[12] Urdu Poetry - Protest @ Pakistan Embassy, Washington DC - 14Apr12 -...
This Video: Washington DC.
Thousands of American, Canadian and British Muslims protest against Extremist Wahabis and the Government of Pakistan....
This Video: Washington DC.
Thousands of American, Canadian and British Muslims protest against Extremist Wahabis and the Government of Pakistan.
April 14, 2012: The streets across the Embassies and Consulates of Pakistan in London, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary were filled with protestors chanting slogans against the extremist wahabis and against the Government of Pakistan. They were protesting the barbaric murders of innocent Shia Muslims on April 02, 2012, where buses travelling between Rawalpindi and Gilgit were stopped in Chilas and the Shia Muslims were identified and brutally slaughtered by the extremist wahabis as their families watched and screamed in horror. The protestors also expressed their pain and anger at the ongoing genocide in Quetta, Karachi, Lahore and other areas of Pakistan and demanded an immediate end to the killings.
Speakers at the rallies categorically stated that they are not protesting against Pakistan or against any sect of Islam. They are against the extremist ideology followed by the barbaric criminals committing the massacres and against the Government of Pakistan for failing to close Saudi-funded hate schools and for failing to arrest the murderous graduates of these schools.
The largest rallies were taken out in Washington DC (USA), London (UK) and Toronto (Canada), where thousands of Muslims belonging to various sects of Islam gathered to show their solidarity with the victims. They raised the slogans of "Shias and Sunnis are brothers" and "Long Live Pakistan". The participants of the Washington DC rally had traveled from Houston, Detroit, Chicago, New York, Atlanta Boston, Dallas, Seattle Washington DC and other cities to register their protest. These were the largest protest ever held against the Government of Pakistan and showcased the extreme pain and anger felt by the British, American and Canadian Muslims.
Hundreds also gathered in Los Angeles, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton to show their solidarity with the victims whose eyes were gouged out and heads smashed with rocks in front of their families without any reason.
The Saturday protests in USA, UK and Canada were called in solidarity with the protestors in Pakistan who staged a long sit-in at the parliament house in Islamabad to press for the arrest of the murderers. Delegation of the protestors across North America and Europe met with the officials at the Pakistani Embassies and Consulates and submitted their demands for the Government to take action against the perpetrators within 15 days and to take concrete steps to end the ongoing genocide. The protestors passed a resolution that if the Government does not arrest the perpetrators within 15 days they will hold larger and frequent protests across North America and Europe and will take their case to the United Nations and the International Court of Justice.
7m:58s
9578
[15] Nauha by Br. Mustafa Hadi - Protest @ Pakistan Embassy, Washington...
This Video: Washington DC.
Thousands of American, Canadian and British Muslims protest against Extremist Wahabis and the Government of Pakistan....
This Video: Washington DC.
Thousands of American, Canadian and British Muslims protest against Extremist Wahabis and the Government of Pakistan.
April 14, 2012: The streets across the Embassies and Consulates of Pakistan in London, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary were filled with protestors chanting slogans against the extremist wahabis and against the Government of Pakistan. They were protesting the barbaric murders of innocent Shia Muslims on April 02, 2012, where buses travelling between Rawalpindi and Gilgit were stopped in Chilas and the Shia Muslims were identified and brutally slaughtered by the extremist wahabis as their families watched and screamed in horror. The protestors also expressed their pain and anger at the ongoing genocide in Quetta, Karachi, Lahore and other areas of Pakistan and demanded an immediate end to the killings.
Speakers at the rallies categorically stated that they are not protesting against Pakistan or against any sect of Islam. They are against the extremist ideology followed by the barbaric criminals committing the massacres and against the Government of Pakistan for failing to close Saudi-funded hate schools and for failing to arrest the murderous graduates of these schools.
The largest rallies were taken out in Washington DC (USA), London (UK) and Toronto (Canada), where thousands of Muslims belonging to various sects of Islam gathered to show their solidarity with the victims. They raised the slogans of "Shias and Sunnis are brothers" and "Long Live Pakistan". The participants of the Washington DC rally had traveled from Houston, Detroit, Chicago, New York, Atlanta Boston, Dallas, Seattle Washington DC and other cities to register their protest. These were the largest protest ever held against the Government of Pakistan and showcased the extreme pain and anger felt by the British, American and Canadian Muslims.
Hundreds also gathered in Los Angeles, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton to show their solidarity with the victims whose eyes were gouged out and heads smashed with rocks in front of their families without any reason.
The Saturday protests in USA, UK and Canada were called in solidarity with the protestors in Pakistan who staged a long sit-in at the parliament house in Islamabad to press for the arrest of the murderers. Delegation of the protestors across North America and Europe met with the officials at the Pakistani Embassies and Consulates and submitted their demands for the Government to take action against the perpetrators within 15 days and to take concrete steps to end the ongoing genocide. The protestors passed a resolution that if the Government does not arrest the perpetrators within 15 days they will hold larger and frequent protests across North America and Europe and will take their case to the United Nations and the International Court of Justice.
5m:37s
10042
اجلاس زنان وبیداری اسلامی Women & Islamic...
11/07/2012 - In a meeting with more than a thousand outstanding Muslim women from 85 countries who had participated in the International Conference...
11/07/2012 - In a meeting with more than a thousand outstanding Muslim women from 85 countries who had participated in the International Conference on Women and Islamic Awakening, Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the conference is a good opportunity for women throughout the world of Islam to become acquainted with each other. He urged the participants to use the conference as a tool to launch an effective and permanent movement to revive the [Islamic] identity of Muslim women.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the west has been making comprehensive efforts over the past 100 years to isolate Muslim women from their Islamic identity, further stressing: \"The efforts by outstanding women of the world of Islam to revive this identity are the greatest service to the Islamic Ummah. This is because sense of identity, awareness and insight among Muslim women will have a major effect on Islamic Awakening and the dignity and honor of the Islamic Ummah.\"
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the western view of women as insulting and stated: \"Westerners consider women as a product and an instrument that men can benefit from and they have employed all their instruments and facilities to reach this goal, but in a hypocritical move, they have named this degenerate, flawed and misleading view \"freedom\", just as they choose deceptive names like freedom, human rights and democracy for crimes such as murder, plundering national sources of wealth, military operations and the waging of wars.\"
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the Islamic view of women is the opposite of the western view and stressed that Islam brings about dignity and growth for women by giving them an independent identity.
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the successful experiences of faithful Iranian women in different scientific, political and managerial areas and added: \"In an Islamic environment, a woman achieves scholarly, personal, ethical and political growth and she is a pioneer in essential social issues, but she remains a woman.\"
His Eminence said that the western view of women has resulted in the breakup of the family and an increase in the number of abandoned children in western societies. He added: \"The west will be harmed most on this front and it will collapse as a result of the social consequences.\"
Ayatollah Khamenei said that from an Islamic point of view, men and women enjoy the same human characteristics and added: \"Allah the Exalted has bestowed different physical characteristics on men and women. And each of them plays a particular role in the growth and transcendence of mankind, but women\'s role is more important.\"
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the most important responsibility of outstanding Muslim women is to highlight the role of women from an Islamic point of view. Referring to the essential role that Iranian women have played after the Islamic Revolution, he said: \"Women play a determining role in social developments, in revolutions and in Islamic Awakening because wherever women take part in a social movement with awareness, the progress and victory of that movement is guaranteed and this truth makes it absolutely necessary to preserve and strengthen women\'s presence in the developments of Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and other parts of the world of Islam.\"
Ayatollah Khamenei described Islamic Awakening as an amazing and unparalleled movement and stressed that it can change the course of history.
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution praised the Muslim nations that have carried out a revolution and added: \"The arrogant powers - headed by America and Zionism - are astounded by this great movement and they are trying their best to curb this movement and ride its waves.\"
His Eminence said that the arrogant powers try to discourage the people of the regional countries from continuing their presence and keep them busy with internal conflicts in order to curb Islamic Awakening. He stressed: \"If Muslim nations resist in the face of this plot and continue their presence on the scene, they will definitely defeat the arrogant powers because the sword of all the arrogant powers is blunt and ineffective against the people\'s presence and piety.\"......
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the enemies of Islam and Iran have been hatching plots since the victory of the Islamic Revolution and added: \"There is a lot of western hype these days, but they do not understand that with the sanctions they have imposed over the past 30 years, they have vaccinated the Iranian nation against any sanctions.\"
Ayatollah Khamenei added: \"Sanctions do not harm us. The people of Iran resisted. They resisted in the face of the enemy\'s machinations by sacrificing their wealth, their life and the life of their loved ones. Today we are a hundred times more powerful and more advanced than we used to be thirty years ago.\"
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to the advances that Iran has made in different areas and addressing outstanding Muslim women throughout the world of Islam, he said: \"Today faithful Iranian women are proudly present in different areas of progress. The educated and outstanding women of our country are among the most pious and revolutionary Iranian women. The west is trying to distort this truth with thousands of propaganda tools.\"
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the failed efforts by the west to discourage the Islamic Republic from supporting the Palestinian nation and stressed that the Islamic Republic will continue supporting the Palestinian nation and other Muslim nations.
He added: \"By Allah\'s favor, we will stand by the Palestinian nation. We will stand by the Muslim nations that have carried out a revolution. We will stand by the oppressed people of Bahrain. We will stand by all those who are opposed to America and Zionism. We are standing firm and we support them. And in this regard we will not take the interests of any individual or any power into consideration.\"
32m:1s
21693
Penguins who Fast too - Animal Instincts - English
Visit our website for more episodes! http://ramadhan4u.com to make your ramadhan a productive Ramadhan.
SUBHANALLAH.. Animals fast too!!...
Visit our website for more episodes! http://ramadhan4u.com to make your ramadhan a productive Ramadhan.
SUBHANALLAH.. Animals fast too!!
Check out our new series..
Animal Instincts
Penguins Fast:
Penguin is one of the sea birds that live in the cold regions.
In fact, 17 species of penguin have been identified in the entire world.
Only one of these species inhabits the North Pole territories while the remaining species are distributed widely in the Southern Hemisphere, extending along South Australia, Africa and America.
These species differ totally in their way of laying and hatching eggs.
As for those living in the Southern Hemisphere, they spend the winter there. When spring comes, they return in groups to their native land in the North Pole, covering a distance of hundreds of miles until they reach their destination and location for reproduction.
Once arriving there, they start immediately building their nests out of stone pieces. It takes roughly three weeks from the time of their arrival to have completed building these nests and reproducing.
Once the females have laid eggs, they go off seeking food in deep-sea oceans and the male penguins take on the task of brooding eggs. The male penguins have to remain in the state of fasting for two weeks until the chicks develop.
When this happens, the male penguins rush to drink some sea water and take some food.
There is another kind of penguin called "the Emperor" which does not build nests, instead they spends the winter in the North Frozen Zone where it lays its eggs. The mother lays the eggs on her own hind feet.
Sometimes, the male penguin may relieve her and they remain in a state of fasting throughout the winter season.
When spring comes, the ice melts and the eggs are incubated. When the young penguins grow up they start fasting and abstaining from food until their down falls out and their bodies are covered with feathers.
Old penguins also observe fasting for another period that is sufficient to replace their old feathers with new feathers that are more glowing and flourishing.
Once this happens they throw themselves into the sea happily as if they imitate the human beings when they wear new clothes on the coming of the Eid that comes after fasting in Ramadan.
Eltemas Dua :) R4U Team
For more information visit www.ramadhan4u.com
2m:23s
6267
Snails who Fast too - Animal Instincts - English
Visit our website for more episodes! http://ramadhan4u.com to make your ramadhan a productive Ramadhan.
SUBHANALLAH.. Animals fast too!!...
Visit our website for more episodes! http://ramadhan4u.com to make your ramadhan a productive Ramadhan.
SUBHANALLAH.. Animals fast too!!
Check out our new series..
Animal Instincts
Snails Fast:
Snails prefer damp areas. They bury themselves under the surface layer of the earth during the day and become active at night and on cloudy days. This way they are avoiding the heat and light of the sun so that their skin won't dry.
Snails get their nutrition from plants and from organic substances in the soil. Where winters are cold, snails hibernate like many other animals, fasting through the cold weather.
But they also fast in hot weather. These creatures have the ability to secrete mucus to cover themselves to protect their bodies from drying out.
During hot, dry periods, snails are threatened with dehydration. So they seal themselves off with a parchment like membrane, and often attach themselves to tree trunks, fences or walls.
During this time they fast until cooler, wetter weather comes. Both males and females do this.
When the cooler weather comes, snails come out of their shelters to seek their nutrition, declaring the end of their fast. At that time they have lost their extra fat and returned to their vitality.
Eltemas Dua :) R4U Team
For more information visit www.ramadhan4u.com
1m:38s
5738
Supreme Leader Speech in Meeting with Hajj Officials - Sayed Ali...
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
First of all, I would like to welcome all the dear brothers and sisters and the glorious...
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
First of all, I would like to welcome all the dear brothers and sisters and the glorious officials who render many services in one of the outstanding arenas of the Islamic community - that is to say, the arena of hajj and visiting the House of God and the enlightened city of Madina. I hope that you will benefit from this great achievement in the hereafter. I hope that your actions and efforts in this auspicious arena will be so sincere that your performance sheet in the hereafter shines, like the sun, with the light of purity and sincerity. I express my gratitude to the honorable gentlemen for the efforts that they have made in the arena of hajj. The things that they have done - whether in cultural, spiritual, moral and educational areas or in practical and organizational areas - should really be appreciated.
What is important is that we should know hajj is one of the strong points of the holy religion of Islam. Although there are not a few strong points in Islamic sharia, hajj plays an outstanding role because of the characteristics which it enjoys and which we are more or less familiar with. In fact, we can say that hajj is a source of power for the Islamic community and the Islamic Ummah. The day when we Muslims from different countries and with different denominations manage to achieve intellectual growth so much so that we can form the Islamic Ummah in the real sense of the word - unfortunately, we Muslims have not managed to achieve this moral, political and intellectual growth until today - and the day when we Muslims from eastern parts to western parts of the world of Islam manage to form one single ummah although we may have different governments, we understand how hajj can be a source of power, strength, transcendence and dignity for this Islamic Ummah.
Today, the Islamic Republic should adopt such an outlook towards hajj. It should regard hajj as a means of power. What kind of power? By power, do we mean materialistic, political, military power or soft power such as cultural or linguistic power? The answer is no. The power of hajj is far beyond this. As well as showing the political and cultural power of the Islamic government, hajj provides a source of spiritual power. That is to say, it builds human beings from the inside, prepares them to overcome difficult obstacles and opens their eyes to realities which cannot be seen and felt without being present in the arena of hajj. By performing hajj rituals, one can understand a number of spiritual and educational realities of Islam. Hajj plays such a role.
One of the requirements of hajj is that hajj pilgrims should behave in a brotherly - in the real sense of the word - way towards one another in the arena of hajj and this great Islamic obligation. They should not look at one another as outsiders and enemies. They should see themselves as people who are moving towards one goal, who pursue one thing, who revolve around one pivot.
Allah the Exalted says, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Let there be no obscenity, no wickedness and no quarreling in the Hajj.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 2: 197] The meaning of \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"no quarreling\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" is not that we should not quarrel with the enemy. On the contrary, hajj is the manifestation of quarreling with the enemy. Some narrow-minded and pessimistic people say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"There should be ‘no quarreling\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' during hajj pilgrimage. Why do you hold a detestation ceremony during hajj pilgrimage?\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" The enmity which is reflected in this ceremony means enmity towards polytheism and atheism. This is one of the most fundamental principles of Islamic life. The kind of enmity which should not exist in hajj pilgrimage is enmity between brothers and believers and enmity between people who believe in monotheism. This enmity should not exist. Not only should we Muslims express in words that we have no enmity towards one another, but also we should feel this from the bottom of our hearts.
This is the exact opposite of what the enemies of Islam are trying to do in the Islamic community. You should pay attention to this. The existence of differences between Islamic denominations and between Shia and Sunni Muslims will not create any problem as long as these differences are confined to ideological differences. One person may believe in something and another person may believe in something else. Problems arise when these ideological differences lead to behavioral differences, confrontation, hostility and enmity. The enemies of the world of Islam are after creating such a situation and hatching such a plot.
They have properly understood that the Zionist regime can breathe easily if Islamic denominations in the world of Islam start confronting and fighting with one another. They have understood this truth perfectly and properly. On the one hand, they form groups which engage in takfirism - not only do these groups anathematize and curse Shia Muslims, but they also anathematize Sunni denominations - and on the other hand, they hire a number of mercenaries to add fuel to the fire of discord. You know and have heard about this plot. They provide these groups and mercenaries with different means of mass communication. Where do they do this? They do this in America and London. The kind of Shia Islam which is promoted from London and America is useless for Shia Muslims.
Shia leaders - particularly the leaders who emerged after the victory of the Islamic Revolution - our Imam and other leaders placed great emphasis on preserving the unity of the Islamic Ummah and behaving in a brotherly way towards Muslims. This is while a number of people - who interfere in the affairs of Muslims for no reason - are after fueling the fire of discord. This is the thing which the enemy wants. This is the thing which the enemies of Islam - who are neither Shia nor Sunni - like to pursue. We should understand this condition properly and we should pay attention to it.
Another important point is that Muslims should share and exchange their original Islamic cultures and their Islamic experiences with one another. This is another strong point of hajj and another source of power for it. We may have heard different things about such and such an Islamic country. But, hearing is different from sitting and talking directly to an individual from an Islamic country. This individual can also compare what he has heard about our dear Islamic Iran with what he sees in you and hears from you. This way, he can discover the truth about Iran.
There are an enormous number of propaganda campaigns against the Islamic Republic. There are a large and surprising number of media networks who propagandize against the Islamic Republic with different methods. When a young individual from such and such an African, Asian, Arab or non-Arab country goes on the Internet, watches such and such an international channel or reads such and such an international newspaper, how can he or she understand that what such media networks say is false? Your presence in hajj and in this international arena gives you the opportunity to reveal the truth not only in words but also in action. It helps you to speak the truth about Shia Islam, the Islamic Revolution and the events which are happening today.
Another important and crucial point about hajj is the thing which I referred to earlier: strengthening spirituality in our hearts and souls. My dear ones, we can put up a resistance in the arenas of jihad for the sake of God only if our hearts are filled with faith in God and reliance on Allah the Exalted. It is not possible to move forward without spirituality. It is not possible to take difficult paths without a strong faith. Without reliance on Allah the Exalted, it is not possible to ignore the superficial power of powerful countries and see the real power. Reliance on God, faith and belief in God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s promises are necessary. These things can be achieved in hajj. When people go on hajj pilgrimage they \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Witness the benefits (provided) for them.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 22: 28] These benefits are not only material benefits. There are otherworldly, spiritual and psychological benefits as well as material benefits in hajj pilgrimage. This is the significance of hajj.
Well, today you can see that besides creating intellectual, psychological and ideological discord among Muslims throughout the world of Islam, the enemies fuel the fire of war as well. See how they fuel the fire of war in our neighboring countries with the pretext of Shia and Sunni differences. They do this in different ways in our neighboring countries such as Pakistan, Iraq, Syria and Bahrain. Even when the problem is not about Shia and Sunni, they say that it has occurred because of Shia and Sunni differences. I have given many examples in this regard. The enemies are prepared to set the region on fire for their own political interests. Superpowers are like this. They are not afraid that an explosion may take place in such and such a neighborhood of an Iraqi city and they are not afraid that 50 people may be killed in this explosion. They are not afraid that certain events may happen in Syria, Egypt or other countries which may turn them into a ruin. Superpowers - such as America and countries like America - do such things for their own illegitimate interests. We hope that the Americans are serious about their new outlook on Syria. We hope that it is not another political game.
It is several weeks that they have been threatening the region to wage a war and create a serious conflict for the sake of the interests which they have defined for themselves. And they consider it legitimate to defend these interests no matter if they jeopardize the interests of ten other countries and nations. They are such people. They do not care about justice and the interests of human beings. They refer to such interests as national interests, but these are not really their national interests. Rather, these are the interests of the Zionists and the enemies of humanity. These are the interests of capitalists who have proved during the last 70, 80 years that they are not committed to any human principle and value. But they call it national interests and they are prepared to fuel all kinds of wars and fitnas for the sake of these proclaimed national interests.
It is several weeks that they have been trying to cause great controversy by threatening the region with a war and bombardment. Well, if they are serious about their recent outlook, this means that they have turned back from the wrong path which they have been taking during the last few weeks. We hope that they are serious. This is the condition of the region and the world.
The Islamic Republic takes a look at all these issues with open eyes and with its full attention. What we have understood is that as a nation with a total population of 70, 80 million people and with a sensitive geographical location in the world, we should strengthen our position by adopting the right outlook and by benefiting from our Islamic power. We should let the entire humanity see our lofty and human goals which have originated from Islam and we should invite all human beings to cherish the gift which Islam has offered to human beings. This is our responsibility. I have repeatedly said that strengthening the country from the inside is possible primarily with firm faith, unity of the people, appropriate actions by the officials of the country, cooperation between the people and officials and reliance on Allah the Exalted. That is to say, we should benefit from rationality, spirituality, reliance on God and diligence. Undoubtedly, this will influence the conditions of the region as it has influenced the region so far.
I hope that what Islam wants for the Islamic Republic, people throughout the world, Muslims and non-Muslims will be achieved with your presence in different arenas - including your presence in the arena of hajj which manifests your rationality and your clear outlook. I hope that your presence in such arenas will bring about communal happiness.
I ask all of you to pray for us. I hope that this year you will experience a good hajj pilgrimage and I hope that you, all Iranian hajj pilgrims and all the pilgrims who visit the House of God from throughout the world will benefit from divine blessings and mercy. I hope that your hajj pilgrimage will be accepted by God.
Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings
12m:37s
36181
President Ahmadinejad Interview Sept 08 with Democracy Now - Part 1 -...
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the Threat of US Attack and International Criticism of Iran’s Human Rights Record
In part one of an...
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the Threat of US Attack and International Criticism of Iran’s Human Rights Record
In part one of an interview with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talks about the threat of a US attack on Iran and responds to international criticism of Iran’s human rights record. We also get reaction from CUNY Professor Ervand Abrahamian, an Iran expert and author of several books on Iran.
JUAN GONZALEZ: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the United Nations General Assembly this week, while the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, is meeting in Vienna to discuss Iran’s alleged nuclear program. An IAEA report earlier this month criticized Iran for failing to fully respond to questions about its nuclear activities.
The European Union told the IAEA Wednesday that it believes Iran is moving closer to being able to arm a nuclear warhead. Iran could face a fourth set of Security Council sanctions over its nuclear activities, but this week Russia has refused to meet with the US on this issue.
The Iranian president refuted the IAEA’s charges in his speech to the General Assembly and accused the agency of succumbing to political pressure. He also welcomed talks with the United States if it cuts back threats to use military force against Iran.
AMY GOODMAN: As with every visit of the Iranian president to New York, some groups protested outside the United Nations. But this year, President Ahmadinejad also met with a large delegation of American peace activists concerned with the escalating possibility of war with Iran.
Well, yesterday, just before their meeting, Juan Gonzalez and I sat down with the Iranian president at his hotel, blocks from the UN, for a wide-ranging discussion about US-Iran relations, Iran’s nuclear program, threat of war with the US, the Israel-Palestine conflict, human rights in Iran and much more.
Today, part one of our interview with the Iranian president.
AMY GOODMAN: Welcome to Democracy Now!, President Ahmadinejad. You’ve come to the United States. What is your message to people in the United States and to the world community at the UN?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] In the name of God, the compassion of the Merciful, the president started by reciting verses from the Holy Quran in Arabic.
Hello. Hello to the people of America. The message from the nation and people of Iran is one of peace, tranquility and brotherhood. We believe that viable peace and security can happen when it is based on justice and piety and purity. Otherwise, no peace will occur.
JUAN GONZALEZ: Mr. President, you’re faced now in Iran with American soldiers in Iraq to your west, with American soldiers and NATO troops to your east in Afghanistan, and with Blackwater, the notorious military contractor, training the military in Azerbaijan, another neighbor of yours. What is the effect on your country of this enormous presence of American forces around Iran and the impact of these wars on your own population?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] It’s quite natural that when there are wars around your borders, it brings about negative repercussions for the entire region. These days, insecurity cannot be bordered; it just extends beyond boundaries. In the past two years, we had several cases of bomb explosions in southern towns in Iran carried out by people who were supervised by the occupying forces in our neighborhood. And in Afghanistan, following the presence of NATO troops, the production of illicit drugs has multiplied. It’s natural that it basically places pressure on Iran, including costly ones in order to fight the flow of illicit drugs.
We believe the people in the region are able to establish security themselves, on their own, so there is no need for foreigners and external forces, because these external forces have not helped the security of the region.
AMY GOODMAN: Do you see them as a threat to you?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Well, it’s natural that when there is insecurity, it threatens everyone.
JUAN GONZALEZ: I’d like to turn for a moment to your domestic policies and law enforcement in your country. Human Rights Watch, which has often criticized the legal system in the United States, says that, under your presidency, there has been a great expansion in the scope and the number of individuals and activities persecuted by the government. They say that you’ve jailed teachers who are fighting for wages and better pensions, students and activists working for reform, and other labor leaders, like Mansour Ossanlou from the bus workers’ union. What is your response to these criticisms of your policies?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] I think that the human rights situation in Iran is relatively a good one, when compared to the United States and other countries. Of course, when we look at the ideals that are dear to us, we understand that we still need to do a lot, because we seek divine and religious ideals and revolutionary ones. But when we compare ourselves with some European countries and the United States, we feel we’re in a much better place.
A large part of the information that these groups receive come from criticisms coming from groups that oppose the government. If you look at it, we have elections in Iran every year. And the propaganda is always around, too. But they’re not always true. Groups accuse one another.
But within the region and compared to the United States, we have the smallest number of prisoners, because in Iran, in general, there is not so much inclination to imprison people. We’re actually looking at our existing laws right now to see how we can eliminate most prisons around the country. So, you can see that people in Iran like each other. They live coexistently and like the government, too. This news is more important to these groups, not so much for the Iranian people. You have to remember, we have over 70 million people in our country, and we have laws. Some people might violate it, and then, according to the law, the judiciary takes charge. And this happens everywhere. What really matters is that in the end there are the least amount of such violations of the law in Iran, the least number.
So, I think the interpretation of these events is a wrong one. The relationship between the people and the government in Iran is actually a very close one. And criticizing the government is absolutely free for all. That’s exactly why everyone says what they want. There’s really no restrictions. It doesn’t necessarily mean that everything you hear is always true. And the government doesn’t really respond to it, either. It’s just free.
JUAN GONZALEZ: Let me ask you in particular about the question of the execution of juveniles. My understanding is that Iran is one of only five or six nations in the world that still execute juveniles convicted of capital offenses and that you—by far, you execute the most. I think twenty-six of the last thirty-two juveniles executed in the world were executed in Iran. How is this a reflection of the—of a state guided by religious principles, to execute young people?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Firstly, nobody is executed under the age of eighteen in Iran. This is the first point. And then, please pay attention to the fact that the legal age in Iran is different from yours. It’s not eighteen and doesn’t have to be eighteen everywhere. So, it’s different in different countries. I’ll ask you, if a person who happens to be seventeen years old and nine months kills one of your relatives, will you just overlook that?
AMY GOODMAN: We’ll continue our interview with Iranian President Ahmadinejad after break.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: We return to our interview with the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
JUAN GONZALEZ: I’d like to ask you, recently the Bush administration agreed to provide Israel with many new bunker buster bombs that people speculate might be used against Iran. Your reaction to this decision by the Bush administration? And do you—and there have been numerous reports in the American press of the Bush administration seeking to finance a secret war against Iran right now.
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Well, we actually think that the US administration and some other governments have equipped the Zionist regime with the nuclear warhead for those bombs, too. So, what are we to tell the American administration, a government that seeks a solution to all problems through war? Their logic is one of war. In the past twenty years, Americans’ military expenditures have multiplied. So I think the problem should be resolved somewhere else, meaning the people of America themselves must decide about their future. Do they like new wars to be waged in their names that kill nations or have their money spent on warfare? So I think that’s where the problem can be addressed.
AMY GOODMAN: The investigative reporter Seymour Hersh said the Bush administration held a meeting in Vice President Cheney’s office to discuss ways to provoke a war with Iran. Hersh said it was considered possibly a meeting to stage an incident, that it would appear that Iranian boats had attacked US forces in the Straits of Hormuz. Do you have any evidence of this?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Well, you have to pay attention to find that a lot of this kind of stuff is published out there. There’s no need for us to react to it.
Of course, Mr. Bush is very interested to start a new war. But he confronts two big barriers. One is the incapability in terms of maneuverability and operationally. Iran is a very big country, a very powerful country, very much capable of defending itself. The second barrier is the United States itself. We think there are enough wise people in this country to prevent the unreasonable actions by the administration. Even among the military commanders here, there are many people with wisdom who will stop a new war. I think the beginning or the starting a new war will mark the beginning of the end of the United States of America. Many people can understand that.
But I also think that Mr. Bush’s administration is coming to an end. Mr. Bush still has one other chance to make up for the mistakes he did in the past. He has no time to add to those list of mistakes. He can only make up for them. And that’s a very good opportunity to have. So, I would advise him to take advantage of this opportunity, so that at least while you’re in power, you do a couple—few good acts, as well. It’s better than to end one’s work with a report card of failures and of abhorrent acts. We’re willing to help him in doing good. We’ll be very happy.
AMY GOODMAN: And your nuclear program?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Our time seems to be over, but our nuclear program is peaceful. It’s very transparent for everyone to see.
Your media is a progressive one. Let me just say a sentence here.
I think that the time for the atomic bomb has reached an end. Don’t you feel that yourself? What will determine the future is culture, it’s the power of thought. Was the atomic bomb able to save the former Soviet Union from collapsing? Was it able to give victory to the Zionist regime of confronting the Palestinians? Was it able to resolve America’s or US problems in Iraq and Afghanistan? Naturally, its usage has come to an end.
It’s very wrong to spend people’s money building new atomic bombs. This money should be spent on creating welfare, prosperity, health, education, employment, and as aid that should be distributed among others’ countries, to destroy the reasons for war and for insecurity and terrorism. Rest assured, whoever who seeks to have atomic bombs more and more is just politically backward. And those who have these arsenals and are busy making new generations of those bombs are even more backward.
I think a disloyalty has occurred to the human community. Atomic energy power is a clean one. It’s a renewable one, and it is a positive [inaudible]. Up to this day, we’ve identified at least sixteen positive applications from it. We’re already aware that the extent to which we have used fossil fuels has imbalanced the climate of the world, brought about a lot of pollution, as well as a lot of diseases, as a result. So what’s wrong with all countries having peaceful nuclear power and enjoying the benefits of this energy? It’s actually a power that is constructively environmental. All those nuclear powers have come and said, well, having nuclear energy is the equivalent of having an atomic bomb pretty much—just a big lie.
AMY GOODMAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Tomorrow, part two of our conversation. But right now, we’re joined by Ervand Abrahamian. He’s an Iran expert, CUNY Distinguished Professor of History at Baruch College, City University of New York, author of a number of books, most recently, A History of Modern Iran.
Welcome to Democracy Now! Can you talk about both what the Iranian president said here and his overall trip? Was it a different message this year?
ERVAND ABRAHAMIAN: No, it’s very much the same complacency, that, you know, everything’s fine. There may be some problems in Iran and in foreign relations, but overall, Iran is confident and is—basically the mantra of the administration in Iran is that no one in their right senses would think of attacking Iran. And I think the Iranian government’s whole policy is based on that. I wish I was as confident as Ahmadinejad is.
JUAN GONZALEZ: And his dismissing of the situation, the human rights situation, in Iran, basically ascribing any arrests to some lawbreakers? Your sense of what is the human rights situation right there?
ERVAND ABRAHAMIAN: Well, I mean, he basically changed the question and talked about, you know, the probably two million prisoners in America, which is of course true, but it certainly changes the topic of the discussion.
Now, in Iran, you can be imprisoned for the talking of abolishing capital punishment. In fact, that’s considered blasphemy, and academics have been charged with capital offense for actually questioning capital punishment. So, he doesn’t really want to address those issues. And there have been major purges in the university recently, and of course the plight of the newspapers is very dramatic. I mean, mass newspapers have been closed down. Editors have been brought before courts, and so on. So, I would find that the human rights situation—I would agree with the Human Rights Watch, that things are bad.
But I would like to stress that human rights organizations in Iran don’t want that issue involved with the US-Iran relations, because every time the US steps in and tries to champion a question of human rights, I think that backfires in Iran, because most Iranians know the history of US involvement in Iran, and they feel it’s hypocrisy when the Bush administration talks about human rights. So they would like to distance themselves. And Shirin Ebadi, of course, the Nobel Peace Prize, has made it quite clear that she doesn’t want this championing by the United States of the human rights issue.
AMY GOODMAN: Big protest outside. The Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, the Israel Project, UJ Federation of New York, United Jewish Communities protested. They invited Hillary Clinton. She was going to speak. But they invited—then they invited Governor Palin, and so then Clinton pulled out, so they had had to disinvite Palin. And then you had the peace movement inside, meeting with Ahmadinejad.
ERVAND ABRAHAMIAN: Yes, I think—I mean, the demonstrations outside are basically pushing for some sort of air strikes on the premise that Iran is an imminent threat and trying to build up that sort of pressure on the administration. And clearly, I think the Obama administration would not want to do that, but they would probably have a fair good hearing in the—if there was a McCain administration.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, we’re going to leave it there. Part two of our conversation tomorrow. We talk about the Israel-Palestine issue, we talk about the treatment of gay men and lesbians in Iran, and we talk about how the Iraq war has affected Iran with the Iranian president
President Ahmadinejad was interviewed recently in New York by Democracy Now
8m:17s
19070
President Ahmadinejad Interview Sept 08 with Democracy Now - Part 2 -...
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the Threat of US Attack and International Criticism of Iran’s Human Rights Record
In part one of an...
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the Threat of US Attack and International Criticism of Iran’s Human Rights Record
In part one of an interview with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talks about the threat of a US attack on Iran and responds to international criticism of Iran’s human rights record. We also get reaction from CUNY Professor Ervand Abrahamian, an Iran expert and author of several books on Iran.
JUAN GONZALEZ: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the United Nations General Assembly this week, while the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, is meeting in Vienna to discuss Iran’s alleged nuclear program. An IAEA report earlier this month criticized Iran for failing to fully respond to questions about its nuclear activities.
The European Union told the IAEA Wednesday that it believes Iran is moving closer to being able to arm a nuclear warhead. Iran could face a fourth set of Security Council sanctions over its nuclear activities, but this week Russia has refused to meet with the US on this issue.
The Iranian president refuted the IAEA’s charges in his speech to the General Assembly and accused the agency of succumbing to political pressure. He also welcomed talks with the United States if it cuts back threats to use military force against Iran.
AMY GOODMAN: As with every visit of the Iranian president to New York, some groups protested outside the United Nations. But this year, President Ahmadinejad also met with a large delegation of American peace activists concerned with the escalating possibility of war with Iran.
Well, yesterday, just before their meeting, Juan Gonzalez and I sat down with the Iranian president at his hotel, blocks from the UN, for a wide-ranging discussion about US-Iran relations, Iran’s nuclear program, threat of war with the US, the Israel-Palestine conflict, human rights in Iran and much more.
Today, part one of our interview with the Iranian president.
AMY GOODMAN: Welcome to Democracy Now!, President Ahmadinejad. You’ve come to the United States. What is your message to people in the United States and to the world community at the UN?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] In the name of God, the compassion of the Merciful, the president started by reciting verses from the Holy Quran in Arabic.
Hello. Hello to the people of America. The message from the nation and people of Iran is one of peace, tranquility and brotherhood. We believe that viable peace and security can happen when it is based on justice and piety and purity. Otherwise, no peace will occur.
JUAN GONZALEZ: Mr. President, you’re faced now in Iran with American soldiers in Iraq to your west, with American soldiers and NATO troops to your east in Afghanistan, and with Blackwater, the notorious military contractor, training the military in Azerbaijan, another neighbor of yours. What is the effect on your country of this enormous presence of American forces around Iran and the impact of these wars on your own population?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] It’s quite natural that when there are wars around your borders, it brings about negative repercussions for the entire region. These days, insecurity cannot be bordered; it just extends beyond boundaries. In the past two years, we had several cases of bomb explosions in southern towns in Iran carried out by people who were supervised by the occupying forces in our neighborhood. And in Afghanistan, following the presence of NATO troops, the production of illicit drugs has multiplied. It’s natural that it basically places pressure on Iran, including costly ones in order to fight the flow of illicit drugs.
We believe the people in the region are able to establish security themselves, on their own, so there is no need for foreigners and external forces, because these external forces have not helped the security of the region.
AMY GOODMAN: Do you see them as a threat to you?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Well, it’s natural that when there is insecurity, it threatens everyone.
JUAN GONZALEZ: I’d like to turn for a moment to your domestic policies and law enforcement in your country. Human Rights Watch, which has often criticized the legal system in the United States, says that, under your presidency, there has been a great expansion in the scope and the number of individuals and activities persecuted by the government. They say that you’ve jailed teachers who are fighting for wages and better pensions, students and activists working for reform, and other labor leaders, like Mansour Ossanlou from the bus workers’ union. What is your response to these criticisms of your policies?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] I think that the human rights situation in Iran is relatively a good one, when compared to the United States and other countries. Of course, when we look at the ideals that are dear to us, we understand that we still need to do a lot, because we seek divine and religious ideals and revolutionary ones. But when we compare ourselves with some European countries and the United States, we feel we’re in a much better place.
A large part of the information that these groups receive come from criticisms coming from groups that oppose the government. If you look at it, we have elections in Iran every year. And the propaganda is always around, too. But they’re not always true. Groups accuse one another.
But within the region and compared to the United States, we have the smallest number of prisoners, because in Iran, in general, there is not so much inclination to imprison people. We’re actually looking at our existing laws right now to see how we can eliminate most prisons around the country. So, you can see that people in Iran like each other. They live coexistently and like the government, too. This news is more important to these groups, not so much for the Iranian people. You have to remember, we have over 70 million people in our country, and we have laws. Some people might violate it, and then, according to the law, the judiciary takes charge. And this happens everywhere. What really matters is that in the end there are the least amount of such violations of the law in Iran, the least number.
So, I think the interpretation of these events is a wrong one. The relationship between the people and the government in Iran is actually a very close one. And criticizing the government is absolutely free for all. That’s exactly why everyone says what they want. There’s really no restrictions. It doesn’t necessarily mean that everything you hear is always true. And the government doesn’t really respond to it, either. It’s just free.
JUAN GONZALEZ: Let me ask you in particular about the question of the execution of juveniles. My understanding is that Iran is one of only five or six nations in the world that still execute juveniles convicted of capital offenses and that you—by far, you execute the most. I think twenty-six of the last thirty-two juveniles executed in the world were executed in Iran. How is this a reflection of the—of a state guided by religious principles, to execute young people?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Firstly, nobody is executed under the age of eighteen in Iran. This is the first point. And then, please pay attention to the fact that the legal age in Iran is different from yours. It’s not eighteen and doesn’t have to be eighteen everywhere. So, it’s different in different countries. I’ll ask you, if a person who happens to be seventeen years old and nine months kills one of your relatives, will you just overlook that?
AMY GOODMAN: We’ll continue our interview with Iranian President Ahmadinejad after break.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: We return to our interview with the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
JUAN GONZALEZ: I’d like to ask you, recently the Bush administration agreed to provide Israel with many new bunker buster bombs that people speculate might be used against Iran. Your reaction to this decision by the Bush administration? And do you—and there have been numerous reports in the American press of the Bush administration seeking to finance a secret war against Iran right now.
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Well, we actually think that the US administration and some other governments have equipped the Zionist regime with the nuclear warhead for those bombs, too. So, what are we to tell the American administration, a government that seeks a solution to all problems through war? Their logic is one of war. In the past twenty years, Americans’ military expenditures have multiplied. So I think the problem should be resolved somewhere else, meaning the people of America themselves must decide about their future. Do they like new wars to be waged in their names that kill nations or have their money spent on warfare? So I think that’s where the problem can be addressed.
AMY GOODMAN: The investigative reporter Seymour Hersh said the Bush administration held a meeting in Vice President Cheney’s office to discuss ways to provoke a war with Iran. Hersh said it was considered possibly a meeting to stage an incident, that it would appear that Iranian boats had attacked US forces in the Straits of Hormuz. Do you have any evidence of this?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Well, you have to pay attention to find that a lot of this kind of stuff is published out there. There’s no need for us to react to it.
Of course, Mr. Bush is very interested to start a new war. But he confronts two big barriers. One is the incapability in terms of maneuverability and operationally. Iran is a very big country, a very powerful country, very much capable of defending itself. The second barrier is the United States itself. We think there are enough wise people in this country to prevent the unreasonable actions by the administration. Even among the military commanders here, there are many people with wisdom who will stop a new war. I think the beginning or the starting a new war will mark the beginning of the end of the United States of America. Many people can understand that.
But I also think that Mr. Bush’s administration is coming to an end. Mr. Bush still has one other chance to make up for the mistakes he did in the past. He has no time to add to those list of mistakes. He can only make up for them. And that’s a very good opportunity to have. So, I would advise him to take advantage of this opportunity, so that at least while you’re in power, you do a couple—few good acts, as well. It’s better than to end one’s work with a report card of failures and of abhorrent acts. We’re willing to help him in doing good. We’ll be very happy.
AMY GOODMAN: And your nuclear program?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Our time seems to be over, but our nuclear program is peaceful. It’s very transparent for everyone to see.
Your media is a progressive one. Let me just say a sentence here.
I think that the time for the atomic bomb has reached an end. Don’t you feel that yourself? What will determine the future is culture, it’s the power of thought. Was the atomic bomb able to save the former Soviet Union from collapsing? Was it able to give victory to the Zionist regime of confronting the Palestinians? Was it able to resolve America’s or US problems in Iraq and Afghanistan? Naturally, its usage has come to an end.
It’s very wrong to spend people’s money building new atomic bombs. This money should be spent on creating welfare, prosperity, health, education, employment, and as aid that should be distributed among others’ countries, to destroy the reasons for war and for insecurity and terrorism. Rest assured, whoever who seeks to have atomic bombs more and more is just politically backward. And those who have these arsenals and are busy making new generations of those bombs are even more backward.
I think a disloyalty has occurred to the human community. Atomic energy power is a clean one. It’s a renewable one, and it is a positive [inaudible]. Up to this day, we’ve identified at least sixteen positive applications from it. We’re already aware that the extent to which we have used fossil fuels has imbalanced the climate of the world, brought about a lot of pollution, as well as a lot of diseases, as a result. So what’s wrong with all countries having peaceful nuclear power and enjoying the benefits of this energy? It’s actually a power that is constructively environmental. All those nuclear powers have come and said, well, having nuclear energy is the equivalent of having an atomic bomb pretty much—just a big lie.
AMY GOODMAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Tomorrow, part two of our conversation. But right now, we’re joined by Ervand Abrahamian. He’s an Iran expert, CUNY Distinguished Professor of History at Baruch College, City University of New York, author of a number of books, most recently, A History of Modern Iran.
Welcome to Democracy Now! Can you talk about both what the Iranian president said here and his overall trip? Was it a different message this year?
ERVAND ABRAHAMIAN: No, it’s very much the same complacency, that, you know, everything’s fine. There may be some problems in Iran and in foreign relations, but overall, Iran is confident and is—basically the mantra of the administration in Iran is that no one in their right senses would think of attacking Iran. And I think the Iranian government’s whole policy is based on that. I wish I was as confident as Ahmadinejad is.
JUAN GONZALEZ: And his dismissing of the situation, the human rights situation, in Iran, basically ascribing any arrests to some lawbreakers? Your sense of what is the human rights situation right there?
ERVAND ABRAHAMIAN: Well, I mean, he basically changed the question and talked about, you know, the probably two million prisoners in America, which is of course true, but it certainly changes the topic of the discussion.
Now, in Iran, you can be imprisoned for the talking of abolishing capital punishment. In fact, that’s considered blasphemy, and academics have been charged with capital offense for actually questioning capital punishment. So, he doesn’t really want to address those issues. And there have been major purges in the university recently, and of course the plight of the newspapers is very dramatic. I mean, mass newspapers have been closed down. Editors have been brought before courts, and so on. So, I would find that the human rights situation—I would agree with the Human Rights Watch, that things are bad.
But I would like to stress that human rights organizations in Iran don’t want that issue involved with the US-Iran relations, because every time the US steps in and tries to champion a question of human rights, I think that backfires in Iran, because most Iranians know the history of US involvement in Iran, and they feel it’s hypocrisy when the Bush administration talks about human rights. So they would like to distance themselves. And Shirin Ebadi, of course, the Nobel Peace Prize, has made it quite clear that she doesn’t want this championing by the United States of the human rights issue.
AMY GOODMAN: Big protest outside. The Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, the Israel Project, UJ Federation of New York, United Jewish Communities protested. They invited Hillary Clinton. She was going to speak. But they invited—then they invited Governor Palin, and so then Clinton pulled out, so they had had to disinvite Palin. And then you had the peace movement inside, meeting with Ahmadinejad.
ERVAND ABRAHAMIAN: Yes, I think—I mean, the demonstrations outside are basically pushing for some sort of air strikes on the premise that Iran is an imminent threat and trying to build up that sort of pressure on the administration. And clearly, I think the Obama administration would not want to do that, but they would probably have a fair good hearing in the—if there was a McCain administration.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, we’re going to leave it there. Part two of our conversation tomorrow. We talk about the Israel-Palestine issue, we talk about the treatment of gay men and lesbians in Iran, and we talk about how the Iraq war has affected Iran with the Iranian president
7m:52s
48748
President Ahmadinejad Interview Sept 08 with Democracy Now - Part 3 -...
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the Threat of US Attack and International Criticism of Iran’s Human Rights Record
In part one of an...
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the Threat of US Attack and International Criticism of Iran’s Human Rights Record
In part one of an interview with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talks about the threat of a US attack on Iran and responds to international criticism of Iran’s human rights record. We also get reaction from CUNY Professor Ervand Abrahamian, an Iran expert and author of several books on Iran.
JUAN GONZALEZ: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the United Nations General Assembly this week, while the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, is meeting in Vienna to discuss Iran’s alleged nuclear program. An IAEA report earlier this month criticized Iran for failing to fully respond to questions about its nuclear activities.
The European Union told the IAEA Wednesday that it believes Iran is moving closer to being able to arm a nuclear warhead. Iran could face a fourth set of Security Council sanctions over its nuclear activities, but this week Russia has refused to meet with the US on this issue.
The Iranian president refuted the IAEA’s charges in his speech to the General Assembly and accused the agency of succumbing to political pressure. He also welcomed talks with the United States if it cuts back threats to use military force against Iran.
AMY GOODMAN: As with every visit of the Iranian president to New York, some groups protested outside the United Nations. But this year, President Ahmadinejad also met with a large delegation of American peace activists concerned with the escalating possibility of war with Iran.
Well, yesterday, just before their meeting, Juan Gonzalez and I sat down with the Iranian president at his hotel, blocks from the UN, for a wide-ranging discussion about US-Iran relations, Iran’s nuclear program, threat of war with the US, the Israel-Palestine conflict, human rights in Iran and much more.
Today, part one of our interview with the Iranian president.
AMY GOODMAN: Welcome to Democracy Now!, President Ahmadinejad. You’ve come to the United States. What is your message to people in the United States and to the world community at the UN?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] In the name of God, the compassion of the Merciful, the president started by reciting verses from the Holy Quran in Arabic.
Hello. Hello to the people of America. The message from the nation and people of Iran is one of peace, tranquility and brotherhood. We believe that viable peace and security can happen when it is based on justice and piety and purity. Otherwise, no peace will occur.
JUAN GONZALEZ: Mr. President, you’re faced now in Iran with American soldiers in Iraq to your west, with American soldiers and NATO troops to your east in Afghanistan, and with Blackwater, the notorious military contractor, training the military in Azerbaijan, another neighbor of yours. What is the effect on your country of this enormous presence of American forces around Iran and the impact of these wars on your own population?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] It’s quite natural that when there are wars around your borders, it brings about negative repercussions for the entire region. These days, insecurity cannot be bordered; it just extends beyond boundaries. In the past two years, we had several cases of bomb explosions in southern towns in Iran carried out by people who were supervised by the occupying forces in our neighborhood. And in Afghanistan, following the presence of NATO troops, the production of illicit drugs has multiplied. It’s natural that it basically places pressure on Iran, including costly ones in order to fight the flow of illicit drugs.
We believe the people in the region are able to establish security themselves, on their own, so there is no need for foreigners and external forces, because these external forces have not helped the security of the region.
AMY GOODMAN: Do you see them as a threat to you?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Well, it’s natural that when there is insecurity, it threatens everyone.
JUAN GONZALEZ: I’d like to turn for a moment to your domestic policies and law enforcement in your country. Human Rights Watch, which has often criticized the legal system in the United States, says that, under your presidency, there has been a great expansion in the scope and the number of individuals and activities persecuted by the government. They say that you’ve jailed teachers who are fighting for wages and better pensions, students and activists working for reform, and other labor leaders, like Mansour Ossanlou from the bus workers’ union. What is your response to these criticisms of your policies?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] I think that the human rights situation in Iran is relatively a good one, when compared to the United States and other countries. Of course, when we look at the ideals that are dear to us, we understand that we still need to do a lot, because we seek divine and religious ideals and revolutionary ones. But when we compare ourselves with some European countries and the United States, we feel we’re in a much better place.
A large part of the information that these groups receive come from criticisms coming from groups that oppose the government. If you look at it, we have elections in Iran every year. And the propaganda is always around, too. But they’re not always true. Groups accuse one another.
But within the region and compared to the United States, we have the smallest number of prisoners, because in Iran, in general, there is not so much inclination to imprison people. We’re actually looking at our existing laws right now to see how we can eliminate most prisons around the country. So, you can see that people in Iran like each other. They live coexistently and like the government, too. This news is more important to these groups, not so much for the Iranian people. You have to remember, we have over 70 million people in our country, and we have laws. Some people might violate it, and then, according to the law, the judiciary takes charge. And this happens everywhere. What really matters is that in the end there are the least amount of such violations of the law in Iran, the least number.
So, I think the interpretation of these events is a wrong one. The relationship between the people and the government in Iran is actually a very close one. And criticizing the government is absolutely free for all. That’s exactly why everyone says what they want. There’s really no restrictions. It doesn’t necessarily mean that everything you hear is always true. And the government doesn’t really respond to it, either. It’s just free.
JUAN GONZALEZ: Let me ask you in particular about the question of the execution of juveniles. My understanding is that Iran is one of only five or six nations in the world that still execute juveniles convicted of capital offenses and that you—by far, you execute the most. I think twenty-six of the last thirty-two juveniles executed in the world were executed in Iran. How is this a reflection of the—of a state guided by religious principles, to execute young people?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Firstly, nobody is executed under the age of eighteen in Iran. This is the first point. And then, please pay attention to the fact that the legal age in Iran is different from yours. It’s not eighteen and doesn’t have to be eighteen everywhere. So, it’s different in different countries. I’ll ask you, if a person who happens to be seventeen years old and nine months kills one of your relatives, will you just overlook that?
AMY GOODMAN: We’ll continue our interview with Iranian President Ahmadinejad after break.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: We return to our interview with the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
JUAN GONZALEZ: I’d like to ask you, recently the Bush administration agreed to provide Israel with many new bunker buster bombs that people speculate might be used against Iran. Your reaction to this decision by the Bush administration? And do you—and there have been numerous reports in the American press of the Bush administration seeking to finance a secret war against Iran right now.
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Well, we actually think that the US administration and some other governments have equipped the Zionist regime with the nuclear warhead for those bombs, too. So, what are we to tell the American administration, a government that seeks a solution to all problems through war? Their logic is one of war. In the past twenty years, Americans’ military expenditures have multiplied. So I think the problem should be resolved somewhere else, meaning the people of America themselves must decide about their future. Do they like new wars to be waged in their names that kill nations or have their money spent on warfare? So I think that’s where the problem can be addressed.
AMY GOODMAN: The investigative reporter Seymour Hersh said the Bush administration held a meeting in Vice President Cheney’s office to discuss ways to provoke a war with Iran. Hersh said it was considered possibly a meeting to stage an incident, that it would appear that Iranian boats had attacked US forces in the Straits of Hormuz. Do you have any evidence of this?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Well, you have to pay attention to find that a lot of this kind of stuff is published out there. There’s no need for us to react to it.
Of course, Mr. Bush is very interested to start a new war. But he confronts two big barriers. One is the incapability in terms of maneuverability and operationally. Iran is a very big country, a very powerful country, very much capable of defending itself. The second barrier is the United States itself. We think there are enough wise people in this country to prevent the unreasonable actions by the administration. Even among the military commanders here, there are many people with wisdom who will stop a new war. I think the beginning or the starting a new war will mark the beginning of the end of the United States of America. Many people can understand that.
But I also think that Mr. Bush’s administration is coming to an end. Mr. Bush still has one other chance to make up for the mistakes he did in the past. He has no time to add to those list of mistakes. He can only make up for them. And that’s a very good opportunity to have. So, I would advise him to take advantage of this opportunity, so that at least while you’re in power, you do a couple—few good acts, as well. It’s better than to end one’s work with a report card of failures and of abhorrent acts. We’re willing to help him in doing good. We’ll be very happy.
AMY GOODMAN: And your nuclear program?
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: [translated] Our time seems to be over, but our nuclear program is peaceful. It’s very transparent for everyone to see.
Your media is a progressive one. Let me just say a sentence here.
I think that the time for the atomic bomb has reached an end. Don’t you feel that yourself? What will determine the future is culture, it’s the power of thought. Was the atomic bomb able to save the former Soviet Union from collapsing? Was it able to give victory to the Zionist regime of confronting the Palestinians? Was it able to resolve America’s or US problems in Iraq and Afghanistan? Naturally, its usage has come to an end.
It’s very wrong to spend people’s money building new atomic bombs. This money should be spent on creating welfare, prosperity, health, education, employment, and as aid that should be distributed among others’ countries, to destroy the reasons for war and for insecurity and terrorism. Rest assured, whoever who seeks to have atomic bombs more and more is just politically backward. And those who have these arsenals and are busy making new generations of those bombs are even more backward.
I think a disloyalty has occurred to the human community. Atomic energy power is a clean one. It’s a renewable one, and it is a positive [inaudible]. Up to this day, we’ve identified at least sixteen positive applications from it. We’re already aware that the extent to which we have used fossil fuels has imbalanced the climate of the world, brought about a lot of pollution, as well as a lot of diseases, as a result. So what’s wrong with all countries having peaceful nuclear power and enjoying the benefits of this energy? It’s actually a power that is constructively environmental. All those nuclear powers have come and said, well, having nuclear energy is the equivalent of having an atomic bomb pretty much—just a big lie.
AMY GOODMAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Tomorrow, part two of our conversation. But right now, we’re joined by Ervand Abrahamian. He’s an Iran expert, CUNY Distinguished Professor of History at Baruch College, City University of New York, author of a number of books, most recently, A History of Modern Iran.
Welcome to Democracy Now! Can you talk about both what the Iranian president said here and his overall trip? Was it a different message this year?
ERVAND ABRAHAMIAN: No, it’s very much the same complacency, that, you know, everything’s fine. There may be some problems in Iran and in foreign relations, but overall, Iran is confident and is—basically the mantra of the administration in Iran is that no one in their right senses would think of attacking Iran. And I think the Iranian government’s whole policy is based on that. I wish I was as confident as Ahmadinejad is.
JUAN GONZALEZ: And his dismissing of the situation, the human rights situation, in Iran, basically ascribing any arrests to some lawbreakers? Your sense of what is the human rights situation right there?
ERVAND ABRAHAMIAN: Well, I mean, he basically changed the question and talked about, you know, the probably two million prisoners in America, which is of course true, but it certainly changes the topic of the discussion.
Now, in Iran, you can be imprisoned for the talking of abolishing capital punishment. In fact, that’s considered blasphemy, and academics have been charged with capital offense for actually questioning capital punishment. So, he doesn’t really want to address those issues. And there have been major purges in the university recently, and of course the plight of the newspapers is very dramatic. I mean, mass newspapers have been closed down. Editors have been brought before courts, and so on. So, I would find that the human rights situation—I would agree with the Human Rights Watch, that things are bad.
But I would like to stress that human rights organizations in Iran don’t want that issue involved with the US-Iran relations, because every time the US steps in and tries to champion a question of human rights, I think that backfires in Iran, because most Iranians know the history of US involvement in Iran, and they feel it’s hypocrisy when the Bush administration talks about human rights. So they would like to distance themselves. And Shirin Ebadi, of course, the Nobel Peace Prize, has made it quite clear that she doesn’t want this championing by the United States of the human rights issue.
AMY GOODMAN: Big protest outside. The Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, the Israel Project, UJ Federation of New York, United Jewish Communities protested. They invited Hillary Clinton. She was going to speak. But they invited—then they invited Governor Palin, and so then Clinton pulled out, so they had had to disinvite Palin. And then you had the peace movement inside, meeting with Ahmadinejad.
ERVAND ABRAHAMIAN: Yes, I think—I mean, the demonstrations outside are basically pushing for some sort of air strikes on the premise that Iran is an imminent threat and trying to build up that sort of pressure on the administration. And clearly, I think the Obama administration would not want to do that, but they would probably have a fair good hearing in the—if there was a McCain administration.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, we’re going to leave it there. Part two of our conversation tomorrow. We talk about the Israel-Palestine issue, we talk about the treatment of gay men and lesbians in Iran, and we talk about how the Iraq war has affected Iran with the Iranian president
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Eid 2008 Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei great speech - English
Rehbar-e-Moazzam Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei speechs main points leader congradulates all muslims prayers held to mark end of Ramadan fasting a...
Rehbar-e-Moazzam Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei speechs main points leader congradulates all muslims prayers held to mark end of Ramadan fasting a practice to resist carnal desires unity of muslims during ramadan a lesson Alquds day united muslims across the world Alquds day saw great march of iranians and congradulates all muslims palestinian cause becoming more important enemies want to wipe palestine from the world there is a wave of awakening among muslims muslims are alert and vigilant palestinians proved their true muslim name iran nation will always support palestinians zionist regime becoming weaker and weaker zionist leaders admit their days numbered enemies threats against muslims out of desperation leader calls on muslims to unite irans achievements belong to all muslims irans achievemnets are fruit of solidarity iranian nation is taking great steps our political atmosphere is very lively the virtuous will finally prevail
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the Islamic world has been awakened and is on alert about Palestine.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Today, the Islamic world is becoming more sensitive and motivated about the Palestinian issue in comparison to 60 years ago when the enormous catastrophe occurred,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" Ayatollah Khamenei said Wednesday while addressing crowds of Iranians after Eid ul-Fitr prayer, which marks end of the holy month of Ramadan.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"The resistance of the brave Palestinian people is one of the most important factors behind the world\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s support for them. Palestinians have proved that they deserve to be called a vital Muslim nation,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" the Leader added.
The Leader continued, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We told the Palestinian people and their legal government, as well as Hamas leaders and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, that the Iranian nation will not desert you.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"On the contrary, the Zionist enemy weakens day by day. This is an issue that even senior Zionists admit,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader added that the Islamic world faces an all-out political and cultural invasion, saying, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"This does not mean that enemies have become stronger. Rather it means that they sense their weakness and are resorting to different strategies.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"
The Leader called on Muslims across the world to maintain their unity and to not allow enemies to cause strife between Shia and Sunni.
Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out the great achievements of the Iranian nation and said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Iranians are taking major steps toward progress. Their achievements belong to all Muslims.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"
The Leader stressed that Iranians from all walks of life, including senior political officials, should strengthen their unity and strive for the national interests of the country
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[15 May 2012] Gaza marks Nakba Day - English
Refugees in the Gaza Strip which is home to the largest Palestinian refugee population in the Middle East held a rally to mark the Nakba Day....
Refugees in the Gaza Strip which is home to the largest Palestinian refugee population in the Middle East held a rally to mark the Nakba Day.
The day of catastrophe or Nakba marks the expulsions of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees of their homes prior to the creation of Israel on their lands in 1948. They were displaced from Palestine and lost their land and property.
Six decades down the road, Palestinian refugees are scattered in camps in the West bank and Gaza Strip, or in neighboring countries like Jordan, Syria, Lebanon or elsewhere, but they are still holding fast to their Palestinian identity and right of return.
In December of 1948, the UN General Assembly resolution 194 called for the return of all Palestinian refugee’s to their homeland.
Israel refused to implement the resolution and instead legislated in 1950 The Law of Return that gives all Jews around the world the right to emigrate to and settle in Israel.
Israel, which was violently created on occupied Palestinian lands in May 1948, has continued to fight and suppress the Palestinian culture and identity.
Representatives of Palestinian refugees met with the United Nations representative in Gaza demanding the implementation of the UN resolutions concerning refugees’ right of return.
Annual rallies such as this one unite Palestinians as they struggle with six decades of suffering.
Sixty four years on, Palestinian refugees say they will never give up their right of return to the land of their ancestors.
Ashraf Shannon, Press TV, Gaza.
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[26 May 2012] US accomplice to Bahrain regime crimes - English
The Bahraini regime forces backed by troops from Saudi Arabia have once again attacked protesters in the tiny Persian Gulf littoral state....
The Bahraini regime forces backed by troops from Saudi Arabia have once again attacked protesters in the tiny Persian Gulf littoral state.
Security forces on Friday fired teargas and sound grenades at the demonstrating crowds in several towns and villages around the Bahraini capital, Manama.
Clashes then erupted between government forces and the pro-democracy protesters demanding the ouster of the Al Khalifa regime. Several people were injured during the demonstrations. The protesters also voiced their anger at the US government for its support of the Manama regime.
Anti-American sentiments are high in Bahrain after Washington announced earlier this month that it would resume arms sales to Bahrain. However, Bahraini opposition groups and activists condemned the decision, saying it could encourage further human rights violations in the Persian Gulf country.
Press TV has conducted an interview with Kamel Wazni, political analyst, to hear his opinion on this issue. The following is a rough transcription of the interview.
Press TV: First of all we are hearing slogans on the streets in Bahrain against the United States now besides those slogans that were against the regime. People it seems are now very strongly and clearly saying that they want the United States to cut its support for the Manama regime, however we are seeing that support continue.
Do you think that these slogans are going to be heard by Washington?
Wazni: Obviously they will resonate in the White House and on the streets of America because this is the voice of the people and for very long time the Americans felt they are not mentioned on the streets and the Americans know sometimes this hostility that is taking place by the Bahrainis because they continue support of the Americans for the Bahraini regime and the approval of the Americans to sell weapons and arms to the Bahraini regime despite the crackdown that is taking place by the Bahraini regime against the civilian demonstrators of the country.
I think there is voice on the streets saying anyone who sided with the criminals who are committing crimes against humanity should be condemned and today because the Bahraini authority, the Bahraini monarchy is committing crime and America being accomplice to this crime, then you see the people are voicing their sentiment and making their voice to be heard across the world.
They are not intimidated, they are not afraid. They wanted democratic system and a country, that is the basic principle of human dignity to live free in his own or her own country where will be no discrimination, no crackdown, no torture.
This is the basic principle of any human wanted to live in peace and prosperity and the Americans by siding with the Bahraini regime preventing the aspiration of the Bahraini people to make this happen so the Americans should not be shocked by what they are hearing. That is what they actually worked on by helping the Bahraini authority and if Obama is listening and Mrs. Clinton should listen to the human rights when they actually condemn the torture that is taking place by the Bahraini government.
The systematic torture that is taking [place] day after day should be heard by the American administration.
There are a lot of committees being established by the UN bodies, by even the King and they all indicated there is a huge torture and killing taking place on the streets of Bahrain. So is anybody listening?
Press TV: What you referred there to the United Nations also other human rights groups we know for instance that the UN Human Rights Council recently in Geneva started to discuss the situation in Bahrain. We know groups like Amnesty International and other human rights organizations in and outside of Bahrain have been saying they have documents and proved that these violations are taking place but does that mean that they are going to give any support to the Bahraini revolutionaries and do you think without that support on the ground the Bahraini revolution can get anywhere?
Wazni: Well obviously the public opinion on the international appeal is important but eventually the legwork has to be done by the people of Bahrain because the people of Bahrain made a pledge and they are determined to carry their own cause despite all the obstacles and all the atrocity that is committed by the Bahraini regime against the civilian in Bahrain.
But having the public support of the international community from the UN, from other bodies is actually attested to the reality that is taking place.
There is a crime taking place in Bahrain by the monarchy, by the royal family supported by the Americans and somebody has to listen but I do not think the Bahraini people are counting on the West or the Americans because they think the Americans are participant in what is taking place in Bahrain and despite all of that they have the will and the determination to carry their cause to the end.
They know the sacrifice and they are willing to take that sacrifice and we hear the leadership of the Bahraini talking, when we hear Sheikh Ghasem say this is the will of the people and they will carry their duty to bring honorable justice to Bahrain despite all the killing and torture [that] is committed by the Bahraini with the help of the Saudis.
The people will prevail in the end, will be costly process but you have to trust the people and the people will carry their duties.
6m:57s
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Salmon who fast too - Animal Instincts episode - English
Visit our website for more episodes! http://ramadhan4u.com to make your ramadhan a productive Ramadhan.
SUBHANALLAH.. Animals fast too!!...
Visit our website for more episodes! http://ramadhan4u.com to make your ramadhan a productive Ramadhan.
SUBHANALLAH.. Animals fast too!!
Check out our new series..
Animal Instincts
Salmon:
Salmon fasting over a long period induces a feeling of sensitivity in them so that they are able to recognise the proper location.
Each fish swims upstream in the river in which it was hatched to reproduce in the same place from which it originated.
When they are guided to the right place, the salmon start to dig holes for eggs. The females lay eggs, and the males cover them with their sperm to fertilize them.
The females are then motivated by instinct to cover the eggs with an appropriate layer of soil from the riverbed. They stay behind the eggs until they incubate and the young red salmon come out of their holes and shake off their dust.
Both parents cast a final look on the young and realize that they have successfully concluded their mission.
Then they pass away in a state of fasting in the same location, leaving behind a new generation of the young.
When those young grow up and become sexually mature, they will start their fasting and then pass away in a state of fasting in their own and their ancestors' birthplace.
Eltemas Dua :) R4U Team
For more information visit www.ramadhan4u.com
1m:49s
6343
Justice : Saudi Style - Documentary - English
This documentary is about the Iranian fishermen who were kidnapped by Saudi government agents while fishing off the coat of the Islamic Republic of...
This documentary is about the Iranian fishermen who were kidnapped by Saudi government agents while fishing off the coat of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Following their kidnap and with no information given to anyone about their health or condition, they were convicted - without a lawyer present or anyone who could at least give them information on the allegations against them - to death by execution by the Saudi officials. The crime they were alleged to have been guilty to was drug trafficking into Saudi. A crime that they vehemently deny and the living conditions of their families provides that they could not have been drug traffickers.
Subsequently, a number of then were executed in public execution ceremonies by the Saudi officials, and a number of them still await execution.
The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has worked tirelessly to try and get information and to secure the release of these innocent fishermen, but the Saudi government and it's officials are not from those who keep their word.
Prior to the execution, Saudi Foreign Minister had given his word to the Iranian Foreign ministry that the Iranian fishermen would not be executed. Yet within a very short time from him giving his word, the news of the executions by the Saudi officials came through.
This documentary looks at their case, and looks at the impact their imprisonment and in some cases cold blooded state sponsored murder has had on their families and loved ones.
Broadcast on August 13, 2012 - Press TV
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[05 June 13] Iran Today - Irans eleventh presidential election...
Only eleven days until the eleventh presidential election in Iran remain.
All the candidates are busy campaigning and giving speeches to promote...
Only eleven days until the eleventh presidential election in Iran remain.
All the candidates are busy campaigning and giving speeches to promote their plans for the public. They will present their plans until a day before the election which would be held on June 14th.
All of the eight candidates approved by the Guardian Council have been given a timetable by Iran\'s National Radio and Television Organization to introduce their plans to the public through different channels and different types of programs.
Runners grab any chance to travel to Iran\'s major and small cities to meet people in the city mosques, conference halls and stadiums, giving vows to solve their problems.
Comparing to the last presidential election, internet websites are more active in promoting their favorite candidates. Supporters have launched different weblogs to announce their campaign slogans. Different unofficial internet polls are being conducted but the results differ based on the political orientation of the websites.
On Friday May 31st 2013 the first debate show between the eight candidates was held. This time the debates are different from the heated but troubled debates of the last Election back in 2009. Instead of talking to each other, the candidates were answering the moderator\'s somewhat challenging questions.
In this episode of Iran Today we will take a closer look at the candidates\' plans and their views on the policies adopted by the previous administrations.
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A student falls sick on the way to Karbala | When He Calls | pt.5/8 |...
Episode 5 of the ground-breaking new film following the journey of five students as they make their way to the Holy land of Karbala.
The...
Episode 5 of the ground-breaking new film following the journey of five students as they make their way to the Holy land of Karbala.
The journey continues. Due to the harsh weather, the food and the physical exertion, one of the students falls sick and they have barely completed half the walk. Despite their exhaustion from walking all day in the heat of Iraq amongst the bustling crowds, the students manage to rise for their prayers.
Will they be able to continue their journey while one of their friends has fallen ill? Will they leave him behind? Or will the blessings of Allah, for the sake of Imam Husayn, spur them on?
This episode captures the tiresome walk as they students continue on their journey, as well as the profound selflessness of the Iraqi people in their attempts to make the foreign pilgrims feel welcome.
What is it about the ancient city of Karbala that captivates Muslims? What makes approximately 30 million people travel there each year?
The ziarat [pilgrimage] to Karbala is considered a sacred journey for Muslims across the world, especially the followers of Ahlulbayt (as).
Every week, Islamic Pulse will be releasing two episodes of ‘When He Calls’ by the will of God, so stay tuned!
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[Clip] Talking Properly: Politeness or Honesty | Agha Ali Reza Panahian...
Talking Properly: Politeness or Honesty?
“Pious people have superior virtues. Their words are proper.” [Imam Ali (as), The...
Talking Properly: Politeness or Honesty?
“Pious people have superior virtues. Their words are proper.” [Imam Ali (as), The Muttaqin Sermon] At the top of the list of moral virtues, which Imam Ali (as) lists for pious people, are controlling one’s tongue and speaking correctly.
“Pious people have superior virtues. Their words are proper.” “Their words are proper” tells us a few things. Being proper does not mean being honest. You can talk honestly and ruin a nation. You can talk honestly and ruin a person. Backbiting is saying something that is true. [One says,] “I’m saying the truth [about him].” You are wrong to say this truth! You shouldn’t say all true things. You shouldn’t talk about a person’s fault when he is absent. Don’t say that. It is even said that when a person backbites you should defend the one who is absent. You shouldn’t say all truths. Proper doesn’t mean honesty. Talking properly is different from talking honestly.
Sometimes people talk honestly in order to relieve themselves, but they shouldn’t. They tell others about their sufferings, but they shouldn’t. People sometimes talk honestly and tell others about the good deeds they have done, and that is hypocrisy. People sometimes talk honestly and show their hatred toward others. I can tell you numerous examples of honest words that are not “proper.”
But I have to tell you one thing. Speaking the truth, in any area, reduces a person’s mental pressures. When you tell other people’s secrets, you release yourself. When you talk about your own pains, you release yourself. When you talk about your hatred, you release yourself.
It’s interesting that some people say any truth and say, “My conscience is at ease this way.” That is not their conscious. They have relieved themselves in a way that God didn’t want. Releasing yourself like this ruins you and makes you cheap. Not all ways of finding ease are good. In the past, some psychologists used to say that if a person’s father has passed away and he has inherited money, since an obstacle has been removed from his life, why should he act like he is upset? He can easily go, have fun and say that he’s happy.
Such a society will gradually lose its modesty. Do you know what happens when there is no modesty? When there is no modesty and people relieve themselves by talking honestly, they become weak. When you control your honesty due to your modesty and other boundaries, you will feel a pressure. This pressure makes a person grow and strengthens him. For example, when one gets angry, he shouldn’t curse. This brings a pressure. [One says,] “I honestly ask God to make you wretched! I wish you didn’t exist on this earth!” You should have controlled this! The result of some kinds of honesty is weakness. This pressure makes a person grow. It strengthens him.
Should we push children to be honest or polite? Politeness. What is politeness? It’s basically modesty. Politeness tells a person what he shouldn’t say. Is politeness more valuable or honesty? If you don’t attack me, I’ll say politeness. A child likes to say many things honestly. But you should tell him, “You should observe these rules when you talk. This is politeness.”
“Pious people have superior virtues. Their words are proper.”
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4m:39s
2166
Al Nakba - The Palestinian Catastrophe 1948 - English Arabic
The Palestinian Exile - also known as Al Nakba - Arabic for - The Catastrophe- -refers to the ethnic cleansing of native Palestinian peoples all...
The Palestinian Exile - also known as Al Nakba - Arabic for - The Catastrophe- -refers to the ethnic cleansing of native Palestinian peoples all during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. From December 1947 until November 1948 Zionist forces - namely the Irgun - Lehi - Haganah terrorist gangs - expelled approximately 750 000 indigenous Palestinians --almost two third of the population--from their homes. Hundreds of Palestinians were also murdered for refusing to leave their homes. The most notable massacre is the Deir Yassin Massacre in which an estimated 120 Palestinian civilians were brutally murdered by an Irgun-Lehi force. Other massacres include the ones at Sahila - 70-80 killed - Lod - 250 killed- and Abu Shusha - 70 killed -. About 40 other massacres were carried out by Zionist forces in just the summer of 1948. Not only did Zionist forces conduct massacres of Palestinian civilians - rape occured as well. According to Israeli historian Benny Morris - In Acre four soldiers raped a girl and murdered her and her father. In Jaffa soldiers of the Kiryati Brigade raped one girl and tried to rape several more. At Hunin which is in the Galilee two girls were raped and then murdered. There were one or two cases of rape at Tantura south of Haifa. There was one case of rape at Qula in the center of the country. At the village of Abu Shusha near Kibbutz Gezer - in the Ramle area - there were four female prisoners - one of whom was raped a number of times. And there were other cases. Usually more than one soldier was involved. Usually there were one or two Palestinian girls. In a large proportion of the cases the event ended with murder. Because neither the victims nor the rapists liked to report these events- we have to assume that the dozen cases of rape that were reported- which I found are not the whole story. They are just the tip of the iceberg.- during Al Nakba - Palestinians were murdered raped and ethnically cleansed from their villages. According to Israeli historian Ilan Pappe - In a matter of seven months 531 villages were destroyed and 11 urban neighborhoods emptied.- Palestinians were forced into were forced out of Palestine and into neighboring countries - i.e. Lebanon Syria and Jordan - where they lived in refugee camps. Many were also sent to camps in West Bank and Gaza Strip. Most Palestinian towns were demolished and taken by the newly established Israeli government to make room for new Jewish immigrants. Old Palestinian infrastructures as well as many ruins dating back from the Canaanites Romans Greeks Crusaders Arabs and Ottoman Turks were completely destroyed. This signified the end of historical Palestine and the birth of modern-day Israel. Al Nakba marked the beginning of the Palestinian refugee crisis. Al Nakba destroyed a thriving and diverse Palestinian society and scattered them into diaspora. According to the UNRWA - the number of registered Palestinian refugees today is approximately 4.5 million. These refugees are dispersed throughout the world - many of which are still living in poverty-stricken refugee camps. Today the situation keeps worsening and thousands die from malnutrition - contaminated water - or scarce medical supply. Israel has since refused to allow Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and has refused to pay them compensation as required by UN Resolution 194 which was passed on December 11 1948. Historically the Israeli government Israeli schools and Israeli historians have denied that Al Nakba has occured. However The New Historians - a loosely-defined group of Israeli historians - have recently published information recognizing the Al Nakba tragedy and controversial views of matters concerning Israel - particularly events concerning its birth in 1948. Much of their material comes from recently declassified Israeli government papers. Leading scholars in this school include Benny Morris - Ilan Pappe - Avi Shlaim - and Tom Segev. Many of their conclusions have been attacked by other scholars and Israeli historians - who continue deny Al Nakba even occured.
9m:39s
23124
Jews against Zionism - English
The USA has been colonized by the Israeli Terror State. This has been accomplished without Israel having fired a single shot. Instead, Israel's...
The USA has been colonized by the Israeli Terror State. This has been accomplished without Israel having fired a single shot. Instead, Israel's agents bought up all of the news and entertainment businesses during the early part of the 20th century and used it to silence all opposition with endless propaganda tossed in newsprint upon America's lawns and later sprewed from radio's and TV's in their homes and automobiles. Every minute of the day, the media poison flows through the soul of each America, all of it orchestrated by Zionist subversive writers, producers, owners, and performers. In addition, the Rothschild banks pushed Woodrow Wilson and Congress into creating a privately owned and operated Zionist banking system which is called The Federal Reserve which is run by born Zionists and not by the 98% of the nation that is non-Zionist by birth. Also, Zionists infiltrated the Christian Churches and perverted the Christian faith into becoming an operative of Israel by owning all of the cable networks and radio stations which Christian would need to rent if they wanted to reach their people over the airwaves and cable channels. These minister found that the successful cable churches had to preach pro-Israeli perversions of their religion to gain a spot on the air, so they did that to further their opportunities to reach people. The churches changed to fit their new Master, the Zionist media goons who only wanted to deal with Christian friends of Israel. It was all so easy. Even the Iraq war costing trillions of dollars feel into the hands of the Israeli Neocons in the White House. So easy. If a Congressman complained, all the rich Zionists had to do was spend a few dollars, and, in a few years he would be replaced by their own Congressman of choice. So easy. Taking over America was like stealing from little children. Once they owned the banks and the federal reserve, the nation of America was theirs to do with as they wished.
6m:26s
11063
Inspiration from Hajj Pilgrimage - Malcolm X - English
Courtesy itaqullah. This clip is from the movie Malcolm X based on his life and struggle. When he was in Macca Malcolm X or Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabaz...
Courtesy itaqullah. This clip is from the movie Malcolm X based on his life and struggle. When he was in Macca Malcolm X or Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabaz wrote a letter to his loyal assistants in Harlem... from his heart. --- Here is a related excerpt from Dr. Ali Shariati-s famous book HAJJ - Chapter-The Delay in Mina--- There is a two day stay over in Mina to think about your ideology and what you have done. On the 'Id day and after the sacrifice, the ceremonies are over. You must stay two more days or even three more days, if you can, in Mina. You are not supposed to leave Mina in these days - not even to return to Mecca! Why? Satan is defeated, sacrifice is offered, Ihram is removed and 'Id is celebrated! Why should more than a million people remain in this valley for two or three more days! This time allows them to think about Ha]J and understand what they have done. They can discuss their problems with people from other parts of the world who have the same faith, love, needs and ideology. Muslim thinkers and intellectuals who gather here and freedom-fighters who fight colonialism, oppression, poverty, ignorance and corruption in their homelands, get to know each other, discuss their problems, find solutions and ask for each other's help. Muslims from all over are supposed to study the dangers and conspiracies of the super-powers and their agents who have infiltrated Muslim nations. They should make resolutions to fight against brainwashing, propaganda, disunity, heresy, false religions ... and many other diseases threatening the "unity" of Muslim nations. They should offer a common and worldwide struggle to introduce Islamic facts and support the cause of freedom for colonized nations and those Muslim minorities who are under the torture of fascist regimes as well as prejudiced political groups. Through a system of cooperation and understanding and an exchange of views and feelings, the Muslim communities would be strengthened in their struggle against their common enemy. A better understanding of true Islamic doctrine can be brought about by solving some of the theological differences that exist among Muslim religious groups! http://www.al-islam.org/hajj/shariati/
7m:21s
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Message of Rehbar, Intelligence Minister and Rafsanjani - English
As Iran continues its efforts to cope with post-election unrest, Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the country will...
As Iran continues its efforts to cope with post-election unrest, Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the country will deal with the crisis under the law while relying on national unity.
The Leader said Sunday that legal measures were the only solution to the issues that the country has been facing since the 10th presidential elections on June 12.
“The people\'s emotions, especially that of the youth, must not be toyed with and they should not be pitted against one another as the Iranian nation, regardless of the differences of opinion, is a united nation that has good relations with the [Islamic] establishment.”
Ayatollah Khamenei went on to urge political parties not to play with one another\'s feelings and said, “If the nation and political elite are united in heart and mind, the incitement of international traitors and oppressive politicians will be ineffective.”
The Leader\'s remarks came after certain European countries and the US condemned the measures taken by the Tehran government to restore stability in the country following the election, which saw incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad win by a landslide.
“They express their opinions about Iran in a manner that one would think all their other problems have been resolved and only the Iranian problem remains,” said Ayatollah Khamenei.
“However, what they do not understand is that wherever they politically set foot in becomes tainted in the eyes of the Iranian nation.”
“Their support will only have a negative effect as the Iranian nation knows during the eight-year sacred defense [the Iraq-Iran war] when their homes were bombarded and destroyed by missiles and chemical weapons were used against them, these governments showed no concern and [instead] aided the enemy of the Iranian nation.”
Pointing to the crimes committed by the US and certain European countries against the people of Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Palestine, Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that their “concern and show of humanitarianism is not befitting of these governments and when they voice support for the Iranian nation and certain figures, their intentions are clear and the people are well aware of them.”
Iran\'s Intelligence Minister has dismissed claims of vote-rigging in the presidential election, blaming the US and Israel for the spread of such rumors among the people.
\"I announce that no organized rigging which could affect the result of the election has taken place,\" Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei said in an interview with IRIB\'s Channel Two on Sunday night.
He said the nation\'s enemies conspired several months before the presidential election to stir unrest in the country and dissuade the Iranians from voting.
\"Americans and Zionists sought to destabilize Iran ... they were upset with a stabilized and secure Iran ... even months before the election they started to talk about the possibility of vote-rigging in the election and they continued the course following the vote,\" Ejei said.
He said the Iranian intelligence services were aware of US and Israeli plots to mar the election months before the vote, adding that Iran foiled some assassination attempts masterminded by Washington and Tel Aviv.
Incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner of the presidential election with almost two-thirds of the votes.
The announcement triggered opposition rallies in protest at the result with defeated candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi calling for the result to be annulled.
Ejei took a swipe at Mousavi, saying his demand for holding the election anew would undermine the credibility of the electoral system.
The three defeated candidates -- Mousavi, Karroubi and Mohsen Rezaei -- have lodged more than 600 alleged \'irregularities\' with the electoral watchdog, the Guardian Council.
Mousavi and Karroubi believe these irregularities are enough for the election results to be annulled.
However, the head of Iran\'s Electoral Office, Kamran Daneshjou, has criticized the complaints filed by the defeated presidential candidates for being \'too general\'. The Guardian Council has also stressed that there were no \'major\' irregularities in the presidential election.
4m:55s
22442
Virginia Opossum - Mini Documentary - English
Transcript: "The Virginia Opossum also known as the North American Opossum is the only marsupial in North America. Marsupials have pouches for...
Transcript: "The Virginia Opossum also known as the North American Opossum is the only marsupial in North America. Marsupials have pouches for carrying their young through early infancy.
Baby opossums live in these pouches for 2-3 months and then ride on their mothers backs for an additional month or two. This is a huge portion of their life, considering that opossums have an average life span of only two years in the wild.
Opossums are slow, solitary, nocturnal animals and prefer to be left alone. When threatened they will hiss and bear their teeth, but under extreme circumstances they will play dead. Playing Possum serves two purposes it discourages predators that only eat live prey and it convinces some larger animals that they are not a threat to their young.
Virginia Opossums are the largest Opossums in the world. They are 15-20 inches long and weigh 9 to 13 lbs about the size of a domestic cat.
They have clawless thumbs on their hind feet and hairless prehensile tails that can grab objects and help them to balance when they are climbing."
1m:25s
8071
[Islam and Life] Are young British Muslims committed to Islam? Oct 13,...
One of the primary responsibilities Muslim parents have toward their children is sharing knowledge and raising them on Islamic principles....
One of the primary responsibilities Muslim parents have toward their children is sharing knowledge and raising them on Islamic principles.
Muslim parents try to guide their children from a young age to develop good character, manners, and a strong faith.
In this process, it is the duty of the parents to make sure that they are teaching their children about Islam and bringing them up in a way that complies with Islamic teachings.
A report by mail online found that in stark contrast with their parents, growing numbers of Muslim youth sympathise with extreme teachings of Islam, with almost four in ten wanting to live under Sharia law in Britain.
The study identifies significant support for wearing the veil in public and joining Islamic schools. Some parents who have been taught about Islam in their home countries were perhaps not able to explore the reasons of their practices or ask questions.
In this edition of the show we ask the following question: Are young British Muslims committed to Islam?
24m:17s
6475
[EUROPEAN AWAKENING] Occupy London protesters take over Swiss bank...
It started last month with one encampment outside Saint Paul's Cathedral. Next came the expansion to Finsbury Square, a smaller but similarly...
It started last month with one encampment outside Saint Paul's Cathedral. Next came the expansion to Finsbury Square, a smaller but similarly active protest camp.
Now, Occupy London have unveiled their latest base, and this time they mean business.
At four storeys high and taking up almost half a street, this is the third of the Occupy London movement's locations, coming complete with a fully functional conference room and a five hundred seat auditorium. More significantly, this building is owned by the Swiss bank UBS, who themselves are no strangers to controversy.
In two thousand and seven, they were accused of heavily profiting from a controversial mortgage scheme in which thousands of British pensioners lost a total of around one billion pounds. They bought the troubled mortgages from another bank. At the time they said that it was an “entirely usual” transaction.
It was bailed out by the Swiss government just one year later. This building is one of its assets, and it's worth over fifty four million pounds.
Occupy London want to hold educational workshops and community events here. They've named their new space “The bank of ideas”, this concept was explained to us by one occupier.
After weeks of being told that their protest was going nowhere, those within the Occupy movement are seeing this as proof that they aren't giving up any time soon. They plan on hosting a conference of worldwide occupy movements inside.
Officially the building is now a 'legal squat', meaning that police are powerless to remove the activists from the building without first consulting the courts.
The City of London has already started legal action against the Saint Pauls cathedral protest camp. Although this is a private building and in a different part of London, its owners are likely to start taking steps to launch their own case against the protesters.
UBS bank today said that they were taking “appropriate action”. In the meantime, Occupy London is likely to squeeze as many events as it can into their limited occupancy time to take full advantage of their new found space.
2m:54s
8563
Mohammad Javad Larijani Interview with MSNBC - He Just Shut Up CFR...
Iran's Secretary General of the High Council for Human Rights, Mohammad Javad Larijani has said that the recent claims by the International Atomic...
Iran's Secretary General of the High Council for Human Rights, Mohammad Javad Larijani has said that the recent claims by the International Atomic Energy Agency against Tehran are “laughable.”
In his November 8 report on Iran's nuclear program, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano claimed that Iran had engaged in activities related to developing nuclear weapons before 2003, adding that these activities “may still be ongoing.”
Based on the report, which Iran has called "unfounded and unbalanced," the IAEA Board of Governors on Friday passed a new resolution on the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities.
The resolution voices "deep and increasing concern" over Tehran's nuclear program and also calls for Iran and the IAEA to intensify dialogue to resolve the dispute over the issue.
Larijani made the remarks in a heated television debate aired on the American channel MSNBC.
US president of the Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. Richard Haass, Mike Barnicle and John Mitchun were the other guests on the television debate.
What follows is a rough transcription of the interview:
MSNBC: Let's go to the heart of the matter when it comes to Iran, the headlines of the past week, the IAEA report found evidence of nuclear weapons program in Iran and you are quoted as saying that is “quite laughable.” Why sir?
Larijani: The reason is very simple. There is no single evidence in that. These allegations which is aired again is based on a document which was put to us four years ago based on a laptop somewhere found by United States authorities.
And at that time, four years ago, it has been discussed with the agency and the conclusion was that none of these allegations could be verified.
So by a letter it has been closed- the whole issue. Then again it has been renewed and [let me] just give you an example. A good part of this so-called document which is on the laptop, for example lecture notes that somebody presented in Brussels or at some universities. Some of them are parts of some textbook as put together with pictures, formulas, so it is totally inconclusive.
MSNBC: Let's back up. Before I send this to Richard Haass- are you saying it doesn't exist? There is no nuclear program?
Larijani: Well we have a very extensive nuclear program but not to the direction of producing arms. Our nuclear project is very extensive, very advanced. We are number one in the Middle East but we are not pursuing the nuclear armament for two basic reasons.
Number one there is a Fatwa by Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader and it is against the Islamic jurisprudence to build and use mass destructing weapons. It is Haram we call it, unlawful.
And secondly, it doesn't add to our security. It is more liability than asset for us. Our military muscle is strong enough to repel or to deter any imminent threat and this is basically very important achievement.
MSNBC: Richard Haass, put this into perspective for us. What the reports were saying and what this gentleman is saying.
Haass: Well quite frankly it is impossible to take the Iranian denial seriously. They are preposterous. The International Atomic Energy Agency taking information from all the member states in the United Nations have put together a comprehensive and extraordinarily damning report.
And what there is, is a pattern, not a single incident, a pattern over years of Iranian program to move in the direction of developing nuclear weapons.
We see a procurement mechanism to gain access to all sorts of equipment, we see all sorts of undeclared efforts to produce nuclear material now up to 20 percent well on its way to what it needs to produce a weapon, most important there is now serious evidence about the Iranian testing of the implosive device that would actually be the heart of the nuclear weapon.
So the idea that the Iranians have all these underground and undeclared facilities, that they have been misleading the International Atomic Energy Agency for years, the idea they're doing this- this oil rich country in order to produce electricity? If you believe that you seriously have to believe in the tooth fairy.
MSNBC: Sir this doesn't sound like preposterous, little pieces of information that were roaming together randomly.
Larijani: Well the whole scenes of allegation is produced and initiated by the United States. It seems there is a good machinery to produce perpetual allegation against Iran, it is not only one case.
I am telling you exactly that there are no secret programs in our nuclear program and development. Iran's transparency is far ahead of United States, far ahead of UK, far ahead of France and incomparable to Israel which is a renegade state in the sense of NPT.
Barnicle: So you allow inspectors to just come into Iran.
Larijani: The inspectors are coming to Iran periodically, the cameras are there 24 hours. This is quite obvious.
Haass: But the whole concept the way this works, just when you talk about inspectors, let's just be clear, I am sure if everyone watching this will understand, the entire international nuclear inspection effort depends upon the willingness of the country in question to cooperate fully.
This is a gentlemen's agreement. They declare their facilities that are involved in the nuclear business then the inspectors come in and look at them. If they do not declare facilities the inspectors don't give a chance and the problem is this is a gentlemen's agreement in a world where not every country is a gentleman.
So Iran quite frankly has undeclared facilities and undeclared programs which the inspectors had not had access to and the reason we only know about it is that member states, not simply the United States sir, but many, many member states of the United Nations have provided independent information to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which by the way you know and I know is not controlled by the United States.
We have fundamental differences with this agency over the years including over Iraq. We had fundamental differences and we've also had differences over Iran where we the United States felt, this agency was not being nearly tough enough. So now they have come in with an extraordinarily damning report and Iranian officials can dismiss it.
MSNBC: So if this is a gentlemen's agreement, the gentlemen certainly don't agree and sir, you seem very confident and almost as if it's funny it's interesting because we interviewed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about this about a year ago, off camera, and he too seemed very comfortable about his position which is similar to yours.
And if you are so comfortable with your position about the lack of nuclear armament and the facilities that the IAEA is talking about, why not let inspectors completely come in? Open the door let them come in and see what you have.
Larijani: Well the mechanism that the gentleman addressed is not complete because first of all there is no single secret installment or activity which is concealed from the agency.
Secondly, two years ago we asked the agency tell us all the questions you have and he managed to put to us six groups of questions. The questions were raised by themselves not dictated by us. So one by one groups of inspectors came to Iran and we cleared them up and there is official letters from them this group has been finished then we moved to another one.
Well it doesn't make sense that every morning somebody says we guess there is some secret things done there. There should be foundation for this allegation. What do you mean the door should be open? They should ask where do you want to inspect? Did they want to inspect my bedroom or other places? I mean it doesn't make sense.
Barnicle: A few moments ago when you mentioned the nuclear programs of other nations I detected a definite edge in your voice when you mentioned the state of Israel. Do you fear an attack from the state of Israel on your nuclear facilities?
Larijani: Well I am beyond the fear. What is the difference between us and Israel? Israel has a bomb, not a member of NPT; it doesn't disclose anything to agency, nothing wrong with it. You see what the double standard is in here.
We are member of NPT, they periodically come to Iran, their cameras are there, we don't have the weapon then the whole pressure is put on us. No, not at all. We don't fear any attack from anyone. We take it serious in our calculation but we don't fear. There is a difference between that.
Mitchum: Given your tone again Sir when you talk about Israel, just a second ago why shouldn't we suspect that there would be ambitions for Iran to join the club of which Israel is a part with the nuclear arms?
Larijani: We are very advanced in the nuclear technology which is a matter of pride for us and that gentleman mentioned that we have plenty of gas and oil with all good calculations, the age of this is up to 20-25 period, 25 years from now.
It means that if we don't have it, then we should beg in front of the Western countries to light our houses and we know how bad they are treating us in this area. We are right now very happy that we have the first power plant, we know how to make the fuel. We already have more than 25 percent share of sodalite and erudite they don't give us a bit of this fuel that we need, even the twenty percent that we needed for Tehran.
Haass: It's important to keep in mind we are not talking about an established democracy that treats its own people with respect, we are talking about a country also that is the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world. So this is obvious and understandable concern about what Iran is doing.
Larijani: In terms of record I think United States of America is the largest and the greatest country supporting terrorism. The records of terrorist activity which is supported by the tax money of these people is enormous, I can go one by one.
Barnicle: Wait a minute. This is a free country. And part of our gift is we have the liberty and the freedom to say anything and to sound foolish, to sound absurd, to sound smart. That's absurd saying that America is the biggest terrorist nation in the world.
My question to you Sir is, you seem like a really nice guy, alright, why doesn't your country be a better neighbor?
Larijani: We have fantastic relations with all of our neighbors...
Barnicle: Really? [laughing]
Larijani: Definitely, but the policy of demonizing Iran, a very important policy which is pursued in the region- well it has its own benefit.
Barnicle But it's just in little things, like the American tourists cross the border, supposedly cross the border, you grab them, you scoop them, you hold them for months on end. Why?
Larijani: This is a very simple question I answered before; suppose the security of your people...
Barnicle You're here...
Larijani: No, I'm here with visa- It's quite different. [Suppose] The security of the United States' people, on a patrol with Mexico elsewhere they pick 3 Iranians and ask them why are you here? They say well we are just walking in the desert.
Well, with the whole hostility and suspicion which is between the two countries, you are in here to blow up somewhere definitely they will be put into jail for years if not in Guantanamo, they bring them somewhere else.
It took a lot of time that we convince- I was working on this case because they were like me from ... Berkeley. I talked with their families, managed to contact between them and their families when they were arrested- for their families to come to Iran to take the suspicion away.
This is very natural for security of people to suspect a cross bordering which is in the most volatile regional area of Iran- in which there is daily shooting over there.
Barnicle Ok. They're going to blow up the desert. What is the root? What do you think is the root of Iranian paranoia towards the United States and towards many of its neighbors?
What is the root of this paranoia? Is it the fear that we find out about your nuclear program?
Larijani: We don't have any paranoia about our neighbors. We are very suspicious of American paranoia with us. The question is what is wrong with Iran that this persistent hostility...
Barnicle: You have a track record of international terrorism.
Larijani: This is not true. We are ourselves the victim of international terrorism- terrorism in the area. Let me ask you, who was helping Al-Qaida and Taliban for years while we were at war with them in Afghanistan? The United States of America.
The money from the United States was pouring to Al-Qaida and Taliban- the idea was we should curb Iran by another religious front. Is it correct?
Haass: No it's not correct. The United States did support the Mujahidin; obviously in order to get rid of the Soviet... to say that the United States supported Al-Qaida is again preposterous- the fact is that Iran is supporting terrorism in Lebanon, it's supporting groups like Hezbollah, groups like Hamas; it is involved in Iraq; it is involved in Afghanistan.
Iran has basically become a regional power that is trying to destabilize many countries, trying to make them in some ways heavily influenced by Tehran and that is simply a fact of life- which again is one of the reasons the world is so concerned about Iranian nuclear program.
How do we know Iran will not become even more aggressive? How do we know that nuclear materials will not end in the hands of a group like Hezbollah? What do we see about Iran's track record that would lead us to believe that Iran in any way would be responsible with nuclear material?
This is a genuine concern and if you dismiss it as laughable Sir you are seriously underestimating not simply the American, not simply the Israeli, but I would suggest the world's concern over the direction your government is heading.
Larijani: The disastrous thing is the blind policy of the United States in supporting carte blanche renegade Israel which is the source of all tension in the region. If you call Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist groups- they are fighting to be given the permission to live. What about Israel?
Israel is involved in government sponsored terrorism. Kills anybody who thinks that it's not correct and deprives millions of people from basic tenures of life. 60 years of atrocity in that area is supported carte blanche by the US, this is even against the basic interests of that nation- they don't know it.
Mitchum:Sir do you recognize the right of Israel to exist?
Larijani: We recognize the rights of Jews, Christians and Muslims to live together in peace and tranquility- to create a racist regime in the middle of a land put the others out is like creating a small colony for the blacks and leave the rest for the whites.
Mitchum: Thank you for the answer.
Barnicle: The answer is no.
Larijani: No, the answer is not no. We respect any decision by Palestinians. We are not in a position to tell them what kind of state they [should] have. But they should be given the chance to decide.
MSNBC:This has been fascinating and a great picture window into the choices that Americans make when they're choosing their president and also a sense of what our Secretary of State and what our diplomats have to confront in dealing with when they're going out into the world and working with other countries.
It is extremely complicated and often conversations feel like they're going in circles because it's very hard to develop a common understanding or even a place where you can start engaging and I think this was an example of that. Mohammad Javad Larijani, thank you for coming on the show this morning.
20m:49s
14133
Ayatollah Khamenei : Islamic revolutions from Yemen to Bahrain to Egypt,...
English Voiceover (Recorded from Press TV, June 3, 2012)
Part of speech of the Leader of the Muslim Ummah, and Supreme Leader of the...
English Voiceover (Recorded from Press TV, June 3, 2012)
Part of speech of the Leader of the Muslim Ummah, and Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution , Ayatullah Imam Sayyed Ali al-Khamenei(HA) on June 4, 2012
http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=9483
http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id...
The Islamic Revolution Leader cautioned that the west and its puppet regimes were trying to make the revolutionary nations to perceive their revolutions were useless, adding however that unlike those western claims, the political and social situation on the ground has effectively changed due to the revolutions and that greater changes were forthcoming.
Ayatollah Khamenei described Egypt as a great country with an influential nation, adding that former corrupt rulers had stolen the Egyptian nation\\\\\\\'s dignity by turning it into a strategic treasure for the usurping Israel however today the treasure has been recovered from the Zionist usurpers.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the Mubarak regime was tasked to guarantee the Israeli security even at the cost of imprisoning one and a half million people in Gaza during the 22-day Israeli war on the besieged enclave however, today, with Mubarak ousted, the Zionist regime feels naked and goes upset.
The Islamic Revolution Leader said a military hue and cry made by the Zionist authorities against Iran actually exposed their empty hands and fearful state, adding that the regime\\\\\\\'s authorities are well aware that they are now more vulnerable than ever so that any inappropriate action on their part would lash back down on themselves like thunders.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the US and other western powers, as unconditional supporters of the Zionist regime were suffering much unfavorable conditions nowadays due to their economic and social problems, adding that the crisis has become more tangible after the falling from power of several pro-US governments across Europe as well as an ever increasing hatred on the part of nations against the US.
Ayatollah Khamenei cautioned that the west seeks to transfer its own crisis to Asia and Africa, adding that a major western method to transfer its problems was to incite sectarian and religious strife in the Middle Eastern and North African revolutionary countries with a view to develop a counter-movement from inside the very revolutions.
\\\\\\\"Today, Americans have embarked on inciting sectarian and religious conflicts in the revolutionary countries by using the British experiences in such fields; all the nations and their scholars, either Shii or Sunni, must be vigilant not to advance the enemy conspiracy,\\\\\\\" Ayatollah Khamenei urged.
Ayatollah Khamenei reaffirmed however that stability will be restored to the revolutionary countries, especially Egypt and that any dictator regimes will be uprooted from the region.
Ayatollah Khamenei deplored that amid these developments the Bahraini people were suffering double innocence. \\\\\\\"The Bahraini people are simply repressed by a despotic, dictator regime only because they wish to cherish the rudiments of democracy,\\\\\\\" the Islamic Revolution Leader said.
The Islamic Revolution Leader said that all the revolutionary nations would eventually fulfill their goals only if they avoid sectarian or religious conflicts
19m:24s
34340
Sayyed Ali Khamenei Participating in Irans 11th Presidential Election -...
14th June 2013 - Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has cast his ballots in Iran\\\'s 11th presidential and 4th city...
14th June 2013 - Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has cast his ballots in Iran\\\'s 11th presidential and 4th city and rural council elections as the polls officially opened across the country.
Speaking to reporters after casting his vote minutes after the opening of the polls early Friday, the Leader stressed the importance of the Iranian nation\\\'s \\\"effective, timely, massive and enthusiastic\\\" participation in the elections.
\\\"The dear Iranian people should enter the scene of elections with fervour and motivation, and [they should] know that the destiny of the country and prosperity of the nation depend on their presence and the choice they make,\\\" Ayatollah Khamenei stated.
The Leader said the Iranian people play a key role in determining their fate, and that is the reason behind enemies\\\' propaganda campaigns against the nation.
The enemies have made every effort to create voter apathy in Iran by trying to incite \\\"cynicism and despair\\\" among Iranians, Ayatollah Khamenei underlined.
They have not stopped with media propaganda to achieve their goal, said the Leader, adding that Western politicians and figures affiliated with the enemies are now overtly trying to discourage people from taking part.
Pointing to US officials\\\' dismissive remarks about the elections in Iran, the Leader stated, \\\"The views of enemies have never had any significance for the Iranian people, and the [Iranian] nation itself has always made decisions about what it needs and what is in the interest of the country, and has made and will make its choice on that basis.\\\"
Ayatollah Khamenei recommended that Iranians cast their ballots at the earliest opportunity, adding that no one, not even those close to him, is privy to his vote.
The Leader further expressed hope that the election results would benefit the country and people, and bring prosperity as well as material and spiritual welfare to the nation.
Officials in charge of running the elections should know that the \\\"people\\\'s votes are left in their trust,\\\" Ayatollah Khamenei underscored.
The Iranians began casting their ballots at 8:00 am (0330 GMT) on Friday with the polls scheduled to remain open for ten hours. The time can be extended if necessary.
Six candidates, namely President of the Expediency Council\\\'s Center for Strategic Research Hassan Rohani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili, Secretary of the Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, and former Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Gharazi are running in the presidential election.
Over 200,000 candidates are also running for city and rural council elections.
10m:2s
13192
[14 June 13] Iran Presidential polls in Berlin - English
The polling stations for the Iranian presidential election opened in Germany to give Iranians living outside their home country the chance to cast...
The polling stations for the Iranian presidential election opened in Germany to give Iranians living outside their home country the chance to cast their vote. More than 100,000 Iranians live in Germany and despite Friday being a working day here, many came to the Iranian Embassy in Berlin to vote.
Polling stations were set up in Berlin, the consulates in Hamburg, Munich and Frankfurt as well as in Bonn, the former German capital. Eligible voters taking part in the election chose one of the six candidates to succeed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. And although they might be far away from their hometown, they feel the responsibility to take part in this key event.
The polling station in the Iranian Embassy in Berlin remains open for the day allowing Iranians to freely cast their vote and contribute to electing the candidate of their choice.
Many Iranians living in Germany have used their right to vote in Iran\'s presidential election in the five polling stations set up all over the country and now they curiously await the result.
2m:42s
6322