Search Result in All

Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei narrates and explains a tradition narrated from the 6th divinely appointed Imam, Imam Ja\'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (A), where Imam Sadiq (A) relates some pieces of advice from the holy Prophet Muhammad (S) to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (A), where the Messenger of Allah (S) speaks about \"How To Build A Thousand Houses In Heaven\". What is the fourth piece of advice that the Messenger of Allah (S) gives to Imam Ali (A)? And what can we do in order to build for ourselves a thousand houses in Paradise? Are worldly calculations comparable to the calculations of the spiritual world or the Hereafter? What does the Arabic word \'Khashiyat\' mean and how is it related to our discussion? What is an end result of having the \'Khashiyat\' of Allah? How can one nurture oneself to be able to cry and weep out of the reverential fear of the Almighty Allah? When it is stated in the traditions that we must weep out of the reverential fear of the Almighty Allah, are they speaking about a fake crying? And how is the reverential fear of Allah applicable to our Namaz, our Duas, our Munajaats, and our other forms of worship? Finally, how is it even possible to be able to build a thousand houses for ones self in Heaven? Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei expounds upon the wise words of the 6th divinely appointed Imam, Imam Ja\'far al-Sadiq (A), where his eminence (A) relates some pieces of advice from the holy Prophet Muhammad (S) to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (A), where the Messenger of Allah (S) speaks about \"How To Build A Thousand Houses In Heaven\".

[13 Oct 2013] Tel Aviv to build around a thousand settler units in the occupied East Jerusalem - English

[13 June 2014] Israel pushes ahead with plans to build over a thousand settler units in the West Bank - English

What is the connection between the love for the creation of the Creator and the love for the Creator? What does it mean to have \\\"A Thousand and One Beloveds\\\"? What happens when we reflect upon the creation of the Creator? And finally, when two believers meet one another, who is the more beloved for Allah? The late Ayatollah Misbah-Yazdi (R) provides us with a short, but profound lesson on the basics of loving Allah. #Akhlaq #Love #Allah #Concepts #Beliefs #Salvation

I know it\'s every honorable person\'s wish to become a martyr for the sake of the Almighty Allah. I mean what could be better than that! But have you ever pondered over \"How To Get The Reward Of A Thousand Martyrs\"? And if you want to get the reward of a thousand martyrs, does this mean that you have to die a thousand times? But if you had the option to die a thousand times on the path of Allah, would you? What does the 5th divinely appointed Imam, Imam Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir (A) say in a tradition regarding the reward of a thousand martyrs? Well Sayyid Shahryar is making sure that you get the reward of one thousand martyrs, so pay attention and bear patiently, as we answer by using the immaculate and infallible words of the 5th divinely appointed Imam, Imam Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir (A). And Remember To Keep Moving Forwards! #IslamicPulse #OneMinuteWisdom #OMW #Akhlaq #Ethics #Morality #Allah #Islam #Quran #AhlulBayt #Muslims #Shia #ImamBaqir #Baqir #Muhammad #Ali #Fatima #Hasan #Husayn #Marytr #Shahadat #Shaheed #Martyrdom #Paradise #Rewards #Sawab #Steadfast #Patience #Determination #Motivation

After a thousand years of Bedouins living in the Negev Desert, Israel is threatening to expel 70 thousand Bedouins. If this plan by Israel is carried out, Tel Aviv will demolish 40 Palestinians villages, confiscate the Bedouin\'s land and rebuild settlements. How is it that Tel Aviv can displace a people, destroy and confiscate their land and still think that it has every right to do so?

Syria\'s grand Mufti Sheikh Ahmed Badreddin Hassoun says at least two-thousand Russian citizens are currently fighting along foreign-backed insurgent inside Syria. Sheikh Hassoun made the remark during a visit to the Islamic University of Moscow. Hassoun said from the beginning of the unrest in Syria more than two-thousand Russian nationals, mostly of Chechnya origin, have moved to Syria to fight the government there. He\'s added that a large number of those people have been killed so far and Damascus estimates that some 1300 of them are still operating inside Syria. According to Syria\'s grand Mufti, most of those Russian nationals are from North Caucasus and citizens of Commonwealth of Independent states.

March 21 2009 - More than 10 thousand people of all walks of life protested in front of Pentagon for usa expansions and occupation and war hegemony

A thousand times to die in your feet Mola - Nasheed Imam Ali (a.s.) - Farsi

Ashura commemorations continue around the world. In Norway\'s capital, more than a thousand Shia Muslims hold a procession and a candlelight vigil in memory of Imam Hussein and his companions.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports that around one thousand families have fled from a battle in central Syria to the Lebanese border town of Arsal. The UNHCR says the families were forced to walk more than 30 kilometers to reach safety. The refugees have reportedly fled from the strategic al-Qalamoun area in the north-east of Damascus. The Syrian army is fighting militants there to cut supply lines to insurgent-held areas near Damascus. Activists say fighting has intensified in the mountainous region. Lebanese officials say around 1-point-4 million Syrians have taken refuge in their country so far.

A mass demonstration marking one-thousand days of anti-government protests in Bahrain. Demonstrators rallied near the capital Manama calling for an inclusive political solution. The main opposition bloc al-Wefaq says several protest organizers have been arrested by regime forces. Al-Wefaq says the arrests have been made to curb people\'s right to hold peacefull rallies. Protesters have been calling for the downfall of the regime since the popular uprising started in February 2011. Dozens of people have been killed and a large number of demonstrators arrested in the crackdown since then.

A new report says nearly eleven thousand militants from over seventy countries have teamed up with al-Qaeda-linked insurgents to fight the Syrian government. According to the International Center for the Study of Radicalization, the figure includes those currently on the ground plus the ones have since returned home, or been arrested or killed. The report shows that Arabs and Europeans, mainly from Britain and France, make up the bulk of foreign militants, with eighty percent. Meanwhile, the British media have released a footage of a brigade of fighters in Syria who are all British.

In Syria, more than one-thousand militants have been killed in fierce clashes among militant groups over the past days. The battles are the latest in fighting that has raged among insurgent groups opposed to the Syrian government in recent months. This comes ahead of the much-expected international peace conference, the Geneva-two, which is due to take place next week.

Israel approves plans to build more than two thousand new settler units in Jerusalem al-Quds and the occupied West Bank. As Israeli soldiers hand out more eviction orders to Palestinian families, we\'re asking is Tel Aviv under enough international pressure to stop its settlement activities that the UN has called illegal? Are the US-brokered talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority doomed? I\'m Homa Lezgee and you\'re watching the Debate. Guests: - Political Activist & Commentator, Kevin Ovenden (London). - Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute, Richard Weitz (Washington). Subjects: 1- Some observers say Israel\'s settlement expansions at this point in time are in fact meant to undermine talks since Israel is not interested in a two-state solution...do you agree? 2- Is a two-state solution possible? 3- Israel\'s economy minister Naftali Benner has said a two-state solution will harm Tel Aviv and that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state will destroy Israel\'s economy...what does that say about Israel\'s willingness for talks to get anywhere? 4- There was some friction between Tel Aviv and Washington when an Israeli minister said John Kerry\'s proposal on the Jordan Valley wasn\'t worth the paper it was written on and suggested that Kerry was naïve. How have the settlement expansions effected US-Israeli relations? 5- Is the US going to put enough pressure on Israel to stop the settlement expansions? 6- \"Israel teaching the US a lesson since the Obama administration is being a bit too serious\"... 7- What do you think about the EU position against settlements? Will a growing boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign help? 8- Should Israel be taking the academic and economic sanctions more seriously? 9- Similarities between Israel and South African apartheid regime... 10- How long is this stalemate going to last? How long can Israel continue to defy international law?

Israel approves plans to build more than two thousand new settler units in Jerusalem al-Quds and the occupied West Bank. As Israeli soldiers hand out more eviction orders to Palestinian families, we\'re asking is Tel Aviv under enough international pressure to stop its settlement activities that the UN has called illegal? Are the US-brokered talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority doomed? I\'m Homa Lezgee and you\'re watching the Debate. Guests: - Political Activist & Commentator, Kevin Ovenden (London). - Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute, Richard Weitz (Washington). Subjects: 1- Some observers say Israel\'s settlement expansions at this point in time are in fact meant to undermine talks since Israel is not interested in a two-state solution...do you agree? 2- Is a two-state solution possible? 3- Israel\'s economy minister Naftali Benner has said a two-state solution will harm Tel Aviv and that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state will destroy Israel\'s economy...what does that say about Israel\'s willingness for talks to get anywhere? 4- There was some friction between Tel Aviv and Washington when an Israeli minister said John Kerry\'s proposal on the Jordan Valley wasn\'t worth the paper it was written on and suggested that Kerry was naïve. How have the settlement expansions effected US-Israeli relations? 5- Is the US going to put enough pressure on Israel to stop the settlement expansions? 6- \"Israel teaching the US a lesson since the Obama administration is being a bit too serious\"... 7- What do you think about the EU position against settlements? Will a growing boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign help? 8- Should Israel be taking the academic and economic sanctions more seriously? 9- Similarities between Israel and South African apartheid regime... 10- How long is this stalemate going to last? How long can Israel continue to defy international law?

Thousand of Israelis have held a rally in Jerusalem al-Quds against talks between Tel Aviv and the Palestinian Authority. The rally was attended by several prominent rabbis within the settler community. The protesters called on Israeli authorities to halt talks with the P-A demanding that Tel Aviv expand and continue its settlement activities in the West Bank. The participants called US Secretary of State John Kerry\\\'s framework agreement for the so-called peace talks anti-Semitic. The so-called Kerry plan is expected to call for a phased Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank based on the 1967 lines with unprecedented security arrangements in the strategic Jordan Valley. Israel has recently been facing mounting international pressure and isolation over its continued settlement activities.

One of Egypt\'s famous pharaohs, King Ramses II, receives a special surprise from the sun as thousands of visitors come to witness the solstice in Egypt. Five thousand tourists along with thirty ambassadors and representatives from the media gathered to catch a glimpse of the unique astronomical phenomenon, which occurs twice a year. The visitors were also able to treat themselves to a wonderful scene where the sun fell perpendicularly on the face of the statue of the third king of the 19th dynasty in Abu Simbel Temple. According to Egypt State Information Service, this rare phenomenon happens on February 22 and October 22, the day King Ramses II ascended to the throne and the day of his birth respectively.

Sayyid Shahriyar Naqvi does the maths! The Holy Month of Ramadhan is the month of the Quran. How many verses are there in the Holy Quran? With our busy schedules, is it possible to read them all. How many times can you finish reading the Quran? #OneMinuteWisdom

A small portion of the Farsi is included, but the The following is the full text of the speech delivered on November 11, 2013 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with the members of the Soldiers of Islam Mourning Committee. In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful The Soldiers of Islam Mourning Committee is an auspicious phenomenon. The idea that our soldiers form mourning committees is a very auspicious and important idea. The pivot of this committee is mourning for Ashura. The other tasks that you referred to are good and necessary subsets, but the pivot is reviving and understanding the depth of Ashura. One point in this regard is that the connection between the words \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"committee\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" and \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"soldiers\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" has an important meaning. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Soldiers\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" means those people who engage in jihad in the face of the enemy. Jihad includes \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"moqatele\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Moqatele\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" means a military war. Jihad is a combination of different wars such as military wars, intellectual wars, psychological wars and social wars. A combination of these things is jihad and jihad includes all of these wars. One of the characteristics of jihad is the existence of an enemy. Not any effort is called jihad. It is possible that someone engages in scientific work, but this may not be jihadi work. Jihad is a movement which is launched in the face of a hostile act and a hostile enemy. Those people who engage in jihad in the way of God and who enjoy a jihadi characteristic and spirit will realize that this is a real blessing for their hearts and souls. Jihad is necessary because human societies are not devoid of enemies. They may have few or many enemies. Sometimes, like our society, they have many enemies and sometimes they do not. But in any case, they have an enemy. Therefore, if a society has an internal force for confronting the enemy - this force is comprised of soldiers and mujahids - then it can have a feeling of security. But if it does not enjoy this force, then it will be like a body that suffers from lack of white blood-cells which are in charge of fighting against infection. In such circumstances, all kinds of diseases may afflict this society. The effort of this group of people to revive and commemorate Ashura and to mourn for Hussein ibn Ali (a.s.) is very appropriate and necessary. Therefore, the essence of this connection - that is to say, the connection between mourning committees and soldiers - is very blessed and good. You should not abandon this and you should preserve it as much as you can. Another point is that the word \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"heyat\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [committee] means lack of order in the conventional sense of the word. They say that such and such a person acts in a heyati way. This means that he acts in a disorganized way. Perhaps we can say that you are the first people to impose order on an organization which is disorderly by nature. This is a very good thing. Well, why does the word \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"heyati\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" mean disorderly in the conventional sense of the word? This is because when someone enters an Imam Hussein (a.s.) heyat, no one tells them where to sit and where not to sit and when to come and when to go. All the movements and comings and goings are based on the will of the people and this originates in faith. This is a very good thing and you should preserve it. You should preserve the committee\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s relationship with what people love and believe in. You should preserve the interest that the hearts of people have in this committee. That is to say, it should not be the case that the committee acts in a formal way. In my opinion, the centers that you should work in are Hussainiyahs. You do not need bureaucratic organizations. Hussainiyahs, heyats and mosques are the centers that you should engage in. If we affiliate this committee to an organization and if we specify a multi-storey building for that with bureaucratic equipment, this is not a committee anymore. I fear that it may face certain problems. I am not saying that it will not be a committee, but in my opinion, the nature of such committees requires the enthusiastic participation of the people in mourning ceremonies for Imam Hussein (a.s.). This is what exerts a powerful effect on them. This is what the Revolution originated from. At least, it can be good ground for growing revolutionary virtues and teachings. The next point which is very important is the issue of nurturing panegyrists and protecting them against errors and mistakes. This is very important. One of our serious problems is really this. Panegyrists have acquired a bad name in this regard, but it is not particular to panegyrists. This issue is not particular to panegyrists and other people in charge of such affairs. It has been witnessed that those people who take the minbar and those who recite eulogies for Ashura - including panegyrists, those who have minbar and other such people - have said inappropriate things. Sometimes you and I have meeting and talk and I may say an inappropriate thing. This is not a problem because it is between you and me. This is not important. But sometimes, we have an audience of one thousand, 10 thousand or 50 thousand people and sometimes, this audience turns into millions of people. In such circumstances, we should see what effect an inappropriate and wrong statement may exert on our audience. A number of people may accept this wrong statement and they may learn a wrong concept. A number of people may reject this statement and they may take an instant dislike towards the essence of religion. Besides, there may be an angry argument between certain groups of people. Notice that certain deviations may emerge as a result of this wrong statement. Since long ago, we have seen that sometimes panegyrists perform rowzas that are obviously wrong, but they continue to perform because in order to make a few people shed tears. This is not particular to the present time. Since I was a child, I have participated in mourning ceremonies and I have listened to people who took the minbar. Should we make people shed tears at any price? You can narrate the event and you can do it in an artistic way in order to produce strong effects on people, but you should not say things which are false. I have heard that, addressing the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) a panegyrist said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Whatever you have is because of Imam Hussein (a.s.)\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". Notice how wrong this is. How can someone talk such nonsense about the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.)? Whatever Imam Hussein (a.s.) has is because of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.). Whatever he has is because of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). Why do they not understand such concepts? Besides, they claim that they are good panegyrists and they say whatever crosses their mind. In my opinion, we should attach great significance to such issues. The next point is concerning the issue which was raised by Mr. Nejat as well. He is right. Such committees cannot be secular. We do not have secular Imam Hussein (a.s.) committees. Anyone who is interested in Imam Hussein (a.s.) is also interested in political and jihadi Islam and the kind of Islam which engages in fighting, offering blood and laying down one\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s life. This is the meaning of faith in Imam Hussein (a.s.). If a panegyrist takes care not to enter into political discussions, this is wrong. Of course, this does not mean that whatever political event takes place in the country, we should bring it up in rowzas and we should adopt specific orientations - whether revolutionary or anti-revolutionary - towards it. This is not what I mean, but revolutionary and Islamic thoughts and the auspicious guidelines which Imam (may God bestow paradise on him) formulated in our country should be brought up in such ceremonies. This task is a great and important task. The best people who can perform rowzas for Imam Hussein (a.s.) are mujahids in the way of God and these young soldiers. You should appreciate the value of this and you should provide guidance. This can be a bright and shining spring for enlightening the minds of the people and the audience and it can improve them in terms of Islamic and religious teachings. How good it is to pay attention to the issue of reading the Holy Quran in mourning ceremonies. How good it is to employ Islamic, revolutionary and Quranic concepts in mourning ceremonies. Sometimes, when they mourn, people say certain clichés such as \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Hussein vay\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". Well, this has no value and one learns nothing from repeating \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Hussein vay\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". When the audience says such clichés, you can raise revolutionary, Islamic and Quranic issues and issues which are related to the present time. When the audience repeats it, this becomes internalized in their minds. This is very valuable. This is a task that cannot be carried out by anyone except you. No media network can inculcate religious teachings into the minds and the hearts and souls of people. Therefore, this is an important and great task. I hope that Allah the Exalted rewards and bestows success on you so that you can carry out this task in the best way possible. Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings

Supreme Leader\\\\\\\'s Speech on 25th Demise Anniversary of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) Print 06/06/2014 Hotuba ya Kiongozi Muadhamu katika Maadhimisho ya Mwaka wa 25 wa Kufariki Dunia Imam KhomeiniThe following is the full text of the speech delivered on June 4, 2014 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, on the occasion of the demise anniversary of Imam Khomeini (r.a.). The speech was delivered at Imam Khomeini\\\\\\\'s shrine. In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings upon our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and upon his immaculate household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth. \\\\\\\"Our Lord, forgive us and those of our brethren who had precedence of us in faith, and do not allow any spite to remain in our hearts towards those who believe. Our Lord, surely You are Kind, Merciful\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 59: 10]. \\\\\\\"Our Lord, surely You have given to Pharaoh and his chiefs finery and riches in this world\\\\\\\'s life. To this end, our Lord, that they lead people astray from Your way. Our Lord, destroy their riches and harden their hearts so that they believe not until they see the painful punishment\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 10: 88]. Allah the Omniscient said in His book: \\\\\\\"Have you not considered how Allah sets forth a parable of a good word being like a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches are in heaven, yielding its fruit in every season by the permission of its Lord?\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 14: 24-25] On this unforgettable and important day, I would like to divide my statements to you dear brothers and sisters into three parts. In the first part, I will speak about an important reality which exists about the Islamic Republic. Today, paying attention to this reality is very important. In the second part, I will provide a brief explanation of our magnanimous Imam\\\\\\\'s (r.a.) permanent and eternal school of thought. Although we have said and heard many things about Imam\\\\\\\'s (r.a.) school of thought, it is necessary to provide a brief explanation at this point in time. I will provide a short portrayal of all the things that our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) created as a unique phenomenon in the contemporary world. The third part is about two important challenges which lie ahead of the people of Iran and the Islamic Republic. It is important for us to pay attention to these two challenges in order to move forward in the right way and on the right path. As for the first part, the reality that I referred to is that 25 years have passed from the demise of our great Imam (r.a.), but people\\\\\\\'s enthusiasm and excitement to hear and know about him has not diminished. And this is not particular to our country. Rather, this reality exists in the world of Islam and even beyond that. Not only in our country - where the third generation of the Revolution is growing and blossoming - but also in the entire world of Islam, the youth of the age of communications and Internet are after gaining more information about the issues of the Revolution, about the Islamic Republic and about the architect of this great structure. And these youth can easily familiarize themselves with the issues which occur far away from their own environment. The phenomenon of religious democracy and the theory of Wilayat-e Faqih are issues which are significant and attractive for the intellectual environments of the world of Islam. From the first days, our enemies began making a comprehensive effort and the more we moved forward, the more comprehensive this effort became. They used hundreds and thousands of television, radio stations and Internet sites to abuse the Islamic Republic, its great founder and its supporters. Of course, this issue has been helpful to us because it has aroused the curiosity of listeners and viewers throughout the world. These listeners and viewers want to know the reason behind all these enmities, hostilities and mudslinging. They want to know the nature of the truth which has been the target of these enmities. So, our enemies mentioned our names and they spoke about our Imam (r.a.) and our system with the purpose of showing their enmity, but \\\\\\\"...surely they will scheme, and I too will scheme\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 86: 15-16]. This is what Allah the Exalted says. They started this widespread movement with such an intention, but it eventually created an opportunity for us because the sense of curiosity of the listeners to these stations was aroused throughout the world. Islamic Awakening - in which anti-arrogant feelings were dominant more than any other phenomenon - in Islamic countries and our region is the sign of this curiosity and search for the truth and it continues to exist. It is possible that western and American intelligence services report to their seniors that they have managed to suppress Islamic Awakening in our region. If they have such a notion, then this will be another strategic mistake and another wrong interpretation on the part of our enemies. Islamic Awakening might be suppressed for a while in part of the world of Islam, but it will undoubtedly not be uprooted. On the contrary, it will develop. This understanding, this perception and this awareness in all countries and among Muslim youth in the region is not something that can be destroyed easily. Of course, they will make certain efforts in order to destroy it and these efforts may seem to be successful in some areas in the short run, but in the end, they will prove to be fruitless. The curiosity that exists in today\\\\\\\'s young generation all over the world - particularly in the world of Islam - about the phenomenon of religious democracy is rooted in the fact that the Islamic Republic is a phenomenon from whose birth 35 years have passed. And during all these 35 years, it has faced the violent and hostile reactions of the dominant powers in the world. They showed military reactions, they showed propaganda reactions, they showed economic reactions - which began from the beginning of the Revolution and which have been reinforced on a daily basis - and they showed political reactions. It is 35 years now that this powerful western camp has been doing whatever it could against the Islamic Republic. It has made military efforts, it has helped the aggressors who attacked our country, it has supported the enemies of the Islamic Republic in any area, it has used widespread propaganda and it has made perfect and unprecedented efforts in the area of sanctions and economic siege. But in the face of all these invasions and all these violent and unscrupulous hostilities, the Islamic Republic was not destroyed, it did not adopt a conservative outlook, it was not blackmailed by the west and it made progress on a daily basis. This is what forms the essence of this curiosity. Despite the fact that the primary military, political and economic powers of the world joined hands against a country and a government and despite the fact that they made efforts for 35 years, not only was this government not destroyed, but it also became stronger on a daily basis. This government was not blackmailed by them and it did not pay any attention to them at all. The Islamic Republic showed its power and capability to survive in different arenas. Today, when they look at the Islamic Republic, they see that the second and third generations of the Revolution in the country are comprised of several million students, several thousand knowledgeable clergy, several thousand researchers, several thousand university and seminary professors, thousands of scientific and intellectual personalities - some of whom are well-known on an international level - and thousands of activists and producers and thousands of political, cultural and economic personalities. This is the reality about our today\\\\\\\'s society. In the arena of science and technology, the Islamic Republic launches satellites into space despite all sanctions. It sends living creatures into space and it brings them back. It produces nuclear energy. It is ranked among the first ten countries in the world in many new sciences. The centers in charge of releasing statistics have announced that the rate of scientific progress in the Islamic Republic is 13 times faster than the global average. It gives scientific and technological services to different countries. Despite unprecedented sanctions, it manages a 75-million-strong country. It has the final word on regional policies. It shows resistance against the usurping Zionist regime, which is supported by global bullies, and it does this on its own. It does not compromise with oppressors and it defends the oppressed. Any well-informed individual becomes curious to know what this organism and phenomenon is and how it benefits from all these innate capabilities and this potential to survive despite all the enmities. This is the nature of this curiosity. This was about the issues related to scientific, technological and other such areas. As for political and social issues, the higher aspect of this religious democracy is that we have had 32 elections during the 35 years from the beginning of our Revolution. Thirty two public elections have been held in this country. Is this a minor achievement? This is an exceptional phenomenon. Elections in the Islamic Republic are held with a high turnout - higher than the global average and in some cases, it is much higher. Our elections witness a turnout of 70, 72 percent. Our elections are like this. These elections are the manifestation of democracy. Another exceptional example is the two phenomena which we people have gotten used to, but which are extraordinarily exciting and important for global inspectors and witnesses. These two phenomena are the 22nd of Bahman rallies and Quds Day Rallies in the month of Ramadan. During the past 35 years, the people have held the Revolution celebration each year with a great, exciting and glorious rally on the cold days of late Bahman. We have gotten used to this and we do not truly see the significance and greatness of this issue, but global witnesses see these things and they are very astonishing to them. These are the factors behind the element which arouses people\\\\\\\'s curiosity and which presents a new path to the minds of enthusiastic, inquisitive and research-oriented individuals. This is the important reality of our time which can be described as the general curiosity of youth, intellectuals, well-informed personalities and analysts throughout the world of Islam about the phenomenon which has emerged and grown on a daily basis in Islamic Iran. This is the first issue. This reality has been built by the hands of our great architect. We have said many things about Imam (r.a.). Perhaps some people think that we have spoken about Imam in an exaggerated way. But this is not the case. What we have said about our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) is neither exaggeration nor magnification of the truth. Rather, it is the truth. Our magnanimous and dear Imam (r.a.) was more complex and meaningful than what we managed to say and reflect about him. What is available to the people of Iran and what is in front of the eyes of people throughout the world has been built by those powerful hands. We should know about the architect\\\\\\\'s plan in order to take the path in the right way. If developers and builders do not have access to a plan in order to build an ordinary building and if it is not clear what the main plan is, then they may make a mistake no matter how skilled they are. We should know the main plan so that we can use our expertise in building on the basis of this plan. Imam\\\\\\\'s (r.a.) plan was not one that could be designed by a human being. It was definitely God\\\\\\\'s work. Our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) himself knew and acknowledged this. He himself used to say, \\\\\\\"What has occurred is a handicraft of divine power\\\\\\\". He had understood this correctly and his insightful and vigilant eyes had seen this correctly. We should be careful. We should know the plan so that we can continue the path. If we do not know the plan, we will deviate from the right path. And when we deviate, we will drift away from the main and the straight path on a daily basis. When we drift away from the straight path, we will drift away from goals and we will fail to reach them. In order to reach the goals, we should take care not to lose the path and in order to avoid losing the path, we should have the main plan in front of our eyes. We should know and identify this plan. Imam\\\\\\\'s (r.a.) plan and main task was to create a civil-political system on the basis of Islamic reason. The prerequisite for carrying out this task was to uproot the monarchic regime which was corrupt, dependent and dictatorial. The monarchic regime had these three characteristics: it was corrupt - different moral, financial and other such corruptions. It was dependent on powers. One day, it was dependent on England and another day, it was dependent on America. It was prepared to abandon its own interests and the interests of the people for the sake of the interests of foreigners. And it was dictatorial and oppressive. For the monarchic regime, the people\\\\\\\'s votes and requests counted for nothing. Each of these characteristics forms a long chapter. Each of them forms a long book. The prerequisite for the great task that Imam (r.a.) wanted to carry out was to uproot this corrupt, dependent and dictatorial regime. He focused his efforts on doing this and consequently, the regime was uprooted. In our country, the issue was not replacing a monarchic regime with another monarchic or semi-monarchic regime. The issue was uprooting the characteristics that the monarchic regime had and this was done by our magnanimous Imam (r.a.). Imam\\\\\\\'s (r.a.) statements, guidelines and behavior were oriented towards this goal. There are two fundamental points in building this civil-political system and these two points are interconnected. In one sense, these two points are two sides of the coin of truth. One is entrusting the affairs of the country to the people through democracy and elections and another is launching this movement - which originated from Islam - and any movement which originates from democracy and entrusting tasks to people, within the framework of Islamic sharia. These are two parts. In other words, these are two sides of the same truth. Some people should not think that our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) derived elections from the western culture and then mixed it with Islamic thoughts and Islamic sharia. This was not the case. If elections, democracy and reliance on the votes of people had not been part of religion and Islamic sharia, then Imam (r.a.) would have told us. If this had been the case, he would have announced it in an outspoken and decisive way. Democracy is part of religion. Therefore, Islamic sharia is the framework. When passing and implementing laws, when assigning individuals different tasks and discharging them from their service and during all tasks that follow this political-civil system, Islamic sharia should be observed. All tasks in this system revolve around democracy. All the people elect the members of the Majlis and the president, they elect ministers indirectly, they elect the members of the Assembly of Experts and they elect the Leader indirectly. All tasks are in the hands of the people. This was the main base of our magnanimous Imam\\\\\\\'s (r.a.) movement. The great structure that this great personality built was founded on these two bases. Commitment to Islamic sharia is the soul and truth of the Islamic government. Everyone should pay attention to this issue. If Islamic sharia is completely observed in society, this will ensure both civil and individual freedom - the freedom of individuals - and collective freedom which is called independence. Independence means freedom of a people. It means that a people are not dependent on anyone and any place. \\\\\\\"A free people\\\\\\\" means a people who are not under the influence and domination of their opponents, their enemies and foreigners in any way. If Islamic sharia is observed, it will ensure both justice and spirituality in society. These are the four main elements: freedom, independence, justice and spirituality. If Islamic sharia dominates society, these main phenomena in the order of Islamic society will show themselves. Therefore, our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) stressed the necessity of Islamic sharia which is the soul of the Islamic Republic. He also stressed the necessity of religious democracy which is a means and a tool and which is derived from sharia. According to Imam\\\\\\\'s (r.a.) school of thought, any power and force which has come into being through deception and oppression is unacceptable. In the Islamic government, oppression and subjugation are meaningless. Power and authority are meaningful, but only the one that originates from people\\\\\\\'s free will and choice. The kind of power which originates from bullying, subjugation and weapons is meaningless from the viewpoint of Islam, Islamic sharia and Imam\\\\\\\'s (r.a.) school of thought. The kind of power which emerges on the basis of people\\\\\\\'s choice is respectable. No one should confront this power. No one should try to suppress and subjugate this power. If they do so, this is called fitna. This is the new prescription that our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) introduced to the world. He added this important chapter to the political literature of the world. As we pointed out, one of the main elements in this new version is rushing to help the oppressed and confronting the oppressor. We should help the oppressed and in the present time, the concrete manifestation of being oppressed is the people of Palestine. As you witnessed, from the first day until the end of his life, our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) stressed the issue of Palestine. He supported the issue of Palestine and stated in his testament that the people of Iran and the officials of the country should not forget about this issue. Helping the oppressed, showing resistance against the oppressor, condemning his transgressions, rejecting his power and grandeur in an outspoken way and shattering this grandeur are among the parts of this system and this new version presented by our magnanimous Imam (r.a.). This is a short summary, portrayal and description of the political order and the foundation that our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) introduced to society after overthrowing the monarchic regime in the country. This matter was completely accepted by the people and it was put into practice. Unlike many political slogans, this matter was not confined to books. Rather, it was realized, put into practice and reflected in reality. And the people of Iran showed their determination, loyalty and self-sacrifice by preserving this matter and strengthening it on a daily basis until today. So, Imam (r.a.) succeeded. He achieved complete success in what he wanted to do. Will this great task continue? Will the empty boxes of this table - naturally, there are some empty boxes in social and historical tables - be filled in? This depends on how determined and aware you and I are and to what extent we observe and move in the direction of that clear line. It is completely possible to do this. Considering the people that we see, considering the experience that they have gained and considering the successful and continuous movement that they have launched in the past 35 years - and in the past 25 years since Imam\\\\\\\'s (r.a.) demise - it is possible to continue this path. The empty boxes will be filled in, great feats will be accomplished and by Allah\\\\\\\'s favor and grace, our people will reach the peaks. Like all the important paths which have been delineated for reaching great goals, this path involves certain challenges and obstacles. We should identify these obstacles so that we can pass through them. If we do not identify obstacles, overcoming them will be either difficult or impossible. I am saying these things to you honorable participants of this great and magnificent meeting and, in fact, to the people of Iran who will hear these statements. But it is our youth, our scholars and our intellectuals who should think about, work on and study each of these chapters and parts. They should work on not only semi-intellectual and theoretical discussions but also on practical and functional discussions which reflect the truth. What we are saying is some chapters for carrying out intellectual tasks. By Allah\\\\\\\'s favor, these chapters will be followed up by our youth who are much better and prepared than we are. I would like to refer to two challenges: one is an external challenge and another is an internal challenge. Our external challenge is the interferences of global arrogance. I would like to speak without any consideration. The external challenge is the interferences of America. They engage in mudslinging. Although some of their thinkers say in their analyses that it is useless or impossible to confront this great movement, they engage in mudslinging. We should know their plan. This is America\\\\\\\'s plan which has been revealed through their discussions, reports, statements and behavior: America divides all countries, orientations and people throughout the world into three groups: the first group is made up of the submissive including submissive countries, submissive political and social orientations and submissive individuals. The first group is comprised of these people. The second group is comprised of countries which are not submissive and which should be tolerated. From the viewpoint of America, a number of countries, personalities and orientations should be tolerated. They believe that they should define common interests with these countries and that they should get along with them somehow. Later on, I will explain this more. The third group is made up of disobedient countries, those which do not give in to America and which refuse to be blackmailed by it. The third group is comprised of these countries. From the viewpoint of the Americans, no country, no political, social, civil and economic orientation and no individual in the world is out of these three groups. Everyone is either submissive and docile or independent - and you should get along with them - or disobedient, bold and courageous. One should behave in a different way towards the third group. America\\\\\\\'s policy towards the first group is complete support. Of course, they do not provide this support for free. They support them, but they also milk them. In fact, they use their capabilities and resources to the advantage of their own interests and for safeguarding their own interests. The Americans ride roughshod over these people and they make them render all kinds of services to them. As I said, they milk them and they do not care at all. Of course, if these people and countries behave in a way that is considered to be indecent according to global conventions, the Americans do not condemn it. On the contrary, they defend and justify it. For example, there are some dictatorial countries which are managed by biased, reactionary and completely dictatorial regimes, but they have friendly relations with the Americans. These countries give in to the Americans and they are prepared to serve and obey them. They are members of the first group. When the Americans want to describe them, they do not refer to them as dictatorial countries. Rather, they say that they are patriarchal countries and thus they cover up their dictatorship. They say, \\\\\\\"They are not dictators. Rather, they are patriarchal countries\\\\\\\". What is the meaning of patriarchal in political systems? What does it mean? Is a patriarchal country a country in which there is no parliament, no elections, no power to speak freely, no freedom of speech and no freedom of expression? Is a patriarchal country a country in which the slightest disobedience to the wishes of the rulers is suppressed in a very serious and severe way? In one part of his life, Saddam Hussein was one of these obedient and submissive individuals. In that stage of his life, they gave him all kinds of support and they rendered some services to him. They gave him chemical weapons and they provided him with the plans of our military movement which had been discovered via satellite. They gave him military plans because he was at their service and because he was against the disobedient Islamic Republic which was a member of the third group. So, these people represent the first group. As I said, the second group is made up of the countries which America gets along with. The policy and plan of America is to get along with these countries. What does getting along mean? It means defining common interests and establishing friendly relations with someone. But when America has the opportunity, it will stab them in the back and tear their hearts open and it will not show any consideration for them. Which countries represent the second group? European countries represent the second group. Today, European countries are in such conditions. America gets along with them, but this does not mean that it defends their interests. This is not the case. It will kick them as much as it can. For example, it spies - Internet espionage - on the number one in its allied country. It also spies on him by tapping his cell phone. The Americans even keep watch on his personal life and they have no scruples whatsoever. When it comes out, they say, \\\\\\\"Sorry, it happened because we had no choice\\\\\\\". They are not even willing to apologize in a sincere way. My understanding of political issues tells me that the Europeans are making a great strategic mistake by serving America. They promote the interests of America, but America does not and will not do so and it will be the same until the end. This was about the second group. The third group is made up of countries which do not give in to America. America\\\\\\\'s policy towards this group is to use each and every tool they find against these disobedient countries. They use any tool they find and they do not have any limits for that. If you see that there is a country which is disobedient to America and that America does not attack or impose sanctions on it, then you should know that there is a problem - that is to say, there is an obstacle in their way. To put it simply, they cannot do it. If they can, they will definitely do it. The only crime that this disobedient country has committed is that it is not willing to give in to America, to be blackmailed by it and to let the interests of America have priority over its own interests. This is the definition of a disobedient country. In order to bring this country to its knees, the Americans do everything that they can. They do whatever is possible for them. If they do not do something, it is because they cannot. Well, what are the things that the Americans do? Today, launching a military attack is not a priority from the viewpoint of the Americans. They have understood that they suffered a loss on the issue of Iraq and Afghanistan where they launched military attacks. They have understood that launching a military attack is as dangerous for the aggressor as it is for the defender and sometimes, it is even more dangerous for the aggressor. They have understood this correctly. Therefore, it can be said that they have changed their mind about launching a military attack. They have other ways ahead of them. One of these ways is entrusting the task of furthering their goals in the target country - which is the target of their attacks - to the elements inside this country. The issue is not only about Islamic Iran and the Islamic Republic. They are doing these things all over the world and we are witnessing some instances of their effort in the present time. Another way is launching a coup d\\\\\\\'état. They empower some people inside the target country so that they can launch a coup d\\\\\\\'état and overthrow those governments and political systems which do not give in to them. One of the ways that they use is this. Another way is drawing part of the people to the streets. An example is the color revolutions which were carried out in each and every part of the region in recent years. Take the case of a government which comes to power in a country. After all, if the government that comes to power holds 60 percent of the votes, it means that 40 percent of the people did not vote for it. The Americans go to that 40 percent, choose certain elements and leaders among them and make them - either by bribing or by threatening them - draw that 40 percent or part of it to the streets. America\\\\\\\'s hands were behind the color revolutions - for example, such and such an orange revolution and other revolutions in different countries - that were carried out in recent years. We do not make any judgment about the events which are taking place in an area in Europe. But when one takes a look, one sees what a role an American senator and official can play - by showing his presence - in the demonstrations of a minority against a country. They showed their presence in such areas. One of the measures that they adopt is that they draw part of the people to the streets and make them break the law, thereby overthrowing the government which they do not approve of and which is not blackmailed. Another measure that they adopt is empowering and forming terrorist groups. They did this in Iraq, Afghanistan and some Arab countries in the region. They did it in our country as well. They form terrorist groups in order to kill well-known personalities. In our country, they struck and martyred scientists and experts on atomic energy. Before that too, they struck political, cultural, scientific and seminary personalities. These terrorists grew with the help of the Americans. Some of them were accepted into America by the Americans for the services that they rendered. Today, munafeqeen are in America\\\\\\\'s arms. They take part in different meetings and commissions of the U.S. Congress. The same munafeqeen who killed people from different social backgrounds - including great personalities, ulama, scientists and political personalities - and who carried out explosions are with the Americans today. So, this is another way they use. Another way is creating discord among decision-makers of countries. One of the measures that they adopt is this: they try to create a rift in the highest levels of the government and system that is not with them. They try to establish a dual government. Of course, they do not succeed in many countries. But unfortunately, they succeed in some areas. This is one of their ways. Another way is that they discourage - with their propaganda - the hearts and minds of people from following their ideological and religious principles. They try such measures. The regime of the United States of America has done all these things to our dear and Islamic Iran and by Allah\\\\\\\'s favor, it has failed in all of them. Launching military coups d\\\\\\\'état, supporting those who instigate fitna, drawing some people to the streets, confronting elections and creating rifts were some of the measures that they either adopted or tried to adopt and thankfully, they failed in all of them. Why did they fail? It was because the people were vigilant and religious. It is here that I want to speak about the second challenge which is the internal challenge. Dear brothers and sisters, the internal challenge for our people is the risk of ignoring, forgetting about and losing the spirit and orientation of our magnanimous Imam (r.a). This is the greatest danger. The internal challenge is making a mistake in knowing our enemies and our friends and confusing the camp of our enemies and friends so much so that we do not know who our enemies and friends are. Another mistake is failing to know our major and minor enemies. This is another danger. You dear brothers and sisters and all the people of Iran should pay attention that sometimes, someone shows enmity towards you. But if you pay careful attention, you will see that his enmity is not the main one. It is a function of another factor and another person. You should find the main enemy. Otherwise, if one confronts the lesser enemy, one\\\\\\\'s energy is sapped and the result will not be good. Today, some people in different parts of the world of Islam - which go by the name of takfiri, Wahhabi and Salafi groups - are adopting bad and inappropriate measures against Iran, Shia Muslims and Shia Islam. But everyone should know that they are not the main enemies. They show enmity and they adopt foolish measures, but the main enemy is the person who provokes them, who gives them money and who motivates them with different means when their motivation is weakened to some extent. The main enemy is the person who sows the seeds of rupture and discord between that foolish and ignorant group and the oppressed people of Iran. These measures are adopted by the hidden hands of intelligence and security services. That is why we have constantly said that we do not consider these foolish groups - who confront the Islamic Republic in the name of Salafism, takfiri and Islam - to be our main enemy. We consider you to be the deceived. We have said to these people: \\\\\\\"If you stretch your hand against me to slay me, it is not for me to stretch my hand against you to slay you: for I fear Allah, the Cherisher of the worlds\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 5: 28]. If you make a mistake and if you prepare yourself to kill your Muslim brothers, we do not consider you to be so important that we try to kill you. Of course, we defend ourselves. Anyone who attacks us will face our firm fist. This is natural, but we believe that these people are not our main enemies. They have been deceived. The main enemy is the person who acts behind the scenes. The main enemy is the visible hand that comes out of the sleeve of intelligence services, that confronts Muslims and that pits them against one another. This is our internal challenge: becoming busy with domestic differences - those which are trivial and unimportant. Such differences make us busy, pit us against one another, create tension and make us forget about the main issues and guidelines. This is one of the manifestations of the main challenge which was referred to. Losing national solidarity is one of our challenges. Suffering from laziness, lack of confidence, idleness, desperation and hopelessness and thinking that we cannot succeed and that we have not succeeded until today are among the internal challenges we should confront. As Imam (r.a.) said, we can. We should show determination. National determination and jihadi management can untie all the knots. As we said, our dear youth, our outstanding personalities and our scholars should sit and study these issues. These are our main points. The auspicious name of our magnanimous Imam (r.a.), the remembrance of that great man and the plan of that great architect can help us in all these chapters. It can give us hope, enthusiasm and morale, as it has done this until today and by Allah\\\\\\\'s favor, it will continue to do this in the future. Dear God, bestow your blessings on our dear people. Dear God, help our dear youth on the path of building an ideal Islamic structure. Dear God, protect us from deviations and digressions. Dear God, make the hands of the people of Iran stronger than the hands of their enemies. Help them achieve victory over their enemies. Make the holy heart of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake) kind to us. Help us benefit from the prayers of that great Imam (a.s.). Associate the pure souls of Imam (r.a.) and our dear martyrs with the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings Source: http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1921

Address by H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad President of the Islamic Republic of Iran before the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. New York 22 September 2011 In the Name of God, the Compassionate The Merciful All praise be to Allah, the lord of the Universe, and peace and blessing be upon our Master and prophet, Mohammad, and his pure household, his noble companions and on all divine messengers. ‘Oh, God, hasten the arrival of Imam al-Mahdi and grant him good health and victory, and make us his followers and all those who attest to his rightfulness.’ Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am grateful to the Almighty Allah who granted me, once more, the opportunity to appear before this world assembly. I have the pleasure to express my sincere thanks to H.E. Joseph Deiss, president of the sixty-fifth session for his tremendous efforts during his tenure. I also would like to congratulate H.E Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser on his election as the president of sixty-sixth session of the United Nations and wish him all success. Let me seize the moment to pay tribute to all those who lost their lives in the past year, particularly to the victims of tragic famine in Somalia and the devastating flood in Pakistan. I urge everyone to increase their assistance and aid to the affected populations in these countries. Over the past years, I spoke about different global issues, and the need to introduce fundamental changes in the current international order. - Today, considering the international developments, I will try to analyze the present situation from a different angle. - As you all know the dominance and superiority of human beings over other creatures, lie in the very nature and the truth of humankind. which is a divine gift and a manifestation of the divine spirit embodying: - Faith in God, who is the ever-lasting creator and planner of the entire universe. - Showing compassion to others, generosity, justice-seeking, and having integrity both in words and in deeds. - The quest for dignity to reach the pinnacles of perfection, the aspiration to elevate one’s material and spiritual status, and the longing to realize liberty; - Defying oppression, corruption, and discrimination in contrast to supporting the oppressed. - Seeking happiness, and lasting prosperity and security for all. - These are some of the manifestations of common divine and human attributes which can clearly be seen in the historical aspirations of human beings as reflected in the heritage of our search for art and literary works both in prose and poetry, and in the socio-cultural and political movements of human beings in the course of history. - All divine prophets and social reformers invited human beings to tread on this righteous path. - God has given dignity to humankind to elevate his status to assume his successor role on Earth. Dear Colleagues and friends: - It is vividly clear that despite all historical achievements, including creation of the United-Nations, that was a product of untiring struggles and efforts of free-minded and justice-seeking individuals as well as the international cooperation, human societies are yet far from fulfilling their noble desires and aspirations. - Most nations of the world are unhappy with the current international circumstances. - And despite the general longing and aspiration to promote peace, progress, and fraternity, wars, mass-murder, widespread poverty, and socioeconomic and political crises continue to infringe upon the rights and sovereignty of nations, leaving behind irreparable damage worldwide; - Approximately, three billion people of the world live on less than 2.5 dollars a day, and over a billion people even live without having even one sufficient meal on a daily basis; - Forty-percent of the poorest world populations only share five percent of the global income, while twenty percent of the richest people share seventy-five percent of the total global income. - More than twenty thousand innocent and destitute children die every day in the world because of poverty. - Eighty percent of financial resources in the United States are controlled by ten percent of its population, while only twenty percent of these resources belong to the ninety percent of the population. - What are the causes and reasons behind these inequalities? How can bone remedy such injustice? - Those who dominate and run centers of global economic power put the blame on people’s aspiration for religion and the pursuit of the path of divine prophets or the weakness of nations and the ill-performance of a number of groups or individuals. They claim that only their views, approaches or prescriptions can save the humanity and the world economy. Dear Colleagues and friends - Don’t you think that the root cause of the problems must be sought in the prevailing international order, or the way the world is governed? I would like to draw your kind attention to the following questions: - Who abducted forcefully tens of millions of people from their homes in Africa and other regions of the world during the dark period of slavery, making them a victim of their materialistic greed? - Who imposed colonialism for over four centuries upon this world? Who occupied lands and massively plundered resources of other nations, destroyed talents, and alienated languages, cultures and identities of nations? - Who triggered the first and second world wars, that left seventy millions killed and hundreds of millions injured or homeless. Who created the wars in Korean peninsula and in Vietnam? - Who imposed, through deceits and hypocrisy, the Zionists and over sixty years of war, homelessness, terror and mass murder on the Palestinian people and on countries of the region? - Who imposed and supported for decades military dictatorship and totalitarian regimes on Asian, African, and Latin American nations. - Who used atomic bomb against defenseless people, and stockpiled thousands of warheads in their arsenals? - Whose economies rely on waging wars and selling arms? - Who provoked and encouraged Saddam Hussein to invade and impose an eight-year war on Iran, and who assisted and equipped him to deploy chemical weapons against our cities and our people. - Who used the mysterious September 11 incident as a pretext to attack Afghanistan and Iraq - killing, injuring, and displacing millions in two countries- with the ultimate goal of bringing into its domination the Middle-East and its oil resources? - Who abolished the Breton Woods system and printed trillions of dollars without the backing of gold reserves or equivalent currency? A move that triggered inflation worldwide and was intended to prey on the economic gains of other nations. - What country’s military spending exceeds annually a thousand billion dollars, more than the military budgets of all countries of the world combined? - Which governments are the most indebted ones in the world? - Who dominates the policy-making establishments of the world economy? - Who are responsible for the world economic recession, and are imposing its consequences on America, Europe and the world in general? - Which governments are ever ready to drop thousands of bombs on other countries, but ponder and hesitate to send a bit of food aid to famine-stricken people in Somalia or in other places? - Who are the ones dominating the Security Council which is ostensibly responsible to safeguard the international security? - There exist tens of other similar questions and of course, the answers are clear. - The majority of nations and governments of the world have had no role in the creation of the current global crises, and as a matter of fact were themselves the victims of such policies. - It is as lucid as daylight that the same slave masters and colonial powers that once instigated the two world wars have caused widespread miseries and disorder with far-reaching effects across the globe since then. Dear Colleagues and Friends, - Do these arrogant powers really have the competence and ability to run or govern the world, or is it acceptable that they call themselves as the sole defender of freedom, democracy, and human rights, while they militarily attack and occupy other countries? - Can the flower of democracy blossom from NATO’s missiles, bombs or, guns? Ladies and Gentlemen; - If some European countries still use the Holocaust, after six decades, as the excuse to pay fine or ransom to the Zionists, should it not be an obligation upon the slave masters or colonial powers to pay reparations to the affected nations? - If the damage and losses of the period of slavery and colonialism were indeed compensated, what would happen to the manipulators and behind-the-scene political powers in the United States and in Europe? Will there remain any gaps between the North and the South? - If only half of military expenditures of the United States and its allies in NATO is cut to help solve the economic problems in their own countries will they be witnessing any symptom of the economic crisis? - What would happen, if the same amount is allocated to poor nations? - What is the justification for the presence of hundreds of US military and intelligence bases in different parts of the world, including 268 bases in Germany, 124 in Japan, 87 in South Korea, 83 in Italy, 45 in the United-Kingdom, and 21 in Portugal? Does this mean anything other than military occupation? - Don’t the bombs deployed in the said bases undermine the security of other nations? Ladies and Gentlemen - The main question is the quest for the root cause of such attitudes? - The prime reason should be sought in the beliefs and tendencies of the establishment. - Assemblies of people in contradiction with the inner human instincts and disposition, who also have no faith in God and in the path of the divine prophets, replace their lust for power and materialistic ends with heavenly values. - To them, only power and wealth prevail, and every attempt must bring into focus these sinister goals. - Oppressed nations have no hope to restore or protect their legitimate rights against these powers. - These powers seek their progress, prosperity and dignity through the poverty, humiliation and annihilation of others. - They consider themselves superior to others enjoying special privileges or concessions. They have no respect for others and easily violate the rights of all nations and governments. - They proclaim themselves as the indisputable custodians of all governments and nations through intimidation, recourse to threat and force, and the abuse of international mechanisms. They simply break all the internationally-recognized and regulations. - They insist on imposing their lifestyle and beliefs on others. - They officially support racism. - They weaken countries through military intervention, and destroy their infrastructures, in order to plunder their resources by making them all the more dependent. - They sow the seeds of hate and hostility among nations and people of different pursuits, in order to prevent them from fulfilling their goals of development and progress. - All cultures, identities, lives, values and wealth of nations, women, youth, families, families as well as the wealth of nations are sacrificed by their hegemonic tendencies and the inclination to enslave and captivate others. - Hypocrisy and deceit are allowed to secure their interests and imperialistic goals. Drug- trafficking and killing of innocent human beings are also allowed in pursuit of such diabolic goals. Despite NATO’s presence in the occupied Afghanistan, there has been a dramatic increase in the production of illicit drugs there. - They tolerate no question or criticism, and instead of presenting a reason for their violations, they always put themselves in the position of a claimant. - By using their imperialistic media network which is under the influence of colonialism they threaten anyone who questions the Holocaust, and September 11 with sanctions and military action. - Last year, when the need to form a fact-finding team to undertake a thorough investigation concerning the hidden elements involved in September 11 incident was brought up- an idea which is also endorsed by all independent governments and nations as well as by the majority in the United States-, my country and myself came under pressure and threats by the government of the United States. - Instead of assigning a fact-finding team, they killed the main perpetrator and threw his body into the sea. - Would it not have been reasonable to bring to justice and try openly the main perpetrator of the incident in order to identify the elements behind the safe space provided for the invading aircraft to attack the twin world trade towers? - Why should it not have been allowed to bring him into trial to help recognize those who launched terrorist groups and brought wars and other miseries into the region? - Is there any classified information that must be kept secret? - They view Zionism as a sacred notion or ideology and any question concerning its very foundation and history is condemned by them as an unforgivable sin. However they endorse and allow sacrileges and insult against beliefs of other divine religions. Dear Colleagues and Friends. - Real freedom, justice, dignity, well being, and lasting security are the rights of all nations. - These values can neither be achieved by reliance on the current inefficient system of world governance, nor through the intervention of the world arrogant powers and the gun barrels of NATO forces. - These values could only be realized under independence and recognition of others’ right and through harmony and cooperation. - Is there any way to address the problems and challenges besetting the world by using the prevailing international mechanisms or tools to help humanity achieve the long-standing aspiration of peace, security and equality? - All those who tried to introduce reforms whilst preserving the existing norms and tendencies have failed. The valuable efforts made by the Non-Aligned movement and Group 77 and 15 as well as by some prominent individuals have failed to bring fundamental changes. - Governance and management of the world entail fundamental reforms. - What has to be done now? Dear Colleagues and Friends - Efforts must be made with a firm resolve and through collective cooperation to map out a new plan, on the basis of principles and the very foundation of human universal values such as Monotheism, justice, freedom, love and the quest for happiness. - The idea of creation of the United Nations remains a great and historical achievement of mankind. Its importance must be appreciated and its capacities must be used to the extent possible for our noble goals. - We should not allow the organization which is the reflection of the collective will and shared aspiration of the community of nations, to deviate from its main course and play into the hands of the world powers. - Conducive ground must be prepared to ensure collective participation and involvement of nations in an effort to promote lasting peace and security. - Shared and collective management of the world must be achieved in its true sense, and based on the underlying principles enshrined in the international law; and justice must serve as the criterion and the basis for all international decisions or actions. - All of us should acknowledge the fact that there is no other way than the shared and collective management of the world in order to put an end to the present disorders, tyranny, and discriminations worldwide. - This is indeed the sole way to prosperity and welfare of human society which is an established and vivid truth. - While acknowledging the above truth, one should note that it is not enough and that we must have further faith in that and spare no effort toward its realization. Dear Colleagues and Friends - Shared and collective management of the world is the legitimate right of all nations, and we as their representatives, have an obligation to defend their rights. Although some powers continuously try to frustrate all international efforts, aimed at promoting collective cooperation, we must, however, strengthen our belief in achieving the perceived goal of establishing a shared and collective cooperation to run the world. - The United Nations was created to make possible effective participation of all nations in international decision-making processes. - We all know that this goal has not yet been fulfilled because of the absence of justice in the current management structures and mechanisms of the UN. - The composition of the Security Council is unjust and inequitable. Therefore, changes and restructuring of the United Nations are considered as the basic demands of the nations that must be addressed by the General Assembly. - During last year session, I emphasized the importance of this issue and called for the designation of this decade as the decade of shared and collective Global Management. - I would like now to reiterate my proposal and I am sure that through international cooperation diligent and efforts of committed world leaders or governments and through insistence on justice and the support of all other nations, we can expedite the building of a common bright future. - This movement is certainly on the rightful path of creation with the assurance of promising future for humanity. - A future that will be built when humanity initiates to trend the path of the divine prophets and the righteous the under the leadership of Imam al-Mahdi, the Ultimate Savior of mankind and the inheritor to all divine messengers, leaders and to the pure generation of our great Prophet. - Creation of a supreme and ideal society with the arrival of a perfect human being, who is a true and sincere lover of all human beings, is the guaranteed promise of Allah. - He will come with Jesus Christ to lead the freedom and justice lovers to eradicate tyranny and discrimination, and promote knowledge, peace, justice freedom and love across the world. He will present to every single individual all the beauties of the world and all good things which bring happiness for humankind. - Today nations have been awakened and with the increase in public awareness, they no longer succumb to oppressions and discriminations. - The world is now witnessing more than ever, the widespread awakening in Islamic lands, in Asia, Europe, and America. These movements are ever expanding everyday their specter and influence to pursue the realization of justice, freedom and the creation of a better tomorrow. - Our great nation stands ready to join hands with other nations to march on this beautiful path in harmony and in line with the shared aspirations of mankind. - Let us salute love, freedom, justice, knowledge, and the bright future that awaits humankind.

Switzerland has decided to suspend arms shipments to the United Arab Emirates following a report that Swiss-made hand grenades are being used by armed gangs in Syria. The measure was taken on Wednesday after the Sonntagszeitung newspaper published a photograph taken of one such device in possession of anti-Damascus forces in the town of Marea, north of Aleppo, at the end of June, AFP reported. Preliminary inquiries into the photo showed the grenade in question was made by the Bern-based arms manufacturer RUAG, and was part of a shipment made by the company to the UAE in 2003. The Federal Department of Economic Affairs (FDEA) says 225,162 hand grenades were exported to the UAE, who signed an agreement not to re-export the munitions. "As far as the FDEA is aware, the hand grenade ... originates from a RUAG shipment to the United Arab Emirates in 2003. At present there is no evidence that Swiss hand grenades have found their way to Syria; inquiries are ongoing, however," the government statement said. The FDEA statement also said arms shipments from Switzerland to Syria stopped in April 1998, and raised doubt whether the photograph was taken in Syria after all. Antje Baertschi, a spokeswoman for the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) said as a “provisional" measure, Switzerland immediately moved to "freeze all arms export permits to the UAE." Press TV has conducted an interview with Dr. Webster Griffin Tarpley, author & historian, to hear his opinion on this issue. The following is a transcription of the interview. Press TV: The Swiss claim that they are surprised about this entire issue because they have a “neutral stance” when it comes to issues like Syria. Are they as innocent as they claim considering they have been providing weapons in the first place to repressive states such as the UAE? Tarpley: I think everybody in the world with an effective intelligence service and that would emphatically include Switzerland through their banking system; they are as well informed really as anybody in the world, they know very well that the [Persian] Gulf states, these reactionary feudal absolute monarchies like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait but above all Saudi Arabia, all of them have been massively shipping weapons to the death squads that are working for NATO in Syria and this has been known now for months. There is really no news except that Switzerland, to cover themselves, to cover themselves maybe on liability suits, have decided to cut off the air shipments to these feudal monarchies in the [Persian] Gulf. But other than that, we have known, even the New York Times always the last to know, has confirmed that there were CIA officers who are directing traffic in southern Turkey sending these weapons to the groups that they want to receive them. I think that we could see a larger context; tomorrow there would be another one of these Orwellian ‘Friends of Syria’ conferences in Turkey, I believe, tomorrow, or is it Paris? Anyway, the Russians and the Chinese have said that they will not go. I think Hilary Clinton, however, will be there. I believe it is in Paris. So that entire exercise will continue. One of the things that NATO is doing is simply lying. Whenever they have a diplomatic meeting with Russia, in particular, then they come out and lie about it and the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov was asked today, are you going to call Assad and offer him asylum in Russia? And Lavrov said that is a bad joke; why don’t you ask the same question to the German Foreign Minister [Guido] Westerwelle we were standing with? Why don’t you see if Assad is going to go to Germany? It is all really absurd. The big development of today though that I would urgently point to is NATO is now rolling up its heavy artillery and that means WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. Sophisticated knowledgeable observers all over the world have long known since the very beginning in 2010 that WikiLeaks is a NATO-CIA conduit for various kinds of fake or real documents that are released with political aims in mind and Assange in that sense is a tool of NATO. We are now told that there are 2.4 million cables; 400 thousand in Arabic, 70 thousand in Russia that are all embarrassing to Syria, embarrassing to the Syrian government but also embarrassing to companies that are still selling various things to Syria. The example given is Finmeccanica, an Italian firm that has been selling radios to Assad. Also notable is that Assange and WikiLeaks have got a consortium of international press organs; they have got the Associate Press of the United States, the biggest indeed.

In Iran, the spotlight is on the June 14 presidential election. The crucial vote will determine the path the country will be taking for the next four years. This has to great extent undermined the city and village council elections which are set to be held on the same day as the presidential election. Since the victory of the Islamic revolution Iranians have gone to the polls three times to vote for the city and village councils. A fourth round was to be held in June 2010 but was postponed for three years according to a decision made by the parliament. This year 352 thousand hopefuls have registered to compete for 207 thousand seats around the country. Unlike other elections held in Iran, the Guardian Council is not responsible for the vetting process. Instead a parliamentary committee has to decide which of the candidates are qualified to run. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, on average one election has been held each year but the fourth round of city and village council elections is different in many ways. First and foremost it is going be the biggest election ever held in the history of Iran in terms of the number of candidates and the number of seats at stake. According to law any village with a population of over 100 should have its own council tasked with paving the way for the social, economic, and cultural development of the community that it represents. In this edition of the show we will be taking a closer look at the preparations made for this round of city and village council elections and the role these councils have played in the development of cities and villages and the services that they provide.

The World Health Organization says at least 22 people in Syria, mostly babies have been infected by the polio disease. The organization confirmed that this would be the first outbreak of the illness in Syria in 14 years. The country\'s health ministry has begun a vaccination drive. There are more than 100-thousand children now at risk of polio in Deir Ezzor province alone, which has been caught in fighting between Syrian government forces and foreign-backed militants. The country has been going through unrest since March 2011, which has cost the lives of over a hundred-thousand people there.

The Leader of Iran\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Islamic Revolution says the United States has lost its political and military power and turned into a country grappling with its biggest economic and financial problems. He was addressing a group of school and university students on the occasion of Student Day in Iran. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the U-S is suffering from political problems and divisions which led to the recent shutdown of the federal government. The Leader noted that Iran\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s current economic hardships pale in comparison with those of the US administration. Ayatollah Khamenei said US officials made projections some 11 years ago about having 14-thousand billion dollars in extra revenues by 2011 or 2012, and that now, in practice, they are suffering from a huge 17-thousand billion dollar deficit. Iran\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Leader said that this alone shows America\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s true economic situation and the inaccuracy of their official calculations. Ayatollah Khamenei also made mention of deep divisions among Washington\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s allies, saying that the U-S has failed to convince even its closest partners like France or Britain to back its decision on launching a strike against Syria.

israel has revealed new plans for demolishing Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem al-Quds and the occupied West Bank. The Jerusalem municipality has begun issuing demolition orders for buildings in the city. Most of the orders are in two neighborhoods near the Shoafat refugee camp, in the north of al-Quds and the Palestinian side of the separation fence-- namely Ras Hamis and Ras Shehada. According to Palestinian sources, demolitions will leave some 15-thousand people homeless. This comes against the backdrop of Israel\'s new plans for building some 5-thousand settler units in the occupied Palestinian territories. Israel\'s settlement activities are considered illegal under international law.

Israel has revealed new plans for demolishing Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem al-Quds and the occupied West Bank. The Jerusalem municipality has begun issuing demolition orders for buildings in the city. Most of the orders are in two neighborhoods near the Shoafat refugee camp, in the north of al-Quds and the Palestinian side of the separation fence-- namely Ras Hamis and Ras Shehada. According to Palestinian sources, demolitions will leave some 15-thousand people homeless. This comes against the backdrop of Israel\'s new plans for building some 5-thousand settler units in the occupied Palestinian territories. Israel\'s settlement activities are considered illegal under international law.