Presenter, Male #1
According to Iranian reformist websites, security forces arrested more than 50 opposition supporters, including 4 journalists, in the city of Isfahan. The arrests were made during clashes between the Iranian police and supporters of Iranian reformist leader, Mir Hossein Moussavi. According to the opposition Rahesabz website, several people were wounded in the clashes that erupted between Iranian police and protestors, gathered to mourn the death of opposition leader Grand Ayatollah Montazeri. The Iranian police used tear gas to disperse the protestors.

Reporter, Male #2
The death of senior cleric Grand Hossein Ali Montazeri sparked a new wave of violence in Iranian streets. Massive protests erupted in the region of Isfahan, particularly in the city of Najaf Abad, the birthplace of Montazeri. The protests witnessed violent clashes between security forces and supporters of the opposition. The protesters held banners and chanted slogans against the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei. Several people were wounded in the clashes of Isfahan. In response, Iranian authorities heightened security measures around the capital and surrounded the home of Jalal Deen Taheri Asfahani. Asfahani is a senior clerric who enjoys wide-scale support in the reformist movement, and is critical of Khamenei. In another development, nearly 1,000 members of the Iranian Basij Force stormed the offices of Iranian senior cleric Yusif Sanei in central Qom. They beat and insulted the employees and published articles in support of Khamenei. An assistant to the republic’s supreme leader, Khamenei, accused the opposition of stirring chaos in the country in an attempt to destabilize the Iranian regime. Mustabeid al-Noor, a senior cleric and representative of Khamenei in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, said that Montazeri who had served as Imam Khomeini’s deputy was sacked from his position over allegations of abusing his power and meddling in the country’s affairs. Deputy Chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Abdullah Iraqi, said that the countries that backed Saddam Hussein in the war against Iran are the same countries that are fueling the post-election protests, in an attempt to destabilize the Islamic regime. Meanwhile, the Council of the Cultural Revolution sacked reformist leader Mir Hossein Moussavi from his position, as President of the Iranian Arts Institute. Moussavi has presided over the institute since it was founded nearly 11 years ago. Moussavi is still serving on the board of the Iranian Expediency Council. Khalid al-Kashif, al-Arabiya.

Presenter, Man # 1
Al Arabia reporter arrived to the border area of Tayeb between Iran and Iraq, where Tehran plans to build a nuclear reactor. More details in the report by Shaker Awad.

Reporter, Man # 2
The southern Iraqi provinces, especially the ones near Iran, are facing the threat of environmental contamination. Iran plans to build a nuclear reactor near the Iraqi area that extends from Al Amara province to Basra.

Guest, Man # 3
Once again, I demand the Iraqi government and the international community…. I demand the Iraqi state, led by Prime Minister Maliki, to put an end to the Iranian intervention which threatens the lives of people in the southern provinces.

Reporter, Man # 2
The Iranian government is trying to redirect the flow of water coming from Iranian rivers towards the Amara valley in Iraq through the recently built dams. It is likely that the nuclear reactor will be built there.

Guest, Man # 4
They are building dams to stop the flow of water in the area of Al Wofod extending to Medeneh. They completely stopped the flow of water.

Reporter, Man # 2
The people of the Amara valley are concerned because their water has been cut. In addition, the animals in the area have died due to environmental pollution and it seems that no one knows who polluted the water.

Guest, Man # 5
When we drink water, we taste its bitterness. We do not know what is going on. We do not even know what is causing the illnesses here. We are really facing a difficult situation.

Reporter, Man # 2
The Iranian nuclear reactor is supposed to be built only 70 kilometers away from the Iraqi territories. If it is going to be attacked by the international community, it will cause an environmental catastrophe, similar to Chernobyl. From the Iranian Iraqi borders, Shaker Awad, Al Arabiya.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has been briefed daily on the poll showing that the Israeli public approves of the deal but he knows that once the spotlight moves to the Hamas victory celebrations and if a terror attack takes places, that pendulum will swing back with a vengeance. Defense Minister Ehud Barak spoke publicly about the talks and stated that returning Ghilad Shalit is a supreme ethical obligation.

Presenter, Female # 1
On the first anniversary of the Israeli aggression, sixteen non-governmental organizations released a report denouncing the betrayal of the Palestinian people by the international community. Even though the situation has further deteriorated because of the unjust siege that has transformed Gaza into a huge prison, the Palestinian people are still resisting.

Reporter, Male # 1
Gaza, under blockade, invites you to visit. Not for tourism or to see the sights enjoyed by many visitors before the aggression, but to witness the catastrophe left behind by the crimes of the terrorists a year ago. Sixteen human rights organizations sent out the invitation, including Amnesty International and Oxfam. The joint agency report indicated that the international community’s betrayal of the people of Gaza has been indescribable. Even though the international community denounced the massacres committed against ordinary Palestinians, it still hasn’t been able to put its words into action. The least it could do is lift the Israeli blockade affecting 1.5 million individuals living in the biggest prison. While prisoners’ basic needs are met, the Palestinian needs are not because of the occupiers’ policy of collective punishment amid international silence. Gaza, under siege, urgently needs construction material to rebuild, and the few truckloads that have been allowed to enter the enclave are simply not enough. In addition, the trucks have to go through the occupiers’ long screening process causing the supplies to go bad. The catastrophe did not only affect the infrastructure, but homes, farms, public utilities, schools and businesses need to be rebuild as well, and this requires thousands of truckloads. The Israeli blockade has been going on for 3 years and has negatively affected the lives of Gazans on a day-to-day basis: They have to live with constant cuts in the electricity; that is, when it’s available. There is a deficiency in the supply of gas and drinking water, which is 90% polluted. The actions of the occupiers have caused over 80% of Gazans to rely on international aid. There have been many calls asking to lift the blockade that resembles captivity. But they remain unheard until the international community assumes its responsibilities and exercises more pressure on the terrorist entity.

For the past six years, international efforts to boycott divest and sanction (BDS) Israel has gained momentum worldwide, and the movement in the US has played a substantial role in persuading and pressuring investors, vendors, merchants and consumers to reevaluate purchasing Israeli products and services, or American companies investing in Israel. This holiday season, BDS organizations are waging massive emailing campaigns to educate consumers.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife accompanied Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his wife on a visit to Damascus where they were briefed on the accomplished phases of the al-Tekiyah al-Sulaimaniyah Mosque reconstruction project. Al-Tekiyah al-Sulaimaniyah is a historical building constructed by Ottoman Sultan Sueleiman al-Qanuni in 1554, with a distinct Ottoman style characterized by domes and alleys, consisting of a large yard with a rectangular pool in the middle.

Presenter, Woman # 1
Islam is spreading in a poor neighborhood of the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo especially among young Brazilians of African descent. Muslim youth are using many different ways to spread Islam including Hip Hop. Our reporter Dada wild Abdullah accompanied what some call the Hip Hop Muslim preachers and prepared the following report.

Reporter, Man # 1
Hanori and Kito pray five times a day. The two converted to Islam a while ago because they saw it as the ideal solution to face the difficulties that Brazilians of African descent face in their everyday life which include mistreatment by the police, the spread of crime and drugs in their neighborhoods, and difficulties attaining equal rights. Hanori is a Hip Hop DJ and Kito is an activist advocating for the rights of mine workers. The two are members of the Hawousa movement, which aims to empower the African culture of the slaves who were brought to Brazil against their will by the Portuguese. The movement also calls for ending social injustices, and racism.

Guest, Man # 2
Brazil has the largest collection of black people outside Africa. We demand that all segments of the Brazilian population be represented, especially in important institutions like the congress and the government, responsible for the policy-making and execution. We are absent from these political institutions.

Reporter, Man # 1
Hanori and his comrades are politically marginalized, but they have a strong presence in Brazil’s poor neighborhoods and suburbs. They are seen at the Hip Hop parties they hold every week. They use the parties to educate people about Islam.

Guest, Man # 3
The youth in poor suburbs use Hip Hop to express their pain and concerns. I learned about Islam through Hip Hop and now I use it as a way to spread Islam among the youth in the suburbs.

Reporter, Man # 2
Kito and his comrades say that in order to spread Islam in poor neighborhoods like this one, they need to speak to people in their own language. They say that they follow the norms and sometimes do things that contradict Islamic traditions as a way to gain the affection and trust of the youth. Some believe that hundreds of Brazilians converted to Islam in the Sao Paulo suburbs in the past few yeas; probably thousands of others converted to Islam in Brazil in general. Many Brazilians who converted to Islam come from marginalized segments of the population. The Hip Hop Muslim preachers do not hide their desire to see Brazil become a Muslim country one day, just like their slave ancestors wanted. Their African ancestors held an Islamic revolution against the Portuguese colonizers, which at the time was known as the Male revolt.