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Pope: Christianity, Islam share common commitment to good lifePope Francis addresses participants at a meeting reflecting on the creative commonalities between Christianity and Islam, and he reminds all those present that the purpose of life is one and gives glory to God. By Francesca MerloAddressing participants at the VI Colloquium between the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, Pope Francis encouraged each member, noting that with this being their sixth encounter, their perseverance is clear. Commonalities between religionsThe theme of the colloquium, "Creative Commonalities between Christianity and Islam", the Pope said, reflects how “each of...

Are these 'refugees' really an invasion force? I have seen many cases of refugees, in the past. These do not look like 'refugees'. Usually they look like mostly women and children and elderly, who look starving and emaciated and are desperately pleading for help. You see the crying and moaning and outstretched hands grasping for relief. These 'refugees' seem to be all military-age men, who look fit and healthy, and who turn down food and water if it bears the mark of the infidel (Red Cross logo) They seem to be standing around on train-stations or boats waiting for the...

Police racial slur scandal indicative of larger problem We have already forgotten the "Arabushim" (derogatory term for Arabs) scandal that occurred here two weeks ago - that's the nature of racism that hinges on self inflicted senility and the ease of sweeping it under the rug. For those who need a reminder: A police officer used the term "Arabushim" in referring to Arab participants in a rally in Umm el-Fahm. The message, sent out just before the rally, said "15,000 Arabushim have so far arrived at the rally." The police officer was dismissed and al-Quds was redeemed, because now the...

Letters from a mujahid From the letters: a detailed Qur'anic justification for killing in Allah's nameMohammed Reza Taheri-azar, the Tarheel jihadist, has written six letters to the Daily Tar Heel, student newspaper of the University of North Carolina (thanks to Joseph), where he tried to kill students for Allah by running them over in an SUV.The letters are revealing on many levels. Pdfs of them are available here, here, here, here, and here.There is a strong apologetic content to these letters. He is engaging in da'wa, trying to convert those who read them to Islam. They are also revealing of...

ReutersUpdated: 7:28 a.m. ET Dec. 20, 2005 BETHLEHEM, West Bank - Palestinian gunmen briefly seized Bethlehem city hall, overlooking the Church of the Nativity, on Tuesday in a jarring interruption to Christmas preparations in the traditional birthplace of Jesus.The incident, five days before Christmas, was another sign of growing lawlessness in Palestinian territories and the turmoil within Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction ahead of a January parliamentary election.About 20 gunmen from Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades fanned out on rooftops and in the offices of city hall, firing several shots in the air and forcing workers out. They demanded money...

Top News Story Several Must Read Reports: Reuters reported that the EU powers and Washington have suspended their bid to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council instead focuses its efforts on a statement voicing concern about a document received by Iran which contained partial nuclear bomb-making instructions.ABC News reported that Iran has built, with the help of North Korea, dozens of underground tunnels and facilities for the construction of nuclear-capable missiles.Newsweek reported on this week's Iran/Iraq memorandum of understanding to cooperate on sensitive intelligence-sharing matters. A Daily Briefing of Major News Stories on Iran: Iran Press News reported...

Top News Story The Spirit of Man 5000 Islamic Clerics to be sent to the US: Iran's Ayatollah According to BBC Persian and Persian service of IRNA, the hardline ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi has announced that the Iranians living in the US need 5000 Islamic clerics for their religious services. Mesbah Yazdi asks the new Iranian government to finance their trainings! This hardline ayatollah is known as the founder of the shiite version of Taliban in Iran. Given the numerous statements made by several regime's officials regarding the destruction of the US and Israel, it makes me think about the...

Top News Story IRIB Iranian President forbids bullet-proof cars Tehran, Nov 17 - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Wednesday, "A long stride will be taken toward fair distribution of the country's budget in the year 1385 (beginning on March 20). According to the presidential office media department, the president who was speaking in a meeting with Friday prayers leaders across the country, added, "We praise the worthy services rendered by the past managers of the nation." He added, "Regarding the country's budget deficit, my suggestion is broad assistance of all those who can assist to solve the problem." President...

Top News Story IranFocus Tehran, Iran, Nov. 20 – A top military commander who has been responsible for recruitment of suicide bombers in Iran’s armed forces was on Sunday promoted to the position of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Brigadier General Hossein Salami was appointed as the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the IRGC while Brigadier General Ali Fazli was promoted the position of Director of Operations in the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During an inauguration ceremony, the Commandant of the IRGC,...

Top News Story Iran Ignores Pleas to Halt Uranium Work Dafna Linzer, The Washington Post: An Excerpt:Iran began converting a new batch of uranium at a key nuclear facility yesterday, rejecting international pleas to suspend such work and dismissing a new offer -- sponsored by Russia -- that was designed to ease tensions over the country's nuclear ambitions, U.S. and European officials said. The work at the facility in the town of Isfahan ... was seen as a provocative move just days after Iranian officials reacted coolly to the Russian offer. Coming at a sensitive time, the Iranian moves...

Top News Story U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsSubcommittee Hearings - Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security Iran: Teheran's Nuclear Recklessness and the U.S. Response -- The Experts' PerspectiveThe purpose of the hearing is to examine the relationship between Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and its status as a state-sponsor of terrorism. Witnesses Testimony Included: The Honorable Newt Gingrich [View PDF] , Co-Chair, Task Force on the United Nations , United States Institute of Peace The Honorable Alfonse D'Amato [View PDF] , Former United States Senator (New York) The Honorable R. James Woolsey [View...

Ahmadinejad’s newest proposed oil minister has a US Green Card Iran Press News: Translation by Banafsheh Zand-BonazziAhmadinejad, in his latest showdown with the Islamic Parliament’s Assembly, introduced Mohsen Tasaloti as his nominee for Minister of Oil. Tasaloti who is Executive Director of the Special economic region of Mahshahr Petrochemical Company is said to have a U.S. permanent residence (Green Card). This is expected to once again trigger another melee between the government and the Parliament. A reliable source who spoke on condition of anonymity said that Tasaloti who supported of Mostafa Moin* in the June elections, does in fact...

Top News Story Using Satellite Television to harass Muslim emigrants to the west Iran Press News: Translation by Banafsheh Zand-BonazziAnsar Hezbollah, which is under the direct supervision of Ahmadinejad, is engaged in establishing a multi-lingual (with a concentration on Arabic) satellite television network specifically soliciting resistance in Muslim emigrants affairs in the west. The intention is to use the recent events in France as the perfect launching ground to rouse Muslims against western governments. READ MORE A Daily Briefing of Major News Stories on Iran: Ken Timmerman, News Max reported that IAEA Director General Mohammad ElBaradei wants to give...

Top News Story Vol. 5, No. 9     13 November 2005 Domestic Threats to Iranian Stability: Khuzistan and Baluchistan Michael Rubin The Islamic Republic of Iran is facing a new wave of domestic violence, with multiple bombings in the provinces of Khuzistan and Baluchistan in the past six months. Iran is ethnically diverse. While the recent terrorism may have some ethnic or sectarian component, Iranian nationalism trumps ethnic separatism. Often, regional violence is more a sign of weak central government control and local disaffection than separatist sentiment. When Iraq invaded Iran in 1980, Saddam Hussein sought to play...

Top News Story Persian Journal Dr. Abdulkarim Soroush, a prominent Iranian-Islamic scholar confessed in a speech in Paris that Islam has no political and civil rights for the people. What you find in the Islamic jurisprudence is only obligations, not rights. Therefore, it is useless to look for democracy in Islam. These remarks are new attestation to the long time proven principle that religion must be separated from politics. This is especially true in the case of Islam. Secularism is the medicine acutely needed in all the Islamic societies, especially in Iran. The experience of Islamic revolution in Iran...

Top News Story Iran believes it can win a clash with the US Amir Taheri, The Jerusalem Post:When Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made his "wipe Israel off the map" remarks last month, many diplomats on both sides of the Atlantic rushed to explain, read between the lines and relativize what was an unambiguous statement of Teheran's long-established policy. They expressed the hope that Iran would "clarify" - meaning soften - its position. That was followed by feverish diplomatic activities, mainly by the United Nations' Secretary-General Kofi Annan, to persuade Teheran to tone down Ahmadinejad's remarks. (Annan was forced to...

Top News Story The Cicero Article Dan Darling, The Weekly Standard: A German magazine offers insight into Iran's ongoing support for terrorism. WHILE IRANIAN PRESIDENT Mahmood Ahmadinejad's recent call to wipe Israel off the map has elicited a great deal of much-needed international condemnation, relatively little focus has been paid since to Iran's long-standing support for international terrorism. Thankfully, a recent article published in the German political magazine Cicero, titled "How Dangerous is Iran?" serves as a welcome supplement to the Iranian president's remarks that, among other things, argues that Iran is currently harboring the surviving al Qaeda leadership....

Top News Story Rooz Online The Return of Purged Intelligence Officials A group of former Intelligence Ministry agents are back in action to control Iran’s news media, this time working through the Security Department of the Ministry of Islamic Guidance. The group comprises of officials and agents who were involved - and discredited - in the so-called “serial murders” cases that involved the murders, imprisonment, harassment, etc of the country’s writers, journalists, intellectuals, and politicians during 1993-1999 years at the hands officials from the Ministry of Intelligence. After these individuals were purged from the Ministry of Intelligence seven years...

Top News Story Second coming for imam is first concern for Iranian president By Najmeh Bozorgmehr and Gareth Smyth Published: November 9 2005 02:00 | Last updated: November 9 2005 02:00At the mosque of Jamkaran, 110km south of Tehran and just east of the holy city of Qom, tens of thousands gather on Tuesdays to pray and drop messages for the "missing" imam into a well. Abul-Qassem Mohammed, the 12th leader whom Shia Muslims regard as a successor to the prophet Mohammed, entered "occultation" in 941 and will one day return to rule justly before Judgment Day.In the women's...

Top News Story Blair slams Iran for backing 'terrorism'British Prime Minister Tony Blair accused Iran of supporting terrorism which was preventing political progress being made in the Middle East and elsewhere. Blair, addressing a monthly news conference Monday, said: "We know Iran supports terrorism around the Middle East it should stop it; until it stops it, there will be a deep dismay about the Iranian regime right 'round the world. They've just got to accept that," Blair said. "What they do with this terrorism is that they prevent political progress being made whether it's in the Middle East or...