prophets have nearly 70 films made on them.There are 42 films made on the Buddha. For the prophet of Islam, there are only two. I would invite all the religious figures who have condemned the film to first watch it, including the leaders in India. I am sure if they see it with honesty and without pre-judgement, they will love the film.”

What was the idea behind making Muhammad: The Messenger of God? What is the main message of this film?

In recent years, there have been many wrong interpretations of Islam in the Western world. They have made very harsh references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, for example through the 2005 cartoons in Denmark. At the same time, in Islamic countries, we have seen the rise of extremist groups like Taliban and more recently the Daesh (IS), who have performed acts of terrible violence. They have also created a very horrible image and imagination of Islam in the eyes of the world. All these actions, I feel, are not related to Islam or to the Prophet Muhammad. They are just taking advantage of the name of Islam. I decided to make this film to give the right information and interpretation, and correct the image of Islam. The real idea of Islam is kindness and morality, and respect for human values. If I were to put the film’s message in one sentence, it is to show that Islam is the religion of kindness, peace and love.

What were the key challenges you faced while making the film?

For making a film of this scale, there were many problems of administration and logistics that had to be overcome. About 40 per cent of the story takes place in Mecca in the 6th century. So we had to recreate the city to what it would have been 1400 years ago.Added to that was the problem that we didn’t have enough sources, not even paintings from that period to help us in this process. We tried to make the location as historically accurate as possible. And now the location can be used by other Islamic countries to make their own productions. (A large part of the film was shot at a specially constructed location called `Prophet Muhammad Cinematic City’, 80 km from Tehran).

Besides this, in other locations we had problems with constructions, with providing costumes and animals, transporting elephants and handling the huge number of people on the shoot, as some days we had nearly 3000 extras present on the site.

On the other hand, we benefited from some wonderful collaborations with people from across the world, including Italy, the USA, England, Germany, India, Serbia and so on. While the film was an Iranian production, it saw a creative collaboration of artists from different countries. So it was a very difficult process, but everything went well!

Who was the audience you had in mind when you thought of making the film?

From the very beginning, I was planning to make it a film for people around the world. At the same time, I have tried to make a film that can overcome the differences between different Islamic groups, like Shias and Sunnis. For this reason I have used all historical resources, from Sunni and Shia references alike, so the film can create a feeling of unification between them. I believe the film can change the way Western audiences feel towards Islam and it can also be a bridge between different Islamic countries. The film has also given respect to other religions like Christianity and Judaism.

How did you get the idea of asking AR Rahman to contribute to the music?

Rahman is one of the best musicians in the world and I was familiar with his work as a composer.He is very creative and the most important thing for me was that he is also a believing Muslim. And so I thought he can touch the spirit of the film better than anyone else. I believe he has done exceptional work on this film, and others who have heard it also feel that it is unique. When the music is released, it will be very well received as he has used all his talents.

I feel Rahman is not only a great musician, but a great spirit.One of the best days of our working together over the past two years came when we were recording with the orchestra in Berlin.At the time of prayer, he stopped his work and offered his prayers.He gave it priority even when working with the orchestra. I learned a lot from Rahman because he respects human values. He is not only my friend but my brother.

What is the response to the film so far in Iran? When can we hope to see it in other countries too?

The film was released in Iran on August 29 and has had a great reception ever since. So far it has been seen by over a million people, which is unique in the history of cinema in Iran till date. It will most likely set a new record at the box office and it looks like it will continue in the theaters for another five months. We are hopeful of releasing it in other countries soon and are already in discussions and negotiations with agents across the world. We hope to release it in India too once we find the right distributor.

What is your response to the controversies around the film, for example the fatwa in India?

Unfortunately, some religious leaders have asked people to boycott the film, as they believe it is not according to the spirit of Islam. I want to ask them, how can they give these opinions or voice such demands when they have not watched the film yet? I also want to ask them: then how should we introduce real Islam to the world? Other religions have made many films on their leaders.There have been around 200 films made on Jesus Christ. On Moses, 120 films. Even the other prophets have nearly 70 films made on them. There are 42 films made on the Buddha. For the prophet of Islam, there are only two. One is called Al Risala (The Message) and was made nearly 40 years ago by the late Moustapha Akkad. The other is mine. I would invite all the religious figures who have condemned the film to first watch it, including the leaders in India. I am sure if they see it with honesty and without pre-judgement, they will love the film.

People have objected to physical depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in the film …

I have avoided showing the face of the face of the Prophet, which is not seen anywhere in the film.You only see his hands and feet in the cradle as a baby, and as a child from the back. I based this on the opinions of many religious scholars and religious leaders who I consulted, both Sunnis and Shias, and who agreed that it is not a problem as I am not showing the face of the Prophet.

Your message to audiences in India?

I love India and also Indians. I feel there are so many similarities between our countries, which is why I am planning to make my next project in India. I hope to do two productions there in the next two years. I know that Indians and people working in Indian cinema industry know me and my work, and I am grateful for their kindness and attention. Because of my feelings for India, I feel we will be able to do remarkable collaborations.

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Bahrain Sheikh Ali Salman stands appeal hearing as 33 states urge release of Prisoners of Conscience

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Bahrain’s opposition leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, is to stand his first hearing session in the Appeals Court today, just hours after 33 states said the human rights situation in Bahrain remains an issue of serious concern.

Sheikh Ali Salman is the opposition leader and Secretary General of Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, the main opposition party in Bahrain. His hearing comes in conjunction with wide international condemnation for his arrest and prosecution.

The 33 states highlighted the lack of sufficient guarantees of fair trial in Bahrain and called for the release all persons imprisoned solely for exercising their human rights. The joint statement was signed by Andorra, Australia Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, The United States of America, Uruguay.

Leading international human rights organizations, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have considered Sheikh Ali Salman a prisoner of conscience undergoing an unfair trial that is lacking international standards. HRW’s Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson said, “The court’s refusal to consider crucial defense evidence confirms the political nature of Sheikh Ali Salman’s prosecution.” Adding, “The manifest unfairness of the trial means the authorities should release Salman immediately.”

The UN Special Rapporteur on rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, expressed continued concern that the charges against Sheikh Ali, may be a result of his dissenting views and his exercise of the freedoms of association and of opinion and expression, and request further information in relation to the judicial investigation.

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Imam Hussain shrine launches Housing project, free of charge for the poor

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – The Imam Hussein Holy Shrine has launched a housing project in order to house the poor for free of charge. The project will be built on a 155-acre site, and the cost of it will be $55 dollars.

The project will include 1000 housing units, two elementary schools, 3 secondary schools, medical; sport; and commercial complexes, markets, a mosque, and a water refinery.

The project has recently been launched but then suspended due to the financial crisis that Iraq is confronting nowadays; but the work will recommence soon.

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Bahrain: Sheikh Ali Salman

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – To the fruits of my heart,

My dear son Mojtaba,

My dear daughter Naba’,

You are the joy of my heart and you know how much I love you, long to see you, and dream about the future I desire for you.

Allow me, dear Mojtaba, to address your little sister in this letter, to answer a question that is keeping her innocent mind busy: “Why were you detained, dad?” Since she is still not aware, like you are, of the situation we are living in.

My beloved daughter Naba’

One day, you were blowing the candles on your seventh birthday. Our warm house was filled with your smiles, filling and coloring every corner on its way. I still remember how we took pictures together, while you were making sure that the number of candles counted your age, which I would compare to the age of our country since February 14, 2011.

I also remember the look of fear on your face when you heard the loud knocks on the door. Your eyes were filled with tears when you asked me, “Why would the police come to our house on my birthday daddy? We haven’t even opened the presents yet. What do they want?”

When I said goodbye before leaving, I made a promise to myself to come back and open your beautiful presents in the evening, and then you will sleep in my arms like every night. My promise, along with the promises of other fathers, is still hanging between two seas; that of the earth and the skies, and there are still many presents sleeping in the dark.

My beloved Naba’,

My little one, you know I do not want to leave you and go to prison, but the regime took me there against my desire. Why did they do this? This is a story I hope to tell you completely, someday. Perhaps your young age prevents you from understanding everything I will say now. But a few years from now, you will definitely understand and realize faster than you think.

For now, what I can tell you is that I am in prison because, many children like you cannot open their birthday presents with their fathers, some cannot open them alone, while others do not get presents at all.

Many fathers wrote to their children, and I am not the only one writing to you. Some write their letters in forms of children marching to the freedom square, and becoming martyrs. Some write their letters in the form of children going to the Pearl Roundabout, and never coming back. Some write to their young children through their older children, who spend the best of years of their lives in prison. I’m writing two letters to you, this one, and another in the form of a father who was detained the night of his daughter’s birthday; missing out the joy of opening gifts together.

One day, my gift to you will be a country whose gifts are open to all its people, without discrimination.

My dear Naba’,

I don’t know how many years I will have to stay in prison before I get out and hold you in the light again. Yet, what I want you to know is that I am in prison because I love seeing the sun rise in my country and enlighten its darkness, and I would love my country to be joyful and prosper.

The sun is a great blessing that Allah created for all people, and not one can monopolize it and deny others from enjoying it. No one has the right to block the sun from anyone by imprisoning him or her. This country is like the sun, it is a blessing from Allah, and a right for everyone, and its resources are bound for everyone, without any monopolization or discrimination.

I am in prison, because the beach that I know lies behind this building that I am locked up in, but nobody is able to being able to see it. The sea is one of the most attractive views that distinguish our small beautiful island. However, people are not allowed to reach it today, and children your age and older are not allowed to swim in it or play on its beautiful shores like we used to do when we were young. The sea has become a property of a certain faction of people, and not for everyone. Like this country, the sea is a blessing granted by Allah to the people, and it is a right to all people who like it, without any discrimination.

I am in prison because I love you, and I want to protect you, so that no one hurts you or denies you your right in your country as a full citizen, so that no one threatens your freedom or imprisons you, your father, your brother, your husband, or child, just for having an opinion opposing that of the regime.

I am in prison because I am trying to make your mother “Alia” feel safe in her house, without having to be afraid for any of you now or tomorrow.
I am in prison because I want you to have the best education in public schools.

I am in prison because I want to guarantee you an opportunity for a scholarship based on your score in high school. I want your opportunity to depend on your education merit rather than your sect or political stance.

I am in prison so that you and your sister “Sarah” get a job that fits your certificate when you grow up and graduate from college.

I am in prison, my precious child, for your future and Sarah’s future, that of all the girls and boys of your age in your school, your friends, and all the children of Bahrain.

I am in prison because something is taking away your joy; I want every child in Bahrain to be happy, and have his /her parents reassured about his/her future.

I am in prison because I love Allah, I love the people of Allah, I love serving them, and I do not settle for dictatorship over them.

My darling Naba’

Are you still wondering how these reasons are behind my imprisonment? Briefly, I am trying to fix the wrong things in our country.

Perhaps, with all your innocence and curiosity, you ask, “What are the wrong things in our country?”

There are many things my dear daughter, and I shall list the most important, knowing that you will not understand them now.

  • The monopolization of a minority from one tribe to control the country’s affairs and people, while the rest of the nation is marginalized from the actual participation in political decision-making.
    This is hard for you to understand now my dear.
  • The presence of so many poor people in our country, since profiteers and exploitive people took their money, and took control on the expense of these poor people.
  • The presence of grave mistakes; most significant is the discrimination between people based on the tribe or sect, the spread of administrative and ethical corruption, due to the regime’s sovereignty and failure to have various sources of income. The increase in public debt, the drop in public health and education services, the poorly built roads, gardens, infrastructure, the increase in unemployment, and the low income per capita. The absence of freedom of expression, freedom of press, freedom of gaining information, freedom of forming societies, freedom to form political parties, the lack of peaceful exchange of power, the lack of judicial independence, the spread of human rights violations, the control of the state over the civil society and its organizations… and a lot more.

I know what I have said is hard for you to understand. Consider this another letter for you for when you grow up. When you start your primary years at school you will discover some of what I said, and by the time you are in college, everything I said will be crystal clear with the moment you look for a scholarship for a major your deserve, a job you seek, or a decent life you desire.

When things in your life go wrong, go back to my letter, I might not be with you, I might still be in prison, or there may be other circumstances, which I do not know now.

 

My dearest Naba’,

Pray to Allah that I would be out of prison and with you, and pray to Allah that all detainees in our beloved country are set free, since the prayers of a child alone can connect the sea of earth to that of the skies. Allah loves to give children gifts that bring joy to their hearts; gifts that no one can take away or prevent them from opening on their birthdays.

My dear children Mojtaba, Naba’, and Sarah… I love you.

And until we meet again, at a time when everyone is happy.

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NGOs Welcome 5th UN Joint Statement on Human Rights in Bahrain

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Geneva, Switzerland – Americans for Democracy Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), welcome 13th Sep.’s joint statement raising the concern of 33 States about the human rights situation in Bahrain during the 30th Session of the Human Rights Council. This joint statement, led by Switzerland, raises the persistent concerns of the international community regarding a wide variety human rights abuses in Bahrain, including the ongoing use of torture, excessive indiscriminate use of force, and restrictions on the freedoms of opinion, expression and assembly. This latest joint statement builds on four previous joint statements in the Human Rights Council since 2012, which raised similar concerns and enjoy a growing coalition of cross-regional support.

In addition to recognizing a long list of human rights abuses, the 33 States called on Bahrain to take action to substantively address these concerns. The States called on the government to fully implement the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) and Bahrain’s Second Cycle Universal Periodic Review, as well as for enhanced cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Special Procedures. States also called for the release of all persons imprisoned for exercising their human rights, and for the government to “put an end to the repression of peaceful protestors and issue clear instructions to the security forces to refrain from using disproportionate force against the protestors.”

“Today’s statement is a clear message from the international community that Bahrain cannot continue to dodge accountability for its human rights abuses,” said Husain Abdulla, Executive Director of ADHRB. “The Government of Bahrain must address these concerns, or potentially face increased international consequences.”

Since 2012, five successive joint statements have been made on Bahrain at the Human Rights Council, with a growing number of States showing support for addressing these ongoing issues. Since 2013, all of the statements have enjoyed the full support of all European Union Member States, in addition to Switzerland, the United States, and a growing list of Latin American, African and Asian States.

“In Bahrain, we welcome the continued attention and concern of the international community on these longstanding human rights abuses, and hope that the Government will commit to cooperation, transparency, and reform,” said Nabeel Rajab, President of BCHR. The Director of Advocacy at BIRD, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, added that “the Government must act on these concerns now, or the Council may resolve that more serious measures are required in the immediate future.”

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Yemen army and popular forces gain ground in Taiz

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – The Yemeni army and popular forces regained control of new areas in the province of Taiz on Monday.

The Yemeni forces regained control of strategic areas, including military bases, in Jabel Jara and al-Nour city in Taiz, according to the Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television.

Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen for 173 days now to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression has so far killed at least 5,847 Yemenis, including hundreds of women and children.

Hadi stepped down in January and refused to reconsider the decision despite calls by Ansarullah revolutionaries of the Houthi movement.

Despite Riyadh’s claims that it is bombing the positions of the Ansarullah fighters, Saudi warplanes are flattening residential areas and civilian infrastructures.

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