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Iran’s Foreign Ministry Summons Saudi Charge d’Affaires over Mina Stampede
Iran’s foreign ministry on Thursday summoned Saudi Arabia’s charge d’affaires over a recent incident outside Mecca that led to the deaths of over 1000 pilgrims, including 89 Iranians.
More than 1000 pilgrims, including 89 Iranian nationals, were killed and hundreds of others injured in a stampede during Hajj pilgrimage rituals outside the holy city of Mecca on Thursday.
Following the incident, the Saudi envoy was summoned to the Iranian foreign ministry and received Tehran’s official protest at lack of attention leading to the deadly stampede.
Earlier in the day, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian criticized Saudi authorities for their failure to prevent the incident.
“Saudi Arabia’s officials are to blame for the incident,” Amir Abdollahian said Thursday, stressing that their lack of prudence in providing security for pilgrims is “non-negligible”.
The pilgrims were killed in a crush at Mina, outside the holy city, where some two million Muslims are performing the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The accident came nearly two weeks after tens of Hajj pilgrims were killed in another tragic incident in Mecca.
On September 11, a massive construction crane crashed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque in stormy weather, killing at least 107 people and injuring 201 others.
Saudi authorities have been blasted for their failure to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who converge on Mecca for Hajj every year.
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Albanian Muslim celebrate Eid al-Adha
Albanian Muslims gathered Today at the boulevard “Martyrs of the Nation” for performing the prayer of Eid al-Adha.
The vice president of Albanian Muslim Community, Bujar Spahiu congratulated all Albanians,stressing that “in this feast hearts get closer, we forget hate, people extend the hand of reconciliation, until every home and family is filled with joy and gladness “.
Muslims in Albania as their counterparts in Muslim States sacrifice sheep or lamb and distribute their meats on poor and those in need.
After performing the prayer of Eid al-Adha, families exchange visits and congratulations as an expression of peace, love and solidarity with each other.
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Saudi Gov’t Responsible for Security of Pilgrims: Iran’s First VP
First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri on Thursday called for immediate investigation into Hajj stampede in Mena.
As soon as the vice-president was informed about the deadly incident that has killed and injured hundreds of pilgrims during Hajj rituals, including dozens of Iranian pilgrims, in telephone conversations with the caretaker of Iranian Hajj pilgrims, the head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization and Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, he called for providing immediate medical services to Iranian pilgrims injured in the disaster.
He took the Saudi government accountable for the catastrophic incident in Mena, saying, ‘Riyadh government is responsible for protecting the lives of Hajj pilgrims.’
Jahangiri ordered immediate setting up a special committee in the Foreign Ministry for accelerating necessary coordination for providing aid to those injured.
The death toll has neared 1,000 so far.
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Israeli forces shot kill Palestinian fully veiled girl in abdomen / Pics
Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Palestinian media sources said on Tuesday Hadeel Hashlamoun, 18, died of her wounds sustained after Israeli forces shot in her abdomen and left her to bleed in al-Khalil.
Hadeel had asked to be searched by a female soldier or be sent back home, but was shot repeatedly by the soldier, according to eyewitnesses.
“You can see her one minute talking to the soldier and the other minute she was on the ground, shot!” said a passer-by.
Hadeel was left to bleed onto the ground for nearly 30 minutes by Israeli soldiers at a military checkpoint, the sources added.
The Israeli army shot Hashalmoun in the Martyr Street in al-Khalil City in southern West Bank.
According to eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers shot the girl, left her to bleed and prevented Palestinian medics from approaching her.
After a while, an ambulance reached the place and transferred Hashlamoun to an Israeli hospital in 1948 Occupied Palestine.
Hadeelvwas heading to her school with the company of her friend before she was shot and injured. Israeli sources claimed that the young woman attempted to stab a soldier, something the pictures can prove wrong.
The Palestinian national unity government has asked the United Nations to form an investigative committee to look into the circumstances that led to the murder of Hadeel Hashlamoun, who was shot dead by the Israeli occupation soldiers in al-Khalil City.
The government said images captured and published by the Youth against Settlements Coalition, revealed that Hashlamoun posed no threat to the soldiers, and that the shooting, unlike military claims, was not justified.
The occupation army claimed the young woman “attempted to stab a soldier,” but the photos revealed she was not even close to any of the soldiers manning the Iron Gate of the Container Roadblock, in al-Khalil.
The Palestinian government added that eyewitness reports revealed that after the teenage girl was shot with several live rounds, the occupation soldiers left her to bleed for over half an hour.
Medics of the Palestinian Red Crescent tried to reach the wounded young woman, but the soldiers prevented them from approaching her.
A video captured after the shooting, shows armed Israeli settlers gathering at the scene, smiling and chatting, before a soldier dragged the body of the woman to pull her from the sidewalk.
The Hamas resistance group mourned the death of 18-year-old Hadeel, vowing that no single drop of her blood shall go for free.
The group called on the national and international human rights organizations to document such Israeli crimes against the innocent Palestinians.
“Hadeel’s murder, among many other crimes committed by the Israeli occupation on a daily basis, leave no doubt that armed resistance is the only key to oust the Israeli occupation and prevent it from committing more crimes against the Palestinian people,” Hamas added.
Public prosecution in Bahraini renews detention of senior Shia scholar ‘Sheikh Hassan Isa’ for 15 more days
Ahlul Bayt News Agency – The Bahraini Public Prosecution renewed the detention of former Member of Parliament and senior member of Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, Sheikh Hassan Isa, for 15 additional days pending investigation.
The Bahraini authorities arrested Sheikh Hassan Isa at the Bahrain International Airport on August 18, 2015, as he returned from a trip. They questioned him without allowing his lawyer to be present.
The authorities brought charges related to funding terrorism against Sheikh Isa, as they accused him of distributing money to those whom they described as “terrorists and wanted criminals”.
The Director-General of investigations and forensics said that “Sheikh Hassan Isa’s name was mentioned in a number of terrorist cases, including Sitra blast that killed two policemen”. Sheikh Isa; however, denied all the charges brought against him.
The authorities are now working on raising charges of supporting terrorism and overthrowing the regime against prominent political opposition leaders, while courts, whose members are appointed by royal decrees, work on imprisoning dissenters, after convicting them, and issuing harsh sentences against them.
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The orphans of Yemen
If much of the world has become accustomed to the litany of destruction streaming out of Yemen, it is time we focus on the human tragedies which are choking this once proud and buoyant nation of Southern Arabia.
With a history stretching over a millennium, Yemen has seen its fair share of invaders … and yet, never did its people face such vicious and systematic attacks – especially not from an enemy who continues to portray itself as a savior and a benefactor.
If anything is to be remembered of this unlawful and amoral war on Yemen, it is that Saudi Arabia is actively engineering the destruction of a people. The sons of Hamdan have come under unprecedented pressure before the might of Nejd Bedouins.
But if armies can be bought and men’s loyalties changed, Yemen was carved in a different clothe altogether.
Yemenis today are fighting for their children’s future. And while their weapons might be lesser in comparison to the technological prowess of Al Saud, their hands are strong and their heart steady.
But this war is not just a battle of wills in between two armies or two people … this war is claiming Yemen’s innocence by manufacturing orphans.
And if surely every death is a tragedy in itself, what should be said of a life robbed of its future?
As bombs rain, it is such questions which have come to darkened the skies of Yemen – As for those criminals who still can manage to rationalize the unthinkable, their deeds will be weighted in a higher court.
If evil has indeed not one but many faces, its victims all share in the same heartbreak … In Yemen today this pain has befallen four innocent children, the unwarranted victims of a colonial war.
Those children are . Rayan 12, Rawmisa 10, Ra’afat 8 and Retaj 7.
Earlier this September those four brothers and sister lost both their parents – their mother to breast cancer and their father to a Saudi-bomb, both their deaths were preventable, both their deaths were fastened by Saudi Arabia.
Under an almost absolute blockade Yemen has been deprived of food, medicine and other essential commodities. To add insults to injuries, Yemen power and water infrastructures have been the systematic targets of air raid; living millions without running water and electricity.
Under the reign of terror of Al Saud Royals, Yemen’s hospitals resemble more mortuaries than they do places of healing … and yet the world remains silent.
Those children now face an uncertain tomorrow! Who will offer them the protection they deserve? Who will be there to dry their tears and bring back their smiles?
If not for the Mona Relief organization those children would have remained anonymous, another dot on the long list of crimes the kingdom is committing in Yemen.
As Eid Al Adha draws near, as the Muslim community is coming together in prayers to remember Prophet Ibrahim’s absolute submission before God, spare Yemen a prayer, give Yemen’s orphans the future they were robbed by speaking on their behalf.
The day we are able to walk from our children’s pain will truly be the day we lose ourselves completely.
Yemen is more than a territory, it is a people and a history.
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Muslims to Mark the Feast of Sacrifice / Photos
Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, is observed on from the evening of Sept. 23 to Sept. 24, 2015 in North America. One of two feast festivals celebrated by Muslims, Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of the Islamic calendar’s last month, Dhu al-Hijjah.
Eid al-Adha falls within the annual pilgrimage to Mecca known as the hajj. Determining the exact date of Eid al-Adha is a point of contention and some wait for an official announcementfrom the authorities in Mecca.
Muslims celebrate the holiday to commemorate their belief in Abraham’s willingness to follow God’s command to sacrifice his son Ishmael, and Ishmael’s consent to being sacrificed. Today, it is is marked by slaughtering animals to feed the poor. Coming at the end of the hajj, a journey of dedication and purification, Eid al-Adha is understood as an opportunity for second chances.
According to the Quran, when Ishmael (known as Isma’el in Arabic) was 13, his father, Abraham (Ibrahim), began having inconceivable dreams in which God instructed him to sacrifice Ishmael (Quran Surah 37). Unbelievable as the dreams were, Abraham decided to follow Allah’s instructions — but not before asking Ishmael if he would agree to this. The son did not hesitate, showing ultimate submission to God’s will by telling his father to go through with the sacrifice. But at the very moment that Abraham raised the knife, Allah told him to stop — they had passed the test — and to replace Ishmael with a sacrificial ram. In the Quran, Abraham is rewarded for his faith with a second son, Isaac.
Muslims observe and prepare for Eid al-Adha in a number of ways. Before the festival, the faithful acquire new clothing and visit with family and friends. At dawn on the day of Eid, Muslims recite the traditional declaration of faith, the Takbir, followed by the pre-sunrise communal prayer, Salat al-Eid, which is also said on Eid al-Fitr. Worshipers then greet friends with the traditional Arabic salutation of Eid Mubarak (“Have a blessed Eid”) and exchange gifts.
In a symbolic act, Muslims who can afford it slaughter a cow, goat, sheep or camel, keeping a portion to feed themselves and distributing the rest to friends, family and the needy. Those who can’t afford it buy meat from a Halal butcher to distribute. Giving out this meat, in addition to the morning prayers, is considered an essential component of Eid al-Adha.
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Swiss statement is fallacies and fabrications… lacks credibility & neutrality
Ahlul Bayt News Agency – The Bahraini cabinet criticized the “Swiss Confederation’s Statement” that it described as “unfair for Bahrain and its human rights achievements” accusing Switzerland of “ignoring the reality of its developed human rights situation”.
The cabinet said that the Swiss statement, which more than 30 states signed including the United States and United Kingdom, “lacked credibility and neutrality. It ignored the developed strategies adopted by the Government of Bahrain to consolidate human rights and ensure decent living standards for citizens.”
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Important Message of Imam Khamenei to Annual Hajj Pilgrimage / Full Text
Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, delivered a message to this year’s hajj pilgrims. The following is the full text of this message issued on September 19, 2015.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon the master of all creatures, Muhammad, upon his immaculate household, upon their chosen companions, and upon those who follow them until the Day of Judgment.
Greetings be upon the Holy Ka’bah, the base of monotheism, the center of tawaf for believers and the settlement of angels. Greetings be upon Masjid al-Haraam, Arafat, Mash’ar and Mina. Greetings be upon humble hearts, praying tongues, insightful eyes and wise minds. And greetings be upon you blissful hajj pilgrims who have found the opportunity to respond to the divine call and who have gathered around this blessed banquet.
The first responsibility is to deliberate on this global, historical and eternal response: “Verily, all praise, blessings and dominions are Yours. You have no partner, I obey You”. This is the outlook that is imparted on hajj pilgrims in the first steps of this meaningful and significant responsibility. The continuation of this ritual is done in line with this outlook. It is presented to pilgrims as an eternal and unforgettable lesson and they are asked to coordinate their lives on the basis of it. Acquiring and acting on this great lesson is a blessed fountain that can shower freshness, life and dynamism onto the lives of Muslims and liberate them from the maladies that they are suffering from at this time and at all times.
The idol of selfishness, arrogance and lust, the idol of oppressing and being oppressed, the idol of global arrogance, the idol of laziness and irresponsibility and all other idols that belittle the venerable life of human beings will be broken with this Ibrahimi cry – when it comes from the bottom of one’s heart and when it is incorporated in one’s plan for life – and freedom, dignity and health will replace dependence, difficulty and calamity.
Dear brothers and sisters who are on the hajj pilgrimage, from whichever nation and whichever country, you should think about this instructive and divine word. You should define a responsibility for yourselves and endeavor to fulfill it by taking a deep look at the calamities of the world of Islam – particularly in West Asia and North Africa – and by paying attention to capacities and resources- personally and in your surroundings.
Today on the one hand, the vicious policies of America in the region – that have led to war, bloodshed, destruction, destitution, backwardness and tribal and denominational discord – and on the other hand, the crimes of the Zionist regime that has carried its usurping behavior in Palestine to extremes by showing utmost malevolence and viciousness, repeatedly insulting the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque and trampling upon the lives and property of the oppressed Palestinians- is the primary issue of all of you Muslims.
You should deliberate on it and know your Islamic responsibilities towards it. Religious ulama and political and cultural personalities have a much heavier responsibility, however they unfortunately ignore it in most cases.
Ulama, instead of fueling the fire of denominational discord, politicians – instead of adopting a passive outlook towards the enemy – and cultural personalities, instead of becoming busy with trivial matters, should identify the great pain of the world of Islam and embrace the mission whose fulfillment they are responsible for before divine justice.
The heartrending events in the region – in Iraq, Shaam, Yemen, Bahrain, the West Bank, Gaza and other Asian and African countries – are the great maladies of the Islamic Ummah. The fingerprints of global arrogance should be seen in these events and the cure for it should be thought about. Peoples should ask their governments to do so and governments should be loyal to their heavy responsibility.
And hajj and its magnificent gatherings are the best place for manifesting and exchanging this historical responsibility.
And the opportunity to express bara’at should be appreciated with the participation of all hajj pilgrims from everywhere in the world because it is one of the most expressive political rituals in this comprehensive duty.
This year, the bitter and devastating incident in Masjid al-Haraam brought bitter sorrow to pilgrims and their nations. Although the deceased – who rushed towards God while praying, doing tawaf and worshipping God – have found great happiness and although, God willing, they are resting in the safe haven of divine mercy and this is a great comfort to their families- this cannot reduce the responsibility of those people who are committed to ensuring the safety of God’s guests.
Acting on this commitment and fulfilling this responsibility is our firm demand.
Greetings be upon Allah’s righteous servants
Sayyid Ali Khamenei