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The Mona Relief organization brings hope to Yemen ahead of Eid Al Adha

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The Mona Relief organization – A Yemeni-based charity for humanitarian relief and development – managed earlier this September to deliver valuable aid to war-stricken Yemenis, at a time when many feel they have been abandoned by the international community.

Independently run by Fatik Al Rodaini in Yemen (a journalist and human rights activist) and Dr Riaz Karim in the UK, the Mona Relief organization has already made its mark in Yemen, offering the poorest and most most vulnerable a sympathetic shoulder to lean on.

While most relief agencies remain bogged down by politics, forced to play a game of cat and mouse with wealthy patrons in order to keep their operations going, the Mona Relief organization has defiantly outsourced its funding, calling on private donations to prevent any form of political hijacking.

A former official at the UN, Dr Karim has said to be determined to offer Yemen and all Yemenis the future they deserve – one filled with hope and joy.

With Eid Al Adha being only a few days away, the Mona Relief organization was adamant no Saudi-run blockade or other logistic impediments would keep their team from distributing the food, medicine and other aid they had reserved for the city of Hodeidah.

One of the poorest city of Yemen, Hodeida seaport has suffered a great deal under Saudi bombing. Most of the city infrastructures have been laid to waste, leaving tens of thousands to fend for themselves in the harshest conditions possible.

While relief was only temporary, the Mona Relief organization managed to raise a few smiles.

 

For help with funding DONATIONS

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Spain university’s professors visit the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – A group of tourists including five Spanish university professors made use of the special programs arranged for these pilgrims in the Ghadir portico of the holy shrine of Imam Ridha (A’).

Along with an interpreter, they also visited the museums of the Razavi holy shrine. Office of Non-Iranian Pilgrims Affairs donated the tourists some gifts as memorials.

Travelling to Iran with the purpose of tourism, the tourists described Iranian people as very intimate and warm people and viewed the huge crowd of pilgrims inside the holy shrine very magnificent.

Alicia, holder of M.S. in pharmacy said, “I did not know the eighth Imam of the Shi’ite at all but I am happy to be in this place; it is very beautiful in terms of architecture and decorations.”

“In the holy shrine, the history and literature of Iran and Islam has been put on display”, Lardes, another tourist, said.
The Spanish tourists happily prospected to have the chance of being in the holy shrine once more.

The Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, Iran is a complex which contains the mausoleum of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of Twelver Shiites. It is the largest mosque in the world by dimension and the second largest by capacity.

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Photos: Saudi youth Masked risk their lives to protest against al-Nimr imminent death penalty

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Youth in Awamiyah risk their lives to demonstrate against Ali Al-Nimr’s imminent death penalty. They also held photo’s of the 6 other prisoners who have also been given death penalties. These youth remain masked to avoid identification, arrest reprisals from Saudi authorities.















Imam Muhamamd al-Baqir martyrdom marked at Kufa Grand Mosque

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Laurent Fabius: If we want Assad down, we won’t get far

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French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says a diplomatic resolution to Syria’s crisis is impossible without Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“If we require, even before negotiations start, that Assad step down, we won’t get far,” Fabius was quoted as saying in a preview of the French daily Le Figaro’s Tuesday edition.

He added that the formation of a national unity government with elements of Assad’s administration is required in order to reach a diplomatic resolution in the country that has been gripped by deadly Takfiri-fueled violence since 2011.

Paris initially cut diplomatic relations with Damascus in 2012 following intensified tensions in the war-torn Arab country, but several French delegations have engaged in talks with Damascus since 2014.

In February 2015, Assad met with a delegation of French parliamentarians in the capital Damascus. The delegation was headed by French Senator Jean-Pierre Vial, the chairman of the Syrian-French Friendship Committee.

The foreign-sponsored conflict in Syria has reportedly claimed about 250,000 lives up until now.

The United Nations says the militancy has displaced more than 7.6 million Syrians internally, and compelled over four million others have fled the country to take refuge in neighboring states, including Jordan and Lebanon.

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Temporary Ceasefire begins in 4 Syrian towns, Zabadani, Madaya, Kefraya, Foua

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – A new temporary truce has begun between pro-government and al-Qaeda offshoot opposition forces in four Syrian towns, a group that monitors the Syrian conflict has reported.

Sunday’s ceasefire began in the rebel-held towns of Zabadani and Madaya outside the capital, Damascus, and the Shia villages of Fouaa and Kefraya in the north-western province of Idlib near the Turkish border, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The decision was to be implemented starting from 12:00 pm on Sunday.

The halt of operation came after dozens of terrorist gunmen killed, including a senior al-Qaeda leader, when the Syrian Popular Committees fought off an attack by militants in the vicinity of Foua and Kefraya towns, in addition to cracking down on gunmen in some parts of Zabadani city.

Last month, two truces in the four towns did not hold. It is not clear how long the new truce will last or who brokered it.

The Britain-based observatory said that hours before the start of the truce, a coalition of rebels led by the al-Nusra Front seized parts of Fouaa after fierce fighting against pro-government militias backed by the Lebanese Shia Hezbollah movement.

At least 74 rebels have been killed in the area since rebel forces on Wednesday launched a large-scale attack on Fouaa and Kefraya, the last remaining regime strongholds in Idlib.

Most of the province has fallen in recent months to the terrorists.

Zabadani and Madaya are among the rebels’ last strongholds near Syria’s border with Lebanon.

Syrian government troops and allied Hezbollah fighters have been besieging the two mountain towns since July.

The possibility that hardline Wahhabi rebels, who view Shiites as heretics, would be able to overrun Fouaa and Kefraya appears to have persuaded the Syrian government and Hezbollah to slow down their bid to recapture al-Zabadani and Madaya.

Meanwhile, the so-called Observatory reported that 75 rebel militants trained by US, British and Turkish forces had entered Syria on Friday night and Saturday morning.

The initial US programme, signed off by Congress a year ago, set aside $500 million and aimed to train some 5,000 rebel militants.

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Martyrdom of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him)

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7 Thul-Hujjah: Martyrdom of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him)
A Glimpse into his Life

From Birth until Imamate

Both of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir’s parents were grandchildren of Lady Fatima (peace be upon her). His father was Ali son of Hussein, and his mother was Fatima daughter of Hassan. He lived for four years with his grandfather, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), and he was present at Karbala and witnessed all of the stages of that tragedy. He also beheld the heroic stands of his father and Lady Zainab (peace be upon her), his father’s aunt.

He spent 35 years in proximity to his father and learned from him until he became an intellectual figure whom everyone acknowledged- even those who were not among his followers. They resorted to him for 19 years which were the duration of his Imamate.

The Relation of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) with the Caliphs

The first phase of the life of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) which he spent with his father Imam Ali Al-Sajjad (peace be upon him) was marked by the Umayyads’ oppression of people.

The Imamate of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) commenced during the reign of Al-Walid Ibn Abdul Malik. This Caliph was succeeded by Omar son of Abdul ‘Aziz whose demeanor was characterized by some fairness toward the Household of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his Household). He prevented the practice of cursing Imam Ali (peace be upon him) on platforms which the Umayyad dynasty had followed by the order of Mu’awiyah. The subsequent Caliph was Yazid Ibn Abdul Malik who occupied himself with living a life of ostentation, levity, and dissipation.

Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) guided and directed the Caliphs. Likewise was the relation of Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (peace be upon him) with the Caliphs during his time. The Imam exchanged many letters with Omar Ibn Abdul ‘Aziz in which he enclosed political guidelines and important instructions.

He advised Abdul Malik Ibn Marwan who consulted him concerning the issue of the circulation of Byzantine currency by Muslims, and which the Byzantines made use of as a means to put pressure on the Caliphate. Abdul Malik had quarreled with the Byzantine ruler who threatened to inscribe phrases of insult to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his Household) on the coins if Abdul Malik did not acquiesce to his orders and consent to fulfill his wishes. Abdul Malik was unable to bear with this issue and did not know what to do. Thus, Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) directed him to produce Islamic coins. This saved the Muslims from dependence on the Byzantines and they ensured their own currency.

The Scholarly Role of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him)

If we want to know the scholarly role of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him), we should refer to his famous title: “Al-Baqir” which was given to him by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his Household). Jaber son of Abdullah Al-Ansari, the venerable companion of Prophet Muhammad, said: “The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said to me: “It is imminent that you will remain alive until you meet a descendant of mine through Hussein. He will be called Muhammad and he will tear knowledge [open]. When you meet him, give him my salutation [of peace].”[1]

When Jaber grew very old, he feared that he would die before meeting Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him). He would say: “O Baqir, O Baqir! Where are you?” When he finally met him, he fell at his feet kissing the Imam’s hands and feet, saying: “May my father and mother be sacrificed for you. You are similar to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his Household)! Your father gives you [his] salutation of peace.”

The Role of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him)

Every Imam strove to preserve Islam, spread the teachings of religion, and expose truths to people as much as the surrounding circumstances allowed. Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) proceeded on this path through following a series of measures:

1-Intellectual and Doctrinal Reform: The Imam (peace be upon him) refuted the concepts which the deviant groups spread in his time such as the Ghulat and the Heretics. This contributed to making some of them repent. He also arranged gatherings for discussion with people of other religions and with Muslim scholars with different viewpoints such as Hassan Al-Basri.

2-Establishment of the Seminary of the Household (peace be upon them): The Imam (peace be upon him) was able to clearly display in front of all people – even those who did not believe in his Imamate- that the Household of Prophet Muhammad were the True Source of knowledge. He established a seminary for teaching Islamic jurisprudence. Thousands of scholars from different Islamic sects and the most prominent of Shiite transmitters of narrations – such as Zurara Ibn A’yan, Muhammad son of Muslim Al-Thakafi, and Jaber son of Yazid Al-Ju’fi among others – graduated from this seminary.

3-Political Activity: The Imam (peace be upon him) pursued an indirect method in opposing the ruling political system. He did this through teaching people to know their roles and duties in their current circumstances. He followed the process of enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil through spreading correct political concepts such as forbidding giving aid to oppressors and revealing the deviation of the authority from the path of Islam.
The Imam did not express his point of view concerning the military revolts against the ruling system because he assessed that those revolts would not succeed in bringing change.

The Martyrdom of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him)

When Hisham Ibn Abdul-Malek assumed command, his rule was a return to terror and oppression. The policy of persecution and torment led to the revolt of the Martyr Zayd son of Imam Ali Al-Sajjad (peace be upon him) who was martyred with his companions and his body was burned.

Hisham also persecuted the students of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him), but those unjust measures did not prevent the increase in Islamic awakening and religious awareness among people. Hisham Ibn Abdul Malik ordered the poisoning of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him). Thus, the Imam was martyred in the path of Allah – a patient man, a struggler, and a martyr.

[1] Rayshahre, Muhammad, The Balance of Wisdom, volume 1, 162

Pakistan: Banned anti-Shia organisations go online to collect Eidul Adha hides

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Banned organisations are using internet to collect hides on Eidul Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), it is learnt.

More than six dozen banned outfits and welfare organisations, mostly of local origin, are barred from collecting hides of sacrificial animals.

But many of these organisations have taken to the social network and cyberspace to carry out fund raising campaigns, an informed intelligence official told Pak. Nation News on Sunday.

The state’s security apparatus do not have capacity to monitor all traffic as the organisations keep on changing their addresses online, he said.

The banned organisations have also established public welfare wings with new faces to cover their activities, a traditional way to flout government regulations.

Animal hides are a key source for many banned organisations involved in militancy, especially in Punjab and Sindh.

Separatist organisations in Balochistan also generate some funds through this source.

However hides have never been a significant source of funding for outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the biggest monster and anti-Shia group which now has been badly hurt by the military operation in the north-western tribal areas of the country.

Some security sources said militants use funds generated from hides for converting their “black funds” into legitimate finances.

According to reported statistics, more than 10 billion rupees sales of the hides was made last year to the industries concerned.

Despite all measures taken by the government to choke fund lines of militants, banned outfits are still reaching out to masses, especially in rural areas, for hides. Security experts said it is a daunting task to identify and clog their funding lines.

“It is not possible for security services to launch surveillance on every house of the country,” the intelligence official said.

The government should come up with a clear strategy to deal with the issue, the experts stressed.
Banned outfits in Punjab and Sindh influence the government by using their supporters who vote for the parties that go soft on them after taking power, they said while mentioning a major problem.

According to an interior ministry official there are around 200 hundred militant and welfare organisations of local and international origin banned by the government at various stages.

The major banned organisations that cannot collect hides include: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JM), Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LT), Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM), Tehreek-e-Islami, Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan (Formerly SSP), Khuddam-ul-Islam (Formerly JM), Islami Tehreek Pakistan (Formerly TJP), Jamiat-ul-Ansar, Jamiat-ul-Furqan (Formerly JM) and Hizb-ul-Tahrir, and some others.

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