Iran's Regime Feels Besieged Amid Regional Crises and Internal Discontent

Mehdi Oghbai

The clerical regime ruling Iran finds itself increasingly besieged by crises, both at home and abroad, with its nuclear impasse and recent developments in Syria compounding internal tensions and disagreements within the regime. Official statements from high-ranking officials reveal fears of regional isolation, escalation in conflict, and the looming threat of renewed sanctions that could worsen the economic crises and inflame social unrest.

Recent escalations in Syria, particularly in Aleppo, have heightened concerns among Iranian officials. Abbas Araqchi, the regime's Foreign Minister, acknowledged the severity of the situation, stating, "Every day, we face new plots in the region. Today, in addition to our other enemies, we are contending with the presence of Takfiri terrorist forces."

The killing of IRGC Brigadier General Pourhashmi in Aleppo further underscored the dangers facing the regime's forces and their allies. Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi, a representative of the regime's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, highlighted the growing threats during the Friday prayer sermon in Arak. "These [insurgents] have a grave enmity with the Islamic Republic," he said. The Jaish al-Nusra killed Pourhashmi during their attacks in Aleppo. At our eastern borders, Jaish al-Adl is taking advantage of every opportunity. Our people must increase their vigilance tenfold."

On November 29, Ahmad Alamolhoda, a representative of Khamenei in Mashhad, slammed internal critics who push the regime's Supreme Leader to change his regional doctrine: "Some are murmuring, 'Why should we engage in war? Why did we enter this arena when it's just two neighbors fighting each other?' First, the Supreme Leader declared that the 'Storm of Al-Aqsa' cannot be extinguished. Israel must be destroyed. The 'True Promise 3' operation remains intact, and we will take revenge on Israel under any circumstances."

Alamolhoda also criticized ongoing negotiations with European countries, expressing skepticism over their value. "Why should we negotiate now? You've seen the West's stance on the JCPOA. Since 2018, what commitments have they honored? Why negotiate for a Board of Governors statement?"

The state-run Kayhan newspaper linked recent Syrian developments to broader strategic challenges for Tehran. It highlighted the ongoing "Sedition of Aleppo," describing it as an attack on Iran's capabilities. "The resistance axis, our allies, and our friends are under attack. Over the past couple of days, Iranian personnel have been martyred in Syria. The ultimate goal of this new war is Iran itself."

The daily whose editorial guidelines are usually directed by the Supreme Leader's office, added, "Not long before the ceasefire in Lebanon, leaders of certain reactionary Arab states delivered a message to Bashar al-Assad, likely originating from the West. They falsely claimed that Hamas and Hezbollah were finished. They promised Assad complete reconstruction of his country and guarantees for his and his family's safety—if he abandoned Iran. When Assad conveyed these messages to one of Iran's envoys, the envoy was astonished by the frankness of the Arab leader's approach. Assad did not fall for it… What has begun in Syria today could be a result of rejecting those promises. The first step in dealing with the adversary—even if it involves negotiation—is understanding them. With such a treacherous and sworn enemy, is negotiating not the height of naivety?!"

The battles inside Syria were further analyzed by Fararu website, which reported a significant offensive by a coalition of opposition groups in Aleppo. Described as "the largest rebel attack in recent years," the operation has resulted in strategic territorial gains, threatening to alter the balance of power in the region.

As European nations push for the reactivation of UN sanctions under the "snapback" mechanism, Iran's official rhetoric has grown increasingly defiant. Javan Online, a publication affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warned of potential consequences. "Araqchi stated clearly that the return of UN sanctions could push the nuclear discussion inside Iran toward developing nuclear weapons," the outlet threatened.

The convergence of domestic dissatisfaction, strategic setbacks in Syria, and the potential reactivation of international sanctions have left Iran's regime grappling with mounting pressure on multiple fronts. With officials publicly voicing fears of regional encirclement and internal dissent, the clerical regime faces an increasingly precarious future.

Assad's downfall could trigger a crisis for Tehran

Katib Versi

The fall of Aleppo to rebels opposing President Bashar al-Assad has caused a critical situation for the Syrian government with implications that may extend to the Ayatollat's regime of Iran.

Opposition forces have now advanced towards the outskirts of Hama and Homs, two strategic Syrian cities on the road to Damascus. The potential fall of Damascus and the overthrow of the Assad government is more serious than ever, causing deep concerns for the Ayatollat's regime and its leader, Ali Khamenei.

The collapse of Assad's rule would dismantle a cornerstone of Iran's regional strategy against Israel. It would also threaten the survival of Iran's proxy groups, which rely heavily on Damascus for support. Without Assad's backing, these groups could struggle to sustain their operations, jeopardizing the regime's influence in the region.

For Khamenei and Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Assad's government is a vital pillar of the so-called Axis of Evil. Its potential fall could even endanger the stability of the Ayatollat's regime itself.

The coming days are pivotal for both Assad's government and Iran. The defeat in Aleppo dealt a major blow to the morale of the Syrian army and government, but the greater concern for Assad and the Ayatollat's regime is the possibility of opposition forces advancing toward Damascus after consolidating their power in the north and toppling the government.

The opposition forces now control Aleppo and Idlib near Turkey's borders and are rapidly advancing in Hama and Homs governorates with reports that they are at the gates of the provincial capitals. Capturing the cities of Hama and Homs would give them a strategic advantage, potentially allowing a push toward Latakia, the Assad family's power base, or Damascus.

The situation today is starkly different from 2016, when Assad, with robust support from Russia, Hezbollat, and Iran, defeated opposition forces in the battle of Aleppo. Several factors have contributed to the weakening of the Assad government and its supporters:

- Russia's involvement in Ukraine: Russia, a key ally of Damascus, is preoccupied with the war in Ukraine, limiting its ability to provide military support compared to 2016.

- Hezbollat's diminished sway: Iran-backed Hezbollat, a powerful armed ally of Damascus, has suffered significant losses in its conflict with Israel and faces domestic pressure in Lebanon to reduce its involvement in regional conflicts.

- Iran's economic constraints: Tehran's financial woes made worse by US sanctions have restricted its ability to provide financial and military aid to the Assad government. According to estimates, Tehran has spent tens of billions of dollars in Syria but now finds it hard to continue such support.

- Erosion of the IRGC's manpower and logistics in Syria: Key IRGC commanders, including former chief of IRG's extraterritorial Quds Force Qasem Soleimani, have been killed in recent years and the replacement forces do not have the same capabilities. Additionally, proxy groups such as the Afghan Fatemiyoun Division Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) are less effective than before.

If Assad's falls, Iran's regional foreign policy could face a severe crisis. Damascus plays a crucial role in facilitating the transport of weapons, logistics, and financial support to Iran's proxy groups. Its collapse would likely lead to:

- Disruption of weapons transfers to Hezbollat via Damascus and Latakia airports.

- Reduced support for Palestinian groups such as Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.

- Destruction of smuggling networks for arms and narcotics into Jordan and the West Bank.

For Iran, preserving Assad's government is a matter of strategic survival. While Khamenei and the IRGC are likely to make every effort to prevent its collapse, their resources and influence are far weaker than in the past. Ultimately, Assad's fall could dismantle the 'Axis of Evil' and pose a serious threat to the Ayatollat's regime's future.

Iran News: Officials and Analysts Reveal Regime's Deep Anxiety Over Developments in Syria and Lebanon

Mehdi Oghbai

The Iranian regime has expressed growing concern over recent regional developments, particularly the ceasefire in Lebanon and the shifting balance of power in Syria. Officials and state-affiliated analysts are openly discussing their fears of the fallout from these changes, revealing a regime increasingly apprehensive about its vanishing regional influence and domestic stability.

Ceasefire in Lebanon Sparks Anxiety

During a recent state television broadcast, a host outlined the growing narratives of disillusionment surrounding Hezbollah's perceived concessions in Lebanon. "In media spaces and on social networks, groups claiming to be well-intentioned are all converging on a sense of hopelessness," the host stated. "Some are spreading the theory that Hezbollah was defeated, others claim Hezbollah lost because Iran betrayed them, and yet another group argues that Hezbollah betrayed Iran and Gaza by agreeing to the ceasefire."

Responding to the host, a regime-affiliated analyst, Shahbazi, admitted to the precariousness of the situation. "A deal has been reached between Lebanon's Speaker of Parliament, the Lebanese government, and the Americans. Hezbollah is not bound by it yet," he stated, adding, "Hezbollah may or may not adhere to it, but now that Lebanon's situation is somewhat stable, we worry their attention will turn to us."

He drew parallels to past domestic unrest, saying, "I expect something like the events of 2022 [nationwide protests] to happen again. Perhaps not outright military operations, but acts of sabotage designed to create internal divisions, as we saw after the Ukrainian plane incident."

The analyst expressed concern over the psychological toll of what he described as an ongoing "media war." Referring to state propaganda portraying the Lebanon ceasefire as a victory for Hezbollah, he remarked, "I expected to see celebrations in the streets today, but there were none. This psychological war is even impacting our revolutionary and Hezbollah-aligned base."

Operation "Fake Promise"

Meanwhile, the Iranian regime's rhetoric following recent regional setbacks highlights its growing reliance on proxies to maintain its influence while avoiding direct confrontation. IRGC Deputy Coordinator Mohammad Reza Naghdi dismissed expectations surrounding the long-delayed True Promise 3 Operation, a supposed direct retaliation against Israel, and instead shifted focus to the Palestinian groups.

Conducting a speech at an event for Basij forces, Naghdi said, "I do not concern myself with True Promise 3. That is for the country's security officials to decide and address." Instead, he deflected attention toward a potential follow-up to the "Storm of Al-Aqsa" campaign, saying, "We are preparing for 'Storm of Al-Aqsa 2' to finish the Zionists once and for all."

This admission effectively signals the regime's reluctance to escalate into a direct military confrontation with Israel, opting instead to delegate action to Palestinian proxies. Naghdi's remarks, while attempting to project strength, have disappointed regime supporters who expected decisive action. His suggestion that the fate of "True Promise 3" lies with security officials highlights the regime's anxious approach, balancing domestic pressures with the fear of provoking a wider conflict involving Israel and potentially the United States.

Worries about Shifting Power Dynamics in Northern Syria

Furthermore, a classified bulletin circulated within the regime's intelligence community highlights significant shifts in northern Syria, particularly in Aleppo's outskirts, as a source of growing concern for Tehran. The analysis warns of the Syrian army's inability to hold critical territories, coupled with the rising influence of rebel forces, creating a precarious situation for the regime's regional strategy.

The bulletin states, "The recent developments in northern Syria, particularly around Aleppo, underscore significant changes in the balance of power. The Syrian army's defeats and retreat from critical areas such as Khan al-Asal and Khan Touman, coupled with the rapid advances of opposition forces, especially Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, have introduced a new reality for this region. These setbacks are not merely the result of tactical weaknesses but also highlight the complexities of regional dynamics and the active role of external players."

The report emphasizes the strategic importance of Khan al-Asal, located just 3 kilometers west of Aleppo, which recently fell to rebel forces after fierce battles. The bulletin notes, "Field reports indicate that despite support from Russia and Iran, the Syrian army could not hold the area against the heavy assault of opposition forces and was forced to withdraw. This failure raises serious questions about the Syrian army's capability to defend critical territories under its control."

The bulletin underscores the involvement of the Quds Force, Afghan Fatemiyoun, Pakistani Zeinabiyoun, and Iraq's Hashd al-Shaabi militias in defending these areas. However, their collective failure to prevent opposition gains highlights the increasing challenges for the regime's regional ambitions.

The bulletin also cites claims from Abdelqader al-Karbalaee, commander of Iraq's al-Nujaba militia, who alleged that recent rebel offensives were instigated by Israel. Al-Karbalaei further claimed that his group has deployed reinforcements to Syria to address these developments.

Adding to these setbacks, the death of Iranian Brigadier General Kiomars Pour-Hashemi in Aleppo has highlighted the escalating risks for Tehran's military advisers in the region.

Implications for the Region and Beyond

The regime's rhetoric underscores its mounting anxiety as it grapples with growing challenges to its regional influence and internal stability. From Lebanon's ceasefire to Syria's power shifts, Iran's leadership appears increasingly aware of its vulnerabilities. Officials openly acknowledge the risks of heightened international pressure and the potential for renewed domestic unrest, revealing a fragile regime under siege both at home and abroad.

The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran: A Legacy of Resistance, A Vision for the Future

Poorang Novak

As the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) commemorates its 59th anniversary, one cannot help but reflect on its extraordinary journey. For nearly six decades, this organization has stood as a beacon of resistance against the oppressive forces that have sought to crush the spirit of the Iranian people. From challenging the autocratic rule of the Shah to standing up against the theocratic regime of the mullahs, the PMOI's unwavering commitment to freedom, democracy, and human rights is a narrative that continues to inspire not just Iranians, but advocates of liberty around the world.

A Movement Born in the Crucible of Revolution

The PMOI emerged in 1965, a time when Iran was grappling with profound political turmoil. The Shah's regime, backed by Western powers, was tightening its grip on the nation, leaving little room for dissent. It was in this climate of repression that the PMOI's founders recognized the urgent need for a dedicated, organized resistance. They were not merely reacting to the tyranny of the day; they were envisioning a future where Iranians could live in a society defined by justice, independence, and equality.

This vision has never wavered, even in the face of brutal crackdowns. The 1980s, in particular, were a time of unimaginable suffering for PMOI members and supporters. Thousands were executed, imprisoned, or forced into exile. Yet, despite these horrific challenges, the organization endured, evolving into a symbol of resilience that continues to challenge the status quo in Iran.

Bridging Divides: PMOI's Role in Uniting the Opposition

One of the most remarkable aspects of the PMOI's journey is its ability to mobilize support across a diverse spectrum. From within Iran's borders to the far reaches of the diaspora, the PMOI has brought together various factions of the opposition under a common cause: the dismantling of the mullahs' dictatorship.

Through the establishment of "Resistance Units," the PMOI has reinvigorated grassroots activism, encouraging ordinary citizens to become agents of change. This isn't just about political strategy; it's about empowering people to reclaim their country from the grip of tyranny. Recent protests in Iran have shown that the PMOI's message resonates deeply with those who yearn for freedom, positioning the organization as a vital leader in the ongoing struggle.

A Vision Rooted in Human Rights and Democratic Values

What sets the PMOI apart from other opposition groups is its unwavering commitment to human rights and democratic principles. The PMOI doesn't just oppose the current regime; it offers a compelling alternative. It envisions an Iran where gender equality, freedom of expression, and the right to self-determination are not just aspirations but realities.

This forward-thinking vision is also reflected in the PMOI's interpretation of Islam. Unlike the rigid, fundamentalist views imposed by the ruling clerics, the PMOI's interpretation is one of tolerance and democracy. This inclusive approach not only appeals to many Iranians but also garners international support, effectively positioning the PMOI as a legitimate alternative to the current regime.

Unmasking the Regime: PMOI's Role in Exposing Iran's Dark Secrets

The PMOI has also distinguished itself as a formidable force in exposing the Iranian regime's clandestine activities. It was the PMOI that first revealed Iran's nuclear ambitions to the world—a revelation that sent shockwaves through the international community.

In June 1991, the PMOI uncovered Iran's plans to acquire nuclear weapons, a disclosure that marked a turning point in global perceptions of the regime. This was followed by the PMOI's exposure of the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility and the Arak heavy water reactor project in 2002—revelations that brought the world's attention to Iran's covert nuclear program and led to increased international scrutiny.

But the PMOI's revelations haven't been limited to nuclear activities. The organization has also shone a light on Iran's development of missile and drone technology, which poses a significant threat to regional stability. By revealing the regime's advances in these areas, the PMOI has highlighted the broader dangers posed by Iran's ambitions, not just to its neighbors but to global security as a whole.

The Broader Implications: PMOI's Call for Regional Stability

The PMOI's opposition to the Iranian regime isn't just about changing the government in Tehran; it's about promoting peace and stability across the Middle East. The Iranian government's support for proxy forces in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon has fueled conflicts that have devastating humanitarian consequences. By exposing these activities, the PMOI has made a compelling case that a democratic Iran would be a force for peace in a troubled region.

This perspective is not just theoretical. It's a call to action for the international community to support the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom. The PMOI argues, convincingly, that a democratic Iran would not only respect the rights of its citizens but also contribute to a more stable and peaceful Middle East.

Conclusion: A Legacy of Resistance, A Future of Hope

As the PMOI marks its 59th year, it stands as a testament to the power of resistance and the enduring human spirit. The organization's journey is far from over, but its legacy of courage, resilience, and hope continues to inspire. The PMOI doesn't just represent the aspirations of the Iranian people; it embodies the universal desire for freedom and justice.

In a world where tyranny often seems to hold the upper hand, the PMOI reminds us that the fight for human dignity is never in vain. As we look to the future, the PMOI's vision of a free, democratic, and peaceful Iran offers hope—not just for Iranians, but for all who believe in the possibility of a better world.

Iran's regime is close to crumbling following Trump's victory, says opposition group

Several Agencies

Increasing instability at home and pressure from abroad mean Koamenie's regime is ready to collapse, claims National Council of Resistance

The Iranian regime is closer to being toppled than ever following Donald Trump's election victory, a leading opposition group has said.

Iran's warmongering in the Middle East through its proxies has also weakened the regime, Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told The Telegraph in a rare interview.

Ms Rajavi said that, after years of brutal oppression, Tehran had found itself in a "quagmire" with its facade of power crumbling.

She said: "The clerical regime is more vulnerable than ever. Last year, amidst potential overthrow threats highlighted by the 2022 uprisings, Ali Khamenei responded with regional warmongering.

"Now, he finds himself at an impasse, deeply entrenched in the quagmire of a conflict of his own making.

"For years, Khamenei claimed through lobbyists and appeasers that the theocracy was stable and that concessions were necessary to avoid chaos. This facade has crumbled."

Aides of Ms Rajavi told The Telegraph that the exiled opposition group was hoping Mr Trump's recent election victory would mean an end to appeasement and a hardline stance towards the Islamic Republic's leadership.

The NCRI is now urging Western governments not to lose impetus. Both Israel's long-range strikes and the Republican's election win have put Tehran's regime on the defensive.

"Let us not be naive. The enmity of the regime with the West, Israel and the US, in particular with President Trump that it has exploited for years, now has become detrimental to the regime like the war itself. while we are endeavouring for the regime's overthrow, we want the West to be on our side to finish the job," an NCRI source said

So confident is the group of the regime's demise, its leader, Ms Rajavi, has publicised a six-point plan to end the country's dictatorship and introduce democracy.

"Granting further opportunities and concessions to the regime would be a critical error, detrimental to the Iranian people as well as to regional and global peace and stability," she told The Telegraph, in a further warning to the West not to relieve pressure on Tehran.

The Iranian regime has been under mounting domestic pressure for over two years following the killing of Mahsa Amini by morality police.

Amini died in police custody in September 2022 after being detained for allegedly breaking Iran's strict hijab laws.

Her death sparked a series of anti-regime protests, which the NCRI believe forced the regime to use its international proxies in Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis to sow discord across the Middle East.

Hamas had been consulting Tehran on its preparations for the Oct 7 massacre, which killed over 1,000 innocent Israelis with hundreds more kidnapped.

Tensions between Israel and Iran escalated because of the Islamic Republic's backing for the militants who have launched attacks on the Jewish state.

Tehran has always argued that groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah act independently, but it has praised them as a so-called member of its Axis of Resistance in the region.

Its backing for the terror groups has prompted Israel to carry out a series of strikes targeting top commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

At least two of the IRGC's commanders were killed in air strikes on Syria, another Iranian ally in the region.

The attacks prompted Iran to strike back at Israel, launching two long-range bombardments, which marked Tehran's first- direct strike on the Jewish state in their almost 50 years as arch enemies.

In retaliation, Israel carried out its own strikes which left Iran militarily exposed, taking out the "majority" of the air defence systems protecting the Islamic Republic, according to Israeli officials.

At the same time, there have been a growing number of political prisoners detained and executions carried out in Iran as the regime attempts to keep control at home.

Newly formed resistance groups, of which Ms Rajavi believes there are 20,000 operating in the Islamic Republic, form a key pillar of her blueprint for a democratic revolution.

"Through their relentless efforts to dismantle the barriers of oppression, they embody the force for change and stand as the freedom fighters of Iran," she told an audience at the European Parliament in Brussels earlier this week.

After the regime has been overthrown, Ms Rajavi wants to establish a provisional government, with a maximum term of six months, to organise elections.

The first democratically elected government would serve for a further two years as it drafts a new constitution for Iran.

In an olive branch to the West, the NCRI wants to scrap the regime's nuclear programmes, and also end the country's religious rule and the death penalty.

With an end to capital punishment, aides to Ms Rajavi say that the current regime will not be subject to the same fate as many of their political opponents.

"Let us hope that the entire world recognises the Iranian people's struggle to overthrow this regime and acknowledges the legitimacy of the just battle waged by the Resistance Units," said Ms Rajavi.

Iraqi militias admitted to Tehran university without entrance exams

Katib Versi

The University of Tehran has announced an increase in the admission of members of Hashd al-Shaabi, the Iranian-backed Shiite militia in Iraq, without the need for entrance exams.

Mohammad Moghimi, President of the University of Tehran, announced Thursday that these students do not receive military training at the university and instead study management though it is widely known that Iraqi militias are trained in Iran.

The Hashd al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), was established in 2014 following a religious decree to combat ISIS, which at the time had taken control of four Iraqi governorates and threatened Baghdad.

While the Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization is largely composed of Shia Muslim groups, it also includes Sunni Muslim, Christian, and Yazidi factions with an estimated 128,000 fighters across 67 different armed factions.

The University of Tehran's decision to welcome the militia members without standard academic requirements signals a concerning trend. Official reports last year highlighted a "cooperation and agreement" between the Hashd al-Shaabi and the University of Tehran to facilitate the education of these fighters.

Moghimi disclosed in his Thursday interview with the IRNA news agency that Iraqi officials have expressed dissatisfaction with the "insufficient quality" and low standards of some Iranian universities educating PMF students. To address the concerns, Iraqi authorities have requested the University of Tehran step in and help "repair this reputational damage."

He said the influx of the Hashd al-Shaabi members into Iranian universities, particularly the University of Tehran where admission for Iraqis has doubled, is part of a broader plan.

These students, according to Moghimi, many of whom are relatives of active, deceased, or wounded militia from the so-called "resistance front," are being groomed with the help of substantial Iraqi government funding to assume leadership roles back home.

Moghimi paints a rosy picture of the Hashd al-Shaabi members, describing them as deserving individuals committed to "advancing Islamic ideals."

Moghimi claims that there are also economic benefits behind admitting the Hashd al-Shaabi members, stating that they pay almost 1,200 euros per semester for undergraduate studies, compared to 80 to 90 million rials (130-150 $) for Iranian students.

In late July of last year, a group of student activists at the University of Tehran issued a statement condemning the presence of the Hashd al-Shaabi forces and similar individuals at Iranian universities as a "military invasion of the university."

They vowed to resist such admissions, emphasizing that the university has already been emptied of genuine students through "dismissals, suspensions, and repression," and turned into a stronghold for "so-called affiliated professors and Basij militia members."

Last year, Moghimi dismissed protests against the admission of the Hashd al-Shaabi members as "the anger of traitors." Now, he tries to justify these admissions by pointing out that "the education of individuals, managers, and regional officials" has always been a practice at the university, citing Nechirvan Barzani, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region and an alumnus of the University of Tehran, as an example.

Larijani's Trip Signals Iran Regime's Desperation to Maintain Control in Lebanon and Syria

Mehdi Oghbai

Ali Larijani, a senior advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, recently traveled to Syria and Lebanon amid heightened regional tensions. His mission, framed as a gesture of support for Iran's allies, has been widely interpreted as a damage-control effort following major setbacks in the clerical regime's regional strategy.

State media, including ISNA (November 16), portrayed Larijani's trip as a demonstration of Iran's "high-level commitment" to regional stability. State-affiliated political analyst Morteza Maki claimed Larijani's message to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was a reminder that Tehran's decisions reflect its highest authority, not merely its government. However, this narrative appears designed to obscure Iran's waning influence amid geopolitical shifts in the Middle East.

The timing of Larijani's visit coincides with critical developments challenging Iran's influence:

1. Lebanon's Fragile Ceasefire Efforts: Lebanese leaders, including Speaker Nabih Berri, are reportedly advancing discussions on implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for Hezbollah's disarmament and a return to Lebanese state sovereignty. The prospect of Hezbollah being forced to cede its armed presence south of the Litani River threatens a core pillar of Iran's so-called "Resistance Axis."

2. Syrian Drift Toward Arab States: Reports of Bashar al-Assad leaning toward closer ties with Arab nations have raised concerns in Tehran about losing its strategic foothold in Syria. Iran's attempts to reassert influence through Larijani underline these fears.

3. Israeli Retaliation and Escalation: Larijani's visit coincided with intensified Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and Syria, targeting key Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad figures. These attacks have exposed the vulnerabilities in Iran's regional network of proxies.

Larijani, in his public remarks, claimed Iran supports "peace and stability" in Lebanon and Syria, distancing Tehran from accusations of meddling. Speaking to reporters, he insisted, "We are not here to disrupt anything; we seek solutions." (Tejarat News, November 16). Yet his emphasis on conditional backing for Lebanese decisions—"whatever the Lebanese authorities and Resistance accept, we support"—reflects Iran's anxiety over losing its grip on Hezbollah's political and military autonomy.

Iran's state-controlled outlets have sought to downplay these vulnerabilities. Khabar Online (November 16) suggested Larijani's trip aimed to "reassure allies of Iran's continued support." However, analysts, including Ahmad Zeidabadi, argue that Tehran is grappling with a strategic crisis. The evolving situation in Lebanon, coupled with Assad's potential pivot, could significantly undermine Iran's regional posture, a key component of the regime's survival strategy.

Larijani's trip underscores the clerical regime's growing desperation as regional developments expose the fragility of its ambitions. While Tehran's media apparatus attempts to project strength, the cracks in its regional influence are becoming harder to conceal. The apparent shift in the Middle East's political landscape signals a turning tide, leaving Iran's leadership scrambling to salvage its diminishing leverage.

French and British intelligence chiefs warn about Iran's nuclear threat

Arab News

British and French intelligence chiefs have warned of the threat posed by Iran potentially developing nuclear weapons. At the same time, European and Iranian diplomats met in Geneva on Friday for uneventful talks.

"Our services are working side by side to face what is undoubtedly one of the threats, if not to say the most critical threat, in the coming months - the possible atomic proliferation in Iran," Nicolas Lerner, who heads France's DGSE, said at the British embassy in Paris alongside his British counterpart Richard Moore.

"The intelligence will be crucial to enable our authorities to make the right decisions and define the right strategies," Lerner said in rare public comments.

The head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service known as MI6, echoed those comments. "The regime's nuclear ambitions continue to threaten all of us, especially friends of France and the UK in the Gulf region," Moore said.

"Iran's allied militias across the Middle East have suffered serious blows," he added. "But the regime's nuclear ambitions continue to threaten all of us."

The comments by the intelligence chiefs and Iran's meeting with the United Kingdom, France and Germany came after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors passed a resolution, proposed by the UK, France, and Germany, criticizing Tehran's lack of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

The resolution emphasized the urgent need for Tehran to cooperate with the IAEA and called on IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to prepare a comprehensive report on the status of Iran's nuclear program.

The censure resolution has set the stage for a new phase in the dispute over Iran's activities which could lead toward more sanctions through the activation of so-called "snapback mechanism".

The purpose of the Geneva meeting, the first such talks since Trump's election victory, was to assess the feasibility of engaging in serious negotiations before the official inauguration of the new US president on January 20, Reuters reported. The United States had previously announced it would not participate in the Geneva meeting.

How Iraq's Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi turned into an Iranian foreign policy instrument

Katib Versi

It is seven years since their yellow flag first appeared in the campaign against Daesh, the extremist group which seized swathes of northern Iraq and eastern Syria. After Daesh captured large parts of northern Iraq, including Mosul, in 2014, the fighters of Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Forces, won the admiration of many Iraqis for heeding Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani's call to arms.

Since then, the umbrella organization of mainly Shiite militias has, however, adopted a more sinister cause. Last month, a convoy of Hashd fighters mounted a show of strength in Baghdad's Green Zone, the center of Iraq's political life, and forced the country's elected leaders to release Qassim Musleh, a Hashd commander close to Iran who had been arrested in the western Anbar province.

Musleh has a reputation as a brutal operator. In late 2019, thousands of mainly young Iraqis took to the center of Baghdad to protest against systemic corruption and Iran's influence over their country's affairs.

After days of protests, snipers believed to be from Hashd units took to nearby rooftops and killed dozens of people. Musleh and his Iranian sponsors are thought to have been instrumental in ordering the killings. His recent arrest was in connection with the May 9 murder of Ihab Al-Wazni, a prominent activist in the southern shrine city of Karbala.

"Many Iraqi activists have been speaking out against Iran-backed militias' ability to operate outside the boundaries of the law, and it makes sense that the militias would then seek to silence anyone working to constrain their positions of power," Emily Hawthorne, a Middle East and North Africa analyst for Strator — a RANE Company, told Arab News.

Kyle Orton, an independent Middle East researcher, believes Iranian-controlled militias in Iraq were behind the worst atrocities against anti-corruption protesters. "The Hashd is fairly clearly more powerful than the Iraqi security forces, both in its ability to control the social and street-level space, and the political sphere, with its control of key ministries and its effective veto-wielding bloc in parliament," he told Arab News.

The Hashd was first formed in June 2014 to defend Iraq against Daesh after that group conquered Mosul.

In 2018, about 30 militias under the Al-Hashd-Al-Shaabi umbrella were formally included in — and paid by — the Iraqi security forces. It has a significant presence in the Iraq parliament through the Fateh coalition, which has more than 40 seats in the 329-seat assembly.

On the ground, Hashd units have repeatedly targeted Ain Al-Asad airbase in Anbar and even Irbil International Airport in Iraqi Kurdistan, both of which host US troops and personnel. The US embassy in Baghdad's Green Zone has also been repeatedly targeted.

While most of these attacks were with short-range rockets, the more recent ones have been carried out using explosive-laden attack drones, underscoring the evolving capabilities of such groups.

"The motivations for these operations are a confluence of issues," Joel Wing, author of the "Musings on Iraq" blog, told Arab News. "Both the Hashd brigades and Iran want the US military out of Iraq. It would be a great victory for them if that happened."

For Iran, proxy attacks by Iraqi militias are a way for it "to pressure the US over its (Iran's) nuclear program and sanctions."

The array of units under the Hashd umbrella is bewildering. There are militias loyal to Al-Sistani, widely viewed as a figure of moderation and an opponent of overseas interference in Iraq. There are even tribal defense units, the so-called Sunni Hashd.

These groups exist to make the organization seem more diverse and legitimate, both domestically and internationally. "The reality is this is a 'popular front' tactic. All these groups are dependent and subordinate to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)," Orton said.

Behind an elaborate facade of names and acronyms, Iran is sponsoring an array of more effective paramilitary groups, according to the analysts. "The most powerful brigades within the Hashd are all pro-Iran," Wing said, identifying them as the Badr Organization, Asaib Ahl Al-Haq and Kataib Hezbollah.

Iranian policy in Iraq has, however, had its share of setbacks. In January 2020, the US killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force, the IRGC's overseas arm, in a drone strike. Soleimani was the architect of Iranian policy in Iraq and elsewhere across the Middle East, from Lebanon to Syria and Yemen.

Tellingly, Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, head of the Kataib Hezbollah, was killed beside Soleimani as they were being driven from Baghdad's international airport.

In May, Reuters reported that Iran had changed its strategy vis-a-vis its militia proxies. Instead of relying on the larger established groups, Tehran has started to form small elite groups that are more loyal and better trained to do its bidding in the region.

"This shift in strategy grants both Iran and established groups like Kataib Hezbollah plausible deniability whenever a smaller, likely linked group conducts an attack. It is indicative of a desire to protect the political position in Baghdad that a well-known group like Kataib Hezbollah enjoys," Hawthorne, the Stratfor analyst, told Arab News.

Both Wing and Orton believe that the shift to smaller units masks a commitment to continued domination via plausible deniability. "Today, it's unclear whether Iran is attempting to regain control of these factions or simply backing all the new front groups that Hashd brigades have created, to deny responsibility for attacks upon US targets in Iraq," Wing said.

Soleimani's death may well have caused Iran's different power centers to experiment with divergent interests and objectives. The power centers range from the Quds Force, which organizes and trains Tehran's proxy militias across the Middle East, to the Iranian foreign ministry.

"It has been reported that they don't all agree on how to use their Iraqi allies," Wing told Arab News. "The Hashd brigades were also competing with each other for a period to try to show which one was the leader of the resistance within Iraq, and the attacks were part of that."

Orton sees Iran as adopting the same model in Iraq as it did in Lebanon in the 1980s, when it split Hezbollah from Amal, previously the dominant Shiite militia in the country. "The use of 'new' pseudo-groups or fronts, where they exist — some are entirely imaginary, existing solely online to claim recent attacks — is just the latest iteration of this effort to embed the Islamic Revolution in local conditions."

That effort appears to be back on track following Soleimani's killing. Hashd seems to be succeeding in spreading its control over broad areas of the northern Middle East. Musleh, the man at the center of the latest clashes between the militia and central government in Baghdad, is head of the Hashd in Anbar, traditionally a Sunni stronghold.

Hashd fighters have taken part in battles in neighboring Syria to help Iran prop up the Assad regime in Damascus. Hashd groups also proved instrumental in Iran's ability to move weapons overland across Iraq into Syria.

Groups such as Kataib Hezbollah control important border points with Syria in both Anbar and Nineveh in northern Iraq, in addition to their own smuggling routes. "They are able to move men and material back and forth at will," Wing told Arab News, referring to the paramilitary forces.

That said, Iran has been forced to change tactics in response to risks from the Israeli Air Force. Instead of shipping missiles through Iraq to its militia proxies in Syria, it has begun delivering smaller pieces of equipment along with advisers. These are much less detectable.

Given all that it has invested in these networks, the analysts are skeptical that Iran will relinquish control over them, even if it means a comprehensive nuclear deal with the US and Western powers that includes extensive sanctions relief for its economy.

"Iran will never 'cut off' any of the Iraqi militias, Hezbollah or the Houthis, because it cannot; they are integral, organic parts of the revolution," Orton told Arab News.

"Any proposal in the nuclear negotiations for Iran to in some way trade its 'proxies' is a non-starter as such."

Iran exiled opposition figures in talks to unite against government

Al Arabia News

Iran's opposition has long been split in numerous factions, both at home and abroad, including monarchists, republicans, leftists and organizations grouping ethnic minorities including Kurds, Baluchis and Arabs.

Eight Iranian exiled dissident figures discussed ways of uniting a fragmented opposition on Friday, amid pro-government events marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution inside the country.

Iran was rocked by nationwide unrest following the death in police custody of a young Iranian Kurdish woman in September after she was detained for flouting a strict Islamic dress code for women. The protests are among the strongest challenges to the Islamic Republic since the revolution.

"The Islamic Republic has survived because of our differences and we should put our differences aside until we come to the polling booth," Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi said in a video message to the prominent opposition figures' gathering at Georgetown University in Washington.

US-based women's rights advocate Masih Alinejad said: "We must agree on principles based on the declaration of human rights, on eliminating discrimination, and principles that every Iranian can see themselves in, and that depict the end of oppression."

Alinejad expressed hope that an agreement on the opposition's principles could be reached by the end of 2023.

Asked why there was only one Kurdish leader among the eight, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the toppled Shah of Iran, said: "You don't need to wait for an invitation in order to participate... This is a free bus!"

Iran's opposition has long been split in numerous factions, both at home and abroad, including monarchists, republicans, leftists and organizations grouping ethnic minorities including Kurds, Baluchis and Arabs.

Meanwhile Iranian state media showed fireworks as part of state-sponsored celebrations, and people chanting the Islamic rallying cry "Allahu Akbar! (God is Greatest!)." But many could be heard shouting "Death to the dictator!" on videos posted on social media.

A video purported to be from Tehran's Afsariyeh district showed distant fireworks while protesters could be heard shouting "Death to the Islamic Republic."

Similar social media videos, which Reuters could not verify independently, carried anti-government slogans shouted from windows and rooftops by protesters who had stayed home in several cities.

Separately authorities on Friday released hunger-striking jailed dissident Farhad Meysami, a week after supporters warned that he risked dying for protesting against the compulsory wearing of the hijab.

The release was part of an amnesty marking the revolution's anniversary.

Imam Harb al-Karmani (d. 280 AH) – The Salafi Imam from Iran

Sons of Sunnah

The Kerman province is home to ethnic Persians, the absolute majority of whom were forced to convert to Shi'ism during the anti-Sunni Iranian Safavid reign. Today a minority (mainly Iranian Baloch) are Sunni in the Kerman province.

Important Muslim Sunni authorities and Imams in fiqh, aqidah, hadith, tafsir, and Arabic (grammar, poetry, etc.) came from Kerman. Even novice Talib al-'Ilm (seeker of sacred knowledge ) is only too well aware of the numerous scholars who bear the nisbah "al-Karmani" (also "al-Kirmani") and contributed greatly to the Islamic cause. From all over Sunni Persia once rose beacons of sacred Islamic knowledge. Kerman province is no exception. As for the post-Safavid province of Kerman in modern-day Iran, it has produced "ayatollahs" who do not even know the basic Qur'anic recitation (let alone internalizing and teaching its core message, i.e. Tawhid), figures like "Ayatollah" Rafsanjani and his ilk.

Harb al-Karmani said: "I said to Ishaq (Ibn Rahwayh, teacher of Bukhari): A man says to a mushrik that he is a very intelligent man. Ishaq said: "One should not say anything like that to them, because they have no intelligence at all." [Ahkam Ahl al-Dhimmah, 3/325]

One of the most important scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah originating from Kerman in Iran is Harb ibn Isma'il al-Karmani (may Allah have mercy upon him), a prominent student of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy upon him) and one of the foremost compilers of his masa'il (as relayed by him in his Kitab al-Sunnah).

Imam al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy upon him) says in his Siyar A'lam al-Nubala about Imam Harb al-Karmani:

الإمام ، العلامة أبو محمد ، حرب بن إسماعيل الكرماني ، الفقيه ، تلميذ أحمد بن حنبل

The Imam, the 'Allamah, Abu Muhammad Harb ibn Isma'il al-Karmani, the jurist, and student of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, traveled and sought knowledge.

قال الخلال : كان رجلا جليلا ، حثني المروذي على الخروج إليه

Abu Bakr al-Khallal al-Baghdadi said (about Harb al-Karmani): "A honourable (lofty) man. Abū Bakr al-Marrudhi encouraged me to travel to him. [Tabaqat al-Hanabilah, 1/388]

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy upon him) said in his Nooniyyah:

"And look at Harb and the consensus he cited. What an achievement from this youth of Karman [through Allah's aid]." [al-Kafiyah al-Shafiyah, p. 116]

Imam al-Mardawi (may Allah have mercy upon him said:

"Harb is from the senior imams of hadith." [al-Insaf, 2/523]

Imam Harb al-Karmani was one of the strongest students of the Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Ahmad ibn Hanbal al-Shaybani and transmitted a lot from him. He compiled a number of books, one of the most important being:

إجماع السلف في الإعتقاد كما حكاه الإمام حرب بن إسماعيل الكرماني

Ijma' as-Salaf fi al-I'tiqad

قال الإمام حرب الكرماني -رحمه الله تعالى- : (( الرافضة أسوأ أثراً في الإسلام من أهل الكفر من أهل الحرب )) [ إجماع السلف ص84 ] Imam Harb al-Karmani (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "The Rafidah are more harmful to Islam than the Ahl al-Harb (kuffar who wage war against the Muslims)." [Ijma' al-Salaf, p. 84]

Kitab al-Sunnah (English and German translation):

كتاب السنة من مسائل حرب بن إسماعيل الحنظلي الكرماني

Harb al-Karmani said in the beginning of his "Kitab al-Sunnah" before mentioning the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah:

"So whoever opposed anything from these beliefs or speak evil of it, or criticises the one who says it, then he is a opposer, mubtadi' (innovator), and he hasleft the Jama'ah and parted with the manhaj of Sunnah and the path of the Truth." (Kitab al-Sunnah by Harb al-Karmani)

Today the hyenas of Qom have settled where the greatest minds in Islamic history once lived and taught.

May Allah make Kerman and all of Iran into a Sunni bastion once again, amin.

The Iranian Island of Qeshm: The largest Island In The Persian Gulf and Sunni

Sons of Sunnah

Qeshm is very near to the coast of Oman (60km away) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE – 180km away). It is the biggest island in the Persian Gulf. Qeshm is located at the mouth of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz in the east of the Arabian Gulf, the island has a land area of 1,500 sq km and is twice the size of Bahrain. Known in the native Arabic dialect as Jazirat al-Ṭawilah, which translates as "Long Island".

Except in some small villages in Oman, the traditional Persian Gulf culture has practically disappeared. In Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, the locals have moved to the main cities, and the very few places where you can see a small spillover of this culture are inhabited by Pakistani and Indian immigrants instead, so it is not very authentic.

This is not the case in Qeshm, a place that has been able to preserve such old traditions. Unlike most people in Iran, the natives of Qeshm Island are Sunni Muslims; physically, they look more like Arabs, and, actually, many of them speak Arabic, however, Qeshm has undergone a policy of Persianisation as Iran has sought to strengthen its hold on an island that has fallen into the possession of many different powers over the centuries.

For centuries the population of Qeshm has been dominated by the occupied by the Qawasim, a Sunni Arab tribe whose members include the current rulers of the emirates of Sharjah and Ras Al-Khaimah. While the Qawasim are the majority on Qeshm, the island was traditionally ruled by the sheikh of the Arab Banu Ma'in tribe with which it had ties through tribal inter-marriage.

Historically tied to the southern Gulf and never fully in Iran's grasp, this geopolitically crucial island has changed ownership from various warring Arab Gulf leaders, including the Imam of Oman in the 18th century. Europeans have also stationed forces on the island. A 17th-century Portuguese fort, built during fierce battles for control, still stands and the British secured the island in the mid-18th century and maintained a military depot there until the end of the 19th century.

The following pictures are all from Qeshm island, showcasing its beautiful nature, modest architecture, and beautiful people (ethnically very diverse; predominantly of Arab a, Afro-Arab and Sunni Persian descent and to a great extent linguistically Persianised):

The end of Iran's current regime is only a 'matter of time': Exiled Iranian prince

Al Arabia News

It is only a "matter of time" until the world sees the end of the Islamic Republic regime in Iran, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled eldest son of the last Shah (king) of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, told Saudi newspaper Arab News.

"Any totalitarian system, history has shown it doesn't last," Pahlavi, speaking from Washington, DC, told Arab News' Frank Kane during an appearance with the newspaper's Frankly Speaking show.

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown in a 1979 revolution led by Ruhollat Khomeini, who went on to found the Islamic Republic.

Reza Pahlavi said Iran's youth want a different life – one that the country's regime doesn't provide.

"Today, we see the chance for freedom more and more, louder and louder in every corner of the country. And that's indicative of the fact that not only the regime has lost its legitimacy, but it's beginning to lose its grasp as well."

JCPOA

When it comes to the JCPOA, or the Iran nuclear deal, Pahlavi told Kane Iran's regime "cannot change its behavior because its entire existence depends on its survival."

Iran wants "to export an ideology and dominate the region either directly or via proxies," according to Pahlavi, who added that the regime is incapable of coming to terms with the way the world wants to see the norm.

"So regardless of what is trying to be negotiated here, the net outcome is that it's futile and the regime is simply using whatever it is as a means of blackmail, forcing the world to deal with it so it can continue maintaining its grip in the geopolitics of our region," he said.

Pahlavi said lifting sanctions on Tehran will embolden the Islamic Republic and "enable it to further its constant state of creating instability in the region."

"I think the only way to get more results is not by relaxing pressure but by exerting more pressure," he said.

Applying more pressure on the Islamic Republic is beneficial for the Iranian people who "pay the price every time the regime gets a second breath," said Pahlavi.

Pahlavi said he does not expect the Iranian people to receive any of the economic benefits that the regime would obtain should the ongoing nuclear talks in Vienna result in Teheran getting sanctions relief.

"We have seen that happen already once during the Obama administration, where a tremendous amount of money was released to the regime and none of it was spent on the people of Iran," he said.

Iran and world powers have been engaged in talks in Vienna since April aimed at reviving the nuclear deal. Former US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018 and reimposed crippling economic sanctions on Iran.

Asked about Iran's support for regional militias, Pahlavi said the interests of the Iranian people and their rulers are entirely different.

"The regime has every interest to continue fomenting instability because its survival depends on that. On the other hand, our national interest depends first and foremost on having stability and peace, and cordial relationship with our neighbors, as opposed to constantly meddling into their internal affairs by various means of interference," he said.

Saudi-Iranian relations

Commenting on a recent interview in which Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Saudi Arabia wants a "prosperous" Iran and aspires to have good relations with Tehran, Pahlavi said: "I think it's a message to the people of Iran more than it is a message to the regime. So, I think the message, if indeed it is what I assume it is, will certainly be well received by the people of Iran."

"The regime is on its way down, and sooner or later, people will be free in Iran, and they will be the ones to have to choose and respond to this gesture," he added.

Pahlavi said he anticipates good relations between Iran and its neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, once the current regime in Tehran is gone.

Read more: Saudi Arabia says Iran uranium enrichment cannot be intended for 'peaceful' means

"Look at the way the relationship was before the revolution [in 1979]. When King Faisal of Saudi Arabia passed away, there was a seven-day mourning period in Iran."

Commenting on Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 to diversify the economy away from oil, Pahlavi said he could not be "happier to see that evolution."

Abraham Accords

Pahlavi also praised the Abraham Accords between Israel and Arab countries, saying: "We're in the direction of progress and regional cooperation and opportunities. That's exactly what the dream of an Iranian is, and I would believe probably a Syrian or an Iraqi [as well], who are stuck with the axis of resistance that keeps them from having such opportunities."

Pahlavi said the Iranian people, in contrast to their rulers, have "no animosity" toward Israel.

"Once Iran is liberated, the people of Iran will be the first to say [to Israel], hey, we have no quarrels with you. We want to be your friends. We want to be part of the free world."

Pahlavi said he has no plans to be the next Shah (king) of Iran.

"My only mission in life is to get to that finish line, which is the liberation of Iran, push this regime out, and have an opportunity to establish a new secular democratic system in our country. That will be the end of my political mission in life," he said.

Shah Ismail used to drink wine instead of Water

Sons of Sunnah

شاه اسماعیل با اينكه مروّج مذهب شيعه اماميه بود، در جاى آب شراب می آشاميد و هميشه ندماء مجلس او زنان و پسران خوش منظر بودند. در محرّم فقط در روز عاشورا مجلس عزايى منعقد كرده، يكى از وعاظ كتاب روضة الشهداء حسين واعظ كاشفى را بر منبر مى خواند. سامعين ندبه و گريه مى كردند. چون اين كتاب فارسى بود، غالب امرا، حتى لشكر كه ترك بودند، نمى فهميدند. جلال الدين ميرزاى مرحوم در جلد ثالث نامه خسروان مى نگارد: كه در مجلس عزايى كه شاه اسماعيل حضور داشت، يكى از امراى بزرگ شاملو در آن مجلس بود و گريه مى كرد، شاه از او پرسيد كه تو چرا گريه مى كنى؟ در جواب عرض كرد كه "من از براى حسين شما گريه نمى كنم؛ از براى آن دليران شام ما گريه مى كنم كه حسين شما و اصحابش آنها را كشته اند. شاه كه اين جواب را شنيد، خنديد" محمد عارف اسپناقچى پاشازاده، انقلاب الاسلام بين الخواص و العوام، به کوشش رسول جعفریان، قم، انتشارات دلیل ماه، چاپ نخست 1379، ص 271.

"[…] although Shah Isma'il adherent of the Shi'a Imamiyyah sect, yet he used to drink wine instead of water, and every time his gathering would consist of good looking woumen and young boys. During Muharram, only on the day of Ashura there would be mourning ritual. One would recite from the book "Raudhah al-Shuhada" by Hussein Wa'idh Kashifi on the pulpit (minbar). Listeners would wail and cry. Since this book was in Farsi, most of the generals and even the army who were Turks, couldn't understand it. The Late Jalal al-Din Mirzai writes in the third volume of the letter of Khosrawan that in the mourning gathering (majlis) where Shah Ismail was present, one of the chief generals of Shamlou was also present and he would cry. Shah Ismail asked him why he was crying? He said in reply: "I am not crying for your Hussein, I am crying for the brave Shamis (Syrians) who were killed by your Hussein and his companions. When Shah Ismail heard this, he laughed.

Source: Mohammad Aref Epenaqchi Pashazadeh in his "Enqelab Islam bayn al-Khawas wa al-'Awam", with the effort of Rasoul Jafarian, Qom, Dalil Mah Publications, First Print 1379, Page 271″

Note: Historical chronicles about the Safavids also reveal that the Safavid rulers were very fond of young boys. Ironically, the Shi'a Mullahs of Iran to this very day have a reputation of being closet sodomites. The Feyziyyeh School of Qom (founded by the Safavids) is infamous for being cesspool of sodomy.

This is How Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi & FM Amir-Abdollahian Perished in US Bell 212 Crash
هكذا لقي الرئيس الإيراني إبراهيم رئيسي ووزير الخارجية أمير عبد اللهيان حتفه في تحطم طائرة بيلّ 212 الأمريكية

Relying heavily to survive and terrorize innocent Muslims around the region and beyond on infrastructures and products made by ostensible enemy publicly referred to as the greatest Satan on earth rather on secretely arguable best friend (or best partner in Islamophobia), Irna said Iran's seemingly hardline President Ebrahim Raisi was flying in his favourite US-made Bell 212 helicopter.

Iran flies a variety of helicopters in the country, but fake international sanctions are claimed to make it difficult to obtain parts for them.

Its military air fleet also largely dates back to before the 1979 Islamic Revolution when Tehran used to showcase American made weapons with 'pride'. Thus, the photograph published by Irna shows a helicopter with a blue-and-white paint scheme previously seen in published photographs.

Earlier today Iran's state-run news agency Irna published images that it said show the helicopter carrying President Raisi as it took off from near the border with Azerbaijan on Sunday.

Travelling with him were foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan province and other officials and bodyguards, Irna reported.

'No sign of life' at crash site, state TV says

Iranian state television is reporting that there is "no sign of life" at the helicopter crash site, according to Associated Press and Reuters.

The site was across a steep valley and rescuers had yet to reach it, state media reported.

An Iranian official has meanwhile told Reuters that the helicopter carrying the president was completely burned.

There has been no official statement from the Iranian government yet.

The World Is Waiting For New Distortions From The Rafidhah Supreme Leader Ali Khomeini...! So, Stay Tune!!

****************

قالت إرنا إن الرئيس الإيراني الذي يبدو متشددًا يعتمد بشكل كبير من أجل البقاء وإرهاب المسلمين الأبرياء في جميع أنحاء المنطقة وخارجها على البنى التحتية والمنتجات التي يصنعها عدو ظاهري يُشار إليه علنًا باسم الشيطان الأعظم على وجه الأرض بل من الاعتماد على أفضل صديق يمكن الجدال فيه سرًا (أو أفضل شريك في كراهية الإسلام). كان إبراهيم رئيسي يحلق في مروحيته المفضلة من طراز Bell 212 الأمريكية الصنع.

وتشغل إيران مجموعة متنوعة من طائرات الهليكوبتر في البلاد، ولكن يُزعم أن العقوبات الدولية المزيفة تجعل من الصعب الحصول على قطع غيار لها.

ويعود تاريخ أسطولها الجوي العسكري إلى حد كبير إلى ما قبل الثورة الإسلامية عام 1979 أثنائما اعتادت طهران على عرض الأسلحة المصنوعة الأمريكية "بفخر". وهكذا تظهر الصورة التي نشرتها إيرنا طائرة هليكوبتر مطلية باللونين الأزرق والأبيض والتي سبق رؤيتها في الصور المنشورة.

وفي وقت سابق اليوم، نشرت وكالة الأنباء الإيرانية الرسمية إيرنا صورا قالت إنها تظهر المروحية التي تقل الرئيس رئيسي أثناء إقلاعها من قرب الحدود مع أذربيجان يوم الأحد.

وذكرت وكالة أنباء إرنا أن يرافقه وزير الخارجية حسين أمير عبد اللهيان حاكم مقاطعة أذربيجان الشرقية الإيرانية ومسؤولون آخرون وحراس شخصيون.

يقول التلفزيون الحكومي: "لا توجد علامة على الحياة" في موقع التحطم

أفاد التلفزيون الرسمي الإيراني أنه "لا توجد علامة على الحياة" في موقع تحطم المروحية، وفقًا لوكالة أسوشيتد برس ورويترز.

وذكرت وسائل إعلام رسمية أن الموقع يقع عبر واد شديد الانحدار ولم يصل إليه رجال الإنقاذ بعد.

وفي الوقت نفسه قال مسؤول إيراني لرويترز إن المروحية التي كانت تنقل الرئيس احترقت بالكامل.

ولم يصدر أي بيان رسمي من الحكومة الإيرانية حتى الآن.

!!العالم ينتظر تشويهات جديدة من القائد الرافضي الأعلى علي الخميني...! لذلك، ابقوا معنا


Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Iranian President Raisi confirmed died in helicopter crash by State TV says at About 5:00 a.m GMT Monday 20th May 2024

Iranian state-run television is reporting that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has died in a helicopter crash alongside foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

The pair were confirmed dead after the crash in the province of East Azerbaijan, Press TV reported, without citing a source. The report follows similar reports from other Iranian media including the Mehr news agency as well as the Reuters news agency.

Earlier Some media report Raisi killed in helicopter crash

Some media were reporting earleir that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian died when their helicopter crashed, but there has been no official confirmation as yet.

The two were killed when the helicopter crashed on a mountain in heavy fog in the province of East Azerbaijan, a senior Iranian official told Reuters. He asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the subject, the wire reported.

"President Raisi, the foreign minister and all the passengers in the helicopter were killed in the crash," Reuters quoted him as saying.

Iran's Mehr news agency meanwhile reported that all passengers on board "were killed".

It said others on board included the governor of East Azerbaijan, Malek Rahmati, as well as Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, the representative of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution to East Azarbaijan province. Several other people were also on board, Mehr reported.

What happens next?

If a president dies in office, article 131 of the Islamic Republic's constitution says that the first vice president – who is Mohammad Mokhber – takes over, with the confirmation of the supreme leader, who has the final say in all matters of state in Iran.

A council consisting of the first vice president, the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary must arrange an election for a new president within a maximum period of 50 days, Reuters reports.

Raisi was declared "elected president" in 2021 and, under the usual timetable, a presidential election had been due to take place in 2025. Under constitutional rules, it can now be expected to take place by early July.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Mohammad Mokhber, Iran's vice president, Next In-line After Raisi Perished In Crash - So Who is Mokhber?

As Iranian search and rescue officials continue to look for the wreckage of the helicopter carrying Raisi, attention is turning towards Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, the person next in line in the presidency.

According to the Iranian Constitution, in case of the president's death or incapacity, the first vice president will take over and assume the functions of the president until an election is held within a maximum period of 50 days.

Unlike other countries, Iran's first vice presidency is an appointed position – not an elected one. The vice president assumed some of the powers of the prime minister after the position was abolished in 1989.

There are several appointed vice presidents serving concurrently in Iran – they mostly work as cabinet members. But the office Mokhber holds is considered first among equals.

Raisi appointed Mokhber as his first vice president in August 2021, shortly after taking office. He is the seventh person to serve in that role since the revision of the constitution.

Before his appointment to the vice presidency, Mokhber served for 14 years as head of Iran's Setad, a powerful economic conglomerate mostly focused on charitable causes.

The organisation, which is under the direct control of the Iranian supreme leader, is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars, according to a Reuters investigation.

Under Mokhber's watch, Setad developed Iran's coronavirus vaccine, Coviran Barekat, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the effectiveness of the vaccine has been questioned, with reports of people suffering severe medical reactions after receiving it.

Raisi's Helicopter 'completely burned' - He Was Burned To Death

Iranian authorities are also saying that some of the bodies were burned beyond recognition, and that they have not been able to identify who is who at the site.

Raisi and Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian, along with others who were on board the helicopter that crashed, have died, multiple Iranian news agencies have confirmed.

Iranian state television has released this screen grab from video footage from inside the helicopter before it crashed. It shows President Ebrahim Raisi (L) with foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

By the way, This is Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Who Was Also Burned To Death

Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, was a hard-liner close to the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who confronted the west while also overseeing indirect talks with the US over the country's nuclear program. The Associated Press reports further:

Amir-Abdollahian represented the hard-line shift in Iran after the collapse of Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers after then-US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord. He served under President Ebrahim Raisi, a protégé of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and followed their policies.

However, AmirAbdollahian also was involved in efforts to reach a détente with regional rival Saudi Arabia in 2023, a move eclipsed months later by tensions that arose over the Israel-Hamas war. But he remained close to the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, once praising the late Gen. Qassem Soleimani, slain in a US drone strike in Baghdad in 2020.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Khomeini Regime Has Started To Enjoy The Hypocrisy of Nations Over Raisi's Deadly Crash - Even Before The Ill-Fate of Raisi's Crash Was Known

Minutes after the crash of the president of the Khomeini regime and his foreign minister was made public, and even before it was confirmed the hardliner head of Iranian Rafidhah government had perished, hypocracy of nations wasted no time to start dripping down. Reuters, according to the Guardian, has put together a list of reactions from around the world, with Iranian ally Russia among those expressing concern and offering to help search for the president. Others also offered help or well wishes, while the US merely said that President Joe Biden was "closely following reports". Here's a rundown of reactions from around the world:

TURKEY
"I convey my best wishes to our neighbour, friend and brother Iranian people and government, and I hope to receive good news from Mr Raisi and his delegation as soon as possible," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a post on X. Turkey's disaster and emergency management authority said in a statement that Iran had requested a night vision search-and-rescue helicopter from Turkey.

CHINA
Beijing is "deeply concerned over the 'hard landing'" of Raisi's helicopter, the foreign ministry's spokesperson said in a statement. Beijing "hopes President Raisi and the others aboard are safe and sound. We are closely following the situation and will provide all necessary support and assistance for Iran's rescue efforts."

RUSSIA
"Russia is ready to extend all necessary help in the search for the missing helicopter and the investigation of the reasons for the incident," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a comment carried by Russia's Ria news agency. State media later reported that Russia was sending emergency equipment including two planes and helicopter and about 60 personnel.

US
"We are closely following reports of a possible hard landing of a helicopter in Iran carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. A spokesperson for President Biden, Karine Jean-Pierre, told reporters on board Air Force One that the president had been briefed on the situation. She did not elaborate.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
The European commissioner for crisis management, Janez Lenarcic, said the commission had activated its satellite mapping service to aid search efforts, following a request for assistance from Iran. The Copernicus Emergency Management Service provides mapping products based on satellite imagery.

AZERBAIJAN
"Today, after bidding a friendly farewell to the (visiting) President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, we were profoundly troubled by the news of a helicopter carrying the top delegation crash-landing in Iran," President Ilham Aliyev said in Twitter post. "Our prayers to Allah Almighty are with President Ebrahim Raisi and the accompanying delegation. As a neighbour, friend, and brotherly country, the Republic of Azerbaijan stands ready to offer any assistance needed."

KUWAIT
"We are closely following with concern the reports regarding the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and his accompanying delegation. Kuwait expresses its wishes for their safety and its support for the Islamic Republic of Iran in this critical situation," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

SAUDI ARABIA
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirms that it stands by the Islamic Republic of Iran during these difficult circumstances and is prepared to provide any assistance the Iranian services need," the foreign ministry said in a statement. It also said the Saudi government was following news reports regarding Raisi's helicopter with "great concern".

QATAR
"We express the State of Qatar's deep concern regarding the Iranian president's helicopter experiencing a difficult landing incident," a spokesperson for the foreign ministry said in a statement. "We affirm the State of Qatar's readiness to provide all forms of support in the search for the Iranian president's aircraft. We express the State of Qatar's wishes for the safety of the Iranian president, the foreign minister and their companions."

IRAQ
The Iraqi government said in a statement it had instructed its interior ministry, the Red Crescent and other relevant bodies to offer help to neighbouring Iran in the search mission.

The World Is Still Waiting For New Distortions From The Rafidhah Supreme Leader Ali Khomeini...! So, Stay Tune!!

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

A video released by the Iranian Red Crescent shows the helicopter wreckage of perished President Raisi

Reuters has put together some background on the Bell 212 helicopter in which Raisi was believed to have been travelling when it crashed. It is the civilian version of the ubiquitous Vietnam War-era UH-1N "Twin Huey," and is in wide use globally by both governments and private operators:

What are the helicopter's origins? Bell Helicopter (now Bell Textron, a division of Textron Inc ) developed the aircraft for the Canadian military in the late 1960s as an upgrade of the original UH-1 Iroquois. The new design used two turboshaft engines instead of one, giving it greater carrying capacity. The helicopter was introduced in 1971 and quickly adopted by both the United States and Canada, according to U.S. military training documents.

What is it used for?
As a utility helicopter - the UH in its military designation represents those words - the Bell 212 is meant to be adaptable to all sorts of situations, including carrying people, deploying aerial firefighting gear, ferrying cargo and mounting weapons.

The Iranian model that crashed on Sunday was configured to carry government passengers. Bell Helicopter advertises the latest version, the Subaru Bell 412, for police use, medical transport, troop transport, the energy industry and firefighting. According to its type certification documents with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, it can carry 15 people, including the crew.

Who uses it?
Non-military organisations that fly the Bell 212 include Japan's Coast Guard; law enforcement agencies and fire departments in the US; Thailand's national police; and many others. It is not clear how many Iran's government operates, but its air force and navy have a total of 10, according to FlightGlobal's 2024 World Air Forces directory.

Have there been any other incidents involving the Bell 212?
The most recent fatal crash of a Bell 212 was in September 2023, when a privately operated aircraft crashed off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, according to the Flight Safety Foundation, a non-profit focusing on aviation safety. The most recent Iranian crash of the type was in 2018, killing four people, according to the organisation's database.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Critics Of Newly Formed Islamic Anti-terror Coalition Flayed

By Ali Awad Asiri

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri said he is disheartened to hear criticism from certain quarters about the Islamic anti-terror coalition, saying they misunderstand the objectives and are imagining scenarios that are far from the truth.

He said the strong policies of the Kingdom relate to the fact that it is convinced about the strength of the Arab and Muslim nations and believes that no one can undermine the decisions of the coalition. He said those who are gossiping are only working to fragment the coalition and creating Arab and sectarian divisions.

Asiri noted that Lebanon is one of the foremost countries suffering from terrorism and is fighting it using a number of methods including military power.

The ambassador added that the Kingdom respects the sovereignty of Lebanon and its independent decisions. He said, however, it is strange that there are certain voices who criticize the Kingdom's decisions and that these are the same voices that the Lebanese public accuse of undermining national sovereignty.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Syria Regime, Iran, Russia Making 'Extensive' Use Of Cluster Munition: HRW

Human Rights Watch charged Sunday that Syrian government forces and their Russian allies have been making ''extensive'' use of cluster munitions against rebel groups since late September.

The New York-based rights watchdog said in a report it had documented the use of cluster munitions on 20 occasions since Russian and Syrian forces launched their assault on Sep. 30.

HRW ''collected detailed information about attacks in nine locations that have killed at least 35 civilians, including five women and 17 children, and injured dozens,'' the report said.

All the bombs were either made in Russia or the former Soviet Union, the rights group said.

''Syria's promises on indiscriminate weapons ring hollow when cluster munitions keep hitting civilians in many parts of the country," HRW's Ole Solvang said in the report.

Solvang urged the U.N. to ''get serious about its commitment to protect Syria's civilians by publicly demanding that all sides stop the use of cluster munitions.''

Cluster munitions contain dozens or hundreds of bomblets and are fired in rockets or dropped from the air.

Widely banned, they spread explosives over large areas and are indiscriminate in nature, often continuing to maim and kill long after the initial attack when previously unexploded bomblets detonate.

Russia launched an aerial bombing campaign against opponents of President Bashar al-Assad on Sep. 30.

More than 250,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011, and millions more have fled their homes.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Saudi King Supports Nigeria In Fight Against Iran Zaria Shia Terrorism

The King of Saudi Arabia, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has expressed the outright support of Saudi Arabia for Nigeria in its ongoing fight against terrorism and emphasized that Saudi Arabia stands in solidarity with the African country following a series of recent Shia terrorist attacks.

The Saudi Arabian supports for the African largest Muslim nation came during President Mohammadu Buhari telephone conversation with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.

During their conversation, both leaders discussed crucial issues of bilateral relations and ongoing events in both their countries.

This is the first King Salman's reaction after Iran-sponsored Zaria Shia attacks on millitary which occurred two days ago. In his telephone conversation with Buhari, King Salman mentioned the killing of hundreds of Shias in Zaria was a fight against terrorism, Fars News Agency reported.

King Salman also emphasized that criminal acts such as terrorism are denounced by Islam and asserted his kingdom will refuse to become involved in any kind of foreign intervention aimed at destabilizing the security and stability of Nigeria.

In turn, President Buhari expressed his thanks to King Salman for the affirmation of his country's support for Nigeria and said he hopes to visit the kingdom soon.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Saudi Efforts Praised As UN Backs Syria Road Map

Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh has expressed his country's appreciation of Saudi Arabia's efforts for hosting the recent conference in Riyadh for Syrian opposition.

Judeh said the convening of Syrian opposition leaders in Riyadh paved the way for launching a political process which, everyone hopes, would lead to a political solution to the crisis.

He said UN Security Council's resolution No. 2254 draws a road map for achieving a political solution in Syria.

He said the unanimous adoption of the resolution in New York offers the required momentum to achieve a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

Friday's New York talks were the first by the International Syria Support Group since Saudi Arabia hosted the coalition of Syria opposition groups in Syria.

The UN resolution marks the start of a sustainable path for a political solution that forms the basis for a comprehensive cease-fire, with the exception of terrorist organizations such as Daesh so that international efforts could be focused on eradicating terrorism.

The UN-backed road map was described as unrealistic by the Istanbul-based National Coalition, the main Syrian opposition grouping.

The resolution ''undermines the outcome of the meetings of revolutionary forces in Riyadh and waters down previous UN resolutions concerning a political solution in Syria,'' coalition head Khaled Khoja said on Twitter.

Related report — Page 6

Fellow coalition member Samir Nashar said: ''Given the reality on the ground and the impasse on the fate of Bashar Assad, the agreement is absolutely not applicable.''

US Secretary of State John Kerry emphasized that victory over Daesh hinges on a peaceful settlement in the broader Syrian civil war.

''We know that Daesh can never be allowed to gain control in Syria so we have a global imperative here to deal with a terrorist entity but also to end the civil war,'' he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

''President Assad in our judgment... has lost the ability, the credibility to be able to unite the country and to provide the moral credibility to be able to govern it.''

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Turkey Joins Saudi-led Islamic Military Alliance Against Daesh (i.e. ISIS) And Their Likesy

Turkey says it welcomes the formation of a 34-state Islamic military coalition to combat terrorism and agrees to join the coalition announced and led by Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday 34 nations have agreed to form a new "Islamic military alliance" to fight terrorists like Daesh (i.e. ISIS) and Iran-Sponsored Hezbollat with a joint operations center based in the kingdom's capital, Riyadh.

The announcement published by the state-run Saudi Press Agency said the alliance will be Saudi-led and is being established because terrorism "should be fought by all means and collaboration should be made to eliminate it."

"The countries here mentioned have decided on the formation of a military alliance led by Saudi Arabia to fight terrorism, with a joint operations centre based in Riyadh to coordinate and support military operations," the statement said.

Turkey, the only country in the alliance that is also a NATO member, welcomed the new coalition. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu called it the "best response to those who are trying to associate terror and Islam."

"We believe this effort by Muslim countries is a step in the right direction," Davutoğlu said.

The statement said Islam forbids "corruption and destruction in the world" and that terrorism constitutes "a serious violation of human dignity and rights, especially the right to life and the right to security." It cited "a duty to protect the Islamic nation from the evils of all terrorist groups and organizations whatever their sect and name which wreak death and corruption on earth and aim to terrorize the innocent."

The new counterterrorism coalition includes nations with large and established armies such as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt as well as war-torn countries with embattled militaries such as Libya and Yemen. African nations that have suffered militant attacks such as Mali, Chad, Somalia and Nigeria are also members.

Saudi Arabia's regional rival, Shiite Iran, is not part of the coalition. Saudi Arabia and Iran support opposite sides of in the wars raging in Syria and Yemen. Saudi Arabia is currently leading a military intervention in Yemen against Shiite Houthi rebels and is part of the US-led coalition bombing the Sunni extremist Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in Iraq and Syria.

The United States has been increasingly outspoken about its view that Gulf Arab states should do more to aid the military campaign against the ISIL militant group based in Iraq and Syria.

In a rare press conference, 30-year-old Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman told reporters on Tuesday the new Islamic military coalition will develop mechanisms for working with other countries and international bodies to "coordinate" efforts to fight terrorism in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt and Afghanistan but offered few concrete indications of how military efforts might proceed. He said their efforts would not be limited to only countering the ISIL group.

"There will be international coordination with major powers and international organizations ... in terms of operations in Syria and Iraq. We can't undertake these operations without coordinating with legitimacy in this place and the international community," bin Salman said without elaborating.

"Currently, every Muslim country is fighting terrorism individually ... so coordinating efforts is very important," he said.

He said the joint operations center will be established in Riyadh to "coordinate and support military operations to fight terrorism" across the Muslim world.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab neighbors have been locked in nine months of warfare with Iran-allied rebels in neighboring Yemen, launching hundreds of air strikes there.

Especially after a rash of attacks on Western targets claimed by ISIL in recent months, the United States has increasingly said it thinks that firepower would better be used against ISIL.

As a cease-fire is set to take hold in Yemen on Tuesday alongside United Nations-backed peace talks, Riyadh's announcement may signal a desire to shift its attention back toward the conflicts north of its borders.

ISIL has pledged to overthrow the monarchies of the Gulf and have mounted a series of attacks on Shiite Muslim mosques and security forces in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Smaller member-states included in the coalition are the archipelago of the Maldives and the Gulf Arab island-nation of Bahrain, which is home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet.

Other Gulf Arab countries such as Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are also in the coalition, though notably absent from the list is Oman, a neighbor of Saudi Arabia. In recent years, Oman has maintained a neutral role and has emerged as a mediator in regional conflicts, serving as a conduit from the Gulf Arabs to Iran.

However, Iraq and Syria, whose forces are battling to regain territory taken by the ISIL group and whose governments are allied with Iran, are not in the coalition.

A Jordanian government spokesman confirmed the Hashemite Kingdom is part of the coalition. Spokesman Mohammed Momani would not comment specifically on the alliance but said "Jordan is always ready and actively participates in any effort to fight terrorism."

Benin, while it does not have a majority Muslim population, is another member of this new counterterrorism coalition. All the group's members are also part of the larger Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which is headquartered in Saudi Arabia.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Supports For Newly Formed Islamic Coalition Against Daesh (i.e. ISIS), Iran-Sponsored Hezbollat And Their Likes

The British Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed London's will to cooperate with the Islamic Coalition military, the formation of which was announced by Saudi Arabia. The Arab spokeswoman for theBritish Foreign Ministry, Farah Dakhlallah, told Asharq Al-Awsat: ''We want to observe countries from all over the world playing their roles in fighting terrorism. We are looking forward to receive extra details from KSA on the Islamic Military Coalition in order to look for the best means of cooperation with them against ISIS''.

This British endorsement for the new coalition coincides with Daily Telegraph's article on Britain's readiness to provide aircraft support for the Islamic Military Coalition as, according to military sources, Britain decided to send Special Forces to fight terrorist organizations in Syria within weeks.

International parties wanting to join the new coalition forces are increasing. Uganda's ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Rashid Yahya Semuddu, told Asharq Al-Awsat that his country is ready to join the coalition and is waiting to make the necessary arrangements. He added: ''We will do what we will be asked once we figure out what Saudi Arabia wants Kambala, being part of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and a close friend to the kingdom, to contribute to.''

Moreover, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov announced Russia's support for the new coalition. This came after Lavrov's meeting with his Bahraini counterpart, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, in Moscow. Lavrov said: ''We expect this initiative to motivate all the Islamic countries to unite against any act of terrorism or any attempt to manipulate religion''.

In a related report, officials announced that gunmen from ISIS launched an attack on a Turkish military camp in Mosul, Iraq, causing the injury of four Turkish soldiers.

China Supporting Saudi-led Islamic Alliance

Adel Al-Jubeir Saudi Foreign Minister announced that China approved the establishment of an Islamic Military Coalition against terrorism, and expressed its willingness to cooperate.

Al-Jubeir's announcement came after a meeting with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi last Friday on the sidelines of the International Syria Support Group meeting in New York. The Saudi Foreign Minister also affirmed the strong relationship between Saudi Arabia and China, and confirmed efforts were underway to develop them so they cover all arenas.

Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Li Chengwen, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the cooperation between the two countries encompassed various political, economic, military, and security domains.

The ambassador also indicated that Saudi Arabia and China share the same opinion on the necessity of fighting terrorism in all its forms and making arrangements for similar causes of common interest.

''China supports the Saudi political efforts within other international ones, in the fight against terrorism which has no religion, culture, or land and also to promote regional and international security and peace,'' he added inviting international efforts to unite and collaborate in fighting terrorism in all regions of the world.

Ambassador Chengwen also indicated that common efforts between Riyadh and Beijing are being coordinated to fight terrorism in all its forms. He explained that terrorism is everybody's enemy threatening the whole global community entirely, adding that it is imperative to separate terrorism from any religion, culture, or nation.

Saudi efforts on fighting terrorism were praised by Chengwen, who revealed Saudi Arabia's early caught concern and Riyadh hosting the International counterterrorism conference.

''Each country in the world has a responsibility to spread peace and security and fight terrorism at the same time; as there are various experiences that could be exchanged among countries for them to benefit from in the war against terrorism''

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Malaysia, Nigeria And Many More Nations Join Saudi Arabia's Islamic Military Alliance Against Terrorism

Saudi Arabia today announced the formation of a 34-state Islamic military coalition to combat terrorism, according to a joint statement published on state news agency SPA. "The countries here mentioned have decided on the formation of a military alliance led by Saudi Arabia to fight terrorism, with a joint operations centre based in Riyadh to coordinate and support military operations," the statement said. A long list of Arab countries such as Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, together with Islamic countries Turkey, Malaysia, Pakistan and Gulf Arab and African states were mentioned.

The announcement cited "a duty to protect the Islamic nation from the evils of all terrorist groups and organisations whatever their sect and name, which wreak death and corruption on earth and aim to terrorise the innocent." Shi'ite Muslim Iran, Sunni Saudi Arabia's arch rival for influence in the Arab world, was absent from the states named as participants, as proxy conflicts between the two regional powers rage from Syria to Yemen. The United States has been increasingly outspoken about its view that Gulf Arab states should do more to aid the military campaign against the ultraviolent Isis militant group based in Iraq and Syria.Nigeria Joins Saudi Arabia's Islamic military alliance

Nigeria Joins Saudi Arabia's Islamic military alliance King Salman vows support to Nigeria's fight against terror

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has pledged support for the Nigerian government's fight against terrorist groups.

In a phone call to the country's President Mohammed Buhari, the king condemned the terrorists who had recently launched attacks in Nigeria, according to a Saudi Press Agency report on Friday.

King Salman told Buhari that such ''criminal acts'' were denounced by Islam and that the Kingdom rejected any foreign intervention in Nigeria, which would destabilize the country's security and stability, the report stated.

The king praised Nigeria for joining the 34-nation alliance aimed at fighting terrorist groups across the Middle East and the world; while Buhari reportedly thanked the Saudi monarch for his support, and said he would soon visit the Kingdom.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Syrian Army Is Controlled And Directed By Iran Military

A number of Syrian military defectors who have left Bashar Assad army say government troops are nothing more than front for Iranian and Lebanese regular troops and groups who now are in control, according to an article published in the Washington Times.

Khaled al-Shami, a recent defector from the Syrian army says: ''One important thing to realize is that there is no Syrian army anymore, it is just militias, mostly Iranians and Lebanese.''

''The Iranians and Hezbollah are not under the control of the Syrian army, it's the exact opposite,'' he said.

''Ten high-ranking Iranian officers control the [ninth armored] division, they plan the operations. Only Iranian or Hezbollah forces can access operations rooms, no Syrian soldiers are allowed in … (in every battle) the commander is an Iranian IRGC (Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps), his deputy will be a Hezbollah officer.''

''Even the civilian Lebanese militia have the power to tell a Syrian general what to do, to send him back to his office,'' said a soldier, who asked to remain anonymous.

Shami defected from Assad's troops to join the Syrian opposition in July. He was a soldier in the ninth armored division and served in southern Syria, where President Assad's forces are battling a coalition of rebel groups. Free Syrian Army fighters now say that all of the troops they face in Syria's civil war are now foreigners, Iranian, Lebanese or Russian.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Revolution In Russia 'Inevitable' Says Kremlin Critic Khodorkovsky

Top Kremlin critic and former Yukos oil chief Mikhail Khodorkovsky on Wednesday said a "revolution" was inevitable in Russia and could happen as soon as 2018.

Speaking via videolink from London, Khodorkovsky delivered a damning summary of President Vladimir Putin's rule and announced the intention to prosecute his regime.

"Revolution in Russia is inevitable. The remnants of its reserves and the threat of repressions are only putting off its eventual arrival," he said.

"The question is how can we make this revolution at least relatively peaceful."

Russia has "enough reserves to last until 2017," he said, predicting that when they run out this could trigger economic and political collapse.

"If (Western) sanctions are not lifted by then, there could be problems already in 2018."

The former oil tycoon spent a decade in prison in Russia on tax evasion, fraud and embezzlement charges before being suddenly pardoned by Putin on humanitarian grounds in 2013. He flew out of the country to be with his sick mother and currently resides in London.

Investigators this week summoned Khodorkovsky for questioning as part of a fresh probe into a 1998 murder case and announced that he will be charged on Friday.

Khodorkovsky said the new probe into the murder of a Siberian mayor, for which his former Yukos security chief is already serving a life term, was ordered personally by Putin.

"I know very well that such (an) order was given," he said.

He claimed the recent summons is aimed at distracting the public from Putin's circle's own criminal ties, which opposition activists, independent media and Khodorkovsky's Open Russia group have alleged in recent reports.

"Putin and his circle must answer before society for what they have done in an independent court. I see this as my task," he said.

Putin and his circle have orchestrated a "full-scale overthrow of constitutional rule" in order to keep power, Khodorkovsky said.

Mismanagement and pervasive corruption are depleting the country's economic reserves, he said.

He said he could see early signs of social protests in the country spurred by "the pathological greed of Putin's circle."

Though Khodorkovsky in 2013 told Putin he would not engage in politics, he said Wednesday that he felt he was not bound by this after his mother's death last year.

"I am not interested in politics," he said. But "as a Russian citizen I cannot idly watch what is happening."

Khodorkovsky said Russians should "sabotage" what he called "illegitimate" laws and dismissed Putin's sky-high approval ratings.

"Residents of many countries suffered this type of love, just like hostages taken by terrorists," he said.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Iran Tests Missile, 'Breaches U.N. Resolutions'

The Iranian regime has tested a new medium-range ballistic missile last month in a breach of two U.N. Security Council resolutions, Reuters reported ciing two U.S. officials on Monday.

The officials, both speaking on condition of anonymity, said the test was held on Nov. 21. One of them said the missile traveled within Iranian territory, the report said.

Under a 2010 Security Council resolution that remains valid until a nuclear deal between the Iranian regime and six world powers is implemented, all ballistic missile tests are banned.

Fox News reported that Western intelligence says the test was held Nov. 21 near Chabahar, a port city in southeast Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan Province near the border with Pakistan. The launch took place from a known missile test site along the Gulf of Oman.

The missile, known as a Ghadr-110, has a range of 1,800 - 2000 km, or 1200 miles, and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The missile fired in November is an improved version of the Shahab 3, and is similar to the precision guided missile tested by Iran on Oct. 10, which elicited strong condemnation from members of the U.N. Security Council.

''The United States is deeply concerned about Iran's recent ballistic missile launch,' Samantha Power, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., said in a statement after the last Iranian ballistic missile test in October.

The missile, known as a Ghadr-110, has a range of 1,800 - 2000 km, or 1200 miles, and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The missile fired in November is an improved version of the Shahab 3, and is similar to the precision guided missile tested by the Iranian regime on Oct. 10, which elicited strong condemnation from members of the U.N. Security Council.

U.S. conducting 'serious review' of reports Iran conducted missile test: official

The United States is reviewing reports that Iran carried out a ballistic missile test last month in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and will take appropriate steps if they are true, the State Department said on Tuesday.

'We are conducting a serious review of it,' State Department spokesman John Kirby told a briefing, adding that he was not in a position to confirm reports that Iran conducted a ballistic missile test in November.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

President of Sudan Condemns Iranian Regime Meddling in the Arab World

President of Sudan condemned the escalating interference of Iranian regime in the Arab countries.

In an interview with Al-Arabiya network on Thursday, December 3, President Omar al-Bashir expressed his discontent with the expansion of Iranian regime's meddling in the Arab countries. He reiterated on the prohibition of Iranian regime's cultural and propaganda activities in Sudan.

It was only last year that President of Sudan ordered Iran's cultural center closed in that country and in April Sudan joined the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia in the military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen.

This severance in ties was a considerable blow to the Iranian regime after its two decades of strategic investment in Sudan as regime's best friend in the Arab World and a blow to regime's long term objectives.

Iran regime source of crisis in Iraq, Syria - Struan Stevenson

Struan Stevenson, a former chairman of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq and currently president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association (EIFA), told a meeting at the European Parliament in Brussels on Thursday that the Iranian regime is the source of the crises in Iraq and Syria. He addressed a panel of the EP's Delegation for Relations with Iraq alongside a delegation of Iraqi lawmakers who were visiting Europe.

Speech by Struan Stevenson, President European Iraqi Freedom Association (EIFA) & Former Chair of European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009-2014).

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Deep Distrust Persists Between Iran And U.S. Despite Nuclear Deal

As Iran marks the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, one could be forgiven for thinking relations were just as bad as ever between the Islamic Republic and America.

The arrests of U.S. citizens, hints of a Cold War-style prisoner swap, fears of Western infiltration and even the shutdown of a lookalike KFC restaurant show the suspicion still held by hard-liners after the nuclear deal with world powers.

In the short term, things may even get worse, analysts say, as Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei continues to warn about American influence, a crucial parliamentary election approaches and the country's intelligence and military services try to hold onto their economic and political power.

The message to the Iranian-American community is: 'Don't think you're going to use your connections to come in and take over economic profits ... in post-deal Iran, because you're not.

On Wednesday, thousands demonstrated in front of the old U.S. Embassy, marking the 36th anniversary of students seizing 52 Americans hostage there after Washington refused to hand over the toppled U.S.-backed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The protest came despite the deal that will see Tehran limit its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Meanwhile, four Iranian-Americans are known to be held by Iran.

Iranian media has raised the possibility of exchanging some Americans for 19 Iranians held in the U.S. While that potential swap may figure into the arrests, Cliff Kupchan, the chairman of the Eurasia Group said the detentions also signal that the Iranian ''deep state'' still has a ''number of post-deal messages it wants to send,'' including to Iranians living abroad.

''To me, the message to the Iranian-American community is: 'Don't think you're going to use your connections to come in and take over economic profits ... in post-deal Iran, because you're not,''' he said.

Another message involves projecting Iran's power in the region, like supporting Bashar al-Assad in his country's long civil war. Images promoting Iran's military prowess abound, whether it's the recently televised Revolutionary Guard tour of an underground missile base or the announcement of newly designed weapons.

Anti-Americanism plays into that. As demonstrators burn American flags, a new Tehran billboard appropriates the famous Associated Press photo of the World War II flag-raising at Iwo Jima with blood-covered U.S. soldiers standing on a pile of corpses.

No to fast Starbucks?

Even facsimiles of American culture are targeted, as demonstrators on Wednesday carried signs that said no to U.S. fast-food chains like McDonald's or Starbucks setting up franchises in the country. Authorities on Monday closed a newly opened lookalike KFC in Tehran, complete with images of founder Col. Harland Sanders, reportedly over licensing issues. Abbas Pazooki, the restaurant's manager, said he hoped to reopen soon and claimed his eatery, ''KFC Halal,'' had nothing to do with the U.S. brand.

During the demonstrations, state prosecutor Ebrahim Raeisi announced that the intelligence department of the Revolutionary Guard had detained a number of writers and spies ''hired by Americans.'' He did not elaborate. In recent weeks, artists and journalists in Iran have been arrested or given harsh sentences in a series of trials.

''Under no circumstances will we allow penetration of Americans in economic, social and cultural areas,'' Raeisi said, repeating a constant warning heard since the nuclear deal.

Rhetoric and arrests

So far, the nuclear deal seems secure in both countries despite Iran's rhetoric and the recent arrests. U.S. President Barack Obama holds veto power over any effort by Congress to enact sanctions on Iran, while Iran's government and Khamenei already have approved the terms of the deal. A parliamentary election in February also probably won't endanger it, although hard-liners are eager to regain political power.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Over 400 Iranian Troops Killed In Syria Since Start Of Civil War

Over 400 Iranian troops have been killed in Syria since the beginning of the country's civil war, according to Iranian media.

On Wednesday, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency said four more Iranian revolutionary guards were killed in Syria in the latest incident.

Revolutionary Guard is a military or paramilitary elite unit that plays the role of key protection force of the new regime in a country which has experienced a revolution.

Forces from Iran's Revolutionary Guards -- a branch of Iran's Armed Forces often called a "paramilitary elite unit" -- have lost 54 military personnel, including three high ranked officers, while supporting Bashar al-Assad's regime forces against the Syrian opposition.

On Oct. 23, Fars News Agency had quoted General Ramazan Sharif, spokesman of the Revolutionary Guards, as saying that "Iran increased the number of its soldiers in the region" as part of a new ground offensive in Syria.

Turkey and Iran have been pursuing different policies regarding the war in Syria. Iran strongly backs Syrian President Bashar Assad while Turkey has called on him to step down and condemned his regime's massacres of opposition forces and civilians.

With the support of Russian airstrikes, forces loyal to the Syrian regime army and allied Iranian and Hezbollah forces are preparing for a ground offensive against opposition forces in Aleppo, two senior regional officials familiar with the plans said in October.

"If Syria makes a request (for Iranian forces), we will study the request and make a decision," Alaedin Boroujerdi, the chairman of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, had said back in October. "What's important is that Iran is serious about the fight against terrorism," he added. "We have supplied aid and weapons and sent advisors to Syria and Iraq."

At least 250,000 people have been killed since the Syria conflict began in 2011, with 7.6 million internally displaced and over four million having fled to other countries.

Iran a bigger threat than ISIS: Israeli minister

Israeli defence minister Moshe Yaalon said that DAESH terrorist organization is a bigger threat for his country on Monday in an interview with Israel Radio.

Stating that Iran's presence in the region worries him, he claimed that the atrocities in Syria are "empowering" Iran.

Acknlowledging that there are a few DAESH cells in the West Bank, he added that Israel "deterred" DAESH from attacking the country from Syrian territory under its control.

The minister said that DAESH hasn't opened a front against Israel because "they would simply get hurt." In a statement last summer, DAESH vowed to "destroy" Israel and kill every single Jew. Later in the summer, six Arabs were arrested by Israeli forces for allegedly having ties with DAESH.

Israel has stated before that majority of the Arabs living in the country are against the terrorist organization, which the country stated as the main reason DAESH cannot find ground to rise in power in Israel. Bahrain says it foils plans for attack by Iran-linked terrorist group

Bahrain said on Wednesday it had arrested 47 members of a group believed to have links to ''terrorist elements in Iran'' who it said were planning to carry out attacks in the coming days.

An interior ministry statement carried by Bahrain's state news agency BNA said a large number of explosives and weapons had been found in secret caches in residential areas of several villages.

''The results of the inquiry and investigation indicate that the group has close links to Iranian elements and terrorist elements residing in Iran,'' the statement said.

Several members of the group received training in Iran on how to use weapons and manufacture explosives, it added.

Last month Bahrain recalled its ambassador to Iran, a day after the Gulf Arab state said its security forces had discovered a large bomb-making factory and had arrested a number of suspects linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

Bahrain has been cracking down on militants behind bomb attacks against security forces that have killed several people this year.

Shiite Iran denies involvement in any violence in Bahrain.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

The Iran Deal Is Iran's Nuclear Bomb

By Mohammed Alyahya

There is little disagreement among Middle East analysts that had it not been for Hezbollah's intervention in Syria in 2012, Bashar al-Assad would have been toppled, the ISIS phenomenon in its current form and strength would have been avoided. With the recent Russian escalation in Syria, the stakes have been raised to a whole new level, and prospects for a resolution that would end the unabated bloodshed in Syria seem bleaker than ever before.‬‬‬‬‬
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Since the announcement of the final Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA) in July, 2015, Iran has reportedly stepped up its support for Shiite militias in Iraq, increased its Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) presence in Syria, and continued its support for the Houthi-Saleh militias in Yemen. In recent months, Bahrain and Kuwait have announced the interception of Iranian arm shipments and the uncovering of bomb making facilities on their soil. And, recently, the Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen announced the seizure of an Iranian arms shipment loaded on a vessel masquerading as a fishing boat on its way to Yemen, some 150 km southeast of Oman's Salalah coast.‬‬‬‬‬‬

Pipe dream

Iran deal was an advance payment to Iran for its goodwill that the IRGC was too quick to dishonor. The argument that the nuclear deal would encourage Iran to become a more responsible state invested in building peaceful relations with its neighbors and the international community has now become a pipe dream to be lamented in history books.

The nuclear deal paradoxically gives Iran the same protection that a nuclear bomb would have given it

In a July interview with President Obama on the BBC, interviewer Jon Sopel suggested that 'The net effect of lifting sanctions is that billions more will go to groups like Hezbollah, the Assad regime, and that is going to destabilize the region even more.'

The president's response was: 'If Iran obtained a nuclear weapon, then they could cause all those same problems that you just listed with the protection of a nuclear bomb. And create much greater strategic challenges for the United States, for Israel, for our Gulf allies, for our European allies.' Obama was in effect saying that it was acceptable for Iran to be causing all these problems as long as that happened without the protection of a nuclear bomb. This is now an evident and tested flaw in the deal as regional neighbors witness an intensification in Iran's destabilizing activities only with more money, confidence, and the protection of the nuclear deal itself.

Track record

The nuclear deal has arguably achieved its primary objective of eliminating the threat of Iran as a nuclear threshold state - at least in the short to medium term. Yet one must not forget why a nuclear Iran, unlike a nuclear Pakistan or a nuclear India, is such a grave threat to the international and regional community in the first place. It is precisely because Iran has a track record of supporting and exporting terrorism and sowing instability and discord in neighboring countries that the thought of a nuclear Iran is so terrifying.‬‬‬‬‬‬
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What the P5+1 have done, essentially, is traded every single bargaining chip at their disposal, i.e. all the sanctions, for a bomb that Iran does not yet have. The only ground for the return of any of the sanctions according to the concluded deal, would have to be a violation related to Iran's nuclear program. This deal is, in effect, normalizing Iran's destructive foreign policy. Not only does it seem impossible that any sanction can be re-imposed should Iran redouble its regional meddling and backing of terrorist organizations and proxies, but even minor nuclear restrictions will unlikely prompt any backtracking on the lifting of sanctions. The P5+1 and the West have put themselves in the vulnerable position of constantly fearing that a failure in the concluded deal might instigate a regional nuclear arms race.‬‬‬‬‬‬

In a letter addressed to Rowhani last month, Khamenei wrote, ''throughout the eight-year period, any imposition of sanctions at any level and under any pretext (including repetitive and fabricated pretexts of terrorism and human rights) on the part of any of the countries involved in the negotiations will constitute a violation of the JCPOA and the [Iranian] government would be obligated to take the necessary action as per Clause 3 of the Majlis bill and stop its activities committed under the JCPOA.'' Khamenei was sending a clear signal to the West that any attempts to pressure Iran to cease any non-nuclear violations will be met with the return of Iran's nuclear program in full force.

Khamenei made the obvious clear: Iran has carte blanche to meddle in the region and support terrorism and no one has any leverage on Iran as a result of this deal.
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The geopolitical threat before the deal was a potential nuclear threshold Iran sowing instability through a network of proxies and terrorist organizations. The geopolitical reality after the nuclear deal is a non-nuclear Iran (arguably for 10 years) with the same foreign policy albeit with more money to spend and the comfort of knowing that the west has no appetite nor any real leverage to pressure it to cease its destructive activities. In its essence, the nuclear deal in its final configuration is a self-defeating endeavor.‬‬‬‬‬‬

The main threat of a nuclear Iran is not that Iran would use a nuclear weapon against any of its enemies. It is, as President Obama suggested in the interview, that Iran will continue with its destructive and expansionist foreign policy and meddling with the protection of a nuclear bomb. The nuclear deal paradoxically gives Iran the same protection that a nuclear bomb would have given it. The Iran deal is Iran's nuclear bomb.‬‬‬‬‬‬

Mohammed Alyahya is a London-based political analyst focusing on Gulf politics and policy. His writing and analysis has appeared on Al-Monitor, the Huffington Post, and U.S. News, the BBC, Al Jazeera, CCTV America and other outlets. Among other affiliations, he is an Associate Fellow at the King Faisal Center for research and Islamic Studies 2014-2015 and a member of the advisory board at the Future Trends in the Gulf Region project at Chatham House.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Hezbollah Supporters, Commanders Questioning Militia's Role in Syria, Say Analysts

A surge in casualties and a lack of a clear regional policy are driving Hezbollah supporters and senior members to raise questions about the Shi'ite Lebanese group's role in Syria where it is fighting rebels trying to topple the government of President Bashar Al-Assad, according to analysts and experts familiar with the inner circle of the militia.

Ali Al-Amin, a Lebanese political analyst and researcher, spoke of ''major objections within the group over its performance in Syria'' after it recently suffered great losses in lives at the hands of Syrian rebel groups.

The latest such episode came Monday when the Iran-affiliated group announced the deaths of eight fighters who fell during battles in Syria.

The growing state of restlessness with the ''absence of prospects for victory [in Syria]'' has exceeded the Lebanese group's support base to its leadership, according to Amin.

''The debate has moved to the inner circle of the group represented by its jihad council, with voices starting to question how after all the sacrifices they made in Syria, the Russians came and took all of their achievements,'' Amin said.

A key ally of Assad, Russia increased its military presence in Syria last month and launched a series of airstrikes which it said targeted the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group. However, analysts argue that the Russian buildup is meant to shore up Assad's forces and their Hezbollah backers weakened by a series of gains by rebels.

Hezbollah's dead in Syria were not limited to highly trained fighters but also included dozens of high-ranking commanders, the latest of whom was Hassan Hussein Al-Hajj, aka Hajj Maher, a founder of the pro-Assad militia.

Hajj was killed by Syrian rebels in the El-Ghab valley north of Hamah province earlier this month and was described by Hezbollah as ''a senior commander'' who was close to the group's leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Amin said: ''Hezbollah's losses in Syria exceeded expectations … and its elite Al-Radwan battalion has been greatly exhausted to the extent of disintegration after the loss of its commanders and professional fighters in the Zabadani battle.''

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, a Free Syrian Army (FSA) source said: ''The FSA's information confirms that Hezbollah's dead reached 1,263 until the end of last week, most of them from the elite forces, something which has greatly hit the group's morale.''

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Two More Iranian Commanders Killed In Syria

Latest deaths reported by local media come days after top commander was also killed while helping Syria to battle ISIL

Two senior commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been killed in Syria, according to Iranian media.

Hamid Mokhtarband and Brigadier General Farshad Hassounizadeh died while assisting the Syrian government's battle against ISIL on Monday, reported the Tasnim and Fars news agencies and Press TV.

Their deaths come after another top commander, General Hossein Hamadani, was killed on Thursday night on the outskirts of Aleppo.

Press TV reported that Hassounizadeh was in Syria to "defend the holy shrine of Hazrat Zeinab, the granddaughter of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), in the country's capital of Damascus."

The Islamic Republic denies having any military forces in Syria, but says it offers "military advice" to Assad's forces in their fight against "terrorist groups".

An IRGC statement on Friday said that Hamadani had been advising the Syrian military and defend Shia shrines in the country.

Iran is the main regional ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and has provided military and economic support during Syria's four-year-old civil war.

Assad's other longtime ally, Russia, launched its air campaign in September, saying it would target ISIL. Its planes, however, have also hit other rebel groups opposed to Assad, including groups backed by Washington.

More than 250,000 people have been killed in Syria's civil war, which began in 2011.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

U.N. Committee Condemns Iranian Intervention In Syria War

The U.N. General Assembly's human rights committee on Thursday adopted a Saudi-drafted resolution condemning Iranian and Russian intervention in Syria, a decision that the Syrian and Iranian delegations rejected as unhelpful and unjustified.

The non-binding resolution, authored by Saudi Arabia and co-sponsored by Qatar and other Arab nations, the United States and other Western powers, was adopted by the 193-nation assembly's Third Committee.

There were 115 votes in favor, 15 against and 51 abstentions.

Without explicitly naming Russia, it said the General Assembly ''strongly condemns all attacks against the Syrian moderate opposition and calls for their immediate cessation, given that such attacks benefit so-called ISIL (Daesh) and other terrorist groups, such as al Nusra Front.'' ''ISIL'' and ''Daesh'' are names for ISIS.

The resolution's language is clearly aimed at Russia, which has been bombing opposition forces in Syria for two months. Moscow says it is attacking ISIS but Western officials say its strikes have mainly targeted other rebel forces, including Western-backed groups.

The resolution also condemned the presence in Syria of ''all foreign terrorist fighters ... and foreign forces fighting on behalf of the Syrian regime, particularly the al Quds Brigades, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (of Iran) and militia groups, such as Hezbollah.''

Iran's deputy U.N. representative, Ambassador Gholamhossein Dehghani, also rejected the resolution. He said it blurred the clear distinction between ''terrorists with those who fight against them.''

The resolution demands foreign militias leave Syrian territory immediately.

It also blasts ISIS and other militant groups for rights abuses and atrocities.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

More Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Generals Perish In Syria

Getting fired and prohibited from practicing all governmental jobs in the case of rejecting to participate in missions in Syria did not prevent a number of Iranian Revolutionary Guards' leaders from refusing to go Syria, Ash-Sharq al-Awsat daily quoted a well-informed Iranian source as saying.

The source added that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards referred a number of officers to military courts after they refused to join the war in Syria.

The rebellion this security apparatus is witnessing did not surprise observers especially amidst information that dozens of Iranian Revolutionary Guards' members have been killed in Syria, including 30 officers who were killed during the past two weeks.

Despite Iran's attempts to prevent such news from surfacing, Iranian news agencies close to the Revolutionary Guards said Colonel Ezzatollah Soleimani and Major Sajjad Hosseini were among those killed.

The death of top Iranian commander Hossein Hamedani near Syria's Aleppo in October came as a painful blow to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

This rebellion is expanding amidst the Baloch community as an Iranian news report by the opposition website Rose Online said the Revolutionary Guards are trying to exploit the community's poverty and marginalization to recruit youths to send them to the war in Syria despite the community's rejection.

Rebellion, especially amidst youths, is greatly worrying the Revolutionary Guards' administration, especially that such acts violate the combat ideology which it adopts in defense of velayat-e faqih inside and outside Iran.

Iran confirms death penalty for Sunni preacher

Iran's supreme court this week confirmed the death penalty of a Sunni preacher arrested in 2009, according to Arab and Persian media.

The court issued the final verdict for Shahram Ahmadi, who was first charged in 2012, on Oct. 25.

Ahmadi, who was a prisoner of conscience, was held in solitary confinement for 33 months in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, before being transferred to Rajai Shahr prison in the nearby city of Karaj.

He had been held in two other prisons since his arrest.

In 2012, his younger brother, Bahram Ahmadi, was executed, along with five other Sunni preachers.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

More Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Generals Perish In Syria

More senior officers from Iran's Revolutionary Guards generals were slain fighting ISIL militants in Syria, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported, ahead of a planned offensive by Syria's army backed by Tehran.

Major General Farshad Hasounizadeh and Brigadier Hamid Mokhtarband, commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), perished in confronting the ISIL fighters on Monday, Tasnim said late on Tuesday. It did not say where they were fighting.

Iran has sent thousands of troops into Syria in recent days to bolster a planned ground offensive against insurgents in Aleppo by the Syrian army, which will also be supported by Russian air strikes, two senior regional officials told Reuters.

The government of President Bashar al-Assad has been strengthened by two weeks of Russian air strikes that the Kremlin says are targeting ISIS. The United States says they have also targeted other rebel groups.

Another senior Revolutionary Guards commander, Hossein Hamedani, was killed last week while advising the Syrian army near Aleppo.

Tehran is Assad's main regional ally and has provided him with military and economic support during Syria's civil war, now in its fifth year.

11 more of Iran's IRGC proxsies killed in Syria

Eleven members and proxies of the Revolutionary Guards dispatched by Iran to Syria have been killed in recent clashes, the mullahs' state-run media reported.

These IRGC members and proxies were killed by Syrian opposition fighters in a recent ground attack by Assad's military and militia forces dispatched from Iran to areas near Hama in Syria, Orient TV reported.

These 11 individuals include an Iranian colonel by the name of Alireza Ghanvati, 8 Afghan and 2 Pakistani militants.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Highest Ranking Khomeini General Hosain al- Hamadani Slain At The Hand Of ISIL In The Battle Of Kwayres Airbase Near Aleppo

By Aminah Khouri Khomenist regime in Tehran has confirmed the slaughter of its highest ranking Iranian general to be killed in Syria's four-year-long civil war. Iranian general Hosain al- Hamadani was killed with some of escorts when IS targeted them near Kwayres airbase east of Aleppo yesterday, was the supervisor on the operation of breaking the siege imposed on the airbase of Kwayres by IS militants. It is noted that the regime forces and allied militiamen have started a military operation to retake the airbase and nearby areas in late September.

Sporadic clashes took place after midnight between the regime forces, backed by Shiites and Russians, against the rebel and Islamist factions on the outskirts of Karm al- Tarrab neighborhood near al- Nayrab airbase in the east of Aleppo leading to killing of a media activist in a rebel battalion.

The slay of Iranian Revolutionary Guards general near Aleppo, where he was fighting alongside the Syrian army on their battle against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters has rocked the regime and their supporters in Tehran and Moscow. The killing has further exposed the Khomeini regim's denial of having any military forces in Syria, misleading the international communities that it has only offered "military advice" to Assad's forces in their fight against the opposition groups.

In the biggest deployment of Iranian forces yet, Reuters news agency reported last week that hundreds of troops had arrived since late September to take part in a major ground offensive planned in west and northwest Syria.

Iranian politician Esmail Kosari said Hamadani helped coordination between Syrian armed forces and the voluntary forces in their fight against the Syrian opposition.

Hamedani was commander of an IRGC unit, Tehran's Mohammad Rasoulallah Corps, when street protests erupted over the presidential elections. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi, chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, in remembering Hamedani's career, praised his efforts in ''confronting the American coup in the sedition of 2009.''

Hamedani's most recent role was helping to establish a people's militia in Syria. "For years, Hamadani played a very important role in Syria as an adviser ... he played an important role in preventing the fall of Damascus. Then he returned home at the end of his assignment," Kosari told the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

"He returned to Syria for a few days because of his deep knowledge about the area ... and he was slain in Syria."

In March 2015, in discussing his role in Syria, Hamedani said, ''Iran's advisory actions revolve more around monitoring and activating mobilization centers with a cultural focus. We did not try to engineer the behavior or try to use designed principles, rather we spent time with practical steps to create unity and honor.''

Throughout his career, Hamedani had held a number of other important posts as well, including commander of IRGC ground forces, deputy head of Basij and senior advisor to IRGC.

Hamedani has helped the The Iranian regime creating several Shiite and Christian 'youth organizations' in Syria so they can receive the clerical regime's message 'more explicitly' and in the near future 'devote their life' to it.

A state-run website quoted Brigadier General Hossein Hamadani, IRGC's deputy commander as saying: ''To strengthen morality in that country (Syria) we have created groups known as Keshab (youth) specifically for Sunni, Alawite, Christian and Ismaili teenagers.''

''We have created these group to pass on our message more explicitly. These measures have reached a point that fortunately our young religious students have become the pivots of the cultural activities in Syrian cultural activities in Aleppo Province.''

Hamadani said the IRGC has succeeded in 'exporting the culture of sacred war and the establishment of Basij' in Syria.

His remarks come days after remarks by senior cleric Mehdi Taeb, the head of the so-called ''Ammar Garrison'',warning that hardships in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen will come in the near future.

Speaking in Qum on Sunday, Taeb, who is inKhamenei's inner circle, said: ''As we move on the hardships will become more and more. The current situation in the world is like a major surgery which Iran, more than any other country, would have a share of this burden and if people do not resist and are not able to tolerate it, this surgery would be a failure.''

During the past week the Iranian regime's forces in Syria have had many casualties including high ranking commanders.

Hundreds of members of the Iranian regime's Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) are fighting against opposition forces in southern Syria, according to reports by Syrian opposition sources.

The remains of sixteen Iranian Revolutionary Guards and their Afghan mercenaries who were recently killed while fighting for Bashar Al-Assad in Syria have been buried in Iran in the past few days.

Funeral services for the seven Afghans, identified as Reza Bakhshi, Mohmoud Hakimi, Javid Yousefi, Nematollah Najafi, Ghassem Sadat, Hossein Hoseini and Ali Reza Tavasooli, were held last week in the city of Mashhad.

Ali Reza Tavasooli, one of the most prominent foreign mercenaries of the Iranian regime fighting for Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad was killed on few daus ago in the southern province of Daraa.

Tavassoli, who commanded a brigade of Afghans dispatched by the Iranian regime to Syria, was close to Qassem Suleimani, the commander of the Iranian regime's terrorist Quds Force.

Mohammad Sahebkaram Ardekani, another IRGC commander, was killed in Syria on March 3 and his remains will be transferred to Iran in the coming days.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Assad, Iran And Russia Are Losing: Over 150 Assad Army Soldiers, Russian Officer Killed Near Hama

The first Russian officer was killed in heavy clashes erupting in the battlefronts of Murk, located north of the city of Hama in Syria, between Assad soldiers and members of the Free Syrian Army, Orient TV reported.

Over 150 Assad troops were also killed in this intense fighting on Thursday, the Hama news network reported. A number of Assad army officers were also amongst those killed.

Pro-Assad regime websites admitted to the death of 55 of these military soldiers.

Russia helicopter shot down, 4 passengers killed near Hama

Syrian armed opposition forces were able to shoot down a Russian military helicopter in northern Hama Province on Thursday, killing 1 Russian officer and three Russian soldiers, Orient TV reported.

Around noon on Thursday four helicopters were flying over the battlefronts and they were seeking to transport a number of Assad regime commandoes to the area. Syrian fighters targeted these choppers flying at low altitude, shooting down one of the helicopters.

US official: 4 Russian cruise missiles fired from Caspian Sea landed inside Iran soil

Various US officials on Thursday revealed four of the cruise missiles launched by Russia on Wednesday from the Caspian Sea landed in Iran, while they were actually targeted for Syria.

These US official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said it is not clear how much damages these missiles have left inside Iran.
The Russian Defense Ministry has refused to make any comment regarding these reports in international news agencies. Kremlin announced on Wednesday its forces launched 26 cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea on targets located in north and northwestern Syria.Iran has also refused to show any response to the landing of Russian missiles inside its soil. However, on Wednesday the mayor of the town of Takab in West Azerbaijan Province (northwestern Iran) reported an unknown object landing and windows of some homes in this area shattering due to the impact. A local website in Iran reported similar incidents occurred in the city of Saghez in Kurdistan Province.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

The Majoosi (Zoroastrian) Reality Of Mullah Baqir Majlisi's Twelver Creed (Part One)

This is a detailed treatise divided in 8 sections, illustrating the heretical and Sassanian-Zoroastrian (Majoosi) nature of Twelver Shiism that was propagated by the Safavids and their palace scholar Mullah Baqir Majlisi and their followers to this very day - SonsOfSunnah.com

Muhammad Baqir Majlisi (1616 - 98), also known as Majlisi II (the second) was of Lebanese origin ( Jabal 'Amel, southern Lebanon) and one of the most important Twelver Shia scholars of all time. He was the son of Muhammad Taqi Majlisi, known as Majlisi I. Muhammad Baqir Majlisi devoted himself the eradication of Sunnism in Iran (he never really succeeded considered the vast amount of Sunnis still living in Iran).

The Safavid state (founded by Turkic Azeris who championed Shiism and Persian sentiments in order to oppose their Turkic Ottoman Sunni rivals and effectively create their own empire on the skulls of the Persian Sunni population) made major efforts in the 17th century to Persianize Shiite practice and culture in order to facilitate its spread in Iran among its Sunni Persian populace. Majlisi was appointed as the palace scholar of the Safavids, he himself repeatedly embellished the reputation of the Safavid Empire (whose kings were known as notorious alcoholics, blatant fornicator and allies of the crusaders) by citing Shi'ite traditions which allegedly confirmed the Safavids' genuine Imamism, and predicted their political feats and missionary zeal in spreading Shi'ism (just like many Shiaclergies with regards to Khomeini and his brutal revolution). Mulla Baqir Majlisi is the very person about whom Khomeini said in his book 'Kashaful Asrar':

Majlisi - despite of non-Persian backround just like the Turkic Safavids themselves - championed Persian traditions (including Zoroastrian rooted ones) and language to the extent that he questioned the hegemonic role of Arabic as the language of creed, jurisprudence and law (to this day Shia scholars, including Arab ones are widely known for their poor Arabic compared to Sunnischolars (in Qom itself, to this very day the language of the largest Shia university ''Al-Mustafa'' isprimarily in Farsi. Foreign student even have to learn Farsi before entering Shia religious institutesof Iran).

Majlisi composed several books on Tradition in Persian and valorized it as the language of scholasticism and thus helped to undermine the significance of the Arabic language in Shia circles. As the ideological strength of the Safavids weakened, clerics like Majlisi made greater efforts to strengthen the eroding image of the last Safavids. in Raj'at (The Mahdi's Return), dedicated to Shah Suleiman, Majlisi explains in clear Persian how he came across two important traditions, which foretold the ascent of the Safavids and praised their glorious rule quite similar of how many fanatical adherents of the Wilayat Al-Faqih system of Iran believe that Ali Khamenei is the actual representative of the hidden Shia Imam. Same farce, different names and different times.

After the massacre of the Persian people (who were staunch Sunnis and resisted Shiism), Shah Ismai'l Safavi honoured himself the higher Sayyid (he was from a Sufi backround and claimed to be a descendant of the Prophet) or the representative of the ''Mahdi'' (the Shiite Twelfth Imam). The messianic belief in Mahdi was exploited to enhance motivation on the support of king.

In this context, the king becomes a demigod, what all Shiite kings along the way from the Safavid dynasty tothe late Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi pretended to be a saint representative of the Shiite imams and shadow of god on Earth. The Imams, Majlisi wrote, had confirmed the ties bonding the Safavid Empire tot he awaited hidden Shia Imam who will rise (Al-Qa'im) from the Prophet's house. He also innovated and propagated many beliefs and practices that were either unkown or condemned by even classical Rafidi Twelverscholars (Shiism by its very nature is a sect constantly changing to the worse, adopting more heresies decade after decade). Among Majlisi supported and promoted beliefs and rituals, many of which have Zoroastrian roots, are the following:

1) He was a staunch supporter of the pagan Zoroastrian rooted Nowrooz festival.
He did not just believe in the permissibility of this festival (i.e. regarding it as a merely Persian tradition) but actually attributed it to the Ahl Al-Bayt themselves, who allegedly said that the Persians have preserved the blessed Nowrooz festival whereas the ''evil'' Arabs have abondened it!

EVIDENCE:

-العلامة بهاء الدين علي بن عبدالحميد النسابة دامت فضائله رواه باسناده إلى المعلى بن خنيس عن الصادق (عليه السلام)(1) '' ان يوم النيروز هو اليوم الذي اخذ فيه النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله) لامير المؤمنين (عليهالسلام) العهد بغدير خم فاقروا له بالولاية فطوبى لمن ثبت عليها والويل لمن نكثها،بحار الأنوار - العلامة المجلسي - ج ٣٧ - الصفحة ١٠٨

''Al-Mu'alla Ibn Khanis narrates that Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: ''Verily the day of Nowrooz is the day when the Apostle (blessings be upon him and his family) took the hands of Ali (peace be upon him) and took the oath at Ghadir Khum from him and declared his Wilayah, so glad tidings to the one who accepted it and woe to the one who neglected it.''

[Bihar Al-Anwar by Al-Majlisi, vol 37, page 108]

Now before some apologetics try to waterdown this despicable Sassanian-Zoroastrian fabrication of a narration by Majlisi, with the excuse that not everything is authentic in Majlisi's Bihar, or that Majlisi himself might have only narrated it but not acting upon it, then let us add this: Majlisi in fact did not just narrate this (and other) narrations, he in fact insisted that the Ahl Al-Bayt venerated the Majoosi festival of Nowrooz. He even argued against some Shia Hadith that condemn Nowrooz, for there is actually evidence in Shia sources that the Ahl Al-Bayt condemned Nowrooz (just like the Messenger of Allah condemned pagan Arab festivals). But guess what, Majlisi waged war against such narrations:

Ibn Shahr Ashob relates, that (Caliph) Mansoor requested Imam Moosa Al-Kadhim (عليه السلام) to hold a congregation for greetings on the day of Nowrooz and receive whatever is brought to him. The Imam (عليه السلام) replied: ''I have examined the reports transmitted to me from my grandfather the Prophet of Allah (صل الله عليه و آله), and I have not found any details regarding this day of celebration. This had been the practice of the Persians, while Islam has abolished it, and may Allah protect (us), from reviving things which were abrogated by Islam''.

[Book: ''Nafasul Mahmum'' p 448.Author: Abbas al-Qummi. The same Abbas al-Qummi who in his infamous book of ''Mafatih Al-[Jaheem]Jinan'' explained in detail what sort of extra worship a Shiite has to do on that day!]

Al-Majlisi said in regards to the narration of Al-Kadhim:

قال المجلسي : بيان هذا الخبر مخالف لأخبار المعلى و يدل على عدم اعتبار النيروز شرعا و أخبار المعلى اقوى سندا و أشهر بين الأصحاب و يمكن حمل هذا على التقية لاشتمال خبر المعلى على ما يتقى فيه و لذا يتقى في إظهار التبرك به في تلك الأزمنة في بلاد المخالفين أو على أن اليوم الذي كانوا يعظمونه غير النيروز المراد في خبر المعلى كما سيأتي ذكر الاختلاف فيه . البحار 56/10

''This kind of narration contradicts the narration of Al-Mo'alla (the Kafir Zindeeq who narrated the pro-Majoosi/'Eid Nowrooz narrations!], in fact it even discredits the religious/Shari'ah authenticity of Nowrooz. The narrations of Al-Mu'alla are stronger chain-wise and known among the scholars and it is also possible to view the narration [of Al-Kadhim] in the light of Taqiyyah […].''

Ayatullat Muhammad Jamil Hamoud Al-Amali (who openly accuses the Mother of the Believers of adultery in one of his books) comes up with the same excuse (Taqiyyah) to discredit the narration of Al-Kadhim in order to champion the Majoosi Nawrooz festival:

وبهذا يتضح أن خبر المعلى معارضٌ برواية المناقب المتقدمة،ولا يصح تقديم خبر المعلى على رواية المناقب لإمكان حمل خبر المعلَّى على التقيَّة أو أن النيروز يومٌ آخر غير اليوم الذي يحتفل فيه الفرس إحياءً لسنن المجوس والزردشت الذين أضافوا إليه أموراً تتوافق مع معتقداتنا ،ولا يبعد أن يكون الخبر مدلساً على أئمتنا الطاهرين لإثبات فضيلة ليوم النيروز ،والله تعالى العالم،الخميـــسالتاريخ الهجري18 ذو الحجة10التاريخ الميلادي 15 مارس632بالرجوع الى برنامج تحويل الهجري الى ميلاديتبين كذب ان يكون عيد النيروز موافقا لعيد الغديران اعتمدتم التأريخ الميلاديوان اعتمدتم الهجريفلا علاقة بين التأريخ الميلادي الثابتوالتأريخ الهجري المتحركفهل تتركون موروثات المجوس يا رافضة ؟؟؟

قال المجلسي : بيان هذا الخبر مخالف لأخبار المعلى و يدل على عدم اعتبار النيروز شرعا و أخبار المعلى اقوى سندا و أشهر بين الأصحاب و يمكن حمل هذا على التقية لاشتمال خبر المعلى على ما يتقى فيه و لذا يتقى في إظهار التبرك به في تلك الأزمنة في بلاد المخالفين أو على أن اليوم الذي كانوا يعظمونه غير النيروز المراد في خبر المعلى كما سيأتي ذكر الاختلاف فيه . البحار 56/10

As it becomes clear, doubting the authentcity of these narrations won't change the fact that the likes of Majlisi actively propagated Zorastrian rooted festivals such as Nowrooz (and with him hundreds of other Safavid scholars and modern day Ayatullats). To put the final nail in the coffin, here some more evidences, irrefutable references that prove that Majlisi was not merely narrating narrations, rather he acted upon them and in fact dedicated a whole chapter of his Zad Al-Ma'ad (translated as Provisions of the Hereafter. He copied that title from the works of major Sunni scholars before him such as Ibn Al-Qayyim), a book that (according to his own words) is a guidance for the Shiite in regards to the etiquettes of prayers, fasting and embracing Islamic month, such as Nowrooz!

In the above screenshot Majlisi dedicated an entire chapter about the merits and virtues of Nowrooz and what kind of special prayers (and Ghusl!) Shiites have to perform on that day. He also mentions that reliable Shia narrations have been narrated in regards to Nowrooz among them is a narration attributed to Imam Ja'far Al-Sadiq (may Allah have mercy upon him) where he praises the Persians for preserving Nowrooz (!), which is a day where Allah

took the oath from mankind to worship him alone, told mankind to believe in the Prophets told mankind to believe in the infallible Imams saved Noah and his arch Jibreel appeared for the first time to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) where the companions of the Prophet all gave their pledge of allegiance (Bay'ah) to Ali Ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) the Shia Mahdi will appear from his occultation

the narration then goes on stating that there is not a single day of Nowrooz except that the Ahl Al-Bayt are happy on that day and that it is the 'Eid (!) of them (Ahl Al-Bayt) and their Shias and that the Persians preserved it and the Arabs lost and ignored it!!! Then the narration goes on advising the Shiite how to perform special acts of worship on this Majoosi 'Eid, including a special prayer, Ghusl, putting on new clothes. Finally Majlisi states that there are special supplications that one should recite when the day of Nowrooz (new year of the Majoos) enters. This is a Sunnah of the Rafidah that is observed to this very day when Ayatullat Ali Khamenei himself, the Revolutionary leader, appears on live TV congragulating the Shiites for Nowrooz beginning with the ''special'' supplication that Majlisi recommended.

It's not just Majlisi though, other scholars in his era and even modern day Shia scholars have filled entire chapters of Fiqh (!) about the greatness of the day of Nowrooz, and how it is the day of Allah, an 'Eid, where one must perform special acts of worship. They have all drunk from the Majoosi milk of Majlisi who taught them how to venerate the festival of the Majoos under the banner of Shiism.

The first people to accept the recommended deeds on the day of Nowrooz were the representatives of Hawzah in Najaf , meaning personalities like Shaykh Tusi, then Ibnay Taus, Mohaqqiq Tusi, Sayyid Sharif, Allamah Bahauddin Amili, Faidh Al-Kashani, and from Majlisi to Abbas Qummi (author of Mafatih Al-Jinan) all agree on this day of celebration.

All religious Shia websites and institutes in Iran actively propagated Nowrooz under the banner of Islam and the school of Ahl Al-Bayt. The following is a screenshot from the notorious Shiite Fars News Agency (FNA) that is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard Corps.

After all these facts is it really suprising that these crypto-Majoos who claim Tashayyu' (Shiism) and love for Ahl Al-Bayt are enemies to those who carried the Message of Islam to the world (the companions) and at the same time deliver lectures on the virtues of NOWROOZ …

Sons Of Sunnah In Iran &
EsinIslam.Com

Label Iran Revolutionary Guards, IRGC, a terrorist group: Senator Cruz

Sen. Ted Cruz wants the US State Department to classify an Iranian military force as a terrorist organization, The Hill reported.
The Texas Republican, who is running for president, has introduced legislation requiring Secretary of State John Kerry and James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, to hand over a report on whether or not Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps qualifies as a foreign terrorist organization.
Cruz called Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps ''a leading proponent of radical Islamic terrorism around the globe.''

''Under the direction of the Khamenei, branches of the IRGC have murdered hundreds of Americans,'' he added. ''They have attacked our allies. They have provided material support for other designated terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah. Yet for years the United States has sanctioned IRGC entities while leaving the organization itself untouched.''

If the administration determines that Revolutionary Guard doesn't qualify for the classification, Cruz wants a ''detailed justification'' as to why.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) has introduced similar legislation in the House.

McCaul, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, added in a statement that the Obama administration ''must call the IRGC what it is: a terrorist organization committed to killing Americans and our allies all over the world. ...Designating Iran's IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization would go a long way in demonstrating that the president is truly committed to combatting Iranian terror.''

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

The Majoosi (Zoroastrian) Reality Of Mullah Baqir Majlisi's Twelver Creed (Part Two)

Majlisi propagated the belief that the 12th Imam is not just a descendant of Fatimah (peace be upon her) but also a descendant of Yazdgerd III … … a spawn of the last Persian Emperor (Kisra) who will carry Majoosi titles, emerge on Nowrooz and slaughter slaughter the Arab.

The last Kisra of Persia that was crushed by the army of Allah under the banner of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab. Yazgerd III (632-651 CE) advised his people to infiltrate the Muslims and fight them from within.

اشغلوا عمر بن الخطاب في عقر داره

''Make 'Omar Ibn Al-Khattab busy (fight him) in his lands and resting place.''
(Regardless of the authenticity of this famous quote, it truly reflects the history of the defeated Sassanians who after Yazgerd's death were responsible for the assassination (by Abu Lu'lu'ah the Majoosi) of 'Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, the assassination of 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib (by Ibn Muljim the Kharijite Sassanian Persian) etc.)
Since this day the Persians (a minority of them since most of them sincerely accepted Islam and were staunch Muslims until the Safavid era) had a major role in the formation of various Batini (esoterical) cults, in particularly Shia ones. The Khurramites for instance were a Persian Zoroastrian cult in the Abbasid era (way before the Safavids) who already had started mixing Shiism and Zoroastrianism. The same Persian heretics were responsible for other un-islamic Shia beliefs such as the belief in a demi-God saviour (like the ancient Persian kings) who is a descendant of Yazgerd III. In the recent years (by the grace of Allah who exposes these Majoos at their own hands) we have witnessed how religious (Iranian backed) Shia websites openly confess to this reality of their Madhab i.e. they don't even make an attempt to hide these beliefs anymore (note how they mention how Zoroastrians belief that this Mahdi will follow their ANCESTORS i.e. Majoosi religion. And note how this Shia website wails over the fact that the Muslim army defeated the Persian army at Qadisiyyah and how Yazgerd made Du'a (!) that one of his grandsons (Shia Mahdi) will take revenge on the Arabs.

While it is true that Sunni sources also narrate that Al-Hussein Ibn Ali married Yazgerd's daughter, yet there is not a single Sunni Muslim reference venerating Yazgerd's daughter or bloodline at all. Yet in Shiism, Yazgerds daughter is a venerated female Shia saint and it is through her that the spawn of Yazgerd will emerge one day to revive the religion of his forefathers and slaughter all Arabs. This spawn of Majoosi grudge is the Shia Mahdi (who according to Muslims is a descendant of Fatimah and a future Caliph and not a semi-God infallible who hears the prayers of millions of Shias and who will carry Zoroastrian names, emerge on Nowrooz, kill all Arabs etc. i.e. the Rafidi Mahdi is NOT the Muslim Mahdi). Al-Hussein Ibn Ali's son (Ali Ibn Al-Hussein also known as Sajjad or Zayn Al-'Abidin) is a well respected Muslim figure and major scholar of the Bani Hashim. Sunni Muslims have narrated from him and respect him highly. Yet the extreme Shia belief of him being infallible is rejected let alone the belief that one of the superior qualities of Ali Ibn Al-Hussein was his Sassanian (Yazgerd's, a wretched Zoroastrian enemy of Islam) royalty bloodline:

''[…] She [Shahrbanu, Yazgerd's daugher] gave birth to Ali ibn Al-Hussein, recipient of divine supreme covenant. Ali ibn Al-Hussein was called the son of the two best. The chosen from Arabs was the tribe of Hashim and from non-Arab were Persians. It is narrated that abu al-Aswad al-Du'ili said about it: 'A boy from Kisra and Hashim; The most noble one on whom sacred symbols are stitched for safety.'''

[Al Kafi-The Book About People With Divine Authority H 1259, Ch. 117, h 1]

Shias rejected the continuation of the Imamat of Al-Hassan Ibn Ali but accepted the Imamat of Al-Hussein Ibn Ali as he was married to the most noble Sassanian-Zoroastrian royalty of Pre-Islamic Persia and hence continued in one way or the other the lineage of Yazgerd the third. Even today in the so called ''Islamic Republic of Iran'' an entire shrine (!) of that Zorastrian princess still stands and Shias outnumber even Iranian Zoroastrians when it comes to the veneration of her, asking her for blessings, praying to her and all other Anti-Islamic superstitions that Shiism is known. It is suggested that her shrine is actually a Zoroastrian temple where one of their deities named ''Anahita'' (goddess of water and fertility!) used to be worshipped so essentially Shias are venerating a Sassanian princess in a Zoroastrian shrine all under the pretext of following ''the school of Ahl Al-Bayt. That the shrine was originally a Zoroastrian holy place is supported by the fact that a similar legend attaches to the Zoroastrian sanctuary of Bānū-Pārs. The link with Anāhīd is strengthened by there being a sacred pool at the foot of the hill, where pilgrims make petitions before ascending to the shrine itself. This is how Satan has misguided them, pure paganism and veneration and saint worship in a Zoroastrian temples under the banner of Shiism. This is what Yazgerd exactly wanted, fighting Islam from within, distorting Islam under the banner of Islam (as the Shias claim Shiism represents ''pure'' Islam, a statement that couldn't be further from the truth):

Her name was memorialized by the name of a nearby mountain and the Shrine of Bibi Shahrbanu. Mountains were considered sacred in Zoroastrianism. Same thing happened in Christendom, old pagan sites getting rededicated to some Christian saint. The figure of Shahrbanu isutilized in nationalist-religious discourse in modern Iran to emphasize the Iranian nature of Shi'ism and the indigenization of Shiism as an intrinsically Persian religion. Often referred to as Shah-e zanan (''the King of Women''), Shahrbanu is remembered by Iranian Shi'as most tellingly in ta'ziyeh passion plays during Ashura , where her tumultuous life story is recited.

After the Safavids (and current day Iranian regime's role) in the veneration of a Zoroastrian king's daughters' tomb let us examine how Majlisi himself paved the way for the veneration of Yazgerd's daughter and the idead that the Shia Mahdi is in fact the descendant of Yazgerd who will take revenge on all Arabs by slaughtering them, starting off with the tribe of Quraysh whom the Shia clergies deceitfully claim to follow.

Majlisi attributes fabrications by the defeated Majoos to the Ahl Al-Bayt where Yazdgerd III allegedly swore that he will take revenge against Omar Ibn Al-Khattab and the Muslims, with the apparence of one of his descendants whom according to their narrations is the 12th hidden saviour Imam (who according to the biggest Shia authorities has more than 8 Majoosi/Zoroastrian titles, including Bahman, a pagan Persian name).

EVIDENCE:

''When the Persians were defeated at Al-Qadisiyyah (Iraq) and Yazdgerd Ibn Shahryar (the last Kisra i.e. king of the Sassanian Majoosi/Zoroastrian evil and oppressive empire) was informed about that and that Rustum (his general) was captured, he thought that Rustum and the Persians are all perished until someone informed him about (the battle) of Al-Qadisiyyah and about the loss of 50.000 [Majoosi soldiers, against few thousand Sahabah!]. Upon that, Yazgerd fled to his household and stood infront of the gates of Al-Iwan (his palace, in current day Iraq, south of Baghdad) and said:

''Peace be upon you, o Iwan! This is where I am going to leave you and where I will met you again, me or a man of my progeny […]. Sulayman Al-Dulaimi entered upon Abi Abdillah (Imam Al-Sadiq) and asked him about that. I asked him: 'What does he (Yazdgerd III) mean with ''a man of my progeny''? He (Imam Al-Sadiq) said: 'It is none other but one who is the arising (Shia Mahdi) by the will of Allah, the sixth (from the progeny) of my father, Yazgerd has given him birth, he is his father.''

[Bihar Al-Anwar, by Al-Majlisi vol. 51, p. 164]

Now if somebody might argue that the above narration might be weak/unreliable, then it should be noted that the biggest Shia authorities who ever walked the earth openly taught such beliefs and (based on the narrations of Majlisi) made a compilation of the titles that the 12th hidden Shia Imam will carry and among those titles and weird names which number 182 (among them Abu Bakr and 'Friday', The Time, Firooz!), there are a number of ancient Persian-Zoroastrian titles, including pagan rooted ones and KISRA (the title of Yazgerd and all Sassanian Majoosi kings).

BOOK TITLE: An-Najm Al-Thāqib fī Aḥwāl Al-Imām Al-Ḥujja Al-Ghāʼib (translated to English as the Shooting star). A comprehensive book regarding the twelfth Imam of Twelver Shias by Ayatullat Mirza Hussein Noori Tabrasi (1838 - 1902). This Shaytan was born in Noor, northern Iran, Tabaristan (Mazandaran) and wrote more than one book in defense of the classical Shia belief on distortion of Qur'an! His most famous book in this regards is: Faṣl Al-Khitāb fī Taḥrīf Kitāb Rab Al-Arbāb. Meaneing ''final argument in the distortion of the book of God of gods''. No sect besides the Rafidah Twelver sect has ever produced such heretical kafirs who wrote entire books disproving the authenticity of the Qur'an. The Shia world rewarded him by burying near the shrine of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, at the Wadi Al-Salam Najaf graveyard and showering him with blessings, prayers and all sorts of praises whenever they mention him in their speeches or books!

In volume one of the book (available on all major Shia websites on the net such as aqaed.com) the following Persian (including pagan originating ones) names of the Shia Mahdi are listed:

#4: Izad Shenās ('The one who has knowledge about Izad)

Izad is the new Persian form of Yazata. Yazata is originially an Avestan (Majoosi) language adjective derived from the verbal root yaz- ''to worship, to honor, to venerate''. From the same root comes Avestan yasna ''worship, sacrifice, oblation, prayer''. A yazata is accordingly ''a being worthy of worship'' or ''a holy being''.)

#5: Izad Neshān (''The one who illustrates God'')

The Shiite author mentions that the 4th and 5th nickname are special titles of the Majoos/Zoroastrians! He says that according to the Shia scholar Shaykh Al-Baha'i they - the Majoos -will call him by these names!)

#6: Istāde (''The standing/risen One'')

Another title that was given to him by the Majoos, according to the Shiite author!

#23: Bahrām (the Zoroastrian divinity that is the hypostasis of victory!)

Now Rafidah can not only call upon their 12th Imam by yelling ''Ya Mahdi adriknaa, Ya Sahib Al-Zaman'' etc. now they can add ''Ya Bahram ….''!)

#24: Bandeh Yazdān (''the slave of Yazdan'')

Yazdan is the plural of the word ''Yazd'' which is related to the Avestan word Izad meaning divine)

#25: Parviz (a Persian male given name, meaning fortunate)

#26: Khajasteh (another Persian name , meaning benedict/happy)

#27: Khosro (Persian form of the Arabised word ''Kisra'' i.e. King of the Zoroastrians, the title of Yazgerd and all Zoroastrian Emperors!)

#28: Khodā Shenās (a Persian title, meaning the one who has knowledge about God)

Mind-boggling isn't it? Shiism has ascribed pre-Islamic Zoroastrian (Majoosi) titles to their Mahdi. On top of that, as mentioned before, their Mahdi will emerge on the day of Nowrooz, as Mullah Baqir Majlisi narrated:

[Narration - as usual - isattributed to Imam Al-Sadiq who is free of Majoosite Rafidism]: 'The day of Nowrooz is the day when our Qa'im of Ahl Al-Bayt (Mahdi) and the commanders [of his army] will rise. On that day Allah will make the Dajjaal appear and he will be crucified on the church of Kufa (Iraq)'. (Bihar Al-Anwar by Mulla Baqir Al-Majlisi, vol. 52, p. 308)

Kufa? Crucifiction? NOWROOZ?! According to authentic narrations it is Jesus (peace be upon him) who will kill the Dajjaal, not a hidden descendant of Kisra on the day of Nowrooz …

Majlisi's traditions found their ways in hundreds of Twelver treatises about that connect the Shia hidden Mahdi with the day of Nowrooz and even attribute to him Zoroastrian pagan titles:

Shia book: ''Du'a for Imam Al-Zaman [Mahdi]''

Chapter: The day of Nowrooz!

Al-Mu'alla narrates from Imam Al-Sadiq : ''Nowrooz is no other day but the one we [the Ahl Al-Bayt] are awaiting the reappearance [of Al-Mahdi], for it is one of our days that was preserved by the Persians and carelessly lost by you.'' ('Al-Du'a' li Al-Imam Al-Zaman', p. 94)

So the Sahaba, their students and their students (i.e. Salaf) have missed to ''preserve' the holy (!) day of Nowrooz, but the Persians managed to preserve this so called holy day. This is how the Rafidah portray the Ahl Al-Bayt such as Imam Al-Sadiq who according to the narration is more concerned about Majoosi Nowrooz than any Persian could ever pretend to be. Nowrooz, a holiday that was never sanctified by Islam, this is Lok how much Sassanian-Pre-Islamic-Persian Majoosi customs have infiltrated Shiism, then they wonder why they are being called Majoos.

As for him being an Anti-Arab bigot and revenger of Yazgerd and the Sassanian empire, then there is no doubt about that, despite the deceiving claim of the Shia religion that the Shia Mahdi is the Muslim Mahdi, a saviour from the bloodline of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The reality is that his characterics further back the argument that the Shia Mahdi is nothing but a Zorastrian-Jewish Messiah whose attribution to Islam and the Muslim Mahdi serves nothing but the misguidance of gullible Shias (and Sunnis). Mullah Majlisi himself also contributed a lot in this field by narrating a number of narrations that are fully accepted among Shia scholars and which state that the Shia Mahdi (Yazgerd's grandson) will fullfil his grandfather's dream of taking revenge on the Arabs by slaughtering them all, starting off with the tribe of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and 'Omar Ibn Al-Khattab (the Quraysh):

عن الصادق (عليه السلام): ما بقي بيننا وبين العرب إلا الذبح وأومى بيده إلى حلقه.
بحار الأنوار 52/349غيبة النعماني: 155 باب 13

''There will be nothing left between us and the Arabs, except slaughter. He then demonstrated the slaughter with his hands at his throat.''

[Baqir Al-Majlisi, Bihar Al-Anwar by Al-Majlisi, Vol. 52, p. 349 and Kitab Al-Ghaibah by Al-Numani which is a book on the SHIA Aqeedah conerning the Mahdi, p. 155 chapter 13]_

عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام أنه قال: اتق العرب فان لهم خبر سوء أما إنه لم يخرج مع القائم منهم واحد
لغيبة للنعماني ص254 بحار الأنوار 52/ 333

''On the authority of Abi Abdillah (Al-Sadiq) who said: 'Fear the Arabs! Because there will be very bad news for them, which is that none from amongst them will come out with Al-Qa'im (Shia Mahdi).''

[Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 52, p. 333-334. This narration has been used as a PROOF by Shia scholars in other books of creed such as Kitab Al-Ghaiba by Al-Numani, p. 254]

Notice how the narration puts fear and HATE into the hearts of the Shias in regards to the Arabs. Imam Al-Sadiq's name (an Arab Muslim himself!) is just being misused by these devils who have fabricated these narrations to give their Anti-Arab bigotry a religious flavour.

أن المنتظر يسير في العرب بما في الجفر الأحمر، وهو قتلهم
المجلسي في بحار الأنوار 52/ 318

''Al-Muntadhar (the Awaited One)i) will walk amongst the Arabs and kill them.''

[Baqir Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 52, p. 318]

''Abu Ja'far (Imam Al-Baqir of the Ahl Al-Bayt, a great scholar from the Salaf whom they ascribed these lies to) (AS) said: ''The Qa'im (Mahdi) will arise with a new matter and a new book and a new a new law and he will deal severely with the Arabs, there will be nothing save killing and he will not fear the blame of the blamer''.

[Kitab Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi, p. 104 who narrated only Shia authentic narrations regarding their Mahdi]

Now why do you think the Sassanian-Majoosi-Zionist sadist of a Rafidhi ''Mahdi'' will deal SEVERELY with the Arabs (with NO EXCEPTION whatsoever)?! Is it because Arabs drink their famous Arabic coffee or is it because they are the descendants of the Sahabah who put an end to the tryannical Sassanian Majoosi empire? His biggest grudge is directed towards the tribe of Prophet Muhammad, Abu Bakr, 'Omar, 'Othman and Ali i.e. the Quraysh:

The Rafidi Mahdi will have a special thirst for the blood of the Quraysh!

ص243 كتاب الغيبة للنعماني
عن ابى عبد الله عليه السلام انه قال''اذا خرج القائم لم يكن بينه وبين العرب وقريش الا السيف ما ياخذ منها الا السيف

''On the authority of Abi Abdillah (Al-Sadiq), peace be upon him, who said: 'When the Qa'im emerges there will be nothing left between him and the Arabs and the Quraysh except the SWORD.''

[Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani]

Notice how the Quraysh are being mentioned seperately! Prophet Mohammad's tribe, the most noble Arab tribe to this very day!

بحار الأنوار - ج ٥٢ - الصفحة ٣٥٤
عن أبي جعفر (عليه السلام) يقول: لو يعلم الناس ما يصنع القائم إذا خرج لأحب أكثرهم أن لا يروه مما يقتل من الناس، أما إنه لا يبدأ إلا بقريش فلا يأخذ منها إلا السيف ولا يعطيها إلا السيف حتى يقول كثير من الناس: ليس هذا من آل محمد لو كان من آل محمد لرحم

''On the authority of Abi Ja'far (Imam Al-Baqir), peace be upon him, who said: 'If people only knew what the Qa'im [Shia's Mahdi] is going to do when he appears, most people will prefer not to see him because of the killings he will do to mankind, it makes most mankind say: ' He is not from the House of Mohammad, if he were from the House of Mohammad, he would certainly have compassion.''

Ghaybah of Al-Numani and in Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 53, p. 354 ]

On the following Shia website they have simply OMITTED the part where the Shia Mahdi will KILL the people (especially the Quraysh):

يروي المفيد عن أبي عبدالله أنه قال
إذا قام القائم من آل محمد عليهم السلام أقام خمسمائة من قريش فيضرب أعناقهم ثم خمسمائة أخر حتى يفعل ذلك ست مرات

''On the authority of Abi Abdillah (Imam Al-Sadiq) who said: 'When the Qa'im from the family of Mohammad, peace be upon him, rises, he will resurrect five hundred from Quraish (dead people of Prophet Mohammad's tribe) and cut off their necks, then another five hundred, until he does this (action) six times.''

[Al-Mufid in his Al-Irshad]

This is their sadistic ''saviour''! Ironically Shias (like Hassan Nasrallat) are quick to jump and attack not just extremist groups but also countries such as Saudi Arabia for implementing the capital punishment of beheading (for severe crime) yet their Majoosi saviour is allegedly going to behead Qurayshi Arabs in Zombie-Style, resurrecting them from the dead!

Now the question may arise: How on earth could the Rafidha fool and lure a few (Shias are to this very day a TINY minority not just among the Arabs worldwide but even amongst the non-Arabs and in fact even among MANY Persians such as the Persians population of Afghanistan and Tajikistan who are overwhelmingly Sunni) Arabs into Shiism? Well, the answer lies in some additional fabricated narrations that are somehow the only hope for the Arab Shias (obviously only a weak minded person will miss the bigger picture, i.e. that the default scenario is that ALL Arabs will be slaughtered by the Masonic-Sassanian Rafidi saviour.

''Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq was asked: 'How many of those who accompany the Qa'im are Arabs?' Ja'far said 'Very few'; then someone said, 'But numerous are the Arabs who profess this cause.' Ja'far replied: 'People will inevitably be chosen, separated, siftyed through; many are those who will fall through the sifter.''

[Kitab Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani, chapter 12, pp.298-299]

Another narration:

Imam Mohammad al-Baqir said that all 313 companions of the Qaim are the sons of Persians (Ajams) .

[Kitab Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani, chapter 20, page 448]

Remember in other narrations the Arabs can expect nothing but slaughter and not a single one of them will be spared …

''Fear the Arabs because there will be very bad news for them, which is that none of them will come out with Al-Qa'im (Shia's Mahdi).''

[Baqir Al-Majlisi, Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 52, p. 333, and 'Kitab Al-Ghaiba by Al-Numani, p. 254]

Note that there is no room for the Shiite laymen to deny these narrations based on the assumptions that they might be weak narrations. Whenever they are cornered with the kufr and Zandaqah in their books they are quick to jump up and claim that not all their narrations in their Hadith books (such as Bihar Al-Anwar aka Dhulumat, 110 volumes of kufriyat and perversions) are authentic. That might be true in a general sense, but not in the case of creed (''Aqeedah'') books where Shia scholars have put the aforementioned narrations together explaining Shia creed based on the narrations. That is why almost every single reference previously mentioned can be found in their Aqeedah books about their Mahdi and not just random books of Hadith. Here the sources from their Aqeedah books:

- Kitab Al-Ghaybah by Mullah Baqir Al-Majlisi (this is basically a section of his ''Bihar Al-Anwar'. He gathered the narration of his predecessor Al-Numani and others that put together form a classical Shia belief about the Anti-Arab nature of the king of the Majoos, the 12th Imam)

- Kitab Al-Ghaybah by Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Jafar Al-Numani (An alleged disciple of Al-Kulayni. His Kitab Al-Ghayba is the most classical and authentic Shia book in regards to the 12th Imam)

- 'Kitab Al-Ghaybah' by Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn Hassan Al-Tusi (from Tus/Khorassan, which is called 'Mashad' in present day Iran) who collected only authentic narration in reference to the Shia Mahdi. Don't take our word, take it straight from the horse's mouth:

As you can see, the names of the books (or in Majlisi's case the chapterin his Bihar) are all identical, what is important to understand is that the the narrations in these books can't be dismissed on the grounds of alleged weaknesss, as Shia scholars themselves have used them in their creed books to explain the characteristic of the Shia 12th Imam.

Now let us continue with the actual onslaught i.e. the savage like nature of Yazgerd's descendant, the 12th Shia Mahdi. Even their modern day scholars such as Ayatullat Ali Al-Korani (who, just like Mullah Baqir Al-Majlisi originates from Jabal 'Amel, southern Lebanon, and resides in Iran, Qom spreading his falsehood) sanctify the aforementioned Anti-Arab and sadistic narrations. Al-Korani wrote an entire book about the personality of the Shia Mahdi, called ''Asr Al-Dhuhoor'' ('The Age of the Apparence') where he included the following narrations:

''On the authority of Imam Al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, who said: 'Then he will head towards Kufa (Iraq) and spill the blood of SEVENTY tribes of the Arabs.'

[Kitab Al-Ghaybah of Al-Tusi, p. 284]

Al-Korani comments on the Hadith (because even he knows it's too horrific and Anti-Arab):

''What is meant here is that the Mahdi will spill the blood of those who deserve it from among those tribes i.e. his enemies and the Khawarij.''

Of course this is NOT what the Rafidi hadith says! That's just pathetic attempt to water down the actual text of the narration. The narration itself makes no exception whatsoever (especially if we take other ahadith into consideration which all speak about an onslaught on the entire Arabs race), it simply states what similar hadith state, the Arab will be slaughtered (by a descendant of the last Persian Majoosi Kisra). The narration states that Ibn Kisra (Rafidi Mahdi) will slaughter SEVENTY Arab tribes. This spawn of Yazgerd the third (who is anything but the true Mahdi) is nothing but the manfistation of the previously mentioned story of Yazgerd's dream. The 12th Imam that the likes of Majlisi and co. created resembles nothing but the Anti-Christ, he is the hope of the defeated Jews of Madinah, the defeated Zoroastrian Sassanian Majoos and other defeated enemies of the Ummah to destroy Islam from within, to take revenge from the Sahabah/Muslims and the Ummah of Mohammad, peace be upon him.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Block Iran aggression in Bahrain after nuclear deal

By Phillip Smyth

As American forces are more involved in Iraq and Syria, and with attention focused on ISIS and the daily bloodletting in those countries, the rising temperature in the region's next hotspot is being overlooked.

Bahrain is the Persian Gulf's geostrategic hot seat, home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, along with around 5,000 sailors and Marines essential to sustaining the U.S. military presence and stability in the region.

But Bahrain is also the home of a growing Iranian-aided Shia Islamist insurgency targeting the country's Sunni government. At the moment, the threat is relatively contained. But what will happen if Tehran concludes, in the wake of its new found riches as a result of the nuclear deal, that it is time to turn up the flame?

On a recent trip to Bahrain, Major General Tariq al-Hassan, chief of Bahrain's Public Security Forces told me, ''We are all waiting for zero hour, but we don't yet know when it will come.''

Nuclear agreement or not, Tehran's full-court press in the region shows no sign of relenting, and every indication of gaining steam and momentum toward their objective of acquiring more power and territorial control via their use of sectarian proxy forces to achieve the ultimate goal of singularly dominating the Gulf and kicking Sunni Arab states to the curb.

Bahrain's Shia Islamist radicals are not simply a problem for Manama. On the PR front, the militants have spun a narrative that Washington controls the island state

A Bahraini Shia militant group, Saraya al-Mukhtar, which has taken responsibility for numerous bomb and small-arms attacks, has been quite vocal in in issuing more ominous threats. One August 2014 post released by the group claimed that, ''Marines in Bahrain will pay the price'' for the Saudi jailing and death sentence of radical Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. In another post that same month, Starbucks, Chili's, and Manama's Ritz Carlton hotel were all placed on their target list.

Just a couple of months later, the group claimed to have developed a new rocket munition and avowed it would be used against the U.S. naval base. In the past four years, their acquisition of weapons material and growing expertise to use it has jumped from building simplistic Boston Marathon bombing-style pressure cooker bombs to the infamous Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP), a bomb which uses an advanced shaped charge to slice through armor.
The continuous improvement in the radical's military capabilities has not occurred in a vacuum.

There are clear examples that Iran's fingerprints are all over the rise in tactical capabilities and increasingly advanced weapons systems in Bahraini Shia Islamist militant's possession and the growing numbers of attacks.

Many of these weapons shipments have been smuggled by Iran into Bahrain by sea, and Bahraini military units have made a number of high profile seizures. The most infamous example was the apprehension of a ship carrying suppresser-equipped Kalashnikov type rifles, more than 50 Iranian-made hand grenades, EFPs, Claymore type IEDs, hundreds of pounds of C4 plastic explosive and a belt-fed machine gun.

During an independent research trip to Bahrain this summer, I was given exclusive access to weapons seized from one Bahraini dhow intercepted on July 15, 2015, ironically, a day after the announcement of the nuclear agreement with Iran. The ship had sailed out to international waters where it was met by a boat from Iran. Weapons were then passed to the Bahraini boat. The cargo included around 100lbs of C4, detonators, and Kalashnikov type rifles with their serial numbers sanded off.

Iran is not concealing their vision for the region. Only two days after the seizure, the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei announced, ''The Iranian nation will not stop supporting the oppressed nation of Palestine, Yemen, [or] Bahrain''.

While security and strategic concerns are pressing issues, the strife in Bahrain also involves another hot potato: Human rights.

U.S. influence can and should be brought to bear to great effect. If executed properly, the benefits of countering violent extremist elements would be multi-dimensional, extending far beyond issues related simply to security. Eliminating violent polarizing elements could prompt and assist with genuine prospects of reform by Manama.

The key is understanding what the U.S. can leverage. That could result in more extensive U.S. assistance.

While Washington recently signed off on a resumption of arms shipments to the kingdom, more guns are not necessarily the only solution. What is truly needed is an increased and more extensive sharing of intelligence information, one which can compressively diminish the presence of militant cells.

Public statements by U.S. officials reaffirming Gulf security and stability, combined with denouncing Iran's adventurism are required. But lip service is not enough. Actions speak louder than words. The U.S. needs to assess and then address the issues with these Iranian-sponsored elements.

If Washington continues to avert its eyes from the militant Shia Islamic threat in Bahrain, it will be doing so at its own peril.

Phillip Smyth is a researcher at the University of Maryland and an adjunct fellow at the Washington Institute For Near East Policy, focused on Shia militant organizations. His study, 'The Shiite Jihad In Syria and Its Regional Effects,' was recently released by the Washington Institute For Near East Policy. He is also the author of Hizballah Cavalcade on http://Jihadology.net.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Central Sunni Prayer-room Demolished in Tehran by the Iranian Safavid regime of Khamenei

The Municipal authorities of Iran's capital city, Tehran, closed and sealed off one of the Sunni prayer house - not a mosque - for Sunni Muslims in Tehran, Sunnionline.us ( the Official Website of the Sunni community in Iran) reported. The Mullah regime in Iran denies the minority Sunni population their basic rights. The Municipality acted on the closure a week after the Greater Tehran Police barred the Sunni worshipers from entering this Sunni prayer site in Tehran on January 9, 2015, preventing them from holding congregational Friday prayers.

In the early hours of the day on Wednesday, officials from the Tehran municipality, backed by state suppressive forces (police), raided and destroyed the Sunni 'Pounak' prayer hall. The suppressive forces further searched the premises of the mosque's Sunni imam Abdullah Moussa-Zadeh and confiscated his mobile phone.

The Tehran municipality had shut down the Pounak prayer hall and placed seals on its entrance earlier in the year. Although the seals were later removed, Sunni Muslims have continued to be prevented from praying in the center.

The prayer hall's destruction drew immediate criticisms from Iranian Sunni leaders. Mowlavi Abdulhamid, the Sunni imam in the city of Zahedan, south-eastern Iran, sent letters of protest to the mullahs' Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and to the regime's President Hassan Rouhani condemning the raid.

In his letter to Rouhani, Abdulhamid wrote: ''Intolerance towards even a single ordinary prayer hall and its destruction in a city that does not allow Sunnis to build a mosque … not only hurts the sentiments of Iran's Sunni community, but also offends all Muslims of the world.''

Of the 12-14 million Tehran province population, approximately 1 million are Sunni Muslim, making up roughly 10% of the province's population. However, the Sunni community in Tehran is prohibited to have a separate mosque of its own. They often gather for prayers in unofficial 'prayer houses'. Nonetheless, according to human rights organizations, the authorities and security officials impose restrictions on their gatherings for prayers on Fridays and significant religious holidays.

Iranian authorities claim that there are no Shia or Sunni mosques, but all are houses of God. They claim that in the areas where Sunnis are the majority, the Shias are not allowed to make their separate mosques. Instead, they may pray behind the Sunni Imam, and vice versa, to show their 'unity'. Yet, Shia mosques are widely built in Sunni-majority areas, where there are a few or no Sunni mosques in the Shia-majority areas of Iran, as in Tehran.

Despite the lack of precise and official statistics on the population of religious minorities and nationalities in Iran, the Sunnis population is estimated to be between 10 - 18 million of the total population. Iran's total population stands at about 77 million (2013), putting the Sunni population at 13 - 23 per cent of the total population, with Kurds, Baluchis, Arabs and Turkmens composing the majority of Sunni population in Iran.

Washington D.C., Haifa or even in the capitals of the closest (as usual Kuffar Athetist) allies of Iran, such as Moscow (Russia) and Peking (China) you can find visible Sunni Mosques. As for Tehran, the captial of the Iranian Wilayat Al-Faqih regime - you will not find a single visible Sunni Mosque (except some rented houses and flats that on purpose resemble anything but a Mosque from the outside). There are Zoroastrian fire temples, Zoroastrian high schools and more than 40 churches and Synagogues (including a Jewish run hospital!) in Tehran, there is even a Sikh Temple (Gurdwara) but as for the Sunni community of Tehran, then they are literally prevented to show any visible presence (and now even their hidden prayer houses are targetted).

Despite Sunnis being the largest religious minority in the Shia majority Iran, with Iranian state records indicating that there are around a million Sunnis living in Tehran alone, yet the Iranian government has prevented the Sunni community from day one to built a single (let alone more) proper Sunni centre or Mosque. During the election campaign, President Mohammad Khatami had pledged to allow a Sunni mosque in Tehran. This was nothing but election sloganeering. After he won the elections, he was reminded of his promise but he said that the [Supreme] Leader [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei had not agreed to the proposal.''

The Sunni citizens of Tehran are instead forced to use rented rooms and spaces as 'Namaz khaneh' (prayer rooms) to hold obligatory Sunni congregational prayers, with restrictions forcing some to organize Sunni prayers in their own homes and private spaces.

These prayer sites regularly come under attack from the authorities preventing Sunni Muslims from using them, the regime's security forces have on numerous occasions prevented the Sunni Iranians from holding prayers in particular during the religious Eid festivals causing Human Rights Watch (HRW) to issue a statement urging Iran to 'lift restrictions on Sunni worship'. Sons Of Sunnah In Iran &
EsinIslam.Com

Iran is seeking to destroy Yemen, President Hadi warns As Saudi-led Coalition Seizes Iran Boat Carrying Weapons to Houthis in Yemen

Yemen President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi warned Iran, with the support of Houthi militants, is on the verge of destroying Yemen, The Wall Street Journal wrote. In his speech in the United Nations General Assembly President Hadi blasted at Iran for supporting the military-political coup d'état by Houthi militants.

''We are involved in a war to prevent Yemen falling into the hands of Iran, a regime that wants to see our destruction. Iran is resorting to force to impose a model like its own on us,'' President Hadi added.

Saudi-led Coalition Seizes Iran Boat Carrying Weapons to Houthis in Yemen

A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition fighting Houthis in Yemen said Wednesday that it had stopped an Iranian boat carrying arms to the war-torn country, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The boat carried 14 Iranians and was laden with missile launchers and anti-tank weapons, the coalition said in a statement, including firing guiding systems.

It was seized around 1pm local time Saturday, Sept. 26 in the Arabian Sea, about 150 miles southeast of the Omani port of Salalah. Oman shares a border with Yemen.

The coalition said the boat is registered under the name Jan Mohammed Hut, an Iranian citizen. The vessel had a license from Iranian authorities to fish in those waters, the coalition said.
Saudi Arabia has been fighting Iran-supported Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen since March, in a bid to restore exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to power.

Politically Iran supports the Houthis, but denies supplying them with weapons.

There was no immediate response on Wednesday from Iran.
Saturday's incident is the latest seizure of boats allegedly carrying Iranian arms bound for Yemen.

The U.S. Navy and Yemeni coast guard detained a vessel called the Jihan as it sailed from Iran into Yemeni territorial waters in 2013, according to a United Nations report. The boat was loaded with rockets, plastic explosives and other munitions a U.N. panel traced back to Iran.

It was unclear whether the arms were bound for Yemen or for the Houthis, although the ship's crew was Yemeni and the shipment was arranged by a Yemeni businessman, the U.N. panel said.
Yemeni forces captured another weapons-laden boat called the Jihan 2 in the narrow Bab el-Mandab Strait later in 2013, state media said at the time.

The two countries are engaged in a proxy war in neighboring Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of mostly Sunni Arab states in an effort to unseat Shiite Iran-supported Houthi rebels.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

The Majoosi (Zoroastrian) Reality Of Mullah Baqir Majlisi's Twelver Creed (Part Three)

A) Majlisi propagated the celebration of Amir Al-Mu'mineen Omar Ibn Al-Khattab's (may Allah be pleased with him) demise and the veneration of the suicide, Abu Lu'lu'a Al-Majoosi.
This Majoosi fetish which is knowns as ''Omar Koshan (or Koshun) in Farsi is based on deeply rooted Majoosi grudge and racism towards Arabs in general and Omar Al-Faruq in particular, a ritual that unites him and his likes with Persian extreme nationalists to this very day.

EVIDENCE:

علامه مجلسی رحمة الله علیه در این رابطه می فرمایند: و المشهور بین الشیعة فی الأمصار و الأقطار فی زماننا هذا هو أنه الیوم التاسع من ربیع الأول، و هو أحد الاعیاد. یعنی بین شیعیان در تمامی نقاط و نواحی در زمان ما مشهور است که به درک واصل شدن او در روز نهم ربیع الاول می باشد. و آن روز یکی از اعیاد است.

در ادامه ایشان در رابطه با شبهه ای که توسط برخی گفته می شود که روز مرگ عمر 28 ذی الحجة بوده است میفرمایند: اعتبار تلك الروايات مع الشهرة بين أكثر الشيعة سلفا وخلفا لا يقصر عما ذكرهالمؤرخون من المخالفين، ويحتمل أن يكونوا غيروا هذا اليوم ليشتبه الامر على الشيعةفلا يتخذوه يوم عيد وسرور.

یعنی اعتبار آن روایات (در اثبات وفات حضرتعمر در روز نهم ربیع) بعلاوۀ شهرتی که بین اکثر شیعیان سلف و خلف دارند، کمتر از آنچه مورخین مخالف نقل کرده اند که روز مرگ وی 28 ذی الحجة است) نیست. (به عبارت دیگر اعتبار روایت نهم ربیع با گفته های مخالفین رد نمی شود) و احتمال دارد که مخالفین این روز را تغییر داده اند تا امر برای شیعیان مشتبه شود، و آن روز را روز عید و سرور نگیرند

بحارالانوار ج31ص132

Al-Majlisi says that it (celebrating Omar's death), on the 9th of the month of Rabi' Al-Awwal, is a well known fact and practice among the Shias throughout history, it is considered an 'Id! Al-Majlisi tries his utmost to disprove those who say that Amir Al-Mu'mineen Omar (may Allah be pleased with him) actually died on the 28th of Dhu Al-Hijjah, he says that Sunnis have probably changed Omar's date of death to confuse the Shias and by this prevent them from celebrating Omar's death (of course he provides no evidence whatsoever).

Here a detailed article about this Majoosi fetish with more evidences and Fatawas from their top Ayatullats.

B) Majlisi actively supported and revived practices that the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to abolish such as wailing (not mere crying) and self-flagellation for the deceased

Public mourning, wailing and self-flagellation for Hussein ibn Ali was strongly advocated by the Safavid rulers with the help of their palace scholars like Mullah Baqir Majlisi. Excessive mourning (and wearing black) were unknown to the early Muslim community of the Prophet (peace be upon him), in fact even the Pre-Islamic (Jahili) polytheistic Arabs were not known for it, except for their womenfolk (which makes the likes of Majlisi followers of Arab Jahili women not followers of the Ahl Al-Bayt. However, mourning processions, the veneration of kings and eulogies for them were all known in pre-Islamic Persia and hence revived by the Safavids. The tragedy of Siavash and its aftermath is narrated in several Medieval Persian texts. In Tarikh-e Bukhara,an early tenth century historical account, we encounter a detailed depiction of an early Iranian mourning ceremony, where the author records the communal custom of remembering the untimely death of the young innocent mythical hero, Siavash.

EVIDENCE:

According to the text ''the people of Bukhara [ancient Persian city in current day Uzbekistan) perform/have amazing hymns/songs pertaining to the killing of Siavash and minstrels call these hymns/songs, kin-e Siavash(Avenging Siavash). Al-Hussein Ibn Ali is a replacement of Siavash, the Majoos have changed the names but have preserved their pagan rituals all in the name of Islam in order to distort the image of Islam and to destroy it from within with Majoosi elements. The innovated mourning procession for Al-Hussein Ibn Ali and the the tradition of self-laceration was promoted by the Safavids and is practiced to this very day all around the (bloody) Shia world, thanks to heretical innovators like Mullah Baqir Majlisi who misused the love and passion the Shiites have for the blessed Household of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to keep them busy with rituals that the Ahl Al-Bayt would have never sanctioned. Sons Of Sunnah In Iran &
EsinIslam.Com

The insignificance of Islamic holdays compated to Norooz in Shiite Iran

In Iranian culture - religious and non-religious Shiite one - 'Eid Al-Fitr (and Al-Adha) are of no real significance compared to the (Zorastrian rooted) festival of Nowrooz. This is not an exaggeration on our side, but rather the very truth and reality of Iranian Shiite culture, even during the last 35 years of an alleged ''Islamic'' Republic. Here are some interesting points:

1. 'Eid Al-Fitr is an acknowledged 'Eid and public holiday in Iran, however within the Shiite population it is of no great significance, neither custom nor traditional wise. It is merely a one-day off (compared to two weeks off for Nowrooz!) even in the Shiite Republic, hence very few really consider it a major holiday.

2. There are no 'Eid customs amongst Iranian Shias for the festival of 'Eid Al-Fitr and Al-Adha such as:

Praying the 'Eid prayer in public place
Putting on the best cloth (the Majority of Shias in Iran do not wear any long traditional garments like most Muslim nations. Modern day Iranian Shias (except some nomads) are in fact one of the very few Muslim nations that are deprived of a national dress, commonly worn by most or at least a large portion of the population, like in Afghanista, Arabia and even Sunni Iranian areas such as Balochestan etc.)
Buying clothes for the kids etc.
Putting on parfume
Saying the Takbirat on the streets, market and Mosques
Visiting relatives
As for Sunni Iranians (including ethnic Persians), then all the beautiful customs as can be found in the rest of the Islamic world can be found in their areas too, wal-hamdulillah.

3. The real 'Eid for Iranian Shias - religious and non-religious alike - is the 'Eid of Nowrooz (the only Sunnis in Iran who care about Nowrooz are secularists amongst the Kurds. Nowrooz is almost completely absent in Baloch, Arab, and even the Sunni Persian culture. One needs to only check any official calender of the ''Islamic Republic of Iran'' or visit Iran itself to realise how significant Nowrooz is among Shiite Iranians, to an extent that the Iranian regime itself is supporting this pagan rooted festival by giving officially two weeks off for Nowrooz and only one day for 'Id Al-Fitr. Sons Of Sunnah In Iran &
EsinIslam.Com

Horrific Crime Committed By Iran-backed Militias In Iraq

Iraqi Hezbollah militias have warned the residents of a village south of Baiji to evacuate their homes, Al Arabiya Al Hadath reported on Tuesday. When a number of women refused to follow these orders they were attacked and beaten by the militias.''These measures were carried out without the security forces being informed at all. Tikrit Province tribes have called on Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to intervene and stop these crimes,'' the Salahaddin operations commander said.

Two days ago these militias bombed three mosques south of Baiji and also around 120 homes in this city, Al Arabiya Al Hadath added. The residents have said Iranian elements are commanding these militias in these crimes.

A number of tribal sheikhs emphasized these crimes have reached a dangerous phase and aggression against women in Tikrit Province is considered an alarm bell. These militias attacked a tribal sheikh by the name of Mohamed Abdullah al-Jabouri that he was forced to be hospitalized. These militias have also confiscated police weapons

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

The Majoosi (Zoroastrian) Reality Of Mullah Baqir Majlisi's Twelver Creed (Part Four)

A) Majlisi and the Safavids encouraged the erectionand the visitation (ziyarat) of not just the (wasteful) tombs/shrines of the ''infallible'' Imams …… but also the tombs of hundreds and thousands of ''Imamzadahs'' (descendants of the Imams) which stand to this very day in Iran and are an essential source of income and propagation of faith for Shiite clergy.

EVIDENCE:

The Ahl Al-Bayt never sanctified the waste of money and resources on golden tombs, shrines, in fact Sunni and Shia hadith prove that the Ahl Al-Bayt insisted to have the most simple graves possible, according to the Sunnah of their grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

B) He supported the belief in the corruption of the Qur'an …
going as far as to state that more than half of the Qur'an has been lost and that believing in the corruption of the Qur'an is a logical necessity in the Twelver religion and that numerous (Mutawatir) narrations from the Ahl Al-Bayt themselves are evidence for that:

و الأخبار من طريق الخاصة و العامة في النقص و التغيير متواترة، و العقل يحكم بأنه إذ كان القرآن متفرقا منتشرا عند الناس، و تصدي غير المعصوم لجمعه يمتنع عادة أن يكون جمعه كاملا موافقا للواقع، لكن لا ريب في أن الناس مكلفون بالعمل بما في المصاحف و تلاوته حتى يظهر القائم عليه السلام، و هذا معلوم متواتر من طريق أهل البيت عليهم السلام و أكثر أخبار هذا الباب مما يدل على النقص و التغيير و سيأتي كثير منها في الأبواب‏''

''and traditions from the ways of the elite [Shia] and the the commoners [Sunnah] regarding omission and changes are numerous (Mutawatir), and logic dectates that if the Quran was seperated and spread amongst people, then if a fallible has tried to collect it, then it is highly unlikely that its collection would be complete and in compliance with reality. However, there is no doubt that people are obliged to work with what is included in the Mushafs and recite it until the Qa'im [Al-Mahdi], peace be upon him, appears, and this is known through numerous traditions (Mutawatir) from the way of Ahl Al-Bayt, peace be upon them, and most traditions relating to this topic point to omission and change, and many of it will be related in the chapters […]''

[Mir'at Al-'Uqul 3/31 by Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi]

There is a not great need to comment his saying. Simply in his view narrations about ommision and change in Quran are just reality but numerous, due to the fallible Sahabah who compiled it. Yet it is very common to see most Shia laymen and even many of their scholars claiming that the accusation of Tahrif Al-Qur'an (believe in the distortion of the Qur'an) is a ''Wahhabi'' myth, a lie invented to tarnish the image of the ''school of Ahl Al-Bayt''. The reality is that many of the scholars, in fact the top ones who ever walked the earth openly believed in Tahrif and propagated this belief, including Mullah Baqir Al-Majlisi, the Safavid palace scholar and proud of the ''Madhab of Ahl Al-Bayt''. The quote above is not some single incident, he has a number of clear-cut admissions that you can study.

Sons Of Sunnah In Iran &
EsinIslam.Com

Reports: Iranian troops in Syria for joint offensive

Reuters says Iranian reinforcements to aid Syrians and Hezbollah allies in operations backed by Russian air strikes.

Reports from Lebanon say hundreds of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria in the last 10 days and will soon join government forces and their Lebanese Hezbollah allies in a major ground offensive backed by Russian air strikes.

Reuters news agency reported on Thursday the arrival of the Iranians quoting two Lebanese sources.

"The [Russian] air strikes will in the near future be accompanied by ground advances by the Syrian army and its allies," said one of the sources familiar with political and military developments in the conflict.

"It is possible that the coming land operations will be focused in the Idlib and Hama countryside."

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the report.

The two Reuters sources said the operation would be aimed at recapturing territory lost by President Bashar al-Assad's government to rebels.

If true, the development points to an emerging military alliance between Russia and Assad's other main allies - Iran and Hezbollah - focused on recapturing areas of northwestern Syria that were seized by opposition fighters in rapid advances earlier this year.

"The vanguard of Iranian ground forces began arriving in Syria: soldiers and officers specifically to participate in this battle," the second source said.

"They are not advisers ... we mean hundreds with equipment and weapons. They will be followed by more."

Iraqis will also take part in the operation, the source said.

Thus far, direct Iranian military support for Assad has come mostly in the form of military advisers.

Iran has also mobilised Shia units, including Iraqis and some Afghans, to fight alongside Syrian government forces.

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese Shia group, has been fighting alongside the Syrian army since early in the conflict.

The Russian air force began air strikes in Syria on Wednesday, targeting areas near the cities of Homs and Hama in the west of the country, where Assad's forces are fighting an array of rebel groups.

The stated target of the Russian air strikes, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, is based mostly in the north and east.

An alliance of opposition groups, including the Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham, made rapid gains in Idlib province earlier this year, completely expelling the government from the area bordering Turkey.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

The Majoosi (Zoroastrian) Reality Of Mullah Baqir Majlisi's Twelver Creed (Part Five)

… and the carevan of Ex-Shias in Iran is still moving, even if the polytheists detest it. We have already reported about a phenomenon quite unknown to the Muslim audience in the west, namely the rise of Sunnism amongst Arab Ahwazis (a traditionally Shia people) inside Iran and even many Persian Shias who converted to Sunnism.

25 Ahwazi Sunnis arrested since the beginning of Ramadan

The Iranian regime crackdown on Ahwazi preachers and activists continues as two Sunni activists were arrested last friday.

Iran's Security officials had arrested two Arab activists during an attack at Malashoyeh region in the South of Ahwaz City, Khouzestan province at 2:00 PM on 10th July 2015.

Ali Mansoori, 30, and his brother Yousef Mansouri, 27, were detained and taken to an unknown location as a result of their cultural-religious activities.

The locals said that the searching of the operation lasted about two hourst. Officials broke into Yousef's shop and seized his computer and some of his personal belongings in the attack.

On the 7th of July 2015, the officials also arrested a Sunni Ahwazi activist known as Ammar Abiyawi aged 22, who is a Sunni convert from Malashiyeh district. he was later released on the bail.

On the 6th of July 2015, five Sunni activists were arrested by Intelligence Service officials…
Vassam Muhamme Faraj Kanani (Abu Uthman), 26
Abbas Mayahi (Abu Idrees), 26
Abdullah Obeydavi, 25
Naji Obeydavi(Abu Abdul Rahman), 28
and Hamzeh Mayahi (Abu Ishaaq),30

On the 5th of July 2015, Abdul-Hussein Sawari, 22, who is a Sunni convert was arrested by Intelligence Service officials. There's no information about his whereabouts till now.

On the 29th of June 2015, seven Ahwazi activists were by Intelligence Service officials in Malashiyeh district…
Mehdi Heydari, 32
Abdul-Hakim Khasraji, 27
Sajjad Alhaei, 19
Heydar Naseri, 29
Ayoub Heydari
Ahmad Badawi and Abbas Badawi.

And the Sunni activist Abdullah Sawari was also arrested in Athawra district due to his religious activities and taken to the Intelligence Service detention center.

On the 30th of June 2015, Jafaar Silawi, 22, who is a Sunni convert was arrested in Malashiyeh district.

On the 20th of June 2015, seven Sunni activists in the cities of Abadan and Khoramshahr were arrested and transferred to the Intelligence Service detention centers in the capital of Khouzestan Province Ahwaz:
Mohammad Mazhaji
Ahmad Marmazi
Hadi Marwani
Malek Mashali
Ahmad Tamimi
Ali Soleymani and Ali Khalafi.

The regime's persecution and arrests of the Ahwazi activists, particularly the Sunnis, have intensified in the past few days, with reports from the area stating that the Ahwazi Sunnis are being prevented from holding the Taraweeh prayers and Quran memorizing classes during Ramadan.

Although the majority of the Ahwazi Arab population is Shiite, a large number have converted to Sunnism in recent years, causing alarm in the shiite-led Iranian government, which has instituted another brutal crackdown in response.

Sons Of Sunnah In Iran, Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

The Majoosi (Zoroastrian) Reality Of Mullah Baqir Majlisi's Twelver Creed (Part Five)

A) He supported and propagated the Safavid Bid'ah of including Ali into the Adhan.The Shias who in their propaganda always claim that the Sunni schools are actually a result of the Umayyad dynasties are themselves a product of an actual dynasty that infested their sect with even more heresies and innovations. It were the Safavid kings who reversed the classical Shia position of NOT adding the third testimony (''I bear witness that Ali is the friend of Allah'') to the Adhan. The Safavids palace and court scholars such as Majlisi I (Muhammad Taqi Majlisi, father of Muhammad Baqir Majlisi), his son (Muhammad Baqir) and other Safavid scholars all the way up to their desandents, the Ayatullats of Qom and elsewhere, are propagating this Safavid Bid'ah (innovation) to this very day (at the same time they have the audacity of accusing 'Omar of adding to the Adhan based on weak and fabricated narrations they are obsessed with!). According to his statements in these books, the wilayah in the Adhan was already prominent (because of Shah Isma'il's decree). Majlisi's I teacher stopped reciting the 3rd testimony in adhan, because of that he was being accused of being Sunni, so Majlisi I convinced him to do so. Then, his son al-Majlisi II (Muhammad Baqir Majlisi) followed his father's footsteps and tried to provide ''proofs'' for it in his ''Bihar al-Anwar'' (seas of lights, which in realy is Bihar Al-Dhulumat/Jame' Al-Khurafat, seas of darknesses/Collection of superstitions). Interestingly this Safavid Bid'ah (that was previously known in the Buyid (dynasty) Rafidi era) was a revival of a Bid'ah of a group amongst Rafidah who were even tooextreme according to the majority of the Twelver Rafidah. In fact the likes of Tusi (known as the SHAYKH of the Shia sect!) cursed all those who said the third testimony in the Adhan, yet today an accursed Buyid/Safavid Bid'ah has become an essential part of Twelver Shiism, thanks to Muhammad Baqri Majlisi, his father and the modern day Ayatullats who are following their footsteps:

A Bid'ah leads to another Bid'ah and the misguidance and heresies laid down by the likes of the Safavids and their stooges such as Majlisi have ended up to even crazier heresies, of course everything justified in the name of the Ahl Al-Bayt who by Allah are innocent of these Kafir heretics:

B) Majlisi did not just propagated the cursing of the companions and wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) …

… he also declared anybody loving them or refraining from cursing them to be Nasibis (enemies of the Ahl Al-Bayt, the worst disbelievers in the eyes of the Rafidah Shia)

As stated in the beginning of the article, Muhammad Baqir Majlisi devoted himself the eradication of Sunnism inIran, he was a court scholar of the drunkard and brutal Safavids who misused Shiism to oppose (the Sunni) Ottomans and establish their own empire. The role of Majlisi was to spread Shia beliefs in a land that barely had any Shias (i.e. Pre-Safavid Sunni Persia). The Safavids crimes of mass executions against many Persian Sunnis who rejected to convert from Sunnism to Shiism are well recorded and can be studied in any decent book about the Safavids. The one who fed the barbaric and savage (mostly Turkic Qizilbash) soldiers of the Safavids were the likes of Muhammad Baqir Majlisi who - unlike most Shias before the Safavid era - completely abondened Taqiyyah and openly displayed Shia beliefs which are based on the opposition and slandering and cursing of the absolute majority of the Prophet's compaions who of course were highly respected during his time.

Majlisi says in his book, ''Haqq Al-Yaqin''p. 519:

في حق اليقين، لمحمد الباقر المجلسي، ص519 وعقيدتنا (الشيعة) في التبرؤ: أننا نتبرأ من الأصنام الأربعة: أبي بكر وعمر وعثمان ومعاوية، والنساء الأربع: عائشة وحفصة وهند وأم الحكم، ومن جميع أتباعهم وأشياعهم، وأنهم شر خلق الله على وجه الأرض، وأنه لا يتم الإيمان بالله ورسوله والأئمة إلا بعد التبرؤ من أعدائهم

''Our belief in regards to ''Tabarra'' [disassociation from the enemies of the Ahl Al-Bayt] : We [Twelver Shiites] disaccociate ourselves from the four idols: Abu Bakr, 'Omar, 'Othman and Mu'awiyah. And from the four women: 'Aisha, Hafsah, Hind and Umm Al-Hakam, and from all their followers and partisans, and that these are the worst creatures that Allah has ever created, and that the belief in Allah, his Messenger and the Imams will not be completed until we disaccociate ourselves from their enemies.''

As you can see, he did not just oppose Sunnism and attacked it whenever he could, but he also (back then there were no ''Wahhabis'' so Shias could oppose Sunnism by stating that they are only against ''Wahhabis'' not ''true'' Sunnis!) outlawed all Sunnis, everybody who held Sunnis beliefs, without exception, by stating that all Sunnis by definition are the enemies of Ahl Al-Bayt and Nasibis (Nawasib, enemies of the Ahl Al-Bayt who are regarded as the worst kind of disbelievers according to the Shia). The life and wealth of Nasibis is of course not protected and this declaration of Majlisi gave the Safavids religious justification (all in the name of the Ahl Al-Bayt) to slaughter as much as Persian Sunnis as possible. Majlisi stated:

''[…] people wrote to Imam Ali Al-Naqi (peace be upon him) asking: Does one, who prefers Abu Bakr and Omar over the Chief of the Believer [Ali] (peace be upon him) and believes in the Imamate of both of them, a Nasibi? The Imam (peace be upon) replied: 'One, who believes this, is a Nasibi.'''

[Haq Al-Yaqin by Mullah Baqir Al-Majlisi, p. 987]

There is much more crazy Takfiri, cursing and blatant fabricated stuff attributed to the Ahl Al-Bayt to quench the thirst of blood and takfir of the Rafidah like Majlisi and the rest of the Safavids who committed a genocide against Sunnis, in particular the Sunnis of Persia:

قال المجلسي ( جلاء العيون ص: ٤٥ ) لا مجال لعاقل أن يشك في كفر عمر فلعنة الله ورسوله عليه وعلى من اعتبره مسلماً وعلى من يكف عن لعنه

''It is impossible for a sane person to doubt the kufr (disbelief) of Omar, so may the la'nah (cursing) of Allah , His Messenger be upon him and upon anyone who considers him ['Omar] a Muslim and anyone who restrains from cursing him.''

[Jila Al-'Uyoon, page 45 by Muhammad Baqir Majlisi)

The kafir Majlisi mastered the cursing, slandering and insulting of the Sahabah to an extent that he actually explained in depth how, when and how many times one has to curse the Sahabah. In fact vol. 29, 30 and 31 of his 110 volume ''Bihar Al-Anwar'' (Bihar Al-Dhulamaat wa Al-Khurafat) are solely dedicated to the cursing of the Sahabah.

Sons Of Sunnah In Iran &
EsinIslam.Com

Iran's Nuclear Deal With The West - YA (BARACK) HUSSEIN OBAMA!

The Mullahs are at it again. Shaking hands with the ''evil'' west while at the same time chanting empty slogans at the west such as: ''Marg bar Amrika'' (death to America), ''Marg bar Israel'' (death to Isreal), ''Marg bar Engelis'' (death to England). In action all these slogans actually translate to: ''death to Sunnis in Syria, Yemen, Iraq'', as the only death (and havoc) the Shia regime has caused, is in Sunni lands and not in Israel let alone in America or Britain. Not a single bullet has been fired on Israel by Iran (whereas even Saddam Hussein fired 26 scud missiles at Haifa or Tel Aviv, something Iran never did nor will ever do).

And now it's official, the Shia regime of Iran made officially peace with the west (Khameneis empty slogans about the ongoing struggle against America - despite the deal - will fool nobody but his own blind followers), the Europeans, Americans and Iran have reached a nuclear deal a few hours ago. The governments of Britain, France, Russia (atheist ally of Iran), China (another atheist ally of Iran), the US and Germany agree to lift all UN sanctions on Iran, including access to an estimated $100 billion in frozen assets overseas? Would the west even consider such a move if Iran would be a general threat to them, in particular Israel Certainly not. Iran's aim is to cause havoc in the Islamic Ummah and the west despite its difference with Iran still needs Iran as a fortress in a Sunni sea.

We believe it is incorrect and simplistic to believe that Iran is literally allied to the west, Israel and America. What is more correct and closer to the truth, based on emprical evidences is that their relationship resembles the relationship of two cousins who hate one another due to some disagreements, yet in the end of the day they are still cousins i.e. they will most likely unite against their shared enemies. So when it comes to oppose their enemy number one (Muslims, Sunni), the two cousins (the west and Iran) always unite and Iran perfectly functions as a Shia stronghold in a Sunni sea in order to cause havoc (see Iraq, Syria, Yemen) and to prevent any real Sunni uprising and control (note how Iran supported the west and in particular America in their wars in Afghanistan and then in Iraq where American installed and Iranian trained pupptes such as Nuri Al-Maliki have been given the highest position in the government).

Could you imagine the west shaking hands with a Sunni Muslim stronghold that openly chants Anti-western slogans, wishes death to a number of western states? Of course that's impossible, such a (real) Muslim state and stronghold would have been bombed within second, this is why you see the west bombing Sunnis everywhere, any Sunni uprising, any Sunni leadership, no matter how moderate (like the Ikhwanis in Egypt) or how extreme (such as ISIS) has been systematically been removed (either directly or through their agents and puppets). Only when it comes to Iran we see the west becoming soft (even in Iraq where the Shia regime asked for Imam Barack Imam Hussein Obama's Air Force to help bombin Sunni areas, so that at the aftermath the likes of Qasem Sulaimani can enter the scene as Rafidi Rambos and claim victory), this is because in the end of the day, the west knows very well that Iran's slogans are empty talks, a farce a show to attract the Muslim masses with Anti-Imperialistic, Anti-American and Anti-Israeli slogans.

Sons Of Sunnah In Iran, Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Bandar Abbas (Hormozgan) - A Traditional Majority Sunni City

In previous posts and articles we have shown that not all Sunni Iranians are of non-Persian (like Baloch, Kurdish etc.) ethnic backround. In fact vast landscapes of Iran are still inhabited by ethnic Persians, including unsuspected areas such as the outskirts of Mashad and and in general many towns in the Khorassan province of Iran (where Khorrassani Persian Sunnis represent a significant minority) and of course the southern provinces of Iran such as the Fars province (most towns south of Shiraz in the Fars province are majority Persian and Sunni) and the Bushehr (Abu Shahr) and Hormozgan province. The people in the southern part of the Fars province speak an ancient Persian dialect called Achomi.

The southern part of the Fars province (and traditionally even large parts of the Hormozgan province) are known as Larestan (not to be confused with Loristan which is a Shia area in south-west Iran). Most Larestanis refer to themselves as either Achomi or Khodmooni ( term literallymeaning ''part of ourselves''/ ''of our own'' but figuratively used to refer to people from Gerash, Evaz, Khonj, Arad, Fedagh, Pishwar and other neighboring cities that share a common language known as ''Achomi'').

One of the largest, in fact the largest Sunni city of south Iran is Bandar Abbas. Bandar Abbas has always been a port, and as such its various names have all addressed this function. The most common name over time (Gameroon) has traditionally been said to derive from Persian gümrük, customhouse (from Late Greek kommerkion, from Latin commercium, ''commerce''), but is now speculated to be from Persian kamrūn, shrimp (which in Portuguese is camarão, similar to the former Portuguese name. During Alexander's conquest of the Persian Empire, Bandar Abbas was known under the name of Hormirzad.

Bandar Abbas was conquered by the Portuguese in 1514, and was an important location to protect their commerce in the Persian Gulf and India. They named the city Comorão, due to the presence of lobsters and crabs on its shores. In 1614, Comorão was taken by 'Abbās the Safavid from the Portuguese and renamed Bandar-e 'Abbās (''Port of 'Abbās''). Backed by the English navy, 'Abbās developed the city (known to the English-speaking world as Gombraun) into a major port. From 1740 onward, local Arab tribes who immigrated to Persia controlled the town under Persian rule until mid 1800s when their influence declined. Many Arabs still remained and live in Bandar 'Abbas and many Bandari Persians (coastal Persians) have mixed with them, hence many Arab customs (including Arab traditional clothes - Dishdasha and Yemeni Izars -, headgears etc. Women are often seen wearing the exact same cloth as women in the Emirates and Bahrain etc.) are very common among Bandaris (many who are of a Persian, Arabic and even African backround).

A few decades ago it was almost completely Sunni, however Reza Shah and his son (Mohammad Reza) both propagated a generally Anti-Islamic narrative of Persian nationalism, they both practiced the policy of migration and displacement of populations against the Arab people in the Khuzestan (Ahwaz) province and in Hormozgan where many Arabs still live to this day.

The Persian Sunnis in the south (Achomis/Larestanis/Khodmoonis) although not being forcefully displaced, yet their towns and provinces were actively demographically changed by the Shah regime and the Shia regime who both promoted and still promote the settlement of Shia people from Shiraz, Isfahan, Qom and Tehran and other Persian Shia cities in the southern provinces of Iran, in particular Sunni parts of those provinces such as the city of Bandar Abbas, Bandar Lengeh, Kish and Qeshm. Today Bandar Abbas is still majority Sunni, despite all the efforts of the Iranian regime and thanks to the common high birth rate among Iranian Sunnis in general compared to the low birth rate of Shias. Sons Of Sunnah In Iran &
EsinIslam.Com

Top Scholars Of The Salaf: The Persian Students Of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas (RA)

Our master Abdallah Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his uncle our master Al-'Abbas) had many famous students, amongst them many non-Arabs such as THE chief of the Salaf, Sa'id Ibn Jubayr (Habashi/Ethiopian), 'Ikramah (Berber, North African) and 'Ataa Ibn Abi Rabah(Nubian/Sudani) and many others.

Another two whose names are not just familiar to every student of knowledge but also to the laymen are Mujahid and Tawus who are both of Persian descent. Yet another two gems that Sunni (pre-Safavid) and Islamic Persia produced:

1. Mujahid:

His full name was Mujahid ibn Jabr (Arabic: مُجَاهِدْ بِنْ جَبْر) (645-722 CE), his kunya was Abal-Hajjaj, he was a Tabi'i and one of the major early Islamic scholars. He was a PCLIENT (Mawlaa) of the Makhzoumi Qurashi tribe and hence he is sometimes called Al-Makhzoumi Al-Qurashi (i.e. Al-Qurashi by allegiance not Nassab/lineage. Very common amongst MANY ethnic Persian scholars from amongst the Salaf). The scholars usually describe him as:

. شيخ القراء والمفسرين. إمام، ثقة، فقيه، عالم، كثير الحديث، برع في التفسير وقراءة القرآن والحديث.

… SHAYKH Al-Qurraa' (Shaykh/master of the Qur'an reciters) and Mufassirs, Imam, Thiqah, 'Alim, someone who narrated many hadith, excelled in the recitation of the Qur'an and Hadith …

Can you imagine a sane person saying ANY of this about the laughing stocks of the Rafidah who (like Mujahid) are (mostly) of Persian descent yet are nothing but losers and failures when it comes to the recitation of the Qur'an or mastering the Arabic language? Mujahid the Persian himself said:

قال مجاهد بن جبر: ''لا يحل لأحد يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر أن يتكلم في كتاب الله إذا لم يكن عالما بلغات العرب''
الإتقان في علوم القرآن (4/213

''It is NOT permissible for anyone who believes in Allah and the Day of Judgement to speak about the book of Allah without being a SCHOLAR in the language of the Arabs.''

He was one of the leading Qur'an commentators of the generation after that of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his Companions. He is the first to compile a written exegesis of the Qur'an i.e. the first compiled and written down Tafsir was written by an ethnic Persian. It is related by Ibn Sa'd in the Tabaqat and elsewhere that he went over the explanation of the Qur'an together with Ibn 'Abbas thirty times.

There are obviously many quotes from the highest authorities and scholars of this Ummah in regards to the uprightness of this great man, here is one:

قال عنه الذهبي في السير: أجمعت الأمة على إمامة مجاهد والاحتجاج به.

Imam Al-Dhahabi (Al-Turkistani) said in his Al-Siyar:

The UMMAH [Rafidah are of course excluded] has unanimously agreeed on the leadership (in knowledge) of Mujahid and to refer back to him.

2. Tawus Ibn Kaysan

Ibn Hajar related that Tāwus was a Persian who inhabited an area called al-Jund and that he was the master of Hamadan in Iran. Ibn Hayyān said about him: ''He was among the worshipers of the people of the Yemen and the masters of the leading members of the next generation.'' He performed the hajj forty times and narrated some of the whispered prayers of Imām Zayn al-'Ābidin. Ibn Kaysan was also a student of Abdullah ibn Abbas.Hadith from him are recorded by Muhammad al-Bukhari (85 traditions), Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (78 traditions), al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

Sons Of Sunnah In Iran &
EsinIslam.Com

How Iran's Military Chiefs Operate in Iraq

Qasem Sulaimani (taken from one of his official Facebook accounts where his statements are posted:

''Nobody but Iran fights Daesh (Islamic state of Iraq). Mr Obama you have done nothing in Iraq (to stop them).''

Sonsofsunnah comment:

Qasem the Neo-Safavid Enemy of the Muslims seems to be awaiting a second stroke after his apparent first stroke ('Asifah al-Hazm'/Operation Decisive Storm). This evil faced Rafidi seems to have forgotten that the American installed and Iranian approved Iraqi Shia regime - including its highest man of authority - just a few weeks ago asked for American Air strike support in order to retake Tikrit (American as usual did respond to the plea of the Shia of Imam Barack Hussein Obama).

'Ya Hussein Obama madad (help)' and 'death to America' this is the reality of the Iranian Safavid Rafidi circus and their so called enmity towards the 'great Satan'.What follows the Iran nuclear deal - Ammunition for Shias by the Crusaders

Bashar the secularist Bathist Alawite Shiite child murdering beloved friend and ally of Iran has congratulated the Mullah regime for their nuclear deal (with the great satan and co.). First thing Iran is doing is arming up spending millions and billions in their military and this includes the military and militias of Bashar and the Hezbol-Satan of Lebanon (who all live on Iranian welfare and handouts).

That's exactly what the west wanted or at least preferred, an armed and strong Iran that only barks at Israel but fires at Sunnis. Here some caricatures illustrating the sheer hypocricy of Iran and the west.

Sons Of Sunnah In Iran &
EsinIslam.Com

How Iran's Military Chiefs Operate in Iraq

By Ned Parker, Babak Dehghanpisheh and Isabel Coles | Baghdad, Reuters

The face stares out from multiple billboards in central Baghdad, a grey-haired general casting a watchful eye across the Iraqi capital. This military commander is not Iraqi, though. He's Iranian.

The posters are a recent arrival, reflecting the influence Iran now wields in Baghdad.

Iraq is a mainly Arab country. Its citizens, Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims alike, have long mistrusted Iran, the Persian nation to the east. But as Baghdad struggles to fight the Sunni extremist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), many Shi'ite Iraqis now look to Iran, a Shi'ite theocracy, as their main ally.

In particular, Iraqi Shi'ites have grown to trust the powerful Iranian-backed militias that have taken charge since the Iraqi army deserted en masse last summer. Dozens of paramilitary groups have united under a secretive branch of the Iraqi government called the Popular Mobilization Committee, or Hashid Shaabi.

Created by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's predecessor Nuri al-Maliki, the official body now takes the lead role in many of Iraq's security operations. From its position at the nexus between Tehran, the Iraqi government, and the militias, it is increasingly influential in determining the country's future.

Until now, little has been known about the body. But in a series of interviews with Reuters, key Iraqi figures inside Hashid Shaabi have detailed the ways the paramilitary groups, Baghdad and Iran collaborate, and the role Iranian advisers play both inside the group and on the frontlines.

Those who spoke to Reuters include two senior figures in the Badr Organisation, perhaps the single most powerful Shi'ite paramilitary group, and the commander of a relatively new militia called Saraya al-Khorasani.

In all, Hashid Shaabi oversees and coordinates several dozen factions. The insiders say most of the groups followed a call to arms by Iraq's leading Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. But they also cite the religious guidance of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, as a key factor in their decision to fight and - as they see it - defend Iraq.

Hadi al-Amiri, the leader of the Badr Organization, told Reuters: "The majority of us believe that ... Khamenei has all the qualifications as an Islamic leader. He is the leader not only for Iranians but the Islamic nation. I believe so and I take pride in it."

He insisted there was no conflict between his role as an Iraqi political and military leader and his fealty to Khamenei.

"Khamenei would place the interests of the Iraqi people above all else," Amiri said.

From battlefield to hospital

Hashid Shaabi is headed by Jamal Jaafar Mohammed, better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis, a former Badr commander who once plotted against Saddam Hussein and whom American officials have accused of bombing the U.S. embassy in Kuwait in 1983.

Iraqi officials say Mohandis is the right-hand man of Qassem Soleimani, head of the Quds Force, part of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Mohandis is praised by some militia fighters as "the commander of all troops" whose "word is like a sword above all groups."

The body he heads helps coordinate everything from logistics to military operations against Islamic State. Its members say Mohandis' close friendships with both Soleimani and Amiri helps anchor the collaboration.

The men have known each other for more than 20 years, according to Muen al-Kadhimi, a Badr Organisation leader in western Baghdad. "If we look at this history," Kadhimi said, "it helped significantly in organising the Hashid Shaabi and creating a force that achieved a victory that 250,000 (Iraqi) soldiers and 600,000 interior ministry police failed to do."

Kadhimi said the main leadership team usually consulted for three to four weeks before major military campaigns. "We look at the battle from all directions, from first determining the field ... how to distribute assignments within the Hashid Shaabi battalions, consult battalion commanders and the logistics," he said.

Soleimani, he said, "participates in the operation command centre from the start of the battle to the end, and the last thing (he) does is visit the battle's wounded in the hospital."

Iraqi and Kurdish officials put the number of Iranian advisers in Iraq between 100 and several hundred - fewer than the nearly 3,000 American officers training Iraqi forces. In many ways, though, the Iranians are a far more influential force.

Iraqi officials say Tehran's involvement is driven by its belief that Islamic State is an immediate danger to Shi'ite religious shrines not just in Iraq but also in Iran. Shrines in both nations, but especially in Iraq, rank among the sect's most sacred.

The Iranians, the Iraqi officials say, helped organise the Shi'ite volunteers and militia forces after Grand Ayatollah Sistani called on Iraqis to defend their country days after Islamic State seized control of the northern city of Mosul last June.

Prime Minister Abadi has said Iran has provided Iraqi forces and militia volunteers with weapons and ammunition from the first days of the war with Islamic State.

They have also provided troops. Several Kurdish officials said that when Islamic State fighters pushed close to the Iraq-Iran border in late summer, Iran dispatched artillery units to Iraq to fight them. Farid Asarsad, a senior official from the semi-autonomous Iraqi region of Kurdistan, said Iranian troops often work with Iraqi forces. In northern Iraq, Kurdish peshmerga soldiers "dealt with the technical issues like identifying targets in battle, but the launching of rockets and artillery - the Iranians were the ones who did that."

Kadhimi, the senior Badr official, said Iranian advisers in Iraq have helped with everything from tactics to providing paramilitary groups with drone and signals capabilities, including electronic surveillance and radio communications.

"The U.S. stayed all these years with the Iraqi army and never taught them to use drones or how to operate a very sophisticated communication network, or how to intercept the enemy's communication," he said. "The Hashid Shaabi, with the help of (Iranian) advisers, now knows how to operate and manufacture drones."

A magical fighter

One of the Shi'ite militia groups that best shows Iran's influence in Iraq is Saraya al-Khorasani. It was formed in 2013 in response to Khamenei's call to fight Sunni jihadists, initially in Syria and later Iraq.

The group is responsible for the Baghdad billboards that feature Iranian General Hamid Taghavi, a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Known to militia members as Abu Mariam, Taghavi was killed in northern Iraq in December. He has become a hero for many of Iraq's Shi'ite fighters.

Taghavi "was an expert at guerrilla war," said Ali al-Yasiri, the commander of Saraya al-Khorasani. "People looked at him as magical."

In a video posted online by the Khorasani group soon after Taghavi's death, the Iranian general squats on the battlefield, giving orders as bullets snap overhead. Around him, young Iraqi fighters with AK-47s press themselves tightly against the ground. The general wears rumpled fatigues and has a calm, grandfatherly demeanour. Later in the video, he rallies his fighters, encouraging them to run forward to attack positions.

Within two days of Mosul's fall on June 10 last year, Taghavi, a member of Iran's minority Arab population, travelled to Iraq with members of Iran's regular military and the Revolutionary Guard. Soon, he was helping map out a way to outflank Islamic State outside Balad, 50 miles (80 km) north of Baghdad.

Taghavi's time with Saraya al-Khorasani proved a boon for the group. Its numbers swelled from 1,500 to 3,000. It now boasts artillery, heavy machine guns, and 23 military Humvees, many of them captured from Islamic State.

"Of course, they are good," Yasiri said with a grin. "They are American made."

In November, Taghavi was back in Iraq for a Shi'ite militia offensive near the Iranian border. Yasiri said Taghavi formulated a plan to "encircle and besiege" Islamic State in the towns of Jalawala and Saadiya. After success with that, he began to plot the next battle. Yasiri urged him to be more cautious, but Taghavi was killed by a sniper in December.

At Taghavi's funeral, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, eulogised the slain commander. He was, said Shamkhani, one of those Iranians in Iraq "defending Samarra and giving their blood so we don't have to give our blood in Tehran." Both Soleimani and the Badr Organisation's Amiri were among the mourners.

A new Iraqi soul

Saraya al-Khorasani's headquarters sit in eastern Baghdad, inside an exclusive government complex that houses ministers and members of parliament. Giant pictures of Taghavi and other slain al-Khorasani fighters hang from the exterior walls of the group's villa.

Commander Yasiri walks with a cane after he was wounded in his left leg during a battle in eastern Diyala in November. On his desk sits a small framed drawing of Iran's Khamenei.

He describes Saraya al-Khorasani, along with Badr and several other groups, as "the soul" of Iraq's Hashid Shaabi committee.

Not everyone agrees. A senior Shi'ite official in the Iraqi government took a more critical view, saying Saraya al-Khorasani and the other militias were tools of Tehran. "They are an Iranian-made group that was established by Taghavi. Because of their close ties with Iranians for weapons and ammunition, they are so effective," the official said.

Asarsad, the senior Kurdish official, predicts Iraq's Shi'ite militias will evolve into a permanent force that resembles the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. That sectarian force, he believes, will one day operate in tandem with Iraq's regular military.

"There will be two armies in Iraq," he said.

That could have big implications for the country's future. Human rights groups have accused the Shi'ite militias of displacing and killing Sunnis in areas they liberate — a charge the paramilitary commanders vigorously deny. The militias blame any excesses on locals and accuse Sunni politicians of spreading rumours to sully the name of Hashid Shaabi.

The senior Shi'ite official critical of Saraya al-Khorasani said the militia groups, which have the freedom to operate without directly consulting the army or the prime minister, could yet undermine Iraq's stability. The official described Badr as by far the most powerful force in the country, even stronger than Prime Minister Abadi.

Amiri, the Badr leader, rejected such claims. He said he presents his military plans directly to Abadi for approval.

His deputy Kadhimi was in no doubt, though, that the Hashid Shaabi was more powerful than the Iraqi military.

"A Hashid Shaabi (soldier) sees his commander ... or Haji Hadi Amiri or Haji Mohandis or even Haji Qassem Soleimani in the battle, eating with them, sitting with them on the ground, joking with them. This is why they are ready to fight," said Kadhimi. "This is why it is an invincible force."

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

The Celebration Of Omar Al-Faruq's Death During The "Unity Week" In Iran!

We were literally the first English platform on the Internet to write in-depth about one of the most perverted and bizarre practices that you won't find in any other ideaolgoy, let alone religion.

Omar Koshan - The celebration of Omar's (RA) death - A Shia Majoosi fetish

Verily, they ARE Majoos & enemies of Islam: Eid Ghadir, Nowrooz and Omar's death, the Rafidhite holidays!

"Omar Koshan", an ancient practice rooting in post-Islamic Majoosi (Zoroastrian) grudge (although given an "Islamic" to cover it up). A nonsensical and pathetic Safavid (one of many) Bid'ah against the carriers of Islam, the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (صل الله عليه و سلم), in particular Omar Ibn Al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه), the one who broke the ribs of the forefathers of the Rafidah (Twelver Shias). Common in these practices is to wear black, express joy and to use the most vulgare language possible. It is also common to represent Omar as an homosexual or effeminate man man like in the following clip here that has leaked years ago where in a Shia Rafidi gathering (one of their self-flagellation temples also known as "Husseiniyyah") a bunch of "men' clapped and chanted "Barikallah Abo Lo' Lo' (which translates as: Well done, Abo Lo'lo) encouraged a pathetic Rafidi version of an transexual with beard and boobs (representing Omar). The Rafidi Shia "scholar" is enjoying the dance and show too and even gives the dancer a slap on his bum:

(In our search we found out that many non-Muslim, extremist secular, and Islam hating Iranians are amongst the top to spread this video on the net, followed by Shias who join the Majoosi carneval by cursing and sending blessings on the Majoosi murderer of Omar Al-Farooq)

As for profanity then for the sake of exposing these perverted polytheists, we are sharing this video. A bunch of Shia scholars gathered to celebrate Omar's death, the main line goes like:

"O caliph with the wide A** … I myself will come and f*** you … your a** is my slave … whoever does not curse Omar, then may Omar enter his a** … I myself will come and f***you [O Omar] … I haven't put it [my private part] all through [your ass] yet you [Omar] are out of breath … "

We have backed our articles with evidencse from Shia Twelver books, including Fatwas top scholars of their school, not just deceased ones, but rather contemporary ones. That alone should be enough for the open minded and truthful and unbiased researcher to understand how little it means when the Iranian regime (or its adherents) point out that in public (note how they always point out the public part …) such rituals and celebrations have been prohibited by the Iranian authorities. It is also often pointed out (with no evidence whatsoever) that it was Khomeini himself whobanned this practice in public. Well, for the sake of argument, let's say these (apologetic) justifications that are trying to hide an ancient Shia practice are all true. What else should the Iranian regime and Khomeini have done in the Muslim world where their religious school represents not more than 10-15% (at best, since Twelver Shias always includw all sorts of sub-Shia sects into their statistics who are extreme heretics at best to them), yet Khomeini tried to establish himself as the spritual leader of the whole Islamic world and Iran as the role-model of an state? Remember, the hypocrite Khomeini is the same heretic who (supposedly) openly uttered sweet statements like the following one (as can be found on Rafidi websites of deception and the other farce they call "Khomeini" conferences, which are being hold each year all around the world by his deluded followers) :

The public prohibition was just a political step (like Khomeini's statement above to lure in Sunnis), a much needed necessary move to fool the masses, literally billions of Sunnis who (even the most tolerant one towards the Shias and Iran) would have rejected Iran and Shiism in its totality, putting all theefforts (of infiltrating and eventually converting Sunni communities) of the Mullahs of Qom and the rulers in Tehran in vain from the very beginning of the revolution. But praised be to Allah, despite all their taqiyya (dissimulation) their real faced has been eventually exposed by their own hands as "Ayatullah" Rafsanjani himself admitted that practices such as cursing the Prophet's wives and also celebrating Omar's demise ("Omar Koshan") eventually all leaked to the Muslim world.

Yet his books were filled with heresies, including verdicts where he deemed a number of the Prophet's companions (all revered by Sunni), including the Prophet's wive as filthier than a pig and dog. Soon it wasn't a secret to many (at least those who investigated and did their research instead of falling for Iran's propaganda and worthless slogans) what the real beliefs of the Rafidah Twelver Shia, their clergy and the Shia Safavid regime are. The Iranian Rafidi Savavid regime - being very well aware of the fact that the masses don't research (let alone in the 80's or beginning of the 90's were the Internet was either absent or just born for the masses, with little access to Shiite literature, let alone speeches and videos) - knew very well that empty slogans (like the aforementioned one by Khomeini) will do the job for them. The masses eventually fell for their lies and some were as deluded as to believe that Iran is a well-wisher of the Muslim world, an advocater of Sunni-Shia brotherhood and other hoaxes that couldn't be further from the truth (thanks to Allah, over thirty years after the revolution in Iran, the Iranian regime and its heretical sect is more hated in the Islamic world than ever before. Not even the Shah could have bad named Shiism with his alliance with Israel than the Mullahs of Tehran and Qom did. That's not what we saying, that's what their own people basically admitted).

Nevertheless, it was and is still the strategy of the Rafidi Safavid regime to simply deny uncomfortable truths of their state religion (Shiism) including statements of their top scholars (including the father of the state i.e. Khomeini the spirit of Satan) and simply claim one thing in public, like Sunni-Shia "unity", all in order to appease the Muslim masses (which is the Sunni world) for the regime's agenda which is mainly based on infiltrating and converting the Sunni world. Of course you can't do that by celebrating revered Sunni figures in public, this is what even the Iranian regime knew in its early stage, hence they only prohibited it (Omar Koshan) to be celebrated in public, but they never outlawed this perverted and sick practice from their belief system, and hence it was and is still practiced as an ancient Shiite ritual in private gathering, "Mosques" and lately even in public, during the so-called "unity week between Sunnis and Shias"!

Yes, in public. And this is what this article is all about. By the grace of Allah nobody can expose the Iranian regime and the Shia clergy better than them lot themselves. They are literally illustrating what we (and many Arab and Persian Sunni activists before us ) have tried to convey to the Muslim masses in English language to the best of our abilities, namely the true ugly face of Twelver Shiism and the Neo-Safavid regime of Iran. Literally on the Friday during the "Unity week between Shias and Sunnis" in Iran and the so called "Islamic unity conference", a group of Shia Iranians (some more open elements within them who apparently having a hard time to suppress their own Anti-Sunni beliefs under the excuse of Taqiyyah), dressed in symbolic red and holding placards 'cursing' Sunni Muslims, held a rally insulting Sunni beliefs in the city of Qom in Iran last week.

The group, who also chanted slogans insultingthe Prophet's companions, marched towards the 'Fatimah Masumeh Shrine' in Qom on 2 January 2015, on the very Friday where the Sunni of Tehran were banned from holding their Friday prayers!

The rally was held to mark the Shia Rafidi festival of "Eid Al-Zahra" (or also known as "Farhat Al-Zahra and "Omar Koshan" in Farsi), during which Rafidi Shias celebrate the assassination of the second Caliph of Islam, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab. Shoutings could be heard in Farsi such as:

مرگ بر عمر! ولعنت ….
مرگ بر سنی !و …..

"Death to Omar! Curses be upon Omar …"

"Death to Sunnis! Curses be upon Sunnis …"

The festival, which in Iran is usually referred to as "Omar Koshan" [killing of Omar], is held yearly on the 9th day of the Islamic month Rabi al Awwal. It is noteworthy that without the permission and knowledge of the Iranian authorities, it is literally impossible to gather hundreds on the streets participating in an illegal ritual without being cracked down like in the past. It seems the Iranian regime and the Shia clergy are opening up more and more, trying to show some muscles, appeasing the those elements amongst them who are tired to hide their beliefs for the failed myth of "Sunni-Shia unity", realising that hiding their real beliefs doesn't make much sense in the age of social media.

It seems that they are simply stupid and bloodthirsty, risking a civil war were the Sunnis of the country number millions who populate sensitive border regions of the country, woe if they dare to bring these clownish festivals to the Sunni regions of Iran, if they do so then there is no doubt that they want to provoke and finish the job of their Safavid forefathers i.e. to make Iran completely Shiite. A taks that they have never finished and never will finish, by the will of Allah, no matter how much the likes of Khamenei, the Kisra of Iran try to lie to achieve their goals. Sons Of Sunnah in Iran

Sudan Expels Iranian Safawi Shia Diplomates And Closes Their Centres

"Kalameh TV" (Sunni Persian channel operating outside Iran of course since Sunnis are not even allowed to run a magazine in Iran, let alone a radio station or a TV channel, despite representing the LARGEST religious minority in Iran) reports that Sudan is closing EVERY SINGLE Iranian culture centre (secret service branches of Iran that cause nothing but havoc in Muslim countries, aiming to convert as much as innocent and ignorant Sunnis, just like Evangelists) - their clerics (yes, Khartoum was filled with Iranian and Lebanese clerics operating freely spreading their shirk and kufr!) and all other officials must leave the country within 72 hours, Alhamdulillah.

Sons Of Sunnah message to all justice loving people (Muslim/Sunni/Shia non Muslim, everyone):

As Sunni Iranian we have no rights whatsoever in almost every majority Shia city to have a Mosque (only in our provinces), not even a bookshop (let alone a centre). We remind you that Tehran, the capital and fortress of neo-Safavid Republic of Iran and it's hypocrite mass murdering leader Ali Khamenei (who are allied with bathist Sunni killers in Syria, yet still insist on fooling the gullible Sunni masses with empty slogans such as "Shia-Sunni unity") is the only capital in the world where Sunnis are not allowed to worship in their own Mosques according to their own rites, we have covered this issue in detail (including the lie that there are seven Sunni mosques in Tehran):

http://sonsofsunnah.com/category/ no-sunnah-masjids-in-tehran/

Now the audacity of the secterian Shia Rafidi regime of Iran is unbelievable. Whereas Sunni Iranians themselves have no right whatsoever to propagate Sunni Islam in Shia areas (what is the regime scared of …?), let alone foreigners, yet the Iranian regime insists on propagating Twelverism (Rafidi Shiism) in environments that are purely Sunni (i.e. like almost every Islamic corner in the world, Shiism has no modern day presence, except where his stooges operate). Why shall any Islamic community and country except that? Forget about the so called evil "Wahhabis", but what about Al-Azhar and other Sunni institutes, are they allowed to represent Sunnis to Iranian Shias in majority Shia cities (many of them have no clue about Sunnism except what the hateful Shia clergy has taught them)? No they are not of course, neither Al-Azhar nor any Sunni institute is allowed to operate in Shia areas of Iran, under no circumstances (the only thing the regime does is to invite Sunnis from all over the world - gullible ones - to various occasions in order to portray themselves as unity loving Sunni friends i.e. they misuse Sunnis who are ignorant about the crimes of the neo-Safavid regime and it's heretical reality for their own agenda) whatsover, so why shall Islamic countries allow a biased and hateful Rafidi regime to operate in their countries? Under what basis? Is this the justice the Shias always brag about (the irony …)?

As Sunni Iranians we say: Well done Sudan (and well done Malaysia) and every other Islamic country who is waking up and being aware of the danger of the Rafidi regime (and no, the danger is not the "truth" that is with Shia Iran, no normal person is scared of their false and polytheistic religion, what is dangerous is that they use their Safawi-petro-Rials convert poor people and heretics in the midst of the Sunnis, and of course the havoc the Iranian Shia regime causes from San'aa to Dimashq, all the way to Malaysia where they had the audacity to build a HAWZA i.e. massive Shia learning centre in one of the biggest Sunni capitals of the world, yet Sunni Iranians who are the LARGEST religious minority in Iran (numbering millions), native Iranians, are not allowed to have a single bookshop in Tehran let alone a religious centre!

UPDATE:

Since the beginning of the eightees the Rafidi Safawi regime was allowed to freely operate in Sudan, yet Sunnis in Tehran, Isfahan (neither native Iranian Sunnis nor institutes from abroad) are allowed to run a SINGLE Sunni centre in major Shia cities! This is the justice (and fear) of the Rafidah! Here a nice piece for everyone who understands Arabic (wallah I love the Sudani accent), a Sudani brother exposing the Rafidah Majoos in the Khartoum university (listen to it the part I linked is in English!)

Yet Sudani news sources (not BBC or CNN) claim otherwise:

Iranian Shia website confirms the news (can the Rafidah at least unite on one narrative?):

More Sudani sources (although not state ones) confirm the narrative that all Rafidi centres of Shirk are going to be closed:

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article52273

Quote
Sudan's foreign minister, Ali Karti, told the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper on Wednesday that the Sudanese presidencyhad rejected a request from Iran to reverse its decision to close the centre.

"We have been closely monitoring the activities of the center in Khartoum to verify that it is committed to cultural activities rather than seeking to make Shiite, sectarian gains that are alien to Sudanese society", he said.

Karti said that the Sudanese authorities urged Tehran to stop what he described as "Shiite proselytizing" but that the cultural center had refused to comply.

"Unfortunately, the Iranians behind these exploitative activities were trying to spread Shi'ism by offering financial gains as well as other unacceptable means," he said.

He noted that the foreign ministry had summoned the center's leadership on several occasions in the past to complain about its activities, adding that the cultural center's continued non-compliance prompted the presidency to issue the "necessary decision, which came as a surprise to the officials in Tehran".

The Sudanese top diplomat further said that activities organized by the center in poor neighborhoods and university campuses across Sudan "confirmed to us beyond any doubt the center has deviated from its agreed-upon cultural role."

The Bani Mut3a are at it again! Similar (but worse) than the Evangelist they lure people into their pagan sect with money and sex (Mut'a).

More Sudani sources (note: alrokaba is a SUDANI newspaper based INSIDE Sudan):

The Islamic Fiqh Academy of Sudan supports the closure of Iranian (Rafidi) centres in Sudan and called it a BLESSED step. Sons Of Sunnah in Iran

Behind The Scenes Of The 'Islamic Unity Conference' (Farce) Of The Rafidi-Safavid Regime

The 28th Islamic Unity Conference was held in Iran's Capital City of Tehran. The so called Shia-Sunni 'unity-week' began this year on Monday 5 January. The audacity and hypocrisy the Iranian Zion-Safavid regime and the Rafidi clergy has reached new hights. Those familiar with the struggle of the Sunnis of Iran know some shocking facts about the 'Islamic Republic', including the following things that you will never find (or hear) in the capital of the 'Islamic Republic' that is (no jokes) as per constitution the property of 'Imam Al-Zaman' (Shia Mahdi):

- Five Adhans a day (Shia combine the 5 prayers, on a daily basis which can be argued as valid practiced under certain conditions, as Sunnis also combine prayers. However, the Sunnah of the Prophet that was followed by his family and companions always was that it is better to pray all prayers at five different times a day, yet in Tehran even the Mosques and religious people combine their prayers, hence it is the only 'Muslim' capital in the world where you will hear only three Adhans a day. Yet this regime and the Shia clergy claim to follow the "true" Sunnah!

- Sunni run Mosques. You will never find a single Sunni Mosque in Tehran (although there are Shia Mosques+Husseiniyyats+grave yard and actually a whole neighbourhood (run by the Saudi Shia Rafidi Nakhawilah tribe, type: نخاولة المدينة to see their public mass-self-flagellation gatherings, even in public!) of Shias in Madinah city, a 99% Sunni city!), despite the fact that there are over 40 Churches (with massive crosses and other signs of kufr), Synagogues (including Jewish schools and even a Jewish run hospital!) and even a Sikh Temple in Tehran. Yet Sunnis are prevented to run a single Mosque according to their traditions and schools of thought. What does this tell you when even the capitol of the English, the French, the American, even Jewish cities like Haifa allow Sunnis (and Shias) to run their own Mosques, yet Tehran is scared of Sunnis having a single Sunni Mosque in the capital of Iran where Sunnis (like in all of Iran) make up the largest minority?!

What we mean with irony is that the despotic Iranian regime (and even its popular minions such as the 'Hezbollah' of Lebanon) that has lost all credibility and popularity in the Islamic world (due to the endangered survival of the evil mass-murdering Arab Bathist and secularist Assad regime in Syria) has yet again prevented the Sunnis of Tehran from holding friday prayers. Those who know about the struggle of Sunnis in Iran may ask that what's new about this news? After all it's a tradition of the hypocritical Iranian regime to claim Sunni-Shia 'unity' at the one hand and on the other hand practice Sunni oppression, there are countless cases in Tehran alone, here to refresh our minds about the reality of this evil Rafidi Safavid regime:

The harassment against the Sunni community of Tehran - NO SUNNI MOSQUES AND ON GOING RAIDS

Well, the difference this time is that the Iranian regime prevented Sunnis from holding their Friday prayers in one of their rented houses (yes, these are the places that insincere Iranian media outlets and their stooges in the west sell as 'Sunni Mosques of Tehran'!) during the The 28th Islamic Unity Conference that was held in Iran's Capital City of Tehran. Of course everyone knows this conference is a farce, even the likes of 'Ayatullah' Rafsanjani said that these conferences didn't bring any positive results and that it is actually the Iranian regime, based on the minority secterian Shia beliefs that is the root cause of all secterianism.

Despite all of these admission and realities, the farce goes on and on. Some might remember these pictures from previous 'unity' conferences where the 'participants' were famously caught in a sleeping mode, rather than unity mood, right during the conference:

Since almost three decades Iran has managed to fool (and often buy) or to force (the Sunni scholars of Iran themselves who will likely face problems if they do not attend the conference) and exploit these conferences for their very own agenda which is to show publically that they are the wellwishers of all Muslims, Sunnis and Shias alike and that Sunni Iranians are living in a heaven of peace and harmony with a leader such as the Pharao and Kisra at the same time named Khamenei who (as a controversial scholars of a minority sect within Islam) portrays himself somehow as the Imam of the Muslim Ummah. Here take a look at the 'Sunni' scholars who are eager to run to Tehran (for whatever reason, their tickets are definately for free …) and kiss Khamenei the tyrant (you can find all these photos on the net on official websites of the Iranian regime like the ABNA website).

It should be no secret to every honest observer and researcher that this whole 'unity week' and 'unity conference' farce is nothing but a tool that the Iranian regime exploits to discract from its very crimes against Sunnis around the world. This is how propaganda after all works. They will show you these pictures and remind you how nice Iran treats Sunni Muslims and how 'Sunni' scholars flock to Iran. This kind of propaganda works very will with the weak minded and majority of people who do not bother to research. Our very article hear will probably reach a few thousand readers, whereas the propaganda of the Iranian regime reaches millions. But the oppressors and deceivers should be remembered of this verse:

"Nay, We hurl the Truth at falsehood so that it (the Truth) crushes it (falsehood), and lo! it (falsehood) vanishes. Woe to you for what you utter!" (21: 18)
It is obvious that Iran needs these kind of conferences for their very own propaganda, and a big part of this propaganda is to 'invite' as many Sunni Iranian leaders as possible, after all shooting pictures with them, smiling etc. will tell the gullible how much of a harmony between the Shia and the Sunnah and how comfortable Sunnis of Iran live and that anything contrary to this (Rafidi Safavid fable) must be 'Wahhabi-Saudi-Israeli-American-English-boogeyman- propaganda. Here some pictures from this years conference, all of these Sunnis are Iranians, mostly Baluchis and Persian Khorassanis (yes, Iranian Khorassan, even Mashad has a Persian Sunni minority):

Just a quick reminder, Shaykh Abdul-Hamid is the very Iranian Sunni Shaykh who openly risks his life (like being involved in an fatal 'accident'. This is how many outspoken Iranians Sunnis pass away and this is how tyrannical regimes assassin their opponents) by publically complaining about the oppression Sunni Iranians face, not just in Shia majority cities, but even in their own Sunni majority provinces and cities!

So what happened at the conference despite of the boring speeches full of hypocrisy by the like of Khamenei who in public call to Shia-Sunni 'unity' but in rather more private gathering enjoy non-Shias being slandered as people who will not benefit of any of their daily prayers:

Well, after the pictures where taken and Iran and its stooges in the west (such as PRESS TV) made them viral for their propaganda, the Sunnis of Tehran invited Shaykh Abdul-Hamid to lead the Friday prayer in one of the rented houses (remember, no Sunni Mosques in the captial of the 'Islamic Republic'!) in Tehran in the Pounak neighborhood.

Iranian security forces barred Sunni worshipers from entering a Sunni prayer site in Tehran on Friday 9 January 2015, preventing them from holding congregational Friday prayers.

The irony here is that this carefully-planned operation appears to have been deliberately scheduled to take place on the final day of the so called Shia-Sunni 'unity-week', which began this year on Monday 5 January.

The Iranian regime claims the 'unity-week' is evidence that they are not hostile to Sunni Muslims and claims that it proves they regard Sunni Muslims as equal to the Shia.

The actions of the authorities today, however, sent a clear message to the Sunnis of Tehran that the 'unity-week' is nothing more than an empty slogan, actions speak louder than words but the majority will be fooled by words and propaganda of the Iranian regime, this is the sad reality of the Muslim Ummah today.

Despite Sunnis being the largest religious minority in the Shia majority Iran, with records indicating that there are more than a million Sunnis living in Tehran alone (as confirmed by Iranian officials themselves), the Iranian government has prevented a Sunni mosque from being built in Tehran.

The Sunni citizens of Tehran are instead forced to use rented rooms and spaces as 'namaz khaneh' (prayer rooms) to hold obligatory Sunni congregational prayers, with restrictions forcing some to organize Sunni prayers in their own homes and private spaces.

These prayer sites regularly come under attack from the authorities preventing Sunni Muslims from using them, causing Human Rights Watch (HRW) to issue a statement urging Iran to 'lift restrictions on Sunni worship'.

The only question here is will the Muslims, the Ahl Al-Sunnah who are not a sect but the Ummah will finally wake up, even the last one amongst us who feels an atom of sympathy to this heretical Anti-Sunni regime that has caused nothing but havoc and chaos and oppression to the Muslim world, rather even to its very own people? Sons Of Sunnah in Iran

Verily, They ARE Majoos & Enemies Of Islam: Eid Ghadir, Nowrooz and Omar's Death, The Rafidhite Holidays!

[…] یوم غدیر خم افضل اعیاد امتی.

امالی صدوق: 125، ح 8.

The day/'Eid of Ghadir is the MOST SUPERIOR of all Eids of the Ummah […]

(Amali Sadooq, Vol 8 , p)

2. عن الصادق علیه‌السلام قال: هو عید الله الاکبر،و ما بعث الله نبیا الا و تعید فی هذا الیوم و عرف حرمته و اسمه فی السماء یوم العهد المعهود و فی الارض یوم المیثاق الماخوذ و الجمع المشهود. وسائل الشیعه، 5: 224، ح

On the authority of Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) who said …

['Eid Al-Ghadir] is the GREATEST 'EID OF ALLAH ('Eidallah Al-Akbar!). Allah did not sent any of the Prophets except that they CELEBRATED on that day and acknowledged the greatness of this day and the name of it has been mentioned in the heavens and earth. (Wasa'el Al-Shi'a, Vol 1 p 224

more pagan narrations ATTRIBUTED to the Ahl Al-Bayt:

Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a) was asked if there was Eid for Muslims besides Friday, Adha and Fitr. Imam replied, "Yes, there is one more Eid which is most great in holiness (a'dhamuha hurmatan)." The person asked him which Eid that was. Imam said: "It is the day (i.e. Ghadir) when the Messenger of Allah declared the Chief of the Believers (Ali) his vicegerent, saying: "Of whosoever I am the Mawlaa, 'Ali is also his Mawlaa. And it is the 18th of Dhil-hijjah."

As for one of the biggest Rafidite Shi'ite lies in history namely that the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (peace be upon him) declared Ali Ibn Abi Talib his vicegerency at Ghadir Khum on his return from his last pilgrimage, then this is nothing but a lie. NONE of the companions of the Messenger and even NON of the Bani Hashim understood Ghadir Khum as the declaration of Ali's Khilafah, not even Ali himself who NEVER (not in a SINGLE authentic narration) used to argue for the sake of his "divine Imamate" with Ghadir. To understand the Rafidite deception and the SIMPLE TRUTH about Ghadir, read the following article >>>.

The Rafidite regime and the Rafidite religion prefers the day of Ghadir over the greatest 'Eid of the Muslims which is 'Eid Al-Fitr. Right, they (as usual) have gone into extremes with Ali and his progeny and NOT with the Messenger (both is wrong, but their extremes are not even with the personality of the Prophet!) and thus the y regard the (so called) day of the declaration of Ali's Imamate SUPERIOR than 'Eid Al-Fitr.

Here some news from one of the biggest Shia news websites on the net, namely Shia-News.com (Iranian based). It reports how several grand "Ayatollahs" were enraged when they heard of the news that the Iranian gov. wants to extent the holiday of 'Eid Al-Fitr (which is just 2 days off in the so called 'Islamic Republic of Iran'). They demanded that Eid Al-Ghadir must be superior even when it comes to the celebration even when it come to the days off for the holidays.

Shia -News.com reports: "Ayatollah" Makaarem Shirazi on his TV show advised the gov. to reduce the days off in the country. He mentioned this after the Iranian gov. increased the days off for 'Eid of Fitr from one to two days.

COMMENT:

Before it was ONE day of in Iran only, yet NOWROOZ the ZOROASTRIAN 'EID is worth TWO weeks off for the Rafidite regime. What about if Mr. Shirazi would have asked for a reduction of all those days and weeks of for the death of countless Imams (including Khomeini!) or a reduction of TWO weeks (actually more it's THIRTEEN days) of the Zoroastrian based holiday! Instead he goes and attacks the TWO days for 'Eid Al-Fitr!

But it even gets worse, even the Zoroastrian 'Eid of Nowrooz has more significance to them than 'Eid Al-Fitr, we have discussed it here >>>.

Certainly these pagans of Qom have changed the religion of Islam to some Sassanian Madhab of Yazgerd just like Ghulam Ahmad has changed HIS version of Islam to some Asian version. There is only one Islam, neither Arabic, Persian nor Asian it is the pure and orthodox Islam of the Ahl Al-Sunnah.

BTW: They have innovated so many 'Eids to Islam, they even got the "SECOND 'EID Al-GHADIR" which is the day the Zoroastrian Abu Lo'lo'a had killed the Caliph of the Muslims Omar Ibn Al-Khattab.

They have even ascribed Nowrooz to the Mahdi!!!

TRANSLATION:

'Al-Mu'alla narrates from Imam Al-Sadiq : "Nowrooz is no other day but the one we [the Ahl Al-Bayt] are awaiting the reappearance [of Al-Mahdi], for it is one of our days that was protected by the Persians and carelessly lost by you." ('Al-Du'a' li Al-Imam Al-Zaman', p. 94)

So the Sahaba, their students and their students (i.e. Salaf Al-Saleh) have missed to 'protect' the holy (!) day of Nowrooz, but the Persians managed to protect this so called holy day. Look at their audacity! How dare they ascribe a Zoroastrian holiday to Islam and the Ahl Al-Bayt! Not even the most wicked Islamic has ever dared to ascribe any pre-Islamic pagan Arabic holiday (there were some) to Islam!

This is how portray the Ahl Al-Bayt i.e. Imam Al-Sadiq in the Hadith above! He literally blames the Arabs for having forgotten the Majoosi holiday of Nowrooz! A holiday that was never sanctified in Islam! Look how much Sassanian-Pre-Islamic-Persian customs have infiltrated Shiism, then they wonder why they are being called Majoos!

TRANSLATION:

[Narration attributed to Imam Al-Sadiq who is free of Majoosite Rafidhism]: 'The day of Nowrooz is the day when our Qa'im of Ahl Al-Bayt (Mahdi) and the commanders [of his army] will rise. On that day Allah will make the Dajjaal appear and he will be crucified on the church of Kufa (Iraq)'. (Bihar Al-Anwar by Mulla Baqir Al-Majlisi, vol. 52, p. 308)

Kufa? Crucifiction? NOWROOZ?! We all know that JESUS (peace be upon him) will kill the Dajjaal, not on the holy day of Shiism though, which is NOWROOZ!

All this Majoosiyyah (Zoroastrianism) is so deeply rooted in their sect that they even celebrate Nowrooz in the shrine (waste of gold and other wealth of gullible Shias) of Al-Hussein in Karbala!

In this video you can see Iranian pilgrims in Iraq (whichis basically occupied by Iran with the help of the Americans and Iraqi Shia puppets) celebrating NOWROOZ in next to the shrine of Al-Hussein Ibn Ali in Karbala'. That's what these heretics call 'the Islam of the Ahl Al-Bayt, the true followers of the Sunnah'!

Now if you think that these are maybe some traditional Iranian Shiites who have mixed up their religion (to them Islam) with their cultural traditions the let us dissapoint you. Although it is true that many Arab Shias don't celebrate Nowrooz, yet the reality of the Shia sect is that this Persian Majoosi holiday is a PRAISED and ESSENTIAL part of their religion, to such a degree that a number of Hadith in PRAISE of Nowrooz have been ascribed to the Ahl Al-Bayt and even preferred deeds that one should do on that day!

As for the death of the Chief of the Believers Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, then this to is an Eid according to Shiism! Sons Of Sunnah in Iran

The Military Interefence Of Iran In Syria - A Chronicle Of Rafidi Deceptions And Lies

Syrian oppositional groups have repeated for a long time that Iran is actively suppressing the Syrians and their revolution by siding with the Pharao and Yazid of our time, Bashar Al-Assad, the Alawite, secular and Bathist tyrant. Not just ideological and logistical aid but rather military aid, Iranian troops actively fighting the Syrian resistance. All these reports by the Syrian oppositional groups were dismissed by Iran, its stooges and cheerleaders after a number of embarrassing blunders on the Iranian side and victories on the side of the resistance fighters who managed to capture video material of known Iranian Revolutionary Guards who activerly operate in Syria. This exporsure led finally to the addmission of Hassan Nasralla(t)'s that the Hezbolla(t) are actively operating in Syria to defend Shia places of polytheism (shrines), particularly the shrine of lady Zaynab in Damascus. In this article we'd like to show in chronological order of how deceptive the Rafidi regime of Iran is, the very same regime that tried hard (to save its face as long as possible) dismiss ANY (let alone military) involvement in Syria. You will be shocked of how blatantly Iranian officials lie, whether Revolutionary Guards or the unholy 'Aytollahs'.

The Syrian revolution is an on-going one, so are the Rafidi regimes blatant and shameless lies in regards to its military interventions and activities in Syria. Let us start by going a bit back in the past, the year 2012, where whining and wailing Revolutionary Guards were caught in Syria. This is where Iran's highest ranking officials, including revolutionary guards and clerics started to deny the interference of Iranian troops in Syria. The sheer hypocrisy is that these very same Rafidite Safavid Takfiris, the enemies of the Prophet's companions and wives, have the audacity to others as 'Takfiri groups' and the likes of Saudi Arabia, Qatar etc. as supporters of the alleged 'Takfiris' who make up lies against Iran (i.e. that Iran is military wise involved in Syria).

Iran's lie #1

Iran Denies Syria Captives Are Revolutionary Guards, THE PILGRIM'S TALE

On 06/08/2012, pro-Iranian, Russian sources reported that the Iranian foreign ministry denied on Monday that the 48 Iranians kidnapped in Syria on Saturday were members of the elite Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

"We strongly deny the information disseminated by certain media that our kidnapped pilgrims are members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. All of them are pilgrims who came to Damascus to visit its shrines," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said.

So these man that were captured by the FSA were only average Iranian 'pilgrims' (to shrines, as it's common in the polytheistic religion of the Twelver Rafidah Shia) the Iranian regime claimed. A likely story!

Since the stupidity of this narrative was just too obvious (literally all of these captured men had Revolutionary Guard Identity Cards!), the Iranian hypocrite regime started to change the narrative. The mess was done though, they even made themselves look more ridicolous as they already were. Only two days after the report about the captured Revolutionary Guards, precisely 08/08/2012 the very same Russian and pro-Iranian news agency (and of course all Iranian news agencies too) reported that the captures 'tourists and pilgrims' where in fact RETIRED Revolutionary Guards. How sweet indeed!

Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi denied they had any military role at present and reiterated that pilgrimage to Damascus shrines was the only purpose of their journey.

"Some of those pilgrims used to be Revolutionary Guards members, some of them are retired servicemen," the minister said.

Aren't they smart the Safavids?! Masters in inventing lies and ridicolous narratives, first they say they were pilgrims, then they had to change the narrative to 'retired Revolutionary Guards' pilgrims. Yeah, it must be absolutely common to visit a shrine in a country were a civil war is going on (a bunch of men only, not a single women or child), as a bunch of 'retired Revolutionary Guards. The plain truth is, Digarban, a website that monitors the country's conservatives and their online activities, reported that at least seven guards commanders were among the released prisoners. "Abedin Khoram, the [current] commander of the Revolutionary Guards' division in Orumieh … is among those released who have returned to Iran," it reported. Not to mention that these 48 'pilgrims' were traded for 2100 Syrian prisoners!

Iran's lie #2

Contradictions over Contradiction, admission, then denial

As a matter of fact some Iranian sources (even before the even of the captured 'retired Revolutionary Guards' confirmed Iran's MILITARY involvement in Syria, but these were quickly removed and denied by other Iranian sources. Contradictions after all, very common when lying has become a habit.

THE GUARDIAN reported on Monday the 28 May of 2012 an apparent slip-up and blunder of a senior commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guards has admitted that Iranian forces are operating in Syria in support of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Ismail Gha'ani, the deputy head of Iran's Quds forces (the external arm of the Revolutionary Guards), tasked with overseas operations, said in an interview with the semi-official Isna (The Iranian Student News Agency) news agency: "If the Islamic republic was not present in Syria, the massacre of people would have happened on a much larger scale."Isna published the interview at the weekend but subsequently removed it from its website.

Admitting, then removing the report! In fact, it gets worse, for high ranking Iranian officials later on claimed that Iran has no military presence in Syria!

Iran's lie #3

The head of the Revolutionary Guards in Iran suddenly claims Iran has no MILITARY presence in Syria!

Yes, you heard right, after 'retired Revolutionary Guard pilgrims' tale, after the admission of the deputy head of Iran's Quds force, suddenly the HEAD of the Revolutionary Guards in September 2012 claimed that Iran has no military presence in Syria! Some members of Iran's elite Quds force were in Syria but this does not constitute 'a military presence' according to the notorious liars of the Rafidite Safavid regime.

Army commander gives clear sign of Tehran's continuing support for Assad's regime but denies troops signify military presence.

In a clear public signal of Tehran's continuing support for Assad, the commander of the Islamic republic's elite military formation said that a number of members of the IRGC's Qods force were in Syria, though General Mohammad Ali Jafari gave no further details and claimed this did not constitute "a military presence".

It's worth mentioning that General Mohammad Ali Jafari who by the way is THE IRGC Commander (commander of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution of Iran), is the same bluffer who became a laughing stock after Iran expressed the hope that Syria will strike back at Israel after the apparent Israeli raid on one or two targets in Syria, presumed to be a chemical/biological weapons plant and a shipment of advanced anti-aircraft missiles. Middle East Online, however, remembers that only weeks before Iran declared that any Israeli strike on Syria will be considered an attack against Iran and Iran would retaliate. That statement, the latest of a long line of similar declarations, was made by Ali Akbar Velayati, assistant to the Supreme Leader Khamenei. Iran went so for to claim that a Syrian response is imminent, and 'will put Israel in a coma.' Tehran also announced that thousands of Israelis are preparing to leave the country in anticipation of the massive Syrian response. Now did ANY of that happen? Did Iran ACTIVELY fight Israel and retaliate?! Did a SINGLE Israeli suffer since the Syrian revolution, either from Iran or its proxies (the party of Satan in Lebanon, Bashar etc.?) Of course not! Iran is busy killing Muslims, Sunnis, particularly the Syrian ones who oppose the Iranian slave Bashar.

Taghoot Khamenei with Mohammad Ali Jafari (left) and Yahya Rahim Safavi (center), former commander of the IRGC

Iran's lie #4

May 2013 and Iran still lies to the world

PRESS TV (Iranian mouthpiece in English language) reported on May 25, 2013 that Iran denied any military presence in Syria!

The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations has dismissed claims about Iran's military presence in Syria and the shipment of arms by the Islamic Republic to the Arab country."Despite the unfounded allegations, no Iranian military forces or advisors are present in Syria, but, unfortunately, certain regional countries are interfering in Syria's internal affairs and fanning the flame of the conflict in the country by sending arms to extremist and terrorist groups," Mohammad Khazaei said.

Iran's lie #5

June 2013 and Iran still keeps lying …

On the 16/06/2013 a Russian pro-Iran news agency reported how Iran was about to send a contingent of Iranian Revolutionary Guards, precicely 4,000 troops to Syria to aid the Kafir Bashar Assad's Alawite forces to suppress the Syrian people and their revolution. Two days later, on the 18/06/2013, the very same Russian and pro-Iranian regime news agency reported a denial, as usual the Iranian regime was quick to deny the obvious and stated that 'Iran has no plans to send troops to aid Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces in the ongoing civil war there'.

Iran has no plans to send troops to aid Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces in the ongoing civil war there, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, rejecting media reports claiming Tehran was set to intervene directly in the fighting.

"We categorically deny this information," Seyed Abbas Araqchi said, adding Tehran has never and would never send its troops to Damascus. Syria's government forces have all the necessary means to fight against "terrorists acting in Syria," and "Iran has no need to provide military aid to Syria's authorities," he said.

The Tehran Time also reported the same news:

TEHRAN - Iran has denied Saudi Arabia's recent claims that the Islamic Republic has been involved in the Syrian crisis, calling Riyadh an accomplice of Takfiri terrorists in their crimes against the defenseless people of Syria. Speaking at a news conference with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Jeddah on Tuesday, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said that the kingdom "cannot be silent" about Iranian intervention and called for a resolution to ban arms flows to the Syrian government, Reuters reported.

Claims? Iran standing for the dfenseless people of Syria?! So Saudi Arabia is an 'accomplice of Takfiri terrorists' for supporting the resistance of the Syrian people against the Kafir, Alawite and mass-murderer Bathist Bashar Al-Assad and Iran by supporting Bashar is defending the Syrians?!

Iran's lie #6

It's Rouhani's turn to lie and to deny in June 2013

Next we'd like to remind you of what the new Rafidi Mullah president of the Safavid state shamelessly claimed, as been reported on the mouthpiece channel of the Iranian regime in the west, PRESS TV on June 24, 2013.

[Rohani] "The Islamic Republic of Iran's policy is to help the regional nations and governments, and I do not believe that problems in the region, particularly in Syria, can be solved militarily, but we seek [to help establish] a ceasefire in Syria to prevent [further] killings," Rohani said in a telephone conversation with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman on Sunday.Rohani dismissed any foreign meddling in Syria, stressing that the Syrian nation should determine its own destiny."

Alright, how relieved we are, the Iranian Rafidite Safavid regime just wants to 'help' its (Sunni) neighbours. Now the world, the Islamic Ummah has witnessed how their help looks, how the Iranian regime is ready to back a Bathist and secularist mass-murderer like Bashar with the help of other major Kafir forces (and TRUE allies of Iran), such as Russia and China.

Iran's lie #7

September 2013 and Iran and its allies still lie and deny the obvious

And if you fancy official Iranian sources, than don't worry, their stupidity, lies and hypocrisy has been recorded on the whole net:

Spokeswoman Denies Iran's Military Presence in Syria
September 17, 2013 - 11:16 - IRANIAN TASNIM NEWS AGENCY TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iran does not have official military presence in Syria, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman underlined, and added that Tehran advocates political solution to the crisis in Syria. Iran has no military presence in the crisis-hit Syria, said Marziyeh Afkham in her weekly press conference, when asked about Iran-Syria cooperation in defense fields.

The slaves of the Rafidah in Tehran and Qom, the Syrian regime who literally sold their souls and the lives of their people for Rafidi were of course quick to repeat the same lie.

The following swine is not the Jew Sharon, but the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem (the one who stated that Bashar's Syria is will prevent the emerge of an Islamic state!), the shameless liar also denied claims about Iran's military presence in Damascus, saying Tehran always seeks a political solution to the crisis in Syria. What a joke! Of course it was reported by the joke of a news agency and channel, PRESS TV, the mouthpiece of the Iranian regime, on Jun 24, 2013.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem has categorically denied claims about Iran's military presence in Damascus, saying Tehran always seeks a political solution to the crisis in Syria.

Speaking to reporters in Damascus on Monday, Moallem said claims by certain countries supporting terrorism that Iran has military forces in Syria are just a rumor.

Iran has repeatedly expressed its opposition to any foreign intervention in Syria's internal affairs, stressing that inclusive dialog and national reconciliation as well as free elections are the keys to resolving the unrest in the Arab country

What the Rafidite Safavid enemies of the Ummah didn't calculate is that Allah is the best of the planners and will expose them sooner than they might have thought.

"They were plotting and Allah too was planning, and Allah is the Best of the planners" [Qr'an 8: 30]

Allah is the best planner, and steadily the two camps - one which is the camp of Kufr (Rafidi Iran, Russia, China and Israel that despite its opposition to Iran PREFERS a secular-Alawite lead Syria over any strong Sunni state) and one which is the camp of Iman (the Syrian people and resistance) are being more and more distinguished so that there might be no excuse for anyone to side with the truth. In fact, Rafidite Iran and their allies are exposed at their OWN hands, for recently some Mijahideen in Syria, the Daoud brigade, a group based near Idlib, in northwest Syria, overran a government position and captured videos of interviews given by Iranian commanders fighting in Syria. The ORIGINAL captured videos, surfaced online on September 9, are in Farsi and show the extent to which the Iranians are involved in the genocide against our Ahl Al-Sunnah brothers and sisters in Syria.

Now we don't like Al-Jazeera as well, but as you might predict (after reading all the blatant lies of the Iranian officials), this video is not a fake, it's just the manifestation of how Iran is getting exposed and the Revolutionary Guards in the clip are real and Al-Hamdulillah dead. They were publically celebrated as REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS and martyrs by the Iranian regime:

An official Iranian website published photos of Ismaïl Haydary's (Revolutionary Guard commander in the clip) funeral, which took place in Iran, describing him as a "martyred general" and - like Mohsen - as a "defender of the Sayyida Zaynab shrine". Portraits of him displayed at his funeral clearly show that he is the same man featured in the videos.

The Syrian officers in the short documentary above and in other high quality videos (such as this one Youtube) do not seem troubled by the presence of a camera. All the videos are filmed in rather high quality, and the frame is stable. This lends credence to the claim that the footage was filmed with a camera and not a mobile phone. Perhaps not coincidentally, in late August, when the two Iranians seen in the videos were killed, a Persian news site mentioned that an Iranian filmmaker by the name of Hadi Baghbani had died in Syria. According to this site, Baghbani was killed by "Salafists" while filming "the Syrian army's progress in its battle against jihadists".

The numerous details cited above point to the authenticity of these videos. They show that Iranian military officers are helping supervise soldiers in Syria's regular army . This is a claim that the Syrian opposition groups have repeated for a long time, from the beginning of the Revolution to this very day, but until now all of these evidence were dismissed by Iran, like when the Syrian resistance captured a some of these (whining) Revolutionary Guards:

Of course you won't find PRESS TV and other Iranian mouthpieces reporting these contradictions, lies and deceptions since lying and deceiving is part of their Rafidite creed, so don't expect much from them, they lie through their teeth in the age social media, turning Syria into Bahrain and Revolutionary Guards into 'pilgrims'. The Islamic Ummah will never forgive the crimes of the Kisra, Pharao and Yazid Khamenei, the Revolutionary Guards, the Rafidite regime and the 'Ayatollahs' against the Syrian people, their mask has fallen and they have exposed themselves at their own hands and their the Rise and Fall of Iran in Arab and Muslim Public Opinion has become a reality that will open the eyes of many Muslims around the world, especially those who were fooled by the empty chantings of 'death to America/Israel' of the Iranian regime. Sons Of Sunnah in Iran

HRW: Iraq's Pro-govt Militias Abusing Sunnis, Civilians

Abuses perpetrated by militias linked to Iraqi security forces have escalated in recent months, forcing at least 3,000 people in Sunni areas to flee their homes, Human Rights Watch said on Sunday.

Residents in the Muqdadiyya area of Iraq's Diyala Province have been barred from returning to their homes, the right group said. Additionally, the international rights group reports that civilians have been kidnapped and in some instances "summarily executed."

Allied militias and Iraqi forces began harassing residents in June, shortly after the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group took over Iraq's largest city Mosul, and the abuse escalated around October, residents told HRW.

"Iraqi civilians are being hammered by ISIS and then by pro-government militias in areas they seize from ISIS," Joe Stork, the group's deputy Middle East and North Africa director, said.

"With the government responding to those they deem terrorists with arbitrary arrests and executions, residents have nowhere to turn for protection," he was quoted as saying.

Based on witness accounts from six residents, residents of villages near the Muqdadiyya region left their homes in June and July when the Asaaib al-Haqq militiamen and Iraqi SWAT forces attacked.

Asaaib al-Haqq is a group said to be operating under direct patronage of Iranian General Qassim Suleimani and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The group has reportedly been involved in around 6000 attacks on American, coalition and Iraqi forces.

According to HRW, the attacks on civilians seem to be a part of a campaign to clear the mixed-sect area of Sunnis and other groups.

"The day of judgment is coming … we will attack the area until nothing is left. Is my message clear?" Hadi al-Ameri, the Badr Brigades commander and transport minister under the previous administration of Nuri al-Maliki, reportedly told residents in December.

Researchers with the rights group said they witnessed militias occupying and setting fire to residents' homes in the Salah al-Din province after ISIS militants retreated.

Then again, in December, after driving out ISIS fighters, militias were responsible for evictions, forced disappearances and killings in the Baghdad Belt, HRW said, citing a report by the Wall Street Journal.

The rights group cites abuses as recent as January of 2015 where militias, volunteer fighters and state forces reportedly summarily executed 72 civilians, an allegation HRW said is currently investigating.

In an Op-Ed published in the Wall Street Journal following his election, Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi pledged to "bring … all armed groups under state control. No armed groups or militias will work outside or parallel to the Iraqi Security Forces."

In related news, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah revealed for the first time Monday that his group is fighting ISIS in Iraq.

Al Arabiya News

What Makes the Supreme Leader Tick?

By Alireza Jafarzadeh As another deadline for a nuclear deal with Iran fast approaches, the regime in Tehran has yet again hardened its stance in order to score more concessions. The regime's embattled Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has set fresh conditions and red lines as negotiators seemingly come down the home stretch.

Tehran has clearly been reeling under the weight of sanctions and has been loudly grumbling about international demands. Khamenei recently griped, "We have done what we needed to regarding the issue of 20% enrichment, Fordow [underground uranium enrichment site], Arak [heavy water facility] and the centrifuges. Thus, the Iranian side has acted according to the logic of the negotiations... The other side, however, is asking too much, is audacious, and is blackmailing. ... The Iranian nation will not kneel to bullying."

Ironically, Khamenei complains about 'bullying' while his cronies bully the Iranian people and dissidents on a daily basis to the extent that hundreds of thousands of Iranians have been forced into exile, women are deprived of their most basic social and political rights and the whole population has been robbed of its fundamental human rights like the freedom of expression.

His regime continues to dig itself a bigger hole because it has come to an impasse with no palatable options. If it proceeds with the nuclear program, it will have to confront an outraged international community. And, if it abandons the nuclear path, it will have to confront an already enraged population - with no nuclear arsenal and a damaged regional influence.

Faced with a vastly disenfranchised population, the regime is weak, desperate and anxious. Khamenei has demanded the immediate lifting of international sanctions. That is a tell-tale sign of weakness, which his regime feels in the face of a population on the verge of rising up in protest. Khamenei is frightened about the prospect of another uprising similar to the ones that swept the streets of Iran in 2009.

Faced with a frightened regime, U.S. policy must add to its diplomatic arsenal. As Tehran plays the waiting game to see if Washington blinks first, U.S. policy should stay on course and increase the pressure. Talking with dictators for the sake of talking is not diplomacy; it is a prelude to disaster.

In a February 8 interview, Secretary Kerry dismissed the possibility of a third extension to the talks in the event that a general agreement is not reached by the March deadline. Earlier this month, President Obama also showed no appetite for an extension and said, "We now know enough that the issues are no longer technical, the issues are, does Iran have the political will and the desire to get a deal done?"

Khamenei's own statements clearly argue against such political will.

Although U.S. officials have ruled out an extension to the talks in their rhetoric, their actions have not kept up with fast changing realities. Tehran did not come to the negotiating table for the carrots. It was forced to sit down as a result of sanctions. To date, however, it has received nearly 12 billion dollars in unfrozen assets. Such enticement has emboldened Khamenei to get more concessions. Washington's reconciliatory policy needs an overhaul, and fast.

By the same token, the administration should re-evaluate its ill-conceived stance against congressional oversight on a potential deal with Iran. It was congressional action that convinced the President to grudgingly sign onto a sanctions bill that pushed Iran into the negotiating room. And, it is only added pressure that will push Tehran to pick up the pen. For the sake of global peace, Tehran should not be given the opportunity to exploit perceived divisions between the White House and Capitol Hill.

International sanctions have had a devastating impact on the regime's revenues. Despite plummeting oil prices, the seemingly 'moderate' president, Hassan Rouhani , has tripled defence spending in the new year's budget while cutting subsidies, which clearly points to Tehran's dangerous long-term intensions.

As Maryam Rajavi , the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran ( NCRI ), has said, Khamenei has not yet decided to abandon the path toward a nuclear weapon because his regime's survival depends on it - along with domestic suppression and export of terror.

There should be firm policies in place to change his mind, not mindful policies that make his position firmer.

Alireza Jafarzadeh is a member of Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

Iran's Shiite Militias Are Running Amok in Iraq

Countless memories haunt me after a decade of service in Iraq, gripping the hands of an assassin-felled member of the provisional government as the life slipped out of her body in 2003; watching al Qaeda's beheadings of American hostages in 2004 and seeing photos of young Sunni prisoners raped and tortured by Iran-backed Shiite militias serving within the Iraqi police in 2005.It took the fall of Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, for Western elites to finally begin to understand what many of us saw firsthand in the years since 2003: The Iraqi government is hopelessl

sectarian, corrupt, and generally unfit to govern what could be one of the world's most prosperous nations. Washington's response to the Islamic State's (IS) advance, however, has been disgraceful: The United States is now acting as the air force, the armory, and the diplomatic cover for Iraqi militias that are committing some of the worst human rights abuses on the planet. These are "allies" that are actually beholden to our strategic foe, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and which often resort to the same vile tactics as the Islamic State itself.

Post-2003 Iraq was supposed to be different. Throughout the past decade, however, countless NGOs and international news organizations have borne witness to the accelerating pace of abuses. The Republic of Fear is being reborn.

Perhaps the most vivid and disturbing evidence that the Iraqi government simply does not share America's core values emerged on Feb. 6. In a grainy video posted on YouTube, a three-minute horror show plays out on the front lines somewhere in Iraq. Iraqi military officers and presumably Shiite militiamen — dressed in black, skull-adorned "Sons of Anarchy" shirts — crowd an ambulance emblazoned with the Iraqi state seal. Inside, a blindfolded and hog-tied man in military fatigues pleads for mercy as the Iraqi vigilantes beat him over the head, taunting him with expletives.

One of the vigilantes picks up a metal toolbox and slams it down on the crying man, as others enter the ambulance to beat and kick the helpless prisoner. A minute into the video, the man is dragged out of the ambulance and onto the ground, still blindfolded, arms bound behind his back. A dozen fighters surround him and begin kicking him until he lays motionless, blood dripping from his head. With some yelling "enough," a man in camouflaged trousers walks up to the prisoner and beats him over the head repeatedly with a sandal, a gesture of monumental insult. Another man, also in camouflaged trousers, leaps up twice and lands with his full weight on the detainee's skull. A third man, in full military uniform, kicks and punches the hemorrhaging man, whose blood spills across the sand below.

In the final horrific minute, the vigilantes carry the man a few feet away and drop him to the ground. Several men armed with U.S.-supplied M4 rifles then empty several magazines — perhaps more than 100 rounds — into the man.

The video concludes with one man chillingly yelling, "Enough! What's wrong with you?"

Any viewer capable of understanding the dialogue overlaying the savage imagery is left in utter shock. But that emotion should soon be replaced by rage, as the realization sets in that countless American lives, families, and taxpayer dollars were sacrificed — and are being risked today — to facilitate such brazen cruelty.

Twitter is abuzz with speculation about the victim's identity. A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter? An Islamic State spy? Regardless, one thing is clear: These were 196 vivid seconds of a lynching, a field execution, an Iraqi government and Shiite militia-orchestrated war crime broadcast around the world. And the sad reality is that this killing was facilitated by the White House.

Since assuming office in 2009, President Barack Obama and his national security team have turned a blind eye toward the growing crisis in Iraq. They seem to have simply hoped that Bush's "dumb war," as Obama once described it, would not distract them from a domestic-driven agenda. Even as the cancer at the heart of the Iraqi government metastasized, senior American officials ignored the countless classified and open sources implicating the Iraqi government in theft, torture, rape, and ethnic cleansing — insisting that the country remained on the right track.

In 2010, Vice President Joe Biden confidently insisted that Iraq "is going to be one of the great achievements of this administration," lauding Iraqis for "us[ing] the political process, rather than guns, to settle their differences."

"At every significant step along the way [of Obama's Iraq policy], many predicted that the violence would return and Iraq would slide back toward sectarian war," then White House aide and now Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in 2012. "Those predictions proved wrong."

In its eagerness to withdraw from Iraq, the Obama administration also undermined the country's central democratic institutions. After preaching the virtues of democracy around the world, Obama chose to bypass the secular, Western-leaning winner of Iraq's 2010 parliamentary elections, Ayad Allawi, in favor of the runner-up, Nouri al-Maliki. Ignoring Maliki's sectarian and autocratic tendencies, the White House then repeatedly lobbied Congress to expedite sales of advanced American military equipment, including F-16 fighter jets, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, and Hellfire missiles — even as the Iranian-allied strongman unleashed a reign of terror and purged his political enemies with less sophisticated American weapons systems.

The administration's cumulative mistakes have played a decisive role in advancing Iraq's implosion, the IS's rise, and Iran's regional hegemony. From the time that Obama took office until today, violence in Iraq has spiked nearly fourfold from the post-surge lows in 2009 — reaching levels not seen since the height of the civil war in 2006 and 2007. The Islamic State has conquered more than a third of the country while the Iraqi military imploded, despite a $25 billion investment in it by American taxpayers.

The White House responded by dispatching thousands of American military, diplomatic, and intelligence personnel to Iraq in a final bid to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. But this desperate, ill-conceived effort will inevitably fail because the administration is employing the chainsaws of Iraq's Iranian-backed Shiite militias rather than the scalpels of American special operations forces in its ground war against IS.

When it became clear that the Islamic State posed an existential threat to Iraq's Shiite-dominated government, the country's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, resorted to a measure not taken in a century: He issued a religious edict calling for all able-bodied men to take up arms to defend the state. Within months, hundreds of thousands of young Shiites responded to the call — and today, virtually all of them have been absorbed into Iranian-dominated militias, whose fundamental identity is built around a sectarian narrative rather than loyalty to the state. Recently, one militia commander estimated their total strength at 800,000 men, dwarfing the official Iraqi Security Forces.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, Iran's Special Forces unit devoted to operations outside the Islamic Republic's borders has filled the void left by Obama's military and diplomatic disengagement from Iraq. Quds Force commander Gen. Qassem Suleimani has personally led operations from the front lines, buttressing decades-old alliances while at the same time cultivating new proxies.

The staunchly pro-Iranian Badr Organization commander Hadi al-Ameri — who was welcomed in the Oval Office by Obama in 2011, and is known for favoring power drills to murder his victims — has been tasked with leading all Iraqi efforts to secure and pacify the strategically important province of Diyala. Meanwhile, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the alleged mastermind behind the bombing of the U.S. and French embassies in Kuwait in the 1980s, was given command of the Kataib Hezbollah (KH) militia, an Iranian-sponsored group responsible for some of the most lethal attacks against U.S. and coalition forces throughout the war. Muhandis and KH pose such a grave risk to Iraqi stability and American interests that they were designated as terrorists by the U.S. Treasury soon after Obama took office in 2009. Qais al-Khazali, the commander of the Iranian-sponsored Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) militia, which kidnapped and killed five American soldiers at Iran's behest in the holy city of Karbala in 2007, proudly shared his recent photo with Suleimani via social media.

This constellation of Iranian-backed militias is eclipsing official Iraqi institutions, and sowing the seeds of conflict for decades to come. During a January 2015 press conference celebrating the "liberation" of Iraq's Diyala province, Ameri stood in front of Iraqi military officers and militia fighters, thanking the Badr Organization and AAH for their efforts — without once mentioning Prime Minister Abadi or the international coalition. One of Ameri's Badr commanders then told the New York Times that Sunni tribes had backed IS, and pledged that "their punishment will be more severe than [IS's]," guaranteeing the continuation of vigilante justice and sectarian bloodletting.

These militia leaders are not only operating outside the Iraqi government's control; many key figures are deeply embedded within Baghdad's power structure. Hakim al-Zamili, an Iranian-backed militia commander notorious for ethnically cleansing Baghdad of its Sunni inhabitants while serving as Maliki's deputy health minister, is now chairman of the Iraqi Parliament's security and defense committee. Ahmad Chalabi, the convicted embezzler allegedly responsible for conspiring to feed false intelligence to Western governments ahead of the Iraq invasion, is now chairman of the Iraqi Parliament's finance committee. Mohammed Ghabban, a top deputy to Ameri in the Badr Organization, is now interior minister, ostensibly Iraq's top law enforcement officer. And Mohammed al-Bayati, another Badr leader, serves as Iraq's human rights minister, with the sacred responsibly of investigating and curtailing the abuses of Iraqi security personnel.

It would be laughable, if it were not so serious. These are the men benefitting today from billions of dollars of American assistance to Iraq.

These Shiite militias' conquests are being aided by millions of dollars in advanced American military hardware. Countless pictures and videos have emerged featuring Iranian-backed Iraqi militias parading with M1A1 tanks, M1113 armored personnel carriers, M16 and M4 rifles, Humvees, and MRAPs. At times, the militiamen launch into sectarian chants, and religious flags adorn other pictures — some have even taken to plastering their vehicles with photos of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ruhollat Khomeini. These actions directly fuel the regional perception that the conflicts in Syria and Iraq have metastasized into a holy war, pitting Islam's billion-plus Sunnis against the minority Shiites — a worldview directly responsible for swelling both the Islamic State and the militias' ranks.

After years of gross neglect, Obama, and the broader international community now face the seemingly impossible task of pacifying and reuniting Iraq. The nation is not only a failed state; it is a shattered one: years of misrule, corruption, and genocide at the hands of Nouri al-Maliki's Dawa Party have totally destroyed the national identity, leaving only tribal, ethnic, and religious affiliations that preceded the founding of the modern Iraqi state in 1932.

It is high time that U.S. officials recognize the Iranian-backed Shiite militias for what they are: a supercharged, multi-headed hydra that represents a clear and present danger to Syria, Iraq, the broader Middle East, and thus to fundamental American national security interests. Although these events occurred less than a decade ago, many in Washington seem to have forgotten that even with 150,000 U.S. troops still in Iraq, these militias operated across Baghdad and southern Iraq much like IS does today: through a deliberate campaign of kidnapping, torture, extortion, and murder that would make Tony Soprano blush.

While pockets of success exist — namely in Iraqi Kurdistan and the holy city of Najaf — by almost any measure, Iraq as a whole today has regressed to a state far worse than it was a decade ago.

The impunity with which the Shiite militias operate is only growing. According to a senior U.S. official with an intimate understanding of the matter, the American Consulate General in Basra recently attempted to ship approximately a dozen used, armored SUVs back to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad for export and disposal, per State Department regulations. En route, the vehicles — still usable, and collectively worth millions of dollars when new — were mysteriously stolen. When senior U.S. diplomats reported the theft to the Basra governor and top security commanders, the locals promised an investigation, but reported little success.

Sometime later, during a routine trip across town, a U.S. security officer spotted one of the vehicles in front of a local garage. Bewildered and shaking his head, the U.S. official told me the Iraqi authorities insisted they could take no action, since that was a garage belonging to Asaib Ahl al-Haq — the very group that had masqueraded as an American diplomatic convoy to kidnap and kill five American soldiers in Karbala in 2007.

It is no wonder, then, that the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, recently insisted to Bloomberg's Eli Lake that the militias "represent enemies of a stable, secure, and inclusive Iraq," and that once the IS threat is defeated, "they will very likely turn on us."

There is no reason to believe that the militias will disarm and disband after IS's defeat. Indeed, with trillions of dollars of Iraqi oil wealth up for grabs, and the U.S. military no longer deployed in large numbers to constrain them, the militias have more incentive than ever to stay in business. And let's not forget that it is in Iran's strategic interest to use these militias to consolidate its gains over Iraq and the Levant, and to advance its ambitions for regional hegemony, which Iranian commanders are now publicly flaunting.

Iraq is the new, much larger, much wealthier Lebanon, and its battle-hardened militias are the new, much larger, much wealthier Hezbollah. They will haunt the world for decades to come on a scale exponentially more lethal and damaging than Lebanese Hezbollah — whose operations already span six continents, and whose operatives grace the FBI and CIA's most wanted lists.

The day after the Islamic State is expelled from Iraq is the day Iraq's next existential struggle for survival will begin. Given the militias' demonstrated sadistic penchant for ethnic cleansing and summary executions, including their joy at beheading enemies — the same savage tactics used by IS — Iraq is destined for endless conflict for the foreseeable future.

It is time to admit that the modern Iraqi state as we have known it is living on borrowed time. Obama's desperate and delusional strategy to defeat IS — which commits to investing only a fraction of the time and resources former President George W. Bush squandered trying to build viable Iraqi security forces — simply will not work, because we do not have a critical mass of Iraqi political leaders willing to put the country's interests before their sect, tribe, party, or creed. The thousands of coalition airstrikes will also not succeed, absent a broader political framework under which all Iraqis can peacefully share power and be treated equitably by their government.

In short, as with Ngo Dinh Diem's government in South Vietnam, no amount of American covert action, carpet bombing, or diplomacy can ever hope to compensate for a fundamentally inept, corrupt, and illegitimate local partner. Despite Washington's delusions and countless Americans' sacrifices, Saigon was eventually overrun by Chinese-backed communists — just as Baghdad has already been overrun by Iranian-backed Shiite militias advancing Islamic rule.

The White House's myopia, along with Obama's empowerment of one strategic enemy, the Iranian-commanded militias, to defeat another strategic threat, IS, is precisely why the dream of a stable, peaceful, prosperous, and pluralistic Iraq increasingly seems doomed. In short, Obama's Iraq strategy is not only morally bankrupt, but operationally bankrupt as well.

Congressional leaders and the White House must stop treating Iraq and other national security matters as arenas for ideological skirmishes. Instead, they must craft a comprehensive Middle East strategy to defend our regional allies and aggressively confront both radical Sunni and Shiite militants, and Iran's malign regional ambitions. By finally admitting that Baghdad is now firmly entrenched in Iran's orbit — and is ideologically and operationally an extension of Tehran — Washington can finally begin to develop plans for how to roll back the new Republic of Fear.

Extract from a Foreign Policy article published by Ali Khedery

Iran's Disingenuous Condemnation Of Terror

By Samsami Taheria Interestingly, the 'Islamic' regime in Iran grudgingly spoke out against the attacks in Paris. In its efforts to present an endearing front to the international community since Hassan Rouhani 's presidency in 2013, the regime's deceptive move may not be all that surprising.

Yet, its pathetic duplicity cannot hide the fact that the regime is more than ever before committed to its anti-Western rhetoric and rogue behavior. In an affront to the French people, Tehran's Foreign Ministry actually blamed the victims of the attacks and described publications like Charlie Hebdo as being engaged in "intellectual radicalism" and "misuse of free speech."

The state-affiliated Tasnim News Agency used the incident to attack French policy in the Middle East. It said the "Paris attack is the result of France playing with fire in Syria."

France, like the United States, has taken the position that the Assad regime in Syria should come to an end after four years of civil war. Both governments have backed the moderate opposition in that country, against Assad and the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group.

"The attack that resulted in death of 12 individuals and the wounding of 40 is the result of innumerable and uncalculated meddling of France in Syrian affairs," the Tasnim article declared, without referring to the far more direct and extensive meddling that Iran itself has carried out in the Syrian conflict.

Tehran has effectively replaced the collapsed Syrian army with a network of Shiite militias and Revolutionary Guards known as the National Defense Force. It has done virtually the same thing in Iraq, where Qassem Suleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, has been in control of murderous Shiite militias.

The Iranian regime has fanned the flames of sectarian conflict from Syria to Iraq to Yemen and Bahrain. Its actions have fueled the rapid growth of ISIS.

The regime's reluctant and temporary condemnation of attacks in France proves superficial and dishonest because it has clearly used Islamic fundamentalism as the rallying cry for its activities in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and beyond. Domestically, a medieval "Islamist" legal system has led to an escalation of the already extraordinary rate of executions, totally to over 1,200 so far under the presidency of supposedly 'moderate' Hassan Rouhani.

Iranian people continue to be arrested and handed down long prison sentences for "insulting the prophet" and "enmity against God." This was the extremist ideology that motivated the attacks on Charlie Hebdo and it emanates from Tehran.

Iran's clerical regime implements the death penalty for offenses related to free speech. In fact, the regime's founder, Ruhollat Khomeini, popularized the notion of murdering authors and journalists by issuing a fatwa against British author Salman Rushdie in 1989. Khomeini's assault on free speech outside Iran's borders was accompanied by a global terrorist agenda that included the funding and arming of tens of thousands of extremists and terrorists.

So, who is the regime trying to fool by issuing a statement condemning the attacks in France?

The Iranian theocracy does not represent the sentiments of the majority of the Iranian people, just like ISIS does not speak for billions of ordinary Muslims who yearn for peace and respect human dignity.

The Iranian people have their own opposition forces struggling against the ruling regime for a free Iran. Maryam Rajavi , who heads the opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran and advocates a democratic and anti-fundamentalist interpretation of Islam, issued an unqualified and genuine condemnation of the Paris attacks long before the Iranian Foreign Ministry's disingenuous statement that blamed the French people.
Rajavi stressed that such barbarity contradicts the principles of a moderate, rational and democraticIslam. Her Ten-Point Plan for the future of Iran clearly rejects fundamentalism and promotes the establishment of a democratic, pluralist society based on the separation of religion and state.
She has also called for a non-nuclear Iran. The mullahs, armed with nuclear weapons, will be a nightmare not just for the people of Iran and the region, but also for global peace and security. The international community has a moral and strategic obligation to stop the Iranian regime's dash to the bomb.
The Iranian opposition's experience has shown that only a decisive policy can stop the nuclear threat of Iran. Congress has imposed sanctions on Tehran, which helped bring the regime to the negotiating table. President Obama can use the leverage during negotiations to warn Tehran there will be consequences if it continues to cheat and deceive. Tehran's words are disingenuous and it cannot be trusted - especially when it comes to nuclear negotiations.

Samsami is the representative in the United States for the National Council of Resistance of Iran, a coalition of Iranian opposition groups and personalities committed to the establishment of a democratic, secular and non-nuclear republic in Iran.

Two Israeli Soldiers Killed in Hezbollah Missile Attack: The Muslim World And International Communities Care Less When Evil Hezbollat Kills Devil Zionists And Vis-à-vis?

Two Israeli soldiers have been killed by a Hezbollah missile fired at at an Israeli military vehicle in the Shebaa farms are on the border with Syria and Lebanon. The Israeli military confirmed that seven soldiers were also injured in Wednesday's strike.

In response to the attack, Israeli forces fired shells across the border into southern Lebanon. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed that Israeli shelling had killed one of its peacekeepers from Spain.

Elias Hanna, retired Lebanese Army General: Expect Israeli retaliation, but no escalation
There were also reports of Israeli war planes flying over the border with Lebanon.

The attack by Hezbollah was likely in retaliation for an Israeli air strike in Quneitra on January 18th that killed six Hezbollah fighters and an Iranian general. Both Hezbollah and the Iranian army had vowed revenge, and earlier on Wednesday Iran said that Israel should "await retaliation" for the strike. \

Shebaa Farms is a small strip of disputed land at the intersection of the Lebanese-Syrian border and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Schools closed in and around Shebaa, and residents stayed indoors as the shelling continued throughout Wednesday morning.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: "The IDF is ready to act with force on any front".

In a letter to the UN Security Council, Ron Prosor, Israeli ambassador to the UN, condemned the attack, saying Hezbollah has been "stockpiling" weapons in southern Lebanon in violation of a UN resolution.

"Israel will not accept any attacks on its territory and it will exercise its right to self-defense and take all necessary measures to protect its population."

Lebanese politician Samir Geagea, a member of the March 14 opposed to Hezbollah, said that Hezbollah "doesn't have the right to involve the Lebanese army and government in a battle with Israel."
Walid Jumblatt, another politician considered to be centrist, said the attack will lead to "turbulent" times for Lebanon.

Israel Kills Khomeinist Terrorists - The Muslims Don't Care How Many Khomeinist Generals Slain In Syria - "Israeli-Hezbollat Friendly Fire" Or Simply Israeli Showing Off Superiority To Khomeinists?

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have confirmed that a general was killed in a suspected Israeli air strike in the Syrian Golan Heights on Sunday.

Mohammad Ali Allah-Dadi was in Syria to advise forces supporting President Bashar al-Assad, a statement said.

The Lebanese Shia Islamist movement Hezbollah said six of its fighters also died when a helicopter fired missiles at a convoy in Quneitra province.

Sources in Israel said it was aimed at stopping an attack on Israeli soil.

Earlier, a source close to Hezbollah told the AFP news agency that a total of six Iranian soldiers had been killed, along with its own fighters.

The dead included Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of a Hezbollah military chief assassinated in 2008, and Mohammed Issa, a field commander, it added.

On the one hand, Hezbollah may not want to open up a second front against Israel while it is so heavily involved in Syria, our correspondent says. On the other hand, many in Lebanon believe Hezbollah will not be able to remain quiet after such senior people were killed.

According to reports in Hezbollah-affiliated media, two Israel Air Force helicopters fired missiles at a target in the Syrian Golan, killing a number of Hezbollah operatives, including Mughniyeh.

Western intelligence sources said Jihad Mughniyeh headed a large-scale terrorist cell that enjoyed direct Iranian sponsorship and a direct link to Hezbollah. The cell had already targeted Israel in the past, launching attacks on the Golan Heights.

Iran is Hezbollah's primary financial and military supporter. Both countries are aiding Syrian President Bashar Assad in his struggle to keep power against a coalition of Sunni opposition militias and Islamist radicals.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Deadly Israeli Strike Deals Painful Blow To Khomienist Hezbollat, Iran: Humiliation Of Hezbollat Terrorist Leader Nasrallat, In His Hiding Hole, Has Just Started

Tehran added to the combustible mix by announcing that the strike — neither confirmed nor denied by Israel — also killed a senior Iranian general, underscoring the extent of Iran and Hezbollah's deep involvement in the volatile area on Israel's doorstep. Sunday's deadly attack placed Hezbollah in a tough spot, as it weighs carefully how to respond. A significant retaliation risks drawing even tougher Israeli reprisals, plunging Lebanon into yet another crippling war with the Jewish state for which there is very little appetite among Lebanese public opinion.

Stretched thin and neck-deep in Syria's civil war where the group's Shiite fighters are battling alongside President Bashar Assad's forces, Hezbollah must also decide whether it can afford to open up another front with Israel.

Jihad Mughniyeh, who was buried Monday in south Beirut, did not hold a particularly senior rank in the party. But he was the son of Imad Mughniyeh, a top Hezbollah operative widely considered to have built Hezbollah's military operations infrastructure and the second most revered figure inside Hezbollah.

He was assassinated in 2008 in Damascus in a bombing that Hezbollah says was carried out by Israel's Mossad spy agency.
The 25-year-old Mughniyeh took on a more prominent role after the death of his father. He has been photographed with Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the group's leader, and with the powerful Iranian Gen. Ghasem Soleimani, highlighting his prominence within the group.

"For Hezbollah leaders, rank and file, and core supporters, the attack against Jihad Mughniyeh is akin to an attack against a member of their own family," said Randa Slim, a director at the Washington-based Middle East Institute.

"The fact that Hezbollah has not avenged Imad Mughniyeh's death to-date raises the bar for Nasrallah and Hezbollah military leadership to react in a big way this time... irrespective of the risks of an escalation," she said.

Mughniyeh, who had recently been entrusted with overseeing operations in the Golan Heights, is the group's most prominent figure to die so far in Syria since Hezbollah joined the conflict next door in 2012, fighting on Assad's side against the Sunni-led rebellion.

The airstrike exposed Hezbollah's involvement in the Golan area — which is now host to an explosive mix of al-Qaida-linked Syrian rebels, Syrian government forces, Hezbollah operatives and Israeli soldiers, all operating in close proximity.

Hezbollah's Manar television channel broadcast footage from the site of the airstrikes, showing a mangled wreck of metal amid snow; nearby the footage showed radar installations and a military base that the channel said was in Israeli-controlled territory.

Israeli officials had long expressed concern about Hezbollah activities along the border and blamed the group for a number of roadside bombings last year in the area.

In an hours-long TV interview last week, Nasrallah denied Hezbollah was involved in any "resistance work" in the Golan, claiming that the group was only offering support, assistance or training to Syrian groups there.

Eyal Ben-Reuven, a reserve Israeli general and former deputy head of its northern command, said the presence of such a high-ranking official on Israel's doorstep indicated that Hezbollah and Iran were planning something big against Israel.

The deaths of the six Hezbollah fighters elevated tensions between Israel and the powerful Lebanese Shiite movement, which recently boasted of rockets that can hit any part of the Jewish state. But it was also a significant setback, coming on the heels of a confirmation last week by Nasrallah that the organization had uncovered and arrested a senior operative who was spying for Israel.

In a statement published on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's website, Tehran confirmed that an Iranian general also was killed in the Israeli airstrike.

It said Gen. Mohammad Ali Allahdadi was on assignment in Syria, giving "crucial advice" to Syrians fighting terrorists, a reference to Sunni rebels and Islamic extremists fighting against Assad's troops.
Allahdadi is not the first Iranian general to die in Syria. Iran accuses Israel of involvement in the killing of Gen. Hassan Shateri in February 2013 as he traveled from Syria to Lebanon. Shateri was also a commander in the powerful Revolutionary Guard.

Allahdadi's presence in the Golan, however, drew further attention to Iran's deep involvement in propping up Assad and is bound to unsettle Israel.

Although he did not mention Lebanon or Syria specifically, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that "Israel is adamant that it will have the right to defend itself against all those who wish to propagate terror and other attacks against its citizens, against its territory."

Since Syria's conflict began in March 2011, Israel has carried out several airstrikes in Syria that have targeted sophisticated weapons systems, including Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles and Iranian-made missiles, believed to be destined for Hezbollah.
The last such airstrike was in early December, when Israeli warplanes struck near Damascus' international airport, as well as outside a town close to the Syria-Lebanon border.

Nasrallah, in an interview last week, said Hezbollah reserves the right to retaliate for those attacks. He also reiterated that Hezbollah may retaliate at any time for the assassination of Mughniyeh senior.
Also among those killed in Sunday's attack was Mohammad Issa, the only one of the six identified by the Hezbollah statement as a commander. He joined Hezbollah at the age of 15 and was among the senior cadres who headed the group's operations in Syria.
Another is Abbas Hijazi, whose father Kamal was one of Hezbollah's founders. Hijazi took part in most of Hezbollah's battles against Israel as well as inside Syria over the past decade.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Iran, Hezbollah And Israel Are Partners: Enemies Of Al-Quds! Destroy Iran's Shi'ah-Majusi Empire First, Only Then We Can Liberate Al-Quds

The Top Threat Is Still Iran

By Linda Chavez

The agreement last week between the governments of Iraq and Iran to enter a formal relationship to fight the Islamic State group should be deeply troubling to the United States.The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, is a grave threat to the region and is responsible for the horrifying beheading of American journalists and an aid worker, as well as the brutal slaughter of countless innocent Muslims and Christians in Syria and Iraq.But as grave a threat as the Islamic State is, Iran is a much greater threat — especially if it acquires nuclear weapons.

In November, Washington decided to extend nuclear talks with the Iranians, despite stalling on the mullahs' part. The practical effect of the decision is to give the Iranians more time to make a bomb.
Lest anyone believe the Iranians' assurances that their desire to enrich uranium is purely for peaceful purposes, a September story on the UN Web site raises suspicion.

It says International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano ''noted [that] the agency is not in a position to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities.''

Translation from diplomatic-speak: We're not buying the Iranians' story.

A comprehensive study of Iran's nuclear programs was released in Brussels in November by the nongovernmental organization International Committee In Search of Justice, a group of current and former European parliamentarians and other experts.

The study shows that Iran has a dual nuclear program — a civilian side, which appears to pursue peaceful nuclear energy, and a military program, which skirts sanctions by obtaining dual-use nuclear materials or simply smuggling bomb-making materials into the country. Leadership for the civilian and military programs frequently overlaps, with scientists and others switching places between the two programs as needed.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration largely looks away, instead pursuing negotiations that will never persuade the Iranian regime to give up its nuclear weapons agenda.

The Obama administration largely looks away.

Part of the problem is that the administration doesn't want to take on the Islamic State directly in Iraq, preferring to provide US military advisers who will play a severely limited role while the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps actually provides thousands of troops on the ground.

But expediency in the fight against the Islamic State is a bad strategy for America and for the world. If — more likely, when — Iran develops nuclear weapons, those weapons not only will be used by Iran to intimidate its neighbors but also could well be put into the hands of terrorists whose reach extends far beyond the immediate region.

What should be done? I asked Maryam Rajavi , the leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, to give her sense of what might actually persuade the Iranians to give up nuclear weapons. ''They will only forgo the bomb if they sense that their survival is in danger and if they feel that the risk of insisting on the nuclear project outweighs the risk of abandoning it,'' she told me.

Rajavi talked about the mistakes Washington has made during the negotiations, giving the regime time to improve its ballistic missile programs, as well as enrich uranium. The regime, she said, ''will dodge the signing of a comprehensive agreement as long as it possibly can, unless international pressure forces it to retreat.''
Rajavi believes that the movement she leads is a direct threat to the mullahs.

''In their confrontation against a decaying tyranny,'' she noted, ''the Iranian people have a democratic alternative with a clear platform that seeks a secular and pluralistic republic, gender equality, a society based on respect for human rights and the abolition of the death penalty, abdication of the mullahs' Shariah laws, providing equal economic opportunities to all, a nonnuclear Iran and peace and coexistence with the rest of the world.''

Too bad the United States has been unwilling to recognize Rajavi's group, only taking it off the official terrorist list after the group challenged the designation in US courts.

Rajavi is no threat to America, but she may just be the biggest challenge to the real threat we face in Iran.

Iran Is Forcing Poor Afghans to Fight and Die in Syria: Rebels capture reluctant Afghans in Aleppo - War Is Boring

"Come out, you donkey!" the Syrian rebel shouts in Arabic in the amateur video that appeared on the Internet in mid-October. Two other rebels are pulling something out of a pile of rubble. The outline of a human body appears from beneath dust and bricks.

The scene resembles something out of a movie—the aftermath of an entire building collapsing on the people inside. Only this is real. Twelve pro-regime fighters reportedly died in the destruction of this structure north of Aleppo in war-ravaged northern Syria.

Islamic Front fighters are no angels, but their interrogation of the prisoners, which the rebels also recorded and posted online, is a surprisingly civil affair.

One of the captured fighters sits on a sofa, a bandage on his head. The rebel sitting beside him asks where he's from. He answers in Dari. "Afghanistan," he says.

This is not the first time Afghans have been caught fighting in Syria, for or against the regime of Syrian president Bashar Al Assad. Some Afghan fighters joined Al Assad's forces after rebels came close to capturing the shrine of Sayydah Zeynab in southern Damascus.

A number of Afghan Shias have been living around the shrine since the early 1990s, when the Taliban started massacring Shia Afghans, forcing many to flee the country.

In early 2012, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a bus stop near the shrine. Syrian security forces claimed the truck was heading to the holy shrine itself. The apparent near-miss enraged Afghans in Syria and back home.

In late 2012, the first Afghan members of the pro-regime Al Abbas Brigade appeared in pictures circulating in jihadist social media. Afghans were going to war in Syria. In early 2013, Afghan volunteers along with Pakistani, Azeri and other Asian fighters reorganized as the Fatemiyoun Brigade.

And soon, the motivations seemed to change for at least some of the Afghans.

Videotaped interrogations of two of the Afghans the rebels captured in Aleppo reveal that, for them at least, the war isn't about ideology anymore.

The Afghan with bandaged head says he's from Varamin, an impoverished town near Tehran. He's an illegal immigrant. Iranian authorities had apprehended him and offered him a monthly payment of $600 to fight in Syria. If he had refused, they would have sent him back to Afghanistan—which for a Shia could mean death.

There are an estimated one million illegal immigrants from Afghanistan living in Iran. They and their children can't enroll in universities or work regular jobs with standard benefits and pay. Afghan immigrants tend to work in construction or as farmers.

They live in the poorest neighborhoods, suburbs and villages. Afghan communities in Iran are prone to crime, mainly drug trafficking.

It was the fall of 2013 when Afghan fighters in Syria first made headlines in Iran and Afghanistan. A large group of Afghan fighters tried to penetrate rebels lines outside Aleppo in order to help loyalist fighters trapped in the city. The rebels ambushed the infiltrators and killed 17 of them.

Pictures of the victims seemed to depict some very young men, possibly minors, although it was impossible to verify anyone's actual age.

Considering the low living standards of Afghans in Iran, from the beginning the main assumption was that Iranian authorities had more or less forced these Afghans to fight in Syria, offering them modest pay and threatening extradition if they refused.

Afghan officials launched a formal investigation of Iran's alleged recruitment efforts. Members of Afghanistan's parliament including Shokriye Peykan have openly accused Iran of taking advantage of poor Afghan immigrants.

Hamed Eghtedar, an Afghan who has lived in Syria for more than six years, said he believes that while some of Afghans fight for money, there are still others who fight for ideological reasons.

Indeed, some Afghans—members of the Pashtun nationalist Mellat Party, in particular—have gone straight to Syria from Afghanistan to aid the regime, skipping Iran entirely.

Eghtedar, a correspondent for the Bokhdi news agency in Afghanistan, said he has seen Arab and Chechen fighters carrying Afghan passports while fighting for the rebels in Aleppo. They allegedly travel under Afghan aliases to avoid prosecution in their home countries.

Given the large number of Sunni Afghans fighting for the rebels, the Al Assad regime considers Afghans a possible threat. Regime troops even abducted Eghtedar and his wife near Aleppo. Al Assad's forces tortured Eghtedar for 45 days before releasing the couple. The torturers' usual technique was to bash his head against a wall.

Eghtedar and his wife fled Syria and and returned to Afghanistan by way of the human-smuggling route. Traffickers charge up to $1,000 to sneak a person out of Syria.

In the other video of October's Aleppo captives, the captured Afghan introduces himself as Ali Moradli. He says he'd been sentenced to six years in prison for dealing drugs in Iran. Again, authorities offered $600 per month to fight … or extradition.

After two days in Damascus, his unit flew to Aleppo. They traveled one hour by road then hiked for eight hours to reach their front-line base. Combatants from a nearby Shia town guided Ali's unit across the mountains and deserts north of Aleppo.

According to Moradli, the Afghan fighters numbered 450. They were organized as three 150-man battalions, each consisting of 10 squads of 15 fighters. Iranian officers lead the battalions.

Ali says his Iranian commander would have killed him if he had tried to run. But then the rebels attacked, killing the Iranian commander. The only Iranian known to have died in Syria in same time period is Brig. Gen. Jabbar Darisavi.

Moradli says his squad commander was named Khalili, but Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps members usually use aliases in the field. Tehran announced that Darisavi died in the Handirat region north of Aleppo — the exact location of the ambush.

Darisavi, a battalion commander during the Iran-Iraq war, more recently served in the Karbala Intelligence Joint Headquarters in southern Iran.

Moradli's inadequate training plus the fact that Iranian generals are leading indentured Afghan drug dealers is indicative of Tehran's—and the Syrian regime's—desperation.

When Islamic State invaded Iraq this summer, Iran diverted its Iraqi militias to defend Baghdad. Likewise, Hezbollah has had to pull out of Syria and return to Lebanon in order to defend against Syrian rebels pouring out of the Qalamun Mountains.

The pro-regime forces that remain in Syria are ill-prepared and thinly spread. If the Afghans' capture in Syria tells us anything, it's that the regime and its allies are running out of people.

U.S. Iran Policy Not Blocking Tehran's Path to The Bomb, Senate Panel Says

A number of leading Senators and national security experts criticized U.S. policy on Iran as dangerously accommodating and having failed to stop Tehran's nuclear weapons program and its support for terrorism in the region.The briefing, held at the historic Senate Kennedy Caucus Room, featured, Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), former Senator Joseph Lieberman, Ambassador John Bolton, General Jack Keane, former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, and former White House Homeland Security adviser Frances Townsend.

Referring to last month's extension of the nuclear negotiations with Iran, Senator Blunt said it is 'incredibly bad judgment to continue to extend the talks going on with Iran as they continue to do exactly the things we would not want them to be doing.'

Senator Lieberman said the Iranian regime 'has concluded that we [the U.S.] want a deal more than they do,' warning, 'If the U.S. agrees to a bad deal with Iran, it will not only change history in the Middle East in a bad way, but it will shake up our allies, in the Middle East, and far beyond….'

Ambassador Bolton touched on the regime's long record of systematic attempts to acquire nuclear weapons through cheating and deception, saying, 'The ayatollahs are on a clear path to their 30 year objective of getting deliverable nuclear weapons. The talks that have been going on have achieved nothing to slow that down.'
Bolton warned, 'Verification does not make a bad deal a good deal. Verification is simply insurance, when you think you've reached an acceptable agreement to protect against the risk of violation.'

Underscoring the nuclear revelations by the main Iranian opposition, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), Amb. Bolton said, 'I'm not aware of any material respect where information that the MEK has put out over the past more than 10 years has ever been incorrect.'

General Keane referred to Washington's policy on a nuclear deal with Tehran, saying, 'I have been convinced, given my association for almost five years with this administration ... their unstated policy as it pertains to Iran is to contain Iran's nuclear weapons. In other words, they will tolerate Iran having a nuclear weapon. '

With respect to reports hinting at Washington's willingness to solicit Tehran's cooperation against ISIS, the general said, 'I find that morally reprehensible that we could ever, ever sit down across the table with them and begin to coordinate an effort towards a common objective, which is the defeat of ISIS.'

In Iraq, we pulled out and provided no help where we absolutely needed help, Gen. Keane said, adding, 'We did that right on the heels of the broken promise dealing with the residents of Camp Liberty…. We would not have had ISIS if we didn't break the promises we made in Iraq.'

Senator Blunt pointed to 'the critically important issue of what happens with people at Camp Liberty' and called on the U.S. government to keep its commitments to the residents.

Speaking to the Iranian opposition and the 10-point plan for the future of Iran as articulated by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi , Senator Lieberman said, 'You are frontline troops in the fight against radical Islam. You represent the alternative. You're part of the hope for the future.'

Shiite Militants Linked To Iran In Iraq - Special Report: The Fighters Of Iraq Who Answer To Iran

Among the thousands of militia fighters who flocked to northern Iraq to battle militant group Islamic State over the summer was Qais al-Khazali. Khazali is the head of a militia called Asaib Ahl al-Haq that is backed by Iran. He is one of Iran's most important representatives in the country.

His militia is one of three small Iraqi Shi'ite armies, all backed by Iran, which together have become the most powerful military force in Iraq since the collapse of the national army in June.

Alongside Asaib Ahl al-Haq, there are the Badr Brigades, formed in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq War, and the younger and more secretive Kataib Hezbollah.

The militias, and the men who run them, are key to Iran's power and influence inside neighboring Iraq.

Tehran has built up its influence in the past decade by giving political backing to the Iraqi government, and weapons and advisers to the militias and the remnants of the Iraqi military, say current and former Iraqi officials.

That was clear this summer, when fighters from all three militias took on IS.

The fighters set up an operations room to coordinate with the Iraqi army, the other militia groups, and advisers from the Quds Force, the branch of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that handles operations outside Iran and oversees Tehran's Iraqi militias.
Tehran's high profile contrasts sharply with Washington's. Both Iran and the United States are preparing for a long battle against IS. But Iraqi officials say the two take very different views of Iraq.

'The American approach is to leave Iraq to the Iraqis, ' said Sami al-Askari, a former member of Iraq's parliament and one-time senior adviser to former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki. 'The Iranians don't say leave Iraq to the Iraqis. They say leave Iraq to us.'

The danger, Iraqi officials say, is that Iran's deep influence will perpetuate sectarian conflict in Iraq. Many Iraqi Sunnis complain that Maliki, who was Iraq's leader until he was forced out in August, was beholden to Tehran and prevented Sunnis from getting greater political power.

Former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a secular Shi'ite who left office in 2005, told Reuters that 'Iran is interfering in Iraq. Foreign forces are not welcome here. And militias controlled by foreign powers are not welcome also.'

Iraq's Shi'ite militias have certainly fueled sectarian violence. In the past few months they have taken revenge on Sunnis, burned homes and threatened to stop Sunnis returning to their towns. Shi'ite fighters have kidnapped or killed civilians, say Sunni family members.

'The militias are a problem,' said Askari, the former Maliki adviser. 'What do you say after Islamic State ends? Thank you very much and go home'?

ECHOES OF LEBANON

The main body funding, arming, and training the Shi'ite militias is Iran's Quds Force. The model it uses is Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Created by Tehran in the early 1980s, and operating as both a military outfit and political party, Hezbollah has grown to become the most powerful force in Lebanon.

Coordinating the three is Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. 'His chain of command is only the Supreme Leader. He needs money, gets money. Needs munitions, gets munitions. Needs materiel gets materiel.'

Soleimani, who Reuters was unable to reach, knows the heads of the three big Iraqi militias personally, Iraqi officials say.

THE BADR BRIGADES

Iran's oldest proxy in Iraq is the Badr Brigades, which is headed by Hadi al-Amri.

Amri fought alongside Iran's Revolutionary Guard against Saddam's army during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

Amri, who could not be reached for comment, is feared and loathed by many Sunnis for his alleged role in running death squads in recent years. In July, Human Rights Watch accused Badr forces of killing Sunni prisoners.

'Look at Amri's uniform and then compare it to any Iraqi uniform ... It's completely different,' said a senior former security official.

'Look for the uniform of the IRGC' - Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - 'it's exactly one of them.'

KATAIB HEZBOLLAH

The head of Iran's second proxy, Kataib Hezbollah, goes by the nom de guerre Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes.

He began working with Iran's Revolutionary Guard in Kuwait in 1983, organizing attacks against embassies of countries that supported Saddam in the war against Iran.

Following the first Gulf War, Mohandes lived in exile in Iran. After the United States invaded Iraq, he returned home and was elected to parliament. Even then, it was clear where his allegiances lay. On a 2006 trip to Tehran, when protocol dictated that the Iranian and Iraqi delegations sit apart, 'he sat with the Iranians,' said Askari, the former Maliki adviser. 'This was not normal.'

Kataib Hezbollah is the most secretive of Iraq's militias, and the only one the U.S. Treasury labels a terrorist organization. In 2009 the Treasury sanctioned Mohandes for his alleged role in committing and facilitating attacks against U.S. and Iraqi forces. Mohandes group's website features several video clips showing improvised explosive devices blowing up American Humvees.

He has a house in Baghdad's Green Zone close to Maliki, Iraqi officials say. In recent years, he occasionally delivered messages between Maliki and Iranian officials. He frequently visits Iran, where his family lives, according to a former senior Iraqi official.

ASAIB AHL AL-HAQ

The third big Iraqi militia, Asaib Ahl al-Haq.

Under leader Khazali, Asaib gained notoriety for kidnapping and killing Sunni civilians and carrying out attacks against U.S. forces.
In 2007 he was arrested by U.S. military forces for his alleged role in an attack on an Iraqi government compound in Karbala, which left five American soldiers dead.

Sunnis say Maliki allowed Shi'ite militias, particularly Asaib, to kidnap and kill ordinary Sunnis to solidify his grip on power. Some Sunnis began to see Asaib as Maliki's personal militia.

THE SYRIA CONNECTION

In late 2011, as the Syrian conflict grew, Iran stepped in to defend Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Iran helped train Kataib fighters in the use of AK-47 assault rifles, heavy machine guns, mortars, rockets and IEDs, according to Abu Abdullah, the Kataib commander.

A Reuters' reporter met two men who spoke Farsi, the language of Iran, accompanying Asaib fighters during the battle. A third man said he had come from Iran to train police.

Fact: Iran Has Several Hundres F-4 Phantom Fighter-Jets (Regarded As One Of The Most Versatile Fighters Ever Built. Guess Who Supplied The So-Called Islamic Republic Of Iran ALL The Deadly Bombers. O Yes, Iran's Own Great Satan - The United States Of America

Fact: Zionist Arms Dealers Regularly Supplying F-4 Phantom Fighter-Jets Parts To Iran On Several Occassions, According To Greece Government Kathimerini Newspaper And Several Other Media Reports 2014

Fact: Betwee 22 September 1980 And 20 August 1988 Alone Iran Used Hundreds Of Its US Supplied F-4 Phantom Fighter-Jets To Slaughter Over 800,000 Arabs (And Kurds Of Cause) Including Civilian Men And Women Children And The Elderlies. See Tampa Bay Times Reports Of Associated Press (AP) June 2007.

Mask Off America-Iran Secrete Collaboration In Fightings In Syria And Iraq: Iran Warplanes Target Mujahidun In Clearest Sign Yet Of US Partnership

When you see a warplane overhead in Iraq, and its backing Assad's Ba'thi army, Baghdad's Shiite millitia and Kurdish Peshmerga forces in a battle against the Mujahidun, especially the Syria resistance power-base of Jabhat An-Nusrah and the Islamic State Of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), you automatically think of the United States. They are, after all, the one with hundreds of planes in the area doing that.But according to news reporters, including the antiwar's Jason Ditz video released today shows that their ''anti-Mujahidun coalition'' isn't the only ones, as an Iranian F-4 Phantom is seen backing Kurdish fighters in trying to retake a pair of lost towns.

The plane caught on video backing Iranian staunch ally tyrant Assad and Kurdish Ba'thist party forces clearly confrims that Iran is involved in the ISIS war is hardly news, but the use of a warplane in a traditional US role is a major story, as it is all-but-impossible that Iran would be doing so without direct coordination with the US.

The US is desperate to the point of paranoia to say they ''control the airspace'' in Iraq, and having other nations' warplanes just flying around willy nilly would make no sense, and would almost certainly make those planes a target. Iran would not be sending warplanes into Iraqi airspace in mid-US war, and in the vicinity of several US warplanes, without the US having confirmed that it was okay with them.

The US continues to deny any coordination with Iran and Syria on the ISIS war, but this denial seems to be primarily a diplomatic ploy at this point, and has no bearing on the policy.

US House Speaker: Iranian Regime Is The Number One Threat In The Middle East U.S. House Speaker John Boehner said in a statement Friday that the Iranian regime is 'the number one threat to the entire region' and 'a state sponsor of terror' with 'no interest in a stable Iraq.'
Congressman Boehner said the Obama administration should not soften demands on Iran to help stalled talks for a nuclear arms deal.

''Iran is a state-sponsor of terror. It has no interest in a stable, strong Iraq. The country has a deplorable human rights record, and it still has American hostages.

Furthermore, there is no evidence that Iran intends to comply with honest transparency and accountability measures over its nuclear ambitions. At a time when we are asking other governments in the Middle East to help the United States take on and destroy ISIL, we are giving a pass to Iran, which is the number one threat to the entire region.''

Western diplomats and officials of the Iranian regime said on Friday that the talks in the recent round of negotiations between the world powers and Iran held in New York made little progress in overcoming significant disagreements.

A Western diplomat told reporters on condition of anonymity: 'On the core issues we remain pretty far apart'. 'On enrichment, we are not there yet. On sanctions, we are not there yet,' he added.
The talks would likely continue in the coming weeks, though no date and venue have been set, the diplomat said, according to the Reuters.

A senior Iranian official of the Iranian regime had a similarly sober assessment of the talks, the report said.

'Despite hours of talks and meetings, there has not been progress to overcome major differences, not even one inch,' the official said.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told journalists on Friday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York: ''At this time as I speak, there is no significant progress'' in talks which opened last Friday.

''We will be quickly meeting again. We regret that there has been no progress,'' said Fabius. EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Iran-Sponsored Terrorists Houthi's Shi'ite storm capital of Yemen Armed Shi'ite militants of Iran-proxy terror clan, the so-called Houthis, pushed into Yemen's capital Sanaa after clashing with the puppet army on the northwestern outskirts on Thursday, security sources and residents said, causing further instability after weeks of fighting and protests, reports Reuters.

Residents of northwest al-Shamlan district said the Shi'ite Houthi gunmen sponsored by Tehran were advancing along Thalatheen Street, a major route into the western edge of Sanaa.

State news agency Saba also reported later Thursday that airlines had suspended flights to Sana'a airport for 24 hours pending the security situation.

One report on Al Jazeera television had said earlier that militants attacked a military checkpoint near the airport. One puppet official at the Yemeni television building also said the militants had targeted the facility with missiles on Thursday evening.

A puppet military source said Iran-sponsored terrorists Houthi gunmen had also attacked an army camp on the southern entrance of the capital, but soldiers repelled the assault.

The Shiite terror network of Houthis, who belong to the Zaydi sect of Shi'ism, have been fighting for more control and territory in the north.

In recent weeks, Houthis have been blocking the main road to Sanaa's airport and holding sit-ins at ministries calling for the ousting of the government and the restoration of subsidies cut by the state in July as part of economic reforms.

At least 42 people have also been killed in clashes involving Shiite terrorist Houthi militants in different parts of the country since Tuesday.

Experts say the Iranian mercenaries of Houthis are trying to grab power and carve out a semi-independent state for themselves in the north.

The United Nations' special envoy to Yemen meet Houthi terrorist ringleader Abdulmalek al-Houthi in Saada province on Wednesday to try and find a way out of the conflict. The three-hour meeting was "constructive and positive" Jamal Benomar was reported as saying.

The sectarian Houthi warlords said on Monday they would no longer take part in negotiations with the Yemeni government about their grievances because of what they termed "foreign intervention" in the discussions.

According to the latest information, fightings in Sana'a are taking place close to the University of al-Iman. Artillery, mortars, and heavy machine guns are using in the fightings. EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Hezbollat Has Opened Gates Of Hell, It Should Perish In Its Terrorist Meddling In Syria Last week, former Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad al-Seniora said the Shiite movement Hezbollat's ''riffle'' or arms have diverted in the wrong direction when it became involved in the Syrian conflict, opening ''gates of hell'' to Lebanon.

Following the Syria war spreading into Lebanon, the March 14th current condemned Hezbollah's meddling in Syria and described this Iran-linked entity as responsible for what is taking place in the town of Arsal in Lebanon.

''Hezbollah's military intervention in Syria has linked Lebanon to the current wars, placing the government and people and army of this country in a dangerous situation,'' said former Lebanese prime minister Foad Siniore.

Samir Jamjam, head of the Lebanese Forces party described Hezbollah taking part in the Syria war as the main reason behind the problems of Arsal and demanded Hezbollah evacuate Syria immediately.

''Until Hezbollah continues such activities the Lebanese people and army will be in grave danger and the only solution is for Hezbollah to pull back its troops,'' he said.

Lebanese Hezbollah receives heavy blows from Syria rebels

Various sources say Lebanese Hezbollah has received major blows from Syria rebels in the Qalamoun region and cannot withstand any longer, according to the Middle East reports, which added that the Lebanese terrorist group's senior members are rethinking their presence in the Syrian affairs.

The Qalamoun news center cited Syrian rebels and said Hezbollat mercenaries have suffered heavy casualties in recent clashes and are withdrawing the area and returning to Lebanon. Accord to this report at least 400 Hezbollat forces have departed Syrian soil. This number of Hezbollat forces were transferred back inside Lebanon with 7 busses and various other vehicles through the Jaroud region during the course of two days.

United Nations issues shocking report on Assad war crimes

The United Nations issued a report condemning the Assad regime and its terrorist mercenaries Hezbollah in Syria for bombing and killings at medical centers. This body referred a dossier to the Security Council containing 12 cases of hospitals being bombed in this country in the month of July alone.

A United Nations report describes missile attacks and bombings of hospitals and treatment centers by Assad regime forces and the Lebanese Shiite terrorist group as flagrant violations of human rights.

This report refers to 12 recorded incidents of bombings in the cities of Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Idlib and also Damascus, and these are just the attacks that have taken place in July of this year. From the beginning of the Syrian people's revolution to this day at least 526 physicians and specialists have lost their lives. They were either killed by Assad's security forces or lost their lives under bombardment while treating patients.

The UN report refers to the Assad regime's obstructions on permitting the delivery of humanitarian aid into Syrian soil. Last month the Security Council adopted a resolution saying this aid must be sent into besieged areas of Syria under any means possible and without Assad regime approval. To this day these convoys have entered Syria from Turkey and relevant organizations in the United Nations are advancing this plan in order to stop the genocide by Bashar Assad. Such aid is arranged to be sent into Syria soon from other border areas in Jordan and Iraq, too.

Hashish Production Thrives In Hezbollah-Controlled Land

Hezbollah is controlling the majority of Marijuana plantations across Lebanon's Bekaa Valley and the government is unable to do much about it, the Daily Beast reported Wednesday.

While it is not uncommon to find marijuana plantations in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, production has reportedly surged during the conflict in Syria, where Hezbollah is fighting alongside President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

''Local politicians know about it, police know about it, the Lebanese army is aware of it and so are authorities in Beirut. But nobody wants to, or can, fix the problem. The majority of these plantations are controlled by Hezbollah,'' the Daily Beast report said.

Prior to the war in Syria, the Lebanese army had reportedly raided land used for growing the plant. But over the past two three years, the army became more focused on border security.

''The police and the army can't stop me even if they wanted to,'' a marijuana farmer from Baalbek, a Hezbollah stronghold, said.

''It is no secret to say that these networks [of hashish producers] are very well armed in order to protect their marijuana fields,'' Ohannes Geukjan, professor of political science at the American University of Beirut, told the Daily Beast.

''There are some areas in the Bekaa Valley and Hermel where the government and the army have been unable to penetrate.''

Drug traffickers are reportedly using ports controlled by Hezbollah and the lawlessness in Syria to smuggle Lebanon's cannabis, which according to the report has reached Jordan.Al-Arabiyah

Iran: The Existential Threat

By Ken Blackwell

Nothing could be more damaging to America's long-term security interests than aligning with the murderous regime of Tehran in any way for any purpose. The phrase that best describes the theocratic regime in Tehran is hostis humani generis—enemies of all mankind. This Latin term is applied in international law to terrorists, pirates, and slave traders. It fits this regime's rule well.

Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. It is a major persecutor of religion. In today's Iran, Christians, Jews, Baha'i, Zoroastrians, and minority Muslim sects are actively suppressed and terrorized. Pastor Saeed Abedini was sentenced to eight years in a filthy prison, beaten and abused for ''threatening the national security of Iran.'' His crime: He started an orphanage!

Our own State Department reports on the full range of human rights abuses in Iran. These include:
''disappearances; cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, including judicially sanctioned amputation and flogging; politically motivated violence and repression, such as beatings and rape; harsh and life-threatening conditions in detention and prison facilities, with instances of deaths in custody; arbitrary arrest and lengthy pretrial detention, sometimes incommunicado; continued impunity of security forces; denial of fair public trials, sometimes resulting in executions without due process…''

Nor should it be forgotten that Iran publicly hangs homosexuals. Add to this catalogue of abuses even more from the State Department:

''…Violence against women, children, ethnic and religious minorities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons based on perceived sexual orientation and gender identity;''

What other evidence is needed to label them justly ''enemies of all mankind?''

The regime's savagery is real and growing. No other nation so regularly calls for the physical elimination of the United States or its neighbor, Israel. No other nation is so actively seeking nuclear weapons.

Do we dare to dismiss their genocidal threats as bluster?

In Paris this week, groups of Iranian exiles, U.S. and European parliamentarians, military experts, and diplomats will meet to discuss ways to neutralize or change the regime in Iran.

Event organizers have announced that American participants include Gen. George Casey, Michael Mukasey, Marc Ginsberg, Amb. John Bolton, Gov. Ed Rendell, and Frances Townsend. Topics will include: deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, Tehran's nuclear weapons program, and the fate of Iranian refugees at Camp Liberty in Iraq.

If this conclave can reach consensus, and , if they can persuade the Western democracies to take concerted action, we may yet avert the most terrible conflict since the Second World War.

Every day the Mullahs' regime spinning centrifuges bring them a step closer to having a nuclear weapon. Iran's former president, Mahmoud Ahamdinejad publicly declared he could foresee ''a world without the United States.'' And he dismissed Israel as ''a two-bomb country.''

The Washington Post earlier this month informed us of the stalling of nuclear talks with Iran:

Iran says such experiments--detailed in documents obtained by Western spy agencies--never occurred, but it has refused to allow IAEA officials near the site since 2005. Satellite photos in recent weeks have shown major renovation underway at the site, with several buildings razed and soil removed near the place where the alleged test chamber once stood. Iran has consistently said that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, not making weapons.

The report, which was carried by the ''nuclear watchdog'' group, was seemingly muffled by this dismissive treatment. Who will hear a watchdog whose bark is so dangerously disregarded?

Iran's regime must change or be changed. There is no peace, no safety possible with such a cohort of ''enemies of all mankind.'' This is why we must look to the Paris talks this week as a key indicator of Western resolve.

We will observe in July one hundred years since Europe's leaders marched ''like sleepwalkers'' over the cliff and into the cataclysm of the Great War.

That devastating world war left empires shattered, civilizations in ruins, and unleashed the forces of Arab nationalism and religious and ideological fury.

It cost the world twenty million dead.

But that is a lower estimate of what Iran might do if it obtains nuclear weapons. There is no crisis—not Ukraine, not Nigeria, not Sudan, not the Israeli-Arab conflict—that is more threatening than the Iranian Mullahs with nuclear weapons.

The cause is mankind. Nothing less.

This and other articles by Ken Blackwell can be read at Townhall.com

World's Most Wanted Hezbollat Terrorist Ring Leader Fawzi Ayoub Slain In Syria

A senior Lebanese-Canadian commander in the Shiite terrorist group Hezbollat (so-called Hezbollah) has been killed in Syria where he was fighting alongside Bashar Al-Assad's  criminal troops against Syrian freedom fighters, security sources and activists said Tuesday.

The World's most wanted terrorist leader Fawzi Ayoub, who is on the FBI's "most wanted" list for attempting to bomb Israel, was killed on Monday by the predominantly Sunni Muslim rebel forces who have been waging war on dictator Bashar al-Assad for more than three years.

Terror group Hezbollat has joined the Assad's brutal regime in an increasingly sectarian conflict that is pulling in fighters from across the region and destabilizing Syria's neighbors.

Sunni Muslim Islamist groups, some of them linked to Al-Qaeda, have joined mostly Sunni Syrian rebels against the Assad, who belongs to the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.

Terrorist leader Ayoub was arrested in the West Bank in 2000 and spent four years in an Israeli jail before being released as part of a prisoner swap, the sources said. He is a prominent member of Hezbollah and comes from the southern village of Ain Qaana.

He also holds Canadian citizenship and has lived in the United States. The anti-Assad Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that Ayoub had been killed in Syria.

The sources said Ayoub was killed in Nawa, a town in the southern Syrian province of Daraa, the cradle of the Syrian uprising-turned-war in which 160,000 people have been killed.

Iran Executes 2 Iranian-Arab Political Prisoners

Reports indicate that Iran Khomeini regime henchmen have secretly hanged 2 political prisoners who are Arab natives from the southern province of Khuzestan.

Iranian intelligence agents informed the families of Khaled Mousavi and Ali Jebishat on Thursday that they were executed.

Ali Jebishat's brother and son were informed by the Iranian regime's henchmen to go and visit his gravesite in Ramhormoz. The families of both political prisoners were warned by the Mullahs' authorities not to have a large ceremony and that only his immediate family is allowed to visit his gravesite.

Khaled Mousavi and Ali Jebishat were arrested in Nov. 2012 along with number of other youth in Ahwaz. The court found them guilty of 'Moharebeh' (enmity with God), punishable with death.

Earlier this year, Amnesty International issued a statement expressing concern about the fate of these two prisoners and warned of their imminent execution by the Iranian regime.

Four of the UN Human Rights Rapporteurs had also called on the regime to halt their executions. But the criminal Mullahs' regime ignored all pleas and finally executed those two.

Human rights organizations: Iran must stop execution of 33 Sunnis

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other organizations signed a statement calling on Iran to stop the execution of 33 Sunnis. The charges raised against most of these individuals are propaganda against the state, 'corruption on Earth' and 'moharebe' (enmity against God).

In this statement issued on Thursday, June 22nd, it is stated that most of these individuals were arrested in 2009 and 2010 in Iranian Kurdistan, and prior to being prosecuted in court they had been detained in solitary confinement and without access to lawyers, and most probably tortured or held in atrocious conditions.

The intelligence gathered by these organizations indicates these individuals completely deny participation in any armed actions and they are saying the reason for their arrests is their religious beliefs..

How Iran Uses Hezbollah To Hook Arabs On Hard Drugs

The other religion: Why so many young Iranians are hooked on hard drugs Terror, rockets and bombs are not the only commodities imported from Iran by Hezbollah, the Iran's proxy terror networking organization. The Lebanese ally of Ayatollahs primarily earns its profits through drug sales in Latin America, but its activities have been traced across multiple continents. The group combines its drug profits with proceeds from legitimate used-car sales in West Africa. Until it was uncovered by officials, this global money-laundering scheme effectively masked Hezbollah's earnings.

The so-called Islamic Republic has always had its addicts. Its long border with Afghanistan, the world's biggest opium producer which thanks to the country tradition of good religious practice have one of the world low addict. some hold the opinions that - unlike the sound methodologies of religious leaders, especially the Taliban - the Shiite tradition stigma in applying the law against drinking alcohol mean that opium and its derivatives are cheap, strong and readily available. An official youth unemployment rate of 28% and inflation running at 42% a year, both aggravated by American and European economic sanctions, have helped to turn ever more Iranians to hard drugs. According to Iran's own figures, 2m Iranians in a population of 75m are addicted, the world's highest incidence. Most experts put the real figure even higher.

In 2001, international intelligence sources identified Lebanese residents operating for Hezbollah in South America's tri-border area (Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil). The area has become a major source of funding for Hezbollah's terror activities. In October 2008, investigators took down a cocaine smuggling operation in Colombia, noting that ''profits from the sales of drugs went to finance Hezbollah.''

Crack (as Iranians call it), a cheap, highly addictive derivative of heroin unique to Iran, is rife in the poorer quarters of Iran's big cities. Home-produced crystal meth, known as shishe, meaning glass, has also entered the market. It is favoured by many poor and disheartened young men and by many middle-class women trying to stay thin. Last year a member of parliament called for action against beauty and hairdressing salons where meth is peddled to women, who are often unaware what they are buying. A report claimed that courses for teaching people to produce crystal meth at home could be bought for as little as 2-3m rials (then $70-100).

Davarze Ghar, a district south of Tehran's sprawling main bazaar, is one of the capital's most blighted. At its heart is a reservoir, encircled by a shabby park, where groups of men and women huddle together, smoking meth out of glass pipes or openly injecting crack-heroin. Health officials and social workers in the area complain that funds for outreach and rehabilitation programmes have—thanks to sanctions—been frozen.

Yet Iran has some of the world's most go-ahead policies for addressing the problem, with methadone clinics, charities for tackling drug addiction and programmes for needle exchanges. At the same time, dealers are dealt with harshly. Hundreds of smugglers have been hanged and thousands of police officers killed in costly counter-narcotics operations in the past three decades.

It also no longer a religion cover up to highlights a pressing international concern about Nasrallah's men in Lebanon selling drugs throughout the world. The shiite terror group finances its criminal activities using a sophisticated drug-trafficking operation. Despite the world's objections, Hezbollah continues to profit from its drug sales. Stopping its drug trafficking could be a major step toward preventing its global acts of terror.

Hezbollah's drug trafficking remains a major threat to the international community. In recent months, the group has stepped up its activities while political turmoil in Syria, a close ally and funder, has intensified.

In Germany, officials recently arrested two suspects in Frankfurt's airport after linking four Lebanese individuals to nearly 10 million euros in drug profits. Officials accused the suspects of trading drugs and sending the proceeds to relatives directly connected to top Hezbollah officials.

If Iran's new president, Hassan Rohani, can fulfil his promise to reduce youth unemployment and cure Iran of its economic malaise, he may prevent a generation of Iranians from becoming the most addled in the world.

However, the new president has already proven a failure in delivering targets both home and abroad.

Brutalities Of Persian Khomeini Empire Unlimited - Executing More Arabs!

Verily, they ARE Majoos & enemies of Islam: Eid Ghadir, Nowrooz and Omar's death, the Rafidhite holidays!

['Eid Al-Ghadir] is the GREATEST 'EID OF ALLAH ('Eidallah Al-Akbar!). Allah did not sent any of the Prophets except that they CELEBRATED on that day and acknowledged the greatness of this day and the name of it has been mentioned in the heavens and earth. (Wasa'el Al-Shi'a, Vol 1 p 224 [...] یوم غدیر خم افضل اعیاد امتی.

امالی صدوق: 125، ح 8.

The day/'Eid of Ghadir is the MOST SUPERIOR of all Eids of the Ummah [...]

(Amali Sadooq, Vol 8 , p)

2. عن الصادق علیه‌السلام قال: هو عید الله الاکبر،و ما بعث الله نبیا الا و تعید فی هذا الیوم و عرف حرمته و اسمه فی السماء یوم العهد المعهود و فی الارض یوم المیثاق الماخوذ و الجمع المشهود. وسائل الشیعه، 5: 224، ح

On the authority of Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) who said …

more pagan narrations ATTRIBUTED to the Ahl Al-Bayt:

Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a) was asked if there was Eid for Muslims besides Friday, Adha and Fitr. Imam replied, ''Yes, there is one more Eid which is most great in holiness (a'dhamuha hurmatan).'' The person asked him which Eid that was. Imam said: ''It is the day (i.e. Ghadir) when the Messenger of Allah declared the Chief of the Believers (Ali) his vicegerent, saying: ''Of whosoever I am the Mawlaa, 'Ali is also his Mawlaa. And it is the 18th of Dhil-hijjah.''

As for one of the biggest Rafidite Shi'ite lies in history namely that the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (peace be upon him) declared Ali Ibn Abi Talib his vicegerency at Ghadir Khum on his return from his last pilgrimage, then this is nothing but a lie. NONE of the companions of the Messenger and even NON of the Bani Hashim understood Ghadir Khum as the declaration of Ali's Khilafah, not even Ali himself who NEVER (not in a SINGLE authentic narration) used to argue for the sake of his ''divine Imamate'' with Ghadir. To understand the Rafidite deception and the SIMPLE TRUTH about Ghadir, read the following article .

The Rafidite regime and the Rafidite religion prefers the day of Ghadir over the greatest 'Eid of the Muslims which is 'Eid Al-Fitr. Right, they (as usual) have gone into extremes with Ali and his progeny and NOT with the Messenger (both is wrong, but their extremes are not even with the personality of the Prophet!) and thus the y regard the (so called) day of the declaration of Ali's Imamate SUPERIOR than 'Eid Al-Fitr.

Here some news from one of the biggest Shia news websites on the net, namely Shia-News.com (Iranian based). It reports how several grand ''Ayatollahs'' were enraged when they heard of the news that the Iranian gov. wants to extent the holiday of 'Eid Al-Fitr (which is just 2 days off in the so called 'Islamic Republic of Iran'). They demanded that Eid Al-Ghadir must be superior even when it comes to the celebration even when it come to the days off for the holidays.

Shia -News.com reports: ''Ayatollah'' Makaarem Shirazi on his TV show advised the gov. to reduce the days off in the country. He mentioned this after the Iranian gov. increased the days off for 'Eid of Fitr from one to two days.

COMMENT:

Before it was ONE day of in Iran only, yet NOWROOZ the ZOROASTRIAN 'EID is worth TWO weeks off for the Rafidite regime. What about if Mr. Shirazi would have asked for a reduction of all those days and weeks of for the death of countless Imams (including Khomeini!) or a reduction of TWO weeks (actually more it's THIRTEEN days) of the Zoroastrian based holiday! Instead he goes and attacks the TWO days for 'Eid Al-Fitr!

But it even gets worse, even the Zoroastrian 'Eid of Nowrooz has more significance to them than 'Eid Al-Fitr, we have discussed it here.

Certainly these pagans of Qom have changed the religion of Islam to some Sassanian Madhab of Yazgerd just like Ghulam Ahmad has changed HIS version of Islam to some Asian version. There is only one Islam, neither Arabic, Persian nor Asian it is the pure and orthodox Islam of the Ahl Al-Sunnah.

BTW: They have innovated so many 'Eids to Islam, they even got the ''SECOND 'EID Al-GHADIR'' which is the day the Zoroastrian Abu Lo'lo'a had killed the Caliph of the Muslims Omar Ibn Al-Khattab.

TRANSLATION:

'Al-Mu'alla narrates from Imam Al-Sadiq : ''Nowrooz is no other day but the one we [the Ahl Al-Bayt] are awaiting the reappearance [of Al-Mahdi], for it is one of our days that was protected by the Persians and carelessly lost by you.'' ('Al-Du'a' li Al-Imam Al-Zaman', p. 94)

So the Sahaba, their students and their students (i.e. Salaf Al-Saleh) have missed to 'protect' the holy (!) day of Nowrooz, but the Persians managed to protect this so called holy day. Look at their audacity! How dare they ascribe a Zoroastrian holiday to Islam and the Ahl Al-Bayt! Not even the most wicked Islamic has ever dared to ascribe any pre-Islamic pagan Arabic holiday (there were some) to Islam!

This is how portray the Ahl Al-Bayt i.e. Imam Al-Sadiq in the Hadith above! He literally blames the Arabs for having forgotten the Majoosi holiday of Nowrooz! A holiday that was never sanctified in Islam! Look how much Sassanian-Pre-Islamic-Persian customs have infiltrated Shiism, then they wonder why they are being called Majoos!

TRANSLATION:

[Narration attributed to Imam Al-Sadiq who is free of Majoosite Rafidhism]: 'The day of Nowrooz is the day when our Qa'im of Ahl Al-Bayt (Mahdi) and the commanders [of his army] will rise. On that day Allah will make the Dajjaal appear and he will be crucified on the church of Kufa (Iraq)'. (Bihar Al-Anwar by Mulla Baqir Al-Majlisi, vol. 52, p. 308)

Kufa? Crucifiction? NOWROOZ?! We all know that JESUS (peace be upon him) will kill the Dajjaal, not on the holy day of Shiism though, which is NOWROOZ!

All this Majoosiyyah (Zoroastrianism) is so deeply rooted in their sect that they even celebrate Nowrooz in the shrine (waste of gold and other wealth of gullible Shias) of Al-Hussein in Karbala!

In this video you can see Iranian pilgrims in Iraq (whichis basically occupied by Iran with the help of the Americans and Iraqi Shia puppets) celebrating NOWROOZ in next to the shrine of Al-Hussein Ibn Ali in Karbala'. That's what these heretics call 'the Islam of the Ahl Al-Bayt, the true followers of the Sunnah'!

Now if you think that these are maybe some traditional Iranian Shiites who have mixed up their religion (to them Islam) with their cultural traditions then let us disappoint you. Although it is true that many Arab Shias don't celebrate Nowrooz, yet the reality of the Shia sect is that this Persian Majoosi holiday is a PRAISED and ESSENTIAL part of their religion, to such a degree that a number of 'Shiite Hadith' in PRAISE of Nowrooz have been ascribed to the Ahl Al-Bayt and even preferred deeds that one should do on that day!

Sons Of Sunnah in Iran For EsinIslam - The Awqaf London

Four Sunni converts sentenced to imprisonment and mandatory participation in Shia rituals, Iran

Four Sunni converts from Iran's Ahwazi Arab minority were sentenced to imprisonment and compulsory participation in Shia rituals by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court in Ahwaz, after being accused of ''engaging in propaganda against the state's official religion [Shi'ism].''

The men, who had left Shi'ism and converted to Sunni Islam, were detained and transferred to Karoon Prison in Ahwaz after their sentences were confirmed by the Court of Appeals on 15 May 2014.

The men were also sentenced to mandatory participation in Shia rituals, and ''are required to attend Shia mosques and religious places, and to participate and actively engage in their [Shia] religious ceremonies, with the approval of [Shia] community Imams and local authorities, and to report their actions for two years.''

In a worrying move, the court's indictment appeared to criminalize the men's legitimate religious activities and suggested that the 'real purpose' of their activities was to commit 'propaganda'.

According to the indictment, published by the Al Arabiya Farsi news website, the men were accused of ''changing their religion and orienting towards Sunni Islam as well as the Wahhabi sect.''

The Iranian authorities routinely use terms such as 'the Wahhabi sect' and 'Salafism' in a derogatory manner in reference to practicing Sunni Muslims, in an attempt to influence public opinion against them.

The indictment also claimed that the men had ''engaged in propaganda against the state's official religion'' by allegedly forming groups ''under the pretext of holding home meetings to read the Qur'an and holding congregational prayers.''

The indictment further alleged that the men had ''engaged in propaganda'' by ''performing Friday prayers and Eid prayers according to the Sunni method; and [celebrating Eid] at the same time that it was announced in Saudi Arabia.''

The court also cited the discovery of books and leaflets about Sunni Islam, which it claimed ''contained educational materials about the Wahabi sect'', in an attempt to justify their imprisonment.

The four men, Haider Sayahi, Hamed Sayahi, Jafar Sayahi and Tofiq Magtai Zadeh, were arrested last year along with 16 other Sunni converts.

Text from the indictment, as published by the Al Arabiya Farsi news website, has been translated into English below:

''This collection, through changing their religion; orienting towards Sunni Islam as well as the Wahhabi sect; (as mentioned in the sentence); by forming groups and communities in different regions in the city of Ahwaz, especially in the area of Zargan under the pretext of [holding] home meetings to read the Qur'an and holding congregational prayers; performing Friday prayers and Eid prayers [according to] the Sunni method; and [celebrating Eid] at the same time as it was announced in Saudi Arabia; in certain areas, [these individuals] have engaged in propaganda against the official religion of the country, and have created doubts in the people's religious beliefs.''

''According to the Abolfazl al-Abbas security headquarters in Ahwaz, these individuals also communicated with Sunni figures (Salafi as mentioned in the sentence) in the Western provinces of the country such as Kurdistan; others encouraged and persuaded similar acts in other regions; and by supplying books and leaflets containing educational materials about the Wahhabi sect and transferring it to Ahwaz; [these individuals have] engaged in propaganda against the state's official religion.''

''Upon this, the court turns its attention to the numerous intelligence reports and the extensive investigation. Considering the educational sessions and religious ceremonies that were held according to the Sunni method, which implies that it's [real] purpose was propaganda, and also the discovery of relevant books and leaflets, the defendants have been found guilty.''

''And document for the record while sentencing [that in accordance with] Article 500 of [Iranian] Penal Code Act 1996, books and leaflets were discovered as tools to commit a crime, therefore each defendant is to be sentenced to imprisonment for one year.''

''In addition, in accordance with the type of crime committed, the condition and characteristics of the defendants, Article 23 of the [Iranian] Penal Code Act 2009 is cited at sentencing, to prohibit their participation in communication with Salafi and Wahabi elements, and participating in their meetings. [Furthermore,] they are required to attend Shia mosques and religious places, and to participate and actively engage in their [Shia] religious ceremonies, with the approval of [Shia] community Imams and local authorities, and to report their actions for two years.'' Sons Of Sunnah in Iran For EsinIslam - The Awqaf London

More conversions to Sunnism (in Ahwaz) - The impotent Ayatullats see their last chance by forcing people into Shia rituals!

Article taken from sunniprisonersiran.com

We have only bolded and underlinded some parts in this post. Please note that this is not some isolated case. Conversion to Sunni Islam is increasingly common among Ahwazi Arabs and lately even among ethnic Persians from major citiies such as Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan etc.

In this shocking court indictment you can read first-hand how the Iranian authorities attempt to criminalize Sunni religious activities such as holding Qur'an study meetings and performing congregational prayers.

Bizarrely, even celebrating Eid ''at the same time that it was announced in Saudi Arabia'' was mentioned by the court as 'evidence' that the defendants had engaged in ''propaganda'' against the state.

The court's blatant discrimination against the defendants' Sunni beliefs was further illustrated by its decision to sentence the men to obligatory participation in Shia religious rituals.

Also note the court's use of phrases such as 'Wahhabi' and 'Salafi', terms that are commonly used in a derogatory manner by the Iranian authorities in reference to practicing Sunni Muslims.

Iranian Sunnis complain of discrimination The religious minority says they are treated as second-class citizens, but are hopeful for changes under Rouhani.

Farshad Mohammadi

In a recent speech made in Iran's southern city of Bandar Abbas, President Hassan Rouhani asserted that his government has promised equal rights to Shia and Sunni Iranians.

But human rights groups claim that Sunni Muslims' rights are being systematically violated in the Islamic republic. New York-based Human Rights Watch has said Iran's authorities discriminate against Muslim minorities, including Sunnis, limiting their political participation and employment and banning them from building mosques in major cities.

In October 2012, Sunni activists wrote a public letter to Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, calling for an end to discriminatory policies and their lack of civil rights. But the letter went unanswered.

Since his election, Rouhani has claimed to make efforts to improve the situation of Iran's Sunni Muslims, making a statement dedicated to minorities' rights and charging a special assistant to investigate the issue.

Sunni scholar Molavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi told Al Jazeera: "Sunni Muslims in Iran hope for an end to discrimination. Everybody is hopeful Rouhani can fulfil his promises and also implement the constitution and stop illegalities and stop the discrimination."

Rouhani likely had heavy Sunni support in last year's presidential elections. About 85 percent of people living in Sunni areas of Iran participated [Pr] in the polls, and Rouhani received especially high shares of the vote in Sistan and Baluchistan (73.3 percent) and Kurdistan (70.8 percent) - provinces where a large number of Iran's Sunnis live.

Ismaeelzahi said Rouhani's speeches made Sunni Muslims believe they would no longer be treated as second-class citizens. "The most important discrimination against Sunni Muslims in Iran is discrimination in assigning responsibilities to them and employment. Sunni Muslims in Iran have faced this problem since the Islamic revolution."

Approximately 10 percent of Iranians are Sunni, many living in the provinces of Sistan and Baluchistan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Khorasan and Khuzestan. It is also estimated that about one million Sunni Muslims live in Tehran.

But few have government jobs. Mohammad Hussein Gorgi, the Sunni imam of Azadshahr in northern Iran, told Al Jazeera: "Until now, in the ministries and embassies of the Islamic Republic's government, no Sunnis are employed, and they haven't taken any important positions like governor or administrator... it doesn't mean that there's no competent, principled or resourceful people among Sunnis. Rather, it shows the lack of trust towards them."

He added: "But since this government is the government of prudence and hope, we are hopeful that Sunnis will be assigned to important positions."

Iran's Sunnis are also underrepresented on Islamic TV programmes. Iranian Sunnis' public letter to Khamenei stated: "After Iran's Islamic revolution, Sunnis are not allowed to broadcast and express their opinion... even in one TV programme or one provincial media centre. Instead, national media have been free to desecrate... and offend Sunni Muslims."

The presence of radical Sunni groups has increased the government's pressure on Iranian Sunnis. In recent years, armed Sunni groups have launched attacks within Iran's borders. In response to an attack by radical groups last summer, the Iranian government executed 16 Sunni rebels and declared that the action was in response to terrorist attacks. In February, a hardline Sunni group called Jaish-e-Adl took five Iranian soldiers hostage in the border area in Sistan and Baluchistan province.

Sadegh Zibakalam, a political analyst and professor at Tehran University, believes an additional problem is that many Sunnis do not conflate their identity with Iranian national identity. "When the Islamic revolution occurred, if a few surveys had been done, the result would show that Sunnis did not have a serious, obvious identity... they were Sunni, but in the society they were mixed with the Shia majority. Unfortunately, for a lot of reasons, Sunni identity became much more pronounced during these years [following the revolution]."

Zibakalam said the Islamic republic's social and cultural policies spurred Sunnis to develop a stronger sense of self-identity. "The social demands of Sunnis were not met after the revolution. The government's approach meant that Sunnis weren't attracted to the social framework of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

"Everyone should be able to act within the framework of his religion," said Ismaeelzahi. "That's it. It's reasonable and not excessive. We want this to be defined within the framework of the constitution. We believe that if this is achieved, then Iran will achieve national security, national unity and power."

Articles From Al-Jazeera

Iran's war against Sunni Muslims - a letter from Sunni prisoners

Iran's Sunni Muslim minority lives under discrimination in the Shia-dominated country, facing persecution ranging from restrictions on worship to the supression and execution of Sunni preachers. A letter, written on behalf of Sunni prisoners in Rajai Shahr prison, Ghezel Hesar prison and Evin prison, highlights the oppression faced by Sunni activists and preachers living in Iran.

All praise is to God, who does not oppress, and who has forbidden his servants from oppression, and peace and blessings of Allah upon the Prophet, a mercy and compassion, who has brought happiness to mankind.

Since the beginning of the 'Islamic Revolution' in Iran the government's policy has always been to eliminate and suppress their opponents, critics, and even those who own different beliefs. And they have done this against all those who peacefully oppose them. The government would never think of accepting them. They are not [treated like] citizens. And each year, they think of more restrictions, so that it has been proven to all that the minorities are always living under struggles.

Therefore, it is natural that there are a number of people who want to tell the world about the oppression they are under, and want recognition that their [religious, cultural, etc] activities are legitimate.

On the other hand, the government plots to portray them [Sunnis] as illegal and eliminate their movement, at times calling them spies, self-seeking, evil people. To 'prove' their claims, they have puppets of the government who go forward to say that there is no oppression towards minorities. Sometimes they call them terrorists, or say they are a danger to national security. They create scenarios and incidents to make it appear as if they are extremely prevalent in the country, and attribute it to [Sunni] activists. Or in situations where there are incidents where the perpetrator is unknown, through force and torture they blame it on a Sunni activist [eg through forced 'confessions'].

Now if we look at the prisons of Iran, especially Rajai Shahr prison, we will clearly see the effect of these plots. [The government] invented an evil rumor about the young men of Sanandaj, and said that two or three of them had done unbelievable actions. The cost of being associated with [Sanandaj] is that 35 people were sentenced to death.

Or [in the case of] a murder, where the killer was unknown, they accused seven people from Mahabad for it, and they have remained for more than four years without trial.

Or [the case of] an assassination, where the killer was unknown, they accused Shaykh Naghshbandi and those around him of it, and [for it] they sentenced some to death, and sentenced some to long prison sentences and exile.

And this is the way the rulers of Iran eliminate the Sunni youth. One can clearly see that God the most High has exposed to everyone the lies of the government in the case of the prisoners, and even through the documentaries made by the government to justify their oppression, people realized [the truth of the matter].

Now, everyone knows that the government labels anyone in prison as 'bandits' and as being a danger to national security, and they make their documentaries, where they attribute [these things] to them.

In recent events where Iranian border guards have been taken hostage, the Iranian government made a campaign to secure their release and put forward the cases of their families.

Now, the question is, why doesn't the government make a comparison between them and the Sunni prisoners? Is it not necessary to have a similar campaign for the poor and the oppressed? Do they [Sunni prisoners] not have a family, wives, and children? Have they not been removed from their homeland? What did they [Sunni prisoners] say except that they want peace, and a quiet life? [What did they say except that] they want no worries about their people, and to freely promote their own beliefs in their own land? [What did they say except] not to assassinate our leaders, and do not insult our beliefs, and do not attack our youth and our honor, and to remove discrimination and oppression?

Whether these demands are large or not - they are the rights that the Sunnis should have.

Now, at a time when we live under these fanatical and oppressive regimes, they have condemned themselves to destruction or amendment, as the elders and scholars have said that a disbelieving government may remain, but an oppressive one will not.

The whole world has realized the cruelty and deception of this regime, and that not once during these 35 years has there been a serious decision to reform, and that every so often, the claim [of reform] is repeated only to deceive.

Not a single year has passed without adding a black mark to their own record. They arrest and kill Sunni leaders, they destroy and ban people from [Sunni] mosques, expelling Imams, creating fear and intimidation. Now, let you, the free people who stand for freedom, judge the situation.

With thanks,

On behalf of Sunni prisoners in Rajai Shahr prison, Ghezel Hesar prison and Evin prison.

Lebanese president urges Hezbollah to leave Syria

Seyyed Mostafa Husseini Tabatabi is a former Twelver Shiite cleric, based in Tehran, Shemiran district. He is the grandson of the famous 'Ayatollah' Seyyed Mohammad Tabatabai. and his grandfather from his mothers side is the famous 'Ayatollah' Mirza Ahmad Ashtiyani. The young Mostafa managed to have a huge influence on his mother (a daughter of an 'Ayatollah' after all!) and even convince d her to abonden alot of superstitions and deviant Shiite Imamite beliefs that she was brought up with (just he like he himself) all her life.

He entered the Shia religious centre (Hawzah) of Qom and by the age of twenty he received Ijazat (permission) of Ijtihad. Nevertheless he refused to wear the Shia clerical clothing and never wore it to this very day (Al-Hamdulillah). Raised in a religious family he studied Arabic (he mastered Arabic), Fiqh, Usool Al-Fiqh, Hadith, Tafsir, history and Philosophy under his grandfather ('Ayatollah' Mohammad Tabatabai).

Paternal grandfather of Mostafa Tabatabai, 'Ayatollah' Mohammad Tabatabai was one of the leaders of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution

Maternal grandfather of Mostafa Tabatabai was the late 'Ayatollah' Mirza Ahmad Ashtiyani

During his early youth (after the Hawza) he started questioning many Shia beliefs, realising that the Shia (Twelver) sect is infested with numerous heresies and superstitions (all in the name of 'following the Ahl Al-Bayt'), so he decided to combat these Khorafat (superstitions). He particularly stressed the important of Tawheed, friday prayers and other Sunan (plural of Sunnah) that have been almost completely neglected in among twelver Shiites. This is where his real struggle begun, suppression, prosecuation (and even an assasination attempt!) and various accusation ('Wahhabism' etc.) were leveled against him and his friends and brothers in belief, who just like him, started questioning Twelver Shiism and its heretical and superstitious nature and actively and fearlessly combated the heresies that Shia 'Ayatollahs' were propapating among the masses in the name of 'Islam of the Ahl Al-Bayt'.

Ayatollah Abal-Fadhl Al-Borqei was also known as the Idol-Breaker and Ibn Hazm of Persia

Among these friends were were Haidar Ali Qalamdaran (another former Twelver Shiite cleric from Qom who wrote an epic book in refutation of the Shiite Imamite belief, it's available in Arabic and Persian) and the famous Ayatollah Abal-Fadhl Al-Borqei (whom some Shia due to their ignorance question his existence or others, especially Farsi speakers who know they can't just wipe away this reality, claim that Al-Borqei was an ignorant, although he had Ijazat from over a few DOZEN 'Ayatollahs' and Maraji' of his time!) started to question (as an 'Ayatollah'!) his own belief after he encountered the smart and intelligent Mostafa.

Al-Borqei was impressed by Mostafa Tabatabai and according to Borqei's own words, Mostafa once entered Al-Borqei's Mosque in Tehran while Al-Borqei was giving typical Batini-heretical Shia Tafseers. Mostafa Tabatabai had a discussion with Al-Borqei and prove the Shiite Tafseer of Al-Borqei wrong (arguing based on the Arabic languages and other factors. Al-Borqei was so impressed that he acknowledged his fault, and this in return impressed Tabatabai who said that until then he never encountered a Shia scholar who (in public!) let himself be corrected by an 'commoner' (obvsiously Tabatabai was not wearing the clerical clothing).

Mosfata Tabatabai is now in his seventies, since his early twenties he is defending the religion of Islam against Shiite, Christian, Zoroastrian and Atheist heresies (he is an expert in all these fields). Al-Borqei died (a natural death, albeit caused by the injuries he faced when he was shot more than once, in several assassination attempts!) in the late ninetees, nevertheless they never stopped preaching, be it under the Shiite 'Ayatollah' regime or even in the Shah regime, where both used to preach Tawheed in a Mosque (and were thus accused of 'Wahhabism'!). The blind-followers of the heretical 'Ayatollahs' (who feared the truth as the Rabbis of Madinah feared the truth of Islam and Tawheed) were incited more than once (even in the Shah's time!) to disturb and even attack the Tawheed and Tafseer classes of Al-Borqei and Tabatabai. In one incident they (desperate Twelver Shiites) even destroyed a sign that was put up in front of the Masjid (where Al-Borqei and Tabatabai preached) with the Qur'anic verse:
وَأَنَّ الْمَسَــــاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا


''And the places of worship (Masjids/Mosques) are for Allah (alone): So do not invoke anyone beside Allah.'' (Qur'an 72:18)

That was simply to much to bear for them. Ever since he started to oppose Twelver Shiite beliefs, he (just like Borqei and every other Muslim scholar) was known for his speeches about Tawheed (monotheism) and that Allah, the creator must be worshipped alone. He stressed most of his lectures based on the concept of Tawheed (and Tafseer of the Qur'an) and abondened literally every single Shiite Twelver belief that is considered clear-cut heresy according to orthodox Islam. Amongst these beliefs are:

• His rejection of the Shia belief in divine appointment of Imams of the Imams of Ahl Al-Bayt ('Wilayah/Imamah')
• His rejection of the Shia belief in the infallibility ('Isma) of the Imams.
• His rejection of the Shiabelief in Wilayah Al-Takwiniyyah/Tasarruf Al-A'immah (also called Tafwidh, it's the belie that Allah created the Imams and then delegated the ruling of creation and giving sustenance to the universe to them)
• His rejection of the Shia belief of belief in Raj'ah. This is the alien Twelver belief that the Imams of the Ahl Al-Bayt and a number of their enemies will return to this life to rule and be tortured (Abu Bakr, Omar, Aishah etc.!)
• His rejection of the Shia (and extreme Sufi) belief of the concept of Hadhir wa Hadhir (Omnipresence of the Imams i.e. they are All-seeing and All-hearing, based on that Shias call upon their Imams for all sorts of needs).
• His rejection of the Shia belief in the superiority of the Imams over the Prophets
• His rejection of the Shia belief that the Imams (and even Fatimah!) received REVELATION (not just ilham, but revelation in form of books etc.) after the demise of the Final Messenger of Allah (عليه الصلاة و السلام)
• His rejection of the Takfir, Tafsiq and Tabdi (declaring someone a Kafir, wretched and an innovator) of the absolute majority of the Prophet's companions by the Twelver Shia sect and its scholars.
• His rejection of the negative Shia stance towards the absolute majority of the Prophet's companions, especially Abu Bakr, Omar and Othman. He always refers to ALL four Caliphs as Khulafa' Al-Rashideen (the rightly guided Caliphs). Tabatabai defends Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman and Ali and argues that Ali (despite any difference he had with his brothers the Sahaba), he sincerely gave the pledge of allegiance to all Caliphs before him and never believed to be a 'God-chosen' Imam. Tabatabai even wrote a book in defense of the Sahaba called: بین النهرین در روزگار خلفای راشدین (''Between the rivers in the days of the Rightly Guided Caliphs''. This book is all about Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, Ali and Hassan Ibn Ali).
• His rejection of innovated and heretical forms of Tawassul , Istishfa', Istighatha (different forms of (intercession and supplication) etc. such as supplicating directly to saints (Imams, Prophets) as it is common amongst the Twelver Shiites (and other polytheists such as the Catholics, some Sufis etc.). He argues that the Prophet and his Household prayed only to God, directly with no intermediates AND taught others to do so as well (according to Sahih narrations in Shia books). He opposes Shiite and (some extreme) Sufi beliefs alike in regards to this matter.
• His rejection of taking oaths, swearing and slaughtering for others besides Allah (a common Shia Twelver trait)
• His rejection of the reheprensible Shia innovation called Turbah (a piece of clay Shia put their foreheads on during prayer). He wrote an excellent treatise named ''Is prostration on other than soil/earth persmissible?'' (آیا سجده بر غیرزمین جایز است؟) proving the Sunni position right, namely that prayer is allowed on everything that is clean and pure (even if it isn't made of earth) and that the Shiite belief which states that praying on anything which is not made from earth invalids (!) the prayer was never thebelief of the Ahl Al-Bayt, let alone the even stranger and more hideous Shia claim that praying on clay from the soil of Karbala' is actually the preferred Sunnah. He considers the later position clear-cut misguidance.
• His rejection of the 'Ja'fari' Fiqh (of course he - just like all of Ahl Al-Sunnah) doesn't believe that the Rafidi Twelcer sect has got anything to do with Ja'far Al-Sadiq), i.e. the Twelver Imamite Fiqh. Normally he never mentions the Twelver Fiqh position when analysing Fiqh issues, he normally only quotes Sunni schools of taught (not even the Zaydis). This is a clear indication that he doesn't even see any benefit in the Shia Twelver Fiqh (let alone their Aqidah). So Fiqh wise he is closer to the Ahl Al-Sunnah than even the Zaydi Shiites.
• His rejection of the pagan and barbaric Shia self-flagellation rituals and other innovated mourning ceremonies in his treatise ''A statement of truth in regards to impermissible mourning rituals'' (بیان حقیقت دربارة عزاداریهای نامشروع).
• His rejection of the Mut'a (temporay) marriage
• His preference for the Sunni method of Wudhu (ablution)
• His rejection of the heretical Shia belief (in clear-cut opposition to the Qur'an) that friday prayers are not obligatory (some Shia scholars even deem it impermissible until the '12th' Imam appears from his everlasting occultation). He always stressed the importance of the friday prayer and how it is neglected amongst Twelver Shiites (even in Tehran, there is only ONE Friday prayer, which is more like a political theatre than a true spiritual friday prayer according to the Sunnah). He sometimes prayed the friday prayer with two people only (in his house, since the regime prohibited him from preaching in Mosques, let alone having an own Mosque.

Iranian Shia intellectual questions the core of Shiism and the 'Ayatollahs' go nuts!

The situation for reasonable Shiite insides Iran who are tired of the with heresies and superstitions infested sect of Twelver Shiism (which has been condemned throughout centuries by Muslim scholars) is not easy. Criticising the 'Ayatollahs' and certain Shia beliefs and practices alone will get one in huge trouble, let alone declaring openly ones conversion to true Islam (Sunnism) or denouncing the core of Shiism.

A Shia intellectual and scholar, Dr. Seyyed Ali Asghar Gharavi caused a stir when he indicated that the Sunni belief in regards to Ali Ibn Abi Talib (the fourth righteouss Caliph to the Sunnis and first 'infallible' direct successor of the Prophet by the Shiites) is the correct one i.e. that leaders are NOT chosen by God, neither the Shia 'infallibles' nor any other ruler (except the Prophets). Dr. Seyyed Ali Gharavi studied in Iran and Lebanon and holds doctorate in Islamic philosophy. He is from a major religious Shiite family, his father is the late Ayatollah Seyyed Jawad Gharavi who was also known for his reformists thoughts and opposition to many Shiite beliefs, which he (just like his son) considered heretical and superstitious.

Ali Gharavi's father was in fact a friend of Ayatollah Al-Borqei who mentioned him (Ayatollah Borqei) in his autobiography. Ayatollah Jawad Gharavi back in his times was already accused of 'Wahhabism' (merely for speaking against some Shia practices and beilefs he believed to be heresies!), and today it seems to the turn of his son, who has been imprisoned for writing a small academical article on the topic of Imamate.

Bahar published the article that sealed its fate on Oct. 28. In ''Imam Ali, a Political Leader or a Religious Model?'' the writer, Ali Asghar Gharavi, claimed that the religious role of the first Shiite imam was more important than his political role. He wrote, ''He [Ali] is not just the political ruler for a few days of passing power in this world. Ali, more than being the commander of the faithful, is the imam and the role model for humanity.'' The article appeared one day before the innovated 'Eid Al-Ghadeer' in Iran.

Iran on Monday arrested Ali Asghar Gharavi, the author of a controversial article seen by critics as questioning the beliefs of Shiite Islam, a prosecutor general said. ''In regards with the banned newspaper (Bahar), the author of that article was arrested yesterday,'' prosecutor Mohseni Ejeie was quoted as saying by Fars news agency. In late October, the pro-reformist Bahar daily published an opinion piece penned by Gharavi, which drew heavy criticism from the authorities.

Judiciary chief Ayatollah (of course an Ayatollah …) Sadegh Larijani has warned his department will ''act with determination against those who falsify the history and try to undermine the fundamentals of the regime.'' A single article has shaken the thrones of the Shia clergy and their whole belief system and they know very well that their whole existence is based on the heretical Shiite belief called 'Imamate', because with no Imamite, there is no justification for the innovated velayat-e faqih system.

The establishment in Iran is stressing the point that the velayat-e faqih [guardianship of the jurist] is in fact the continuation of the rulership [velayat] of Imam Ali. Knowing this fact, Gharavi still emphasized the point that Imam Ali was more of a spiritual leader than a political one. In other words, he has questioned the position of Ayatollah [Ali] Khamenei as the political leader.'' In one part of the article Gharavi wrote, ''Imam Ali repeatedly mentions in Nahj al-BalaghaI [a book of quotations and sermons attributed to him] that political rule can only be achieved by people voting and paying allegiance.''

But what was the crim of Dr. Gharavi? In his article, Dr. Gharavi mentioned that leaders are appointed through Shura (Quranic Sunni belief) of the people not divinely. He discuses the verses that Shia use to prove the appointment of Ali Ibn Abi Talib and refuted them. His article angered many 'Ayatollahs' who asked the government to punish him and shutdown the newspaper (that's their intellectual strenght when dealing with critics).

426988_478He was arrested on Sunday in Isfahan and transferred to a prison in Tehran. Not only that but even the newspaper, Roznameh Bahar, that published his article has been forced to shutdown. Note that Gharavi did not use any harsh words, let alone profanity, he simply criticised a Shiite belief that is already being criticised for ages by orthodox Muslims (i.e. the Imamite belief), yet instead of discussing with him, his opponents resorted to prosecution and even even shut down a newspaper (because of a single article!)

After his arrests, a few Shia scholars popped out and wrote 'refutations', knowing well that the arrested Gharavi can't defend himself when being put in prison by the very same Mullahs. It is to no suprise that nearly all the other newspapers, TV and radio (which are in the hands of the Mullahs) started a war on Gharavi and repeated the lie that Gharavi 'insulted and disrespected' Shiism, in fact they went so far to speak for the whole nation and accused Gharavi of having insulted the whole Iranian nation (as if all Iranians are Shiites!).

'Ayatollah' Makarem Shirazi and 'Ayatollah' Hamadani are two major Shia Marja's of Iran who literally called for the prosecution of Gharavi and everyone who dares to question Shia beliefs. Makarem Shirazi said (as reported by the state owned FARS news agency):

''نویسنده گستاخ در این روزنامه حرف‌های بسیار زشتی نوشته بود، روزنامه توقیف شده است ولی نباید به این هم قناعت شود.''

'The 'Gustakh' (Persian religious term, referring to people who do not give due respect to religious sanctities) author of this (Bahar) newspaper uttered very terrible words in and (thus) the newspaper has been shut down, but we shouldn't be satisfied with that (this is not enough).' He further said ''Some people shouldn't think that since there is a new government they can say anything they want''.

Another frightened 'Ayatollah':

'Ayatollah' Hossein Nouri Hamedani, who has a substantial following as a marja - source of emulation - joined in the condemnation of the article, asking (as reported by Qomnew.ir),

''Why should a newspaper permit itself the temerity and audacity to insult and malign sacred religious beliefs, the Ghadeer, the imamat, and the guardianship [of the supreme leader]?''

Arresting someone for criticising Shiism (in an academic article) and shutting down the entire newspaper is not enough to this 'Ayatollah', he wants more prosecution, probably to intimidate futures 'Gustakhs'. Shia are so proud that Iran is majority Shia, of course it's gonna be majority Shia if doubting the Imamite belief itself in a respectable way will get you into so much trouble.

The shutting of the paper is an unlawful and unethical measure especially when the newspaper even released an apology and three refutations of Mr. Gharavi's article. This did not stop the Iranian regime and the Shia clergy to prosecute everyone who was involved in the release of a single article, most probably to give out a message for future thinkers, of how the Shia clergy will deal with those who dare to question the Shia creed.

Mr. Gharavi's article did not contain religious insults or slander, or even negate the necessities of religion, to deserve being labeled criminal and be banned. It is noteworthy that the article was written by a Shiite. Even if we suppose that it may have been written by a Sunni person then how does one reconcile the fact that just a few months ago, prior to the June presidential elections, the sitting president had gone to the Sunni provinces of Iran to get the votes of this 10-15+ percent minority and support in the June elections and through this act recognized their civil rights while the right of the Sunnis to express their thoughts and opinions through an article results in the closure of the newspaper where it was published?

Some government officials who tried to rationalize the malicious closure of Bahar and stamp it as a peaceful act have said such articles incited the religious and sectarian differences. But a close look at what has been happening to the Sunnis reveals the source of the differences and conflicts: They do not have the right to have their own mosque in the capital of their own province and they face layers of political and security restrictions! It is these discriminatory and insulting acts that fuel religious and sectarian differences and not the publication of an article that happens to be different from the official Shiite narrative.

There are so many resemblances between Shiism and Catholicism - especially the clerical caste, saint worship etc. - that one shouldn't be really suprised that the Shia clergy act similar to the medieval Catholic priests and church who suppressed their opponents within the Catholic church in the name of Inquisition i.e. combating heresy, a scenario quite similar to what Shia thinkers and reformists face in Iran today.

For a Muslim, there is no doubt that the Catholic church is based on the essence of heresies and those Christian reformers in the medieval times who tried to purify it (from at least some heresies) were no doubt closer to the truth and original Christianity than the Catholic church who (according to Islam) distorted the true message of Jesus (peace be upon) much more than the protestants for example.

The situation of Shia reformists in Iran is quite similar (and there are many in Iran, not just Gharavi who happen to be a known Shia intellectual in Iran, Isfahan), for they too are the real victims and real reformers who have realised and acknowledged that the current Shia twelver sect is nothing but a sect infiltrated with the most hideous heresies and innovations. They too are being suppressed and silenced by the (Shia) clergy who are in fact the true propagators of heresies (just as the Catholic church) even if they claim to combat heresies (just as the Catholic church). They too are being thrown into the dungeons of the Shia church for merely writing academical articles in refutation of Shia Twelver beliefs whom they believe (just as the Sunnis) of not being the true beliefs of the Shias (supporters) of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, in this case, the belief in the 'Imamate/Wilayah' of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (upon which many other misguided Shia bliefs, including the Takfir of the Prophet's companions are based upon).

Throwing Mr. Gharavi into the dungeons of the regime and THEN releasing some 'rebuttals' by a number of Shia scholars is an easy task (how shall someone reply from his cell anyway, where he is most like being terrorised and tormented for questioning Shiism?!) and apparently in accordance to the Shia religion, as for Islam, it even encourages the discussion with non-Muslims (let alone Muslims):

Say: ''O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah.'' If then they turn back, say ye: ''Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah's Will).

Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided. (Qur'an, 16:125)

Refuting, discussing and arguing (in the best manner) is what Islam teaches and encourages (for the educated, not laymen) even with the Christians and Jews, let alone with fellow Muslims. The Safavids of today are only exposing themselves and proving their desperation if they deal so harsh with a single academical article. They are only proving that they are no different to their mass-murdering forefathers, who (by force and mass-executions) turned a majority Sunni Persia into Rafidi Persia with similar methods.

During the Safavid era, after a genocide of the Sunni population of Khorasan/Persia, Shah Ismail (the Safavid) arrested the Sunni Mufti of these lands, the Allamah Taftazani, and urged him (Taftazani) to leave Sunnism and embrace Shiism. Taftazani gave a condition. He said that Shah Ismail should bring his Shia scholars, and if they can refute him (Taftazani) then he is ready to become a Shiite, but if he (Taftazani) refutes them, then they (including Shah Ismail) have to become Sunnis. Shah Ismail consulted with the Shia scholars but they refused and said: ''There is no discussion with these people''. Thereupon Shah Ismail ordered the worst form of execution for Taftazani (and other Sunni scholars).

('Tarikh Rashidi', page 367-368, by Mirza Mohammad Haidar)

This is why Mohammad Aref Espanagheshi (Iranian historian) writes: ''Every Sunni scholar in those times (Safavid era) who challenged the Shia scholars for debates and discussion was facing execution. This is why some Sunni scholar kept silent (did not speak out) and other left the country.''

('Inqilab Al-Islam bain Al-Khawaas wa Al-Awaam', page 48 by Mohammad Aref Espanagheshi)

And today, the descendants of the Safavids, the 'Ayatollahs' also claim to be upon the truth and the religion of Islam and Ahl Al-Bayt, yet the way they deal with their opponents WITHIN themselves is not much different to the classical Safavids, except that ordering mass-executions of Sunni scholars and Shias who question Shiism are not as easy today as back then. Nevertheless, as we can see in the case of Mr. Gharavi, the 'Ayatollahs' try everything to suppress the voice of any opposition, they are in fact afraid of an awakening amongst the Shias of Iran. Yes, an awakening, and it is not an exaggeration to claim so, for what is going behind the scenes is much bigger than most of us (particularly non Persian speaking ones) could have ever imagines. Ali Asghar Gharavi is NOT an isolated case (as been mentioned before), Iran is full of his likes, who try to reform Shiism from within (some leaving it completely, others opposing literally every heresy and superstition that Shia scholars today propagate as the 'school of thought of Ahl Al-Bayt'. Amongst them are the likes of Ahmad Kasravi, Musa Al-Musawi (Iranian), Ahmad Al-Katib (Iraqi of Iranian origin),Ustad Qalamdaran, Ayatollah Al-Borqei (Iranian), Mostafa Husseini Tabatabai (Iranian), Shaykh Al-Muayyad (Iraqi) and many others.

Here his article that has shaken the thrones of the Rafidi Shia Mullahs

(That's a translation of just some of his points, i.e. not the complete translation of the original article):

This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion. [Maida:3]

- The verses before and after shows that Allah (swt) gives the Prophet (saw) the responsibility to convey the message, nothing should stop him from doing his job and He shouldn't worry about the opposition from the disbelievers. From the way and style of the verse it becomes clear that the ''completion of favor'' is the divine revelation (Quran) and Islam. Meaning, now that revelation has been conveyed to the people without any defects, the favor has been completed.

- If the verse ''Convey that which we have revealed upon you'' [Madia: 67] was about introducing Ali (as) for caliphate, Allah would have mentioned it clearly right here in the verse. Allah is wise.

- Ali (as) himself in Nahj al-Balagha emphasize that a political government comes through Bayah and vote. For example Amir al-Muminin says to Muawiah in letter 6 of Nahj al-Balagha:
Verily, the people who payed allegiance to Abu Bakr, Omar and Othman, have payed allegiance to me based on the same principles as the allegiance to them. So anyone who was present has no right to go against his pledge of allegiance, and anyone who was absent has no right to oppose it. And verily Shura (consultation) is only the right of the Muhajirs and the Ansar. So if they decide upon a man and declare him their Imam, then it is with the pleasure of Allah.
The words of Ali clearly shows that caliphate is not something divine, rather the political successors of the Prophet (saw) must be appointed through people.

- Ali (as) never talks about his divine appointment and his appointment by the Prophet (saw). Even when he wants to defend his right for caliphate, he emphasizes on his merits and his suitabilities and informs the people about these points so that they don't make mistake in appointing their leader. In entire sermons of Nahjul Balagha ''awareness and selection (of leader)'' is so clear that it leaves no doubt what opinion of Ali (as) was about a government.

- The behavior of Ali (as) towards the three caliphs especially Abu bakr and Omar, as mentioned in many history books, clearly shows that he didn't consider them to be people who would disobey the command of the Prophet (saw) and usurp the government. The cooperation of Ali (as) with Khulafa, which he himself have mentioned many times is so compassionate that leaves no room for doubt.

For example in the book al-Gharat al-Thaqafi Shi'i Amir al-muminin Ali (as) says: ''When the Prophet (saw) completed his mission, Allah took him from this world, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, then the Muslims appointed two worthy men (Abu Bakr and Omar) as his successors and those two leaders acted upon the book and the Sunnah and did not deviate from the Sunnah and ways of the Prophet (saw). Then Allah took their souls. May Allah have mercy on them.''

- If Amir al-Muminin was divinely appointed after the Prophet (saw), would his courage stop him to unleash his sword to implement the order and justice of Allah? Was it not expected from the gate of knowledge to explain the truth in time when needed?

…and the article continues.

Lebanese president urges Hezbollah to leave Syria

A commander from Iran's Revolutionary Guards has been killed in Syria, media said Saturday, a disclosure that runs counter to Tehran's insistence it is not fighting alongside President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Reports that Abdollah Eskandari died while fighting the Muslims at a Shiite shrine emerged earlier this week but neither the elite military unit nor Iran's foreign ministry have passed comment.

Abdollah Eskandari had travelled to Syria, allegedly to fight around the Sayyida Zeinab shrine in Damascus, a Shiite center of pilgrimage, Iranian news website Payvand reported.

Hardline Iranian news website Rajanews reported that Eskandari had been ''martyred'' on May 26, while other sources state that he was killed on May 22. His body has not been returned to Iran, reports said.

Syrian news websites circulated a photo of a young man holding what was purportedly Eskandari's decapitated head in his hand.

However, the Fars news agency reported that a funeral service would be held for the commander Sunday in the city of Shiraz.

Since the conflict's outbreak in March 2011, Iran has provided Damascus with intelligence, material and military advisers.

But Iran insists it has never sent combat troops to Syria, rejecting such claims made by mostly Sunni rebels fighting to overthrow Assad.

Despite the denials, Iranian media occasionally reports the deaths of Iranian volunteer fighters killed in Syria.

Among them was Guards commander Mohammad Jamali Paqale who was killed in November while "defending" the Shiite holy site of Zeinab shrine in Damascus.

Ongoing deaths

Eskandari is one of more than a dozen individuals from Iran who have been killed participating in the three-year-long conflict, according to Iranian media, some with the sole purpose of defending the shrine, which sits outside the war-wracked nation's capital.

Radio Zamaneh, a Netherlands based radio station, reported that over 60 Revolutionary Guards officers have been killed in Syria since 2011.

Iranian officials continually reject accusations that their government is sending military forces to Syria to prop up embattled President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

As a key ally of Syria, Iran says it provides Damascus with military and financial support.

However, Iranian media from time to time report the deaths of Iranian volunteer fighters there.

Earlier this month, U.S. newspaper the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran's Revolutionary Guards was offering Iranian residency and $500 monthly stipends to thousands of Afghans to fight Syrian rebels - claims dismissed ''completely unfounded'' by Iran's foreign ministry, according to Agence France-Presse.

''The claim of the U.S. paper is completely unfounded and is aimed at damaging Iran's reputation in Afghanistan,'' foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said in a statement carried by Iranian media.

Syria Islamist fighters the Islamic Front bomb tunnel, kill 20

Islamist rebels, who planted explosives in a tunnel under the Syrian's army position in Aleppo, have killed at least 20 regime soldiers and pro-regime militia on Saturday, Agence France-Presse reported a monitor as saying.

''Islamist rebels detonated a tunnel near the Zahrawi market in the Old City of Aleppo, killing at least 20 army soldiers and pro-regime militiamen,'' according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, quoted by AFP.

The attack was claimed by the Islamic Front, Syria's largest rebel alliance, which counts as its members thousands of fighters across the war-torn country.

The Front posted a link to a video on its Twitter account, showing a huge blast throwing a massive cloud of debris up into the air.

The Old City is a flashpoint area that sees daily fighting, and the army has set up multiple positions there.

The historic Old City area has also seen horrific violence ever since a major rebel offensive on Aleppo in July 2012.

Fighting after the bombing

After the explosion, fighting broke out, leaving at least one rebel killed, said the UK-based Observatory.

In recent weeks, the Islamic Front has frequently used tunnels to plant massive amounts of explosives beneath army positions.

The tactic has been used mainly in Aleppo and neighboring Idlib provinces.

The latest blast came a day after the Observatory said some 2,000 people have been killed since January in regime bombing of rebel-held areas of Aleppo city and nearby towns and villages.

Syria's war has killed more than 162,000 people, and forced nearly half the population to flee their homes.

Lebanese president urges Hezbollah to leave Syria

Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman on Saturday urged Hezbollah to withdraw its forces from Syria to avoid future repercussions on the tiny Arab state that suffered through 15 years of its own civil war.

Suleiman made his comments in the mountain village of Brih during a ceremony on reconciliation between the Druze and Christian community in the area that witnessed deadly sectarian violence during Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war.

"I appeal for the return to Lebanon and to withdraw from neighboring arenas to avoid future repercussions on Lebanon," said Suleiman, a critic of Hezbollah backing Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces.

Hezbollah, which openly joined the battles in Syria last year, is not likely to abide by Suleiman's call. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah has vowed to keep his fighters in Syria as long as needed to shore up Assad's struggle against Syria's rebels.

The Hezbollah fighters have been instrumental to Assad's success on the battlefield, and support from the Iranian-backed group appears to have tipped the balance into the government's favor - especially in areas on the border with Lebanon and near the Syrian capital of Damascus.

Suleiman's comments came a week before his six-year term ends.

Meanwhile in Syria, members of al-Qaida breakaway group called the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant beheaded a local rebel commander of a rival group, activists said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the Ahrar al-Sham commander known as Abu al-Miqdam went missing four days ago. It said the man was found beheaded Friday in the central province of Hama.

Many rebels referred to Abu al-Miqdam as the "tank sniper" for his role in firing rockets at Syrian army tanks, according to opposition websites.

The Islamic State and rival Islamic groups including Ahrar al-Sham have been fighting each other in northern and eastern Syria since January. Activists say the internal fighting killed more than 6,000 people.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned a cut in water supplies in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo that he said has deprived at least 2.5 million people of access to potable water. In a statement released by his office late Friday, Ban noted that denying civilians essential supplies is a breach of international and humanitarian law.

Rebels from the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front shut down the main water pumping station in Aleppo, Syria's largest city, nearly two weeks ago to punish civilians living on the government-controlled side of the divided metropolis, the Observatory's Rami Abdurrahman said.

Abdurrahman, whose group collects information from activists inside Syria, said that the Nusra Front has tried to restart the water station, but that supplies are erratic and remain largely cut.

"They don't have specialists to deal with the pumps, and they've damaged the station," Abdurrahman said. "They've tried to resume pumping. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The water comes and goes, but until now it's not flowing as usual."

Some residents have resorted to drinking polluted well water distributed in buckets and plastic jerry cans.

Can Iran's ideal vision become a reality? The phase of absurd tension which lasted for three decades and which neither the Arabs nor the Iranians benefited from

By Abdulrahman al-Rashed

The important op-ed written by Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and published in Asharq al-Awsat on Thursday is worthy of reading and as a topic of discussion.

In the article, Zarif said that Iran's presidential elections provided a unique opportunity to resolve the nuclear issue but that the neighbors - i.e. the Gulf countries - have, unlike the rest of the world, voiced their concern that reconciliation may be reached at their expense. The minister insisted on stating that despite negotiations with the West, his country's priority, in terms of foreign relations, is the Gulf States.

There is one sentence that can be interpreted differently, however: "Unrest in the region proved that no country can live isolated and that luxury cannot be attained at the expense of others' poverty and security cannot be achieved at the expense of others' insecurity .We either win together or lose together."

We must recall when Western warships arrived in the region in these massive numbers. This started at the beginning of Tehran's confrontation with the U.S. and after Iran targeted Kuwaiti oil tankers


He suggested a plan, saying: "The core of any regional comprehensive arrangements must be limited to the eight coastal countries. Adding any other country will increase [the number] of complicated issues. This will overshadow the region's current problems and will further complicate [issues]."

He warned that "the presence of foreign forces have throughout history led to domestic instability in the host countries. It also increased tension between the [latter] countries and other regional countries."
Must we read between the lines or does the headline say it all?

A perfect vision

As a writer, there isn't much that I disagree with him on. It's a perfect and realistic vision. The problem will appear when this vision is interpreted by different parties. No one wants Iran to produce one million barrels of oil per day while others are producing 10 millions. But Tehran is to be blamed for this because its weakness is a result of its former decisions to oppose the West which owns the technology, the money and the market. Its weakness has nothing to do with the Gulf. Iran's poverty is also a result of its policies which reflect the nature of its revolutionary rhetoric as it is more concerned with military structuring and foreign political activity.

Unlike Iran, the luxury of the Arab Gulf is a result of governmental policies which are less interested in foreign adventures. This is what Iraq's Saddam Hussein failed to understand. He thought that attacking Iran in the 1980s and invading Kuwait in the 1990s would provide him with the power and revenues he needed.

Zarif's suggestion of an arrangement limited to eight countries - that is the six Arab Gulf countries in addition to Iraq and Iran - should be the logical result reached when Iran proves that it has really stopped inciting unrest against countries like Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Unless the latter is proven, what Zarif is practically suggesting is a mere council which Iran, along with its ally, Iraq, has control over. Arrangements will only yield a trusteeship council and that will be impossible to accept.

We agree with him on his rejection of the presence of foreign powers and his warning that this is a source of unrest. But we must recall when Western warships arrived in the region in these massive numbers. This started at the beginning of Tehran's confrontation with the U.S. and after Iran targeted Kuwaiti oil tankers to drown them and thus forced Kuwait to resort to the American navy for help. It began after Iran's attempt to violate Saudi airspace in the 1980s and following the explosions in Khobar, then Riyadh and then Manama and after Iran's occupation of UAE's islands in the 1990s.

It's a long story, your Excellency. Despite that, you and your new president may be the ones to launch a new history with your neighbors and thus end the phase of absurd tension which lasted for three decades and which neither the Arabs nor the Iranians benefitted from.

This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on Nov. 24, 2013.

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40-year-old Sunni prisoner beaten in front of other prisoners and transferred to new ward, Bandar Abbas, Iran

A Sunni prisoner of conscience, 40-year-old Ahmad Mohammadi, was beaten by prison guards in front of fellow prisoners at Bandar Abbas Central prison, southern Iran.

According to reports, prison guards raided the ward without explanation and began beating Ahmad Mohammadi, as prisoners looked on in shock.

According to the human rights group 'HRDAI', the guards inflicted a number of injuries on Ahmad. He was handcuffed and shackled, before being transferred to section 2 of Bandar Abbas prison.

Ahmad Mohammadi is from Qeshm Island, an island with a Sunni-majority population, located off the southern coast of Iran.

He was arrested in a raid in 2011, by officials from the Ministry of Intelligence. After several months in solitary confinement, under physical and psychological torture, he was forced to make false confessions.

He was detained for more than a year in Gohardasht prison in Karaj (also known as Rajai Shahr prison), before being transferred to Bandar Abbas Central prison, where he is currently being held in ward 2.

Numerous Sunni Muslims, especially those active in propagating Sunni Islam, have been imprisoned and even executed under false charges in politically motivated trials.

In 2011, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) stated that "Sunni Muslim leaders regularly are intimidated and harassed by intelligence and security services and report widespread official discrimination."

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A letter on behalf of our respected brother, Timor Naderi Zadeh, awaiting execution, Iran

Timor Naderi Zadeh, awaiting execution, Iran This is a letter written on behalf of our respected Sunni brother, Timor Naderi Zadeh, awaiting execution in Rajai Shahr prison, Karaj, Iran. The letter is from a trusted source, who can not be named due to security reasons.

(Original letter in Farsi at the end of this article)

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful,

Timor Naderi Zadeh worked as a farmer. At the age of 45, on June 8, 2010, he was arrested whilst he was at work on his farm.

He was kept in solitary confinement in the Intelligence agencies in Sanandaj and Zanjan. Throughout this time, despite being under physical and mental torture, he did not give in to the interrogators demands to make a false 'confession'.

It is important to note, that Timor had two sons. The first, [Irfan Naderi Zadeh] who was born in 1991, was arrested when he was 19 years old. He is currently [with his father] in Rajai Shahr prison.

Whenever he sees his father, the son's heart is pained, but what can he do, he is also held captive by the Iranian regime.

And likewise, when the father [Timor] sees his son, he is grieved, as by now his son would have been in college, and the father would have loved to see him progress.

But, alas, the Iranian regime wants to destroy the youth of the Sunnis, and will never give permission for them to progress.

Additionally, Timor's son-in-law [Ibrahim Moradi] was killed by the Iranian regime, and after his death his child [called Abdul-Rahman] was born.

The boy never saw his father.

The only way the boy knows his grandfather is as a voice on the phone, when Timor calls and speaks to his grandson, Abdul-Rahman.

Abdul-Rahman, who is now four years old, [talks] with a sweet [innocent] tongue.

Abdul-Rahman, with his childish language and his childlike heart, has the thought that one day his grandfather will return.

When he speaks to his grandfather, he says, "When you return can you buy me a bike, and can you buy me a car, and can you buy me such and such.."

And with a desolate heart the grandfather replies, "okay, Abdul-Rahman my beloved, okay."

Abdul-Rahman is unaware of those who killed his father, and he has been deprived from paternal love. This time, the case of his grandfather has been decided, and the name of his grandfather has been drawn [like a lottery].

Abdul-Rahman has never met his father and did not have paternal love. This time, they [even] want to take the voice away that he only hears on the phone, as it is customary for them to disconnect the [Sunni] Muslim people.

Pray for Abdul-Rahman; Abdul-Rahman who has never seen his grandfather, Abdul-Rahman, who, for him, 'father' is a strange word, and if [he hears] someone calling their father he wonders who is his father.

Pray that Abdul-Rahman is at least not deprived from his grandfather's love, and to fill the vacancy left by his father.

This family is one of hundreds of traditional families that are being torn apart by the Iranian regime.

Timor Naderi Zadeh was sentenced to death in Iran, with two other Sunni men, after being accused of supporting Salafi groups - a 'crime' which the Iranian regime claims is 'Moharabeh' (enmity against God).

However, a source told HRA News Agency, "it is believed that [their] arrest and death sentence is because they were promoting [Sunni] Islam."

Actively spreading Sunni Islam can be dangerous in Iran, a Shia-ruled country, where ethnic and religious minorities face discrimination and persecution.

Many Sunni scholars and students of knowledge have been imprisoned and even executed after unfair trials using 'confessions' obtained through torture.

"He spent two months in solitary confinement in Sanandaj Intelligence Agency, and [also] spent 12 months in solitary confinement in the Information Administration in Zanjan," a source told HRA News Agency, "[he was] then transferred to Rajai Shahr prison."

The men are now awaiting execution in Rajai Shahr prison, Karaj.

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Six Sunni prisoners awaiting execution in Iran have been transferred from solitary confinement to a new ward

Six Sunni political prisoners have been transferred to ward 350 of Evin prison, Tehran, after being held for more than a month in solitary confinement in ward 240 of the prison. They had been on hunger strike for more than two weeks.

They had been held under intense pressure whilst in solitary confinement.

Prison guards psychologically tortured one of the prisoners, Shahram Ahmadi, by simulating his execution on a number of occasions.

He was also only given one meal in the morning, and forced to remain hungry until the following day.

Sheikh Kaveh Vaisi and Mokhtar Rahimi were also held under psychological pressure, and had been kept in their solitary cells for 24-hours a day. They had not been allowed to use the shower or get fresh air.

There is still no news on the conditions the remaining men were kept in, but it is likely that they were forced to endure the same treatment.

The six men are now being held in ward 350, which houses political prisoners.

The families of the men are growing increasing worried that their death sentence will be implemented soon.

A source told the HRA News Agency, "each of the six people are facing execution. Their families are worried that after the [Islamic calendar] month of Muharram ends, their death sentence will be implemented."

The Islamic calendar month of Muharram ends in early December, 2013. Last year, six Sunni prisoners were hanged at the end of Muharram in Ghezel Hesar prison, Karaj.

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UPDATE: Concerns growing for six Sunni prisoners awaiting execution in solitary confinement, sixteen days of hunger strike, Iran

Concerns are growing for six Sunni prisoners awaiting execution in Evin prison, Tehran. They have been in solitary confinement for over a month, and are under extreme pressure and psychological torture.

The six men, Sheikh Kaveh Vaisi, Mokhtar Rahimi, Kaveh Sharifi, Shahram Ahmadi, Talib Malaki and Behrouz Shah Nazari have been on hunger strike for the past sixteen days.

The families of the men are growing increasing worried that their death sentence will be implemented soon.

A source told the HRA News Agency, "each of the six people are facing execution. Their families are worried that after the [Islamic calendar] month of Muharram ends, their death sentence will be implemented."

The Islamic calendar month of Muharram ends in early December, 2013. Last year, six Sunni prisoners were hanged at the end of Muharram in Ghezel Hesar prison, Karaj.

"Since their transfer, so far they have only been allowed to make one telephone call," he said.

"When they tried to talk about the bad conditions in the prison, the telephone line was disconnected," he said.

The men have been detained for more than a month in solitary confinement in ward 240 of Evin prison, which is run by the Ministry of Intelligence.

These wards are used as interrogation and detention wards for 'security' suspects. By operating outside the control of the prison authorities, the Ministry of Intelligence is able to operate without any concern for the law. The wards are notorious due to allegations of torture and unauthorized detention.

Prison guards psychologically tortured one of the prisoners, Shahram Ahmadi, by simulating his execution on a number of occasions.

He was told that he would be executed, and was taken to the execution ground and made to believe that he was about to be hanged. The prison guards did this a number of times.

He was also only given one meal in the morning, and forced to remain hungry until the following day.

Sheikh Kaveh Vaisi and Mokhtar Rahimi were also held under psychological pressure, and had been kept in their solitary cells for 24-hours a day. They had not been allowed to use the shower or get fresh air.

There is no information on the conditions faced by the remaining three prisoners, but it is highly likely that they are suffering similar treatment.

These brothers are respected Sunni scholars and students of knowledge, many of them have memorized the entire Qur'an and are highly knowledgeable about Islam.

Those who actively propagate Sunni teachings in the Shia-dominated Iran face persecution and imprisonment. Many prominent Sunni activists and scholars have been imprisoned and, especially those who criticize the regime, many have been executed.

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Sunni political prisoner awaiting execution is denied medical treatment after suffering multiple asthma attacks, Iran

Arash Sharifi, Sunni political prisoner awaiting execution, Iran

Arash Sharifi, a Sunni political prisoner awaiting execution in Iran, has been denied medical treatment after suffering multiple asthma attacks.

Arash, who is 24-years old, is currently held at Kashan Central prison, Kashan. According to reports, the prison authorities have refused to give him medical treatment.

One of his relatives told the HRA News Agency, "[Arash] has become ill, and he suffers from chronic asthma with severe asthma attacks,"

"These days in Kashan prison, he had multiple asthma attacks, and was suffocating, but the authorities did nothing to treat him and they have not transferred him to the medical center," he said.

"The environment in Kashan Central prison is extremely polluted," he said, "and the allergens are causing the [asthma] attacks."

The symptoms of asthma can usually be easily managed through the use of medication. However, if left untreated, an asthma attack can be life-threatening.

The refusal of the authorities to provide medical treatment to Arash highlights the ongoing mistreatment and neglect faced by Sunni political prisoners in Iran.

Arash was arrested in October 20011, and was held for 12 months in solitary confinement in the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj. He was severely tortured using various methods, including floggings and electrocution.

He was sentenced to death in September 2013, by judge Mohammad Moghisseh, in branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary court.

Arash was accused of association with Salafi groups, and was sentenced to death under the charge of 'Moharabeh' (enmity).

A Sunni Muslim, he was active in practicing Sunni Islam and in preaching his views. His older brother, Kaveh Sharifi, is also facing execution after spreading the teachings of Sunni Islam.

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Profile: Barzan Nasrollah Zadeh, awaiting execution, Iran

This is our Sunni brother Barzan Nasrollah Zadeh, awaiting execution, Iran.

He was shot and arrested by Iranian Intelligence agents whilst on his way home from school in 2010.

He suffered a serious bullet-wound to his abdomen. Despite the severity of his injuries, he was only admitted to the local hospital for one hour, before being transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj.

Due to the deliberate medical negligence by the Iranian authorities, Barzan suffered permanent, life-long damage. The extent of his injuries were so severe that he lost his entire spleen.

Barzan was only 17 years old at the time of his arrest. Although he was suffering from serious injuries, he was tortured mercilessly whilst in detention. He was held in solitary confinement for 18 months.

Due to his young age, the interrogators also psychologically tormented him by forcing him to watch the torture of other detainees in the Intelligence Agency.

Under intense physical and psychological pressure, he was forced to make a forced video 'confession', where he 'admitted' that he had been in contact with Salafi groups.

It was for this 'crime' that he and two other men, Farshid Nasseri and Timor Naderi Zadeh, were sentenced to death for 'Moharabeh' (enmity against the state).

Barzan was still in education when he was arrested, and although he was young, he was active in teaching people about Sunni Islam.

Those who actively propagate Sunni teachings in the Shia-dominated Iran face persecution and imprisonment. Many prominent Sunni activists and scholars have been imprisoned and, especially those who criticize the regime, many have been executed.

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Timor Naderi Zadeh - sentenced to death, Iran

Timor Naderi Zadeh was sentenced to death in Iran, with two other Sunni men, after being accused of supporting Salafi groups - a 'crime' which the Iranian regime claims is 'Moharabeh' (enmity against God).

However, a source told HRA News Agency, "it is believed that [their] arrest and death sentence is because they were promoting [Sunni] Islam."

Actively spreading Sunni Islam can be dangerous in Iran, a Shia-ruled country, where ethnic and religious minorities face discrimination and persecution.

Many Sunni scholars and students of knowledge have been imprisoned and even executed after unfair trials using 'confessions' obtained through torture.

"He spent two months in solitary confinement in Sanandaj Intelligence Agency, and [also] spent 12 months in solitary confinement in the Information Administration Branch," a source told HRA News Agency, "[he was] then transferred to Rajai Shahr prison."

The men are now awaiting execution in Rajai Shahr prison, Karaj.

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URGENT - Sunni political prisoner collapsed in prison, officials refused to send him to the prison infirmary, Iran

Hamed Ahmadi, a Sunni prisoner of conscience awaiting execution in Iran, collapsed and fell unconscious on Monday in Ghezel Hesar prison, Karaj.

According to reports, prison officials refused to take him to the prison infirmary.

Hamed, who has been on hunger strike since November 4th, 2013, was said to be in a serious condition. His health had been deteriorating due to internal bleeding from the stomach and injuries caused by being beaten by prison guards, coupled with the effects of the hunger strike.

Hamed and five other prisoners began a hunger strike on November 4th 2013, to protest against the news that they would be transferred to a new ward. There were fears the transfer was in preparation for their execution.

They were violently moved to solitary confinement on Wednesday 6th November, and suffered injuries when they were beaten by guards.

One of the men, Syed Hadi Hosseini, was transferred back to section 4, Unit 3 of the prison, after his health deteriorated rapidly due to suffering from seizures.

In recent days, the remaining five men were transferred to a new section of the prison, where they remained on hunger strike.

According to reports, there is increasing concern that the men will be executed soon. The six prisoners were all scheduled to be executed in September this year.

Their execution was postponed for a month by the authorities, and they are now once again in danger of execution.

A source told HRA News Agency , "officials from the Ministry of Intelligence informed [the families] that the death sentences for the six men was binding, and would be implemented soon."

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UPDATE: Seven Sunni prisoners of conscience face continued uncertainty about their case, Iran

Seven Sunni prisoners, Davud Abdullahi, Khosro Besharat, Kamran Sheikha, Mamousta (Sheikh) Farhad Salimi, Ghasem Abeste, Ayub Karimi and Anvar Khezri, face ongoing uncertainty about their cases.

The men were summoned to branch 6 of Moghadis court, on November 3rd, 2013, after being held for four years without trial. Three have been acquitted of all charges, yet have still not been released

The men, who had endured torture, solitary confinement and the threat of execution, were informed that the reason they had not faced trial yet was because their case had been archived by the Ministry of Intelligence.

"The prosecutor [Mr Naseri] stated that their files have been archived by Intelligence and security service, and that was what prevented the court from processing the case," a source told the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), "[he] promised to summon them [back to court] within 10 days."

Three of the men, Kamran Sheikhah, Khozro Besharat and Anvar Khezri were acquitted of all charges by branch 28 of the courts on September the 15th, yet they remained imprisoned in Rajai Shahr prison, Karaj, under orders from the Intelligence Agency.

Despite the seven men not being convicted of any crime, the Iranian authorities seemed intent on pressing charges that would carry the death penalty.

In September, several prominent Sunni scholars were forced to announce their approval of the death penalty being enforced on the prisoners.

Sources confirmed that the Iranian authorities arrested and threatened a number of Sunni scholars from the town of Mahabbad, who were forced to sign a petition supporting the death penalty for some of the men, leading to fears that the men would face execution.

The men were detained in solitary confinement for 8 months in Urmia prison, then transferred to solitary confinement in wards 240 and 209 of Evin prison. After 6 further months of solitary confinement, they were transferred to Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj.

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URGENT: Three Sunni prisoners of conscience sentenced to death, Iran

Farshid Nasseri, sentenced to death, Iran

Three Sunni prisoners of conscience, Farshid Nasseri, Timor Naderi Zadeh and Berezan Nasrollahzadeh have been sentenced to death in Iran.

They were convicted of Moharebeh through the support of Salafi groups, and were sentenced to death by Judge Mohammad Moghisseh, in branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary court.

One of the prisoners, Berezan Nasrollahzadeh was arrested in 2010 at the age of 17.

"Berezan was attacked by plain-clothed Intelligence agents as he was returning from school. He was shot in the abdomen," a source told HRA News Agency.

"Despite his insistence, he was only admitted to the local hospital for one hour, and then transferred to Sanandaj Intelligence Agency," he said.

"Due to the severity of his injuries and the lack of care he received, he lost his entire spleen," the source said.

"[Berezan] was severely tortured," he said, "finally, he made a [forced] video confession that he had contact with Salafi groups."

Speaking about the second Sunni prisoner sentenced to death, Farshid Nasseri, the source said, " [he] is a 26-year old Sunni from Sanandaj. He was arrested in November 2010 by the Ministry of Intelligence, and spent a period of thirteen months in solitary confinement in Sanandaj Intelligence Agency. Then he was transferred to Rajai Shahr prison, Karaj."

The third Sunni prisoner sentenced to death, 48-year-old Timor Naderizadeh, was arrested on June 10, 2010, in Sanandaj.

""He spent two months in solitary confinement in Sanandaj Intelligence Agency, and [also] spent 12 months in solitary confinement in the Information Administration Branch," the source told HRA News Agency, "[he was] then transferred to Rajai Shahr prison."

"All three men were sentenced to death for 'Moharabeh' (enmity) through the support of Salafi groups," the source said, "while throughout the trial they denied all the charges."

He continued, "it is believed that their arrest and death sentence is because they were promoting [Sunni] Islam."

Numerous Sunni Muslims, especially those active in propagating Sunni Islam, have been imprisoned and executed under false charges in politically motivated trials.

In 2011, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) stated that "Sunni Muslim leaders regularly are intimidated and harassed by intelligence and security services and report widespread official discrimination."

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Five Sunni prisoners of conscience moved to new ward after nearly two weeks in solitary confinement, Ghezel Hesar prison, Karaj

After nearly two weeks in solitary confinement, five Sunni prisoners of conscience awaiting execution have been moved to a new section of Ghezel Hesar prison, Karaj. They are still on hunger strike.

Six prisoners, Hamed Ahmadi, Kamal Molayee, Jamshed Dehghani, Jahangir Dehghani, Seddigh Mohammadi and Syed Hadi Hosseini began a hunger strike on November 4th 2013, to protest against the news that they would be transferred to a new ward. There were fears the transfer was in preparation for their execution.

They were violently moved to solitary confinement on Wednesday 6 November, and suffered injuries when they were beaten by guards.

One of the men, Syed Hadi Hosseini, was transferred back to section 4, Unit 3 of the prison, after his health deteriorated rapidly due to suffering from seizures.

The remaining five men have now been transferred to a new section of the prison.

"[The ward] is one of the filthiest wards in the prison. All of the detainees there are engaged in services and manual labor," a source told the HRA News Agency.

"[The men] have refused to end their hunger strike, and they want to return to their previous section [section 4 of Unit 3]," he said.

"Jamshed Dehghani's physical condition is very bad because of the hunger strike," he said, "In addition, two of his fingers were broken when he was attacked and beaten by guards on the 6th of November. The prison has given him no treatment."

According to reports, there is increasing concern that the men will be executed soon. The six prisoners were all scheduled to be executed in September this year.

Their execution was postponed for a month by the authorities, and they are now once again in danger of execution.

A source told HRA News Agency , "officials from the Ministry of Intelligence informed [the families] that the death sentences for the six men was binding, and would be implemented soon."

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Serious concerns for 11 Sunni preachers in solitary confinement awaiting execution, Iran

Eleven Sunni political prisoners are currently being held in solitary confinement awaiting execution, Iran.

Fears for their welfare are growing, and there has been no recent news about many of them. They are all under pressure, with some being tortured, beaten and mistreated.

Top row (from Left):
1. Mokhtar Rahimi (Evin prison)
2. Seddigh Mohammadi (Ghezel Hesar prison)
3. Talib Malaki (Evin prison)
4. Kaveh Sharifi (Evin prison)
5. Hamed Ahmadi (Ghezel Hesar prison)
6. Shahram Ahmadi (Evin prison)

Bottom row (from left):
1. Jamshed Dehghani (Ghezel Hesar prison)
2. Jahangir Dehghani (Ghezel Hesar prison)
3. Sheikh Kaveh Vaisi (Evin prison)
4. Behrouz Shahnazari (Evin prison)
5. Kamal Molayee (Ghezel Hesar prison)
Ghezel Hesar prison

According to reports, there are fears that the men will be executed soon. The five in solitary confinement, and a sixth prisoner in Unit 3 of the prison (Seddigh Mohammadi) were all scheduled to be executed in September this year.

Their execution was postponed for a month by the authorities, and they are now once again in danger of execution.

A source told HRA News Agency, "officials from the Ministry of Intelligence informed [the families] that the death sentences for the six men was binding, and would be implemented soon."

The men in solitary confinement have been on hunger strike since November 4, 2013, in protest at being transferred from their cells. There are worries that the transfer is in preparation for their execution.

Prison guards violently removed them from their cells to transfer them, and they were harshly beaten. According to sources, the men were badly injured.

Two of the men, Hamed Ahmadi and Jamshed Dehgani, are in a very bad condition. They are suffering from internal bleeding from the stomach in addition to injuries caused by the guards and the effects of the hunger strike.
Evin prison:

There has been no recent news about the six prisoners in Evin prison, and there are serious fears for their welfare. They have been in solitary confinement for more than a month.

They are held under extreme pressure, and the prison is notorious for its torture and ill-treatment of detainees.

Sheikh Kaveh Vaisi and Mokhtar Rahimi were able to contact their family and inform them about the pressure they were under. They also said that they had no news about the condition of the four other brothers.

Shahram Ahmadi had been psychologically tortured by prison guards, who would regularly simulate his execution.

They would tell him that his execution will be carried out, and they would even take him to the execution ground until he believes that he is about to be executed. Then they return him to his cell. This has been repeated on a number of occasions.

He was only being given one meal in the morning, and was forced to remain hungry until the following day.

There has been no news about the remaining three brothers, but it is likely that they are being held under similar pressure.
These brothers are respected Sunni scholars and students of knowledge, many of them have memorized the entire Qur'an and are highly knowledgeable about Islam.

They were active in peacefully teaching their people Sunni Islam, and calling them to follow the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Actively calling to Sunni Islam can be dangerous in the Shia-ruled Iran.

Many preachers who actively spread Sunni Islam or speak against the regime are harassed, imprisoned and even executed.

Please keep our brothers in your du'a.

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Sunni preacher detained for nearly two years in solitary confinement, tortured, without trial, Iran

Sanandaj Central prison, Sanandaj

Showan Sharifi, a Sunni preacher from Paveh, Kermanshah province of Iran, has been moved to Sanandaj Central prison after being held in detention for almost two years without trial.

He was arrested on December 25, 2011, by officers from the Ministry of Intelligence.

He was detained in the Ministry of Intelligence detention center, where he was tortured and kept in solitary confinement for 18 months. He has now been transferred to Sanandaj Central prison, Sanandaj, where he is still being held without trial.

"Shawan used to teach religious classes in subjects such as the Tafseer of the Qur'an [and] Riyadh as-Saliheen," one of his relatives told the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

"He graduated with a degree in computer science from the University of Hamedan, and then returned back to Paveh [his native city] to serve the oppressed Sunni people."

He continued, "however, when he started the religious classes, the Ministry of intelligence arrested him, due to their longstanding history of enmity and hostility towards the Sunnis. In a cruel action they arrested him on baseless accusations."

Showan was detained in solitary confinement for 18 months in the Ministry of Intelligence detention center. The Ministry of Intelligence operates various detention centers throughout Iran, plagued by widespread reports of the ill-treatment of detainees.

Many detainees are forced to admit to false charges after enduring physical and psychological torture from intelligence agents during interrogation.

"Shawan Sharifi spent 18 months in solitary confinement in the custody of the Ministry of Intelligence, [subjected to] various types of torture and harassment," a member of his family said.

"Finally he was transferred to the general ward of Sanandaj Central prison. All this time, not even once has he been summoned to court," he said, "so far he has been kept in a state of uncertainty in prison."

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Two Sunni prisoners transferred to Rajai Shahr prison after a month of severe torture and solitary confinement, Iran

Two Sunni prisoners, Foad Rezazadeh and Moslem Marivani, have been transferred back to Rajai Shahr prison after being held for over a month in solitary confinement in Kermanshah Intelligence prison, Iran. They had been removed from Rajai Shahr prison over a month ago.

According to reports, the men were beaten and tortured during their time in solitary confinement, in order to extract false confessions.

"Both of them were in solitary confinement for the whole time they were in Kermanshah Intelligence [prison]" a source told HRANA, "they were put under severe pressure and treated in a viciously bad way, to force them to sign confessions."

Foad Rezazadeh, a Sunni Muslim who was active in spreading the teachings of Sunni Islam, was subject to such an unbearable level of persecution from the authorities that he felt forced to sell his house and leave the country.

He had been threatened many times by security forces, and had already been imprisoned for 18 months in Rajai Shahr prison. He was re-arrested shortly after his release.

"Foad Rezazadeh was summoned and threatened many times by the Ministry of Intelligence, until it reached the point that he [decided] to leave the country," a source told HRANA.

He continued: "Foad sold his house and had the money with him when the plainclothes [agents] arrested him. His money was confiscated by the agents and [this] was not mentioned in the dossier."

The second Sunni prisoner, Moslem Marivani, was arrested 14 months ago in Marivan, Kurdistan province of Iran.

He was held in solitary confinement for 10 months in the Kermanshah Intelligence Bureau detention center (known as 'Naft square' detention centre) and in Evin prison, before being transferred to Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj.

Both men are now held in the infamous Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj, which holds at least 130 Sunni scholars, preachers and students.

Actively spreading Sunni Islam can be dangerous in Iran, a Shia-ruled country, where ethnic and religious minorities face discrimination and persecution. Many Sunni scholars and students of knowledge have been imprisoned and even executed after unfair trials using 'confessions' obtained through torture.

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Prisoner profile: Hamed Ahmadi, Sunni political prisoner, awaiting execution, Iran

This is our Sunni brother, Hamed Ahmadi, awaiting execution, Iran.

Can you imagine his heartache? - He has a four-year old daughter who he has never met. She was born just after he was imprisoned in 2009.

Imagine his sorrow as he sits in solitary confinement, missing his beloved daughter who he has never been given the chance to see.

How must he feel, knowing that he may be executed without ever seeing his child?

How can we not cry over his situation, and the injustice he is facing! He has committed no crime, and the charges against him are baseless.

Hamed is from the city of Sanandaj, where he was a knowledgeable and righteous member of his community. He was active in spreading Sunni teachings and calling people to follow Sunni Islam, and he was particularly involved with the local Sunni mosque. It is for this reason that he caught the attention of the Iranian authorities.

He was arrested in July 2009, by officials from the Ministry of Intelligence. He was taken to an underground interrogation room, where officials tortured him severely, in an effort to extract a false 'confession'.

After unbearable physical and mental torture, and fearing for the safety of his family after they were also threatened, he was forced to sign a false confession.

He was sentenced to death in April 2011, in a case involving ten other Sunni preachers. Their court case lasted only ten minutes, and they were handcuffed, blindfolded and shackled throughout.

Six of the Sunni prisoners were executed in December 2012.

Hamed Ahmadi and four other brothers are now in solitary confinement in Ghezel Hesar prison, Karaj, where they are awaiting execution.

Their execution was scheduled for the 26th of September, 2013, but it was postponed at the last moment for a month. According to reports, the men are now at risk of imminent execution.

Hamed has endured regular torture since his arrest four years ago, and the mistreatment is continuing to this day. In a recent example, in September this year, he was tortured in Ghezel Hesar prison by guards who subjected him to electric shocks whilst he was in solitary confinement.

His condition is now rapidly deteriorating. He is suffering from injuries caused by torture and the effects of a hunger strike that the men started November 4, 2013, in protest at being transferred from their cells. There are fears the transfer is in preparation for their execution.

Prison guards viciously beat Hamed Ahmadi and the other men whilst transferring them to solitary confinement. According to reports, they are suffering from severe injuries.

Hamed Ahmadi and Jamshed Dehghani are both also suffering from internal bleeding from the stomach.

There are serious concerns for the men's health, yet they refuse to be taken to the prison infirmary, fearing abuse from the guards. On a previous occasion when they were taken to the infirmary, the guards made them return naked and demanded things that can not be said.

Fears are growing for the men, after the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj informed the families that the death sentence for the six men was binding, and would be implemented soon.

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Sunni political prisoners were hanged while saying: "God is the greatest" and "down with dictatorship", Balochistan, Iran

16 Sunni prisoners were executed in Zahedan prison on October 26, 2013, in 'revenge' for the deaths of border guards who had been killed in clashes the previous night, according to the public prosecutor, Mohammad Marzieh.

According to eyewitness reports, the men showed no fear and were hanged whilst shouting, "God is the greatest!" and "Down with dictatorship!"

The prisoners who were executed had no involvement in the clashes, and the cases against many of the men were marred by allegations of torture and judicial irregularities. The men said they were forced to make false 'confessions' under severe torture.

A leaked report from a Sunni prisoner who witnessed the execution of the sixteen men was published by 'Human Rights Activists for Democracy in Iran' (HRDAI). The prisoner was also taken to the gallows with the men, yet his execution was postponed at the last moment. The following is a translation of his eyewitness account:

"At around 12 o'clock midnight, in a secretive, deceptive and hurried fashion, the political prisoners were removed from their various cells and quarantined in solitary confinement. None of the prisoners knew the reason for their transfer.

Most prisoners were in their pyjamas. They [guards] did not let them wear their clothes in case their cellmates noticed that they were being transferred.

It was around 05:00 am when all the prisoners were removed from quarantine in solitary confinement and were taken to the execution ground.

All were astonished, they said, "This must be just a mock execution [as a form of torture]. If they [really] wanted to execute us, we would have had a last meeting with our families."

The people present were: The public prosecutor of Zahedan province, Mohammad Marzieh [and] head of branch 1 of the Revolutionary court; Babaee, head of the province's prisons; Khosravi, the head of the prison; Bahrami, the head of the Intelligence prison; and our interrogators who tortured us whilst we were in detention in the Intelligence agency were [also] standing there.

They took us to the place of execution and the public prosecutor of Zahedan, Mohammad Marzieh, put the ropes around our necks and went back to the rows of the officials.

Here we realized that the execution sentence was certain. All of us guys were in high morale, as if we were not afraid of death - a strange force was over us.

Mohammad Marzieh took a few steps forward, and he was speaking to one of the prisoners who had a noose around his neck and his hands and feet bound, like us all.

A very loud cry broke the silence of the night, began [to shout], "Allahu Akbar!" [God is great]. Another political prisoner began [to shout], "Death to dictatorship!"
Their screams were so loud that I think the whole prison learnt what was happening.

Mohammad Marzieh and the other officials there panicked for a moment, not knowing what to do. Then Mohammad Marzieh was very angry, and ordered to [pull] the stool of the first person who began shouting "Allahu Akbar" [to hang him]. Then all the stools were pulled [from underneath them and they were hanged].

To my surprise and disbelief, they [did not execute me]. Ever since I have returned to my ward, the scene of them and the sound of "Allahu Akbar" has not left my ears. My life has changed completely."
According to the public prosecutor, Mohammad Marzieh, the execution of the sixteen men was in 'retaliation' for the killing of Iranian border guards during clashes the previous night in Saravan.

Despite the numerous allegations from the prisoners, documenting the shocking catalogue of abuse they were forced to endure, the Iranian regime still upheld the death sentence for the men.

In a further act of injustice, the Iranian regime executed the men with little warning, as an act of revenge following the death of Iranian border guards.

"What kind of justice system hangs 16 prisoners 'in response' to a recent killing of security officials, with no indication that they had anything to do with these crimes," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

The executions are the latest in a long list of Sunni Baluchi Muslims who have been executed in 'revenge' killings for events they were not involved in.

Mass revenge executions took place in 2006, following the deaths of Iranian guards in 2010 in Tasuki, south-eastern Iran. According to the October 2010 report by the International Federation for Human rights (FIDH), in response to the attacks, "scores of Baluchis were reportedly hanged, often after summary trials." The report further stated that "many were not perpetrators of the attacks but had family ties to those in the Jondollah"

The Baloch people, who are mostly Sunni Muslims, face a double burden of persecution due to being both a religious and an ethnic minority group. They report widespread political, cultural, religious and economic discrimination.

Numerous Sunni Muslims, especially those active in propagating Sunni Islam, have been imprisoned and executed under false charges in politically motivated trials.

In 2011, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) stated that "Sunni Muslim leaders regularly are intimidated and harassed by intelligence and security services and report widespread official discrimination."

Serious concerns remain about the fate of countless other Sunni Muslims facing execution in Iran following forced confessions and unfair trials.

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