Today is Wednesday; 20th of the Iranian month of Dey 1396 solar hijri; corresponding to 22nd of the Islamic month of Rabi as-Sani 1439 lunar hijri; and January 10, 2018 of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1143 lunar years ago, on this day in 296 AH, Musa al-Mubarqa, the younger son of Imam Mohammad Taqi (AS), the 9th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny), passed away in holy Qom at the age of 79. He is the ancestor of Rezavi, Taqavi, and Burqa’ei Saadat. Born in holy Medina in 217 AH, he was forced in 244 to come to Samarra in Iraq by the tyrant Mutawakkil, the self-styled caliph of the usurper Abbasid regime, and kept under close surveillance along with his elder brother, Imam Ali Naqi (AS) – who had already been forcibly brought to the Abbasid capital a few years earlier. Following Mutawakkil’s murder in 247, the conditions were relaxed, and although he greatly loved the 10th Imam, he left Samarra for Kufa where he stayed till 256, in which year he shifted to Qom, where he was joined by several of his sisters, including Zainab, the builder of mausoleum of his grand aunt, Hazrat Ma’souma (SA). Here he used to cover his exceptionally handsome face with a veil (burqa’), perhaps to remain incognito or to avoid unnecessary attraction, and hence his epithet al-Mubarqa (or the Veiled). Today his shrine in the Chehel-Akhtaran locality is a site of pilgrimage.

946 solar years ago, on this day in 1072 AD, Muslim rule ended on the island of Sicily, with the surrender of the capital, Palermo to the Norman invader Robert Guiscard, although Islamic culture and Arabic language continued to linger in Sicily for over a century-and-a-half, influencing arts and sciences. The first Muslims to arrive in Sicily were Syrians in 652. In 827, the Aghlabids, the Abbasid governors of the Province of Ifriqiyya, took control of Sicily, and in 902, Taormina, the last Byzantine stronghold on the island surrendered to the Muslims. In 909 the Aghlabids were overthrown by the popular Ismaili Shi'ite Muslim movement that established the Fatemid Dynasty in North Africa. Sicily passed into Fatemid hands, and Taormina was renamed "al-Mu'ezziya" in honour of the Fatemid caliph, al-Mu'ez le-Dinillah, whose famous Greek Muslim general from Sicily, Jowhar as-Saqali, went on to take control of Egypt from the Abbasid caliphate, and build the city of Cairo as the new capital of the Fatemids. After the fall of the last Muslim enclave on Sicily to the Normans in 1078 Guiscard’s son, Count Roger I, kept the Arab administration intact and had Muslims among his advisers and court scholars, including the famous geographer, Seyyed Mohammad al-Idrisi al-Hassani – a descendant of Imam Hasan Mojtba (AS), the elder grandson of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Muslim influence and Arabic language continued in Sicily till 1240s when the last of the Muslims were deported from the island and mosques turned into churches.

924 solar years ago, on this day in 1094 AD, the 8th self-styled caliph of the Fatemid Ismaili Shi'ite Muslim Dynasty of Egypt-North-Africa-Syria-Hijaz, Abu Tamim Ma'ad al-Mustansir-Billah, passed away in his capital Cairo, at the age of 65, after a reign of 58 years, having succeeded his father, Abu'l-Hassan Ali az-Zahir as a 7-year boy. During the early years of his rule, his mother administered state affairs. The Iranian philosopher-poet, Hibatullah ibn Musa Mu'ayyad fi'd-Din ash-Shirazi, served him as the "da‘i" (missionary), eventually attaining the highest rank of "Bab al-Abwab" (Gate of Gateways). Son of Musa Ibn Dawoud, the chief Ismaili missionary in the Fars region of Iran, he was the main ideologue and was also in charge of the "Dar al-Ilm" (House of Knowledge) in Cairo, where missionaries from both inside and outside the Fatemid Empire were trained. In the last twenty years of his reign, following the death of Mu'ayyad Shirazi in 1078, the caliph's Grand Vizier and head of the armed forces, the Armenian Muslim, Badr al-Jamali, became the supreme temporal authority, and succeeded in taming the turbulent Turkic Mamluks, who through constant infighting, had drained the treasury and destroyed the famous library of the Fatemids, scattering precious books and even using them to light fires. Many Iranians served in various capacities in the Fatemid court in Cairo, including the Arabic Grammarian Ibn Babshad.

543 solar years ago, on this day in 1475 AD, in the Battle of Vaslui (also known as the Battle of Racova), Stephen III of Moldavia in alliance with other Christian powers, inflicted a defeat on Suleiman Pasha, the Ottoman Governor of Rumelia, in what is now Romania. The defeat angered Sultan Mohammad II, the Conqueror of Constantinople, who resolved to personally lead the next campaign, while it brought Stephen the title "Athleta Christi" (Champion of Christ) from Pope Sixtus IV. The cause of the battle was the refusal of the Moldovan ruler, who was initially a vassal of the Ottomans, to hand over some of the liberated territories to the Turks, in addition to Stephen's ambition to seize the principality of Radu Beg or Radu the Handsome, the Muslim brother of the notorious Dracula. The Ottomans were also distracted by the growing power of the Aq Qoyunlu leader, Uzun Hassan, on their east (in Anatolia, Iraq and Iran), and viewed it as a more serious threat to them than any army the Christians of Europe could muster. Thus, Sultan Mohammad's ultimatum to Stephen to forfeit Chilia, to abolish his aggressive policy in Wallachia, and to come to Constantinople with his delayed homage, brought no results. In 1484, however, his son and successor, Bayezid II avenged the defeat by conquering all of Chilia and leaving Moldova landlocked.

365 solar years ago, on this day in 1653 AD, the world’s first newspaper, named "Gazeta", was published in Venice, Italy. Since the price of each copy was one Gazeta, the Venetian currency, the daily was given the same name, which was later used for papers published in other countries. In English it became "Gazette."

348 lunar years ago, on this day in 1091 AH, the prominent Iranian Islamic Gnostic, jurisprudent, philosopher, and Hadith Authority, Mullah Mohsin Mohammad Fayz Kashani passed away in his hometown Kashan at the age of 84. He began his education under his father, Shah Morteza, who possessed a rich library. At the age of twenty he went to Isfahan to pursue his studies, but after about a year moved to Shiraz to study Hadith and jurisprudence with Seyyed Majed Bahrani, on whose death he returned to Isfahan where he joined the circle of the great scholar Shaikh Baha od-Din Ameli, and attended the lectures of the famous Mir Baqer Damad on philosophy. At the age of 23, he departed for Mecca and after performing the Hajj, remained there in order to study Hadith with the Lebanese scholar, Mohammad bin Hassan bin Zayn od-Din Ameli (grandson of the Second Martyr). On his return to Iran, he studied for 8 years with the philosopher, Mullah Sadra Shirazi, whose daughter he married. He later served as Friday Prayer Leader of the Safavid capital, Isfahan, and towards the end of his 82-year fruitful life, returned to his hometown Kashan where he passed away. Fayz Kashani was a prolific writer in both Persian and Arabic, with more than a hundred and twenty books and treatises to his credit. His widely-read works include “Mahjat-al-Bayza”, “Ayn al-Yaqin”, “Tafsir Safi” (exegesis of holy Qur’an), “Abwab-ol-Jenan” and “al-Waafi” – which is a commentary of the famous “Osoul Kafi” of Allamah Kulayni. In addition to composing excellent Persian poetry, he wrote “Safinat-an-Nejaat” on astronomy and an exposition of the “Sahifat-as-Sajjadiyya” or collection of supplications of Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS)

194 solar years ago, on this day in 1824 AD, cement was made for the first time by the English chemist, Joseph Aspdin, and in this manner a major development took place in the construction and development fields.

177 lunar years ago, on this day in 1262 AH, prominent Islamic scholar, Sheikh Mohammad Taqi Razi “Aqa Najafi”, was born in Isfahan. After preliminary studies under his father, he left for Iraq to study at the famous seminary of holy Najaf, where he attended the classes of prominent ulema, such as Mirza Mohammad Hassan Shirazi and Sheikh Mahdi Kashef ul-Gheta. He attained the status of Ijtehad, and on returning to Isfahan, became a Source of Emulation, a factor that made the British colonialists and their local agents in Iran, greatly fear him. Aqa Najafi was considered as one of the activists of the Tobacco Movement that forced Naser od-Din Shah Qajar to cancel the one-sided contract with the British Talbot Company. He authored several books, including “al-Ijtehad wa’t-Taqlid”, and “Asraar al-Aayaat”.

98 solar years ago, on this day in 1920 AD, The League of Nations started its work in Geneva, Switzerland, following its formation after World War I on the basis of a 16-article charter. Initially, the newly formed Soviet Union did not join it, while France and Britain only supported it from outside. The charter of The League called on member states to build relations on mutual respect toward each other, and to take measures against violation of their independence and territorial integrity. Punishments were also specified for member states violating the charter, but the inability of the League to practically implement its decisions was the main problem and the main reason behind its dissolution. This was the main factor that made major European powers such as Germany and Italy to ignore this body during the years leading to World War II, after which the United Nations replaced The League of Nations in April 1946, but also inherited some of the structural problems of its predecessor.

55 solar years ago, on this day in 1963 AD, the electronic watch was invented by two Swiss industrialists, Solvil and Titus, after twelve years of hard work, by joining hundreds of precise tools. In such a watch, the electrons automatically move the hour and minute hands, without the need to wind or rewind it.

46 solar years ago, on this day in 1972 AD, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returned to newly independent Bangladesh as president after spending over nine months in prison in Pakistan. As a Bengali Muslim activist, he spear-headed the campaign for independence of East Pakistan from the domination of West Pakistan, which lay over a thousand miles away across the vast expanse of India. Mujib, as leader of the Awami Party, won the 1970 general elections, but was deprived from becoming prime minister of the whole of Pakistan by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who demanded that his People’s Party be included in the government. Talks failed and the demand for independence intensified, resulting in a brutal crackdown in East Pakistan by military ruler, President Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan. Mujib was arrested and taken to West Pakistan as political prisoner. Pakistan’s defeat by India in the December 1971 war resulted in the collapse of Yahya Khan’s government in the wake of the surrender of East Pakistan to the Indian military and its emergence as independent Bangladesh. Mujib was released and returned home via London and New Delhi as Bangabandhu (Father of the Nation). During Mujib’s tenure as leader, Muslim religious leaders and politicians in Bangladesh intensely criticized his adoption of state secularism. He alienated nationalists and those in the military who feared Bangladesh would become too dependent upon India. They worried about becoming a satellite state by taking extensive aid from the Indian government and allying with that country on many foreign and regional affairs. Mujib's imposition of one-party rule and suppression of political opposition also alienated large segments of the population. On August 15, 1975, a group of army officers invaded the presidential residence with tanks, killed Mujib and overthrew his government for what they perceived as treachery. His daughter Sheikh Hasina Wajed who was visiting West Germany, survived. She is the current head of state of Bangladesh.

36 solar years ago, on this day in 1982 AD, parliament member, Seyyed Mohammad Khamenei, survived an assassination attempt by the MKO terrorists as part of their campaign to eliminate the leading figures of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Seyyed Mohammad, the brother of the then president and current leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, was on his way to the Majlis (parliament) when he was targeted.

17 solar years ago, on this day in 2001 AD, Lebanon’s prominent religious leader, Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammad Mahdi Shams od-Din, passed away in Beirut at the age of 65. Born in the holy city of Najaf, in Iraq, where his scholarly father, Sheikh Abdul-Karim, was engaged in seminary studies, Mohammad Mahdi became an accomplished scholar after years of study under such leading ulema as Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohsin al-Hakeem and Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Abu’l-Qassem Kho’i. He was active in social spheres as well and helped his famous Iraqi colleague, Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Baqer as-Sadr, establish the Islamic party “Hizb ad-Da’wa”. For years he was editor of al-Adwa journal, before moving to his homeland permanently at the age of 36 to serve the downtrodden people of Lebanon. In 1975, he became deputy to Imam Seyyed Musa Sadr, the Chairman of the Supreme Islamic Shi’a Council of Lebanon. From early 1979 onwards until his death 22 years later, he practically discharged the duties of the Council’s Chairman following the abduction and subsequent martyrdom of Imam Musa Sadr in Libya by Mo’ammar Qadhafi. He authored several books including “Ansar al-Husain” or “Companions of Imam Husain martyred in Karbala”, and “Thawrat al-Husain fi’l-Wujdan ash-Sha’bi”, which means “The Revolution of Imam Husain and its Impact on the Consciousness of Society”.

7 solar years ago, on this day in 2011 AD, Iran's intelligence services announced the arrest of culprits who carried out the assassination a year earlier of nuclear physicist Masoud Ali Mohammadi, in a months-long covert operation that also led them to penetrate the notorious Mossad spy agency of the illegal Zionist entity.

One solar year ago, on this day in 2017 AD, Iranian academic and educationist, Dr. Ali Shariatmadari, passed away at the age of 93. Born in Shiraz, he graduated in Law from University of Tehran in 1951 and went on to complete his higher education in the US, gaining an MA in Secondary School Education at the University of Michigan in 1957. His PhD, awarded in 1959 by the University of Tennessee, concerned philosophy of education and curriculum planning. On his return to Iran, while serving as an academic at Shiraz University, he spent four months in solitary confinement as a result of supporting a student demonstration against French oppression in Algeria. On victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, he served as Minister for Higher Education in the interim government. Subsequently, he was tasked with training professors, selecting students, and Islamizing universities and their curricula. He was President of the Iranian Academy of Sciences from 1990 until 1998. He was also a Professor of Education at the Teacher Training University in Tehran and a member of High Council of the Cultural Revolution from 1982 until his death.

AS/ME