Tehran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stressed Monday that the offensive policies of the United States and Israel, as well as the leaders of international arrogance, were the ones behind the disgraceful offense against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
Iranian media reported that following two days of protests against the amateur film, which was distributed by the Christian extremist pastor Terry Jones, Ayatollah Khamenei issued a statement.
He referred to the distribution of the film as “an odious and maddening action,” adding: “The hostile policies of Zionism, the United States and the head of world arrogance are behind this evil move.”
The Iranian leader went on to add that if those countries had not supported “Salman Rushdie, the Dutch cartoonist and the American pastors who burn the Quran, [today] we would have reached this great and unforgiveable sin.”
The 1988 Salman Rushdie novel, The Satanic Verses, was heavily criticized by Muslims, and the late leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini, called for the writer’s death for blasphemy.
In 2005, Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard created a controversial cartoon of the prophet Mohammad that stoked violent reactions in the Muslim world.
Terry Jones, the pastor of a small fundamentalist Christian church in Florida, burned copies of the Quran in April 2012, for which he was fined $271 dollars by the US government for burning books without authorization.
Ayatollah Khamenei says in his statement: “If American politicians are honest in saying that they were not involved in this, they should punish the perpetrators and supporters of this heinous crime with an appropriate penalty.”
In his statement Khamenei addressed Muslims, Honorable people of Iran, great Islamic Ummah, the wicked enemies of Islam have once again revealed their deep malice by insulting the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) and in an idiotic and disgusting move, they showed that evil Zionist groups are furious at the increasing brilliance of Islam and the Holy Quran in the world today.
The fact that they have made the holiest person in all of creation the target of their disgusting nonsense is enough to disgrace those who have committed this great crime and sin.
What lies behind this wicked move is the hostile policies of Zionism, America and other leaders of the arrogant powers, who are vainly trying to make young generations in the Islamic world lose respect for what is held sacred and to extinguish their religious sentiments.
The number one culprit in this crime is Zionism and the American government. If American politicians are sincere that they are not involved, they should duly punish the perpetrators and the financial backers of this hideous crime, who have filled the hearts of Muslim people with pain.
And our Muslim brothers and sisters throughout the world should know that these futile and desperate moves by the enemies against the Islamic Awakening are a sign of the greatness and importance of this uprising and a sign of its increasing growth.
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