Uthman Jah Manager of Taqrib Islamic Center in Gambia said Thursday that the world Zionism tries to create discord among Muslims through evil plots and that the enemies in and out of the region have targeted the unity of Islamic countries.

He told IRIB on the sidelines of a conference on Islamic unity in Tehran Wednesday that Islamic nations should foil the enemies’ plots for creation of discord among Muslims.

“The world Zionism through media support tries to create discord among Muslims and we should foil the plots,” Uthman Jah added.

Also Lebanese professor Sameer Suleiman pointed to the Islamic resistance in Palestine and Lebanon and said the Islamic resistance applies new patterns against the enemies and the meaning of resistance against occupiers emerges through Muslim unity.

Lina Hamsi, a Syrian university professor said that America and its allies seek to annihilate Islam.

“They fear that Islam would revive and reconstruct its previous civilization,” she added.

She said that the western countries by creating discord among Shiis and Sunnis try to plunder the oil and energy of the Islamic countries.

Minister of Culture and the Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hosseini will address the closing ceremony of the 23rd International Unity Conference to be wrapped up in Tehran on Thursday evening.

The conference opened in Tehran on the theme of “Islamic Ummah from Variation of Religions to Sectarianism” on March 2.

Almost 500 scholars from various religions in the country as well as 150 scholars from 48 world states have taken part in the international event.

The countries include France, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Syria, Tunisia, India, China, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Turkey, Qatar, UAE, Lebanon, UK, Indonesia, Afghanistan, US, Sudan, Algeria, Gambia, Egypt, Greece, Sweden, Iraq and Kuwait.

The conference seeks to prepare grounds for solidarity and union in the Islamic world, to create opportunity for exchange of views between the Muslim intellectuals, and to review Muslims’ problems and find solutions for them.

The celebrations featuring the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is also to be held during the two-day unity conference.

The Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, says his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has plans to visit Iran in future.

President Ahmadinejad made the remarks after returning home from a five-day tour which took him to five African and South American countries including Brazil.

Describing the whole tour as successful, the Iranian President added that “We had great talks with Brazilian officials. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is scheduled to visit Iran.”

“The development of ties between Iran and Brazil will influence our relations with Latin America,” he explained.

The Iranian chief executive began his tour of Gambia, Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela and Senegal on Sunday, just days after Israeli president Shimon Peres completed a tour to Latin America aimed at rallying support against Tehran.

However, the Israeli president’s visit to Brazil and Argentina, home to the largest Jewish communities, led to angry demonstrations against the trip in both Latin American countries.

Iran’s close ties with Latin America and particularly Brazil are a cause of major concern both to Israel and its staunch ally, the US.

Ahmadinejad’s visit to Latin American and African countries comes also as Washington moves to prepare a new slate of sanctions against Iran over the country’s nuclear issue.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has thrown his weight behind Iran’s efforts to develop a nuclear program aimed at peaceful purposes in September’s UN gathering in New York.

During his stay in Brazil, Peres also met with the Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim who is considered to be one of the strongest men in the Brazilian government.

However, the Israeli leader’s efforts to overshadow Ahmadinejad’s upcoming visit seemed to be in vain as Jobim later asserted that Brazilian authorities would hold talks with whomever they pleased.

Jobim said that no one had the right to dictate to Brazil who to talk to or not, pointing out that the decision was entirely up to the Brazilian government.

Ahmadinejad was greeted by First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, foreign policy adviser to Iran’s Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Ali-Akbar Velayati, and several ministers and members of Parliament upon his arrival in Tehran on Friday morning.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ended his tour of Latin American countries, leaving Venezuela for Senegal in western Africa.

At the end of his South American tour, Ahmadinejad reiterated that Iran and Venezuela would remain united against US “imperialism”.

“Today the people of Venezuela and Iran, friends and brothers in the trench warfare against imperialism, are resisting,” he said, adding they will “stand together until the end”.

Iran and Venezuela signed twelve cooperation agreements in housing, agriculture, fisheries, transportation, energy, environment, tourism and education.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez saw his Iranian counterpart off on Wednesday.

Ahmadinejad began on Sunday a tour of African and South American countries, which took him first to the western African country of Gambia and then to Brazil, Bolivia and Venezuela in South America.

He arrived in Brasilia on Monday with the goal of strengthening ties, which resulted in the signing of eight agreements between the two countries.

During his visit, President Ahmadinejad also garnered Brazil’s support for Iran’s nuclear program.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva backed Iran’s “use of peaceful nuclear energy, in full respect of international accords” and called for a “just solution” to the nuclear dispute.

The next leg of the tour took President Ahmadinejad to Bolivia, where two memoranda of understanding were signed by the two countries.

Senegal will be the last leg of President Ahmadinejad’s Africa-Latin America tour.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has arrived in Caracas on the fourth leg of his official visit to Latin American and African countries.

Ahmadinejad will attend an official welcome ceremony with his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez on Wednesday.

The Iranian and Venezuelan presidents, two outspoken critics of Washington and Tel Aviv policies, will hold talks aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro welcomed Ahmadinejad at Simon Bolivar airport in Caracas.

“We have a solid foundation, a solid base that we have created over this decade in our relationship, and it shows how false are the attacks of the world empire,” Maduro said Monday.

Before arriving in the Venezuelan capital, the Iranian president paid visits to Gambia, Brazil and Bolivia.

Iran and Venezuela maintain friendly ties in various areas including economic, trading, energy and industrial fields.

Other than Venezuela, the Islamic Republic of Iran enjoys growing relations with other Latin American countries namely Brazil, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Ahmadinejad’s visit to Latin American and African countries comes as Washington moves to prepare a new slate of sanctions against Iran over the country’s nuclear issue.

Negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program led to a major breakthrough when the UN nuclear watchdog proposed that Iran should send most of its domestically produced low-enriched uranium (LEU) abroad in exchange for metal fuel rods for its Tehran medical research reactor.

Iran has officially announced that it will accept the basics of the proposal but has sought certain modifications to the offer, saying the country’s enriched uranium supply will not be sent out of its borders due to the lack of confidence in the West.

The Islamic Republic says a guaranteed supply of fuel for the Tehran research reactor is the country’s major concern.

Iran says as both sides of the deal have their stockpiles ready, there is no problem with the simultaneous exchange of Tehran’s LEU with the 20 percent-enriched uranium inside the Iranian territory.

Iran and Brazil signed eight cooperation deals in Brasilia on Monday after talks between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

On the second leg of his five-nation tour of South America and Africa, Ahmadinejad arrived in Brazil on Monday with the goal of strengthening ties between the two countries.

The new deals will pave the way for Iran and Brazil to enhance their cooperation in the areas of commerce, energy, and agricultural research and to lift the visa regime between the two countries.

After Ahmadinejad’s arrival, the Brazilian president expressed support for Iran’s right to access peaceful nuclear energy and called for a “just solution” to be found in the dispute between Iran and the West over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

Lula stated that Brazil backed Iran’s plans to make use of “peaceful nuclear energy, in full respect of international accords.”

He also advised Iran to “continue contacts with interested countries to find a just solution to the nuclear issue.”

Brazil has repeatedly voiced its support for Iran’s nuclear program and has always opposed calls to impose sanctions on the country.

Ahmadinejad was in Gambia on Sunday.

After his one-day visit to Brazil, the Iranian president will travel to Venezuela, Bolivia, and Senegal.

Iran’s president embarks on a tour of Latin America after his stay in Gambia ends with promises of new economic cooperation between Tehran and Banjul.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who arrived in Gambia on Sunday to begin the first leg of a combined tour of Africa and South America, left Banjul for Brasilia on the following day after meeting with his Gambian counterpart Al-haji Yahya Jammeh.

In comments that were made after talks with the Gambian president, Ahmadinejad said that Tehran and Banjul enjoyed “cordial” relations that still had room for further expansion.

He added that Iran was series about promoting economic and political ties with the African state.

He pointed out that several significant agreements were reached in talks with the Gambian president.

Ahmadinejad said the agreements could pave the way for Iranian investment in Gambia’s industrial and agricultural sectors.

Other than a visit to Brazil, Ahmadinejad’s five-day tour of South America will include trips to Venezuela and Bolivia.

On his way back from the three Latin states he will also stop in Senegal for a short visit.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has arrived in the Gambian capital Banjul for a one-day visit to the West African country.

He was welcomed by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh at Banjul International Airport on Sunday.

The two presidents spoke to reporters after their meeting.

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh said that Gambia and Iran have broadened their relations in recent years in the political, cultural, and economic spheres.

President Jammeh noted that Gambia is considering joint investments with Iran in the industrial and agricultural sectors.

Iran has also welcomed the expansion of ties with Gambia in various areas, he added.

President Ahmadinejad told reporters that Iran and Gambia are determined to broaden their relations in all areas.

Iran and Gambia have agreed to make joint investments in the industrial and agricultural sectors, he added.

And both countries believe that the world should move towards the materialization of justice, he stated.

President Ahmadinejad also said that President Jammeh is determined to expedite Gambia’s development and the Iranian government feels duty-bound to help his government and nation achieve their goals.

In May 2006, Ahmadinejad visited Gambia when he was invited to the African Union summit.

Ahmadinejad left Tehran on Sunday for a five-day tour of African and South American states.

Before boarding his flight, the Iranian president told reporters that the countries on his itinerary have the ability to establish a new world order.

Iran’s President is scheduled to begin his tour to five countries in Africa and South America on Sunday days after the Israeli president ended a tour aimed at rallying support against Tehran.

“Iranian President (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) will visit Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Senegal and Gambia,” IRINN reported on Sunday.

“Ahmadinejad is slated to visit Gambia in the first leg of his five-day trip,” it added.

He will then visit Brazil on the second day. Bolivia, Venezuela and Senegal will be the next targets.

Ahmadinejad’s tour is aimed at boosting political and economic ties with the five African and South American countries.

Israeli President Shimon Peres’s week-long visit to Brazil and Argentina, the first trip to the countries after 40 and 20 years respectively, comes amid Iran’s amicable relationship with Latin American countries.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has thrown his weight behind Iran’s efforts to develop a nuclear program aimed at peaceful purposes in September’s UN gathering in New York.

Iran’s close ties with Latin America and particularly Brazil, the fifth largest country, has been a cause of major concern both for Israel and its staunch ally, the US.

A day after Iran’s ambassador to Brazil announced that Ahmadinejad and a large entourage of 110 representatives from 65 companies were to visit Brasilia early May 2009, US Secretary of State dubbed the development as “quite disturbing.”

Blaming US President Barack Obama’s predecessor for “Iran gains” in the region, the top US diplomat noted “I don’t think in today’s world, where it’s a multi-polar world, where we are competing for attention and relationships with the Russians, the Chinese, the Iranians, that it’s in our interest to turn our backs on our own hemisphere.”

The Israeli president’s visit to the two Latin American countries, home to the largest Jewish community in the region, also led to angry demonstrations against the trip.

Demonstrators denounced Tel Aviv’s deadly offensive against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip which killed more than 1400 people, a large number of them women and children.

In Argentina, protestors carried placards which read “Get out of Argentina, murderer Shimon Peres”, “Death to Zionist-fascist Israel, officer of American imperialism in the Middle East, murderers of the Palestinian people!”.

In Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Israeli President had been hailed as “Shimon Hitler”, during protests. Demonstrators carried placards showing Peres, sporting a short Hitlerian mustache standing next to an Israeli flag upon which a swastika had been drawn.