Today is Sunday; 14th of the Iranian month of Khordad 1396 solar hijri; corresponding to 9th of the Islamic month of Ramadhan 1438 lunar hijri; and June 4, 2017, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

2797 solar years ago, on this day in 780 BC, the first total solar eclipse was recorded by Chinese astronomers. However, a clay tablet retrieved from the ancient city of Ugarit in Syria gives the oldest eclipse record, with two interpretations of the date being regarded as plausible. The date most favoured by recent authors on the subject is 5 March 1223 BC, although alternatively 3 May 1375 BC has also been proposed as plausible.

808 solar years ago, on this day in 630 AD, the hadith scholar Omar bin Mohammad Ibn Hajeb died at the age of 37. He travelled widely to meet scholars of hadith and collect the sayings attributed to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA).

626 solar years ago, on this day in 1391 AD, the people of the city of Seville in Spain, led by Christian priest, Ferrand Martinez, surrounded and set fire to the Jewish quarter, killing thousands and selling the survivors into slavery. Throughout history Jews have been massacred in Europe for their slandering of the Virgin Mary and Prophet Jesus (peace upon them), while in the Muslim world there was no such persecution of Jews or Christians.

596 solar years ago, on this day in 1421 AD, the Gakkhar Chieftain, Jasrat Khan (son of Sheikha Khan) stormed Jullundur in Punjab and took governor Zirak Khan as prisoner. On hearing of the death in Delhi of Khizr Khan, the ruler of North India, he had attacked Talwandi and ravaged the area between Ludhiana and Rupar. A year earlier he had intervened in the civil war in Kashmir and defeated and captured Ali Shah, thus allowing the latter’s brother Shahi Khan to emerge as the new ruler under the title of Sultan Zain al-Abedin. Jasrat then proceeded to Sirhind and besieged Sultan Shah Lodi, who sought help from Mubarak Shah II of Delhi. The latter forced the Gakkhar Chieftain to lift the siege and retreat to Ludhiana, from where he was evicted with the help of Bhima the Hindu rajah of Jammu. The Gakkhars which today inhabit Pakistani Punjab and Kashmir as well as parts of Indian Punjab, are of Iranian stock, having arrived in the Subcontinent during the Sassanid invasion of northwest India in 565 AD. They converted to Islam en masse around 1205 AD.

585 lunar years ago, on this day in 853 AH, the prominent astronomer-king of the Timurid dynasty, Mirza Mohammad Taraghay Ulugh Beg, was killed by his rebellious son, Abdul-Latif "Pidarkush" (killer of his own father), while on his way to Mecca for pilgrimage after being deposed. Born in Soltaniyeh near Zanjan in northwestern Iran, his father was Amir Shahroukh, the son and successor of the fearsome Turkic conqueror, Amir Timur, while his mother was the cultured and religious Iranian lady, Gowharshad, the builder of the famous mosque in Mashhad adjacent to the shrine of Prophet Mohammad’s 8th Infallible Successor, Imam Reza (AS). His seat of government was Samarqand (currently in Uzbekistan), where he built the great Observatory with the assistance of the famous Iranian astronomer, Ghiyas od-Din Jamshid Kashani. He also built the Ulugh Beg Madrasahs in Samarqand and Bukhara, transforming the cities into cultural centres of learning. He ruled for almost half-a-century the present-day countries of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and the southern parts of Kazakhstan – and for a while parts of Khorasan. Ulugh Beg determined the length of the sidereal year as 365.2570370, making it more accurate than Copernicus' estimate. He also determined the Earth's axial tilt as 23.52 degrees, which remained the most accurate measurement for hundreds of years. In mathematics, he wrote accurate trigonometric tables of sine and tangent values correct to at least eight decimal places. The crater “Ulugh Beg”, on the Moon, is named after him.

213 lunar years ago, on this day in 1225 AH, Wahhabi heretics of Najd in Arabia raided Iraq and attacked the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, massacring hundreds of fasting Muslims in Ramadhan and looting the holy shrines of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) and the Martyr of Karbala, Imam Husain (AS). An eyewitness account of this blasphemous crime has been given by the scholar Seyyed Mohammad Jawad al-Amili, the author of the jurisprudential work “Miftah al-Karamah”, who survived the attack. He has written that the Godless Wahhabis besieged the cities, blocked the roads, looted houses and shrines, and massacred pilgrims.

139 solar years ago, on this day in 1878 AD, during the Ottoman-Russian War, the crafty British made the declining Turkish Empire sign a convention to set up a naval base on Cyprus, the 3^rd largest island of the Mediterranean Sea and its most populous one, which in those days had a Muslim majority. Although the Ottomans who had brought Cyprus under their rule in in 1570, after almost six centuries of the end of the last phase of Muslim rule, retained nominal suzerainty, it was obvious that this strategic island was lost by the Muslim world, since the British in no time changed demographic patterns and made it a virtual Greek island. In 1914, following start of World War I, Britain annexed the island on the pretext of the Ottoman alliance with Germany, and in 1925 declared it as its colony. Since then, clashes between the Greek Christian and Turkish Muslim Cypriots started. On August 14, 1960, Cyprus gained independence, but the confrontation between the two communities continued. In 1974, following a coup staged by Greek Cypriots to join the island with Greece, Turkey seized the northern part, which is home to Turkish-speaking Muslim Cypriots. Today two-thirds of Cyprus is administered by Greeks, while the rest is known as the breakaway Turkish republic of Cyprus.    

118 solar years ago, on this day in 1899 AD, famous Egyptian architect, Hassan Fathi, was born in Alexandria. He pioneered appropriate technology for building, especially by working to re-establish the use of mud brick or adobe and traditional, as opposed to western building designs and lay-outs. He designed nearly 160 separate projects, from modest country retreats to fully planned communities with police, fire, and medical services, markets, schools, theatres, and places for worship and recreation. He utilized ancient design methods and materials, as well as knowledge of the rural Egyptian economic situation with a wide knowledge of ancient architectural and town design techniques. He trained local inhabitants to make their own materials and build their own buildings. He served as the advocate of traditional natural-energy solutions in major community projects for Iraq and Pakistan and undertook extended travel and research for 'Cities of the Future' programme in Africa.

113 lunar years ago, on this day in 1325 AH, Ayatollah Shaikh Mohammad Bahari Hamedani passed away at the age 60 in his hometown Bahar, near Hamedan, western Iran. Son of Mirza Mohammad Bahari, he finished primary education in his hometown and went to Boroujerd for higher studies and later to the famous seminary of holy Najaf in Iraq, where he reached the level of Ijtihad. His most prominent teacher in holy Najaf was Mullah Hussain Qoli Shavandi Hamedani, to whom he was very close. Ayatollah Bahari’s classes in Najaf were attended by many Iranian, Arab and Indian scholars, and through his pen and speeches he also guided many businessmen and laymen. He returned to Iran because of illness, and after living for a while in holy Mashhad he settled in his hometown Bahar. Known for his piety, among his books is “Tazakerat-al-Muttaqin”, which has been published many times.

86 solar years ago, on this day in 1931 AD, Sharif Hussein of Mecca and later the king of Hijaz, died in exile in Amman, Jordan, at the age of 77. A member of the Awn clan of the Banu Qatadah tribe that claimed descent from Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS), the elder grandson of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), he was perceived to have rebellious inclinations against Ottoman rule, and in 1893 was summoned to Istanbul where he was kept on the Council of State. In 1908, in the aftermath of the Young Turk Revolution, he was appointed Emir of Mecca by Sultan Abdul Hamid II. In 1916, with British support, he proclaimed the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire and styled himself king of Hijaz. In 1921 the British installed two of his sons as kings – Faisal in Iraq and Abdullah in the newly created state of Jordan. In March 1924, when the Ottoman caliphate was abolished, Hussein proclaimed himself caliph, although no one accepted him as such. Later, the crafty British withdrew their support from him when their other agent, the desert brigand of Najd, Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud invaded and occupied Hijaz by unleashing bloodbaths in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, as well as in Jeddah and Ta’ef. In October 1924, facing defeat by Ibn Saud, Hussein abdicated and was briefly succeeded as king of Hijaz by his eldest son Ali, whom the Wahhabis ousted during their wide-scale desecration of the holy shrines in Mecca and Medina, including demolition of the sacred Baqie Cemetery. On the fall of Hijaz, he fled to Cyprus, before shifting to Amman, where his son Abdullah was king.

31 solar years ago, on this day in 1986 AD, US Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Jay Pollard, pleaded guilty to espionage for selling top secret United States military intelligence to Israel. He was caught red-handed in November 1995 while spying for the illegal Zionist entity. This was a rare case of a surrogate state spying against its own godfather who, because of shared animosity against Muslims and Arabs, never withheld any sensitive information or sophisticated military technology. In 1987 Pollard, who is a Jew, confessed that he passed classified documents to Israel, and was subsequently sentenced to life in prison. The Zionist entity has continued to lobby for his release, and in 1995 on this same day, it granted citizenship to this American Jew.

28 solar years ago, on this day in 1989 AD, the Father of Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (God bless him) passed away at the age of 87, plunging in grief Iranians, world Muslims and conscientious people throughout the globe. He had transformed Iran into a powerful independent country, after inspiring the people to overthrow the British-installed and American-supported Pahlavi regime, thereby shattering big power equations in Iran and the region. A mujtahid and a Gnostic of the highest order, he was exiled for some 14 years for opposing the despotic Shah, before returning home to an unprecedented welcome, to lead the people to victory in February 1979. For the next ten years he ably guided the Islamic Republic of Iran, defeating the conspiracies hatched by Global Arrogance, including the 8-year war the US imposed on Iran through its agent, Saddam of Iraq’s repressive Ba’th minority regime. In addition to grooming prominent scholars, Imam Khomeini has left behind numerous valuable compilations, including “Tahrir al-Wasilah”, “Mesbah al-Hedaayah” and “Islamic Government”. He gave to the world the dynamic system of “Velayat-e Faqih” or rule of the Supreme Jurisprudent in the absence of the Infallible Imam, pointing out to the absurdity of rule by unprincipled and immoral persons, even if democratically elected. His thoughts continue to guide the people of Iran and all conscientious people around the world. We hereby extend our heartfelt condolences on the anniversary of the passing away of Imam Khomeini. As noted by the present Leader of Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the uprising which Imam Khomeini inspired is a reminder of the missions of the Prophets of God. He revived religious insight and promoted spirituality in the modern world.

28 solar years ago, on this day in 1989 AD, the Assembly of Experts elected Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei as Leader of Islamic Revolution, a few hours after the passing away of the Founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini (God bless him). The Late Imam’s Political-Divine Will was read and the participants discussed and studied the future leadership of the Islamic system. Members of the Assembly of Experts, who are elected by people’s vote, after long debate and discussions, elected Ayatollah Khamenei, who till then was the elected president of the Islamic Republic. Their decision was because of his deep Islamic insight, knowledge, awareness of current issues, political acumen, vigilance, courage, prudence, expertise management, and devotion to revolutionary values.

28 solar years ago, on this day in 1989 AD, several Chinese students, deceived by western propaganda, were killed by security forces at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Thousands of students had gathered in this square, demanding an open political atmosphere, enhancement of the parliament’s power, and end of communist rule. When after due warnings they failed to disperse and continued to be misled by US propaganda, the Chinese government ordered a crackdown that resulted in death and injury of several students. Since then, Western regimes, especially the US, as part of their pressure tactics, have indulged in the propaganda of violation of human rights in a bid to check China's astounding progress.

28 solar years ago, on this day in 1989 AD, famed Iranian painter and illuminator-artist, Abdullah Baqeri, passed away in his hometown Tehran at the age of 76. Besides his illuminative work on books, he also designed beautiful colour patterns for carpet-weaving.

8 solar years ago, on this day in 2009, Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri, while on Omrah pilgrimage to holy Mecca, was kidnapped by the Saudi regime and handed over to CIA, which transferred him to the US, prompting Iran to lodge a strong protest, holding Riyadh responsible and charging Washington with involvement in his kidnapping and detention. The Iranian government's warnings of dire consequences forced the Americans to release him. In July 2010, Shahram Amiri reappeared in Washington DC at the Iran Interests Section of the Embassy of Pakistan, seeking help to return to Iran. On arrival in Tehran he told a press conference that he had been kidnapped, tortured and bribed to cooperate with the CIA. He was under close scrutiny by Iranian security personnel and was proven to be a CIA implant who leaked information to the US that led to the assassination of several Iranian nuclear scientists by terrorists hired by the Americans and Israelis. He was tried by the judiciary and on confession of his treason against the nation was handed death sentence and executed in August 2016.

5 solar years ago, on this day in 2012 AD, prominent Iranian mathematician and statistician, Mostafa Ali Madad, passed away in his hometown Tehran at the age of 76. He joined the Minister of Sciences and Higher Education, and played a key role in establishing the University of Baluchestan in Zahedan, where he later served as Vice Chancellor. After victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, he continued to serve in executive capacity at the same ministry and following retirement was involved in research that resulted in compilation of twenty books.

June 4 is observed every year as “International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression” following its endorsement as such by the UN General Assembly on 19 August 1982, at its emergency session on the chronic question of the Zionist-usurped land of Palestine, and Israel’s crimes against humanity, especially its victimization of the great number innocent Palestinian and Lebanese children. The purpose of the day is to acknowledge the pain suffered by children throughout the world who are the victims of physical, mental and emotional abuse. According to figures, More than two million children have been killed in conflict in the last two decades. About 10 million child refugees cared for by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). In Latin America and in the Caribbean region about 80 thousand children die annually from violence that breaks out within the family. In India, Pakistan and other countries, forced child labour runs into hundreds of thousands of children held in bondage. In some African countries, children are forcibly recruited by the various warring militias. Even in the supposedly developed West, tens of thousands of children continue to be abused and exploited.

AS/ME