LA Times laments "Big Soda's victory"

According to this story, ballot measures instituting a soda tax were defeated in the Richmaond district in San Francisco and in El Monte, California. Sounds like good news to me, but not only is the author unhappy with the outcome of the ballot elections, he can't talk about it in terms of whether the actual tax would be beneficial or not. Instead (according to the graphic accompanying the article) he talks about all the good things that could have been done with the money spent (by something called "Big Soda") on the advertising campaign to defeat the measures--so many playgrounds, so many jump-ropes--if it had been spent on truly civic-minded (I guess) things instead.

How about not trying to solve all problems by raising taxes? The author seems genuinely bothered by the prospect of money in private hands and not subject to government confiscation. That's the only way I can explain the strange argument made here. People spending their own, hard-earned money also buy jump-ropes and organic vegetables.

LA Times pushes "ethical" chocolate Chanukah gelt

The idea is that the chocolate is produced under good working conditions. One of the things we learn is that chocolate gelt coins are "meant to represent the coins that once were given to children as an encouragement for their Jewish studies." I don't know about that, but I'm sure the "once given" part is wrong. Actual spendable money is currently, right now, given by many Jews to other Jews (especially but not exclusively, parents to children) on Chanukah. Why not start doing that if you don't do it yet?

Freilechen Chanukah!

Everybody repeat after me: "Chanukah is not a minor holiday, Chanukah is not a minor holiday . . . "

"Where are you?" A story for 19 Kislev.

On the 19th of Kislev, the Alter Rebbe, the founder of Chabad, was released from prison. See here to learn why this day is known in Chabad as the "Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism." Here is a story:

In 1798, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi was imprisoned on charges, put forth by the opponents of Chassidism, that his teachings undermined the imperial authority of the czar. For 52 days he was held in the Peter-Paul Fortress in Petersburg.

Among the Rebbe's interrogators was a government minister who possessed broad knowledge of the Bible and Jewish studies. On one occasion, he asked the Rebbe to explain the verse (Genesis 3:9): "And G-d called out to the man and said to him: 'Where are you?'" Did G-d not know where Adam was?

Rabbi Schneur Zalman presented the explanation offered by several of the commentaries: the question "Where are you?" was merely a "conversation opener" on the part of G-d, who did not wish to unnerve Adam by immediately confronting him with his wrongdoing.

"What Rashi says, I know," said the minister. "I wish to hear how the Rebbe understands the verse."

"Do you believe that the Torah is eternal?" asked the Rebbe. "Do you believe that its every word applies to every individual, under all conditions, at all times?"

"Yes," replied the minister.

Rabbi Schneur Zalman was extremely gratified to hear this. The czar's minister had affirmed a principle which lies at the basis of the teachings of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, the very teachings and ideology for which he was standing trial!

"'Where are you?'" explained the Rebbe, "is G-d's perpetual call to every man. Where are you in the world? What have you accomplished? You have been allotted a certain number of days, hours, and minutes in which to fulfill your mission in life. You have lived so many years and so many days," -- here Rabbi Schneur Zalman spelled out the exact age of the minister -- "Where are you? What have you achieved?"

Angry Arab on "Zionist Sexism"

I think Angry Arab is a fairly intelligent person. As I have observed before, however, he hates Israel and hatred is the functional equivalent of stupidity. Here is his post:

Did you know that when the Zionists under Hertzl held their first conference in Basel, Switzerland (in the municipal casino, incidentally) they did not allow the Zionist women in attendance to vote?

That was when? 1897. When was the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote, was finally ratified by enough states to make it US law? 1920. California, the state where AA teaches Political Science, "granted women's suffrage in 1911." Herzl-era Zionists were like other late 19th century people in most respects. How shocking. (By the way, this is a great example of what I call taking facts out of context.)

Guardian: "samples were taken by rival teams of scientists hired by Suha and the Palestinian Authority, who are deeply distrustful of each other"

Darn! The military honors were called off!

Yasser Arafat was buried eight years ago to a chorus of gunfire before a crowd of thousands amid the rubble of his Ramallah headquarters. Yesterday, the gravediggers who came to disinter him slipped in under cover of darkness. For hours they hacked through the several metres of concrete that were supposed to ensure that no one could ever desecrate his body. The Palestinian leadership had the Israelis in mind when it buried the old revolutionary so deep and secure.

Eight years after his death, it was Arafat's widow, Suha, who had him brought up again as part of a French murder investigation into whether he was slowly killed by a radioactive poison, polonium-210 – the same substance used to murder the former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006 – after it was detected on his clothes earlier this year.

The plan had been to move Arafat's corpse to a mosque for religious rites to be observed before samples were taken by rival teams of scientists hired by Suha and the Palestinian Authority, who are deeply distrustful of each other. After that, there was to be a reburial with full military honours.

But once the concrete was finally hacked through, Arafat's remains were in no state to be moved. Instead the coffin was lifted out for Palestinian doctors, working under the watchful eye of the foreign scientists, to take about 20 samples to be tested for poisons as well as polonium. Then it was resealed and reburied.

The military honours were cancelled on the grounds that Arafat wasn't being reburied because he hadn't been removed from his coffin.

Tawfiq al-Tirawi, the head of the Palestinian committee investigating Arafat's death, said it all went according to plan.

"Only Palestinian hands touched the remains," he said. It was a stunning contrast to the Palestine Liberation Organisation leader's burial, when crowds pressed into the rubble of his headquarters, the Muqata, which had been flattened by Israeli tanks.

The Muqata has since been rebuilt and transformed into a sprawling presidential palace of Jerusalem stone.

Arafat's mausoleum is now a towering quad of limestone and glass, a reflecting pool, and an honour guard.

But all of that was hidden behind large blue plastic sheets, hung to shield the exhumation from outsiders.

Palestinian officials justified the secretiveness as necessary to protect the dignity of Arafat's remains. But the opaque handling of the process reflected the doubts among some about where this could all lead.

Many ordinary Palestinians have long believed Arafat was murdered by Israel, but they are divided over whether that warrants digging him up.

"He should have been left alone," said Munir Jaara at a coffee shop close to the Muqata. "We all know the Israelis killed him so what's it going to prove to disturb his body? It's disrespectful."

Ghada Nayfeh demurred.

"We need to find the truth. It was very suspicious how he died, just like that under siege from the Israelis," she said.

If Arafat was murdered, the guilty party is assumed by Palestinians to be the Israelis. But if that is the case, it's unlikely they could have got to him without inside help.

The speed of Arafat's death aged 75 after a short, unexplained illness fed the suspicions of foul play that took hold among Palestinians almost immediately after his funeral even though French officials determined that he died at a Paris military hospital from a stroke caused by a blood disorder.

Suha Arafat refused to permit an autopsy at the time. But earlier this year she gave some of her late husband's personal items, including his toothbrush, underwear and kaffiyeh to Al Jazeera television which sent them to Switzerland for tests. The Institut de Radiophysique discovered abnormal levels of polonium-210.

The tests were inconclusive, however, and so Suha Arafat, a French citizen, asked the French government to launch a murder inquiry. The Palestinian Authority, suspicious of Arafat's widow – who is not a popular figure among Palestinians in part in part because she is regarded as having enriched herself – and the French and Swiss experts she hired, called in Russian scientists to do separate analysis.

This week, French magistrates have been questioning Palestinian officials who were besieged with Arafat in the Muqata because it's unlikely the PLO leader's food or drink could have been poisoned without a collaborator in the building.

The Israelis had an opportunity to interfere with food deliveries which passed through their checkpoints during the siege.

But they had no way of knowing who would be eating what and the fact that there was no mass poisoning inside the Muqata would mean that Arafat's food was contaminated by someone with direct access to it.

Israel has repeatedly denied killing Arafat and called on the Palestinian leadership to release his medical records, which it has steadfastly refused to do.

Something's fishy somewhere. If only Abu Amar were alive to supervise the examination of his dead remains. Then we'd learn the truth!

CAIR Canada attacks Jewish textbook

The Canadian version of CAIR, the Council of American Islamic Relations, has recently taken the trouble of attempting to have a textbook removed from the curriculum of a religious Jewish school. According to CAIR, referring to a text book called "2000 Years of Jewish History: From the Destruction of the Second Bais Hamikdash Until the Twentieth Century":

We discovered that the textbook uses inflammatory and hateful terms in describing Muslims, such as “rabid fanatics” with “savage beginnings” (page 45). The entire chapter devoted to Islam presents a pernicious and extreme portrayal of Muslims and the Islamic faith (pages 41 – 46). The material further denigrates the Prophet Muhammad as a “rabid Jew-hater” (page 41) and falsely portrays Islam as inherently anti-Semitic and devoted to hating Jews. Further, the descriptions refer to an ongoing attitude – not one that is static in history – defined as being “a combination of wildness and civility […] towards the Jews throughout history” (page 44). Overall, this teaching material undeniably leaves impressionable young Jewish readers with a sense of suspicion and even intolerance towards their fellow Canadians.

I learned about this whole business courtesy of the Loon Watch website, which has a post supporting CAIR's depiction of the book. Here are a few things you won't learn from Loon Watch, which sometimes tolerates my participation in comments threads. Here, for instance, is the paragraph containing the phrase "savage beginnings":

While the savage beginnings of Mohammed’s sweeping massacres were often reflected by anti-Jewish legislation and vicious attacks against Jewish life and property, there were also long periods in which the Arabs accepted the Jews in their communities and valued them for the cultural and commercial abilities. Indeed, it was largely under the rule of the Mohammedan Caliphs that the entire Jewish nation enjoyed the “Golden Age of the Geonim.”

Is the depiction of Mohammed as a "rabid Jew-hater" likely to inspire "suspicion and even intolerance" towards Canadian Muslims? Here is the sentence in question:

Like Paul of Tarsus, inflamed by Jewish rejection, Mohammed turned into a rabid Jew-hater.

Here is a sentence about Martin Luther (p. 152):

Like Paul of Tarsus and Mohammed before him, Luther's attitude took a complete turnabout. He became a rabid Jew-hater.

All this is not so politically correct and the writer is certainly no measured and judicious Bernard Lewis when it comes to his prose style (The phrase "rabid fanatics" refers to early Shi'as and contrasts them to more tolerant Sunnis). The book, however, if my brief investigations of the CAIR-highlighted language are any indication, doesn't single out Muslims for worse treatment than that accorded to Christians and other peoples in their Jew-persecuting phases. Luther has his academic defenders as does Mohammed, but surely Jewish textbooks are allowed to take a dim view of developments that ended the existence of entire communities without arousing the ire of civil rights groups. What's next? Demands for favorable depictions of the Disputation of Paris?

What did the Gazans think they were doing? Isn't it obvious?

Yaakov Lozowick, in a typically (although now infrequent) well-written and thoughtful post, states the following:

The question What the Gazans think they're doing, what they possibly hope to achieve by their actions, isn't easy to answer, and I don't pretend to know. It certainly doesn't look like anything rational. It's not as if anything they might throw at us will make us go away.

Funny, for all that typical thoughtfulness, I can't remember a time when I disagreed more with one of his posts. Here is what the Gazans thought they were doing:

1. Testing the post Arab-spring waters, and--no surprise--the waters were fine. To give only one example, Hamas et al had important Arab leaders visiting them during Operation Shale Stones/Pillar of Defense.

2. Testing/showing off the improvements to their arsenal--they can now hit Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

3. Shoring-up their Jihadist/resistance credentials. Leftists and other Arabs and Muslims won't accuse them of doing the Zionist entity's bidding by restraining Islamic Jihad for a while. They aren't going to sell out the Ummah, not them. Resistance forever.

4. Demonstrating that their capacity to disrupt Israeli life isn't going away. Isn't that the usual way terrorism works?

It seems to me that this was all a brilliant success. They got back the previous cease-fire with essentially no cease-reload while only suffering something like one tenth the casualties they suffered during Operation Oil Stain/Cast Lead.

What about Israeli achievements? Yes, they honed their most-moral-army shtick. So what, the usual suspects were as glib as ever with the war-crimes accusations. Yes, the star Hamas weapon in this last round had no defensive value. And yes, the star Israeli weapon had no offensive value. Is there some kind of moral victory there? It will be very small comfort if (when?) Hamas follows this success with the next one, G-d forbid.

"Iranian, Egyptian presidents call for int'l consensus against Israel " (IRNA-Iran)

The picture is better than the article:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Egyptian President Mohammad Mursi in a telephone conversation on Sunday reiterated the need for bringing about an international consensus on preventing the continuation of Israeli aggressions on Gaza.

Ahmadinejad thanked Musri for his efforts aimed at bringing back tranquility and sustainable security to Gaza.

'Our religious and humanitarian duties oblige us to try to prevent the further massacre of defenseless Palestinians and restoring tranquility and sustainable security in the region and throughout the entire Palestinian territories,' the Iranian president said.

'It is necessary that all-out efforts should be made for putting an end to killing and massacre of women, children and the oppressed people of Gaza and Palestine,' Ahmadinejad said.

Egyptian President Mohammad Mursi, for his part, said that he is concerned about what is happening to the people of Gaza and he is trying to prevent further massacre of the Palestinians in the region.

'I have also talked to many presidents of different countries, and I am trying to bring about an international consensus vis-à-vis the Israeli aggressions on the Gaza Strip,' he added.

"Kim Jong Un Greets Syrian President" (Korean News)

As Hendrix once commented, "Just ask the Axis/He knows everything":

Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, sent a message of greeting to Bashar Al-Assad, president of Syria, on Friday.

The message said:

Please accept my warm congratulations to you and the government and people of your friendly country on the 42nd anniversary of the rectification movement in Syria.

The rectification movement was a historic event which provided a landmark occasion in the struggle of the Syrian people to defend the sovereignty of the country and build a highly civilized and prosperous new society.

Availing myself of this opportunity, I wish you success in your responsible work, reiterating the firm solidarity of our people with the struggle of the Syrian Arab people to defend the sovereignty, peace and stability of the country.

Dictators have to stick together.

"Multiple-Launch Rocket Systems Presented to KPA Units" (Korean News)

We learn that "the presentation of the military equipment to the army is an expression of the ardent loyalty and patriotism by the mothers in Songun Korea." What did they do, knit the rockets?

Multiple-launch rocket systems "Nyomaeng-ho" associated with the ardent patriotism of the women across the country were presented to units of the Korean People's Army (KPA) on the occasion of the 4th National Meeting of Mothers.

Those multiple-launch rocket systems "Nyomaeng-ho" were provided through a dynamic good conduct movement of the organizations and members of the Democratic Women's Union of Korea (DWUK) across the country.

A presentation ceremony was held at Hamhung Square in South Hamgyong Province on Monday.

Present at the ceremony were Thae Jong Su, chief secretary of South Hamgyong Provincial Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Jon Kwang Ho, chairman of the South Hamgyong Provincial People's Committee, officials concerned, service persons of the KPA and members of the women's union.

Ro Song Sil, chairwoman of the C.C., DWUK, made a presentation address to be followed by speeches.

The speakers noted that the presentation of the military equipment to the army is an expression of the ardent loyalty and patriotism by the mothers in Songun Korea to add glory to the immortal exploits performed by Generalissimos Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il for the army building and to make contributions to powerfully demonstrating the might of the powerful Paektusan revolutionary army.

They called upon all the women to take active part in diverse mass movements and the do-good-thing movement helpful to the building of an economic power and the improvement of the people's living standard and make devoted efforts for society and the collective, bearing Kim Jong Il's patriotism in mind.

At the end of the ceremony, the rocket systems left for units of the KPA amid warm send-off of women's union members in Hamhung City.

"Do-good-thing movement"--that's a new one.

"Senior Iranian Rabbi Asks for Stoning Israeli Rabbi Ari Shvat to Death" (Fars News-Iran)

Should Golestaninejad actually be considered a Rabbi? This article suggests that he does not know that the Biblical death penalties have not been operative for thousands of years. But then again, does he actually say the things attributed to him by Khomeino-journalists? We might find out some day:

After former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni disclosed personal details of her former career in Mossad, Rabbi Ari Shvat, one of the most famous rabbis of Israel, allowed Israeli women to have sex with the enemy in exchange for information, but Iran's Grand Rabbi Mashallah Golestaninejad described adultery as forbidden in Judaism, and stressed that Shvat should be stoned to death.

In an interview given 14 years ago but published in full for the first time last Friday in a pro-Livni newspaper and then cited by the British Sunday Times weekly, she described working undercover for Bayonet, Mossad's elite hit squad, where she answered the question if she had ever had sex to get information.

"If I'd been asked to do it, I don't know what I'd have said. In the office (Mossad's term for itself) there is a job tailored for everyone."

After the release of Livni's remarks, Rabbi Ari Shvat, one of the most famous rabbis of Israel, allowed Israeli women to have sex with the enemy in exchange for important information, claiming that Jewish law permits this type of action.

His remarks created chaos in the Jewish world and the Rabbis from different parts of the world reacted to Shvat's comments.

"The sources of Judaism have not allowed such a deed at all and it (adultery) is forbidden in our religion and based on the explicit instruction of the Ten Commandments, no one can embark on adultery at all," Iranian Grand Rabbi Mashallah Golestaninejad said.

In an interview with the Persian Daily, Javan, Rabbi Golestaninejad condemned Rabbi Shvat for his remarks, and said, "He is nothing more than a donkey and doesn't understand as much as a donkey… . Such a person with such comments is a renegade, belligerent and a corruptor on earth and based on the Torah instructions he should be stoned to death."

He further referred to Livni and said, "Ms. Livni is not a follower of any faith at all. The thoughts and goals of Zionism run counter to the faith of Judaism, and Zionists do not attach the least importance to the instructions of the Torah. Hence, it would be normal for them to embark on prostitution to attain their goals and objectives."

Noting that the Zionists using their own special Rabbis have created a fake regime for themselves, he said that they commit their crimes and wrong deeds under the name of Judaism but "they are the enemies of religion".

"A rabbi never approves of adultery and calls prostitution as a banned activity; therefore, anyone doing or saying anything to the opposite is an enemy of religion because a friend of religion is the one who considers God and not material interests whenever he wants to do something," Rabbi Golestaninejad reiterated.

Golestaninejad's previous appearances in this blog are here and here.

"Commander Warns of New US Plot in Syria" (Fars News-Iran)

Is Firouzabadi putting on weight?

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi cautioned that the US is seeking to spark new unrests in Syria in collaboration with sponsors of Al-Qaeda terrorist organization.

The US, in collaboration with the sponsors of al-Qaeda, is planning to provoke a fresh series of conflicts in Syria, Firouzabadi warned on Friday.

He further advised Qatari officials not to further jeopardize their security by being lured into the Americans' trap.

"Muslims should unite and assist each other to cut the hands of the US from the Islamic countries, not to be in cahoots with the White House," Firouzabadi underscored.

His remarks came days after Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in October called for support for the foreign insurgents in Syria to topple the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

In October, calm was eventually restored in the Arab state after President Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but Israel, the US and its Arab allies are seeking hard to bring the country into chaos through any possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots in the hope of stirring unrests in Syria once again.

The US and its western and regional allies have long sought to topple Bashar al-Assad and his ruling system. Media reports said that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.

"Judiciary Chief Hails Supreme Leader's Unifying Comments" (Fars News-Iran)

Stop the presses--someone sucked up to the dictator!

Iran's Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani appreciated Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei for his unifying remarks addressed to the heads of Iran's three branches of power.

Amoli Larijani in a letter addressed to Ayatollah Khamenei said that the unifying comments of his eminence have roots in pure fountain of Vicegerency.

The full text of the letter whose text is quoted in the Judiciary Force website is as follows:

Long Live His Eminence the Supreme Leader;

Inheritor of Vicegerency (from the late Imam Khomeini and Infallible Imams -P)

Salamon Aleykom

With all due respect, and congratulating your honor on the upcoming blessed occasion of Qadir-e Khom Eid, the blessed message of that most esteemed leader that has roots in the pure fountain of Vicegerency, addressed to the heads of the head of the three branches of power was wholeheartedly received with heart and mind.

I pray to Almighty Allah for assisting all of us to shoulder our responsibilities, and to obey and assist that Most Exalted Supreme Leader.

Sadeq Amoli Larijani

Cool unifying comments, exalted Big Guy!

"Construction of Mansugyo Soft Drink Restaurant Completed" (Korean News)

It's "fully furnished with modern equipment and sales conditions needed for the service of a variety of soft drink." The future is certainly rosy for the DPRK:

The Mansugyo Soft Drink Restaurant has been built on the bank of the River Pothong in Pyongyang.

The peculiar restaurant is a fashionable catering service base provided by the dear respected Kim Jong Un who is carrying out Generalissimos Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il's intention for believing in the people as in Heaven.

The restaurant with a total floor space of more than 3,000 square meters is fully furnished with modern equipment and sales conditions needed for the service of a variety of soft drink.

An inaugural ceremony took place on Tuesday.

Present there were Kim Jong Gak, Mun Kyong Dok and officials concerned, soldier builders and employees of the restaurant.

Mun Kyong Dok, alternate member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the C.C., the Workers' Party of Korea and chief secretary of the Pyongyang City Committee of the WPK, in his address said that the completion of the restaurant is a significant event bringing joy to the army and people of the DPRK.

He called upon the employees of the restaurant to make positive efforts to put the level of dietary life and food culture of the Korean people on a higher level in the spirit of serving the people and thus translate into reality the intention of Kim Jong Un.

"Al-Qaeda manipulated by US, Israel: Analyst" (PressTV-Iran)

The "Analyst," turns out to be one Kevin Barrett. Wikipedia identifies him as a founding member of something called the "Muslim-Jewish-Christian Alliance" which this article refers to as the "Muslim-Jewish-Christian Alliance for 9/11 Truth." Hmmm:

A political analyst says the al-Qaeda mercenaries in Syria are manipulated by the US and Israel into spreading sectarianism in the Middle East, Press TV reports.

“Al-Qaeda is really a manipulated group that serves to smear Islam. It’s created a negative brand name that only about seven percent of Muslims like, and the other 90 percent-plus don’t like. It’s destabilizing the Middle East on behalf of the Zionism and the US empire,” said author and Islamic Studies expert Kevin Barrett.

“These people are tasked by the Zionist and the [US] empire with spreading sectarianism in the Muslim world; that is breaking up Muslim countries into different sects and different nationalities,” he added.

Referring to the Syrian insurgents’ violation of the temporary ceasefire in the Arab country, Barrett said the al-Qaeda is trying to destabilize the situation by supporting the foreign-backed insurgents.

“That’s exactly the... Israeli plan, to destroy the Middle East by breaking it into tiny little pieces along ethnic and sectarian lines,” he said. “That’s exactly what these al-Qaeda people are working for. If one didn’t know better, one would think al-Qaeda was a brand invented by the Israelis themselves.”

The four-day ceasefire, which was brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), took effect on Friday.

The Syrian army has said that it is fully committed to the truce but will respond to attacks by armed groups that were in violation of the ceasefire. The Syrian army had repeatedly warned that it would react if armed groups carried out attacks or reinforced their positions, or if fighters crossed into the country.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011. Many people, including large numbers of security forces, have been killed in the violence.

"Al-Qassam Brigades Vow to Retaliate against Israeli Aggressions" (Fars News-Iran)

This article refers, using standard Iranian Press rhetoric, to "Israeli air raids on the defenseless Palestinians," but the article certainly suggests that those killed were members of the Qassam and Al-Quds Brigades, which seems to be confirmed elsewhere. See this and this.

Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas Movement, warned the Zionist regime against the dire consequences of its new aggressions against the Gaza Strip, stressing that the Palestinian resistance movement will not leave any Israeli aggression unanswered.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Al-Qassam Brigades reiterated that the Zionist regime will pay for its aggressions which killed two Palestinians and injured five others on Monday.

"The Zionist enemy continues its crimes and aggressions against the Palestinian territories and people and it does not stop shedding the blood of the Palestinians. It (the Zionist enemy) is trying to create a tense situation to project its crisis (to the outside world)," the statement read.

On Monday, Israeli fighter jets targeted the village of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip which killed two Palestinians and injured five others.

On October 14, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades also condemned the Israeli air raids on the defenseless Palestinians in the Gaza Strip which killed at least five Palestinians, and vowed that the attacks would be retaliated with a crushing response to the Zionist regime.

"Al-Quds Brigades is committed to taking revenge and supporting the children of the Palestinian nation irrespective of their political affiliations," Al-Quds Brigades Spokesman Abu Ahmad told Ma'an news agency.

He also reiterated that Al-Quds Brigades and the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades of the Hamas Movement were both ready to respond to any stupid Israeli move against the Gaza Strip.

Spokesman of Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obadiah, also said on Sunday that "carrying out joint military operations between Al-Quds and Al-Qassam Brigades indicates the high level of coordination between them."

Hamas officials, including its former Political Bureau Chief Khalid Mashaal have on many occasions stressed that resistance of Palestinian groups would continue until the ultimate removal of the Gaza siege and re-opening of crossings into the territory. [...]

"Tunisian Islamist leader says Salafis must not be demonized" (Maan News)

What are the alternatives to "demonizing" them? There is some interesting maneuvering in this article:

Demonizing ultra-conservative Salafi Islamists is a mistake that will only lead to them eventually winning power, said the leader of Tunisia's ruling Islamist Ennahda party, Rachid Ghannouchi.

Secular opposition politicians in Tunisia said last week that a leaked video of a secret meeting between Ghannouchi and puritanical Salafis showed the government was not the moderate Islamist force it claimed to be.

Dismissing those claims, Ghannouchi told French daily Le Monde that Tunisia should learn from past mistakes, when cracking down on opposition forces radicalized them and emboldened some to try to overthrow the government.

Some elements within Salafi movements should be allowed to participate in Tunisia's transition toward democracy as long as they act within the law.

"One must distinguish between the fundamentalists that turn to violence and the others," Ghannouchi said in remarks published on Thursday. "If we demonize the Salafis, then in 10 or 15 years they will be in power."

Tunisia, where an uprising against secular strongman Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali provided the first spark in last year's "Arab Spring" revolts, is now ruled by an Islamist-led government that has promised not to impose strict Muslim rules and to respect women's rights.

Liberals say policies touted by Salafis threaten human rights in a country once seen as a beacon of Arab secularism, but which is now under siege from religious hardliners who have attacked cinemas and artistic performances, arguing that they violate Islam.

In a video aired last week, Ghannouchi is heard discussing which parts of the state have fallen into the hands of Islamists and advising Salafis on where they should focus their efforts to spread their influence further.

Ghannouchi said the recording had been taken out of context and manipulated by opposition parties to influence Tunisian and Western public opinion to destroy the idea that there could be a distinction between moderate Islam and radical Islam.

"They wanted to put the two in the same bag," he said, adding the meeting was an attempt to persuade Salafis to work peacefully for change within a political framework.

Salafis also led an attack on the US embassy in Tunis last month that killed four people, after an anti-Islam film made in California sparked anger across the region.

Human Rights Watch said Monday the government was failing to crack down on Islamist violence against advocates of secularism including journalists and artists.

Ghannouchi said that those events had been significant, but not enough to transform Tunisian political life.

"Despite what is said, there is no impunity," he said. "It's a dangerous and complex phenomenon that stems from a mix of religious, political and social factors."

"Republicans, Democrats attacking Americans in bipartisan push for savage austerity" (PressTV-Iran)

I must have missed this story:

By all indications, the US ruling class of Wall Street financiers is determined to follow Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Great Britain down the road to drastic austerity. The financiers of lower Manhattan are thus ignoring the evidence offered by these other countries showing that austerity policies reduce employment, lower production, cause severe mass privation, introduce powerful elements of chaos into society, and actually increase the government budget deficits in future years -- meaning that austerity fails even in its own terms.

Since the 1930s, it has been widely recognized that a policy of deflation with severe cuts in government spending and in expenditures for social services will plunge a country deeper into depression. Once the depression has hit, usually as the result of the collapse of a speculative bubble like the $2 quadrillion derivatives mania of 2000-2008, the private economy shrinks rapidly, leaving government spending as the principal form of economic activity. If the government budget is nevertheless cut, this lowers the overall rate of economic activity; working people paying taxes are turned into recipients of public assistance, and the budget deficit grows rapidly. The classic case is the German government of Chancellor Heinrich Brüning in 1930-32, whose brutal austerity policies shrank the national economy by about 25% over the course of two years, but still could not prevent the German budget deficit from growing.

Despite all this, there is today a consensus between Wall Street and Washington that draconian austerity must be imposed in the United States. This will be the case no matter whether Obama or Romney wins the upcoming election. Romney has been very open about his determination to rule in the name of the top 1% of financiers and oligarchs, while imposing hardships and sacrifices on the rest of the population. Obama is somewhat more discreet, but he also has clearly signaled his desire for a sweeping austerity program to be agreed on by the two major US parties as soon as possible, probably before the end of this year.

Observers have noted that Obama and Biden, in their three debates held so far with their Republican rivals, have never mentioned the traditional Democratic Party platform planks of raising the minimum wage; preserving the funding of the food stamp program (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program of the US Department Of Agriculture) which keeps some 50 million Americans alive; maintaining and extending unemployment insurance payments to the jobless; or making it easier for trade unions to organize.

"Iranian FM Blames Israel for Beirut Terrorist Blast" (Fars News-Iran)

"[A}lthough the vigilance of the Lebanese people and parties who are aware of this plot will not allow Israel to obtain its goal":

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi blamed Israel for the Friday deadly blast in Beirut, and said the Zionist regime has carried out the terrorist attack in a bid to take the world's attention off its humiliation by a Hezbollah drone which penetrated deep into Israeli airspace earlier this month.

On October 12, Secretary-General of Hezbollah Seyed Hassan Nasrallah confirmed that the movement had sent a drone deep into the Israeli airspace, and stressed that the move demonstrated part of Hezbollah's capability.

The operation code-named Hussein Ayub saw Hezbollah's drone fly hundreds of kilometers into the Israeli airspace and getting very close to Dimona nuclear plant without being detected by advanced Israeli and US radars, Nasrallah said.

Salehi said the drone's penetration into Israel has caused deep fright among the Zionists.

"The (Hezbollah) drone which managed to penetrate into the occupied territories, frightened the regime and its weakness and inability was fully evident," Salehi said in a joint press conference with his Central African counterpart Antoine Gambi in Tehran on Sunday.

"Hence, it (Israel) committed such a big crime and martyred and injured a considerable number of the Lebanese citizens to divert the public opinion of the region from its weakness and inability to deal with its internal conditions," he continued.

Salehi warned that the Israeli plot "will make the regional conditions more complicated, although the vigilance of the Lebanese people and parties who are aware of this plot will not allow Israel to obtain its goal".

In relevant remarks on Saturday, a prominent Lebanese expert also took the Zionist regime responsible for the Friday blast in Beirut, calling it a plot to ignite civil war in the Middle-Eastern country.

Friday's blast left ten people dead and wounded dozens. It occurred in the mainly Christian district of Ashrafiya. Internal intelligence head Wissam al-Hassan was among those killed in the bomb explosion.

"Israel took revenge from Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan because of his active role in the many operations carried out to identify and arrest the Israeli Mossad spies," Professor of Beirut University Hassan Jouni told FNA on Saturday.

He underlined that the Friday blast in Beirut was meant to destabilize Lebanon and ignite sectarian strife in the country.

"Ahmadinejad: Arrogant Powers Looking for Conflict among World Nations" (Fars News-Iran)

Some Irangrish:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out at the arrogant powers for their bullying policies, and said that these power seek to stir strife and conflict among other world nations.

"To continue their rule and dominance over the world, the arrogant powers are after sowing discord and conflict among (other) nations," Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Kuwait on Wednesday.

He stressed that if all the world powers want to make use of the apparatus that they have at hand against others, there will be no longer any trace of tranquility and security in the world.

The Sri Lankan president, for his part, reiterated his country's determination for expanding ties with Iran, and called for the removal of obstacles and problems blocking the path of broadened cooperation between the two countries in different fields, specially the energy sector.

President Ahmadinejad and the Sri Lankan president are in Kuwait for the first Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) summit. [...]

"Taking Iran channels off air is cultural terrorism, IRIB chief says" (PressTV-Iran)

Besides the world's cheapest use of the word "terrorism," how many examples of hypocrisy can you spot?

The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) has criticized the ban on Iranian TV and radio stations as “cultural terrorism.”

Ezzatollah Zarghami made the remarks at the 49th General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) in the South Korean capital Seoul on Wednesday, Mehr news agency reported.

He called on international organizations, especially UNESCO, which do not have “deterrent laws for this type of cultural terrorism”, to adopt concrete laws to prevent such illegal actions.

Zarghami also said the ban on Iranian stations is meant to silence alternative media despite the fact that “the era of news censorship has come to an end.”

In a blatant violation of freedom of speech, European satellite provider Eutelsat SA ordered media services company, Arqiva, to take the Iranian satellite channels off one of its Hot Bird frequencies on Monday.

The channels include Press TV, al-Alam, Jam-e-Jam 1 and 2, Sahar 1 and 2, Islamic Republic of Iran News Network, Quran TV, and the Arabic-language al-Kawthar.

The decision followed months of jamming of Iranian channels by European satellite companies.

Following the move by Eutelsat, Press TV launched a Facebook petition to protect the news channel across Europe.

Observers say the illegal move by Eutelsat SA is a step to silence all alternative news outlets representing the voice of the voiceless. [...]

I have never heard a dictatorship described as "voiceless."

"Leader Asks People to Avoid Western Life Style" (Fars News-Iran)

In which we learn that the Islamic Republic is the "most important target of this invasion":

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei asked people to avoid the western life style, warning that the western culture annihilates the culture and identity of the host nations.

"Of course, we do not intend to fight the West (in every move and aspect) but we emphasize according to the researches and studies carried out (in this field) that imitating the West will take nations to nowhere," Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing a large number of people in North Khorassan province on Sunday.

"Basically, the western culture is aggressive and if it (the western culture) prevails in any given country for any given reason, it will gradually annihilate that nation's culture and identity," he cautioned.

Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to such great sins as homosexuality, the collapse of family foundations and other deep crises and problems as among abnormalities in the West which have turned into norms in the western societies.

He cautioned about the prevalence of certain aspects of the western culture in Iran, and asked officials to promote Iranian and Islamic culture to gradually correct these certain aspects of life style in the Iranian society.

In relevant remarks in June 2011, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution had also called on the Iranian nation to keep vigilant against the enemies' cultural invasion.

"The extent of the cultural invasion of the arrogant powers encompasses all the countries in the world, but the most important target of this invasion is the system of the Islamic Republic because the Islamic system has stood up to the arrogant powers and has proven through its steadfastness that is capable of resisting and making progress," Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing members of Iran's High Council for the Cultural Revolution at the time.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that given the significant developments in the field of communications, the cultural war has expanded into a complicated field with various dimensions.

Gotta stay vigilant.

"MP: Zionists Buying Turkey's Bordering Areas with Syria" (Fars News-Iran)

"Zionists" could mean anybody:

Zionists have bought half of Turkey's bordering areas with Syria in Hatay province, a senior Turkish legislator revealed, warning that the move has posed a great danger to his country's national security.

Hatay Province's Representative at the Turkish parliament Mohammad Ali Adiboglu said that he discovered the danger after studying the documents in Hatay's Real State Registration Organization.

He further cautioned Turkey's Minister of Environment and Urbanization Erdogan Bayraktar that he'd better have a strong reasoning for selling the country's territories to the foreign nationals. [...]

Mondoweiss objects to calling Netanyahu "Bibi" because "A nickname humanizes a politician"

You can't make this stuff up:

The media should stop calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by his nickname, Bibi.

A nickname humanizes a politician. It makes them seem more affectionate. Very few if any politicians are referred to by their nicknames. Do the media call Prime Minister Cameron David? Do they say, Francois, the president of France? They don't.

When Joe Biden repeatedly called Netanyahu Bibi last night in the debate, yes it bothers me, because our politicians are way too soft on Israel. [...]

Isn't "Joe" a nickname for "Joseph"?

Cool Wikipedia page: List of Jazz Contrafacts

A "contrafact" is a melody written based on the chord-changes of a different tune. The Flintstones Theme (according to this) is contrafact of the Gershwin tune "I Got Rhythm." (Many Jazz tunes, as a matter of fact, use these chord-changes, and they are known as "rhythm changes.")

Good Yom Tov!

Sukkos is called "Zeman Simchaseinu"--the "time of our rejoicing." Thus, the holiday is particularly associated with rejoicing, and I hope you have an especially joyous one. I usually don't post on Chol Hamo'eid--see you after Simchas Torah.

"'We are no less than Jews who defend their religion,' Egypt minister" (Ahram Online)

I don't think I've ever called an "insulator" anti-Semitic, but if one was, I'd be the first:

Minister of Endowment Talaat Afify said Muslims are no less than "Jews" who, when insulted, "get up in arms and accuse insulatorsof anti-Semitism," referring to a recent anti-Islam film and offensive cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed.

In a speech in a conference held Saturday in the city of Beni Suef, Upper Egypt, Afifi also condemned defending the Prophet Mohammed by "extremism, violence and torching embassies." These methods, according to him, do nothing but inflame an already explosive situation.

"That's why we had approached the UN to swiftly pass legislations criminalising blasphemy and sacrilegious acts to religious figures.

Early in September, an American-made movie portraying the Prophet Mohammed as a womaniser and a fool sparked a torrent of anti-American unrest in Egypt, Libya and dozens of other Muslim countries over the past two weeks, resulting in attempt to storm the US Embassy in Egypt and the death of the US ambassador to Libya.

Days later, obscene cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed naked were issued in the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo which further inflamed tension across the Muslim world.

This story illustrates that someone is a little too obsessed with Jews. Wouldn't it be great if all that resulted from the "Innocence of Muslims" or the Charlie Hebdo cartoons was Muslims complaining about "Islamophobia"?

"Pakistani leaders demand execution of anti-Islam filmmaker" (IRNA-Iran)

These articles always try to make the offense sound generic: "blasphemy twoards the divine Prophets of God," but Moses appears in cartoons all the time and I have never seen evidence of any Muslim offense--not to mention the fact that one also sees representations of the Al-mighty in cartoons and movies. We are also told that the movie "hurt the feelings of billions of Muslims," as if the Muslims are saying "How can you hurt our feelings like that O West after all we've meant to each other." That doesn't seem to be quite the nature of the reaction and I am more than a little reminded of the volcanic anger expressed by the North Korea press agency after South Korea was less than respectful about Kim Jong Il.

Codenaming the US-made movie, Pakistani religions and political leaders on Wednesday unanimously demanded execution of all those who have made the blasphemous film.

The leaders at a conference said that the entire Muslim Ummah is shocked at the film and the statement by President Barack Obama that the sacrilegious film cannot be banned indicates that the US government is unfortunately involved in the shameful act.

The All Parties Conference was organized by Qaumi Majlis-e-Mushawarat to pay respect to the Holy Prophet (P).

A joint statement issued at the conference said that such anti-Islam actions could cause clash of civilizations and trigger a third world war.

It said that all Muslim countries should play their role for passing a law criminalizing the acts of blasphemy towards the divine Prophets of God(P).

The statement further said that the Muslim countries should form 'their own United Nations' to protect sanctity of their religious beliefs, conveying the fact that the present day UN is not that of the world naitons, but of the five of them alone.

It also condemned publication of blasphemous cartoons by a French magazine adding that freedom of expression has become a tool against the sanctities of the world Muslims.

The statement said that the Christian Pastor Terry Jones and the makers of the film 'Must Be Hanged' over the act and the US envoys 'Must Be Expelled' from all Muslim countries in protest against the sacrilegious movie.

It added that the haughty west has hurt the feelings of billions of Muslims by making the movie and they should quit their negative policies immediately, or face the inescapable aftermaths of them.

The statement also called for closing of NATO supply routes in Pakistan and urged the owners of containers to stop transporting the NATO goods to protest against the blasphemous acts.

It asked leaders of Pakistan to come on to the streets to record their protest over the anti-Islam movie.

It further said that demonstrations will continue across Pakistan against the sacrilegious movie.

Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Senator Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, Chief National Solidarity Council Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Chief Syed Munawar Hasan, Chief of the DPC, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, Awami Muslim League Chief, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, Hafiz Hussian Ahmad of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Defense analyst Lt. General (Retd) Hamid Gul, Senior Vice President of Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Agha Murtaza Poya and former minister Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq attended the conference.

Yom Kippur

Gemar Chasimah Tovah!

Easy Fast!

Here is "Yom Kippur in a Nutshell" from chabad.org:

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year--the day on which we are closest to G‑d and to the quintessence  of our own souls. It is the Day of Atonement -- "For on this day He will forgive you, to purify you, that you be cleansed from all your sins before G‑d" (Leviticus 16:30).

For twenty-six hours--from several minutes before sunset on Tishrei 9 to after nightfall on Tishrei 10--we "afflict our souls": we abstain from food and drink, do not wash or anoint our bodies, do not wear leather shoes, and abstain from marital relations.

Before Yom Kippur we perform the Kaparot atonement service; we request and receive honey cake, in acknowledgement that we are all recipients in G-d's world and in prayerful hope for a sweet and abundant year; eat a festive meal, immerse in a mikvah, and give extra charity. Late afternoon we eat the pre-fast meal, following which we bless our children, light a memorial candle as well as the holiday candles, and go to the synagogue for Kol Nidrei services.

In the course of Yom Kippur we hold five prayer services: Maariv, with its solemn Kol Nidrei service, on the eve of Yom Kippur; Shacharit--the morning prayer; Musaf, which includes a detailed account of the Yom Kippur Temple service; Minchah, which includes the reading of the Book of Jonah; and Ne'illah, the "closing of the gates" service at sunset. We say the Al Chet confession of sins eight times in the course of Yom Kippur, and recite Psalms every available moment.

The day is the most solemn of the year, yet an undertone of joy suffuses it: a joy that revels in the spirituality of the day and expresses the confidence that G-d will accept our repentance, forgive our sins, and seal our verdict for a year of life, health and happiness. When the closing Ne'illah service climaxes in the resounding cries of "Hear O Israel... G-d is one" and a single blast of the shofar, followed by the proclamation, "Next year in Jerusalem." Then joy erupts in song and dance (a Chabad custom is to sing the lively "Napoleon's March"), followed by the festive after-fast meal, making the evening after Yom Kippur a Yom Tov (festival) in its own right.

"Plot to Sabotage Iran's Nuclear Equipment Fails" (Fars News-Iran)

This one is fascinating:

Senior Iranian parliamentary officials revealed on Saturday that German company Siemens intended to sabotage Iran's nuclear program by selling a booby-trapped equipment to Tehran.

Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi told the Parliament's news agency, ICANA, Iranian security experts discovered small explosives embedded in equipment Tehran bought from Siemens for its nuclear program.

Boroujerdi said Iranian security experts discovered the explosives and removed them before detonation. The authorities believe that the booby-trapped equipment was sold to derail uranium enrichment efforts, he said.

Boroujerdi said, "The equipment was supposed to blow up after installation in order to destroy our (nuclear) systems."

"But the wisdom of our experts thwarted the enemy conspiracy."

Siemens said its nuclear division had had no business with Iran since the 1979 revolution.

Some Iranian officials have also suggested in the past that specific European companies may have sold faulty equipment to Iran with the knowledge of American intelligence agencies and their own governments, since the sales would have harmed, rather than helped, the country's nuclear program.

The campaign against Iran includes the abduction of scientists, the sale of faulty equipment and the planting of a destructive computer worm known as Stuxnet, which sought to disrupt Iran's uranium enrichment activity in 2010.

Iran's nuclear chief, Fereidoun Abbasi, said Monday that separate attacks on Iran's centrifuges - through tiny explosives meant to disable key parts of the machines - were discovered before the blasts could go off on timers.

Abbasi also told the UN nuclear agency in Vienna that "terrorists and saboteurs" might have infiltrated the International Atomic Energy Agency, after the watchdog's inspectors arrived at the Fordo underground enrichment facility shortly after power lines were blown up through sabotage on Aug. 17.

Iran has several times complained that the IAEA is sending spies in the guise of inspectors to collect information about its nuclear activities, pointing to leaks of information by inspectors to US and other officials.

Five nuclear scientists and researchers have been killed in Iran since 2010. All the Iranian scientists have been assassinated by Israel's Mossad spy agency as well as the CIA and Britain's MI-6, according to Iranian intelligence ministry.

Boroujerdi said repeated leaks of nuclear information to Iran's adversaries by the IAEA would justify a cut of Tehran's ties with the UN nuclear watchdog agency.

"Iran has the right to cut its cooperation with the IAEA should such violations continue," he said.

Many Iranians would not want to see nuclear-armed Mullahs. I somehow can't imagine Siemens selling them booby-trapped equipment.

"IRGC has no military presence in Syria: IRGC chief" (Mehr News-Iran)

Mehr from Mehr:

The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has said that if Israel attacks Iran, IRGC missiles will leave nowhere intact in Israel and nothing will remain of the country.

Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari made the remarks during a press conference in Tehran on Sunday.

He also stated that Iran would reconsider its nuclear commitments if international organizations cannot prevent Israel from carrying out its military threats against the Islamic Republic.

“Iran’s nuclear capability is at an acceptable level, and such actions cannot deal a serious blow to it. But if international organizations cannot prevent the Zionist regime from taking such an action, Iran will reconsider its commitments in this regard, and the situation will change,” Jafari said in response to a question by an Associated Press correspondent about the possibility of Israel launching a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“But it does not mean that we will move toward developing nuclear weapons,” he added.

He also said, “The Zionist regime sees its existence in danger, and in view of its criminal nature and the fact that it is in the habit of killing, of course it tries to resolve its problems through taking military action and issuing threats. But it is a remote possibility that the Zionist regime would take such an action without the permission of the United States because it is aware that in that case it would achieve nothing.”

The United States will not support an Israeli military action against Iran because its forces and bases in the vicinity of Iran are within range of IRGC missiles and Muslims in the region and the rest of the world support the Islamic Republic, he stated.

No military presence in Syria

Elsewhere in his remarks, Jafari said that the IRGC has no military presence in Syria, but added that a number of IRGC personnel are in the crisis-hit country providing non-military assistance.

“Since the establishment of the (IRGC) Qods Force, the force has been pursuing the goal of supporting oppressed nations, particularly Muslim (nations). A number of Qods personnel are also present in Syria, but that does not mean that we have a military presence in the country,” he said.

He went on to say that the IRGC is providing financial and advisory assistance to Syria, since it is a link in the chain of resistance.

On the Islamic Republic’s response to a military attack against Syria, the IRGC commander said that it would depend on the situation.

“We cannot say now with certainty that Iran will support Syria militarily if it comes under a military attack, and it completely depends on the situation,” he explained. [...]

I guess that's the last word on all those subjects. Who can you trust if not Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari? ("Mehr" is Yiddish for "more," by the way.)

"Anti-film demos, a manifestation of Muslims’ might" (Mehr News-Iran)

This is from one "Samad Ghaempanah . . . a political analyst and expert on Middle East and African studies based in Tehran":

The demonstrations over the insulting movie, which was recently posted on the internet, have targeted the United States and its embassies across the world, especially in Muslim countries.

The masses in the Muslim world are accusing U.S. officials of deliberately promoting animosity toward Islam in order to counter its rising influence in the West.

There are two hypotheses that attempt to explain the situation in regard to the sudden outbreak of violent reactions to the film.

According to the first hypothesis, the political developments in the Arab world over the past two years have seriously undermined the position of the U.S. in the region. The fall of pro-Western governments in the Arab world has dramatically undermined U.S. influence in the region and Washington has lost its reputation as a superpower in the Islamic world. Muslims have now found the courage to protest against the U.S. and its hegemomnistic policies, and the awakened masses in Muslim countries will no longer tolerate any insults to their religion and identity.

According to the second hypothesis, the U.S. government is fundamentally opposed to any moves or actions that intensify violence in the Middle East. In this viewpoint, the U.S. is seeking to establish security and stability in the region because otherwise it would have to bear the huge cost of conflict and tension in one of the world’s most sensitive geopolitical regions. Thus, according to this line of reasoning, the U.S. government could not have had a hand in the production of “The Innocence of Muslims”, an amateurish film funded and produced by a Zionist based in Southern California.

However, the U.S. government’s ostensible support for democracy and freedom of religion on the one hand and its approval of anti-Islam propaganda on the other hand is a paradox that is deeply rooted in U.S. officials’ hegemonistic ideas. This paradoxical conduct gives weight to the first hypothesis and proves that the U.S. is not at all happy about the rising might and influence of Islam in the world and regards it as a serious threat to its interests in Muslim countries.

Muslims have clearly understood the United States’ duplicitous support for democracy and freedom of expression, which is being used as a cover to insult Muslims and their sacred values. This awakening of the masses in the Muslim world is expected to create more and more risks for U.S. interests in the future and it is just the beginning.

It is funny that two "hypotheses" are not about the same thing. It's also funny that they can't seem to grasp that freedom of speech means just that. Things will be said that go against US policy, especially the policy of a leftist President who presented himself as ideally suited to bringing about a great new understanding between Muslims and the West. Ain't understanding mellow.

"Egyptian MP Calls for Arab-Islamic Front to Combat Zionist Plots" (Fars News-Iran)

Despite Shi'ite-Sunni tensions, the Khomeinists seem to be a political model for the Muslim Brotherhood, as this article may illustrate:

An senior Egyptian lawmaker urged Cairo to strengthen ties with Arab and Islamic states in a bid to establish a front against the Zionists' plots.

Speaking to FNA in Cairo on Saturday, Naji al-Shahabi called on President Mohammad Mursi's government to end Egypt's dependence on the US and form a diverse foreign policy and establish stronger ties with emerging powers and Islamic states.

"We advocate diversity in foreign policy and tendency towards the East, China, India and Brazil with our emphasis specially laid on the development of ties with Iran, Turkey, Damascus, Riyadh, Indonesia and all Islamic states," Shahabi said.

"We want the creation of an Arab-Islamic axis, an axis with the capability to confront the plots hatched by the Zionists against the Arab and Islamic world."

Earlier this week, Mursi said Iran plays an important role in resolving the regional crises, and underlined that Tehran and Cairo should be united in dealing with global challenges.

"When the follower of unrighteousness are united in their unrighteous path, why should not we go united in our right position when dealing with global challenges," Mursi said in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in Cairo on Tuesday. [...]

"Israel root cause of all world problems: Iran envoy" (PressTV-Iran)

Due to certain events in Europe in the 1930s and 40s, the world knows--or should know--what this sort of dehumanization leads to. Time is running short, and the current president is particularly good at wasting time:

Iran’s Ambassador to Beirut Ghazanfar Roknabadi says although Israel is the main reason behind all international problems, Washington continues to support the Zionist regime.

“The security of the Zionist regime [of Israel] is the most important issue for Washington officials and they consider it sacred,” Roknabadi added in an interview with Lebanon’s Al-Manar television.

Referring to Israel’s recent military drills, he stated that Iran’s response to any foolish act by the Zionists will be very painful.

Turning to the 16th Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran, Roknabadi said the fact that 120 countries agreed to the establishment of the Palestinian government with al-Quds as its capital has enraged the Zionist regime of Israel. [...]

Rosh Hashanah

I won't be posting again until Tuesday night. What is this Rosh Hashanah business anyway?

The festival of Rosh Hashanah --the name means "Head of the Year" --is observed for two days beginning on Tishrei 1, the first day of the Jewish year. It is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of mankind's role in G-d's world.

Rosh Hashanah thus emphasizes the special relationship between G-d and humanity: our dependence upon G-d as our creator and sustainer, and G-d's dependence upon us as the ones who make His presence known and felt in His world. Each year on Rosh Hashanah, "all inhabitants of the world pass before G-d like a flock of sheep," and it is decreed in the heavenly court, "who shall live, and who shall die... who shall be impoverished, and who shall be enriched; who shall fall and who shall rise." But this is also the day we proclaim G-d King of the Universe. The Kabbalists teach that the continued existence of the universe is dependant upon the renewal of the divine desire for a world when we accept G-d's kingship each year on Rosh Hashanah.

The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, the ram's horn, which represents the trumpet blast of a people's coronation of their king. The cry of the shofar is also a call to repentance; for Rosh Hashanah is also the anniversary of man's first sin and his repentance thereof, and serves as the first of the "Ten Days of Repentance" which culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Another significance of the shofar is to recall the Binding of Isaac which also occurred on Rosh Hashanah, in which a ram took Isaac's place as an offering to G-d; we evoke Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son and plead that the merit of his deed should stand by us as we pray for a year of life, health and prosperity. Altogether, the shofar is sounded 100 times in the course of the Rosh Hashanah service.

Additional Rosh Hashanah observances include: a) Eating a piece of apple dipped in honey to symbolize our desire for a sweet year, and other special foods symbolic of the new year's blessings. b) Blessing one another with the words Leshanah tovah tikateiv veteichateim, "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." c) Tashlich, a special prayer said near a body of water (an ocean, river, pond, etc.) in evocation of the verse, "And You shall cast their sins into the depths of the sea." And as with every major Jewish holiday after candlelighting and prayers we recite Kiddush and make a blessing on the Challah.

May you be sealed and inscribed for a good and sweet year.

"Outrage is growing across the Muslim world over the five-million-US dollar movie that was financed by more than 100 Jews." (Fars News-Iran)

The Khomeinists are mono-maniacally consistent:

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani condemned the sacrilege of Islam in a US movie, and underlined that Washington should account for such blasphemous acts.

The US government must be held accountable for such insults to the Islamic sanctities, Larijani said on Wednesday, adding, "The US politicians' claims of supporting and respecting different cultures are … a blatant lie."

He said that such blasphemous acts show that earlier slogans of US President Barack Obama that he respects Muslims are obvious lies.

Outrage is growing across the Muslim world over the five-million-US dollar movie that was financed by more than 100 Jews.

On Thursday, the angry Iranian students chanted anti-US and anti-Israeli slogans and burnt the US flag to voice their protest against the sacrilege of Islam in the US movie.

The Iranian students burnt the US flag in front of the Swiss embassy in Tehran - which hosts the US interests section in Iran - to condemn the blasphemous movie against Islam.

They also chanted "Death to the US" and "Death to Israel" slogans, and expressed disgust at the US and the Zionist regime's anti-Islam policies.

Iranian people in Tehran and other cities across the country also plan to stage protests on Friday at the desecration of Islam in the sacrilegious movie produced by an Israeli-American man in the US. [...]

When the Mo-toon protests were raging it was constantly and falsely claimed that Fleming Rose, the editor of the Jyllands-Posten, was Jewish. And then Iran decided that a cartoon contest mocking the Holocaust was the way to hit back. Carlos Latuff won second prize.

PressTV-Iran: "CIA, Mossad team up to insult Islamic values"

This is courtesy of one Gordon Duff, who has been featured on PressTV in the past. It also includes an attack on the Mormons:

He calls himself a religious leader, a “preacher,” this Terry Jones, the man responsible for blaspheming the prophet Mohammed. He has made threats before, burned the Holy Quran, spouted obscenities, demanded attention and has acted with demonic intent.

This week, Jones released a streaming video on his website attacking Islam and purposefully attempting to incite violence against the United States.

The timing of his video, on an obscure website that is nearly impossible to find and its release through the Middle East was no accident. This was very much an attempt on the part of political forces to harm the image of the United States and was only a part of a much larger conspiracy.

Jones, to most, is an uneducated and lower class figure in a backward area of the American south. His congregation is largely made of weak minded people on the fringe of society, easily coerced and influenced. He has few followers.

However, Jones has another following, one not so easy to detect. Jones moved to Germany in 1981 and established a religious cult in Cologne. Thus, his ties while there were with Israeli intelligence and the P2 Masonic lodge, better known as “Operation Gladio,” the group responsible for the murder of Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro and terror bombings that went on into the 90s.

Jones real background is that of an intelligence asset. His personal weakness is narcissism. His strength is his ability to hide behind what appears to be backward and ignorant exterior while actively working as an intelligence agent for a combination of rogue CIA elements, extremists in the former Stasi German group now called the DVD who partner with Israel’s Mossad.

Jones is a spy, CIA trained, run by rogue handlers, and heavily promoted by Mossad elements throughout the Middle East and able to garner national news attention in the US when anyone else of his minor following and total lack of credibility would be ignored.

Instead, his every obscene move, his every blasphemy, from his tiny and forgotten church, reaches, not just the front page of every paper but is announced and spread throughout the Islamic world by the hundreds of Israeli agents that infiltrate every Mosque.

The relationship between the Mossad and DVD is now well known. German built submarines armed with Russian built nuclear weapons patrol of Iran as we speak, their Israeli crews ready to start World War III.

Inside the US, rogue elements of Bush era intelligence privatization, initially under Blackwater Corporation and its various successors, still actively run agents, manage narcotics processing and distribution and intimidate world leaders through threats against their families.

Jones is part of this operation, tasked with destabilizing Egypt and Libya, tasked with providing an Islamophobic backdrop for Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to the United Nations and providing support for extremist elements in Europe and the US who see President Obama too “morally flexible” in his dealings with Iran.

Jones has another job in attacking Islam. He is tasked with interpreting texts carefully selected to seem objectionable.

You see, in order to start a war, Mitt Romney must be elected president. However, Romney belongs to a religious group most Christians find to be a heretical cult.

In fact, it was only days before they were to lose their legal standing as a tax free institution, because of their institutionalized racism, that they suddenly opened their church to other cultures. Attacks on Islam are now being made because the following texts, long hidden by powerful financial groups tied to criminal elements in the US, are being made public.

These are the beliefs of the Mormon Church, the beliefs Mitt Romney accepted and taught:

“Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be” (Book of Mormon10:110; Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church) [...]

“From the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith even until now, it is has been the doctrine of the Church, never questioned by any of the Church leaders, that the Negroes are not entitled to the full blessings of the Gospel.” (Joseph the First) [...]

--- These tenets of Mormonism, racial hatred, dehumanization, scriptural heresy and the wide distrust they have fostered throughout every religious and non-religious group within the US has made the cost of rigging a presidential election to put a candidate in power willing to enslave America to Israel nearly impossible.

Every day, Romney goes down in the polls, hated by African Americans, hated by Catholics, hated by Jews, hated in the North, hated in the South, a man with no known political beliefs other than what the “crowd of the moment” wants to hear.

Terry Jones distraction, orchestrated by the Mossad, the DVD and the rogue CIA groups even more mindless than the officially sanctioned ones, have but one task meant to alter electorate perception in favor of Romney, in favor of war, and take the focus off these despicable religious beliefs.

When the CIA’s Terry Jones exalts the beliefs of his own racist past and that of his friend Mitt Romney, he might well heed these words of the prophet: "O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women." (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 4(An-Nisa'): Verse 1) [...]

Back in 2010 when Jones was threatening to cause a religious war through Quran burnings, I, assisted by Ambassador/Congressman Mark Siljander (author of A Deadly Misunderstanding - A Congressman’s Quest to Bridge the Muslim/Christian Divide), called Jones. Siljander spoke with Jones and his congregation and temporarily defused the situation.

Siljander made powerful enemies in doing so, not for the first time.

Today we sit, one American dead, embassies attacked, waiting for the next move, a false flag attack like was perpetrated to blame Muslims like “9/11” or a mysterious explosion on a ship in the Persian Gulf reminiscent of the USS Maine incident that led to war with Spain in 1898.

America has a long history of false flag terrorism to begin wars; I won’t even go into the Tonkin Gulf incident.

[...]

Let's be thankful for that.

Iran's PressTV interviews David Duke about 9/11. Guess who he blames?

Duke is their kind of expert! They seem to think he is still in the Louisiana House of Representatives, and he describes himself as having a "PhD in History." Here's a sample:

[...] Press TV: When you’re alluding to the possibility of it being an inside job, are you saying an inside job as far as the officials within the United States or are you saying that it’s possible that the Israelis have been behind it with American officials knowing about it? If you could expand on that a little bit for me, sir.

Duke: First off, there’s a lot of opinions. It’s very hard to know the answer. You have a surreptitious, covert operation in the United States and you had massive Israeli spying in the United States of America. To say that we have all the answers or we know all the facts of what happened and what didn’t happen, it’s hard to do that.

As a historian, as a man with a PhD in History, I want to go on hard, cold facts. And the hard, cold facts that we have without any dispute is the fact that five Israelis were arrested in New York, Mossad agents filming and documenting the attack. They were cheering the attack, according to all the witnesses involved. They were absolutely, certainly Mossad agents. They failed lie detector tests.

We know that Israelis agents were on the same street as Mohammad Atta.

We have lots of evidence that Israel had a huge spy operation going on in the United States at this time.

We also know that Israel certainly had a lot to gain from these attacks. In fact, because of these attacks we’ve had greater presence of Americans in the Middle East. We’ve had more support going to Israel.

We’ve had a clampdown of the opposition in this country, people against the Israeli policies. We also had the Iraq War which was taking out Israel’s enemy at the time, Saddam Hussein. This is an old, old story with Israel and this country.

We also know that Israel was possibly facing war crimes, trials in Europe with Ariel Sharon at the time, and we had the United Nations pointing out that Israel was a racist state. [...]

That's so meaningful coming from David Duke. This would be funny, if nukes were not almost within the Khomeinist grasp.

"‘There is ample room for diplomacy’ with Iran: Chomsky" (Mehr News-Iran)

Iran doesn't admit to working towards nuclear weapons anyway. So how will a "nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East" help anything? Don't ask Chomsky:

“There is ample room for diplomacy,” Chomsky tells the Mehr News Agency in a short interview.

Following is the text of the interview:

Q: What is your assessment of the recent meeting between Iran and the major powers in Moscow?

A: Unfortunately, it got nowhere. And prospects do not look good.

Q: So do you think that such a situation may lead to a war and that the sides cannot resolve the dispute through diplomacy?

A: We can be fairly confident that war will only make matters worse. There is ample room for diplomacy. In fact, one excellent opportunity is arising this December, when there will be a conference on establishing a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East. The idea has enormous support, but probably, as in the past, it will be blocked by the U.S. (and Israel), with Europe toddling along politely behind the master. Unless, that is, there is a massive demonstration of popular support in the West. The lack of reporting is designed to undercut that threat.

Because Zionists control the press, no doubt.

"we’re not talking about Irvine, for goodness sake"

A Muslim chaplain at Northeastern was just exposed in a video as a terror-supporter and removed from his position. The following paragraph caught my California-dwelling eye:

But more importantly, Jacobs made the point that if a person with so many public connections to terrorism has been permitted to mentor students at a place like Northeastern University – “we’re not talking about Irvine, for goodness sake,” then it is clear that “the same kind of thing can happen anywhere.”

Follow the link to the Jewish Press article to see the video. Of course, ultra-leftists have made some of what the video talks about semi-respectable. Terek Mehenna has been defended on Huffpo, for instance, and the "Free Mumia" crowd also wants to free Aafia Siddiqui, and Norman Finkelstein is a raving nutcase and Israel-hater with a weakness for anti-Jewish ethnic slurs but not exactly an anti-Semite. (These distinctions give me a headache.)

"Hamas Envoy Urges All Muslims to Help Free Palestine through Collective Efforts" (Fars News-Iran)

If there is any doubt about what the slogan "Free Palestine" means:

Representative of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) Khaled Qadoumi called on the world Muslim states to contribute their share to the efforts made for the freedom of Palestine, stressing that the holy land of the Islamic Ummah can only be set free through the collective efforts of the worldwide Muslims.

"Freedom of Palestine is a responsibility which should be shared by all Muslims," Qadoumi said, addressing a gathering on Islamic Resistance in Iran's Central city of Isfahan on Wednesday.

He pointed to the Palestinian nation's continued resistance against the Zionist regime, and noted, "We feel that we are not alone in our resistance because Islamic nations such as Iran and Syria are backing us in this regard."

His remarks came days after Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei asked participants in the 16th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Tehran to pay special attention to the Palestinian issue, and called on the American backers of the Israeli regime to accept Iran's proposal for a referendum in the Palestinian lands to determine the country's fate.

The Leader reminded the Zionists' bloody occupation of Palestine over 6 decades ago, and blamed the Zionist regime for waging various wars, massacre and state-sponsored terrorism in the last decades.

He blamed the western world for supporting and defending the Zionist regime of Israel against the oppressed Palestinian nation.

The leader further renewed Iran's solution to the Palestinian issue, calling for a "comprehensive referendum to be attended by all the indigenous residents of Palestine, including those refugees who have been away from their motherland for decades to determine the country's fate".

The Iranian supreme leader cautioned the US against the continue support and defense for the Zionist regime of Israel, reminding that decade-long support for the Israeli regime has incurred many costs and losses on the American people.

Ban asks Mr. Supreme "as the Muslim world leader, to help the UN resolve the regional crises" (Fars News:-Iran)

I wonder if he really called him "the Muslim world leader."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a recent meeting with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in Tehran asked Ayatollah Khamenei, as the Muslim world leader, to help the UN resolve the regional crises.

"As a supreme leader and also religious leader of not only Iran, but also this region, you can play crucially important role," the UN chief said during the meeting with the Supreme Leader in Tehran on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 16th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in the Iranian capital.

"You have an important role to play; you have been playing in the situation in Lebanon, Iraq. I know you are very much concerned for situation in Bahrain.

"These are all the areas that Iran has been playing and will continue to play an important role," the UN chief added.

"I like to focus on one area today, on Syria. One of my main purposes of coming to meet you is to ask you to exercise maximum influence in resolving this crisis in Syria," Ban Ki-moon said.

"I think in this region, only Iran can play this crucially important role," reiterated the UN chief. [...]

"Palestinian throws bag of bombs at checkpoint" (Ynet News)

Thank G-d for checkpoints:

A Palestinian man who was denied entry to Israel by security forces stationed at the Hashmonaim checkpoint dropped a bag containing explosives and fled the scene on Wednesday.

A explosives expert who was alerted to the scene found four pipe bombs in the bag, which were then safely detonated. The security forces have launched a manhunt for the suspect.[...]

If they find him, we won't find about it from Reuters although they might cover a story about a settler hurting an olive tree.

Fars News (Iran): Holocaust "alleged" and Jews "doing the same crimes with the Palestinians"

Fars News currently features what you would call, I guess, a photo-essay: a series of Holocaust photos paired with contemporary photos and meant to prove that Jews are doing the same thing to the Palestinians blah blah blah. The title of this rancid little feature is "Who is Worse, Zionists or Nazi?" The introductory blurb, however, does not seem to want to admit that the Nazis did anything:

These are the same pictures that the Jewish people have shown to the world for decades to win the nations' sympathy for what they have allegedly suffered with Hitler and his army, as if no other people had been treated like them in World War II. But now they are doing the same crimes with the Palestinians. Just check this out

And, of course, the pictures are ones that "the Jewish people have shown to the world," as if the world would not otherwise have them. Khomeinists deny the Holocaust, not just Ahmadinejad.

Kim Jong Un not lost in the supermarket

The corpulent young general continues his father's invaluable field guidance activities, in this case visiting a restaurant and supermarket. Although I'm sure his waistline could do without any further great leaps forward, there is no sacrifice he won't make for the masses:

Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, first chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, together with his wife Ri Sol Ju, visited Haemaji Restaurant before its opening to business.

He went round different places of the restaurant to learn in detail about its construction, display of goods, service program, varieties of dishes and their quality.

He first looked round the supermarket for fruits, vegetables, milk and meat and drinks.

He expressed great satisfaction, saying that the supermarket looks unique and delicate and its display is peculiar. It was built in such a way as to be a model impeccable in any aspect, he added.

He stressed that it is of particular importance to fix proper prices of foodstuff and work out well business strategy in order to put the supermarket on a regular footing.

At a booth, he noted that corn fry smells nice and tasted it.

At a dinning room he said that overhead lighting, wall decoration and furniture look convenient and comfortable.

He was pleased to see rice prepared with assorted mixtures on griddle, saying the people would like it.

He went round with keen attention the meat and fish shop selling varieties of fresh fishes and various parts of meat.

He went up to the first floor by a peculiar escalator and looked round one by one various dinning rooms serving varieties of dishes of different countries. He said he was very pleased to see those rooms arranged to suit the characteristic features of the relevant countries.

He dropped in at the bread shop selling varieties of tasty and quality bread. He praised the restaurant for arranging the stands in such a creative and unique manner as to fully ensure hygiene and convenience.

At the coffee shop he sat on a stool, saying it looks comfortable.

He expressed great satisfaction over the construction of the restaurant, saying there is very friendly environment and he liked everything there.

He extended thanks to the soldier-builders for having successfully built the restaurant as required by the new century and to the officials of the field concerned for arranging it in an impeccable manner as intended by the party.

He set forth tasks to be fulfilled to manage and operate the restaurant.

The future of Songun Korea is surely bright!

"Supreme Leader: Iran, N. Korea Have Common Enemies"

What does North Korea do, exactly, to "resist" the "arrogant powers"? I guess that involves sharing missile technology with Iran:

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in a meeting with President of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) Presidium Kim Yong Nam underlined that Tehran and Pyongyang have common enemies due to their resistance against the arrogant powers.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran and North Korea have common enemies since the arrogant powers cannot bear independent governments," Ayatollah Khamenei said during the meeting in Tehran on Saturday.

He also stressed that there are abundant grounds for the expansion of relations and increasing cooperation between Iran and North Korea.

Kim Yong Nam and his accompanying delegation arrived in Tehran earlier this week to attend the 16th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit on August 30-31.

Earlier in the day, President Ahmadinejad received Kim Yong Nam at his office in Central Tehran, where the two sides discussed an array of issues, specially mutual cooperation.

After the meeting, the two countries endorsed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in scientific and academic grounds.

The MoU was signed by Iranian Science, Research and Technology Minister Farhad Daneshjou and Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun.

The document required mutual cooperation in various scientific and technological grounds between Iran and North Korea and is expected to cause a leap in the scientific ties between the two Asian nations.

Just a "leap"? Not a "great leaping advance"?