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
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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
48747
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
8m:36s
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Gaza-Israel Massacres More than 300 Palestinians-800 Wounded Part 5-English
In a statement on Sunday, Iran called for restraint and an immediate halt of the large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
Israel attacked the...
In a statement on Sunday, Iran called for restraint and an immediate halt of the large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
Israel attacked the impoverished strip on Saturday, leaving 800 people in a critical state. The Saturday attacks are widely believed to be one of the worst in the 60-year history of the Israeli occupation.
"The international community is duty bound to defend Gaza civilians in the face of Israel's genocide and crimes against humanity," the Foreign Ministry statement reads according to press tv.
"Tel Aviv's bombardment of the Gaza Strip is yet another brazen example of Israel's terrorist mindset and its gross violation of human rights," it adds.
The statement condemns the barrage of Israeli attacks on civilian non-military targets as being in stark defiance of the Geneva Convention and UN resolutions.
Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states that no protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed, hence collective punishment and all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.
The Saturday onslaught came after a six-month truce between Israel and the democratically-elected Palestinian government of Hamas expired on December 19 - and after repeated violations by Tel Aviv.
The Arab world reacted in shock to the Israeli incursion into Gaza and stepped up calls for retaliation against Israel.
"Today everybody has to stand by the side of the Palestinian people and stop this blind military action," said Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Russia and France have also decried the large-scale operations, demanding that Israel immediately halt its attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, however, snubbed international appeals for an end to the attacks and asserted that operations against Gaza will go on for "as long as necessary".
"There is a time for cease-fires and a time to fight, and now is the time to fight," said Barak, adding that the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and security forces have been masterminding the Gaza invasion "for months".
In a televised speech on Sunday, Barak confirmed that Tel Aviv may even send ground troops into Gaza to help in carrying out fresh attacks on the coastal strip.
The UN Security Council held emergency consultations Saturday night and early Sunday to outline a resolution, by which Israel would be obliged to halt its military operations "without delay".
16m:35s
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Al Qaeda Does not Exist - 2 - English
This is the Prologue to the new documentary from The Corbett Report Al Qaeda Does not Exist This documentary interrogates the notion that Osama Bin...
This is the Prologue to the new documentary from The Corbett Report Al Qaeda Does not Exist This documentary interrogates the notion that Osama Bin Laden single handedly runs the pervasive Al Qaeda terrorist network by examining its inception its links to Western intelligence the double agents and fictitious characters that populate its ranks and the fraudulent ways the Al Qaeda myth is propagated in the controlled corporate media The documentary also offers ways that citizens can become involved in helping to spread understanding about the true government sponsored terror paradigm
8m:59s
6896
Al Qaeda Does not Exist - 3- English
This is the Prologue to the new documentary from The Corbett Report Al Qaeda Does not Exist This documentary interrogates the notion that Osama Bin...
This is the Prologue to the new documentary from The Corbett Report Al Qaeda Does not Exist This documentary interrogates the notion that Osama Bin Laden single handedly runs the pervasive Al Qaeda terrorist network by examining its inception its links to Western intelligence the double agents and fictitious characters that populate its ranks and the fraudulent ways the Al Qaeda myth is propagated in the controlled corporate media The documentary also offers ways that citizens can become involved in helping to spread understanding about the true government sponsored terror paradigm
5m:34s
6681
Cynthia McKinney in an Israeli jail - English
As if we needed any more proof that the international media deliberately avoids exposing anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian injustices, its suspect...
As if we needed any more proof that the international media deliberately avoids exposing anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian injustices, its suspect behavior during recent days has sealed the case.
Even as we were being force-fed minute details of Michael Jackson's colorful life along with endless speculation as to the true parentage of his children, a former U.S. Congresswomen and presidential candidate, Cynthia McKinney, was languishing in an Israeli jail.
Her 'crime' was boarding the Free Gaza Movement's aid vessel The Spirit of Humanity in Cyprus, in an effort to break Israel's cruel siege of Gaza, which even the U.S. President has condemned.
Like several of her sister vessels, The Spirit of Humanity was attacked by the Israeli Navy in international waters before being boarded by Israeli commandos and dragged along with its crew and passengers towards Israel.
Once there, 21 human rights advocates from the U.S., Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Jordan, Palestine and Yemen, including McKinney, Noble Laureate Mairead Maguire, and documentary filmmaker Adam Shapiro, were incarcerated.
Let's be realistic. If just about any other high-profile U.S. politician on any other mission had been detained within a cell block on foreign soil, the incident would have merited headlines.
However, McKinney's abduction went almost unnoticed. Not only was the story relegated to the back pages, if it ran at all, there was a corresponding absence of comment from Congress and the White House.
McKinney is now home after refusing to sign a statement in Hebrew that she was guilty of a violation, but the mainstream media is certainly not clamoring at her door for interviews.
As far as I can tell, her ordeal has mostly been covered by left-wing outlets such as Democracy Now or Middle East networks including Al Jazeera and Press TV.
A number of McKinney's supporters say the reason for the media blackout was the fact that she is a Black American. But, in fact, it's her cause that's the problem rather than her color.
My analysis is based on the lack of media coverage given to the Viva Palestina aid convoy of trucks and ambulances from London to Gaza, led by British Parliamentarian George Galloway.
The Herculean efforts of hundreds of ordinary Britons to deliver much-needed humanitarian supplies to war-torn Gaza earlier this year was a non-event as far as the media was concerned until Galloway was barred from entering Canada as a result.
Unless you're a person who relentlessly digs on the internet, you probably are not aware that during McKinney's ordeal, Galloway, along with Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic, were meeting up with over 200 Americans in Cairo armed with $2 million (Dh7.35 million) that was raised in the U.S. to buy trucks and medical aid destined for Gaza.
The Egyptian English-language paper Al Ahram Weekly dubs this ""the largest grassroots medical relief effort for Gaza in U.S. history"" but once again, this doesn't merit column inches in either U.S. or European mainstream papers.
In a similar vein, is the way that the horrendous courtroom stabbing of 32-year-old Marwa Al Sherbini was considered inconsequential by the German media until it elicited angry protests in her hometown of Alexandria.
There are so many aspects to this story, which should have been emblazoned across front pages.
First of all it was a blatant race crime, which Germany is normally sensitive about. Second, it begs questions concerning court security.
What were armed officers doing when Marwa was stabbed 18 times and why was her husband shot when he attempted to protect his pregnant wife?
What kind of editors would bin reports of such a horrendous crime carried out in full view of the authorities? What were they thinking?
Purely coincidentally, I was sitting at a table with one of Marwa's uncles in an Alexandria coffee shop when he received a call on his mobile and had to dash off because of a ""family emergency"".
Today, this exceptionally close-knit family is devastated and hurt that the murder of one of their own wasn't initially treated with the weight the crime deserved.
Egyptians are outraged at Germany's disinterest and the inaction of their own foreign office. The numbers who attended her funeral, who gathered outside the German embassy in Cairo and who demonstrated in Cairo and Alexandria speak for themselves.
Because Marwa's dispute with her attacker was based on his objections to her Islamic headscarf, the death of the young pharmacist has become an emblem for the rights of Muslim women at a time when the French President is attempting to ban the burqa. Marwa loved life.
She didn't plan to become a martyr. But in the eyes of Egyptians calling for a mosque and a street in Alexandria to be renamed in her honor, she is a heroine.
If the U.S. and Europe are chronically supine when it comes to Muslim causes, then the governments and media throughout the Arab and Muslim world should embrace them clearly and loudly.
With anti-Muslim hate crimes on the rise, Muslims need a strong united voice on the international stage. Shame on the world's media that appears to be united only in its anti-Muslim bias!
Linda S. Heard is a specialist British writer on Middle East affairs.
(Source: Gulf News
5m:10s
12778
Gaza Photo Expo Threatened with Closure - 16Feb2010 - English
On Monday, Feb. 15th, Cinema du Parc received an email insisting that CJPME's Photo Exposition, Human Drama in Gaza, be immediately removed from...
On Monday, Feb. 15th, Cinema du Parc received an email insisting that CJPME's Photo Exposition, Human Drama in Gaza, be immediately removed from the Cinema. The email was from a legal representative of Gestion Redbourne PDP Inc., the owners of the building housing Cinema du Parc. The Cinema has hosted dozens of expositions in the past three years, and this is the first time that such action has been taken. This move on the part of Redbourne seems entirely political, to muzzle the message of Human Drama in Gaza.
If you live outside Montreal, click here (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103051037264&s=16948&e=001lbx5DoOzK2lQ2AkszhAXAcw77yHdCXtCL8T0qJpd4L_1Nbb17CtbwXJvymCoHeOkYqGvkWUSWVEuH0gY0YTHWYo2RySXVSbYQdNd_gXJkkyFSlO25c9M2C6OBYbWHHnXJVQatP5EzstlidTU5Qk2fQ==) to protest this action.
On Monday, Feb. 15th, the critically acclaimed Human Drama in Gaza
Photo Exposition in Montreal was threatened with closure by Gestion Redbourne PDP Inc., the real
estate management firm owning the property housing the Exposition. A legal representative of
Redbourne, Lieba Shell, sent an email late in the day to the exposition host, Cinema du Parc,
ordering the removal of the exposition and threatening legal action if the exposition were not taken
down by evening. Cinema du Parc and Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
(CJPME) – the producer of the exposition – asserted through their legal advisor, Mark H. Arnold,
that such threats from Redbourne were not lawful.
Human Drama in Gaza was launched in mid-January, and received very positive reviews in several
media. Redbourne, however, demanded the removal of the exposition based on a paragraph in the
lease that Cinema du Parc has with Redbourne relating to “purely cinemagraphic use” of the
premises. Arnold, however, asserted that the cinema’s hosting of a photo exposition would very
much constitute cinemagraphic use of the premises. Officials with Cinema du Parc also pointed out
that the cinema has hosted dozens of photo expositions in the past several years, and has never had
a complaint from Redbourne, the landlord.
“This move on the part of Redbourne is clearly political,” declared Thomas Woodley, President of
CJPME. “Cinema du Parc is known for its ongoing expositions which touch on important issues of
social concern, and Redbourne never had an issue in the past.” Last week, both Cinema du Parc
and Place du Parc (the shopping mall housing the cinema and owned by Redbourne) received
emails and calls from individuals unhappy with the Human Drama in Gaza exposition. The
complaints accused the exposition of being anti-Israel, but stopped short of questioning the
credibility of the exposition content. “The suffering of the 1.5 million people of Gaza is an
important social issue like any other,” asserted Woodley. “The fact that certain people wish to stifle
open discussion on Gaza is even more a reason to bring the debate out into the open.”
According to CJPME, the exposition itself seeks to put a human face to the misery of the people of
Gaza, and the poignant resilience of a people facing severe adversity. The captions accompanying
the photos cite statistics and legal analyses of Israel’s 22-day assault on Gaza of last winter. The
legal advisor to CJPME pointed out that if security forces from Redbourne were to attempt to
forcibly remove the exposition, they would be considered trespassers. As such, Arnold concluded,
the “Cinema staff have been advised to immediately call the police.”
About CJPME – Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is a non-profit and secular
organization bringing together men and women of all backgrounds who labour to see justice and peace take
root again in the Middle East. Its mission is to empower decision-makers to view all sides with fairness and to
promote the equitable and sustainable development of the region.
For more information, please contact Grace Batchoun at 514-745-8491or
[email protected].
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
www.cjpme.org
More Info
CJPME's Human Drama in Gaza Photo Exposition features 44 photos, taken before, during and after last winter's 22-day assault on Gaza by professional photographers from Israel, Palestine, and the West. Produced by CJPME, and funded through private donations, the Montreal stop at Cinema du Parc is the first in a series of cross-Canada shows.
The Montreal Exposition began on Friday, Jan. 15th and was originally scheduled to continue through through Sunday, February 28th. The Exposition is open from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, and from 3:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. on weekends. All the photos and captions used in the Exposition can be found here, and a video trailer introducing the Exposition can be found here.
Cinema du Parc has been great partner in the hosting of the Exposition in Montreal, and is standing its ground in the face of Redbourne's action.
1m:23s
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Israel Threatens Libyan Aid Ship for Gaza - 11July2010 - English
To defy Israel's four-year blockade of the impoverished Palestinian enclave, a Libyan aid ship departs for the Egyptian port of El-Arish en route...
To defy Israel's four-year blockade of the impoverished Palestinian enclave, a Libyan aid ship departs for the Egyptian port of El-Arish en route to Gaza.
The cargo ship Amalthea, which left the Greek port of Lavrio, southeast of Athens, late Saturday, is carrying 2,000 tons of food and medical supplies, including sacks of rice, sugar, corn oil and olive paste, intended for suffering Gazans.
"We hope that the Israeli authorities would not ban the ship from entering the port of Gaza," said Youssef Sawani, Executive Director of the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation. The foundation is chaired by the son of Libyan Leader, Muammar Gaddafi.
"I think the Israelis need to understand that we are not provoking any kind of action, we are not in military action, we are a peaceful organization, a humanitarian organization," he said.
Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas said he has discussed the ship's planned trip with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Friday.
The ship has nine crew members — six Libyans, a Moroccan, a Nigerian and an Algerian.
This latest attempt comes after Israeli commandos attacked the Freedom Flotilla aid convoy on May 31 in international waters, killing 9 Turkish activists.
The Israeli assault sparked a worldwide condemnation and a row between Ankara and Tel Aviv. Turkey's Prime Minister demanded that Israel apologize for the deadly attack on the Turkish-owned ship Mavi Marmara, offer compensation to the victims, agree to an international investigation and end the blockade of Gaza.
It also recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv and cancelled military exercises with Israel. It has also twice denied Israel the use of its airspace.
Israel has refused to apologize, claiming its commandos only used force to defend themselves after being ambushed.
1m:52s
7883
Iran To Fully Support Syria and Lebanon Against Any Israeli Aggression -...
FM: Iran fully supports Lebanon, Syria
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has expressed Iran's full support for Lebanon and Syria in...
FM: Iran fully supports Lebanon, Syria
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has expressed Iran's full support for Lebanon and Syria in the event of any possible Israeli aggression.
The Iranian government and nation is fully prepared to support the Lebanese and Syrian nations and governments in the face of a possible Israeli aggression, Mottaki said at a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Ali al-Shami in the Iranian capital Tehran on Sunday.
The Iranian minister further added that the three countries are constantly exchanging views about Israel's war threats and said Iran will offer any assistance to Lebanon and Syria.
Mottaki strongly condemned the recent aggression by Israeli forces near Lebanon's southern border, saying, "Moves by the Zionist regime and the recent aggressions showed its desperation rather than an indication of a will and decision to display its strength."
"Iran reserves the right for the Lebanese government, nation and army to stop any aggression in their defense and put all ways to pursue the case through international circles on their agenda," he said.
Mottaki further added that that the UN peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, failed to fulfill its duty and to prevent such aggressions.
According to the Iranian minister, regional countries will not allow Israel's hit-and-run policies to continue.
He noted that Iran and Lebanon enjoy common stance on regional and international issues and support the establishment of just systems in international relations.
1m:41s
8489
Al Qaeda Does not Exist - English
This documentary interrogates the notion that Osama Bin Laden single handedly runs the pervasive Al Qaeda terrorist network by examining its...
This documentary interrogates the notion that Osama Bin Laden single handedly runs the pervasive Al Qaeda terrorist network by examining its inception its links to Western intelligence the double agents and fictitious characters that populate its ranks and the fraudulent ways the Al Qaeda myth is propagated in the controlled corporate media The documentary also offers ways that citizens can become involved in helping to spread understanding about the true government sponsored terror paradigm
24m:17s
6530
Iran unveils home-built combat drone "Karrar" - 22Aug2010 - English
Iran unveils home-built combat drone, Iran unveils its first domestically-manufactured long-range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UAV in a ceremony marking...
Iran unveils home-built combat drone, Iran unveils its first domestically-manufactured long-range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UAV in a ceremony marking Defense Industry Day in the country.
The unveiling of the home-made drone, named Karrar took place in the presence of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a number of defense officials.
The Karrar UAV is capable of carrying a military payload of rockets to carry out bombing missions against ground targets. It is also capable of flying long distances at a very high speed.
Iran's defense industries have demonstrated spectacular progress in the recent year, launching numerous domestically-built armaments, including aerial and sea-borne military vehicles such as submarines, combat frigates, and various types of missiles.
Iran inaugurated the production line of two domistically-built UAVs with bombing and reconnaissance capabilities.
The two hi-tech drones named 'Ra'd' (Thunder) and 'Nazir' (Harbinger) are capable of performing long-range reconnaissance, patrolling, assault and bombing missions with high precision.
Ra'd, a UAV especially designed for assault and bombing missions, has the capability to destroy specific targets with high precision.
Tehran established an arms development program during the 1980-88 war that Iraq waged against Iran to counter the weapons embargo imposed on it by the US and its Western allies. Since 1992, Iran has manufactured its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and fighter planes.
Iran successfully tested a home-made radar-evading UAV with bombing capabilities in June 2009.
In 2008, the Islamic Republic's Defense Industries launched production lines of two home-built fighter jets, namely Saeqeh (Thunderbolt) and Azarakhsh (Lightening).
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Northern Cardinal - Mini Documentary - English
Transcription: "With a crested head, black mask around its eyes and brilliant red body, the Northern Cardinal is one of the most famous birds in...
Transcription: "With a crested head, black mask around its eyes and brilliant red body, the Northern Cardinal is one of the most famous birds in North America.
It is a mid-sized songbird that lives in wooded areas and has a distinct orange beak shaped perfectly for eating seeds which make up the majority of its diet.
The Northern Cardinal does not migrate. It is a year-round resident whose range extends from southern Canada to Mexico on the eastern half of the continent.
The plumage of the males feathers is much brighter and more vibrant than that of the females it is trying to attract.
It learns its song, so the tune of the cardinal will vary by region.
This beautiful bird is named after the cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church who wore red robes and caps.
It is the state bird in seven states - North Carolina, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Virginia."
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Indian Troops Kill Dozens In Occupied Kashmir As Kashmirs Protest Quran...
Indian troops kill dozens in Kashmir
At least 18 people have been killed and over 100 injured in Indian-controlled Kashmir as soldiers open...
Indian troops kill dozens in Kashmir
At least 18 people have been killed and over 100 injured in Indian-controlled Kashmir as soldiers open fire on pro-independence rallies in disputed Himalayan region.
Security forces opened fire on tens of thousands of protesters in the Budgam and Tangmarg areas.
An Indian soldier was also killed in the violence.
The protests were particularly intense following the news of the desecration of the Quran in the US.
On Sunday, India imposed a curfew in many areas of Kashmir.
However, people have been pouring out to the streets across Kashmir to protest against Indian rule despite the curfews.
The latest round of public outrage began after a government forces' teargas grenade killed a teenager back in June.
More than 80 protesters and by-standers have lost their lives during the unrest ever since.
Article Source: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/142336.html
Kashmiris protest Quran desecration
Hundreds of Muslims have defied curfews in Indian-administered Kashmir and hit the streets to voice their anger over desecration of Islam's holy book in the US.
Protests were held in the region's main city of Srinagar and its neighboring districts despite strict curfews, The Nation reported on Monday.
"Death to the US!" and "Death to Quran desecrators!" chanted the protesters, who described the act as despicable.
The protesters also called for punishment of those behind the desecration of the Quran.
"These are absolutely pro-Islam protests and we demand befitting punishment to those who have desecrated the holy Quran. No Muslim anywhere in the world will watch the desecration of the holy Quran as a mute spectator. This protest is beyond borders and nationalities," a 55-year-old Kashmiri said.
Although an American pastor cancelled earlier plans to burn copies of the Quran, other anti-Islam elements in the US desecrated the holy book in New York and in Washington on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
The protest rallies in Srinagar erupted after local television showed a small group of protesters tearing apart and burning pages from the Muslim holy book outside the White House on Saturday.
Article Source: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/142324.html
India knocks Press TV off air in Kashmir
India has banned local cable operators in Indian-administered Kashmir from airing Iran's English-language Press TV in the disputed Himalayan region.
State Chief Secretary SS Kapur made the announcement in Kashmir's summer capital of Srinagar on Monday.
"We have decided to impose a ban on the airing of Press TV broadcasts by local cable operators," Kapur told reporters.
The ban comes as Press TV has become popular across the Muslim-majority region due to its enhanced coverage of the regional events over the past three months.
Media organizations have strongly condemned the move and demanded that the government put the channel back on air.
However, reports say more and more people in Kashmir continue to get their news from Press TV via internet services or direct broadcast satellites.
In a separate development, hundreds of Kashmiris have come out to the streets to voice their anger over the desecration of Islam's holy book in the US.
Protests were held in the Indian-administered region's main city of Srinagar, and its neighboring districts despite strict curfews in place.
The protesters, who were shouting anti-US slogans, described the act as despicable, calling for the punishment of those behind the desecration of the Quran.
The protests erupted after pages from the Muslim holy book were torn up and burned in Washington, as well as in other US cities.
The move has outraged Muslims all over the world.
Meanwhile, at least twelve people were killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir as soldiers opened fire on pro-independence rallies on Monday.
Unrest in Kashmir has claimed at least 83 lives over the past three months.
Kashmir has been rocked by a wave of protests over the death of a teenager back in June.
He was killed when Indian police fired teargas shells during demonstrations against India's rule over the mainly Muslim-populated Kashmir.
Article Source: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/142343.html
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Recent Cyber Attacks On Irans Infrastructure - US & israel likely...
US, Israel behind cyber-attack on Iran?
Experts say a computer worm that has targeted Iran's industrial sites may be part of a cyber-attack by...
US, Israel behind cyber-attack on Iran?
Experts say a computer worm that has targeted Iran's industrial sites may be part of a cyber-attack by the US or Israel against the Islamic Republic.
The Stuxnet, a computer worm that is viewed as potentially the most dangerous piece of computer malware discovered, has targeted industrial computers in Iran.
The complex worm recognizes a specific facility's control network and then destroys it.
Experts say the worm, which has a very sophisticated design, may have been created by a state-sponsored organization in the US or Israel to target specific control software being used in the Iranian industrial sector, including the Bushehr plant -- Iran's first nuclear power plant.
"All the details so far to me scream that this was created by a nation-state," Bloomberg quoted Frank Rieger, technology chief for a maker of encrypted mobile phones, as saying.
Iran's nuclear facilities may have been the targets, said both Rieger and Richard Falkenrath of the Chertoff Group, a Washington-based security advisory firm.
"It is theoretically possible that the US government did this," Falkenrath said during an interview with Bloomberg Television on Saturday. "But in my judgment, that's a very remote possibility. It's more likely that Israel did it."
Meanwhile, a top US cyber-security official claims that the US does not know who is behind the cyber-attack and is still analyzing the worm.
"We've conducted analysis on the software itself," Sean McGurk, director of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, told reporters on Friday.
"It's very difficult to say 'This is what it was targeted to do,'" he said, adding the center was not looking for those behind the attack but it rather sought to prevent the spread.
The US and Israel accuse Iran of developing a nuclear weapons program. Iran rejects the allegation, saying its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, in its several reports, has confirmed that it continues to verify the country's non-diversion from its peaceful path.
Article Source: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/143868.html
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Ahmadinejad hails petrol self-sufficiency - Complete Speech - Oct16-2010...
Ahmadinejad hails petrol self-sufficiency - Complete Speech - Oct16-2010 - English
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has downplayed sanctions...
Ahmadinejad hails petrol self-sufficiency - Complete Speech - Oct16-2010 - English
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has downplayed sanctions against the country, saying threats made Iran move towards gasoline self-sufficiency.
"They (the enemies) wanted to threaten a great nation through imposing sanctions on gasoline and they thought they could impose their policies on our country," ISNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying in a meeting with Iranian oil industry officials and experts on Saturday.
"Today we announce that we have reached self-sufficiency in the production of gasoline. It is a big event which displayed the capabilities of our experts both in the oil industry and in the international arena," he added.
He slammed arrogant powers for their dominance over the world's economy, science and technology, saying, "Arrogant countries do not know that the world [equations] has changed. This is the reason they committed big mistakes in the face of the Iranian nation."
Ahmadinejad went on to say that Iran has done nothing wrong in its nuclear program as it has always abided by all mutual agreements and the regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Iran became self-sufficient in gasoline production under circumstances that the United Nations Security Council had imposed four rounds of sanctions on the country over allegations that Tehran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program.
Iran says its nuclear program is entirely peaceful and within the framework of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, to which it is a signatory.
The IAEA, in its several reports, has also verified the country's non-diversion from peaceful purposes
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Imam Khamenei(HA) Visits Qum al-Muqaddasah, Massive Welcome,...
Recorded October 19, 2010 at 1800bst Press TV News
Leader: Enemies target people, religion
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed...
Recorded October 19, 2010 at 1800bst Press TV News
Leader: Enemies target people, religion
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has warned against enemy plots to target the Iranian people and their religion.
\\\\\\\"Enemies of the Islamic Revolution who intend to inflict damage on the revolution have two main targets, including the religion of the people and their devotion to the revolution,\\\\\\\" said Ayatollah Khamenei in an address to a huge crowd of enthusiastic people in the holy city of Qom on Tuesday.
The Leader added that enemies are well aware of the fact that the Islamic Revolution could not resist against their plots if it were not based on religion.
\\\\\\\"An establishment which is based on religion will not yield to pressure of enemies and bullying powers,\\\\\\\" Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader reiterated that the Iranian nation has always supported the Islamic Revolution and said the Islamic establishment could not resist against enemies if the Iranians did not have a complete presence in all scenes and if there were a rift between the people and the country\\\\\\\'s officials.
The Leader pointed to the presence of 40 million Iranians in last year\\\\\\\'s presidential election, saying it vaccinated the Islamic Revolution against social and political microbes and increased the people\\\\\\\'s insight.
He emphasized that the country\\\\\\\'s enemies failed to create a rift between the Iranian nation and the officials of the Islamic establishment.
Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out that enemies were irked by the presence of 40 million people in the election, adding that all their efforts in this regard failed.
The Leader downplayed sanctions against the Islamic Republic over its nuclear energy program and said sanctions were aimed at exerting pressure on the nation to cause the separation of the people from the Islamic establishment.
\\\\\\\"By God\\\\\\\'s grace, sanctions will have no impact on the Iranian nation,\\\\\\\" he said. \\\\\\\"Today, Iranians are moving towards a bright future with more progress and will thwart enemies\\\\\\\' plots.\\\\\\\"
The Leader said enemies are following up two main issues which include Islam without clergymen and Islam without politics and added enemies know that clerics play an effective role in the lives of people.
He further added that the country\\\\\\\'s enemies have raised doubts about religious values in an attempt to weaken the pillars of people\\\\\\\'s faith and continued, \\\\\\\"Enemies intend to disappoint people with the country\\\\\\\'s officials and sow the seed of pessimism.\\\\\\\"
Ayatollah Khamenei criticized those who are spreading rumors about the Iranian government and its achievements, saying, \\\\\\\"Such moves are not in line with the interests of the country\\\\\\\'s future.\\\\\\\"
He further urged the Iranian nation to maintain national unity and strengthen its solidarity with the three branches of the state.
Article Source: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/147291.html
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** MUST Listen ** Complete Sermon of Prophet Muhammad (S) at...
Complete Sermon of Prophet Muhammad SAWW at Ghadeer Khum by Agha Hassan Mujtaba Rizvi - English
The Ghadir event and its significance...
Complete Sermon of Prophet Muhammad SAWW at Ghadeer Khum by Agha Hassan Mujtaba Rizvi - English
The Ghadir event and its significance
Seventy days before his demise, when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF) 1 was returning to Medina after his last pilgrimage to Mecca, he reached the pond of Khum
(Ghadir Khum) near Juhfa. It was the 18th of the month of Dhul-Hijja of the year 10 AH (March 15, 632 AD). By this time, the Prophet (PBUH&HF) had conveyed
all of the divine commandments to his nation except for the formal and explicit public announcement of his divinely appointed successors as the leaders,
guardians, and guides for the believers for all days to come.
By the order of Allah, the Prophet (PBUH&HF) stopped at the pond of Khum, gathered the crowd of pilgrims, and delivered his last universal speech. In this
sermon, he presented his last religious instruction which finalized the last divine religion and made Islam the perfect religion in the sight of Allah. Imam
Muhammad al-Baqir (PBUH), the fifth Imam and successor of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: “The last obligatory duty that Allah sent down was al-Walaya(adherence
to the guardian assigned by Allah). Then, He sent down the verse: ‘Today, I completed your religion…’1 once the Messenger of Allah established it in Juhfa
area.”
This message was the most unique in the entire mission of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) due to the revelation of Verse 67, Chapter 5 of the Holy Quran before his
speech. In this revelation, Allah warned His Messenger that failing to deliver this last message would nullify his entire mission. This unprecedented warning
proves that this last message contained the most important religious commandment of Allah for the Muslim nation.
Moreover, the contents of this last message were so crucial to the faith that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) emphatically required all those who directly or
indirectly heard the sermon of Ghadir Khum to convey it to people who were not aware of its details, and parents to convey it to their children for all
generations to come. Hence, this sermon addresses all Muslim generations of the world until the Day of Judgement. This emphasis naturally implies that
the content of this message has a vital role in the future of the Muslims, their spiritual health, and their felicity in the Hereafter.
The main issue that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) addressed in his speech in Ghadir Khum was that Allah appointed Ali Ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) as the guardian (Wali),
the master (Mawla), the leader (Imam), and the commander (Amir) of all believing men and women, the deputy and the executor of his affairs (Wasi), and his
successor (Khalifa). His sayings and commands should be preferred over the opinions of all others in every matter. Obeying him is obeying Allah, and
disobeying him is disobeying Allah. Whoever follows him (and his sayings) is a believer under the guardianship of Allah, and whoever turns away from him (or
his sayings) is a disbeliever under the guardianship of Satan.
Guardianship (al-Walaya) expresses a bilateral relation between the guardian and the people. Observing al-Walaya by people means adhering to the guardian and
acknowledging his authority by heart, tongue, and action. On the other hand, the action of al-Walaya by the guardian means offering protection from evil,
spiritual assistance, care, support, and guidance for his adherents. A divinely appointed guardian guards his adherents from misguidance, spiritual
destruction, wrongdoing, and sin as much as they adhere to him and his commands. Establishing al-Walaya has been the ultimate goal of religion and the fruit
of the entire efforts of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF) during his mission.
One who submits to Allah’s representative and adheres to him has indeed acknowledged Allah’s authority and guardianship and is a true monotheist in obeying
Allah. Acknowledging the guardianship of the leaders that Allah appointed and submitting to them is the greatest pillar of faith. It safeguards the followers
from the wrath and punishment of Allah. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (PBUH) said: “Islam is established by five things: prayer, charity, fasting, pilgrimage, and
al-Walaya (adhering to the guardians authorized by Allah). None (among them) was called for as (emphatically as) al-Walaya was called for. However, people
accepted the first four and abandoned al-Walaya.
People who refused to submit to the leaders that Allah appointed resemble the Satan who refused to submit to the viceregent of Allah, Adam (PBUH), and
consequently, became an outcast and went under the curse of Allah forever as mentioned in the Holy Quran.1 It is narrated that Imam al-Ridha (PBUH) said:
“The similitude of the believers in accepting the guardianship of the Commander of the Believers (Ali) on the day of Ghadir Khum is that of the angels in
prostrating before Adam (i.e., submitting to him), and the similitude of those who turned away from the guardianship of the Commander of the Believers on the
day of Ghadir is that of the devil (Iblis).
In one of his speeches on the anniversary of the day of Ghadir, Imam Ali (PBUH) said: “Allah does not accept the faith (of an individual) except after he
acknowledges the guardianship of whom He required. He does not arrange the means of His obedience (for an individual) except after he adheres to His ropes
and the ropes of His authorized people. Thus, Allah sent down to His Prophet (PBUH&HF) on the day of the large trees1 that which explained His will for His
sincere and chosen servants. Allah commanded him to convey (the message) without being concerned about the hypocrites or the deviants, and guaranteed him
protection against their evil... By that, Allah completed His religion, and delighted the eyes of His Prophet (PBUH&HF), and the believers. Some of you
witnessed this event and some received its news. This (appointment) concluded the beautiful word of Allah for those who observe patience… ”
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[English] Hasan Nasrallah Speech on Martyrs Day - Part1 - 11Nov2010
Hezbollah leader says the Lebanese resistance movement will not accept any accusations against its members over the assassination of...
Hezbollah leader says the Lebanese resistance movement will not accept any accusations against its members over the assassination of Lebanon\\\\\\\'s former premier.
\\\\\\\"Whoever thinks the resistance could possibly accept any accusation against any of its jihadists or leaders is mistaken -- no matter the pressures and threats,\\\\\\\" Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech on the occasion of Hezbollah Martyr\\\\\\\'s Day on Thursday.
Rafiq Hariri was killed alongside more than 20 other people in a massive car bomb blast in Beirut on February 14, 2005.
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) was set up by the United Nations and the Lebanese government in May 2007 to investigate the murder. The tribunal is expected to announce its findings by the end of 2010.
\\\\\\\"Whoever thinks that we will allow the arrest or detention of any of our jihadists is mistaken,\\\\\\\" AFP quoted Nasrallah as saying, adding that his political rivals are \\\\\\\"in a hurry to see an indictment\\\\\\\" in the five-year-old case.
Nasrallah said in July that he had been informed by the slain leader\\\\\\\'s son and successor, Saad Hariri, that the court \\\\\\\"will accuse some undisciplined [Hezbollah] members.\\\\\\\"
He rejected the allegation and warned that the plot was part of \\\\\\\"a dangerous project that is targeting the resistance.\\\\\\\"
Nasrallah also warned that the court had led Beirut to a \\\\\\\"sensitive place,\\\\\\\" saying it was aimed at inciting division in the country.
Western-backed parties in Lebanon accused Syria and the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah of involvement in Hariri\\\\\\\'s murder, a claim rejected by both Damascus and Hezbollah.
In September, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri admitted to have wrongly accused Syria of being behind his father\\\\\\\'s assassination and acknowledged that the accusations were politically charged.
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Shia Muslims commemorate Ashura in Lebanon - 16Dec2010 - English
Tens of thousands of people have marched through the streets of Beirut, waving flags and banners to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of the...
Tens of thousands of people have marched through the streets of Beirut, waving flags and banners to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shia Imam Hessein (PBUH).
The outpouring over the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammad's grandson reached to a crescendo in the Southern Suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah secretary general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech.
Ashura in lebanon has come to symbolize the conflict with Israel.This occasion according to hezbollah and many of the masses commemorating Ashura should serve as a reminder to certain sides not to surrender to the will of Israel.
Sayyed Nasrallah once again underscored the importance of not surrendering to Israel, and called on Arab leaders to embrace the choice of resistance rather than negotiating with Israel, which he described as a waste of time.
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed the importance the teachings of Imam Hussein who was martyred in 680 AD by his enemies. Imam Hussein's teachings are considered by Muslims around the world as the basis of resistance against what they believe to be the current forms of occupation and imperialism.
The Hezbollah leader also said there is a new western conspiracy against the resistance and its people.
Many wore black as a sign of mourning and chanted slogans in support of Hezbollah.
The element of Ashura and specifically the effort to fight injustice has been considered by hezbollah as one of its main building blocks.
Today with an international tribunal that could indict some of its members hezbollah views itself as a victim of what it believes to be international injustice and has set out to confront this with what it believes to be the real meaning of truthfullness.
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Ayatollah Khamenei: Shia Against Sunni War is a US-ZIONIST Plot -...
Down with the US Military-Industrial Complex and its war machine. Down with the apartheid Zionist military outpost of the US+Western...
Down with the US Military-Industrial Complex and its war machine. Down with the apartheid Zionist military outpost of the US+Western Military-Industrial Complex in the occupied Palestine, established in 1948 through genocide, ethnic cleansing and mass expulsion of the non-Jewish native population (90-95% of total population in 1948) and their replacement with European settlers. Long Live the Islamic and democratic awakening of the Arab World against its corrupt US puppet regimes and against subjugation and domination by the US and its apartheid Zionist military outpost. Long Live the Islamic Republic of Iran and the unity of Muslim nations from Bosnia and Morocco to Indonesia and Central Asia. Do not be deceived by the US+Western Military-Industrial Complex attempting to mislead you to believe that apartheid Zionist military outpost in the occupied Palestine is a \\\"state.\\\" Just by importing poor and homeless European settlers into the occupied and ethnically-cleansed land and housing them in the perimeter areas of the apartheid Zionist military outpost does not convert the military outpost into a \\\"state.\\\"
The Military-Industrial Complex opposes Iran ONLY on one basis: Iran\\\'s opposition to the establishment of the apartheid Zionist Military outpost by the Complex in occupied Palestinian territories in 1948 through ethnic cleansing, genocide, and mass expulsion.
The Military-Industrial Complex supports and maintains the most reactionary and backward dictatorial puppet regimes in Saudia Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Morroco and Oman but it falsely calls Iran, a constitutional government with presidential term limits, a dictatorship.
Do not be deceived by the Complex\\\'s illegitimate apartheid Zionist Military Outpost, disguised fictitiously to look like a \\\"state\\\" with the disguise provided by the imported European settlers, housed in around the perimeter areas of the outpost, to make it look like a viable state.
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15 April: Solidarity Day with Bahrain Female Prisoners of Conscience -...
Neither in Egypt, nor in Tunisia were women assaulted during the uprisings that took place, even though many women participated and were active...
Neither in Egypt, nor in Tunisia were women assaulted during the uprisings that took place, even though many women participated and were active members in the revolutions and uprisings. As for Bahrain, the Arab Gulf country which should respect the religion, dignity, culture of its women, put many of these in prison.
Hence, Ayatollah Sheikh Issa Ahmad Qassem called for a campaign in solidarity with Bahraini female prisoners for the following aims:
1- Draw international attention to the oppression the Bahraini people are subject to, particularly women.
2- Morally support the Bahraini oppressed people.
3- Defining the legitimate demands of the people most important of which is a constitutional kingdom and elected government.
4- Mobilizing international rights organizations towards the blatant violations of women's rights in Bahrain.
5- Mobilizing the international public opinion and international women's organizations concerned about prisoners of "expressing opinion".
In the same context, the Bahraini Opposition overseas issued a statement in which it said "In response to the multiple methods the Bahraini authority resorts to in order to repress the people and the popular protests in demand of their rights, the people and the opposition insist to continue their peaceful protests despite all the aggression practiced against them."
Particularly speaking about women, the Bahraini Opposition overseas added in its statement that alongside men, the women in Bahrain have stood up to the government demanding their rights, having in return to bear imprisonment, torture, and martyrdom at times. The statement further noted that despite all this aggression, the Bahraini free women are still steadfast and unyielding.
The Bahraini Opposition overseas, therefore "called on the women of the Arab Nation as well as the World, to stand in defense of the Bahraini oppressed women, by that declaring the 15tho f April a day of solidarity with the women of Bahrain under the slogan "Free Women of Bahrain"."
Also, the Opposition urged all women's rights organizations in its statement , whether Arab, Islamic, or international to declare a clear rejection of what the women in Bahrain is subject to, which falls into the category of the these organizations' legal, ethical, and humanitarian duties.
"Save the women of Bahrain...Save the free women in prisons", concluded the statement.
http://www.english.moqawama.org/essaydetails.php?eid=13903&cid=215
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What A Shame for CIA - Obama attested Tehran Operations - 22May11 - English
***MORE DETAILS***
The Iranian Intelligence Ministry says a dismantled espionage ring affiliated to the US Central Intelligence Agency...
***MORE DETAILS***
The Iranian Intelligence Ministry says a dismantled espionage ring affiliated to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had not achieved its goals in Iran.
Heidar Moslehi told Press TV on Sunday that the ministry managed to bust the CIA espionage network with the cooperation of the Iranian people, IRNA reported.
He said that the ministry's proper planning prevented the spy network to achieve its goals, adding, “The most important outcome of our operation was that the United States did not accomplish its objectives in the Islamic Republic.”
The Islamic Republic announced on Saturday that 30 individual have been arrested on charges of sabotage and spying for the US and 42 CIA operatives were identified in connection with the network.
The Iranian intelligence minister stated that the spy-ring was directly taking orders from the CIA, saying that it was headed and operated by top field agents working for the US spy agency.
According to a statement issued by Iran's Intelligence Ministry on Saturday, the network, which was set up by a considerable number of seasoned CIA operatives in several countries, attempted to trick citizens into spying for them under the guise of issuing visa, helping with permanent residency, and making job and study offers.
The CIA operatives had gathered information from "universities and scientific research centers, and in the field of nuclear energy, aerospace, defense and biotechnology industries," part of the statement read.
The spies had also gathered detailed information about the "oil and gas pipelines, telecommunication and electricity networks, airports and customs, the security of the banking and communication systems," by using "US embassies and consulates in several countries particularly "the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Malaysia."
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/181247.html
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***VIEWER DISCRETION*** Turkey leads anti-Syria smear campaign - 13Jun11...
Turkey's smear campaign against the Syrian government is much worse than the propaganda spread by Arab media to tarnish the image of Damascus with...
Turkey's smear campaign against the Syrian government is much worse than the propaganda spread by Arab media to tarnish the image of Damascus with regards to its recent unrest.
While Syrian officials and residents of crisis-hit Syrian regions have repeatedly said that armed groups are responsible for the deadly clashes in the country, Turkey has tried to portray Iran and the Lebanese Resistance Movement, Hezbollah, as being behind the unrest in Syria and that they help Damascus quell protests.
The Turkish NTV news channel recently claimed that the Syrian soldiers who refused to open fire on protesters were shot dead by their commanders.
The broadcaster reported that a Syrian soldier taking refuge in the country says that he and his comrades were trying to avoid hurting protesters by firing warning shots, but those who refused to open fire on protesters were shot dead.
"I've seen Iranians and Hezbollah operators giving instructions to shoot, and those who refused were immediately shot dead," the alleged fugitive Syrian soldier told NTV, adding that the soldiers were mostly shot from behind or in the neck.
The Turkish broadcaster has also claimed that Syrian forces have opened fire on unarmed civilians in al-Rastan.
"We opened fire on everyone, the young, the old... Women were raped in front of their husbands and children," the army defector told NTV.
Political analysts in Middle East affairs have accused Ankara of playing a double game -- claiming to support the Damascus government in order to have greater influence in the Middle East, while at the same time supporting and providing a safe haven for armed gangs seeking to incite revolt in Syria.
Iranian analyst Hadi Mohammadi says that the United States has now formed operational headquarters in southern Turkey close to the border with Syria to direct the riots in the Arab country after its attempts to cause unrest in southern Syria were unsuccessful.
Mohammadi said that the United States has assigned Turkey to carry out its anti-Syria plan. It has hence provided aid to the Turkish Army to assist Syrian dissidents in crossing into Turkey and settle in tent villages set up in Turkey's Hatay Province.
Meanwhile, a mass grave with bodies of at least 10 Syrian security forces was discovered near the northwestern town of Jisr al-Shughour on Monday.
Syria's state TV says the victims were killed by armed gangs and the bodies bore marks of torture.
Heavy clashes were reported as troops and tanks moved into the city on Sunday and gunmen targeted civilian areas including a hospital.
The government says it entered the town to restore order after some 120 security forces were killed there about a week ago. People in Jisr al-Shughour gathered to thank government troops for protecting them against the gunmen.
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Iran successfully launches second satellite " RASAD" into...
Amir Mehdi Kazemi, Press TV,Tehran
Another achievement for Iran's aerospace industry; a new satellite project aimed at bringing Iranian...
Amir Mehdi Kazemi, Press TV,Tehran
Another achievement for Iran's aerospace industry; a new satellite project aimed at bringing Iranian scientists a step closer to a more advanced space technology.
According to Iran's space organization the Safir-e- Rasad Iran's second satellite carrier is responsible for placing the 15.3 kilogram Rasad satellite into orbit. Just minutes after the launch signals were sent down to earth via space cameras, indicating that the satellite had been placed successfully into its circuit on a two month mission.
The project has been the result of cooperations between the aerospace organization and Malek Ashtar University both affiliated to Iran's ministry of defense and Iran's space organization.
The Rasad is the country's first imaging satellite. Despite its small dimensions which puts it under the category of micro-satellites the device has all the features of big satellite.
It will orbit the earth at an altitude of 260 kilometers 15 times every 24 hours.
The satellite is equipped with solar panels and uses solar energy to work.
Iran launched its first home made satellite Omid in 2009. The telecommunication satellite put Iran's name in the list as the ninth country to develop satellite launch capability.
With Iran's space projects speeding up the sky no longer seems to be the limit for scientists in Iran. Tehran says that it plans to launch the country's first manned mission to space by 2019.
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Supreme Leader Praises Iranian Nation Resistance against Bullying Powers...
Supreme Leader Praises Iranian Nation\\\'s Resistance against Bullying Powers
TEHRAN (FNA)- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution...
Supreme Leader Praises Iranian Nation\\\'s Resistance against Bullying Powers
TEHRAN (FNA)- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei downplayed the plots hatched by the enemies against the Iranian people, and hailed the nation\\\'s resistance against such pressures as a main cause of the country\\\'s giant progress.
\\\"Owing to its exalted goals, that is attainment of Islamic values and realization of Islamic fundamentals in the society and their spread throughout the world, the Iranian nation has and will always be faced with the world bullying, colonialist and dictatorial powers and the hardships imposed (on Iran) by them,\\\" Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with the head and the senior officials of the Iranian judiciary on Monday morning.
Yet, the Leader described the hardships and pressures imposed by the world powers as the main cause of Iran\\\'s progress in different fields, and called on the Iranian nation to increase its patience, wisdom and resistance against the enemy plots to make further progress.
\\\"Hence, everyone should stand up to hardships with insightful patience and turn sufferings into a ladder for progress and promotion,\\\" he said.
In relevant remarks earlier this month, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said enemies are deeply fearful of Iran\\\'s progress and are, thus, doing their best to stop Iran\\\'s development and advancement.
The president stressed that \\\"enemies are afraid of Iran\\\'s development as they know Iran\\\'s development and advancement would back up its divine ideology and school of thought\\\".
\\\"That\\\'s why enemies are endeavoring to prevent Iran\\\'s development even before attacking our school of thought,\\\" he said, and underlined that all enemy moves are aimed at blocking Iran\\\'s path of progress.
\\\"Today development and construction are moving ahead with an increasing momentum, and the Iranian nation is doing what others once wished to do and thought to be impossible,\\\" Ahmadinejad continued.
0m:50s
9293
Cracking Stuxnet - A 21st-century cyber weapon against Iran - Ralph...
When first discovered in 2010, the Stuxnet computer worm posed a baffling puzzle. Beyond its unusually high level of sophistication loomed a more...
When first discovered in 2010, the Stuxnet computer worm posed a baffling puzzle. Beyond its unusually high level of sophistication loomed a more troubling mystery: its purpose. Ralph Langner and team helped crack the code that revealed this digital warhead's final target -- and its covert origins. In a fascinating look inside cyber-forensics, he explains how.
The idea behind the Stuxnet computer worm is actually quite simple. We don't want Iran to get the Bomb. Their major asset for developing nuclear weapons is the Natanz uranium enrichment facility. The gray boxes that you see, these are real-time control systems. Now if we manage to compromise these systems that control drive speeds and valves, we can actually cause a lot of problems with the centrifuge. The gray boxes don't run Windows software; they are a completely different technology. But if we manage to place a good Windows virus on a notebook that is used by a maintenance engineer to configure this gray box, then we are in business. And this is the plot behind Stuxnet.
So we start with a Windows dropper. The payload goes onto the gray box, damages the centrifuge, and the Iranian nuclear program is delayed -- mission accomplished. That's easy, huh? I want to tell you how we found that out. When we started our research on Stuxnet six months ago, it was completely unknown what the purpose of this thing was. The only thing that was known is very, very complex on the Windows part, the dropper part, used multiple zero-day vulnerabilities. And it seemed to want to do something with these gray boxes, these real-time control systems. So that got our attention, and we started a lab project where we infected our environment with Stuxnet and checked this thing out. And then some very funny things happened. Stuxnet behaved like a lab rat that didn't like our cheese -- sniffed, but didn't want to eat. Didn't make sense to me. And after we experimented with different flavors of cheese, I realized, well, this is a directed attack. It's completely directed. The dropper is prowling actively on the gray box if a specific configuration is found, and even if the actual program that it's trying to infect is actually running on that target. And if not, Stuxnet does nothing.
So that really got my attention, and we started to work on this nearly around the clock, because I thought, well, we don't know what the target is. It could be, let's say for example, a U.S. power plant, or a chemical plant in Germany. So we better find out what the target is soon. So we extracted and decompiled the attack code, and we discovered that it's structured in two digital bombs -- a smaller one and a bigger one. And we also saw that they are very professionally engineered by people who obviously had all insider information. They knew all the bits and bites that they had to attack. They probably even know the shoe size of the operator. So they know everything.
And if you have heard that the dropper of Stuxnet is complex and high-tech, let me tell you this: the payload is rocket science. It's way above everything that we have ever seen before. Here you see a sample of this actual attack code. We are talking about -- round about 15,000 lines of code. Looks pretty much like old-style assembly language. And I want to tell you how we were able to make sense out of this code. So what we were looking for is first of all is system function calls, because we know what they do.
And then we were looking for timers and data structures and trying to relate them to the real world -- to potential real world targets. So we do need target theories that we can prove or disprove. In order to get target theories, we remember that it's definitely hardcore sabotage, it must be a high-value target, and it is most likely located in Iran, because that's where most of the infections had been reported. Now you don't find several thousand targets in that area. It basically boils down to the Bushehr nuclear power plant and to the Natanz fuel enrichment plant.
So I told my assistant, "Get me a list of all centrifuge and power plant experts from our client base." And I phoned them up and picked their brain in an effort to match their expertise with what we found in code and data. And that worked pretty well. So we were able to associate the small digital warhead with the rotor control. The rotor is that moving part within the centrifuge, that black object that you see. And if you manipulate the speed of this rotor, you are actually able to crack the rotor and eventually even have the centrifuge explode. What we also saw is that the goal of the attack was really to do it slowly and creepy -- obviously in an effort to drive maintenance engineers crazy, that they would not be able to figure this out quickly.
The big digital warhead -- we had a shot at this by looking very closely at data and data structures. So for example, the number 164 really stands out in that code; you can't overlook it. I started to research scientific literature on how these centrifuges are actually built in Natanz and found they are structured in what is called a cascade, and each cascade holds 164 centrifuges. So that made sense, it was a match.
And it even got better. These centrifuges in Iran are subdivided into 15, what is called, stages. And guess what we found in the attack code? An almost identical structure. So again, that was a real good match. And this gave us very high confidence for what we were looking at. Now don't get me wrong here, it didn't go like this. These results have been obtained over several weeks of really hard labor. And we often went into just a dead-end and had to recover.
Anyway, so we figured out that both digital warheads were actually aiming at one and the same target, but from different angles. The small warhead is taking one cascade, and spinning up the rotors and slowing them down, and the big warhead is talking to six cascades and manipulating valves. So in all, we are very confident that we have actually determined what the target is. It is Natanz, and it is only Natanz. So we don't have to worry that other targets might be hit by Stuxnet.
Here's some very cool stuff that we saw -- really knocked my socks off. Down there is the gray box, and on the top you see the centrifuges. Now what this thing does is it intercepts the input values from sensors -- so for example, from pressure sensors and vibration sensors -- and it provides legitimate code, which is still running during the attack, with fake input data. And as a matter of fact, this fake input data is actually prerecorded by Stuxnet. So it's just like from the Hollywood movies where during the heist, the observation camera is fed with prerecorded video. That's cool, huh?
The idea here is obviously not only to fool the operators in the control room. It actually is much more dangerous and aggressive. The idea is to circumvent a digital safety system. We need digital safety systems where a human operator could not act quick enough. So for example, in a power plant, when your big steam turbine gets too over speed, you must open relief valves within a millisecond. Obviously, this cannot be done by a human operator. So this is where we need digital safety systems. And when they are compromised, then real bad things can happen. Your plant can blow up. And neither your operators nor your safety system will notice it. That's scary.
But it gets worse. And this is very important, what I'm going to say. Think about this. This attack is generic. It doesn't have anything to do, in specifics, with centrifuges, with uranium enrichment. So it would work as well, for example, in a power plant or in an automobile factory. It is generic. And you don't have -- as an attacker -- you don't have to deliver this payload by a USB stick, as we saw it in the case of Stuxnet. You could also use conventional worm technology for spreading. Just spread it as wide as possible. And if you do that, what you end up with is a cyber weapon of mass destruction. That's the consequence that we have to face. So unfortunately, the biggest number of targets for such attacks are not in the Middle East. They're in the United States and Europe and in Japan. So all of the green areas, these are your target-rich environments. We have to face the consequences, and we better start to prepare right now.
Thanks.
(Applause)
Chris Anderson: I've got a question. Ralph, it's been quite widely reported that people assume that Mossad is the main entity behind this. Is that your opinion?
Ralph Langner: Okay, you really want to hear that? Yeah. Okay. My opinion is that the Mossad is involved, but that the leading force is not Israel. So the leading force behind that is the cyber superpower. There is only one, and that's the United States -- fortunately, fortunately. Because otherwise, our problems would even be bigger.
CA: Thank you for scaring the living daylights out of us. Thank you Ralph.
(Applause)
10m:40s
9279
Firefly - Understanding Allah through Insects - English
The firefly is equipped with an amazing system. This insect has an organ in its body that produces fluorescent light. This light has great...
The firefly is equipped with an amazing system. This insect has an organ in its body that produces fluorescent light. This light has great significance for the firefly to preserve its race, because the female and male fireflies recognize each other by looking at their lights. The fluorescent organ of the firefly is composed of three layers just like the headlamps of an automobile. Cells that produce light lie at the bottom layer. The duty of these cells is to produce a combustible substance. This combustible substance reacts with oxygen controlled by an enzyme. As a result of this chemical reaction, the fluorescent light manufactured in a similar fashion to a factory is first transferred to the adjacent concave layer and then to the upper transparent layer where it is reflected as light. The perfect quality and 98% productivity rate of this fluorescent light astonished scientists examining fireflies. The light bulbs used for lighting purposes by people can only convert 5% of the received energy into light, the remaining 95% being lost in the form of heat. Because of this 95% heat which is released, we cannot touch a light bulb when it is on. Despite the fact that the firefly produces almost 20 times more light than a light bulb, the temperature does not rise, due to the cold nature of its light. Man can produce cold light only in laboratories, at the end of a series of chemical reactions. It is obviously irrational to claim that this complex lighting system has been designed and then installed in the body of this tiny insect by itself. More irrational than this is the claim of the theory of evolution that this system formed as a result of coincidences in nature. The perfection in the firefly's body is an indication that it is the product of a superior wisdom and infinite knowledge. Allah created all living species with distinct qualities and through them shows us His Eternal Might. In a verse of the Qur'an, people are summoned to ponder on this fact:
Among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and earth and all the creatures He has spread about in them. And He has the power to gather them together whenever He wills. (Surat ash-Shura: 29)
3m:7s
7236