Jumad Al-Thani 24, 1422//September 12, 2001

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Topics :

OIC condemns terrorist attacks on US installations

Makkah imam urges Muslims to be humble

Handicapped pilgrims to get wheelchairs

Muslim heads of state blast attacks

Students from 76 states to benefit from scholarships

New batch of injured Palestinians arrive in Iran

Need for religious government stressed

Tanzanian Muslims call for equal opportunities

UAE charity finances projects in Kosovo

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IINA – 1

OIC condemns terrorist attacks on US installations

Jeddah, Jamad Al-Thani 24, 1422/September 12, 2001 (IINA) – Dr. Abdelouahed Belkeziz, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Countries, on Wednesday denounced the “barbaric criminal attacks” against vital US installations in New York and Washington on Tuesday.

“I was shocked by the tragic incident. I express my profound sorrow over the death of a large number of innocent American civilians in the attacks,” the secretary-general said in a press statement.

He said the criminal attacks violated all norms and values as well as teachings of divine religions, especially Islam. “Islam considers the killing of an innocent person as killing of the whole humanity.”

Belkeziz extended his condolences to US President George W. Bush and American people on this horrendous tragedy. He urged the US government to find out the culprits behind the attacks and hand them to justice after identifying them.

“The whole Islamic world shares the sorrow and pain of the American people. The Islamic states condemn the criminals behind the attacks and express their sympathy with the innocent victims and their relatives and American people in total,” the OIC statement said.

Belkeziz said the OIC, which groups 56 Islamic countries, has always condemned terrorism. “Everybody should strongly condemn such acts that target democratic systems,” he added. Belkeziz has sent a message of condolences to President Bush.

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IINA- 2

Makkah imam urges Muslims to be humble

Makkah, Jamad Al-Thani 24, 1422/September 12, 2001 (IINA) – Sheikh Saud Al-Shuraim, imam and Khateeb of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, has called upon Muslims to shun pride and arrogance and decorate themselves by the qualities of humility and humbleness.

“Total disregard of reality has taken some people to believe that they will live in this world forever. They look at things with a materialistic viewpoint, like how much someone owns or what his position in society. Such people will not enjoy freedom until they are ruled by the values of humbleness and mutual affection that can be found in the shade of Islam,” Sheikh Shuraim said in his Juma speech.

“Allah will not talk to arrogant people on the Day of Judgment and will not look at them….such arrogant people will receive painful punishment,” he said, adding that Allah will raise the position of those who deal with people with humility and humbleness.

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Handicapped pilgrims to get wheelchairs

Makkah, Jamad Al-Thani 24, 1422/September 12, 2001 (IINA) – The Central Haj Committee has decided to provide wheelchairs to the handicapped and old pilgrims in Arafat and Muzdalifa.

The committee during a recent meeting also decided to construct a new pipeline from the water tank in Muaisem to the tanks in Arafat and Muzdalifa. It disclosed the plan to construct a two-km long water supply line to the elevated areas between the central ring road and the eastern ring road in the holy sites.

The meeting also decided to replace the existing water pumps with new ones, especially at the stations surrounding the Haram Mosque in Makkah.

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Muslim heads of state blast attacks

Jerusalem, Jamad Al-Thani 24, 1422/September 12, 2001 (IINA) – Heads of Muslim countries including kings and presidents have condemned the terrorist attacks in Washington and New York on Tuesday. The attacks caused untold suffering to civilians, women and children, government employees and police officers and created large-scale human and material losses.

The Muslim leaders have sent messages of condolences to US President George W. Bush on the death of thousands of people in the attacks.

Meanwhile, Islamic organizations in the United States have issued a joint statement condemning “the brutal terrorist attacks against innocent civilians in America.” The organizations called upon the American administration to track down the criminals who perpetrated the attacks and bring them to justice.

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IINA- 5

Students from 76 states to benefit from scholarships

Cairo, Jamad Al-Thani 24, 1422/September 12, 2001 (IINA) – The new 222 scholarships announced by the Egyptian Ministry of Endowments will benefit students from 76 countries, according to Dr. Mahmoud Zagzoug, minister of endowments. The new scholarships, he added, will cost the government two million Egyptian pounds.

Speaking to the International Islamic News Agency, the minister said 10 Arab, 30 African, 13 Asian and 23 European and American countries will benefit by the scholarships.

At present the ministry offers 636 scholarships to Muslim students in various parts of the Islamic world to study at Al-Azhar University in Cairo.

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New batch of injured Palestinians arrive in Iran

Tehran, Jamad Al-Thani 24, 1422/September 12, 2001 (IINA) – The 14th batch of Palestinians injured in the ongoing Al-Quds intifada arrived in Tehran recently to be treated at the city’s Milad-e Nour Hospital.

The 25-member group, mostly young fighters, included 22 wounded Palestinians. They were airlifted to Iran by a Tehran-based organization for supporting the intifada.

More than 130 wounded Palestinians have been given treatment at Iranian hospital since the beginning of the new uprising in September last year.

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Need for religious government stressed

Tehran, Jamad Al-Thani 24, 1422/September 12, 2001 (IINA) – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s paramount leader, said on Monday that intellectuals in the Islamic and non-Islamic countries have welcomed the idea of forming religious governments.

“Religion’s sovereignty should prevail in every aspect of man’s life,” Khamenei said addressing a ceremony in Tehran. “All Prophets launched campaigns against injustice and evil powers of their time to establish a religious government,” he explained.

The Iranian leader said the first action taken by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) after his migration to Madinah was the formation of a government. He urged Islamic scholars to highlight the benefits of religious governments to human communities.

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IINA- 8

Tanzanian Muslims call for equal opportunities

Dar es Salaam, Jamad Al-Thani 24, 1422/September 12, 2001 (IINA) – Tanzanian Muslims have appealed to President Benjamin Mkapa to find solutions for their problems.

Addressing a massive gathering at the Lake Victoria city of Mwanza, Illingo Kapungu, secretary of the organization of Muslim institutions, urged the government to provide equal opportunities to Muslims in the public sector.

He called upon Muslims to chart out programs to make advancement economically and educationally.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, Sheikh Mussa Kileo, an official of the organization, said the demand for equal rights by Muslims was purely a domestic issue. “It has nothing to do with any foreign country,” he stressed.

Kileo refuted pro-government media reports that the Iranian Cultural Center was asked to reconcile between Muslims and Christians in the country. “Iran should not be associated with our domestic issues,” he added.

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IINA- 9

UAE charity finances projects in Kosovo

Pristina, Jamad Al-Thani 24, 1422/September 12, 2001 (IINA) – The UAE armed forces, which is taking part in the international peace force in Kosovo, has implemented a number of charitable and welfare projects in the Balkan state, including reparation of roads, maintenance of clinics and provision of assistance to Kosovar families.

The projects are financed by the Muhammad ibn Rashid Al-Maktoum Charitable Foundation.

Meanwhile, Oman is constructing a village in Kosovo to provide housing facilities for the Kosovars.

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