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Iraqi's are fighting hard, they always have and they seem to always will. I guess that leaves a legacy in itself that they're fighting for their nation. People are dying, the government army are attacking them with machine guns and other types of operatives. Communities are falling apart... At some point you just think to yourself, is anything going to change? As an Iraqi woman, with full love to my country, and its history, it physically is distressing, and mentally painful to see this happening to my family, to my communities. Protesting has maybe had an affect in other countries, but with a government like Iraqs... Whats bound to happen, anyway??

#BREAKING Trump talked to several leaders about setting up safe zones in Syria: White House #BREAKING US military options on Syria in response to Idlib attack could include grounding Syrian aircraft: official to Reuters Thursday 06/04/2017

as salaam alakim!!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/rockets-hit-Iraq-base-us-troops-word-casualties-66856670 ISIS? Militias?

Sallam everyone, I am looking for a latmiyah which was aired on the Karbala TV livestream. I really loved it and want to know the recitor. anyone please help me out. The latmiyah had a slow beat and starts at 12:49 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt5eIWl82bU&t=861s

Is Iran's 'Dark Knight' supporting the nuclear talks? Shadowy Man, Dark Knight, Living Martyr and Haj Qasem are just a few of the monikers of Gen. Qasem Soleimani — Iran's top military man in the Middle East and commander of the Quds Force. Though Soleimani has become famous these days in the regional and world media due to his war against the Islamic State (IS), he was previously relatively unknown in the region — only familiar to those influential and knowledgeable people in the region. These days, he mostly spends his time in Iraq. Iranian officials have confirmed that Soleimani is now advising the Iraqi army and volunteer Shiite troops on fighting IS. The Associated Press reports that Soleimani doesn't wear a flak jacket on the battlefield and that he has restored Iraqi sovereignty to several major cities. Nazem Dabbagh, the parliamentary representative of Iran's Kurdistan region, told an Iranian magazine that Soleimani doesn't stay within the walls of the palace or luxury hotels. He doesn't merely sit and give orders; he is always present on the battlefield. According to the BBC, Iran and America have divided operations in Iraq: Tehran fights on the ground, and America fights in the sky. Soleimani’s appearances alongside Badr and peshmerga troops in Iraq is confirmation of Iran’s presence in Iraq, which, according to Iranian military officials, is limited to advice and planning strategies. Soleimani’s role has been so prominent that, according to Iran’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Sadeq Kharrazi, US Secretary of State John Kerry has called for a meeting with him, and President Barrack Obama has addressed him as a "respectable enemy." Some Iranian officials also believe that his presence in Iraq can influence the nuclear talks. Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/11/iran-dark-knight-qassem-suleimani-nuclear-talks.html#

https://www.bbc.co.United Kingdom/news/extra/iuKTEGjKgS/teenage_iraq_brides

Salam I will go to Ziarat of Karbala & other holy site about a week from this Thursday please forgive me

Salam, Sorry if this has been asked before. My question is for the ladies and please try to be considerate of my situation while replying. I’m leaving for Iraq Ziaarat with a group in a week from United States. My trip was planned just a couple of weeks ago and I was suppose to get done with my period well before the start of my trip (Hence, I didn’t take any pills to stop/delay my period). Unfortunately, my period is delayed and now it’s just 3 days before we leave for Iraq IA! There’s nothing that I can do at this time, so Im reaching out to find out what are my options in terms of visiting the shrines/Haram of the Imams while I’m in Iraq ( in case I get my period there). I’ve searched online and couldn’t find any answers. I know that a woman can’t enter a mosque or pray during her period but could you please tell me what limitations do I have have while visiting all the Holy places in Iraq? This includes Imam Ali’s house, Haram/shrine of Imam Ali, Imam Hussain, Hazrat Abbas, Imam Musa, Tilla e Zainab? Can I go in and sit in the courtyards without touching the tombs? Can I enter Masjid e Qufa? Please let me know, it would really mean a lot to me. Thahk you,

Salam, Sistani (may Allah bless him) is a true representation of how a true and pious muslim should act. Sistani's love for ahlulbayt (as) reflects through his personality and words. I have been following him and he seems like a very peaceful and a very wise man. I just went through his statement on Shia Sunni unity and it is truly amazing knowing how loving he is towards our Sunni brothers/sisters. I wish more Sunni scholars had let go of their egos and put aside the differences and consider us shias as muslims (not these kafir labels). Sistani is a huge Shia figure and for him to say the following words, shows how less of an ego he has. Most scholars today unfortunately love to attack other sects and label them "kafir". This is nothing but ignorance by imposing your own views. I have realised that this is why Shia Sunni unity can't happen because many sunni scholars aren't willing to associate with us Shias. Name me a Sunni scholar(a very big figure) who would be so open-minded for a Sunni to pray in a Shia mosque. The following are some of his statements: - "There is no real difference between Shiite and Sunni beliefs, and I am the servant of all Iraqis [either Sunni or Shiite],” he emphasizes. “I love everyone, and this religion [Islam] is the religion of love,”. - "We should attend Sunnis’ Friday prayers more than Shiite’s. We do not discriminate between Arabs and Kurds, and Islam has collected all of us" - "This kind of conferences are highly important, since they help Shiites and Sunnis find out that there is no real difference between their beliefs, and the difference simply is on legal (Fiqh) issues" I don't mean to attack my Sunni brothers and sisters but It hurts me when we are labelled 'Kafir' by Sunnis. Why can't we all put our fiqh issues aside and be one unit. Going to a sunni mosque in my university and praying in our Shia way leaves such a "frightened look" in so many sunnis faces.

Allying against Iran: US is creating Arab NATO While the US envisages a new military alliance as a tool to counter potential threats from Iran towards the Gulf monarchies and the Middle East, there are a number of obstacles in the way of creating an Arab military bloc. According to Defense News, an Arab NATO would consist of six Gulf states, i.e. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, plus Egypt and Jordan. The commander of the Royal Bahraini Air Force, Maj. Gen. al-Khalifah, said that this is an American idea which was approved by the Arab Gulf countries, "but didn't take shape yet." He expects this alliance to be successful, although "we are still at the beginning." Back in October, the Bahraini foreign minister said that the Gulf security alliance could be formed by next year. Defense News sees at least one sign of progress there, as the Gulf countries are already involved in the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen that fights against Houthi rebels, mainly by carrying out airstrikes. "We have been sharing information between coalition fighters all along the operations [in Yemen], and we have been training alongside with the Gulf countries through joint exercises, and this enhances our capabilities," al-Khalifah said. Incompatible with Iran On the other hand, there are clear and tangible challenges on the way to creating this new military alliance, not least of them being the issues of interoperability. All the potential members operate different types of weapons and military equipment: the Egyptian Air Force operates the Russian MIG and the American F-16, while the Saudi Air Force has the American F-15SA and the European Eurofighter Typhoon, and the UAE is equipped with the F-16 and the French Mirage. But the issue of interoperability is not the only impediment for creating an Arab NATO as the relations between Qatar and other Gulf countries have not been fully restored since 2017 when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain cut ties with Qatar. All eight potential members of the new military alliance have concerns related to Iran and Iranian-backed armed groups operating in numerous countries across the Middle East. "Iran continues to cause risks to other nations and act as a destabilizing agent across this region. They aim to disrupt the balance of power and place at risk the livelihood of citizens," Commander of the US Air Forces Central Command Lt. General Joseph Guastella said during the 2nd Manama Airpower Symposium. According to Guastella, the experience of setting up and operating NATO itself could prove useful in establishing an Arab version of the alliance: "There is value in looking at what NATO has been able to do and the successes of an alliance that has guaranteed essentially stability for the region there for decades." Adding America and Israel into the mix "People have been talking about an Arab NATO for several years now," said Vladimir Sazhin, Senior Researcher at the Middle East Department of the Institute for Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. According to him, there are plans to get Israel to participate in the alliance that would bring together six monarchies of the Persian Gulf, Egypt, and Jordan. However, instead of becoming a full-fledged member of the Arab NATO, Israel would supply intelligence to the alliance. The US is expected to participate in a similar manner, providing all the necessary resources without officially joining the organization. "The idea to call it an 'Arab NATO' is something journalists came up with. In all of the relevant areas, this potential new alliance will be very much inferior to NATO. I don't believe that it will ever reach the level of NATO," said Sazhin. According to him, even if the bloc is ever established, it is unlikely to resemble NATO at all. There may be some formal organizational structures established, but there are serious doubts regarding their effectiveness and efficiency. Ultimately, all we see is propaganda and media noise, and not much actual progress, Sazhin said. Just how capable the Gulf monarchies are in terms of setting up a united front against Iran remains to be seen. "I very much doubt they would go through with this without the support of other countries. There is a very broad range of attitudes towards Iran among the Gulf states," Sazhin stressed. On one end of the spectrum, there is Saudi Arabia, on the other – countries like Qatar and Oman. The last two are not particularly anti-Iran. As for economic relations, the United Arab Emirates have very close ties with Iran. Tehran's relationship with Abu Dhabi provides it an opportunity to evade US financial and economic sanctions, the expert stated "I think that if there were an Arab military organization then it would most likely be lacking in efficiency and decision-making, but would be very active publicity-wise," Vladimir Sazhin said. "A summit with US President Donald Trump and monarchs of the Gulf countries was expected to take place back in autumn this year in the United States. It was believed that the main topic on the agenda would be the creation of a strategic Middle East alliance that experts already call an Arab NATO for the sake of simplicity," Elena Suponina, adviser to the director of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, said. That summit was postponed until the first half of 2019. One of the reasons was the scandal around the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi political analyst. It created an atmosphere that compelled the US to refrain from any discussions regarding strategic cooperation. According to Suponina, that is not the only obstacle that stands in the way of creating such an organization. Firstly, relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar are somewhat clouded; secondly, there is still too much turbulence in the region. The plans are in place, but it would be very difficult for the Americans to make them come true, Suponina believes. Nevertheless, there is every reason to believe that the US is not giving up on these plans since in the upcoming years the main goal of the US in the region will be to contain Iran. This is exactly why America pursues the creation of, if not a full-fledged military organization, then at least something very close to it. Even that kind of alliance would be very useful for the US, the expert thinks. "Donald Trump's idea is to form an Arab NATO that would include Arabian monarchies and – by a long stretch of the imagination – Israel. This idea may sound benevolent, but so do many other plans that are not meant to happen," Evgeny Satanovsky, president of the Institute for Middle East Studies, said. Satanovsky believes that the new military alliance is meant to zero in on Iran. There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia wants to establish that alliance. However, it is very unlikely that the US will succeed in convincing Israel to join the club. Israeli society will never accept that offer. There is zero chance that an Arab NATO will become a reality, he said, adding that Israel doesn't really need any military help from the Arab countries to fight Iran. The Arab armies do not constitute any significant military power nor they are organized enough to be a force others can rely on if it comes to that. For the Arab countries, it is absolutely out of the question to be part of the same military alliance with Israel due to the kind of narrative that permeates their societies. The State Department and the White House – unsurprisingly – do not understand this, Satanovsky claims. It is absolutely clear that Saudi Arabia seeks to create an Arab or Islamic military alliance and to be at the helm. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has already damaged relations with Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, cut relations with Qatar, and raised tensions between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan – all in pursuit of this goal. ARAB NATO

First, the people of Iraq fought the Akkadians, then the Assyrians, the Persians, the Greek, then the Roman Empire, then suffered the Sunni invasion, then the Islamic Civil War happened, then the Battle of Karbala, the Second Islamic Civil War, the Baghdad Revolt, the Mongol Invasion, the Turco-Mongols, the Ottoman Empire, the Persians again, the Ottomans again, the Mamluks, the Ottomans, the British, the British again, the 14th of July Revolution - British Monarchy falls, the Ba'ath Socialist Party invades - they lose power, they invade again, Saddam Hussein brings death and misery for decades, then the Americans invade for 9 years - they give up and leave, then the Iraqis fight off Al-Qaeda, then they fought off ISIS flawlessly, the Kurds then attempt to start a war as soon as the Iraqis finish off ISIS in order to take advantage of their shaky legs and tired bodies - the Kurds then surrender the North of Iraq to the Iraqis.... This is who you are dealing with... And now, for the first time in many ages, Iraq is (relatively) peaceful. No war. The people still stand strong, happy, laughing, smiling, dancing, having a good time with faith in God even after all the adversity that overcame their land. If a plague were to take the entire world, or flames consume it, Iraq would be the last to fall. The Lions of Babylon.

I want to know of others who’ve been to ziyarat (Karbala) Iraq before and your experience. How safe is it? Etc. Is the trip easy to organize and so on. Are you planning on going this year? Thx

Inshallah next month I will be going to Ziyara. If anyone would like a special duaa or ziyara request let me know. Ya Ali Madad

As some of you know I'm a christian who converted and still living in a christian household practicing my religion in secrecy. Before i discovered islam and before i committed I used to camp in nature and i have this photography hobby. This year i decided to tell my parents i'm going camping in the nature in our country for 6 days and in this way i managed to travel to iraq. We went me and my friend alone, we had people there in iraq who were having us as guests. The moment we went to the airport the struggling begun, we missed our plane which was in the morning, we waited the whole day for available seats but it was way too crowded. On that day, the last plane had 4 overbooked seats, basically they sold them seats which didn't exist, so Alhamdulillah they fixed us with them, we went from Lebanon to Turkey and from turkey to Najaf, we arrived to najaf at 3 am in the morning without sleep. This was on wednesday and the arbaeen is on friday. We took a cab to visit imam ali, there was a point where the taxi couldn't go further, so he dropped us and i literally started running with my bag i couldn't believe i'm miles away of My Imam. When i reached it was so overwhelming, WHAT A MYSTERY HE IS! I felt powerful that he is my leader i felt like he's right there looking at me i literally felt his presence i felt the utmost sympathy which was coming from him it felt as if i'm visiting my guardian, my protector. It was very strange and pleasant. We couldn't stay more, so we went to the house where we were staying at, we ate and we started walking from imam ali's makam to the first pole. I reached the first pole and started feeling the weakness of my body. It is worth to mention here that I'm athletic, I run since almost 4 years everyday and i do some very intense workouts (interval training, lactic acid training, fartlek training, etc). But walking is nothing like running. First of all No one told me how much it was hard to finish the 100km walk. No one told me i should get some doaa to listen to quran perhaps or latmiyat or whatever else, and all people told me it's very nice it's fun you feel the spirituality, etc... So i went there having this mentality, i wasn't mentally prepared for it. I hit the 200 pole and i seriously started questioning if i can continue or not. I called friends who reached to 950 pole and they started insisting on me that i should take a taxi and go to them. This was at maghreb prayer after 6 hours walking. After they called me several times telling me to come i started thinking if this was my case then what was the case of sayeda zeinab or roukaya or soukayna and the whole household of ahlulbayt?! The thought of me not being able to finish it ached my heart and it made me cry. I rested, my friend told me that she will carry my bag to help me and with the grace of God i started walking. With all the psychological and physical pain, suffering, sleeplessness, shivering (due to the hectic situation), swallowed feet, empty stomach, burning feet, cramps, i reached at 12.30 am to 634 pole. The thing that didn't help was the pace of my friend she was always 10-20 meters ahead of me, so there was no talking or conversations to help me forget about the pain. But she really helped by carrying my bag. So we slept at 1.30 am till 3.30 am the noise and all the snoring didn't help much. We prayed i slept 2 hours after that then continued to walk. The second day i was falling asleep when i was walking, i started having the flu with the fever and when i rested for few minutes I'd fall asleep on the chair. Nevertheless, We continued and we finished with couple of km left which i finished the second day because there were a big number of crowd, more than any other year and i didn't have the energy anymore to withstand all this crowd and walk among them. We reached the shrines of imam hussein and aba l fadel on saturday in the afternoon, we waited for couple of hours but it was all worth it, you can't exactly feel a lot of spirituality because you can't sit and focus your thoughts and get your head together. Everything was so quick. And if you want to sit for example pray talk to the imam someone comes and hits you. Of course there is special energy at every makam, you feel something different, for example when i reached the shrine of imam hussein i couldn't believe that i'm standing in front of the one and only man who's earth and skies are created due to his sacrifice. That we exist due to his sacrifice, everything we are everything we have is from Ashura. The rest of the trip took it's flow, other things happened but alhamulillah we managed everything in the end. "الأجر على قدر المشقة" It means you get rewarded as much as you tolerate pain and hardships. When i came back home, I accidentally forgot my ticket in the bag so when mom was removing the clothes to wash them she saw the ticket of course she snapped but she didn't tell my father or else he would have kicked me out of the house, it is the one and only time she didn't mention anything, because before that when she sensed that i was fasting or doing things related to religion she told my dad right away, but this time she couldn't. Everyone of us is protected by the imam of our time, he handles our matters all the time. I hope this was an inspiration to the readers and i hope everyone will experience this zyara, because after my personal experience i realized that the walk part is very essential for our Akida (creed), it is a kind of training.

https://www.sistani.org/english/statement/25923/

Anyone amongst you must have seen this tag which means "Media of war" on videos about Syria, Iraq or Yemen. Who is behind this ?

Salam aleykom! I have A sister who's very very religious. I have never seen A more religious woman who lives in the west. She prays on time, never skip prayer, never had any contact with any guy, she didn't put makeup until she got married (she got married at The age of 23 in iraq). Her husband seemed good and nice and all that but not very religious. So they got married and after that My sister never slept without crying. He was really bad to her. It have been to many problems between The Two of them for me to write it in here. So in The Holy Quran Allah SWT says "Good women are for good men and good men are for good women". I really dont understand this can anyone explain? I mean My sister she is good, very good and she always listens to him and she pleases him and his evil mother. I could never stand out with the pain she has been through. I would've been crazy within an hour. So she is good really so why did she get such a bad husband? And he abused her 2-3 times. They have been married 2 years now. They had A fight 2-3 months ago and she is considering a divorce. Her husband and his parents knows that but still they didn't care. She is staying with me and our family now.

https://ahlulbaytblog.com/2017/10/21/the-lonely-grave-of-zayd-al-shahid-a-the-grandson-of-al-husayn-a/ The Lonely Grave of Zayd al-Shahid, the Grandson of al-Husayn (‘a) By: Agha Shabbir Abbas As the month of Safar has begun, it is important to remember and reflect upon the many events that took place in this month especially pertaining to the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a).One particular event that took place on the first (or second) of this month was the martyrdom of Zayd (122 AH/740 CE), the son of Imam ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn [Zayn al-’Abidin] (‘a) and brother of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a). In life, he along with his nephew Imam Ja’far al-Ṣādiq (‘a) are known as the pioneers of fiqh, having a list of countless students including the likes of Abu Hanifah. Many of the Sādāt, or descendents of Muhammad (s), claim lineage from him; of which the largest community resides in South Asia (Pakistan, Afghanistan, India) known as Sādāt-i-Barha, who trace their ancestry to descendents of Zayd al-Shahid from Wāṣit (Iraq) who migrated eastward towards the end of the 10th Century. It is interesting to note that Zayd al-Shahid’s mother, Jaydah, was also from South Asia and was commonly known as al-Sindiyah (The Sindhi Woman). Zayd al-Shahid, following the footsteps of his noble grandfather Imam al-Husayn (‘a), unsheathed his sword to combat the forces of tyranny and oppression, and like his grandfather he too faced a much larger enemy on the battlefield but yet stood his ground till the last drop of blood from his blessed body moistened the parched earth of Iraq. His life mirrored that of his grandfather’s in many respects, and in one such way was that the martyrdom of both was prophesied by the holy Prophet (s): "...وقد أخبر رسول الله (صلى الله عليه ‏وآله) عن شهادته، فقد روى الإمام الحسين (ع) أن رسول الله (صلى الله ‏عليه وآله) وضع يده على ظهري وقال: يا حسين سيخرج من صلبك رجل ‏يقال له زيد يقتل شهيدا، فإذا كان يوم القيامة يتخطى هو وأصحابه رقاب ‏الناس ويدخلون الجنة...‏" (ليالي بيشاور) “...The Prophet prophesying Zayd’s martyrdom, as narrated by Imam al-Husayn: "The Holy Prophet put his sacred hand on my back, and said: 'O Husayn, it will not be long until a man will be born among your descendants. He will be called Zayd; he will be killed as a martyr. On the day of resurrection, he and his companions will enter heaven, setting their feet on the necks of the people...”” Hence, among the revolutionaries from the Ahl al-Bayt (s) the names of al-Husayn (‘a) and his grandson Zayd ibn ‘Ali (‘a) [and their followers] are the foremost, it is through their sacrifices that the path taken by the Islamic community was rectified. Zayd al-Shahid (‘a) saw that justice was not being implemented, that the Ummayads were again crossing all boundaries in their evil and debauchery. Like his grandfather, he too was invited by the people of Kufa; but on receiving word of rebellion, the Ummayads like those of past, imprisoned and executed the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) en masse and bribed the leaders of Kufa such that very few men came to Zayd al-Shahid’s assistance. On the outskirts of Kufa, Zayd and his party of 2-300 men fought fiercely for two days, against an army of thousands; they fought valiantly but Zayd and most of his men fell. The surviving followers of Zayd al-Shahid secretly buried his body, and a magnificent structure exists at that location today in Iraq, however the savage Ummayads found his place of burial, exhumed his blessed body, sent the head to Damascus to the accursed Hisham ibn ‘Abd al-Malik and crucified the remains for all to see in Kufa, and later on burned his body in a fire and scattered his ashes in the Euphrates. No part of this great martyr’s body survived other than his head, and after being released to his family no one knows for certain where it is buried, but there are two locations Cairo and in al-Karak Governate in Jordan. The location in Cairo seems to not be the actual burial site, but instead a site of devotion like the maqāmāt of Sayyidah Zaynab (s), Imam al-Husayn (‘a), and other members of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) also in Cairo; built by the Fatimids so that Ziyarah can be made from a distance. The location in Jordan, may very well be the actual burial place; according to certain traditions it has been recorded that after his family members received his head in Damascus it was being brought back to Madinah, and on the way there it was buried, and al-Karak lies in between Damascus and Madinah. The writer of this post was given an opportunity to visit this purported gravesite in the Spring of this year (2017), and what was seen was quite tragic. Not only is the maqām not found on any map, practically no Jordanian knew where the gravesite was, likewise they too had little to no idea who Zayd ibn ‘Ali (‘a) was nor who his blessed father and grandfather were. Myself and my classmates, had to literally search throughout the quite large al-Karak Governate to find this maqām; and after exhausting much time and energy, in a small village called Rabbah, in an abandoned field strewn with litter, home to dogs and other animals, we found the ruins of the final resting place of the blessed head of Zayd al-Shahid (‘a). It broke my heart then, and it breaks my heart today that this great-grandson of Muhammad (s), who gave everything he had for the religion of Islam, was rewarded in such a way by the Muslims, that not even a grave-marker is to be found where he is buried nor the small plot of land allotted to him is kept clean. Other than a handful of elders in the village of Rabbah, the entire village was ignorant to the blessed maqām in their midsts; and thus the grave is lonely to the extent that no lovers and no reciters of ṣalawat or fatiḥah are to be found. After having visited the maqām, I have added it to Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/YYKkzPL7zLt I sincerely urge all those who travel to the Middle East, especially to Iraq for Ziyarat of Karbala and Najaf, to please try and take a flight that makes a stop in Jordan, and then take a short one hour taxi to Rabbah in order to visit the blessed maqām and once there to perform the Ziyarat and then help pick up some of the trash, and verily our loyalty to the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) demands us to do as such. It should be unbearable to the heart for the lovers of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) to know that the gravesite of Zayd ibn ‘Ali (‘a) is in such a state. Lastly, all those who read this post, I urge you all to contact representatives of the Jordanian government and to voice your complaints. As, the Royal Family of Jordan proudly displays their Hāshimi and Sādāt ancestry, they should be held accountable otherwise their ancestral pride means little. https://ahlulbaytblog.com/2017/10/21/the-lonely-grave-of-zayd-al-shahid-a-the-grandson-of-al-husayn-a/

Anyone gone or going to Karbala for Ashura? My parents and brother left yesterday.

قصةٌ واقعيةٌ من مؤسسةِ العين "عمّتي هيَ والدتي والسيدُ السيستاني هو والدي"عائلةٌ بسيطةٌ عاشَتْ في مِنطَقةٍ مُختَلَطَةِ السُّكانِ في أطرافِ محافظةِ بغداد، في يومٍ مَّا في عامِ 2006 عادَ والدُهُمْ مِنْ زيارةِ الإمامِ الحسينِ (عليهِ السلام) فكانَ ذلكَ جُرْمَاً بِنَظَرِ الإرهابيينَ يَستَحِقُّ عليهِ قطعَ رأسِهِ و رَمْيَ جثتِهِ في مستنقعِ مياه، وبعدَ ما فعلَ الإرهابيونَ ذلكَ اضطَرَّت العائلةُ إلى مغادرةِ المِنطقةِ نتيجةَ الضغوطاتِ التي مارَسَها الإرهابيونَ عليهِم، فتهجَّرتِ العائلةُ إلى محافظةٍ في جنوبِ العراق، وبعدَ انتهاءِ تلكَ الفترةِ المظلمةِ -وبالتحديدِ في عامِ 2013- عادَت العائلةُ إلى منزِلِهِا لتتخلَّص من وضعِ النزوحِ وعدمِ الاستقرارِ، ولكنْ لَّم تكن تعلم بِأنَّ القدرَ سيفعلُ فِعلَتَهُ بِهِا، فقدْ فوجِئَتِ العائلةُ عندَ صباحِ يومٍ مَّا بأنْ يَهْجَمَ عليهِا شِرْذِمَةٌ منَ الإرهابيينَ فعَمَدوا على قتلِ كلِّ من كانَ في المنزلِ حتى الطفلِ الذي كانَ في جوفِ أمِّهِ بعدَ أنْ قتلوها وعَقَرُوا بَطنَها لإخراجِ الجنينِ منها، ولم يكنْ هنالكَ سبباً إلا انتماؤهمُ الطائفي، فراحَ ضحيةَ ذلكَ رجُلان من العائلةِ وزيجاتهُمُا وأبناؤهُما -إلا من نَجَا منَ الأطفالِ بأعجوبةٍ- وخالُهُم الذي ساقَهُ القدرَ ليَحِلَّ ضيفاً عليهِم في ذلكَ اليومِ فتَشْمَلُهُ تلكَ المصيبة، ونجتْ منَ الحادثةِ أختُ الشهيدينِ بعدَ أنِ استَطاعَتْ أنْ تُخْفِيَ نفسَهَا في خِزانَةِ الملابس، وكذلكَ نَجا بعضُ أولادِ أخيها الأكبرِ الذينَ أخفَتْهُمْ أمُّهُم في غرفَتِهَا وتصدَّتْ هي للذبحِ حتى لا يُفَتِّشُوا الغرفةَ فيَجِدُوا صغارَها، وكذلكَ نَجَا احدُ أطفالِ أخيها الآخر الذي احْتَضَنَهُ والِدُهُ فصارَ الرَّصاصُ في جسمِ الأبِ إلّا ما نفذَ من جِسْمِهِ وصارَ بالطفلِ الصغير، ولم يكتفِ الإرهابيونَ بذلكَ، وإنَّما عَمَدُوا على تفخيخِ المنزِلِ وتفجيرِهِ، لكن استطاعتْ عمَّةُ اليتامى إخراجَ منْ بَقِيَ حَيَّاً منَ الأطفالِ قبلَ أنْ يَتِمَّ التفجيرُ. هذهِ العائلةُ تمَّ التكفُلُ بِها منْ قبل مؤسسةِ العينِ للرعايةِ الاجتماعيةِ، ولمْ تَدَّخِرِ المؤسسةُ شيئاً تستطيعُ أنْ تُقَدِّمَهُ إلّا وقَدَّمَتْهُ لهذهِ العائلةِ، وقبلَ عدةِ أيامٍ تمَّ تسفيرُ اليتيمِ الذي احتَضَنَهُ والدُهُ واختَرَقَتِ الرصاصاتُ كِلْيَتَهُ ومثانَتَهُ، ليتِلقى علاجُهُ خارجَ العراقِ حتى يستطيعَ تصريفَ إدرارِهِ بشكلٍ طبيعيٍ، والطفلُ يقولُ لمنْ يسألُهُ عنْ والديْهِ "إنَّ أبي وأمي الآنَ في الجنةِ، ولكنْ بالوقتِ الحالي عمَّتي هيَ والدتِي، والسيدُ السيستاني هوَ والدي". لقدْ كانتْ هذهِ الجريمةُ دليلاً على وحشيةِ الإرهابيينَ التكفيريين، ولعل المتأمِّلَ في هذهِ المسألةِ سيَستشرِفُ حالَنا جميعاً لوِ استَمَرَّتْ عصاباتُ داعش بالزحفِ نحوَ بغداد وباقي المحافظات، فإنّ المصيرَ المتوقَّع لكلِ عائلةٍ هوَ المصير ذاته الذي واجَه تلكَ العائلةِ المنكوبة، بلْ لعلَّهُ أكثرُ منْ ذلكَ، فالموتُ أهونُ منْ اسرِ النساءِ والأطفالِ وتجنيدِهِم لصالحِ الإرهابيينَ من أصحابِ الجنسياتِ المختلفةِ وغيرِهِم، ومنْ يستوعِبُ ذلكَ يشكُر اللهَ على نعمَةِ تلكَ الفتوى التي صَدَرَتْ منَ المرجعيةِ العليا، وكانتْ هيَ السدَّ المنيعِ الذي أوقفَ ذلكَ السيلِ العارِمِ بعدَ اجتياحِهِ الموصلَ وغيرِهَا منَ المُدُنِ والمحافظات.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/18/saudi-arabia-talks-alliance-rebuild-iraq-return-arab-fold It seems a serious hole in the Shia world is in the making. Iraq is drifting towards its Arab neighbour Saudi Arabia, leaving Iran further isolated. The article says that Muqtada Sadr has long been a critic of Iran's influence. And Saudi Arabia is opening a consulate in Najaf. All this is very ominous of a greater Wahabi influence in the Muslim world and beyond. I personally think Iraq should move closer to KSA ONLY under the condition that they restore Jannat ul Baqi and agree to joint control of Mecca and Medina by all Muslim nations. What do you guys think?

Iranian calligrapher donates rare Quran to Astan of Hazrat Abbas / Pics (AhlulBayt News Agency) - Iranian artist and calligrapher Seyed Ali Asghar Mousavian donated a rare copy of the Quran that he has calligraphed to the Astan (custodianship) of Hazrat Abbas (AS) holy shrine in Karbala, Iraq. The copy includes calligraphy of the Quran in three scripts of Thulth, Naskh and Reyhan. According to al-Kafeel website, he said a special natural ink has been used for writing the Quran copy, which weighs 3 kilograms. Mousavian added that he spent ten hours a day for two years to complete the artwork. Earlier this year, on the occasion of Imam Ali (AS) birthday, the Iranian artist donated another Quran copy written in gold to the Astan of Imam Ali (AS) in Najaf. It is now on display at the museum of the Astan. http://en.abna24.com/news/iran/iranian-calligrapher-donates-rare-quran-to-astan-of-hazrat-abbas_845213.html

With the last terrorist blast in Tehran is it possible to imagine an increasing iranian military presence in Syria and Iraq ?

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170517-shia-cleric-iraq-christians-infidels-who-must-convert-or-be-killed/ Can someone check the authenticity of this article