Saturday, August 30, 2008

A Detail Analysis of Ramadan Moon Sighting -1429/2008

According to Comic Calendar:
Ramadan is starting on Sep02/2008; Tuesday.

While according to Gregorian-Hijri Dates Converter Ramadan will be on Monday Sep01/2009=01 RamaDHaan 1429 A.H.

Tuesday 2 September 2008 Time Object (Link) Event
Observer Site Woodbridge, On, Canada

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Moon
Moonrise at 6:21 AM in direction 77° East by north Map direction East by north
Moonset at 7:45 PM in direction 278° West by north Map direction West by north
Moon in south at 1:10 PM at altitude 54° above horizon

Fraction illuminated: 0.0% (at 6:46 PM)
New Moon Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 3:58 PM
First Quarter Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 10:04 AM

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Moon phases

Moon phases for UTC

<2007 year 2008 2009>

Lunation	New Moon		First Quarter		Full Moon		Third Quarter		Duration
1052	Jan 8	11:37 AM	Jan 15	7:46 PM	Jan 22	1:35 PM	Jan 30	5:03 AM	29d 16h 07m
1053	Feb 7	3:44 AM	Feb 14	3:33 AM	Feb 21	3:31 AM	Feb 29	2:18 AM	29d 13h 30m
1054	Mar 7	5:14 PM	Mar 14	10:46 AM	Mar 21	6:40 PM	Mar 29	9:47 PM	29d 10h 41m
1055	Apr 6	3:55 AM	Apr 12	6:32 PM	Apr 20	10:26 AM	Apr 28	2:12 PM	29d 8h 23m
1056	May 5	12:18 PM	May 12	3:47 AM	May 20	2:12 AM	May 28	2:57 AM	29d 7h 04m
1057	Jun 3	7:23 PM	Jun 10	3:04 PM	Jun 18	5:31 PM	Jun 26	12:10 PM	29d 6h 56m
1058	Jul 3	2:19 AM	Jul 10	4:35 AM	Jul 18	7:59 AM	Jul 25	6:42 PM	29d 7h 54m
1059	Aug 1	10:12 AM	Aug 8	8:20 PM	Aug 16	9:16 PM	Aug 23	11:49 PM	29d 9h 45m
1060	Aug 30	7:58 PM	Sep 7	2:04 PM	Sep 15	9:13 AM	Sep 22	5:04 AM	29d 12h 14m
1061	Sep 29	8:12 AM	Oct 7	9:04 AM	Oct 14	8:02 PM	Oct 21	11:55 AM	29d 15h 02m
1062	Oct 28	11:14 PM	Nov 6	4:03 AM	Nov 13	6:18 AM	Nov 19	9:31 PM	29d 17h 41m
1063	Nov 27	4:55 PM	Dec 5	9:26 PM	Dec 12	4:38 PM	Dec 19	10:30 AM	29d 19h 28m
1064	Dec 27	12:23 PM							29d 19h 33m

Notes

About the Moon Phase Calculator
All times are based on UTC / GMT
Dates are based on the Gregorian calendar

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Friday, August 29, 2008

Loyalists of Iraq's Sadr sign blood oaths to continue fighting

by Karim Talbi 20 minutes ago

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Dozens of Shiite radicals scrambled on Friday to sign blood oaths to continue their fight against US forces in Iraq despite an order from their leader Moqtada al-Sadr for them to lay down their arms.

Children as young as 10 were among those seen cutting their thumbs with scalpels and putting a bloodied fingerprint to a document circulated by members of the Sadr movement in the cleric's eastern Baghdad bastion of Sadr City.

All vowed to fight on, despite orders by Sadr on Thursday to his 60,000-strong Mahdi Army militia to suspend their armed operations indefinitely.

The order followed two six-month periods in which he had ordered his followers to hold their fire.

"I will follow the orders of Moqtada al-Sadr but I prefer to fight," said Adnan Habib, a 22-year-old labourer who attended Friday prayers in Sadr City.

"I want to sacrifice my soul, my family, for Sadr. I want to resist the occupier," said Habib, who was among those signing blood oaths.

Another Sadr supporter, Ali Abdel, a 19-year-old high school student, said he had been wanting to join the ranks of the Mahdi Army since the death of his mother in an attack targeting a police patrol a year ago.

"My entire family has signed to fight, including my father. If my mother was alive, she would also have signed."

When asked if he knows how to fight, Ali replied with a broad smile: "Which Iraqi does not know how to use a weapon?"

A Sadr official, who asked not to be named, said Sadrists had begun signing oaths in blood 16 days ago and would continue doing so until the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, due to start next week.

"This morning hundreds signed the pledge," the official said. "Blood is most valuable and so we want to show our loyalty to Moqtada with it."

The cleric's latest order came at a time when Washington and Baghdad are negotiating a crucial security agreement to decide the future of US forces in Iraq.

"The Mahdi Army suspension will be valid indefinitely and anyone who does not follow this order will not be considered a member of this group," Sadr said in a statement issued by his office in the Shiite shrine city of Najaf.

Sadr said he wants to create a special unit of fighters who would continue the armed resistance against coalition forces, while the Mahdi Army in general would be transformed into a cultural and social organisation.

Falah Hassan Shanshal, a lawmaker from the Sadr bloc in parliament, said the cleric wanted to serve society.

"The philosophy of Moqtada al-Sadr is the same as that of his father Mohammed. Like his father, he wants to serve society and build society," Shanshal told AFP.

He said the movement would organise literacy drives for young men and women although it did accept that most "young men want to resist" the US occupation of Iraq.

Many young Sadr loyalists told AFP they did not see any role for themselves except as fighters.

"I prefer to resist by force using arms, this is the only thing I am capable of doing," said Mohammed Mussa, a baker for the past 18 years.

The militia, created after the 2003 US-led invasion to fight invading American troops, became the most active and feared armed Shiite group in post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, accused of operating death squads blamed for the killings of thousands.

In 2006, at the height of Iraq's communal bloodletting, a Pentagon report said the Mahdi Army was the greatest threat to the country's security, even greater than Al-Qaeda.

Sadr ordered a six-month freeze of Mahdi Army activities in August last year after allegations his fighters had been involved in clashes with security forces in the shrine city of Karbala.

He extended the freeze for a further six months in February and on Thursday ordered an indefinite suspension of the militia's activities.

Sadr led two uprisings against US-led forces in 2004 and had repeatedly vowed to fight on until US troops leave Iraq.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

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Top Iraqi official detained at Baghdad airport

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer 52 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - American forces arrested a top Iraqi Shiite government official as he stepped off a plane at Baghdad's airport, a political ally said Thursday. The U.S. said the man arrested was a leader of Iranian-backed militias and was behind a bombing that killed 10 people, including four Americans.

The arrest of Ali al-Lami could bring serious pressure on the U.S.-backed government from Sunni groups and others worried about Iranian and Shiite militia influence in the top ranks of the Iraqi leadership.

The U.S. military confirmed it arrested a senior Shiite figure at the airport Wednesday, but would not release the name or say whether it was al-Lami.

The military said the man detained is believed to be a senior leader of Iranian-backed militias and behind a June bomb blast in Baghdad that killed four Americans and six Iraqis.

Al-Lami heads a committee that is in charge of keeping senior Saddam Hussein loyalists out of government positions. He was returning to Iraq from Lebanon where he sought medical treatment when he was detained, said Qaiser Watout, a member of al-Lami's committee.

U.S. forces were waiting for al-Lami as the plane's doors opened, said Watout, adding that al-Lami's family was allowed to proceed. "We condemn this act," Watout said. "Al-Lami was a moderate official and we are surprised by his arrest."

U.S. military officials said the man arrested at the airport is believed to be a senior leader of "special groups" — Iranian-backed militiamen in Iraq.

The military said the man, who was known to travel to Iran and Lebanon, was detained after his plane landed at the airport.

Two U.S. soldiers and two American civilians were among the 10 killed in the June 24 bombing inside a district council building in Baghdad's Shiite slum of Sadr City.

Iraqi officials have said it appeared to be an inside job and suspicion at the time fell on the headquarters' Shiite Muslim guard force.

The Iraqi Defense Ministry also said it appeared the Iraqi council members and not the Americans were the main target of the blast, which came ahead of an election to choose a new chairman of the council.

The deadly attack came as the U.S. military and civilian officials were stepping up efforts to take advantage of a sharp drop in violence to promote the local administration and restore services in Sadr City and other areas.

Meanwhile, anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr released a statement saying his largely disbanded Mahdi Army militia would extend its cease-fire "until further notice."

The statement, which was read by an aide in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, also warned that any "person who violates" the truce would no longer be considered part of the Mahdi Army.

Al-Sadr's militia battled U.S. and Iraqi forces for years, but last year, he declared a cease-fire. The truce had been extended in six-month increments, but Thursday's statement indicated it would now be considered open-ended.

Last month, al-Sadr, who lives in Iran but retains significant clout in Iraq, announced he was transforming his militia into a social welfare body with a few guerrilla cells to attack U.S. troops if Washington doesn't agree to leave Iraq. The announcement followed setbacks in battles with the U.S.-supported Iraqi army in Baghdad, Basra and Amarah.

Separately, the U.S. military said an American soldier died of wounds he received after coming under fire while patrolling northern Baghdad on Wednesday.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Golshifteh Farahani Appearing In 'Body of Lies'

(Updated: Banned From Traveling)
August 19, 2008

Iranian Actress Golshifteh Farahani, daughter of the famous actor and theatre director, Behzad Farahani, will be in Ridley Scott's latest movie Body of Lies which is scheduled to be released October10th. The movie is based on a novel by David Ignatius and is about a former journalist injured in the Iraq war who is hired by the CIA to track down an Al Qaeda leader in Jordan. Golshifteh will be playing, along with Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, in this movie as a nurse. Watch movie trailer.

Santoori and Mim Mesleh Madar are two of Golshifteh's well-known movies that came out recently.

Update: Iran has banned an award-winning young actress from leaving the country over her appearance in this movie. According to IRNA, Iranian actors are required to obtain a permit from the ministry of culture and Islamic guidance in order to appear in foreign movies.

Her appearance in Body of Lies marked the first by an actress living in Iran in a Hollywood production.

Source: AFP

------------

The most talented actress in iranian cinema...

BIOGRAPHY

Golshifte Farahani (born July 10, 1983 in Tehran) is an acclaimed Iranian actress. She is the daughter of actor/theater director Behzad Farahani and sister of actress Shaghayegh Farahani.Golshifteh Farahani started studying music and playing the piano at the age of 5. At 12, she entered a music school in Tehran. After graduation, she was accepted at the Vienna Conservatory. At the age of 14 she was cast as the lead in Dariush Mehrjui's The Pear Tree for which she won the Crystal Simorgh for Best Actress from the International Section of the 16th Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran. The win contributed to her decision to stay in Iran and choose a career in film over music. She never boarded the plane to Vienna. Since then she has acted in 16 films, many of which have received international awards. For Boutique she won the Best Actress award from the 26th Nantes Three Continents Festival (France). In recent years she has acted in movies by some of Iran's best directors: Dariush Mehrjui's controversial film the Santoor Player, Bahman Ghobadi's Half Moon (winner of the Golden Shell at the 2006 San Sebastian Film Festival) and the late Rasool Mollagholipoor's M for Mother (Iran's nominee for the 2008 Academy Awards for the Best Foreign Language Film category) for which she won the special prize of the jury for the Best Actress from the 37th Roshd International Film Festival.

FILMOGRAPHY :

1997 Derakht-e Golabi (aka The Pear Tree) Mim ,Best Film at Chicago Film Festival

2000 Haft Pardeh (aka Seven Acts)

2001 Zamaneh Zamaneh

2002 Jayee Digar (aka Some other Place) Raha

2003 Do Fereshteh (aka Two Angels) Azar (never released in Iran, selected for the Semaine de la Critique at Cannes Film Festival)

2003 Boutique Eti Best Actress at Nantes Three Continents Festival

2004 Ashk-e Sarma (aka The Tear of the Cold) Ronak Best Film at Kazan Film Festival

2004 Bab Aziz Noor (never released in Iran) Best Film at Muscat Film Festival

2005 Mahi-ha Ashegh Mishavand (aka Fish Fall in Love) Touka (selected at Rotterdam Film Festival)

2005 Be Nam-e Pedar (aka In the Name of The Father) Habibeh Best Film at Fajr Film Festival

2006 Gis Borideh Mariam

2006 Niwemang (aka Half Moon) Niwemang (never released in Iran) Best film & Best Photography at San Sebastian Film Festival

2007 Mim Mesle Madar (aka M like Mother) Sepideh Best Film at Rome International Festival of Cinema & Religion

2007 Santoori (aka The Santoor Player) Hanieh (never released in Iran) People's Choice at Fajr Film Festival

2007 Hamisheh Paye Yek Zan Dar Miyan Ast (aka Cherchez La Femme) Mariam People's Choice at Fajr Film Festival

2008 Divar (aka The Wall) Setareh (to be released)

AWARDS

1997 Fajr International Film Festival Best Actress from the International Section The Pear Tree

2003 3 Continents Film Festival (Nantes, France) Prix d'Interpretation Feminine Boutique

2004 House of Cinema Festival (Tehran) Best Actress Ashk-e Sarma (Tear of the Cold)

2006 Kazan International Film Festival Best Actress Ashk-e Sarma (Tear of the Cold)

2007 Roshd International Film Festival (Tehran) Special Prize for the Best Actress Mim Mesle Madar (M for Mother)

2007 Kowsar Film Festival (Mashhad) Best Actress Mim Mesle Madar (M for Mother)

Other Sources:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Golshifteh-Farahani/30638898037?ref=s

http://www.facebook.com/groups/edit.php?members&gid=3023191502

Suicide bomber kills 28 police recruits in Iraq

By Sherko Raouf 1 hour, 20 minutes ago

QARAH TAPPAH, Iraq (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd of police recruits in northern Iraq on Tuesday killing 28 people, in an attack that showed that parts of Iraq have yet to see the security gains felt elsewhere.
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The bombing took place in the town of Jalawla in the north of volatile Diyala province, just a day after Kurdish Peshmerga security forces withdrew from the town at the request of the central government in Baghdad.

The attack, which also wounded 45 people, was the biggest for weeks in Iraq, where overall levels of violence have dropped sharply in the last year. It came amid Iraqi efforts to conclude a security deal with the United States that would require U.S. forces to leave Iraq by the end of 2011.

"The suicide bombing of Jalawla is striking evidence that Iraqi security forces are unable to impose security on the area from which Peshmerga have just withdrawn," said their commander, Brigadier-General Nadhim Najim Ahmed.

His brigade of some 2,000-strong Peshmerga troops left parts of Diyala and returned to the border of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan enclave on Monday.

The province, with large populations of Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims ethnically divided into Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen, has become Iraq's most violent area.

"The scale of violence will increase in the coming days," Ahmed said, suggesting that Iraqi security forces who are to replace the Peshmerga were unfamiliar with the area.

An Iraqi Ministry of Defence spokesman was not available to comment on the withdrawal of the Kurds.

No one claimed immediate responsibility for the attack, which killed Kurdish and Arab recruits alike.

U.S. and Iraqi forces have been carrying out an offensive in Diyala over the last month against Sunni al Qaeda militants, who are believed to be dug in across the countryside after being pushed out of other parts of the country.

Recruitment centers have been frequent targets for militants in the past, especially al Qaeda, which regards recruits as collaborators with the United States.

DECLINING VIOLENCE

Areas along the border between Kurdistan and the rest of Iraq have become flashpoints even as other parts of Iraq have gone quieter.

The Kurdish troops, who have been patrolling parts of Diyala for at least a year, said they feel they were unfairly pressured to agree to hand over security to Iraqi troops.

U.S. forces say that militants retain the ability to carry out devastating, large-scale bomb attacks, despite overall improvements in security.

On Sunday, a suicide bomber killed 25 people at a dinner banquet in western Baghdad's largely Sunni Arab Abu Ghraib district, where local sheikhs had driven out al Qaeda militants over the past two years.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Monday Iraq and Washington had agreed that all U.S. troops would leave by the end of 2011. U.S. officials say no final deal had been reached.

A bilateral pact is needed to replace a U.N. Security Council resolution adopted after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, which has formed the legal basis for the American troop presence ever since but expires at the end of this year.

(Additional reporting by Khalid al-Ansary; Writing by Tim Cocks; editing by Sami Aboudi)

Monday, August 25, 2008

Iraq says 650 doctors have returned from exile

By SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 28 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - Some 650 of the 8,000 Iraqi physicians who fled the country since 2003 due to violence have returned to their jobs in the past two months because of improved security, a Health Ministry official said Monday.

Adel Muhsin, the ministry's inspector general, said the doctors have gone back to hospitals across Iraq.

The country's medical system is woefully understaffed because of workers fleeing, and several weeks ago the government appealed to doctors to come home.

"We expect more doctors will respond to our call," Muhsin said in a phone interview.

Killings and kidnappings of doctors during five years of war and sectarian strife led to an unprecedented exodus of medical personnel that left Iraq's already troubled health care system almost paralyzed. Medical infrastructure is poor and some medicines are in short supply.

Since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, 618 medical professionals, including 132 doctors, have been slain nationwide, according to figures issued earlier this year by the Health Ministry.

Muhsin said only 16,000 health care workers are running hospitals and clinics, but 100,000 are needed.

"The return of these doctors is a positive thing because we are suffering from a severe shortage of personnel and we welcome doctors willing to their country," he said.

The security situation has dramatically improved since last year, in part because of a 2007 U.S. troop buildup, a Sunni decision to join forces with the Americans against al-Qaida and a Shiite militia cease-fire.

Occupied Iraq and the Post-war Conflicts

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Saturday, August 23, 2008

Top Iraqi official shot dead in Baghdad

2 hours, 56 minutes ago

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Gunmen shot dead a top Iraqi official working with the ministry of culture on a highway in central Baghdad on Saturday, security officials told AFP.
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Kamel Shiya Abdallah, an adviser to the ministry, was in his car when gunmen opened fire on him and his driver at around 3:00 pm (1200 GMT) as they sped past, the officials said.

"The gunmen used guns that had silencers. Abdallah was alive when he was brought to the hospital but he later died," a security official with the interior ministry said, adding that the driver was wounded in the attack.

Abdallah was a well-known critic on cultural issues and was the author of several articles in Iraqi journals.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Dua, Have We Prepared Ourselves For Ramadan ?

م): دعاء هز السماء اقرأ 3 مرات والله يستجيب بإذن الله وأرسل لـ 3 من الزملاء خلال ساعة (يدعو به 3 مليون( شوف خلال ساعة فقط ما مكسب صحيفتك بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم يا ودود يا ودود ، ياذا العرش المجيد ، يا مبدئ يا معيد، يا فعالا لما يريد، أسألك بنور وجهك الذي ملئ أركان عرشك وأسألك بقدرتك التي قدرت بها على جميع خلقك و أسألك برحمتك التي و سعت كل شيء (تسمي حاجتك) لا إله إلا أنت ' يا مغيث أغثني' ' يا مغيث أغثني' ' يا مغيث أغثني'

الملفات الساخنة

عنوان المحاضرة : هل اعددنا العدة لشهر رمضان؟..

Have We Prepared Ourselves For Ramadan ?

§ إن من أفضل ما يروي لنا عن عظمة هذا الشهر الكريم: هو ما رواه على (ع) عن النبي (ص) إذ خطب المسلمين ذات يوم، فابتدأها (ص) بذكر إقبال الشهر على الصائمين، ومن المعلوم أن الإقبال متفرع على اشتياق المقبل لمن أقبل عليه، فكان الشهر المبارك هو الذي يشتاق إلى صائميه!.. فيقبل عليهم بالجوائز الكريمة، ومنها: المغفرة في أوله.. فطوبى لمن ضمن الرضوان في آخره!..

The best account of the greatness of this noble month is what Imam ‘Ali (a.s) narrated on the authority of the Prophet (s.a.w) when he spoke to a group of Moslems one day starting his speech by citing ‘the coming’ -or advent- of Ramadan to those who fast it. Obviously, the coming (advent) stems from the longing of the comer to those who welcome it. It is as if Ramadan longs to those who fast it bringing along with it precious prizes like forgiveness which coincides with its onset. So, blessed is the one who acquires Allah’s acceptance at the end of the fast!

§ إن الانتساب إلى العظيم بالذات، يوجب العظمة بالعرض.. فهذه الأنفاس التي لا قيمة لها في باقي الأيام، تتحول إلى تسبيح (وأنفاسكم فيه تسبيح)!.. والنوم الذي أخو الموت، يتحول إلى عبادة (ونومكم فيه عبادة)!.. وخلوف فم الصائم ذو الرائحة الكريهة، يتحول إلى ما هو أطيب من المسك!.. كل ذلك من بركات الضيافة الإلهية في هذا الشهر، فطوبى لمن تعرض لها بشرطها وشروطها!..

The month of Ramadan is linked to Allah, The Great, and “Ramadan is Allah’s month”. This necessarily means that what this month has to offer is also great. The breaths, which are normally worthless, are regarded during this month as tasbeeh (Glorifying Allah), the Prophet says! Sleeping, which is identical to dying, is regarded as worshipping. The foul smelling of food remnants in the mouth is regarded as more pleasant than the smell of musk! All that is from the blessings of the divine hospitality in this month. So, blessed is the one who exposes himself to it provided of course he meats the necessary criteria.

§ إن النبي (ص) يدعونا لأن نسأل الله تعالى التوفيق لـ: (صيام هذا الشهر، وتلاوة كتابه).. وهذا يشعر معنى دقيقا، وهو أن الصيام المقبول، والقراءة المؤثرة، لا يتم إلا بتسديد ومباركة من المولى الكريم.. إذ كم من صائم ليس من صيامه إلا الظمأ، وكم من قائم ليس له من قيامه إلا العناء!.. ثم يذكر المصطفى (ص) أمرا مخيفا حيث يقول: (فإن الشقي من حرم غفران الله في هذا الشهر العظيم).. أو هل يمكن أن نكون من الأشقياء في هذه السنة؟!..

The Prophet (s.a.w) calls on us to ask Allah to grant us the Success to “Fast this month and recite the Koran”. This implies that acceptable fast (with Allah) and the effective recitation is not achieved but by the guidance and blessing of Allah. For how many a fasting person gets nothing form his fasting but thirst, and how many a meditating person gets nothing from their meditating but the hardship! The Prophet then mentions a frightening outcome; “ For surely the wretched is the one who is forbidden Allah’s forgiveness in this great month. So, would we be among the wretched in this year?

§ إن للصوم لغة الرمزية الواضحة، فالنبي (ص) يريد منا أن ننتقل من ظاهر الصوم إلى باطنه.. ومنه تذكر المعاني التي ترتبط بالصيام، ومنها: أهوال القيامة من جوعها وعطشها.. وهذا بدوره يدعو الصائم إلى أن يعد العدة ليتجنب مثل تلك الأهوال، وذلك بالعمل الدائب لما يخفف عنه الحساب في ذلك اليوم العصيب!..

Fasting has a clear symbolism in it. The Prophet encourages us to shift from the outward (physical) to the inward (spiritual) one. As apart of that is reminding us of the concepts linked to fasting. One of which is the hunger and thirst of the Resurrection Day. This in turn encourages the fasting person to prepare for these hardships to persistently doing what should ease up the reckoning on that day!

§ إن النبي (ص) يذكر بالمحطة العبادية الكبرى في الحياة (وهي الصلاة) حتى في شهر رمضان.. فإن العبد يزداد سموا وتحليقا في صلاته، عند المناسبات الزمانية والمكانية المتميزة.. فمن أهم ثمار الأزمنة والأمكنة المباركة: هي الصلاة الخاشعة التى كانت تمثل قرة عين الرسول (ص) حيث يقول عنها في هذه الخطبة: (وارفعوا إليه أيديكم بالدعاء في أوقات صلواتكم، فإنها أفضل الساعات، ينظر الله عز وجل فيها بالرحمة إلى عباده: يجيبهم إذا ناجوه، ويلبيهم إذا نادوه، ويستجيب لهم إذا دعوه).

The Prophet reminds us, especially in Ramadan, to perform the great act of worship, meditation. This is because the servant’s transcendence that accompanies it is even stronger during the special times and the special places of worship. One of the most significant outcomes of praying in these places and times, is the submissive meditation which was a delight to the Prophet (s.a.w) about which he had this to say: “And raise your hands to Him in prayer during the times of your meditation, because it is the best of all times in which Almighty Allah mercifully looks unto His servants He answers their prayers a weather whispered or said a loud’.

§ إن الشريعة الخاتمة تربط دائما بين البعد الفردي للعبادة وبين البعد الاجتماعي لها، فلا يريد منا أن نعيش حالة الرهبانية والصومعة، بل يريد منا أن نعيش حالة العبودية الجامعة، ومنها الاهتمام بأمور المسلمين، سواء في طعامهم المعنوي (إرشادا وهداية) أو طعامهم المادي (إفطارا للصائمين).. ومن الغريب هذا الجزاء العظيم الذي يذكره المصطفى (ص) في هذا الشهر حيث يقول: (من فطر منكم صائما في هذا الشهر، كان له بذلك عند الله عتق رقبة، ومغفرة لما مضى من ذنوبه).

The sealing sharia (Islam) always links the individual side of the acts of worshipping with its social side. It does not require us to be extreme in our devotion, rather, to experience collective servitude. An example of which is taking care of the affairs of the Moslem community whether in regard to their spiritual food (guidance) or their material food (invitation to a fast-breaking meal). The reward that the Prophet cites for this work is astounding: “ Whoso offers a fast-breaking meal to someone will be rewarded (by Allah) as the one who frees a slave is rewarded, in addition to the expiation of all of his past vices”.

§ إن من الضروري أن نرفع في هذه السنة شعار: (خير رمضان مر علينا).. فمن يروم القمم العالية، عليه بالنية الجازمة والمحددة للوصول إلى تلك القمم!.. ولنعلم أن هناك فرقا واضحا -عند أهله- بين صوم العوام (وهو الكف عن الطعام والشراب) وصوم الخواص (وهو الكف عن المحارم كلها) وصوم خواص الخواص (وهو الإعراض عما سوى الله تعالى).. فلنتأمل هذه الدرجات الشاسعة، لنرى ما هو الجديد في صيام هذا العام.. فإن المغبون من تساوت رمضانيتاه!..

It is imperative that we make our motto: ‘the best Ramadan we ever had’. He who aspires for high achievements must have an assertive and specific intent to reach that goal! Let it be obvious that there is a clear distinction between lay people’s fasting (abstinence from food and drink), the elite’s fasting (abstinence from all kinds of forbidden acts) and the fasting of the elite of the elite (which is turning away from everything save Allah). Let us ponder these enormous ranks to see how different will this year’s Ramadan be, for he who has two equal Ramadans is wronged.

§ كان المصطفى (ص) يستغل كل مناسبة للتذكير بخط الولاية، بدء من أول الدعوة في حديث الدار المعروف، إلى حادثة غدير خم في أخريات حياته المباركة.. فنراه في آخر هذه الخطبة يبكي بما يثير سؤال علي (ع) عن سبب ذلك، فيقول: (أبكى لما يستحل منك في هذا الشهر!.. كأني بك وأنت تصلي لربك، وقد انبعث أشقى الأولين، شقيق عاقر ناقة ثمود، فضربك ضربة على قرنك، فخضب منها لحيتك).. والملفت بعد ذلك سؤال علي (ع) عن ذلك: وذلك في سلامة من ديني؟!.. فيجيب النبي (ص) بالإيجاب، فيقر لها عين أبي الحسن (ع).. فلننظر إلى قمة الرسالية والعبودية لرب العالمين، في حياة خاتم الأنبياء من جهة، وخاتم الأوصياء من جهة أخرى.. اللهم!.. اجعلنا ممن يتولاهم، ويستن بسنتهم، لتشمله شفاعتهم.

§ The Prophet utilised every occasion to remind others with the obligation of following the line of wilayat (adherence) to ‘Ali (a.s) starting from the well-known event of Hadith al-Dar at the beginning of the call up until the last days of his blessed life, namely, the major event at Ghadeer Khum. At the conclusion of his speech, the Prophet wept which made ‘Ali (a.s) ask about the reason behind it. The Prophet replied, “ I am crying about what will be done to you in a month like this one! It is like seeing you before me and you are praying to your Lord when the most wretched of the ancients, the full brother of the hamstringer of Thamood’s Camel upraises, striking you on the summit of your head imbruing (colouring) your beard from (the blood that comes out of) it. Interestingly, ‘Ali subsequent question was: “ And will my faith be sound then?” The Prophet’s answer was affirmative which made ‘Ali delightful. Let’s take a look at the ultimate devotion to the massage and servitude to Allah in both the seal of the Prophets and the seal of the vicegerents, and hopefully we will follow through.

إذا رفع العبد يديه للسماء وهو عاصي فيقول يارب فتحجب الملائكة صوته.. فيقول يارب فتحجب الملائكة صوته.. فيقول يارب فتحجب الملائكة صوته.. فيقول يارب فى الرابعة.. فيقول الله عز وجل: إلى متى تحجبون صوت I لبيك عبدى لبيك عبدى لبيك عبدى لبيك عبدى سبحانك ياالله .. يارحيم ياكريم ياغفور ياودود ممكن ترسلها لكل المضافين عندك ؟؟؟ وإذا راح تتعبك فاعلم أن ذنوبك هي من سوف تمنعك

دعاء البنات كل صباح

اللهم ارزقني برجل من أرقى العائلات.....
وحاصل على اعلى الشهادات ....
ويمتلك اغلى السيارات....
ومليان دولارات ....
ويتكلم لغات.....
ويهدي بل الألماسات....
وشهرالعسل بين القارات....
وأمة واختة ميتات

دعاء مدرس الرياضيات :

اللهم اجعلنى مستقيما فى حياتى.

واجعلنى في زاوية قائمه
ولا تجعل الدنيا حادة علىّ .
واجعلنى موازيا لعبادك الصالحين
وهو المطلوب يا ارحم الراحمين .
يا صاحب البرهان العظيم

دعاء مدرس اللغة العربية:

اللهم اجعلنى فاعلا للخير

ومرفوعا عن الشر
وبعيدا عن النصب .
ومضافا لعبادك الصالحين
ومجرورا لتقواك
ومبتدئا بالسلام

دعاء مدرس الكيمياء :

اللهم اجعلنى عاملا مختزلا للحسنات

ومؤكسدا للشر
واجعل تفاعلى مع الحياه تفاعلا حسنا
وهب لى عاملا مساعدا فى حياتى
وتقبل نشاطى يا كريم

دعاء مدرس الالعاب الرياضية:

اللهم اجعلنى هدافا للخير
ومهاجما للشر
ومدافعا عن الحق .
وحارسا لكلمتك .
وظهيرا للدين
ولا تجعلنى متسللا على الناس
ولا معرقلا لسير الحياه .
يا رب العالمين

▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒ ▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒ ▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒ kol 3am w antom be5eer ▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒كـــــــــريــم♥▒▒رمضــــــــان♥▒▒♥▒ ▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒ ▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒ ▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒ ▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒

ان سبقتني (فانت الكريم ابن الكرام ) * * وان سبقتك ( فمنك تعلمت الاحترام ) * * نحن لا نرسل لمن نعيش معهم ؟ بل نرسل لمن يصعب علينا العيش بدونهم !!!!!! فاسأل الله الذي اهل الهلال و ارسى الجبال ان يبلغك ماتتمناة وانت في احسن حال .. وان يبارك لك في شعبان ..ويبلغك رمضان ... كل عام وانتم بألف خير

مقال الكاتب السوداني منسي الطيب

ولو لم يكن لعلي إلا

مقال أثار حفيظة الوهابية في المنتديات .....

مكان ولادة الامام علي بن أبي طالب (عليه السلام) كعبة للمسلمين يتوجهون (إليهِ) بصلاتهم خمس مرات في اليوم وهم لا يشعرون

الكاتب السوداني منسي الطيب

ولو لم يكن لعلي إلا
لو لم يكن لعلي بن أبي طالب مِن المعاجز والمفاخر والمناقب إلا ولادُته المباركة في حجر الكعبةِ المشرفة ، لكانت هذهِ لوحدها كافية أن تجعل من هذا المولود المقدس سيّدا أوحدا صمدا في دنيا الإسلام الذي ارتضاهُ إلهُ العالمين دينا عالميا للبشر.

ولو لم يكن لعلي إلا يومُ إستشهادهِ العظيم في محراب الصلاة ، لكان ذلكَ اليوم أقدس أيام السنة الهجرية التي ابتدأت بأيام الله المعدودة في بطن الكعبة الشريفة وانتهتْ الى يوم القيامة في مسجد الكوفة حيث مقام جبرائيل وإدريس ونوح وابراهيم والخضر وغيرهم من الملائكة والأنبياء والمرسلين والصالحين تأمّهم جميعا الى ربهم الأعلى قطراتُ دماءِ آخر الأوصياءِ المكتـّفين بغصون وصايا الشجرة النبوية المُتدلـية في مقام اللهِ الأعلى.

ولو لم يكن لعلي من الأسماء إلا أسمه 'العلي الذي فوق العلى رُفِعا' ، لكفاه هذا عن غيرهِ من الأسماء والألقاب والكنى التي نسبها السارقون الى غيرهِ ابتغاءَ مرضاة السلطان الأموي.

ولو لم يكن لعلي إلا آية ٌواحدة في القران الحكيم تُعلنُ للعالمين بلسان ٍعربي مبين لعلّ العرب يعقلون: (( وإنهُ في أم الكتابِ لدينا لعليٌ حكيم)) لكفى اللهُ المؤمنين بهذه الآية لوحدها جهد البحث وعناء التفتيش في كتب البخاريين والترمذيين والنسائيين ليُبرزوا فضائلا ًبحق علي يرفضها ابنُ تيمية لسببٍ ذكـَرَهُ القرانُ في 'سورةالمنافقون'.

ولو لم يكن لعلي إلا شيعتـُه المخلصين الذين تكسّرتْ على أكتافهم سياط ُالظالمين في كل العصور ولم تتكسّر فيهم أصداءُ لاءات الرفض ونـَعَمَات الولاية ، لكفى عليا من عظيم الشأن أن يكون إمام الرافضين للظلم والإضطهاد والعدوان في دنيا طلقها ثلاثا لا رجعة له فيها.

أيها الباحثون عن فضائل علي في بطون الكتب وأحاديث الصحاح: لا تتعبوا أنفسكم بالبحث والتنقيب عن فضائله الكثيرة ، وانظروا الى وجوه أعداء علي على شاشات مملكة الشر ، فهذه بحد ذاتها فضيلة كُبرى ومنقبة أخرى شاء الله أن يضيفها الى معاجز ومكارم ومناقب أبي الحسنين علي. فتعالى الله علوا كبيرا وسلام على علي يوم ولد في بيت الله ويوم استُشهد في بيت الله ويوم أصبح مهدُ ولادتهِ الميمون كعبةً وقبلة ً للمسلمين يتوجهون ((إليهِ)) بصلاتهم خمس مرات في اليوم وهم لا يشعرون.
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وقال الصاحب بن عباد في حق علي قصيدة هي:

قالت فمن صاحب الدين الحنيف اجبْ؟ فقلت احمد خير السادة الرسلِ
قالت فمن بعده تصفي الولاء له؟ قلتُ الوصي الذي اربى على زحلِ
قالت فمن بات من فوق الفراش فدىً؟ فقلت اثبت خلق الله في الوهلِ
قالت فمن ذا الذي اخاه عن مقةٍ؟ فقلت من حاز رد الشمس في الطفلِ
قالت فمن زوّ ج الزهراء فاطمة؟ فقلت افضل من حافٍ ومنتعلِ
قالت فمن والد السبطين اذ فرعا؟ فقلت سابق اهل السبق في مهلِ
قالت فمن فاز في بدرٍ بمعجزها؟ فقلت اضرب خلق الله في القللِ
قالت فمن اسد الاحزاب يفرسها؟ فقلت قاتل عمرو الضيغم البطلِ
قالت فيوم حنينٍ من فرا وبرا؟ فقلت حاصد اهل الشرك في عجلِ
قالت فمن ذا دعا للطير يأكله؟ فقلت اقرب مرضيٍّ ومنتحلِ
قالت من تلّوه يوم الكساء اجبْ؟ فقلت افضل مكسوٍ ومشتملِ
قالت من ساد في يوم الغدير ابن؟ فقلت من كان لللاسلام خير ولي
قالت ففي من اتى من هل اتى شرف؟ فقلت ابذل اهل الارض للنفلِ
قالت فمن راكع زكّى بخاتمه؟ فقلت اطعنهم مذ كان بالاسلِ
قالت فمن ذا قسيم النار يسهمها؟ فقلت من رأيه اذكى من الشعلِ
قالت فمن باهل الطهر النبيُّ به؟ فقلت تاليه في حلٍ ومرتحلِ
قالت فمن غدا باب المدينة قلْ؟ فقلت من سئلوه وهو لم يسلِ
قالت من قاتل الاقوام اذ نكثوا؟ فقلت تفسيره في وقعة الجملِ
قالت فمن حارب الارجاس اذ قسطوا؟ فقلت صفين تبدي صفحة العملِ
قالت فمن قارع الانجاس اذ مرقوا؟ فقلت معناه يوم النهروان جلي
قالت فمن صاحب الحوض الشريف غداً؟ فقلت من بيته في اشرف الحللِ
قالت فمن لواء الحمد يحمله؟ فقلت من لم يكن في الروع بالوجلِ
قالت اكلْ الذي قد قلت في رجلِ؟ فقلت كل الذي قد قلت في رجلِ
قالت فمن هو هذا سمهُ لنا؟ فقلت ذاك أمير المؤمنين علي

سلام الله عليك سيدي ومولاي يارسول الله

وعلى اهل بيتك الطيبين الطاهرين

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السلام عليكم يوجد على احد برامج القران للموبايل الايه رقم 90 من سورة النساء يوجد بها تحريف حيث استبدلت كلمة*يقاتلوكم*بكلمة *يقاتلونكم*يرجى الانتباه ولا تتكاسل في نشر هذه الرساله لكي لا تحرم نفسك وتحرمنا من الثواب واثابنا واثابكم الله

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آلدعآء آلذي يخآف منه آلشيطآن آللهم آنك سلطت علينآ عدوآ عليمآ بعيوبنآ - يرآنآ هو وقبيلة من حيث لآنرآهم آللهم أيسه منآ كمآ آيستـه من رحمتك وقنطه منآ كمآ قنطـته من عـفوك - وبآعــد بيننآ وبينه كمآ بآعـدت بينه وبين رحمتك وجنتك بسم آلله آلرحمن آلرحيم لآ آله آلآ آلله رب آلسموآت آلسبع ورب آلعرش آلعظيم. ملآحظة : آذآ كآن نشرهآ سيرهقك فلآ تنشرهآ فلن تستحق آخذ ثوآبهآ لأن ثوآبها عظيم

Suicide blasts at Pakistan arms complex kill 59

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at the gates of Pakistan's main weapons complex Thursday, killing 59 people and wounding 70, officials said.

A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack, one of the bloodiest yet in Pakistan's intensifying war with insurgent groups that are also destabilizing Afghanistan.

The bombers struck at two different gates just as workers were leaving the sprawling arms facility in Wah, a garrison city 20 miles west of the capital, Islamabad.

Rana Tanveer, who was working at a bank about 200 yards (meters) from one of the gates where a bomber struck, said he was among the first to reach the scene.

"All around the gate I saw blood and human flesh. People helped the injured and took them in their cars and even on motorbikes to the hospital," he told The Associated Press. "Seven or eight people were already dead and another 10 people were breathing their last."

Tanvir Lodhi, a spokesman for Pakistan Ordnance Factories, said 59 people were killed. Mohammed Azhar, a hospital official, said 70 others were wounded.

Among more than a dozen bodies seen by an AP Television News reporter at the hospital were two wearing uniforms, though an army spokesman said he had no information that security forces were among the dead.

Pakistani forces are involved in an escalating battle with Islamic extremists in two nearby regions of the country's violence-plagued northwest, despite government efforts to negotiate peace with extremist groups.

Maulvi Umar, a spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a militant umbrella group, said the suicide bombings were revenge for airstrikes in Bajur, a militant stronghold near the Afghan border.

Umar said militants would carry out similar attacks in other major cities, including Islamabad and the southern port metropolis of Karachi, unless the military halts its operations.

"Only innocent people die when the Pakistan army carries out airstrikes in Bajur or Swat," he said, referring to a mountain valley where the army has vowed to clear out militants who have kidnapped and killed police and troops and burned girls' schools.

"If the army is really fond of fighting, it should send ground forces to see how we fight," Umar told AP by telephone from an undisclosed location.

Regional police Chief Nasir Durrani said the bomber struck as workers were streaming out after a shift change at the weapons complex, Pakistan's largest.

"There are two torn bodies lying there which we believe are those of the suicide bombers," Durrani said.

Soldiers and police later sealed off the area and prevented reporters from approaching. Television footage showed workers struggling to lift a blackened corpse onto a stretcher. Crows as well as forensic teams picked through the scraps of flesh and scattered shoes.

Durrani said experts would try to reconstruct the bombers' faces to try to identify them.

At the hospital, relatives searched frantically for loved ones as doctors worked to save those most seriously injured.

A young man who gave his name as Mohammad Asif stood wailing after identifying the lifeless body of his 60-year-old father in an ambulance.

"He was a humble man ... What wrong did he do to anyone? Why was he punished? These cruel people have taken away the great shadow of my father," Asif said.

The bombers managed to enter the cantonment area of the town undetected, but did not penetrate the tightly controlled weapons complex, which houses about a dozen factories.

According to the army, the factories produce rifles, machine guns and ammunition as well as grenades, and tank and artillery shells. Abbas said the perimeter is guarded by a dedicated paramilitary force.

Experts have suggested that facilities related to Pakistan's secretive nuclear weapons program are located in the Wah area, possibly including a uranium enrichment plant. Abbas insisted the complex attacked on Thursday was producing only conventional weapons.

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Blasts near Pakistan ordnance plant kill 59

21 Aug 2008 13:36:50 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Updates toll, adds Taliban comment)

By Augustine Anthony

ISLAMABAD, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers blew themselves up outside Pakistan's main defence industry complex on Thursday as workers were leaving at the end of their shift, killing 59 people, officials said.

Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan is on the front line of the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism and al Qaeda-linked militants have launched a wave of attacks on the security forces over the past year, bombing military camps, patrols and transport.

The violence combined with political uncertainty has helped undermine investor confidence and send the country's financial markets on a downward spiral.

"There were bodies lying everywhere and wounded people soaked in blood were screaming for help," said Shah, the manager of a petrol station near the industrial complex in Wah, 30 km (20 miles) northwest of Islamabad.

"Many of the wounded were either without legs or hands. I could see body parts hanging on trees," he said.

A Pakistani Taliban spokesman said the blasts were retaliation for military operations against militants in the northwestern region of Bajaur, on the Afghan border.

"If it doesn't stop we will continue such attacks," Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar said by telephone.

"The Wah factory is a killer factory where arms are being produced to kill our women and children," he said.

A hospital official said 59 people had been killed and 81 wounded in the blasts near the heavily guarded complex, the hub of Pakistan's defence industry where about 25,000 workers produce explosives, ordnance and weapons in about 15 factories.

Hundreds of workers were milling about outside the complex at the end of their shift when the bombers struck.

GOVERNMENT VOW

One of the bombers blew himself up outside the complex's main gate while the second detonated his explosives at almost the same time near another gate, said police officer Sardar Shahbaz.

Soldiers cordoned off the area and kept reporters back as ambulances arrived to take away casualties, a witness said.

Pakistani Taliban said last week they were behind a bomb attack on an air force bus in the city of Peshawar which killed 13 people. The blast was in retaliation for military operations in the northwest, a militant spokesman said.

Since July last year, Pakistan has suffered a wave of militant violence, particularly in the northwest, in which hundreds of people have been killed including many security force members.

Violence subsided when a coalition government that came to power after a February election opened talks with militants but it picked up again after their top leader, Baitullah Mehsud, suspended the talks in June.

This week's resignation of President Pervez Musharraf, under threat of impeachment from the ruling coalition, has raised questions about the government's commitment to tackle violence.

Although Musharraf's support for the U.S.-led war on terrorism was deeply unpopular, the government has vowed to keep up efforts to fight the militants.

But the first days since Musharraf's departure have seen squabbling among the ruling parties, raising concern about the government's ability to deal with security and economic problems and bring political stability.

Share and currency markets have dropped in the last two days after initial gains on Musharraf's exit. Pakistan's stock market, which rose for six years to 2007, and was the best performing in Asia in that period, has fallen about 27 percent this year. (Additional reporting by Sheree Sardar) (Writing by Robert Birsel; Editing by Jerry Norton)

Monday, August 18, 2008

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf resigns

By ZARAR KHAN, Associated Press Writer 11 minutes ago

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced Monday that he will resign, just days ahead of impeachment in parliament over attempts by the U.S.-backed leader to impose authoritarian rule on his turbulent nation.

An emotional Musharraf said he wanted to spare the nation from a perilous impeachment battle and that he was satisfied that all he had done "was for the people and for the country."

"I hope the nation and the people will forgive my mistakes," Musharraf said in a televised address, much of which was devoted to defending his record and refuting criticisms.

Musharraf dominated Pakistan for years after seizing power in a 1999 military coup, making the country a key strategic ally of the U.S. by supporting the war on terror. But his popularity at home sank over the years.

While political exit robs the West of a stalwart ally, Musharraf's influence has faded since he stepped down as army chief last year. Washington and European capitals will hope his removal will let the civilian government focus on terrorism and the country's economic woes.

Many Pakistanis blame the rising militant violence in their country on Musharraf's alliance with the U.S. His reputation suffered blows in 2007 when he ousted dozens of judges and imposed emergency rule. His rivals won February parliamentary elections and have since sought his ouster, announcing impeachment plans earlier this month.

A U.S. Embassy spokesman declined to comment after Musharraf's speech, referring calls to Washington. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday the Pakistani president's future was an internal issue.

While Musharraf was a "good ally" who "kept his word" on ending military rule when he stepped down as army chief last year, whether he should resign "is a matter for Pakistan to determine," she said.

Television footage showed groups of people celebrating in the streets in several towns across Pakistan, some of them firing automatic weapons into the sky.

In Peshawar, a crowd of people danced to drum beats and hugging each other at an intersection in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

"It is very pleasing to know that Musharraf is no more," said Mohammed Saeed, a shopkeeper in the crowd of dancers.

Pakistan's stock market and currency both rose strongly on hopes that the country was bound for political stability.

Musharraf said he will turn in his resignation to the National Assembly speaker on Monday but it was not immediately clear whether it would become effective the same day. The chairman of Pakistan's Senate, Mohammedmian Soomro, was poised to take over in the interim.

It also was not clear whether Musharraf, a stalwart U.S. ally, would stay in Pakistan.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said leaders of the ruling coalition would discuss later Monday whether to prosecute Musharraf in court on charges that that were being planned for the impeachment process.

Musharraf, who has been largely sidelined since his rivals came to power, had resisted the mounting calls to quit, even after the coalition finalized impeachment charges against him and threatened to send a motion to Parliament later this week.

The charges were expected to include violating the constitution and gross misconduct, likely in connection with the ouster of the judges and the declaration of emergency rule.

A defiant Musharraf, seated in a wood-panelled office between two national flags, listed the many problems facing Pakistan, including its sinking economy and a chronic power shortage. He said his opponents were wrong to blame him for the mounting difficulties and suggested they were going after him to mask their own failings.

"I pray the government stops this down-sliding and take the country out of this crisis," he said.

Allies and rivals of the president said talks had been under way to get him to step down by possibly granting him legal immunity from future prosecution. The second biggest party in the government has said he should be tried for treason, which carries a maximum punishment of death.

Who will ultimately succeed Musharraf is an open question. There has been speculation that both Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, the leaders of the two main parties are interested in the role.

But the ruling coalition has sought to strip the presidency of many of its powers. Sharif spokesman Saiqul Farooq recently dismissed the idea that his boss wants the job because the presidency would likely be reduced to a ceremonial position.

Qureshi would not say whether Musharraf might be granted a "safe exit" — speculation has focused on whether he might go into exile in Saudi Arabia or Turkey — or dragged through the courts.

"That is a decision that has to be taken by the democratic leadership," Qureshi, who is from the main ruling Pakistan People's Party, told Dawn News television. The leaders would assess the speech and the political situation, he said.

___

Associated Press Writer Asif Shahzad contributed to this report.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Bomber kills US-allied Sunni leader

Iraqi police:

By MAZIN YAHYA, Associated Press Writer 14 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - A suicide bomber dressed in a woman's robe detonated explosives Sunday in a heavily guarded area of Baghdad, killing the deputy leader of a Sunni neighborhood's security volunteers who had turned against al-Qaida, Iraqi officials said.

Six bodyguards of Farooq al-Obeidi, deputy leader of the "awakening council" in Baghdad's Azamiyah district, were also killed in the blast, which occurred as they were seated outside a cafe in the former insurgent stronghold, police and Iraqi army officials said.

The assailant, wearing a black abaya robe, walked up to al-Obeidi's party and detonated the explosives, the officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not supposed to talk to media.

Some of the officials said the attacker was a woman. But one of them said the attacker was a man who probably wore the flowing garment to conceal the explosives.

"While I was shopping just across the street, I heard a huge explosion," said Omar Qassim, a member of al-Obeidi's group. "Body parts were flying through the air. I immediately realized that Farooq's party was targeted and he was probably dead."

Such attacks have become rare in the center of Azamiyah since the U.S. military built a concrete wall around the heart of the north Baghdad neighborhood, where Saddam Hussein took refuge when the city fell to U.S. forces in April 2003.

Although Azamiyah was once a center of resistance to the U.S. and its Shiite allies, many local Sunnis later abandoned the insurgency and joined the awakening council, which provides security there alongside Iraqi soldiers and police.

Al-Qaida in Iraq has often targeted leaders of awakening councils. But Khalil Ibrahim, an aide to al-Obeidi, said the attack could have been carried out by rivals within the council itself.

"We had received information that we would be targeted by groups within Azamiyah and within the awakening movement itself," he said, refusing to elaborate.

A senior police official also said it was unlikely that explosives could have been smuggled into the area because of security checks around the wall and said he suspected the attack could have been part of a power struggle within the council.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation had only just begun.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Over 100 women graduate from Iraq police academy

Iraqi policewomen search female Shiite pilgrims as they make their way to a major religious festival, in Latifiyah, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Baghdad, in Iraq, Friday, Aug. 15, 2008. A female suicide bomber struck Shiite pilgrims resting by the side of the road in Iskandariyah Thursday evening, killing at least 18 people and wounding 75, as they were on their way to the Shabaniyah festival which climaxes over the weekend and marks the birth of Mohammed al-Mahdi, the 12th Shiite imam who disappeared in the 9th century.
(AP Photo/Loay Hameed

Daana-e-Khudi - Allama Iqbal - Part 7 - Urdu

Thanks to ShiaTV

Other Parts here:
http://www.shiatv.net/view_video.php?viewkey=e9f528eb3e1cda69699b

Egyptian Mom Welcomes Septuplets while Iraqi Mom welcomes Sextuplet

In the above photo:
Egyptian nurses tend to newborn septuplets at the el-Shatbi hospital in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2008. The newborns, four boys and three girls, were delivered by caesarian section at the end of the eighth month of 27-year-old Ghazala Khamis' pregnancy.
(AP Photo/Tarek Fawzy)

Darwish decided to carry out the Caesarean section at the end of Khamis' eighth month of pregnancy due to the pressure on her kidneys. He said Khamis, who already has three daughters, took fertility drugs in an effort to have a son.

Khamis, the wife of a farmer in the northern Egyptian province of Beheira, was admitted to the hospital two months earlier, Darwish said.

"From the initial checkup, I say that none of the babies have any sort of deformities or incomplete organs," Darwish said.

The woman's brother, Khamis Khamis, said even though his sister was trying to conceive more children so she could have a son, the family was astonished when they found out she would give birth to multiple babies.

"We thought about an abortion, but then we felt it's religiously forbidden. So we said 'Let God's will prevail,'" he told the AP by phone.

Egypt's health minister announced that the seven babies will receive free milk and diapers for two years, the brother added.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Egyptian woman has given birth to septuplets at a hospital in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria.

Emad Darwish, head of el-Shatbi hospital says the 27-year-old Ghazala Khamis is now in a stable condition, although she did require a blood transfusion during the Caesarean section because of bleeding.

The babies, four boys and three girls, who arrived at 34 weeks gestation, have been placed in incubators in four different hospitals since they were premature.

“This is a very rare pregnancy, something I have never witnessed over my past 33 years in this profession,” Darwish said.

He added that he decided to carry out the C- section at the end of the eighth month of pregnancy, due to the pressure of the womb on the mother’s kidneys.

The babies’ weights range from an amazing 3.2lbs to 6.17lbs. There must be a record here…Normally septuplets arrive weighing under 2lbs each because there are so many of them sharing such a small space/food supply.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they were all breathing on their own already…

Ghazala, who already has three girls, has been on bedrest for 2 months now. The babies are being called miracles because they were not conceived with the help of any fertility medication.

--------------

Rare sextuplets born in Iraq, four survive

16 Aug 2008 15:16:29 GMT
Source: Reuters
NASSIRIYA, Iraq, Aug 16 (Reuters) - A woman has given birth to rare sextuplets in southern Iraq, but two of them died because the hospital lacked the proper equipment to keep them alive, her doctor said on Saturday.

Some Iraqi media described it as the first birth of sextuplets -- six children born at once -- in the country, although this could not be verified.

Sextuplet births are extremely rare although fertility treatments have increased the frequency of multiple births.

"Two of the children died because of problems breathing," said Dr Ali al-Jabiri, in charge of premature infants at Al-Habboubi Hospital in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriya.

"If we had suitable medical equipment then we could have saved them," he added.

The babies all weighed between 700 and 1,200 grams (24-44 ounces). Two boys and two girls survived. Their mother had used fertility drugs.

"The problem is, how can I take care of them? How to feed them?" said their mother, Ibtisam Najim Abid, at the hospital.

----------

TWO OCTUPLETS HOME FROM HOSPITAL

Story Image

Nadya Suleman arrives home with two of her babies

Wednesday March 18,2009

Two of the world's longest-surviving octuplets are home from hospital.

Nadya Suleman was sitting with her babies in the back seat of a car which arrived at her new four-bedroom home in La Habra, about 25 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

Suleman, an unemployed divorced mother, gave birth to the octuplets nine weeks prematurely on January 26 in Bellflower. She already had six children, aged two to seven.

The octuplets, who at birth weighed from 1lb 8oz to 3lbs 4oz, spent their first seven weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Centre.

The first two babies to be discharged, Noah and Isaiah, are each about 5lbs and are able to bottle feed, the hospital said.

The other two girls and four boys continue gaining weight and will be released another day, the hospital said.

"This is a happy moment for everyone - the family, physicians, nurses and entire NICU staff," said Dr Mandhir Gupta, a neonatologist at the medical centre. "It is always rewarding whenever a premature infant goes home as a healthy baby."

Dozens of media and others waited for hours outside the home for Suleman and the babies to arrive.

The octuplets will require around-the-clock care from at least two carers. Angels in Waiting, a non-profit group of nurses which specialises in caring for fragile infants and children, estimates the babies will need a combined 64 feedings a day.

The babies' historic births were initially met with curiosity and celebration, but a backlash against Suleman grew as the public learned that the 33-year-old mother had few means to support her brood. All 14 of her children were conceived through in vitro fertilisation at the West Coast IVF Clinic run by Dr Michael Kamrava, with sperm from an unidentified friend, Suleman has said.

Wadi al-Salam cemetery

Iraqi policemen deploy in the Wadi al-Salam cemetery in Najaf, Iraq, Friday, Aug. 15, 2008. Iraqi police deployed in the cemetery Friday to counter the threat of bomb attacks, as Shiite pilgrims from southern Iraq visit to pray over the graves of relatives, on their way to the Shabaniyah festival in Karbala which climaxes over the weekend and marks the birth of Mohammed al-Mahdi, the 12th Shiite imam who disappeared in the 9th century.
(AP Photo/Alaa al-Marjani)

Friday, August 15, 2008

University of Toronto, IBM to launch supercomputer

By Wojtek Dabrowski

TORONTO (Reuters) - The University of Toronto and IBM Corp (IBM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) are building Canada's most powerful supercomputer, a mammoth machine that will need its own building for storage and will be capable of performing 360 trillion calculations per second.

It's expected the system will be among the top 20 fastest supercomputers in the world and the largest outside the United States. It will be able to store data equivalent to that held by one million regular DVDs.

The entire budget of the project, which includes construction and operating costs, is just under C$50 million ($47 million) over five years.

Its power is roughly equivalent to "30,000 to 40,000 home computers linked together," said Chris Pratt, strategic initiatives executive at IBM Canada.

"The kind of interconnect between parts of the system will allow the equivalent of two full-length feature DVD movies to be moved around in the space of a second," he said.

It will be a big boost to scientists at the University of Toronto and its associated research hospitals, as it will help tackle projects in an array of areas from aerospace and astrophysics to climate change prediction and medical imaging.

Among the research, the system will be used to explore the modern scientific mystery of why matter has mass and what constitutes the mass of the universe.

Funding is being provided by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, in partnership with the province of Ontario and the university.

Building the supercomputer will involve the largest implementation of IBM's iDataPlex system, which holds twice as many processors per unit as standard systems and is entirely water-cooled. More than 4,000 servers will be linked together.

"Every aspect of the system has been put together to be the most powerful and yet the most energy-efficient," Pratt said.

A data center will be built just north of Toronto. Installation will begin in the autumn and it's expected the supercomputer will be fully operational by next summer.

(Reporting by Wojtek Dabrowski; editing by Peter Galloway)

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Happy Birth Day to Imam Mahdi A.J.T.F.S

Bombs target Shiite pilgrims, police in Baghdad

By BUSHRA JUHI, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 8 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - Two roadside bombs went off Thursday in separate Baghdad locations, killing a Shiite pilgrim and a policeman and wounding 16 people, most of them Shiite pilgrims headed on foot to the holy city of Karbala for a major religious festival, police said.

The first bomb, in the southeastern district of Zafaraniyah, killed the policeman and wounded nine others — six pilgrims and three policemen, a police official said. The second, in the central Alwiya district, killed one pilgrim and wounded seven, all males in their late teens and early 20s, another police official said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The Shabaniyah festival, which climaxes over the weekend, marks the birth of Mohammed al-Mahdi, the 12th Shiite imam, who disappeared in the 9th century. Devout Shiites believe he will return to Earth to restore peace and harmony.

Shiite religious festivals have often been targeted by militants from al-Qaida in Iraq, the country's deadliest Sunni terror group.

Thousands of Shiite pilgrims have been killed since the ouster of Saddam Hussein's Sunni-led regime in 2003 when followers of Iraq's majority sect began to celebrate their religious holidays openly and in large numbers.

Shiite political parties are known to encourage huge turnouts for the festivals to display the sect's empowerment after years of marginalization by the minority Sunni Arabs.

The last deadly attack against Shiite pilgrims was last month, when three female suicide bombers struck Shiite pilgrims in nearly simultaneous bombings in Baghdad, killing at least 32 people and wounding more than 100.

The bombers were walking among pilgrims streaming in their annual march to the golden domed shrine of the eighth-century imam Moussa al-Kadhim in Kazimiyah.

On Thursday, Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, the chief military spokesman for Baghdad, issued several regulations designed to defuse sectarian tensions during the journey to Karbala, which runs through Sunni areas just south of the capital, and to avoid a repeat of past incidents that cost pilgrims' lives or provoked Sunnis during Shiite occasions.

The order banned members of the Shiite-dominated security forces deployed along the route from plastering their vehicles with religious and political symbols — like images of Shiite saints or Shiite party posters — and from joining pilgrims in their religious chants. Security personnel, al-Moussawi said, must stick to the national anthem and fly the national flag from their vehicles.

Al-Moussawi, who announced the regulations on state television, also said pilgrims must not carry arms and those traveling on foot mustn't walk about after dark. He warned against rumors that could sow panic and against accepting food from strangers.

In Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, police spokesman Rahman Meshawi said additional police and army forces arrived in the city to beef up security for the Shabaniyah, which is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from across Iraq.

He said the additional forces were seven battalions — three each from the defense and interior ministries and one made up of security forces from neighboring provinces. He gave no figures, but Iraqi police and army battalions are usually around 300 men each.

Last year's Shabaniyah was marred by deadly clashes between gunmen loyal to two rival Shiite groups, leaving scores killed and wounded.

In other incidents Thursday, three policemen were killed and six others wounded when a roadside bomb hit their patrol near Buhriz, a town about 35 miles north of Baghdad in the turbulent Diyala province, according to the provincial joint operations center.

Farther north, in the city of Mosul, gunmen shot dead an off-duty policeman and army soldier in separate incidents.

--------------------

Iraq heightens pilgrimage security as bombers strike
15 Aug 2008 10:16:00 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Iraqi authorities tighten security for Shi'ite pilgrimage

* Bomb strikes minibus carrying pilgrims

*

Suicide bombing kills 19 overnight

By Sami al-Jumaili

KERBALA, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A roadside bomb struck a minibus packed with pilgrims bound for the holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala on Friday even as Iraqi authorities deployed over 40,000 police and soldiers to avert new violence in the annual rite.

Police said one pilgrim was killed and nine were wounded in eastern Baghdad in the attack, which came as thousands make their way, some walking for days, to Kerbala to mark the birth of Imam al-Mehdi, a revered figure in Shi'ite Islam.

On Thursday evening 19 people were killed and 75 wounded when a female suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest among pilgrims travelling toward the city.

Iraqi security forces, backed by helicopters and hundreds of snipers perched on rooftops, say they will search pilgrims and use bomb-sniffing dogs to ferret out explosives as part of an effort to avoid the bloodshed that continues to mar such religious events even as overall violence in Iraq drops sharply.

"We have set up scores of watch towers, and have cameras placed in open areas, crossroads and major entrances," said Kerbala police chief Major-General Raad Shakir.

A string of bomb attacks in Kerbala during a pilgrimage in 2004 killed 171 people and wounded scores in one of the worst attacks heralding the outbreak of Iraq's sectarian conflict.

Shakir said around 2,000 female police officers would be searching women making the annual Sha'abaniya pilgrimage.

Suicide bombings by women have become far more common this year in Iraq, where U.S. forces blame Sunni al Qaeda militants for deploying female bombers to evade security searches. Three female suicide bombers struck the last big Shi'ite pilgrimage in Baghdad last month, killing nearly 30 worshippers.

In Kerbala, police in fatigues and red berets checked ID cards and patted down faithful entering the golden-domed Imam Hussein mosque, strung with brightly coloured neon lights.

Outside the mosque, throngs of pilgrims, some of them women barely visible under their black abayas, sat on blankets.

Authorities have banned people from carrying weapons and chanting sectarian slogans. On the roads to Kerbala, police watch over pilgrims carrying belongings on their backs in the scorching summer heat.

BRACING FOR THE WORST

Despite the precautions, Kerbala is bracing for the worst. Local health director Alaa Hammoudi said that 40 medic units were standing by, and that extra hospital beds were made ready.

Near the mosque, makeshift clinics were set up in tents and trailers. Some pilgrims donated blood.

Shi'ites believed that Mehdi, the 12th imam, disappeared in the ninth century but never died. They believe his return will signal the advent of peace and justice on earth.

The pilgrimage is one of several annual events that have become shows of force for Iraq's Shi'ite majority since the fall of Sunni Arab leader Saddam Hussein, who restricted Shi'ite religious practice. Sunni Arab militants often strike them.

Last year's pilgrimage was marred by gunbattles in Kerbala between Shi'ite factions, which led to a ceasefire by anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr that U.S. forces say is one of the factors contributing to Iraq's fall in violence.

A spokesman for the U.S. military said that U.S. forces would support Iraqi troops if needed.

The United States has been seeking to highlight its secondary role in such security operations as U.S. and Iraqi officials negotiate an agreement to outline the U.S. presence in Iraq after a U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year.

Iraq's Shi'ite-led government is hoping that U.S. forces will halt patrols of Iraqi cities and towns by the middle of 2009, and withdraw combat troops by 2010 or 2011.

So far, President George W. Bush has resisted a firm timetable, but has spoken of a "time horizon" and "aspirational goals" governing a gradual drawdown of U.S. troops in Iraq.

The U.S. military announced on Friday the death of a marine killed by small arms fire in Western Iraq, the 15th U.S. service member to die in Iraq this month. Just 13 died in all of July, the least deadly month since the war began.

(Additional reporting by Mohammed Ameen in Kerbala and Aws Qusay in Baghdad; writing by Missy Ryan; Editing by Samia Nakhoul)

------------

A member of the Iraqi National Police gestures to others at the scene of a blast, after a car bomb struck Shiite pilgrims boarding minibuses in the mainly Shiite district of Shaab in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2008, killing six and wounding 11 according to police and medical officials. The latest in a series of bombings targeting Shiites heading to Karbala for a major religious festival that culminates this weekend, the explosives laden car blew up around 9 a.m. near minibuses assembled to pick up the pilgrims.
(AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

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Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Warrior with AK-47 becomes cleric with pseudonym

By HAMZA HENDAWI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writers
1 hour, 40 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - Abu Ali has had enough of war. Nothing, he insists, can change his mind.

Four years ago, the father of five swapped his clerical robes for the black pants and shirts of Muqtada al-Sadr's feared Mahdi Army. Now at 37 and eager to get on with his life, Abu Ali is headed back to the holy city of Najaf to resume his clerical studies.

"I have paid my dues," he said in an interview last week at a hiding place in Baghdad's Sadr City. "It is time to start looking after myself and my family."

But Abu Ali, who gave his nickname because of fears for his family's safety, must remain incognito. As a senior Mahdi Army commander, he is on the Iraqi government's wanted list.

On Friday, al-Sadr effectively disbanded the militia he founded in 2003, turning it into a social welfare movement — the army of "Momahidoun," or "those who pave the way." Al-Sadr said he would retain special guerrilla cells that his spokesman explained would attack U.S. troops only if the Americans don't accept a timetable to leave Iraq.

Abu Ali doesn't expect to be part of the cells. He's tired of war. If there are many like him, al-Sadr's military option may be waning after losing strongholds in Baghdad and the southern city of Basra.

In a series of interviews with The Associated Press since March, Abu Ali offered insights into the life of a Mahdi leader.

A chain-smoking man of medium height and a muscular build, the bearded Abu Ali looks like a boxer but without the swagger. This time, dressed in a blue polo shirt and gray jeans, he spoke of his personal ambitions and the "decay" and "corruption" that he says are driving him away from the militia.

His faith in al-Sadr's leadership remains unshakable, he says. But he believes theology and the life of a cleric, not a guerrilla commander, are his true calling.

"My departure and seclusion in Najaf is my response to all the mistakes we have made in the Mahdi Army," said Abu Ali.

"We fought for 50 days and in the end Iraqi soldiers came and violated the sanctity of our homes," he said of the battles last spring in Sadr City, which had been the militia's largest stronghold. "I will not join those cells even if I am personally asked to do so."

Abu Ali was reluctant to speak openly about alleged mistakes committed by the Mahdi Army, although he alluded to other militia commanders who used their power for personal gain or moved too close to Iran.

"My quarrel is not with Muqtada," he said, "It is with commanders and Sadrist politicians."strong>

The Mahdi Army began as a nationalistic group, rapidly acquiring a reputation for protecting Shiites and fighting the Americans — especially during two 2004 uprisings in which Abu Ali said he participated.

But many units turned to extortion and racketeering, preying on poor Shiites they once defended and alienating large sections of the Shiite community.

Abu Ali's transformation from committed warrior to disillusioned seminarian charts the fortunes of a loosely structured militia that once appeared to be among the most powerful forces in Iraq's murky politics, with an estimated 25,000-40,000 active fighters.

Like the vast majority of al-Sadr's followers, Abu Ali is poor. His family, like most Sadr City residents, migrated from the Shiite heartland of southern Iraq to Baghdad in search of jobs.

For Abu Ali and many others in the movement, the Sadrists were pursuing a struggle not only against the Americans but against a rigid class system among Iraq's Shiites that favors the wealthy merchant class and its clerical allies at the expense of the disenfranchised poor.

In March, Abu Ali told the AP that he was one of 12 senior commanders who oversaw Mahdi Army operations.

The following month, Abu Ali exuded confidence during major fighting between the Mahdi Army and U.S. and Iraqi forces in Sadr City, home to some 2.5 million Shiites.

As fighting raged, he visited the family of a fallen comrade, shaking hands with scores of mourners inside a funeral tent as U.S. drones flew overhead and explosions rumbled in the distance.

His men treated him with reverence. He received news of the death or injury of his men with perfect calm.

"My soul is still in Najaf," Abu Ali said at the time. "But Najaf can wait. To fight the occupier with the Imam Mahdi Army is holy work too."

Fighting ended May 11 with a cease-fire that left Iraqi troops in control of Sadr City. Many al-Sadr fighters felt betrayed by the truce. Abu Ali and other commanders fled to Iran.

Speaking by telephone last June from Iran's holy city of Qom, Abu Ali broke down in tears as he talked of how much he missed his friends and his men.

"My life here is difficult," he said at the time.

Abu Ali returned to Sadr City from Iran this month but found himself on the government's wanted list. His brother said Iraqi troops had stormed the family home twice since June looking for him.

Nowadays, he hides out at the home of an old friend, sleeping on the floor of his living room with his clothes stuffed in a plastic bag. He keeps a pistol tucked in the back of his trousers.

His wife and children are staying with relatives. He has no money to rent a home for them.

"I will have to make do with very little in Najaf, but that's OK," Abu Ali, who appears to have gained weight in Iran, said last week at the friend's house. "But I must find a way to provide for my family."

He is hoping to evade authorities in Najaf, where a turban and clerical robes could conceal his identity. He says the authorities have his name but do not know what he looks like.

Still, Abu Ali refuses to acknowledge the militia's defeat in Sadr City. No army, he said, can prevail over opponents who risk their lives out of loyalty and for their faith.

"I feel 100 percent victorious," he said. "These (Iraqi) soldiers you see on Sadr City streets will beat a fast retreat if al-Sadr orders us to fight them," he boasted. "They will desert if they miss a single paycheck. Their victory is fragile."

Posted by Thaqalain at 1:38 PM 0 comments

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