The Black Stone is broken into a number of fragments, with varying accounts putting the number at between seven and fifteen, held together by a silver frame. There are differing accounts of how the damage occurred. According to the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, the damage occurred during a siege in 638. The editors of Time-Life Books state that the damage occurred during a siege launched by a general of the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik (646-705). Other sources, including the 2007 Britannica, state that the damage occurred as the result of a theft in 930 CE, when Qarmatian warriors sacked Mecca and carried the Black Stone away to their base in Ahsa, in medieval Bahrain. According to the historian Al-Juwayni, the Stone was returned twenty-two years later, in 951, under somewhat mysterious circumstances; wrapped in a sack, it was thrown into the Friday Mosque of Kufa accompanied by a note saying “By command we took it, and by command we have brought it back.” Its abduction and removal caused further damage, breaking the stone into seven pieces.

The Black Stone has been described variously as basalt lava, an agate, a piece of natural glass or most popularly a stony meteorite. A significant clue to its nature is provided by an account of the Stone’s recovery in 951 AD after it had been stolen 21 years earlier; according to a chronicler, the Stone was identified by its ability to float in water. If this account is accurate, it would rule out the Black Stone being an agate, basalt lava or stony meteorite, though it would be compatible with it being glass or pumice.

It has been suggested that the Black Stone may be a glass fragment from the impact of a fragmented meteorite some 6,000 years ago at Wabar, a site in the Rub’ al Khali desert some 1,100 km east of Mecca. The craters at Wabar are notable for the presence of blocks of silica glass, fused by the heat of the impact and impregnated by beads of nickel-iron alloy from the meteorite (most of which was destroyed in the impact). Some of the glass blocks are made of shiny black glass with a white or yellow interior and gas-filled hollows, which allow them to float on water. Although scientists did not become aware of the Wabar craters until 1932, they were located near a caravan route from Oman and were very likely known to the inhabitants of the desert. The wider area was certainly well-known; in ancient Arabic poetry, Wabar or Ubar (also known as “Iram of the Pillars” was the site of a fabulous city that was destroyed by fire from the heavens because of the wickedness of its king. If the estimated age of the crater is accurate, it would have been well within the period of human habitation in Arabia and the impact itself may have been witnessed. However, a recent (2004) scientific analysis of the Wabar site suggests that the impact event happened much more recently than first thought and might have occurred only within the last 200–300 years.

Millions of Iranian activists want Iran/Persia to return to the people and descendants of ancient Persia likened to its status of a kingdom amongst its peoples.

Armen Saginian, is an Iranian activist and is one of the leaders of the Iranian people’s revolution which, includes ex-Savak agents (Iranian National Intelligence and Security Organization agents) and other influential Iranians inside and outside of Iran.

Armen Saginian is also the Executive Director and founder of New Horizons, and is the author of the book, “Mission for Mohammed and Islam “. He made an exclusive news-breaking announcement of the Iranian People’s ‘declaration of war’ against the Ahmadinejad government, whom they say, illegally crowned himself the winner of the Iranian national elections held last June of 2009. The Center for Inquiry-West is pleased to announce the creation of an Iranian outreach program. New Horizons aims to promote the ideals of secularism, democracy, and rational inquiry to people of Iranian origin in Southern California and ultimately, throughout the world.

There are nearly one million people of Iranian origin in the Greater Los Angeles area. Many are refugees from the repressive Islamic regime in Iran. The new project–sponsored by the Council for Secular Humanism is run by volunteer Armen Saginian from the Los Angeles offices of the Center for Inquiry-West.

On December 10, 2003, in her acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize, Shirin Ebadi evoked Cyrus, saying:  “I am an Iranian, a descendant of Cyrus the Great. This emperor proclaimed at the pinnacle of power 2,500 years ago that he ‘would not reign over the people if they did not wish it.’ He promised not to force any person to change his religion and faith and guaranteed freedom for all. The Charter of Cyrus the Great should be studied in the history of human rights.”

The Persian domination and kingdom in the Iranian plateau started by an extension of the Achaemenid dynasty, who expanded their earlier domination possibly from the 9th century BC onward. The eponymous founder of this dynasty was Achaemenes (from Old Persian Haxāmaniš). Achaemenids are “descendants of Achaemenes” as Darius the Great, the ninth king of the dynasty, traces his genealogy to him and declares “for this reason we are called Achaemenids”.

Bedouin in the area of Rahat, northwest of Be’er Sheva, have threatened the life of a neighboring sheikh and set his house on fire following his recent meeting to reinforce ties with Jews and Judaism that are part of his ancestry.
Sheikh Salem al-Huzeil maintains that most his tribal ancestors were Jewish until they were forced to convert during the Muslim conquest approximately 1,300 years ago. Hundreds of Bedouin and Arabs families in neighboring villages are known to practice certain Jewish customs, such as lighting candles Friday night, evidence of their Jewish roots.

Bedouin enemies have reacted violently to his efforts to maintain friendly relations with the Jewish community and to demonstrate for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. Posters recently have been distributed calling for the death of Sheikh al-Huzeil, although he has said that his tribe has no intentions of converting to Judaism. Several members of his family suffered severe burns after Bedouin opponents set his house on fire.

The Islamic Movement in the south does not want good relations with Jews,” noted Rabbi Dov Stein, who as among those who met with the Sheikh. Rabbi Stein has urged Defense Minister Ehud Barak to investigate the threats and calls for incitement. The movement’s northern branch is headed by Sheikh Raad Salah, who has been convicted several times for incitement,