[AL-QUDS 2013] Speech by Ex-President of Palestine House - Toronto,...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of Al-Quds to denounce Zionism and express their complete solidarity with the brutally oppressed, indigenous population of Palestine. The rally in Toronto was led by Jewish rabbis, activists from Independent Jewish Voices and other Jews who want to reclaim the hijacked faith of Judaism from the Zionist extremists. The rally also featured representatives from 150 peace organizations, labor movements, churches, mosques and human rights groups.
The attendees, which comprised of men women and children of all ages and faiths, carried signs like \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We Love Jews, Not Zionists\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Torah, Bible and Quran, no to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" and \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Criticism of Israel is Not Anti-Semitism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\".
Various organizations representing the interests of Israel and settlers in Canada had lobbied hard to stop the rally and tried to intimidate people from attending it, however, their efforts failed miserably and the Toronto city witnessed one of the largest and most organized Al-Quds rallies ever held in the western hemisphere. Some extremists from the radical Zionist organization, JDL, and their Islamophobic hatemongering friends from the Sun News Network tried to harass the attendees but were not successful. The JDL has been designated the terrorist status by the FBI and represents the true face of Zionism and the settler mentality of arrogance, racism and bullying. An anchor of Sun News Network has advocated dropping a nuclear bomb on the civilian population of a Muslim country and their so-called journalists are always shamelessly trying to propagate the Zionist narrative about the indigenous Christians and Muslims of Palestine. However, initiatives like the Al-Quds day have taken the mask off the ugly face of Zionism and today Israel is more isolated in the world than ever before. At the recent UN vote, 174 nations voted against the Israeli position (http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=823, http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=685)
The Al-Quds rally organizers, speakers and participants vowed not to get intimidated by Zionist extremists and refused to allow them to turn Canada into one of the Israeli settlements. The Al-Quds rallies in Toronto and the world will continue to grow in future and peace and justice loving individuals will continue to give voice to the voiceless. The future of Israel will not be, and cannot be different from other oppressive regimes in history; whether it is the regime of the Pharaoh or Apartheid, those who commit heinous crimes against the innocent are bound to be defeated. It is high time that the larger Jewish community distances itself from this racist ideology and reclaim the beautiful faith of Judaism from these extremists.
4m:6s
14524
[AL-QUDS 2013] Speech by Sister Amina Ali - Toronto, Canada - August...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of Al-Quds to denounce Zionism and express their complete solidarity with the brutally oppressed, indigenous population of Palestine. The rally in Toronto was led by Jewish rabbis, activists from Independent Jewish Voices and other Jews who want to reclaim the hijacked faith of Judaism from the Zionist extremists. The rally also featured representatives from 150 peace organizations, labor movements, churches, mosques and human rights groups.
The attendees, which comprised of men women and children of all ages and faiths, carried signs like \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We Love Jews, Not Zionists\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Torah, Bible and Quran, no to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" and \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Criticism of Israel is Not Anti-Semitism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\".
Various organizations representing the interests of Israel and settlers in Canada had lobbied hard to stop the rally and tried to intimidate people from attending it, however, their efforts failed miserably and the Toronto city witnessed one of the largest and most organized Al-Quds rallies ever held in the western hemisphere. Some extremists from the radical Zionist organization, JDL, and their Islamophobic hatemongering friends from the Sun News Network tried to harass the attendees but were not successful. The JDL has been designated the terrorist status by the FBI and represents the true face of Zionism and the settler mentality of arrogance, racism and bullying. An anchor of Sun News Network has advocated dropping a nuclear bomb on the civilian population of a Muslim country and their so-called journalists are always shamelessly trying to propagate the Zionist narrative about the indigenous Christians and Muslims of Palestine. However, initiatives like the Al-Quds day have taken the mask off the ugly face of Zionism and today Israel is more isolated in the world than ever before. At the recent UN vote, 174 nations voted against the Israeli position (http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=823, http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=685)
The Al-Quds rally organizers, speakers and participants vowed not to get intimidated by Zionist extremists and refused to allow them to turn Canada into one of the Israeli settlements. The Al-Quds rallies in Toronto and the world will continue to grow in future and peace and justice loving individuals will continue to give voice to the voiceless. The future of Israel will not be, and cannot be different from other oppressive regimes in history; whether it is the regime of the Pharaoh or Apartheid, those who commit heinous crimes against the innocent are bound to be defeated. It is high time that the larger Jewish community distances itself from this racist ideology and reclaim the beautiful faith of Judaism from these extremists.
8m:29s
14716
[AL-QUDS 2013] Speech by Ali Mallah - Toronto, Canada - August 2013 -...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of Al-Quds to denounce Zionism and express their complete solidarity with the brutally oppressed, indigenous population of Palestine. The rally in Toronto was led by Jewish rabbis, activists from Independent Jewish Voices and other Jews who want to reclaim the hijacked faith of Judaism from the Zionist extremists. The rally also featured representatives from 150 peace organizations, labor movements, churches, mosques and human rights groups.
The attendees, which comprised of men women and children of all ages and faiths, carried signs like \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We Love Jews, Not Zionists\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Torah, Bible and Quran, no to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" and \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Criticism of Israel is Not Anti-Semitism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\".
Various organizations representing the interests of Israel and settlers in Canada had lobbied hard to stop the rally and tried to intimidate people from attending it, however, their efforts failed miserably and the Toronto city witnessed one of the largest and most organized Al-Quds rallies ever held in the western hemisphere. Some extremists from the radical Zionist organization, JDL, and their Islamophobic hatemongering friends from the Sun News Network tried to harass the attendees but were not successful. The JDL has been designated the terrorist status by the FBI and represents the true face of Zionism and the settler mentality of arrogance, racism and bullying. An anchor of Sun News Network has advocated dropping a nuclear bomb on the civilian population of a Muslim country and their so-called journalists are always shamelessly trying to propagate the Zionist narrative about the indigenous Christians and Muslims of Palestine. However, initiatives like the Al-Quds day have taken the mask off the ugly face of Zionism and today Israel is more isolated in the world than ever before. At the recent UN vote, 174 nations voted against the Israeli position (http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=823, http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=685)
The Al-Quds rally organizers, speakers and participants vowed not to get intimidated by Zionist extremists and refused to allow them to turn Canada into one of the Israeli settlements. The Al-Quds rallies in Toronto and the world will continue to grow in future and peace and justice loving individuals will continue to give voice to the voiceless. The future of Israel will not be, and cannot be different from other oppressive regimes in history; whether it is the regime of the Pharaoh or Apartheid, those who commit heinous crimes against the innocent are bound to be defeated. It is high time that the larger Jewish community distances itself from this racist ideology and reclaim the beautiful faith of Judaism from these extremists.
5m:8s
14956
[AL-QUDS 2013] Br. Ahmed Reading the letter of Senior Jewish Rabbi from...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of Al-Quds to denounce Zionism and express their complete solidarity with the brutally oppressed, indigenous population of Palestine. The rally in Toronto was led by Jewish rabbis, activists from Independent Jewish Voices and other Jews who want to reclaim the hijacked faith of Judaism from the Zionist extremists. The rally also featured representatives from 150 peace organizations, labor movements, churches, mosques and human rights groups.
The attendees, which comprised of men women and children of all ages and faiths, carried signs like \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We Love Jews, Not Zionists\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Torah, Bible and Quran, no to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" and \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Criticism of Israel is Not Anti-Semitism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\".
Various organizations representing the interests of Israel and settlers in Canada had lobbied hard to stop the rally and tried to intimidate people from attending it, however, their efforts failed miserably and the Toronto city witnessed one of the largest and most organized Al-Quds rallies ever held in the western hemisphere. Some extremists from the radical Zionist organization, JDL, and their Islamophobic hatemongering friends from the Sun News Network tried to harass the attendees but were not successful. The JDL has been designated the terrorist status by the FBI and represents the true face of Zionism and the settler mentality of arrogance, racism and bullying. An anchor of Sun News Network has advocated dropping a nuclear bomb on the civilian population of a Muslim country and their so-called journalists are always shamelessly trying to propagate the Zionist narrative about the indigenous Christians and Muslims of Palestine. However, initiatives like the Al-Quds day have taken the mask off the ugly face of Zionism and today Israel is more isolated in the world than ever before. At the recent UN vote, 174 nations voted against the Israeli position (http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=823, http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=685)
The Al-Quds rally organizers, speakers and participants vowed not to get intimidated by Zionist extremists and refused to allow them to turn Canada into one of the Israeli settlements. The Al-Quds rallies in Toronto and the world will continue to grow in future and peace and justice loving individuals will continue to give voice to the voiceless. The future of Israel will not be, and cannot be different from other oppressive regimes in history; whether it is the regime of the Pharaoh or Apartheid, those who commit heinous crimes against the innocent are bound to be defeated. It is high time that the larger Jewish community distances itself from this racist ideology and reclaim the beautiful faith of Judaism from these extremists.
5m:41s
13466
[AL-QUDS 2013] Br. Sid Lacombe - Toronto, Canada - August 2013 - English
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of Al-Quds to denounce Zionism and express their complete solidarity with the brutally oppressed, indigenous population of Palestine. The rally in Toronto was led by Jewish rabbis, activists from Independent Jewish Voices and other Jews who want to reclaim the hijacked faith of Judaism from the Zionist extremists. The rally also featured representatives from 150 peace organizations, labor movements, churches, mosques and human rights groups.
The attendees, which comprised of men women and children of all ages and faiths, carried signs like \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We Love Jews, Not Zionists\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Torah, Bible and Quran, no to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" and \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Criticism of Israel is Not Anti-Semitism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\".
Various organizations representing the interests of Israel and settlers in Canada had lobbied hard to stop the rally and tried to intimidate people from attending it, however, their efforts failed miserably and the Toronto city witnessed one of the largest and most organized Al-Quds rallies ever held in the western hemisphere. Some extremists from the radical Zionist organization, JDL, and their Islamophobic hatemongering friends from the Sun News Network tried to harass the attendees but were not successful. The JDL has been designated the terrorist status by the FBI and represents the true face of Zionism and the settler mentality of arrogance, racism and bullying. An anchor of Sun News Network has advocated dropping a nuclear bomb on the civilian population of a Muslim country and their so-called journalists are always shamelessly trying to propagate the Zionist narrative about the indigenous Christians and Muslims of Palestine. However, initiatives like the Al-Quds day have taken the mask off the ugly face of Zionism and today Israel is more isolated in the world than ever before. At the recent UN vote, 174 nations voted against the Israeli position (http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=823, http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=685)
The Al-Quds rally organizers, speakers and participants vowed not to get intimidated by Zionist extremists and refused to allow them to turn Canada into one of the Israeli settlements. The Al-Quds rallies in Toronto and the world will continue to grow in future and peace and justice loving individuals will continue to give voice to the voiceless. The future of Israel will not be, and cannot be different from other oppressive regimes in history; whether it is the regime of the Pharaoh or Apartheid, those who commit heinous crimes against the innocent are bound to be defeated. It is high time that the larger Jewish community distances itself from this racist ideology and reclaim the beautiful faith of Judaism from these extremists.
4m:42s
13744
[AL-QUDS 2013] Speech by Ken Stone Ind. Jewish Voices - Toronto, Canada...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of Al-Quds to denounce Zionism and express their complete solidarity with the brutally oppressed, indigenous population of Palestine. The rally in Toronto was led by Jewish rabbis, activists from Independent Jewish Voices and other Jews who want to reclaim the hijacked faith of Judaism from the Zionist extremists. The rally also featured representatives from 150 peace organizations, labor movements, churches, mosques and human rights groups.
The attendees, which comprised of men women and children of all ages and faiths, carried signs like \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We Love Jews, Not Zionists\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Torah, Bible and Quran, no to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" and \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Criticism of Israel is Not Anti-Semitism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\".
Various organizations representing the interests of Israel and settlers in Canada had lobbied hard to stop the rally and tried to intimidate people from attending it, however, their efforts failed miserably and the Toronto city witnessed one of the largest and most organized Al-Quds rallies ever held in the western hemisphere. Some extremists from the radical Zionist organization, JDL, and their Islamophobic hatemongering friends from the Sun News Network tried to harass the attendees but were not successful. The JDL has been designated the terrorist status by the FBI and represents the true face of Zionism and the settler mentality of arrogance, racism and bullying. An anchor of Sun News Network has advocated dropping a nuclear bomb on the civilian population of a Muslim country and their so-called journalists are always shamelessly trying to propagate the Zionist narrative about the indigenous Christians and Muslims of Palestine. However, initiatives like the Al-Quds day have taken the mask off the ugly face of Zionism and today Israel is more isolated in the world than ever before. At the recent UN vote, 174 nations voted against the Israeli position (http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=823, http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=685)
The Al-Quds rally organizers, speakers and participants vowed not to get intimidated by Zionist extremists and refused to allow them to turn Canada into one of the Israeli settlements. The Al-Quds rallies in Toronto and the world will continue to grow in future and peace and justice loving individuals will continue to give voice to the voiceless. The future of Israel will not be, and cannot be different from other oppressive regimes in history; whether it is the regime of the Pharaoh or Apartheid, those who commit heinous crimes against the innocent are bound to be defeated. It is high time that the larger Jewish community distances itself from this racist ideology and reclaim the beautiful faith of Judaism from these extremists.
7m:3s
13567
[AL-QUDS 2013] Moulana Assad Jafri Speech - Toronto, Canada - August...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of Al-Quds to denounce Zionism and express their complete solidarity with the brutally oppressed, indigenous population of Palestine. The rally in Toronto was led by Jewish rabbis, activists from Independent Jewish Voices and other Jews who want to reclaim the hijacked faith of Judaism from the Zionist extremists. The rally also featured representatives from 150 peace organizations, labor movements, churches, mosques and human rights groups.
The attendees, which comprised of men women and children of all ages and faiths, carried signs like \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We Love Jews, Not Zionists\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Torah, Bible and Quran, no to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" and \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Criticism of Israel is Not Anti-Semitism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\".
Various organizations representing the interests of Israel and settlers in Canada had lobbied hard to stop the rally and tried to intimidate people from attending it, however, their efforts failed miserably and the Toronto city witnessed one of the largest and most organized Al-Quds rallies ever held in the western hemisphere. Some extremists from the radical Zionist organization, JDL, and their Islamophobic hatemongering friends from the Sun News Network tried to harass the attendees but were not successful. The JDL has been designated the terrorist status by the FBI and represents the true face of Zionism and the settler mentality of arrogance, racism and bullying. An anchor of Sun News Network has advocated dropping a nuclear bomb on the civilian population of a Muslim country and their so-called journalists are always shamelessly trying to propagate the Zionist narrative about the indigenous Christians and Muslims of Palestine. However, initiatives like the Al-Quds day have taken the mask off the ugly face of Zionism and today Israel is more isolated in the world than ever before. At the recent UN vote, 174 nations voted against the Israeli position (http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=823, http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=685)
The Al-Quds rally organizers, speakers and participants vowed not to get intimidated by Zionist extremists and refused to allow them to turn Canada into one of the Israeli settlements. The Al-Quds rallies in Toronto and the world will continue to grow in future and peace and justice loving individuals will continue to give voice to the voiceless. The future of Israel will not be, and cannot be different from other oppressive regimes in history; whether it is the regime of the Pharaoh or Apartheid, those who commit heinous crimes against the innocent are bound to be defeated. It is high time that the larger Jewish community distances itself from this racist ideology and reclaim the beautiful faith of Judaism from these extremists.
3m:19s
14021
[AL-QUDS 2013] Imam Zafar Bangash Speech - Toronto, Canada - August 2013...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of Al-Quds to denounce Zionism and express their complete solidarity with the brutally oppressed, indigenous population of Palestine. The rally in Toronto was led by Jewish rabbis, activists from Independent Jewish Voices and other Jews who want to reclaim the hijacked faith of Judaism from the Zionist extremists. The rally also featured representatives from 150 peace organizations, labor movements, churches, mosques and human rights groups.
The attendees, which comprised of men women and children of all ages and faiths, carried signs like \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We Love Jews, Not Zionists\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Torah, Bible and Quran, no to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" and \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Criticism of Israel is Not Anti-Semitism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\".
Various organizations representing the interests of Israel and settlers in Canada had lobbied hard to stop the rally and tried to intimidate people from attending it, however, their efforts failed miserably and the Toronto city witnessed one of the largest and most organized Al-Quds rallies ever held in the western hemisphere. Some extremists from the radical Zionist organization, JDL, and their Islamophobic hatemongering friends from the Sun News Network tried to harass the attendees but were not successful. The JDL has been designated the terrorist status by the FBI and represents the true face of Zionism and the settler mentality of arrogance, racism and bullying. An anchor of Sun News Network has advocated dropping a nuclear bomb on the civilian population of a Muslim country and their so-called journalists are always shamelessly trying to propagate the Zionist narrative about the indigenous Christians and Muslims of Palestine. However, initiatives like the Al-Quds day have taken the mask off the ugly face of Zionism and today Israel is more isolated in the world than ever before. At the recent UN vote, 174 nations voted against the Israeli position (http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=823, http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=685)
The Al-Quds rally organizers, speakers and participants vowed not to get intimidated by Zionist extremists and refused to allow them to turn Canada into one of the Israeli settlements. The Al-Quds rallies in Toronto and the world will continue to grow in future and peace and justice loving individuals will continue to give voice to the voiceless. The future of Israel will not be, and cannot be different from other oppressive regimes in history; whether it is the regime of the Pharaoh or Apartheid, those who commit heinous crimes against the innocent are bound to be defeated. It is high time that the larger Jewish community distances itself from this racist ideology and reclaim the beautiful faith of Judaism from these extremists.
7m:43s
14972
Toronto Holds Massive Al-Quds Rally - August 2013 - English
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of...
Like their counterparts in 770 cities in 80 countries of the world, thousands of Torontonians took to the streets on the International Day of Al-Quds to denounce Zionism and express their complete solidarity with the brutally oppressed, indigenous population of Palestine. The rally in Toronto was led by Jewish rabbis, activists from Independent Jewish Voices and other Jews who want to reclaim the hijacked faith of Judaism from the Zionist extremists. The rally also featured representatives from 150 peace organizations, labor movements, churches, mosques and human rights groups.
The attendees, which comprised of men women and children of all ages and faiths, carried signs like \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We Love Jews, Not Zionists\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Torah, Bible and Quran, no to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Yes to Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, No to Zionism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" and \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Criticism of Israel is Not Anti-Semitism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\".
Various organizations representing the interests of Israel and settlers in Canada had lobbied hard to stop the rally and tried to intimidate people from attending it, however, their efforts failed miserably and the Toronto city witnessed one of the largest and most organized Al-Quds rallies ever held in the western hemisphere. Some extremists from the radical Zionist organization, JDL, and their Islamophobic hatemongering friends from the Sun News Network tried to harass the attendees but were not successful. The JDL has been designated the terrorist status by the FBI and represents the true face of Zionism and the settler mentality of arrogance, racism and bullying. An anchor of Sun News Network has advocated dropping a nuclear bomb on the civilian population of a Muslim country and their so-called journalists are always shamelessly trying to propagate the Zionist narrative about the indigenous Christians and Muslims of Palestine. However, initiatives like the Al-Quds day have taken the mask off the ugly face of Zionism and today Israel is more isolated in the world than ever before. At the recent UN vote, 174 nations voted against the Israeli position (http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=823, http://muslimperspectives.com/?p=685)
The Al-Quds rally organizers, speakers and participants vowed not to get intimidated by Zionist extremists and refused to allow them to turn Canada into one of the Israeli settlements. The Al-Quds rallies in Toronto and the world will continue to grow in future and peace and justice loving individuals will continue to give voice to the voiceless. The future of Israel will not be, and cannot be different from other oppressive regimes in history; whether it is the regime of the Pharaoh or Apartheid, those who commit heinous crimes against the innocent are bound to be defeated. It is high time that the larger Jewish community distances itself from this racist ideology and reclaim the beautiful faith of Judaism from these extremists.
24m:22s
14974
[18 Feb 2014] The Debate - Nuclear Negotiations - English
Iran and the P5+1 resume nuclear talks some three months after reaching an interim deal. Iran says the dismantling of its nuclear facilities is not...
Iran and the P5+1 resume nuclear talks some three months after reaching an interim deal. Iran says the dismantling of its nuclear facilities is not on the agenda. Just a few days ago, the country\'s leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said he was \"not optimistic\" about the negotiations but would not oppose them. Does Iran have good reasons to distrust the US? Is a final agreement within reach? I\'m Homa Lezgee and you\'re watching the Debate.
Guests:
-Press TV Newsroom Director, Hamid Reza Emadi (Tehran).
- American Institute for Foreign Policy, Michael Linn (Washington).
Subjects:
1) In Geneva both parties agreed that \"the Iranian nuclear program will be treated in the same manner as that of any non-nuclear weapon state party to the non-proliferation treaty\". Yet Wendy Sherman, the US nuclear negotiator, told Congress she believes that Iran has no need for either a heavy water reactor or the second enrichment facilities in Fordo. She added that Iran should give up some centrifuges. All these demands go beyond the requirements of the NPT. How do you explain the duplicity?
2) Iran has announced it won\'t suspend activities in the Arak heavy water reactor, will not reduce the number of its centrifuges or stop RD-related projects...so is there going to be major disagreements about the agenda of the talks?
3) American insistence on \"zero enrichment in Iran\" is one reason for the failure of past talks. Last November\'s deal was only possible because the US was prepared to be more realistic.
4) Measures that go beyond the NPT may be required for a time to build confidence.
5) As long as the US keeps repeating its threat that \"all options are on the table\", including military action, compromise seems uncertain...
6) What is a compromise? Iran will probably have to accept temporary limitations on its nuclear program and submit to extra inspections. In return, world powers must respect the country\'s right to the peaceful use of nuclear technology, including enrichment.
7) How do you interpret the recent remarks by Iran\'s leader that he is \"not optimistic\" about the negotiations? Does Tehran have good reasons to distrust the US?
8) Is a final agreement within reach?
21m:13s
6237
Inner Revolutions | Pray But Keep Rowing the Boat - English
Aisha El-Mekki’s mother didn’t believe in ‘sparing the rod’. She also had a deep respect for teachers, nuns and other authority figures; a...
Aisha El-Mekki’s mother didn’t believe in ‘sparing the rod’. She also had a deep respect for teachers, nuns and other authority figures; a respect that never trickled down to her youngest daughter. Discipline was real in the El-Mekki household, so from an early age she and her older sister formed an alliance. They promised not to tell on each other. Sometimes El-Mekki even took a beating for her sister. When she was in first grade, the two were sent away to a private, all-white boarding school. In third grade, El-Mekki was expelled.
“As a child, if I got backed into a wall, I would refuse to do whatever you wanted me to do because you were trying to force me.”
Upon returning to her home in Philadelphia, El-Mekki’s mother – who worked until five everyday – enrolled her daughter in the neighborhood school. It was around this time that El-Mekki met her best friend, Shakora. The two began spending afternoons together, deepening their friendship and getting into trouble.
“One time I was on a bus. It was a Friday afternoon. The bus driver said my pass had expired; that I had to get a transfer…so he gave me a transfer while waiting for the next bus and the next bus was late. We waited for a while. There was a crowd of people by the time the bus came. [The next bus driver] said that my pass had expired and that I needed to get off the bus. Well I didn’t have any more money, so I said, ‘I paid my fare and I will ride.’ This man decided that he was going to send a message. So he stopped a police car and told them that I refused to pay. The police emptied the bus and told the driver to drive to the police station with just me on it….so he drives this empty bus to the police station and they arrested me. And this just infuriated me. My mother had to be called and of course she was just livid….she had to end up getting a lawyer, and had to go court, miss time from work…and eventually it was resolved but I mean they charged me. I had a record. It was ridiculous. That was my first incident with what I consider police brutality…and how they can escalate a situation unnecessarily.”
Three years later, El Mekki graduated from an all-girls Catholic high school. It was at this point that she began to question the Trinity. She didn’t want to leave the church; she believed she would go to hell if she did. Still, the questions remained. So she kept her eyes open. After college, El-Mekki decided she wanted to become a social worker. She learned about a group called the Black Panther Party that was organizing programs for the needy.
“When I heard about these people feeding children – and I worked on the midnight shift – I said, ‘you know what? I’m gonna go up there’. And there were tables and tables of children being fed cereal and toast, and I was really amazed. People were doing this out of the bottom of their hearts. They weren’t getting paid for it. But they wanted to make sure the children were getting a decent breakfast.”
El-Mekki joined the group. At the same time, her religious search continued.
“I had an aunt that was Muslim. I used to visit her. She was not aggressive, she was not pushy, she was not trying to convert me. Anytime I had a question, she would answer. Her husband was very nice. And I liked the way her family was so calm. It was so peaceful. And so I would go visit her often. During that time I was in the Black Panther Party, and she didn’t disapprove. Everybody else in my family said, ‘Here she goes again, doing something off the beaten path.’ But not aunt Mariam. One time when we knew that there was going to be a police raid, and we were trying to get the children out because I didn’t want the children to be there. And she just told me to bring them to her house. You know? And I just admired her. I just said wow, if her religion supports revolutionary acts like that, then I want to hear more about it. So she would always be listening to Shaheed Malcolm’s albums. She owned every word he ever said. And she’d often have his records on when I’d go over there. And she gave me his book to read because I was always asking questions about him. And that was like the answer to my prayer. You know? The part where he said that our religion doesn’t teach us to be aggressive, but if you lay a hand on me, then I can send you to the cemetery. And I said, ‘I can do that. That is the religion that I need.’ You know, that allows me to defend myself. That doesn’t encourage me to just constantly turn the other cheek. Nobody else is turning the other cheek. They’re turning the other side of their hand. And so i decided you know what, that’s when I decided Islam was for me because it allowed me to be religious and at the same time, be revolutionary.”
innerrevolutions.net
8m:2s
16042
Did the Prophets commit Sins? | BISKIT | English
The concept of Infallibility in a nutshell.
According to the Shia School of Thought, the Prophets and Messengers did not commit any sins.
But...
The concept of Infallibility in a nutshell.
According to the Shia School of Thought, the Prophets and Messengers did not commit any sins.
But did Adam not commit a sin by eating from the tree? Did Ibrahim not tell a lie?
Did Yunus not disbelieve in Allah’s absolute power? Did Musa not kill a man?
Many look at hadith and even bring Biblical verses to try and prove that the Messengers of God committed terrible sins.
But anything that contradicts the Holy Qur’an ought to be disregarded. Here, the BISKIT Guy focuses solely on the Qur’an to prove the concept of Infallibility.
11m:58s
9921
The Trials of Marriage | BISKIT | English
What does having a pet cat named Mr. Tibbles have to do with marriage in Islam? Well, the short answer is nothing. Whether one has a pet cat or not...
What does having a pet cat named Mr. Tibbles have to do with marriage in Islam? Well, the short answer is nothing. Whether one has a pet cat or not should not hinder one from the divine prospect of marriage. Similarly, there are many things which Muslims take into account before deciding to marry or when selecting a spouse - the person’s skin colour, how wealthy they are, whether or not they are Sayyid… but are such things what Islam tells us to consider before marrying?
A quick disclaimer; the purpose of this episode is not to say that men should not work hard and strive to earn a halal living while saying, “I’m pious, so let me marry!”. No. It is the duty of Muslim men everywhere to work. Similarly, it is an important duty for us to study and educate ourselves.
The underlying message in this BISKIT is that FAITH ought to be given priority over all other things before we marry. Neither wealth, nor education, nor beauty, nor lineage, nor nationality are even remotely as important as faith. As Muslims we must remember that in front of faith, all the other things are as irrelevant as a pet cat named Mr. Tibbles!
11m:58s
9241
\"Stand Alone\" | Islamic Revolutionary Rap song by a 13...
A revolutionary rap performed by a courageous young brother in Iran, discussing contemporary issues in an artistic and thought-provoking manner....
A revolutionary rap performed by a courageous young brother in Iran, discussing contemporary issues in an artistic and thought-provoking manner. Before commenting on the Islamic permissibility of this piece, please watch our videos on the subject of music carefully and then come to an understanding.
How Haram is Music? | Biskit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fVCCPe7CSs
Is All Music Haram? | Shaykh Usama Abdulghani
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdaRNOSgpLM
Analysis of the Music Industry | Shaykh Salim Yusufali | Weapons of Mass Deception
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip_tpCZzIX0
#IslamicRevolution #Unity #IslamicMusic #Nasheed #FreeZakzaky #Zakzaky #FreeKashmir #Kashmir #ImamKhamenei #Khamenei #SoftWar #CultureWar #IslamicRepublic #Imperialism #Colonialism #Scholars4Dollars #Saudis #TakfiriWahhabis #BritishShiaism #Wahhabis #America #israel #UK #Trump #Netanyahu #BorisJohnson #RowanAtkinson #Modi #BJP #India #Pakistan #EndOfTimes #ImamMahdi #AJTF #DTA #DTI
______________________________
LYRICS:
Ya Imam!
We heard your father foretold,
\\\"One\\\'s religion will be harder to hold
Than gripping onto a burning coal
at the end of times” Now here we are
Some praying hypocritically ain’t it bizarre?
so it\\\'s better if you don\\\'t return just yet-
the only one suffering to that extent,
- not hiding or attempting to circumvent -
is #ShaykhZakzaky and a handful of others
not even 1%
The rest of us are busy living the rat-race,
And those who strut around with utmost grace
Representatives of the Deen of the Human Race
are no different today than they were 1000 years ago –
When betrayal and cowardice used to flow
Instead of blood through their veins,
Ready to take no pains, ready to suffer no trials
All the while, got you stuck in your comfort zone
So tell me again why a youth like me ought to stand alone?
stand alone?
stand alone?
So tell me again why a youth like me ought to stand alone?
It’s a joke. But it ain’t funny.
People doing what they do
For just a bit of money.
The two Qiblahs of the Muslims are occupied
Would the Prophet have laughed or would he have cried?
The Leader proved that we could go so far
The sky is the limit, but you’re sat on the sofa
Forget about speaking out against America-
You can’t even tell me it’s haram to go to the bar -
Shh- MI6 could have us on the radar-
“God forbid my reputation gets marred”-
next year they won’t call me back to Zanzibar
Shopping around in the community bazar
While you ride around in your fancy little car,
Sitting with politicians eatin’ caviar,
The war in Venezuela’s what paid for your cigar,
Mum said to listen to you, coz you’re a scholar
But reality is - You’re a celebrity, not a shining star-
- You’re no less than the People of Kufa
What you say and what you do is so far
From one another so Tell me again how for me,
The Holy Prophet’s an exemplar!
It’s a joke. But it ain’t funny.
People doing what they do
For just a bit of money.
The two Qiblahs of the Muslims are occupied
Would Imam have laughed or would he have cried?
You see all too clearly what we do –
while neglecting utterly the cause of Palestine,
and the cause of Zakzaky too,
we’ve neglected Yemen and
are compliant to the People of Lut -
All the while, stirring up an “Islamic” tea
To serve with utmost akhlaq to you and to me,
But within the cup ain’t a drop of purity-
From the wide and vast Islamic sea,
All you see in your cup is hypocrisy,
While you’re sipping away,
in prison is a scholar named Zakzaky -
It’s not Islam AT ALL, don’t you see?
Like a fake brand name, slapping the name
Of Husayn on piece of cloth, doesn’t make it the same.
- they call them scholars- but they’re Insane
scholars for dollars
And they only exist because this nation
Doesn’t stop filling their pockets with elation
Take a hike, take a vacation-
Please - not to Buckingham palace
drinking from a tyrant’s chalice
Kissing up to the kings of malice
Being callous towards those who need us most
You sit on the pulpit and boast
While the children of Yemen are toast
children of Palestine roast
there’s only suffering Coast-to-coast,
But you’re thoroughly enjoying your post,
Adios Amigos, Trump in the White House
Mr. Bean at number 10
You say NOTHING time and time again -
Stop the charade of being wise men,
Because you’re nothing but comedians
Jesters at the foot of Big Ben,
While you give the masses all of your charm
Imam Husayn never needed your salaam…
If you don’t rise up- say Goodbye to Islam
_______________________________
4m:42s
9761
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah Martyrs Day Speech - February 16,2020...
Important points of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah\'s speech 16 February 2021 Martyrs Day:
⭕-Nasrallah: I send my salutations to people of Bahrain,...
Important points of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah\'s speech 16 February 2021 Martyrs Day:
⭕-Nasrallah: I send my salutations to people of Bahrain, and hope they return Bahrain back to its normal, natural place, after its traitorous leaders made country into base for normalization w/Zionist enemy, betrayal of Palestinian cause.
⭕-Nasrallah: Sheikh Ragheb Harb launched the position of refusing to shake hands/deal with the enemy, particularly when the enemy is the Zionist enemy. This refusal is in and of itself a weapon in the Resistance\'s arsenal.
⭕-Nasrallah: On recent accusations being bandied around in Lebanon [over Lokman Slim\'s murder]. Every time something bad happens in Lebanon, accusations and insults directed against Hezbollah. Local, Arab, and Social media used to direct these accusations
⭕-Nasrallah: What is happening to us violates all principles and laws. In every legal system, one is innocent until proven guilty. Except in Lebanon. When it comes to Hezbollah, we are guilty and condemned until our innocence is proven.
⭕-Nasrallah: I understand Hariri\'s insistence on holding on to Interior Ministry. Hezbollah/AMAL did this on Finance Ministry, so we understand other parties doing the same.
⭕-Nasrallah: We have a problem in Lebanon called social media networks. Someone issues a statement, it\'s then picked up by supporters of one group against another, and it appears that there\'s a big crisis. There are American and Israeli electronic armies trying to initiate sectarian, political clashes in Lebanon. Recently, a Jordanian - obviously acting for Israel - was boasting that he initiated social media clash between Iranians and Iraqis. We must beware of this. Even among supporters of allied political parties, you\'ll have people who resurrect old issues and clash on social media. And then political parties have to clean up mess. I\'m not telling people not to express their opinions. Just to do it without insults, accusations, attacking symbols and figures. And just because someone, especially from allies, made a verbal mistake, don\'t go ripping their head off. We\'re friends, and this can be handled civilly.
⭕-Nasrallah: When we look at region, which powerfully impacts Lebanon, there are several factors to consider: Iranian nuclear issue, in light of new US admin and its new positions. We also note obvious Israeli , Saudi concern, and disagreement w/US
⭕-Nasrallah: Second, the Yemen issue -- new US admin, for several reasons I don\'t have time to analyze, stopped support for Saudi war, appointment of Yemen rep, called for end to war. If even in form, this is a positive matter, but Yemenis have right to be cautious. Enemy [US] could be playing trick, so Yemenis have reason to be cautious. But, change in US direction on Yemen war is positive
⭕-Nasrallah: Now on Syria issue, w/new Biden admin, we have to see US stance on east of Euphrates, Kurds, Turks, ISIS revival. US admin says its goal isn\'t to protect oil anymore but to fight ISIS, and now the Americans are re-releasing ISIS fighters into Syria, Iraq. So they\'ll have excuse to stay. If Trump admin wanted to remain in some places and withdraw from others, seems Biden admin wants to reassert American presence everywhere, so they revived ISIS
⭕-Nasrallah: Of course, the Resistance will once again defeat ISIS as it did before. Now, as [US] trying to revive ISIS in Iraq, Syria, and also in Lebanon, Hezbollah must go on the offensive to deal with this ISIS revival
⭕-Nasrallah: Clear US Biden admin\'s priority is China and Russia. China is economic threat to US, unbearable to Americans. This could be reason, in initial phase, how to deal w/ME issues differently. Not moral difference, but admission of realities: Iran, Syria, Yemen resilience. So American calculus is how to quickly deal w/these issues to free up itself to deal w/China
⭕-Nasrallah: On Israeli-Palestinian issue, no one is even talking about Deal of the Century. Looks like when Trump and Kushner left -- it was Kushner\'s deal anyway -- Deal of Century was abandoned, which is concerning to Israel, Saudi Arabia. Deal of Century Triangle was Trump-Israel-Saudi. Now, we hear US Secretary of State say they don\'t recognize Israeli soveriegnty over Golan, Jerusalem remains issue to be negotiated, and talking about 2 State Solution -- these are indicators Deal of Century over. This is because of resilience of Palestinians, Resistance Axis, against Trump, so it\'s forcing new US admin to reevaluate how to deal with this issue
⭕-Nasrallah: We think Israelis are exaggerating importance of normalization, just like they did w/Egypt and Jordan. Yes, Israel has peace w/Egyptian, Jordanian state, but their peoples have taken a very clear stance against Israel.
We see this in position of Bahraini people, opposition, clerics who oppose normalization w/Israel or dealings w/Bahraini financial institutions w/Israel. And the Bahrainis are under threat from their leaders.
We see same opposition in Tunisia, Algeria, Pakistan and other countries. So, we\'re betting on the people in these countries, because this is a battle for the people. We\'re not asking them to carry a weapon, just to boycott Israel and Israelis in every way.
⭕-Nasrallah: Israeli army chief Kochavi said that Israeli leadership must undergo change -- pretending they adhere to law and only target military targets. He said Israel must change approach, and if weapons are stored among civilians, they must strike them as well. Who is he fooling, that this is a change? IDF is a terrorist army that targets civilians, and this is attempt to give good image to ugliest, most murderous army in history of humanity
⭕-Nasrallah: Hezbollah is not seeking confrontation. But if you strike our towns and civilians, we will strike yours. In any case, we actually have civilians. But by Israeli admission, Israeli people are an army in reserve. They go to work, school, but all soldiers. So there really is no real distinction between Israeli soldiers and civilians. In the past, we deterred Israel by striking their settlements and colonies. We\'ll do it again.
⭕-Nasrallah: Israel can\'t act like it did in the past. We are in the era of the Resistance. Of course, Resistance deals w/these matters patiently, but no one should think we will be lax in defending ourselves
98m:37s
6259
[Session 1] Becoming familiar with some of the sweet concepts of the...
Becoming familiar with some of the sweet concepts of the Sha’baniya Supplication
Session 1
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful....
Becoming familiar with some of the sweet concepts of the Sha’baniya Supplication
Session 1
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. It is very good before using, reading, thinking or whispering a supplication to God, to become familiar with the supplications’ passage in detail, become aware of its meaning and refer to the expositions on it. In these short opportunities, I will try to briefly discuss some topics to help us become familiar with this supplication. We hope the Almighty God will give us success to get the most use from this supplication.
The “Sha’baniya Supplication” starts with sending salutations on the Holy Prophet (s) and his Pure Household (‘a). According to many recommendations, which everyone has heard, and as has been mentioned in the traditions very much too, each prayer should start with salutations. This prayer has started with salutations too, like many other prayers, which have reached us. In the prayers that do not start with salutations, naturally we should send these salutations ourselves.
There are many reasons for this. I will only say one sentence about this and pass on it. It is as if when a person doesn’t have the Household of the Prophet’s guardianship, their guardianship is not in his heart, and he doesn’t remember these personages with honor, the Almighty God doesn’t hear him, won’t answer his prayer and doesn’t take this person into account. For whoever enters the Judgment Day, his/her ID is following God’s Guardians. In this case too, whoever stands in God’s presence should show his/her ID. This salutation is our identity card. If a person shows this identity card with love and devotion, says, “God, see I’m devoted to the Prophet and his Household,” hasn’t just said the salutations negligently, and has repeated this salutation with fondness, the way will open for him to pray.
In the first phrase, the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (‘a), uses three surprising words. This prayer starts without any introduction. “Hear my prayer when I call You. Hear my voice when I call You. Pay attention to me when I whisper to You.” One of the wonders of this prayer is that it starts without any introduction. This prayer is the words of a person who can’t tolerate anymore! It’s as if he has come a far distance and only wants to moan. He knows that God is waiting to hear his words, but he wants to shout at times, whisper at times and pray at times. “Hear my voice when I call you.” “Nida” means calling with a loud voice. “Pay attention to me when I whisper to You.” “Najwa” means talking in a very low voice. And “Du’a” is used for any kind of calling. Three consecutive words.
It is as if the Commander of the Faithful wants to cry out, “God, I want to talk to You!” He’s showing his insistence to whisper to God, cry out to Him and supplicate Him. He’s not saying others things. He wants, calls and invites God. The next sentence shows this. “I have escaped to You and am standing between Your hands.” “I have escaped to You” means I have escaped and come to You. It gives the same feeling that those three words had. “Hear my prayer. Hear my voice. Pay attention to me when I whisper to You.” It’s as if a person has come running. “I am now standing between Your hands.” “Between Your hands” is a more beautiful and pleasing concept than standing in front of God. It’s as if a little one has taken refuge with a great one and is in his power. This is much more beautiful. Those who are the smaller one before a greater one, and have felt the support of a kind, greater one, can understand this. “I am poor before You and I beseech You.” The Commander of the Faithful (‘a) is only beseeching in this supplication. He is expressing this with different phrases.
He is beseeching in all of his words. These words are not meaningless words for the Commander of the Faithful. These words arise from the depth of his feelings. He wants to cry intensely with these words. We study, review and even think about these words. But, these words have become internalized for the Commander of the Faithful. The Imam is not reading these words from a prayer book. These words are the interpretation of the Imam’s moans.
===================================
Follow us:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Panahianen/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PanahianEN/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PanahianEN
Telegram: https://telegram.me/Panahianen/
===================================
Subscribe https://www.youtube.com/c/PanahianEnglish
===================================
See our pages in various languages: https://panahian.net/
===================================
9m:28s
2730
[Session 4] Becoming familiar with some of the sweet concepts of the...
Session 4 / Becoming familiar with some of the sweet concepts of the Sha’baniya Supplication
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful....
Session 4 / Becoming familiar with some of the sweet concepts of the Sha’baniya Supplication
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. The feeling of wanting to supplicate God is a feeling that is caused by spiritual maturity. As a result of spiritual maturity, a person feels dependent on God, like the attachment a child has to his parents. When you separate a child from his mother, he doesn’t calm down no matter what logic you use. He can’t tolerate even a moment of being separated whatever your reasoning. One who reaches spiritual maturity gains this feeling in connection with the Lord of the universe. The difference is that a child doesn’t have a sense of guilt, humility, humbleness, beseeching, and many other feelings towards his parents that a servant has towards his master. But, this kind of feeling of needing to be close to one’s parents, is created in a person who has reached spiritual maturity. Of course, his feeling of needing to be close to the Lord of the universe is much more intense than that of a child. He sees some obstacles between God and himself. He feels sad because of these obstacles. These obstacles may be natural obstacles, like the length of one’s lifespan before meeting God. He sees these natural obstacles as being a barrier for getting close to God and meeting Him, so he cries. Or these obstacles may be from himself, and they are usually of this type.
Basically, one of the good feelings that a servant who has attained spiritual growth feels towards his master is that he always feels guilty before his master. This feeling of guilt is a true feeling and not a compliment. This will be the cause of his broken heart and sorrow, and he will be able to supplicate God. If the Almighty God wants to be gracious to a person, He puts him on the path of the relationship between a servant and his master. Naturally, there is only crying on this path. Perhaps many who are not familiar with these ideas will be surprised at these words. It’s like a person who wants to use logic to compel a child to be patient and silent for a few minutes while being apart from his mother. But the child doesn’t accept this at all. It’s as if no one understands the child, and the child doesn’t understand others.
Rumi says beautifully in a poem, “When He wants to help us, He pulls our interest towards moaning.” Next, the poem describes a heart, which moans. “Auspicious is the heart, which burns for Him (from love). Good for the eyes, which weep for Him. A person who sees the end is a blessed servant. The end of each cry is a laugh. Wherever there are flowing tears, there’ll be mercy. Wherever there is running water, there’ll be greenery.” The poem continues describing crying.
These are not descriptions, which will create that feeling in us. It’s like trying to describe a perfume or the smell of a flower. Or, it is like when we try to explain colors for a person who cannot see. There aren’t any words for describing colors. There are no words for describing the smell of a flower, or the smell of a perfume or cologne. Although people experience it, they cannot describe it. This state of wanting to supplicate God is created due to a spiritual growth. A person’s spiritual growth causes him to feel a need. This is in the same way that when people reach the age of maturity they feel a need for a companion, the same way that parents feel a need for children, and the same way that people feel a need for being in a community and are sad when they are alone. When a person grows spiritually, he wants this relationship with God too.
All these supplications can be understood in such an atmosphere. If a person is not in such an atmosphere, he cannot understand this supplication at all. It’s very good if we recite this supplication with this feeling, this pleading and praying that, “God, open this door for me.” Or, we should read this supplication with the feeling that we are very far from the feeling that the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (‘a), felt. Praising this beautiful relationship and regretting that we don’t have it can bring a person closer to Him.
Let’s talk about one of the phrases. In accordance with the rituals for supplication, the Imam (‘a) says, “What comes to me or is taken away, benefits or loss, are in Your hands and not the hands of anyone else.” One of the rituals for supplication is that a person announce his knowledge about God, especially knowledge about the oneness of the God of the universe. Seeing only God to be effective in the world, in our being and in our lives and remembering these monotheistic teachings in our praying to God and our supplications is beautiful. A tradition says, “When someone says, ‘There is no strength or power except from the High and Great God,’ the Almighty God immediately says, ‘My angels! See My servant confessed that no one has power except Me. Now, resolve any problems that he has.’”
9m:49s
2480
This is our last chance | Agha Ali Reza Panahian | Farsi Sub English
A door to Heaven has opened for us
==============================
Follow us:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Panahianen/ ...
Instagram:...
A door to Heaven has opened for us
==============================
Follow us:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Panahianen/ ...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PanahianEN/...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PanahianEN
Telegram: https://telegram.me/Panahianen/
==============================
Do you know why we don’t repent, worship, do good deeds or endeavor to have a good intention very much? Because we think we always have these opportunities! That’s it.
There is a very old joke. It may not seem as funny nowadays. A person was told, “If you want money, go to Tehran. It’s all over the place there [meaning it’s easy to make money there].” “Really?!” “Yes.” When he got off the bus, he saw a bill on the ground next to his foot. He thought, “It’s really true that money is all over the place in Tehran. I’ll start collecting from tomorrow. I have come a long distance and I’m tired now.”
The next day, he asked the motel, “Do you have a bag?” “What do you want it for?” “I want to collect money,” he said. “From where?” “They said it’s all over the place!” he replied. “Yesterday when I got off the bus, I saw a bill,” he continued. “You should have picked up that bill! It’s not like that.”
Many people think like this. “I’ll do it later.” God doesn’t like such an attitude. Are you sure you will have a chance in the future?! Who will give you this chance? When a good deed comes to your mind, does it come for no reason? O God, I should repent very much for the times when it occurred to me to come to You, but I told myself I’ll do it later. I thought I will always have these opportunities. It is said that when something good comes to your heart, don’t ignore it! Think, “An angel has inspired this thought in me!”
See how the Immaculate Ones talk to God. They have said that when you want to talk to God, imagine that this is your last chance. Think, “Will there be any other opportunities? Will I have such an opportunity again?” We don’t think like this. We think we always have such opportunities! But the Immaculate Imams tell us there aren’t always these opportunities! This is the last chance. It is said, “Appreciate the opportunities you have. They pass by like a cloud passing by.”
It’s like small, scattered clouds that come into the sky for a short time. When you look again, they’re not there anymore. This is how opportunities are. The Commander of the Faithful, Ali (as), has said this and not just any person! He knows the universe better than others. He said that this is how we should look at matters.
One of these opportunities is the Night of Destiny and the month of Ramadan. There are many opportunities that we miss unfortunately. We have been told to read the Jawshan Kabeer Supplication on the Nights of Destiny. A door to Heaven has opened for us! Don’t read even one line of the Jawshan Kabeer Supplication negligently. Don’t call God by even one of His attributes in the Jawshan Kabeer Supplication negligently. “God, did You hear me? I am saying this to You. O He Who plans the day and the night. O He Who gives the sustenance of the small child. O God, did You hear me? I said this about You! See.” Whether you cry or not, pay attention while you are saying these and they will have an effect on the world!
Do you know why we don’t repent, worship, do good deeds or endeavor to have a good intention very much? Because we think we always have these opportunities! Many people think like this. “I’ll do it later.” God doesn’t like such an attitude. Are you sure you will have a chance in the future?! Who will give you this chance? When a good deed comes to your mind, does it come for no reason? When something good comes to your heart, don’t ignore it! Think, “An angel has inspired this thought in me!
4m:22s
1117
Zionism vs. Judaism & Zionists vs. Jews - English
JUDAISM is not the problem. JEWS are not the problem!!! ZIONISM is the problem. ZIONISTS are the problem!!! America is not the problem. Americans...
JUDAISM is not the problem. JEWS are not the problem!!! ZIONISM is the problem. ZIONISTS are the problem!!! America is not the problem. Americans are not the problem!!! Pro-Zionism American Administration is the problem!!!
6m:42s
19363
Misrepresentation of Shia on the Channel-4 documentry - English
This video has been put together regarding the documentary that was broad casted on channel 4 on Monday the 14th of July 2008 at 8pm. The...
This video has been put together regarding the documentary that was broad casted on channel 4 on Monday the 14th of July 2008 at 8pm. The documentary failed to meet its purpose of presenting actual information. This 10 minute documentary is documenting on the Channel 4 documentary. The Quran by highlighting only some of the major accusations and misrepresentations made during the documentary. It gave a total misrepresentation of the Shia faith. The documentary gave the impression that Shias do not pray directly to Allah swt and take the Imams alehysalam as their lords. They did not ask one Shia scholar to give examples of where the concept of intercession is supported in the Quran instead they had a Sunni professor say that it was incorrect. Some comments were not only not true but completely inaccurate and seriously allegations were made.
9m:57s
9797
So WHO makes United States Decisions - English
So WHO makes United States' decisions - Jan09 - English. US denies Olmert influenced UN vote
The US has denied that a telephone call made by...
So WHO makes United States' decisions - Jan09 - English. US denies Olmert influenced UN vote
The US has denied that a telephone call made by Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, to George Bush, the US president, led to the US abstaining in a UN vote on the Gaza war last week.
In a speech late on Monday, Olmert said Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, was left "pretty shamed" at the vote and had to abstain on a resolution she had helped arrange.
Sean McCormack, a US state department spokesmen, who was with Rice at the UN last week during debate on the security council resolution, said the remarks were "just 100 per cent, totally, completely untrue".
McCormack said that Washington had no plans to seek clarification from Israel.
Mark Regev, a spokesman for Ehud Olmert, said the Israeli leader stood by his remarks.
Telephone influence
The Israeli prime minister said on Monday that he demanded to talk to Bush last Thursday, minutes before a vote in the UN Security Council on a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
"When we saw that Rice, for reasons we did not really understand, wanted to vote in favour of the resolution ... I looked for President Bush," Olmert said.
Bush, who Olmert said was taken off a stage in Philadelphia where he was making a speech, said he was not informed on the resolution and was "not familiar with the phrasing".
"I'm familiar with it. You can't vote in favour." Olmert claimed telling the US president.
"He [Bush] gave an order to the secretary of state and she did not vote in favour of it, a resolution she cooked up, phrased, organised and manoeuvred for," Olmert said.
Bush was in Philadelphia on Thursday morning and gave a 27-minute speech on education policy that ended about 10 hours before the UN vote and there was no interruption of the public event.
The Israeli prime minister described Bush as an "unparalleled friend" of Israel.
UN call
Fourteen of the security council's 15 members supported the legally binding resolution, which has until now failed to stop Israel's offensive in Gaza.
Olmert criticised the UN resolution, saying that "no decision, present or future, will deny us our basic right to defend the residents of Israel".
Israel launched its offensive on December 27, in what it said was an attempt to stop Hamas firing rockets into southern Israel from Gaza.
After an intensive air campaign in the first week, Israel sent ground forces into Gaza in the second week of fighting and continues to push deeper into the strip.
7m:11s
11378
Must Watch-The Truth About the 2009 Gaza Massacre - English
Eye opening montage of news clips and photos that tell the truth about the events in Gaza. Courtesy -whatreallyhappened.com --Strategically...
Eye opening montage of news clips and photos that tell the truth about the events in Gaza. Courtesy -whatreallyhappened.com --Strategically speaking Israel does not have much time left in the ongoing conflict. Consider that it chose the timing of the current aggression very carefully-when the administration in the White House is in transition - the potentially most radical segment of the population in America - the students - are away from campuses and could not be mobilized easily and the general public in America - and elsewhere - are still recovering from the Christmas and New Year celebrations- and are also preoccupied with the economic recession. Still to the Israeli surprise regular protests with huge turn outs have been occurring in the US and around the world stripping off the deceptive cover of being so-called peaceful democratic and civilized from Israel-s face. The protests and alternative media sources deserve much credit in this regard. What is important to understand here is that if we are just demanding a ceasefire it is already part of Israel-s strategy in this conflict. There are good chances that Israel will end its aggression within a week before the new administration assumes office in the White House or the latest by the February 10 elections in Israel. Israel also knows that most people come out for protest only in reaction. Once the aggression ends the protests will subside and the new White House administration would not be pressed to issue a drastic statement. And that is only to the extent of issuing a statement- something on the line that Israel should observe RESTRAINT. The Bush administration did not bother to do even that much. Given the team of pro-Israel Hawkish-Pragmatists that Obama has assembled in his cabinet - if that is any indicator - chances are very slim that we will see a significant policy shift immediately.-- For more information see gazaawareness.blogspot.com
6m:22s
7731
President Ahmadinejad requests the crowd to forgive the clowns - 20Apr09...
The opening of a United Nations conference in Switzerland on anti-racism was marred by chaotic scenes Monday as protests and a walkout by delegates...
The opening of a United Nations conference in Switzerland on anti-racism was marred by chaotic scenes Monday as protests and a walkout by delegates disrupted a controversial address by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The presence of the Iranian leader at the conference had already prompted Israel to withdraw its ambassador from Switzerland, while several countries including the United States are also boycotting the gathering.
Dozens of delegates walked out of the chamber as Ahmadinejad accused Israel and the West of making "an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering ... in order to establish a totally racist government." Video Watch delegates make their exit »
He said Zionism, the Jewish national movement, "personifies racism," and accused Zionists of wielding economic and political resources to silence opponents. He also blasted the United States-led invasion of Afghanistan.
Protesters in brightly colored wigs interrupted Ahmadinejad as he began to speak, shouting: "You're a racist!" in accented English.
But some delegates cheered, while security officers dragged at least two protesters from the chamber.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called Ambassador Ilan Elgar home to protest a meeting between the Swiss president and Ahmadinejad, Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement.
"The meeting of a president of a democratic country with a notorious Holocaust denier such as the Iranian president, who has openly declared his intention of wiping Israel off the map, is not in keeping with the values represented by Switzerland," the ministry said.
Netanyahu's office had earlier said the diplomatic move was a response to the presence of Ahmadinejad at the conference.
Ahmadinejad has said that the Holocaust is a myth, and Iran hosted a conference in 2006 questioning the Holocaust, in which about 6 million Jews were killed.
The United States, among others, is refusing to send envoys to the Durban Review Conference.
The U.N. high commissioner for human rights said Sunday that she regrets -- and is "shocked" by -- the United States' decision to boycott.
"I am shocked and deeply disappointed by the United States' decision not to attend a conference that aims to combat racism, xenophobia, racial discrimination and other forms of intolerance worldwide," High Commissioner Navi Pillay said in a written statement.
"A handful of states have permitted one or two issues to dominate their approach to this issue, allowing them to outweigh the concerns of numerous groups of people that suffer racism and similar forms of intolerance... These are truly global issues, and it is essential that they are discussed at a global level, however sensitive and difficult they may be," she said.
The U.S. State Department said Washington's decision was based in part on a conference document that "singles out" Israel in its criticism and conflicts with the United States' "commitment to unfettered free speech."
President Barack Obama noted Sunday that the United States had previously warned it would not attend the conference if the document was not sufficiently altered in advance. According to the State Department, the document contains language that "prejudges key issues that can only be resolved in negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians."
The language reaffirms the Durban Declaration and Programme of Actions from the 2001 conference in Durban, South Africa, which the United States has said it won't support.
Obama said the United States hopes to partner with other countries "to actually reduce discrimination around the globe, but this (conference) wasn't an opportunity to do it."
Australia, Canada, Germany and Italy, among others, are also boycotting the conference. Poland announced Monday it too would pull out of the conference.
Netanyahu on Monday praised the countries that refused to attend: "I congratulate the nations that boycotted the show of hate."
1m:11s
13530
US-Israel ties at Risk? 15 March 10 - English
The new US administration has not shied away from criticising Israel's illegal settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territorities....
The new US administration has not shied away from criticising Israel's illegal settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territorities.
And when Israel announced plans to build 1,600 new settler homes in East Jerusalem while Joe Biden, the US vice-president, was visiting the country last week as part of a Middle East peace inititative - the US was not happy.
A senior US official has called the timing of the announcement an "insult".
And Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, had earlier told Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, that his government was putting "US ties at risk" by failing to take action towards renewed Middle East peace talks.
Although Netanyahu has apologised for the timing of the announcement, Israel is not showing any signs of stopping the settlement expansion and the US is not backing down from its tough criticism.
2m:27s
6729
How Israeli Ambassador in Californian University Treated - English
Contributed by Herald. February 8th, 2010, 6:01 pm Eleven people were arrested Monday evening during a raucous lecture at UC Irvine where Israeli...
Contributed by Herald. February 8th, 2010, 6:01 pm Eleven people were arrested Monday evening during a raucous lecture at UC Irvine where Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren came to talk about U.S.-Israel relations. (UCI earlier said that 12 were arrested.) Oren was interrupted 10 times Monday while trying to give his speech before 500 people at the UCI Student Center, where there was heavy security. Oren took a 20 minute break after the fourth protest, asked for hospitality and resumed his speech, only to be interrupted again by young men yelling at him every few minutes. Many members of the audience also applauded Oren. After the 10th interruption, several dozens students who opposed Oren’s talk got up and walked out and staged a protest outside. It is not clear whether they were members of the UCI Muslim Student Union, which issued an email earlier in the day condemning Oren’s appearance on campus. Oren continued talking, completing his speech at 6:42 p.m. Originally, he planned to take question from the audience. But that was canceled after the repeated delays. The second person yelled about “Zionism.†The third yelled, “Israel.†The fourth could not be clearly heard. UCI Police Chief Paul Henisey said it is not clear whether any of the protesters are UCI students. Mark Petracca, a UCI political science professor, lost his temper and yelled, “This is embarrassing … Shame on all of you.†UCI Chancellor Michael Drake also told the audience that he was embarrassed by the outburst. Drake and Petracca were booed by many people, and applauded by others. Hours earlier, UCI’s Muslim Student Union said in an email today that its members “condemn and oppose the presence of Michael Oren, the ambassador of Israel to the United States, on our campus today. We resent that the Law School and the Political Science Department on our campus have agreed to cosponsor a public figure who represents a state that continues to break international and humanitarian law and is condemned by more UN Human Rights Council resolutions than all other countries in the world combined.†The Jewish Federation Orange County said earlier in the day that it had been informed that Oren’s speech at UC Irvine late today might be disrupted by protestors. Shalom C. Elcott, president of JFOC, said in a statement today that, “We have been informed that some students may attempt to disrupt the event. We want to assure the community that our goal is to create a positive environment — indeed, a sacred space – for open dialogue, intellectual debate and civil discourse that befits a university setting.†This was not the first time that there has been confrontation at a political lecture at UCI. In January 2007, Daniel Pipes of the Middle East Forum was interrupted by protesters at UCI while giving a speech titled, “The Threat to Israel’s Existence.†The protesters ended up getting into a brief shouting match with some members of the audience.
5m:47s
7903
Ahmadinejad"s full speech at UN General Assembly Sept. 2010 (with...
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the US took advantage of the 'suspicious' September 11 attacks to justify its occupation of Afghanistan...
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the US took advantage of the 'suspicious' September 11 attacks to justify its occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq.
President Ahmadinejad said while some 3,000 were killed on the September 11 incident, "for which we are all very saddened," hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and millions wounded and displaced up to now, as the conflicts continue to rage and expand.
While raising several questions about the source and nature of the 9/11 attacks, the president asked even if we grant credence to the US government's view that "a complex terrorist group was able to cross all layers of US intelligence and security" to wage the attacks, "is it rational to launch a classic war through widespread deployment of troops that led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people to counter a terrorist group?"
The Iranian president also blasted the Israeli regime for its siege of Palestinian lands and their repeated aggressions against the people of Gaza and Lebanon with blessings from their Western backers.
"The oppressed people of Palestine have lived under the rule of an occupying regime for 60 years, been deprived of freedom, security and the right to self-determination, while the occupiers are given recognition," he said.
"On a daily basis," he added, "the houses are being destroyed over the heads of innocent women and children. People are deprived of water, food and medicine in their own homeland. The Zionists have imposed five all-out wars on the neighboring countries and on the Palestinian people."
President Ahmadinejad also highlighted the Israeli attack against the Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla and killing and injuring civilians onboard, calling it "a blatant defiance of all international norms."
The president emphasized that while the Tel Aviv regime "regularly threatens the countries in the region" and conducts "publicly announced assassination of Palestinian figures," it enjoys the "absolute support of some western countries." Whereas, he added, "Palestinian defender and those opposing this regime are pressured, labeled as terrorists and anti Semites."
The Iranian president then insisted that all solutions "are doomed to fail" if the rights of Palestinian people are not accounted for, calling for the return of the Palestinian refugees to their home land and the establishment of a Palestinian sovereignty and government based on a popular vote.
President Ahmadinejad referred to the recent burning of the holy Qur'an in the US as an "ugly and inhumane act" against the Divine Book of Islam's prophet that calls for "worshipping the one God, justice, compassion toward people, development and progress, reflection and thinking, defending the oppressed and resisting against the oppressors."
He then stressed that the Qur'an was burned "to burn all these truths and good judgments." However, he added, "the truth could not be burned."
On the Iranian nuclear issue, President Ahmadinejad reiterated Iran's readiness to resume talks based on the Tehran Nuclear Declaration, censuring the unjust imposition of anti-Iran sanctions by the UN Security Council.
Noting the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) allows member states to use nuclear energy without limits while prohibiting the development and stockpiling of nuclear weapons, the president underlined that some permanent members of the UN Security Council have nonetheless "equated nuclear energy with the nuclear bomb, and have distanced this energy from the reach of most nations by establishing monopolies and pressuring the IAEA."
Consequently, he said, "Not only the nuclear disarmament has not been realized, but also nuclear bombs have been proliferated in some regions, including by the occupying and intimidating Zionist regime."
Dr. Ahmadinejad went on to make the proposition that the year 2011 be proclaimed the year of nuclear disarmament and "Nuclear Energy for all, Nuclear Weapons for None."
On Iran's nuclear issue the Iranian president referred to the Tehran Declaration on a fuel swap deal as "a hugely constructive step in confidence building efforts" and said that it was facilitated through the good will of Turkish, Brazilian and Iranian governments.
He reiterated that although the declaration received "inappropriate reaction" by some governments and followed by an "unlawful resolution," it still remains valid.
"We have observed the regulations of the IAEA more than our commitments," he observed. "Yet, we have never submitted to illegally imposed pressures nor will we ever do so."
The president also slammed UN's "ineptitude" and "unjust structure," stressing that major power has been "monopolized" in the Security Council (UNSC) due to the veto privilege while the main pillar of the organization, the General Assembly, "is marginalized."
Noting that in the past decades at least one of the permanent members of the UNSC has been a party to conflicts, Dr. Ahmadinejad said, "The veto advantage grants impunity to aggression and occupation; how could, therefore, one expect competence while both the judge and the prosecutor are a party to the dispute?"
"Had Iran enjoyed veto privilege, would the Security Council and the IAEA Director General have taken the same position in the nuclear issue?"
The Iranian president then insisted that the veto privilege "be revoked" altogether and the General Assembly becomes the "highest body" in the United Nations.
At the beginning of his remarks, President Ahmadinejad expressed great sympathy with the people and government of flood-stricken Pakistan and urged the world to pldege adequate aid and support for the flood victims.
45m:50s
24617
New York Times Beats Drums for War - The Real News - English
Not many people will go through all the leaked documents. They will mostly hear what the mainstream media and political groups choose to focus on....
Not many people will go through all the leaked documents. They will mostly hear what the mainstream media and political groups choose to focus on. In this clip Ray McGovern argues that The New York Times ignores intelligence that there is no evidence of Iran nuclear weapons program. --- One should not discount the possibility of a good number of forged and fragmented documents intentionally released to the Wikileaks by government apparatuses. That reason alone is enough to suggest that the Wikileaks cannot be a measure of truth per se, but it is the perspective with which one judges its content, and since there can be multiple perspectives, the truth of these leaks will remain contested. Further, the accuracy of some documents in the leaks should not be taken as a verification of the accuracy of the rest of the documents. On the question of verification, the Wikileaks website itself suggests that, the "simplest and most effective countermeasure is a worldwide community of informed users and editors who can scrutinize and discuss leaked documents.”
Lastly, in any review of these leaks, one should also interrogate the sources used and the background and politics of the people working for the Wikileaks. Because these considerations have a huge impact on what the Wikileaks editors choose to release (and what they do not), their timing, and their targets. Perhaps, their politics and agenda will become clearer with the release of more leaked documents.
13m:56s
5852
Syria President offers more freedoms after forces kill 37 - 24Mar2011 -...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/24/us-syria-idUSTRE72N2MC20110324.
President Bashar al-Assad made an unprecedented pledge of greater...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/24/us-syria-idUSTRE72N2MC20110324.
President Bashar al-Assad made an unprecedented pledge of greater freedom and more prosperity to Syrians Thursday as anger mounted following a crackdown on protesters that left at least 37 dead.
As an aide to Assad in Damascus read out a list of decrees, which included a possible end to 48 years of emergency rule, a human rights group said a leading pro-democracy activist, Mazen Darwish, had been arrested.
In the southern city of Deraa, a hospital official said at least 37 people had been killed there Wednesday when security forces opened fire on demonstrators inspired by uprisings across the Arab world that have shaken authoritarian leaders.
Announcing the sort of concessions that would have seemed almost unimaginable three months ago in Syria, Assad adviser Bouthaina Shaaban told a news conference the president had not himself ordered his forces to fire on protesters:
"I was a witness to the instructions of His Excellency that live ammunition should not be fired -- even if the police, security forces or officers of the status were being killed."
Assad, she said, would draft laws to provide for media freedoms and allow political movements other than the Baath party, which has ruled for half a century.
Assad, who succeed his late father Hafez al-Assed in 2000, had, Shaaban said, decreed the drafting of a law for political parties "to be presented for public debate" and would strive above all to raise living standards across the country.
She said another decree would look at "ending with great urgency the emergency law, along with issuing legislation that assures the security of the nation and its citizens."
DERAA KILLINGS
Security forces opened fire on hundreds of youths on the outskirts of Deraa Wednesday, witnesses said, after nearly a week of protests in which seven civilians had already died.
The main hospital in Deraa, in southern Syria near the Jordanian border, had received the bodies of at least 37 protesters killed Wednesday, a hospital official said.
Around 20,000 people marched Thursday in the funerals for nine of those killed, chanting freedom slogans and denying official accounts that infiltrators and "armed gangs" were behind the killings and violence in Deraa.
"Traitors do not kill their own people," they chanted. "God, Syria, Freedom. The blood of martyrs is not spilled in vain!"
As Syrian soldiers armed with automatic rifles roamed the streets of the southern city, residents emptied shops of basic goods and said they feared Assad's government was intent on crushing the revolt by force.
Assad, a close ally of Iran, key player in neighboring Lebanon and supporter of militant groups opposed to Israel, had earlier dismissed demands for reform in Syria, a country of 20 million people run by the Baath Party since a 1963 coup. Assad's father took personal in 1970.
1m:2s
7851