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The Sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (AS)

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One night Ibrahim had a bad dream. He dreamt Allah told him to sacrifice Ismail.

Ibrahim thought it was Shaytan playing nasty tricks on him.

The next night Ibrahim had the same horrid dream.

Ibrahim knew that Allah would only ask him to do such a thing if he had good reason.

Even though he loved his son dearly, he was prepared to do this difficult thing for Allah.

Ibrahim told Ismail they had to go to Mount Arafat.

He took a knife and a rope with him.

On the way they passed a place called Mina. The devil, Shaytan, came to Ibrahim and

tried to talk him out of sacrificing his son.

Ibrahim turned his back on him and would not listen.

When they reached Mount Arafat, Ibrahim told Ismail what Allah wanted him to do.

Ismail listened and accepted what was to happen. He was an exceptional child.

He too was a great prophet.

Ismail told his father to tie his hands and legs and blindfold himself so he would not struggle and make his father even more upset than he was going to be and Ibrahim was blindfolded so he would not see his son suffer.

Ibrahim did as Ismail had said. He then took the knife and did what Allah had told him to do. When he took the blindfold from his eyes he looked down, not at his son but at a dead ram.

Ismail was at his side. Ibrahim was afraid.

He thought he had disobeyed but then he heard a voice telling him not to worry.

Allah looks after his followers. Ibrahim and Ismail had passed a difficult test.

Each year, during the month of Dhul Hijjah, many Muslims, from all over the world, travel

to Makkah. They want to remember what Ibrahim and Ismail did.

In the month of Dhul Hijjah these pilgrims go to Makkah, Mina and Arafat.

They visit places where Ibrahim and Ismail lived and preached.

They give a sacrifice just as Allah commanded Ibrahim to do. The pilgrims sacrifice animals in memory of the deed.

We must obey Allah’s commands as Ibrahim and Ismail did. We obey by doing the things we know are right, praying, obeying our parents and always telling the truth.

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Important Message of Imam Khamenei to Annual Hajj Pilgrimage / Full Text

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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

30 Malaysian organizations adopt plan to stand up for al-Aqsa mosque

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – A consortium of 30 Malaysian organizations have adopted a joint-plan to mobilize support for Muslims’ holy-Aqsa Mosque and pave the way for a day of anger in protest at Israel’s mounting violations’ of Muslims’ freedom of worship.

The move makes part of the Save Al-Quds global campaign aimed at freeing the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem from continued assaults and violence perpetrated by the Israeli occupation army.

“The al-Aqsa Mosque is the property of every single Muslim on Earth,” the campaigners said.

The Malaysian activists announced the launch of the Jerusalem Fund to boost Muslims’ sit-ins at al-Aqsa.

The gathering called for a mass participation in a day of anger that will take place in front of the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on October 2 to show Malaysia’s support for the Al-Aqsa and Occupied Jerusalem.

The Malaysian activists slammed the mounting Israeli violations of Muslims’ freedom of worship at al-Aqsa and attacks on women and children.

The meeting culminated in a joint plan aimed at mobilizing support for al-Aqsa, both nationwide and overseas.

Launching media campaigns, organizing popular pro-Al-Aqsa events, activating the cause in national and international politics, have been among the policies opted for by the conveners.

President of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations (Mapim), Azmi Abdul Hamid, spoke out against the ongoing Israeli aggressions on al-Aqsa and intents to impose a new fait accompli on the ground.

The campaigners urged the Jordanian and Malaysian governments, along with the international community, to rally round al-Aqsa and to seriously work on halting the Israeli attacks on such a sacred place of worship.

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Pilgrims to perform Wuquf-e-Arafat today

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 Two million white-clad Muslims from across the globe began the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia in one of the world’s largest annual gatherings. The intending pilgrims will perform the main pillar of Hajj, Wuquf-e-Arafa today.

Wuquf-e-Arafat (Stay at Mount Arafat)

Having spent the evening at Mina, the Tent City, Hajis are headed towards rocky hill, Mount Arafat where they believe the Prophet Mohammed gave his final sermon 14 centuries ago after leading his followers on the hajj.

Wuquf (Stay) in Arafat is performed from Zuhr to sunset on the 9th of Zil-Hajj of Islamic year.

Imam of Nimra Mosque will deliver his sermon to Hajj pilgrims in Arafat and the pilgrims would offer Zohar and Asar prayers jointly at Arafat.

The main action in Wuquf is not to pray lots of Nafils but to just stand facing the Baitul Haram (Sacred House) asking Allah for forgiveness while recognizing Him as our Lord.

The holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “Al Hajju Arafah,” means ‘standing in Arafat’ is the Hajj.

After the Wuquf-e-Arafat, the pilgrims would move towards Muzdalafa and there they would perform remaining two prayers, Maghrib and Isha, together.

All Hajj pilgrims will stay whole night in Muzdalfa and continue worships for forgiveness and pleasing God, the almighty.

They would perform Fajar prayer on morning of 10th Zil-Hajj in Muzdalfa and then return to Mina for following act of Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S), Rami, stoning the big Satan.

After stoning the Satan, Hajj pilgrims will shave off heads or trim hairs, to the prescribed level, and then would get off the Ahrams, Hajj cloths, at completion of Hajj rituals.

Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Adha and sacrifice Halal animals of their choices every year, after completion of Hajj proceedings.

Tired But Happy

A sandstorm blew and light rain fell as streaks of lightning lit up the skies above the vast plain surrounding Mount Arafat, where the faithful began to arrive ahead of the climax of hajj on Wednesday.

Many reached Arafat by bus but others walked from the holy city of Makkah about 15 kilometres (nine miles) away.

Some unloaded their luggage from buses while fellow pilgrims struggled in the winds to set up their tents beside the road.

Police manned checkpoints along the way to verify the permits of the faithful, many of whom appeared worn out, a contrast to the joy pilgrims showed earlier in Makkah.

“Transport is bad, our residence is bad, and food is really bad… even though we paid around $4,000 (3,603 euros) to come,” said Tunisian pilgrim Abu Salim, 58.

“However, tiredness for the sake of God is not that big a problem.”

For many, the hajj will be the highlight of their spiritual lives.

This year’s gathering is about the same size as last year’s, with 1.4 million foreign pilgrims joining hundreds of thousands of Saudis and residents of the kingdom.

They are undeterred by a construction crane collapse at Makkah’s Grand Mosque earlier this month that killed 109 people, including foreign pilgrims.

About 400 people were injured by the crane which was working on an expansion of Islam’s holiest site.

Previously marred by stampedes and fires that killed hundreds, the pilgrimage had been largely incident-free for the past nine years after safety improvements.

The hajj is among the five pillars of Islam and every capable Muslim must perform it at least once in a lifetime.

Yemeni pilgrim Mohammed al-Mikhlafi, 54, complained of “a lack of organisation” at the gathering, where he planned to pray for Muslim unity.

“One belongs to the Islamic State (IS) group, another to Al-Qaeda. These groups are destroying Islam while fighting under its banner,” said the Yemenia Airways employee, who lives in Saudi Arabia.

His wife stood covered from head to toe with only her eyes showing.

100,000 police

This year’s gathering takes place against a backdrop of increased jihadist violence in some Muslim countries, a surge of the potentially deadly MERS virus and the war in Saudi neighbour Yemen.

About 100,000 police have been deployed to secure pilgrimage sites and manage the crowds.

Authorities say they are on alert for possible attacks by extremists.

IS jihadists have bombed security forces and Shiite mosques in the kingdom in recent months.

Security forces have taken “measures to prevent terrorist groups from exploiting hajj season to carry out acts of sabotage,” interior ministry spokesman General Mansur al-Turki said.

This year’s hajj also comes with Saudi Arabia at war.

Since March the kingdom has led an Arab coalition conducting air strikes and supporting local forces in Yemen against Shia al-Houthi fighters.

Most Yemeni pilgrims performing the hajj this year already reside in the kingdom.

Among other challenges facing Saudi authorities is potential transmission of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

The capital saw a jump in infections last month, but health officials say there has never been a case of MERS infection among pilgrims.

The health ministry has mobilised thousands of medical workers to help ensure a virus-free pilgrimage and to care for routine ailments.

The first day of the hajj is known as Tarwiah Day, when pilgrims traditionally watered their animals and stocked water for their trip to Mount Arafat.

On the way, modern-day pilgrims stay in specially built fireproof tents during their stop in Mina, a city which only comes alive during hajj season.

At Mount Arafat they will pray and recite from the holy Koran.

Pilgrims start the hajj by entering ihram, a state of purity in which they must not quarrel, wear perfume, or cut their nails or hair.

During ihram, men wear a seamless two-piece shroud-like white garment, while women must wear loose dresses, generally also white, exposing only their faces and hands.

The clothing emphasises their unity, regardless of whether they spend the hajj in Makkah’s five-star hotels or in shabby highrise hostels.

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Turkish writer: Walls cannot be a solution to security issues

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Turkish writer Harun Yahya, in an opinion piece published by the English-language paper Iran Daily, speculates about the inappropriate ways adopted by some governments to address the global insecurity.

The full text follows:

Horrible accounts of grisly murders, shocking stories of mass killings in different parts of the world, are heartbreaking for all. Millions of innocent people have to struggle on a daily basis to stay alive, while millions others face harsh persecution and oppression. Terrorism continues to claim the lives of thousands of civilians throughout the world every year.

One would expect the world to unite to stop this madness and bring peace instead, but quite surprisingly, the world seems to have pinned its hopes on more armament. The most important reason behind this interesting phenomenon is the personal, social and inter-communal moral degeneracy and a persistently hateful and selfish attitude that has begun to engulf the world. Even Africa, many countries of which are struggling with hunger on a daily basis, is spending all it has on weapons as a bitter reminder of this disturbing reality.

Today, security is a problem that haunts the entire world, for which countries spend billions of dollars. The situation is so grim that millions of refugees who are fleeing for their lives from wars, conflicts, fear, persecution, poverty and insecurity are considered a “security problem” in many parts of the world.

Walls built along the borders are amongst the measures taken by many to address the security issues. For instance, many European countries, the top destination for illegal immigrants due to its relative proximity, have already put up walls along their borders. It is estimated that by the end of 2015, more than one million refugees will have entered Europe. Many immigrants try to reach Europe via Turkey and Greece. Struggling with the needs of the increasing immigrants, Greece decided to put up wire fences along its border around Maritza; Bulgaria also put up a 160 km wire fence along its borders.

The reaction on the part of Hungary and Croatia to the migrants and refugees seeking to cross to Germany by train has attracted criticism from across the world. Hungary, which has already erected a wall to prevent migrants entering the country from Serbia, has now said it will erect a similar wall between it and Croatia. Thousands of migrants, predominantly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, are arriving in Hungary, by crossing first to Greece and moving from there to Serbia.

UN officials say that the flow of migrants to Europe will continue so long as conditions in Syria and Iraq are not improved, and that the essential solution lies in humanitarian aid. The UN special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, François Crépeau, issued the following statement on the subject: “Building fences, using tear gas and other forms of violence against migrants and asylum seekers, detention, withholding access to basics such as shelter, food or water and using threatening language or hateful speech will not stop migrants from coming or trying to come to Europe.”

Then, there are countries that are using walls to protect themselves from terrorism in neighboring countries. For example, Saudi Arabia will build a thousand kilometer-long wall between towns of Turaif and Hafar el Batin. It will also put up walls along its borders with Yemen as a protective measure. Kenya began to erect walls along its border with Somalia to prevent the spillover of Al-Shabaab fighters.

Turkmenistan also announced that it would build a wall along its border with Afghanistan to keep the Taliban at bay and has begun the process of building a 745 kilometer-long wall.

In the ongoing crisis with Russia, Ukraine has decided to ensure its security through walls along its borders. Accordingly, it is going to erect a two thousand kilometer-long wall along its Russian border with 100 million Euro in financial aid from the European Union. This wall will be reinforced with barbed wires, mines and electric fences.

Israel has also built walls and checkpoints between the West Bank and Palestine on the grounds of security concerns. Remote controlled weapons are also in place to make sure that no one gets close to the walls.

The list can go on. The basic idea behind these walls go back to the giant walls erected by the Roman Empire in the First Century AD and the Great Wall of China – the longest defensive wall in the world – as well as the infamous Berlin Wall. However, attempts to achieve the much sought-after peace these walls were built for failed as well.

We should remember that the basic requirement for peace and security and order is love, compassion, friendship and brotherhood and that without friendship, without solidarity and love, there can be no peace, nor acceptance of different ideas or thoughts. In such a world, people will forget about love, compassion and understanding and will want to keep away from each other through walls instead of trying to understand and reconcile with each other. However, in a world of love, things will be different.

In that world, people will lovingly embrace different races, colors, faiths and cultures, offer safe shelter to refugees who fled for their lives while kindly helping them get rid of their shortcomings, if any.

The leaders of the world can play a great role in ensuring this. They can pioneer a unifying, peaceful, loving spirit while emphasizing love, compassion, unity, solidarity, friendship and brotherhood.

With this language of love, refugee crises, wars and conflicts, the global threats due to terrorism and violence will finally come to an end. It is high time that people understand that problems cannot be solved by erecting walls, by arming oneself to the teeth, or by deploying more troops; in other words, merely through military solutions.

These issues can be solved through educational policies based on love, compassion and humanity. We hope that this century will at long last see the end of hatred, tension and conflict as the light of love, peace, friendship and security shines through the darkness of today.

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Extremist settlers wearing priestly garments storm al-Aqsa mosque

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Dozens of Israeli settlers wearing priestly garments stormed Wednesday morning al-Aqsa Mosque to celebrate what they call the day of Atonement, QPress said.

QPress center pointed out that Israeli authorities opened al-Magaribeh Gate for settlers’ access on the Day of Atonement that coincides with Muslims’ Day of Arafah which is considered the most sacred day of Hajj during which pilgrims head to Mount Arafah in Makkah and stay there until sunset.

The Palestinian Awqaf (Endowment) Authority has earlier demanded that no settlers be allowed into al-Aqsa on the Day of Arafah; however, Israeli forces denied Muslim worshipers’ the right to enter into their holy shrine while allowing the settlers in.

Earlier Tuesday, Israeli forces imposed tight restrictions in occupied Jerusalem and its Old City on the eve of the Day of Atonement where they deployed in large numbers across the city and at the entrances to al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Israeli restrictions severely restricted Palestinian access to the Mosque compound.

Israel deployed thousands of its police forces throughout the city and shut it off from the West Bank, with checkpoints closed for Jewish holidays.

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France urges Saudi Arabia to cancel execution of Sheikh Nimr’s nephew

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France has expressed concern over the fate of a young Saudi man sentenced to death over his alleged role in anti-regime protests in the kingdom, urging Riyadh to cancel his execution.

“France is concerned by the situation of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, who was sentenced to death even though he was a minor at the time of the events,” French Foreign Ministry spokesman, Romain Nadal, said in a statement released on Wednesday, adding, “Opposed to the death penalty in all cases and circumstances, we call for the execution to be called off.”

The youth is the nephew of prominent Saudi Shia cleric Ayatollah Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, who has been sentenced to death on charges of disturbing state security, making anti-government speeches, and defending political prisoners.

The statement came one day after a group of human rights experts affiliated with the United Nations called on the Al Saud regime to halt Nimr’s “imminent execution.”

The rights experts argued that the Saudi teenager did not receive a “fair trial” while his lawyer did not have access to the case file.

Nimr was arrested during an anti-government protest in the Qatif region, Eastern Province, back in 2012 when he was only 17 years old. He was later convicted of alleged criminal activities and handed down a death penalty by Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court in May 2015.

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Dr Morrow’s Genocide Initiative against Wahhabism is gaining traction in the US

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Dr John Morrow and his team’s efforts have dramatically changed America’s political landscape now that a Congressman has petitioned the House of Congress, hoping to see recognize ISIS’ crimes as acts of genocide against Islam, Christianity and all religious minorities.

Earlier this September US Congressman, Jeff Fortenberry, a Republican introduced Resolution 75 to Congress on September 9, 2015 ahead of the Pope’s scheduled visit to the Washington.

The resolution reads as follow:

• the atrocities committed against Christians and other ethnic and religious minorities targeted specifically for religious reasons are crimes against humanity and genocide;

•each of the Contracting Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and other international agreements forbidding war crimes and crimes against humanity, particularly the governments of countries and their nationals who are in any way supporting these crimes, are reminded of their legal obligations under the Convention and these international agreements;

•the United Nations (U.N.) and the Secretary-General are called upon to assert leadership by calling the atrocities war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide;

•the member states of the U.N., with an appeal to the Arab States that wish to uphold religious freedom and justice, should collaborate on measures to prevent further war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, and collaborate on the establishment of tribunals to punish those responsible for the ongoing crimes;

•the governments of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Lebanese Republic, and other countries are commended for having undertaken to shelter and protect those fleeing extremist violence; and

•those who force the migration of religious communities from their ancestral homelands, including specifically the Nineveh Plain and Mount Sinjar, should be prosecuted in accordance with the laws of the place where their crimes were committed and under applicable international criminal statutes and conventions.

Dr Morrow’s determination to expose Wahhabi-inspired radicalism has been welcomed by rights groups across the globe. Gregory Stanton of Genocide Watch recently said he was delighted of the progress the Genocide Initiative made on the ground in terms of raising awareness against ISIS.

Genocide Watch has been working with Chaldean Christians on precisely the same issue as the Genocide Initiative (headed by Dr Morrow) : having the actions of ISIS officially declared “genocide”.

Following is that Gregory Stanton from Genocide Watch, had to say on ISIS’ crimes:

“Members of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, representing the world’s largest organization of experts on genocide, have called upon the United States Congress to declare that the crimes committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) also known as Daesh, constitute genocide in violation of the International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Genocide is the intentional destruction, in whole or in part, of a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, as such.

ISIS is committing genocide against religious groups that do not conform to ISIS’s totalitarian definition of ‘true Islam.’ ISIS’s mass murders of Chaldean, Assyrian, Melkite Greek, and Coptic Christians, Yazidis, Shia Muslims, Sunni Kurds and other religious groups meet even the strictest definition of genocide.

ISIS’s policy of mass rape is also genocidal. The gendered pattern of persecution pursued by ISIS against groups it considers to be infidels conforms to historical patterns of genocide, particularly the mass killing of men and teenage boys accompanied by the rape and enslavement of women and teenage girls and the kidnapping of children.

ISIS government in areas it has occupied includes beheadings of captives and people considered apostates, destruction of religious centers such as churches and monasteries, and pillage of ancient cultural sites that do not conform to the regime’s religious orthodoxy—acts typical of genocidal regimes. ISIS rules by totalitarian terror. ISIS leaders, many of them from Saddam Hussein’s sadistic regime, have read Stalin’s writings on how to use terror to rule populations through fear. That is why ISIS beheads its captives, and then posts videos of the beheadings on the internet.

ISIS must be defeated militarily to destroy the illusion of invincibility its terrorism has created. It is incredible that American airstrikes have left Raqqa and dozens of ISIS training camps standing. Are American and NATO Air Forces incompetent? ISIS must also be defeated ideologically. This is a spiritual war, very similar to the Cold War against Communism. Muslim nations must reclaim Islam from the satanic preaching of ISIS. The imaginary ISIS caliphate is like the Khmer Rouge attempt to recreate the imaginary 11th century Angkor Empire.

What difference would it make to call the crimes of ISIS “genocide?” Studies by genocide scholars have shown that calling genocide by its proper name, rather than using euphemisms like “ethnic cleansing” or weaker terms like “crimes against humanity,” increases the probability of forceful action to end the crimes by over four times. The most relevant case was Kosovo, where US War Crimes Ambassador Scheffer’s determination that the crimes were genocidal massacres led nearly directly to the bombing of Belgrade and a rapid end of the conflict.

One way to undermine the ideological attraction of ISIS is indictment of ISIS leaders by the International Criminal Court (ICC.) Because Syria and Iraq are not state-parties to the ICC, only the UN Security Council can refer ISIS to the ICC. Russia and China might not block such referral since they have radical Muslims of their own to deal with. The UN Security Council should refer ISIS to the ICC for investigation and prosecution. The Arab League, Turkey, NATO, and national police forces should act swiftly and firmly to arrest ISIS leaders. ISIS must be stopped and brought to justice.”

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Putin opens reconstructed Central Mosque in Moscow

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Russian President Vladimir Putin opened on Wednesday Moscow’s Central Mosque on the eve of Eid Al-Adha, after a decade of reconstruction works. It is regarded as the largest mosque in Russia and Europe.

Turkish President Recep Erdogan, Palestine’s leader Mahmoud Abbas and several Arab and Muslim officials and diplomats attended the opening ceremony upon an invitation by Putin.

The historic mosque was built in 1904, then renovated in 2005. Later it was demolished in 2011, during which it was one of four mosques in Moscow.

The decision to demolish the mosque was taken after the Russian authorities came to the conclusion that a total reconstruction was necessary because the old building had partially caved due to heavy rain and was no longer safe.

Another reason the authorities have given was that the mosque was deviated by several degrees from Qibla, the direction toward the Holy Kaaba in Makkah.

Despite the authority’s justification, the demolishing of the historical mosque was widely denounced by several organizations and Muslim leaders. It was also met with a huge backlash from the Muslim community.
This was mainly because of the date Russia set for the demolishing works, which was on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Council of Muftis Rushan Abbyasov said that the mosque now has six floors that cover a space of 19,000 square meters, and that it is expected to accommodate more than 10,000 worshippers. The mosque is currently the largest in Russia.

The reconstruction of the mosque costs $170 million, of which the Russian businessman and senator Suleyman Kerimov had donated around $100 million to the project in memory of his father. The list of donors also included Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas who donated $26,000 and Turkey which donated a minbar (pulpit from which the imam delivers Friday’s sermon) and a mihrab (a semicircular niche that points to Makkah, and the place where the imam prays at).

The walls and ceilings of the mosque have traditional Russian ornamental inscriptions, which were carved by Turkish artisans, and the dome and pavilions are covered with 12 kg of gold leaf.

Russia plans to build several new mosques to keep up with the significant growth of the Muslim population.
Russia is the home to 23 million Muslims and Islam is the second largest religion. Muslims account for 17 percent of the total population, coming next to Christianity who makes up 46.8 percent.

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Ayatollah Alavi Gorgani: Wilayah is God’s greatest blessing for humanity

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Ayatollah Alavi Gorgani in a meeting with heads of police stated: “The blessing of Wilayah is God’s greatest blessing for humanity and we must know its value.”

“The most important right that all human beings were granted is Wilayah; the Wilayah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and his pure progeny is the most valuable right that God has given us, therefore we must know its value and take pride in it,” Ayatollah Gorgani said in reference to divinely appointed authority (Wilayah).

Addressing the police officials, Ayatollah Gorgani quoted verses from the Holy Quran dealing with the issue of Judgement Day, stating that if these verses were studied properly and reflected upon, each verse would be enough for us to reach our worldly and other-wordly goals.

“Unfortunately it is quite possible that many Muslims have read the Quran numerous times throughout their lives, however it is rare that they ponder and reflect on these verses, and this will undoubtedly cause a dilemma for Muslims,” he added.

Ayatollah Gorgani also stated: “God, The Holy Prophet Muhammad, his pure progeny and the saints are witnesses to the deeds of all humans; and we must all live in a way that on the day of judgement we do not feel ashamed in their presence.”

“That God places fear of punishment in his creation is because of the immense love He has for them, as He does not wish to see them taking the wrong path;” he continued.

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