MEMRI: The Middle East Media Research Institute

Jun 04 SD# 727 - Iranian Leader: 'The Source of Human Torment and Suffering is Liberal Democracy'; Iranian President: 'The Root of All Terrorist Activity is the Violence of the Superpowers'

Jun 03 SD# 726 - Saudi Officials Reinforce Crown Prince Abdallah's Accusation that Zionists Are Behind Terror Attacks in Saudi Arabia

Jun 04 IA# 177 - Muqtada Al-Sadr vis-à-vis the Shi'a Religious Establishment

Jun 03 SD# 725 - Saudi Ambassador to Washington: 'We Must, as a State and as a People, Recognize the Truth about These Criminals… We Must All Obey Allah's Directive and Kill Those Who Spread Corruption in the Land'

Jun 02 SD# 724 - Arab NGOs: Arab League Summit Declarations are Not for Reform, But for Deceiving Arab Public Opinion and the International Community

U.S. AUTHORITIES RAIDED AND CONFISCATED OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS AND ORDERED THE CLOSURE OF WASHINGTON'S BRANCH OFFICE OF THE WORLD ASSEMBLY MUSLIM YOUTH (WAMY), A LEADING NGO IN SAUDI ARABIA. (SAUDI GAZETTE, 6/4/04) TURKEY HAS INTERCEPTED A SHIP CARRYING HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED MISSILES DESTINED FOR EGYPT FROM UKRAINE. EGYPT HAS SO FAR REFUSED ANY COMMENT. (AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT, LONDON, 6/4/04) THE ARAB LAWYERS UNION WILL HOLD ON JUNE 27 A SYMBOLIC TRIAL OF THE AMERICAN, BRITISH AND ISRAELI LEADERS - BUSH, BLAIR AND SHARON - FOR THEIR CRIMES AGAINST THE IRAQIS AND THE PALESTINIANS. (NAHDAT MISR, EGYPT, 6/3/04) THE U.S. TREASURY ANNOUNCED THE APPOINTMENT OF AN ARAB ECONOMIST AS ITS FIRST IN-HOUSE EXPERT TO BOOST UNDERSTANDING OF ISLAMIC BANKING. MAHMOUD AL-GAMAL, AN ECONOMICS PROFESSOR AT RICE UNIVERSITY IN TEXAS, WILL BE THE PRINCIPAL ADVISER ON ISLAMIC FINANCE TO SENIOR TREASURY OFFICIALS AND LIAISON FOR INTERNATIONAL GROUPS WHICH SEEK TO MONITOR AND CREATE STANDARDS FOR ISLAMIC FINANCE. (ISLAMONLINE.NET, 6/3/04) A FATWA WAS ISSUED BY CHAIRMAN RUET-E-HILAL COMMITTEE MUFTI MUNEEBUR RAHMAN ON BEHALF OF 24 SCHOLARS FROM DEOBENDI, BRELVI, SHIA AND AHLE HADITH SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT DECREEING THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP WHICH KILLS INNOCENT CITIZENS - MUSLIMS OR NON-MUSLIMS - OR ATTACKS PLACES OF WORSHIP, ARE EXCLUDED FROM ISLAM, AND THEY HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE CALLED MUSLIMS. (DAILY TIMES, PAKISTAN, 6/4/04) YESTERDAY REGISTERED THE FIRST PUBLIC CLASH BETWEEN SUPREME LEADER ALI KHAMENEI AND AYATOLLAH ALI AL-SISTANI. KHAMENEI DENOUNCED THE NEW IRAQI GOVERNMENT AND SAID THAT THE PHENOMENON OF POLITICAL AGENTS APPEARS WHEN 'THE CLERICS WITHDRAW FROM POLITICS.' AL-SISTANI GAVE THE GOVERNMENT HIS FULL SUPPORT. (AL-QABAS, KUWAIT, 6/4/04) THE FAMILY OF THE NEW IRAQI PRESIDENT WILL REMAIN IN SAUDI ARABIA WHERE HIS DAUGHTER AND THREE CHILDREN ATTEND SCHOOL. THE IRAQI PRESIDENT HAS A SAUDI PASSPORT AFTER YEARS OF WORKING IN THAT COUNTRY. (AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT, LONDON, 6/4/04) KING MOHAMMED VI OF MOROCCO, IN A MESSAGE TO GHAZI AL-YAWER, WROTE, 'WE SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THE ACTING AND CONSTANT SUPPORT OF THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO TO YOURSELF AND TO THE NEW INTERIM GOVERNMENT OF YOUR BROTHERLY COUNTRY, AND OUR TOTAL READINESS TO UNDERTAKE ALL INITIATIVES AND BACK ALL EFFORTS MADE IN THIS REGARD AT THE INTERNATIONAL AND AT THE UNITED NATIONS LEVEL.' (ARABICNEWS.COM, 6/3/04) THE RULING BA'TH PARTY IN SYRIA HAS DECIDED TO STOP THE POLITICAL ACTIVITY OF THE THIRTEEN KURDISH PARTIES IN THE COUNTRY. (ELAPH.COM, 6/3/04) SENATORS SANTORUM AND LIEBERMAN PLAYED VIDEOS FOR JOURNALISTS DEPICTING SADDAM'S CRIMES SUCH AS CUTTING OUT TONGUES, SEVERING HANDS OR NECKS, AS WELL AS PRISONERS SCREAMING WHILE BEING HIT BY IRON BARS. (AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT, LONDON, 6/4/04) THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE STUDY OF RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY IN EGYPT RECOMMENDED A REEXAMINATION OF THE CURRICULA OF AL-AZHAR UNIVERSITY SO THAT ITS STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO SERVE AS GOOD AMBASSADORS OF ISLAM, IN LIGHT OF THE SEVERE ATTACKS ON IT SINCE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. (AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT, LONDON, 6/4/04) QATARI EMIR HAMID BIN KHALIFA SAID AT THE OPENING OF THE CONFERENCE FOR DEMOCRACY AND REFORM IN THE ARAB WORLD OF THE AL-KHALEEJ RESEARCH CENTER: 'IT IS INCONCEIVABLE THAT THE CONFLICT WITH ISRAEL OR THE EXPECTATION FOR PEACE WITH IT SHOULD BE JUSTIFICATION FOR DELAYING REFORM.' (AL-HAYAT, LONDON, 6/4/04) AMBASSADOR BREMER TRANSFERRED THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SECURITY COMMITTEE FROM HIMSELF TO PRIME MINISTER ALLAWI. (AL-QABAS, KUWAIT, 6/4/04) THE OFFICE OF THE IRAQI PRESIDENT WILL NOT ONLY BE HONORARY. HE WILL HAVE THE FINAL AUTHORITY TO APPROVE DECISIONS MADE BY THE CABINET. (AL-SABAH AL-JADID, IRAQ, 6/3/04) A WOMAN WAS SHOT AND KILLED BY HER COUSIN TO 'CLEANSE HIS FAMILY'S HONOR' BECAUSE THE VICTIM REPORTEDLY WAS INVOLVED WITH A MARRIED MAN. SHE BECAME THE THIRD PERSON TO BE KILLED IN THE KINGDOM THIS WEEK IN A SO-CALLED HONOR CRIME. (JORDAN TIMES, 6/3/04) SHEIKH MAHMOUD ASHOUR, FORMER DEPUTY TO GRAND SHEIKH OF AL-AZHAR MOHAMMED SAYED TANTAWI, SAID, 'THE WESTERN MEDIA CALLS THESE ATTACKS 'SUICIDE MISSIONS' WE CALL THEM 'MARTYRDOM OPERATIONS.' …THESE SO-CALLED TERRORISTS ARE DEFENDING THEIR COUNTRY FROM OCCUPATION. THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO DO SO. ISLAM GIVES THEM THE RIGHT TO FIGHT THE OCCUPIERS BY WHICHEVER MEANS IS AVAILABLE TO THEM. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY HAVE NO WEAPONS SO THEY RESORT TO BLOWING THEMSELVES UP.' (EGYPTTODAY.COM, 6/04)

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