A policeman inspects the scene in a mosque in the Dutch village of Helden, where a fire broke out Nov 13. (AFP Photo)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, Nov. 14--A mosque in southeastern Netherlands was destroyed by fire Saturday in what appeared to be the latest suspected attack against an Islamic site since the killing of a Dutch filmmaker critical of Islamic fundamentalism.
Theo van Gogh was shot Nov. 2 while riding his bicycle in Amsterdam, then was stabbed by a suspected Muslim extremist, AP reported.
There have been more than 20 fires or incidents of vandalism at Muslim buildings and a handful of retaliatory attacks on Christian churches since the murder of van Gogh, who earlier this year released a film critical of Islam's treatment of women. Van Gogh was a distant relative of the painter Vincent van Gogh.
As in earlier attacks, there were no injuries when flames engulfed the Helden Islamic Mosque Foundation in the southern province of Limburg early Saturday, police spokesman Peter Raaij said. Police investigators suspect arson.
The mosque's three prayer-rooms, which would have been full minutes later for a service marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, were "completely destroyed and are now worthless," said Mohamed elAmriti, chairman of the Muslim foundation.
"We are all shocked and everyone is very emotional," elAmriti said.
"We have cautioned everyone to remain calm, especially the youth."
An alternative site was made available to the village's Muslim community.
The fire started at about 6 a.m. in the mosque, where about 50-60 Muslims gather for daily prayers.
Last week, two Islamic elementary schools in the south were targeted. In Eindhoven, a firebomb blew the front doors off a school, shattering windows across the street. In Uden, a school was seriously damaged by fire that ripped through several classrooms.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei leading the Eid ul-Fitr prayers at Tehran's Prayerground, Nov. 14 (IRNA Photo)

TEHRAN, Nov. 14--Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei here Sunday hailed the Iranian nation for showing a strong presence in Qods Day rallies and said Israeli atrocities are signs of an "undeclared war" that the arrogant world power has launched against Islam.
"These rallies will surely have a deep impact on the world's political arena as well as the struggles against the world arrogant power (a reference to the US)," Ayatollah Khamenei said in a sermon at Eid ul-Fitr prayers, IRNA reported.
Referring to the atrocities of the Zionist Israeli regime against the Palestinians and the suppression of Iraqis by US troops, the leader said the resistance of Palestinians against the joint crimes of the US and the Zionist regime symbolizes the resistance of the Muslim Ummah against the excessive demands of the enemies of Islam.
Ayatollah Khamenei underscored the importance of the next year's presidential elections in Iran and called for efforts to encourage a massive public turnout at the polls. He stressed that people favor a president who has the required abilities and qualities to promote the Islamic Republic and solve the society's problems.
Meanwhile, the leader also addressed a group of officials and people from various walks of life here Sunday on the occasion of Eid ul-Fitr, the Muslim feast held at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the Muslim world should realize that it can regain its immense power and withstand the tyranny of enemies by relying on its capabilities and moving in line with the injunctions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Speaking at the gathering prior to the leader, President Mohammad Khatami said Iran seeks authority and independence not for aggression, but for peace, kindness and establishment of a society based on faith, wisdom, technology, progress, justice and recognition of public rights to decide their fate.

TEHRAN, Nov. 14--Society for Defending Rights of Prisoners in a letter to Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi called for the speedy examination of the conditions of political and non-political prisoners, the society's spokeswoman, Farideh Gheirat, told ISNA on Sunday.
"The society has sent a letter to the judiciary chief who has good intentions about the people currently imprisoned for political or non-political reasons. It has mentioned certain points about webloggers and members of the Nationalist-Religious Group not going on leave and not using their rights," she said.
Gheirat stressed that issues related to the original defense of prisoners and the presence of defense attorneys in courtrooms have been underlined in the letter.
"The letter criticizes the conditions of webloggers in particular and the prolongation of their temporary detention. Part of the missive also underscores the freedom of four jailed webloggers, namely Derayati, Mazrouie, Qoreishi and Vatanikhah. The glad tiding is that we have already witnessed good results about this part of the letter," she said.

Economists have issued a strong reminder that the government should get its political act together to solve the economic problems.
Rising tensions over Iran's nuclear activities in international circles have spurred economists to openly recommend that politicians should refrain from isolating the country on the global scene.
A group of distinguished economists recently issued a statement linking some of the national economic problems to Iran's isolation on the international scene. They stressed that economic objectives can be met effectively if it were to enhance its political interactions worldwide.
These experts pointed out that currently the financial and technological links of Iran's economic agencies with the outside world are inadequate.
"Some believe that the more the country is isolated on the global scene, the greater will be the spirit of creativity and innovation. Therefore, these people believe confronting the rest of the world is the sine qua non for technological growth," the statement noted.
President of Iran's Industry and Mines House Hadi Ghanimifar maintains that Iran should improve its relations with the outside world.
"To improve economic conditions, we must increasingly work to improve our relations with the rest of the world. If we want to experience economic development, gain access to technological advances and find markets for Iranian goods, we must first resolve our political problems. This will pave the way for economic betterment," he said.
Ghanimifar explained that the slogan of "Neither East Nor West" does not necessarily imply that Iran should not have sound relations with other countries or that we should ignore technological advances.
"The slogan implies that Iran should not be influenced by Eastern or Western schools of thought in its decisions," he said.
He further said international experts attach credence to two postulates for improving the domestic conditions of countries.
"The first postulate suggests that the backbone of all global affairs is the state of economy. The other postulate maintains that political development is the backbone of all global affairs. I believe President Mohammad Khatami's administration advocated the second postulate, but could not achieve favorable results," he said.
The official underscored that in order to improve economic conditions, all political barriers should be removed by interacting more effectively with the rest of the world.
"In the past 25 years, the Iranian economy has not progressed meaningfully because political issues have been mixed up with economic issues. Political problems have forced us to meet our industrial requirements from middlemen instead of major producers," he said.
Referring to political obstacles hindering Iran's membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO), he said, "The non-membership of Iran in WTO is responsible for our products being subjected to a 45-percent import tariff rate in Central Asia. This is while Turkey, which is our rival, is subjected to a 7-percent tariff in the same market."
Ghanimifar maintained that Iran is industrially backward because of two reasons: lack of latest know-how about global technological advances and absence of sound political bonds with other countries.
"Iran has managed to make the best of the pressures exerted on it at different junctures, such as during the Iraq-imposed war (1980-88). For example, when the pressure was on us during the war years, we managed to produce airplane and helicopter spare parts. But the point is that we must focus on political and economic development at times of peace and not when the situation is critical," he said.
Ghanimifar said Iranian products do not have a good market overseas mainly because of the country's poor political relations with other countries.
A member of Iranian Society of Exporters and an economist, Hossein Vakili, declared that certain sanctions are practically invisible.
"Legally speaking, we are authorized to gain access to certain technological advances, but powerful countries block this access by making different interpretations and in an unofficial manner," he said. He said states that can establish good political bonds with other countries are also successful economically.
The economist opined that the root-cause of Iranian economic problems is the way its political ties with the outside world are regulated.
He said diplomatic missions should make efforts to improve Iran's global status.
"Currently, we have established economic bonds with other countries through third parties which mostly benefit them," he said.
Vakili also believed that Iranian exporters are not successful in the international markets due to political reasons.
"We should not pursue policies in an intermittent manner. We should try to establish sound bonds with European states, which control over half of the global market," he said.

TEHRAN, Nov. 14--Iran sounded out Muslim nations Saturday over threats to their security orchestrated by Israel and the United States.
Speaking at a banquet for Muslim diplomats, Intelligence Minister Ali Younesi said, "Today, the security of Muslim countries in the region is being threatened by blind terrorism, Israel and America," IRNA reported.
He stressed that the diplomatic and security apparatus of Muslim countries now need cooperation more than at any other time. "The threat of religious and sectarian wars is no less than terrorism and we all know well that the origin of these conspiracies lies with the intelligence services of America, Britain and Israel," he said.
Younesi said his ministry identified many agents and aborted their plots, adding that Iran's intelligence service has not let the country become a haven for terrorist groups affiliated to Al-Qaeda.
Late in August, the minister said Iran's intelligence services had arrested dozens for spying on the country's nuclear program.
"The Intelligence Ministry, thanks to its enormous experience, is now able to fight an intelligence battle against the most powerful security establishments of the world. And we believe we can win most of those battles," he said.
The minister cited some of his ministry's achievements, including helping Iran steer clear from some of the major showdowns, similar to what has befallen Iraq and Afghanistan.
"If the Islamic Republic had not acted wisely, the crisis which occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan could have unfolded in our country," he said.
Younesi then recounted some of the Intelligence Ministry's operations against the terrorist Mujahideen Khalq Organization which has been involved in many criminal campaigns against Iran over the past 25 years, targeting many officials and civilians.

PARIS, Nov. 14--Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat could have been poisoned, Leila Shahid, the Palestinian representative in France, said Sunday on the French radio Europe 1.
"It is quite possible that he was poisoned because they (the Israelis) have poisoned others. I cannot tell you that, medically, we have any proof," she said, AFP reported.
"The doctors did not deny it. There are no proofs of particular toxins but there are toxins that one does not find in the bodies of sick people."
The delegate emphasized that for Palestinians the hypothesis that Arafat was poisoned "is not just a rumor.
"It is a deeply held, very logical conviction. The Israelis have tried to get rid of Yasser Arafat since (Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon came to power."
She pointed out that "still today, there has been no diagnosis. The doctors have only confirmed what they saw, the symptoms. Medical tests cannot reveal everything."
But she said there was "absolutely no question" of asking for another medical communiquŽ.
"The file has been handed over to his family and we respect French law" on patient confidentiality, she said, but added "I won't tell you what we will ask his wife."
Under French law, medical details are only communicated to relatives, who can decide whether to make them public. Nasser Al-Qidwa, Arafat's nephew and Palestinian representative at the United Nations, told a Turkish newspaper Saturday that poisoning "is our biggest suspicion".
"If it were a normal death, it would have been possible to put a diagnosis so far," he told the daily Vatan.
Arafat's personal physician, Ashraf Al-Kurdi, has called for an inquiry.