Larijani Blames Western Spy Agencies for French Magazine’s Blasphemous Cartoon

Rasa – Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani condemned the publication of a sacrilegious cartoon by the French weekly, Charlie Hebdo, about Islam’s Prophet Muhammad (S), blaming the western spy agencies for such a provocative act.

News ID: 2018

Date: 15 January 2015 - 20:23

Addressing a gathering in the Central city of Qom, Larijani deplored Charlie Hebdo over repetition of a wrongful act, and said the intelligence services are behind such acts aimed at creating tendency for terrorism.

Also on Wednesday, the Iranian foreign ministry deplored the publication of the blasphemous cartoon by Charlie Hebdo, describing it as a ‘provocative’ and ‘insulting’ move.

‘We condemn provocative moves and in our view, the weekly’s action is insulting and we condemn it completely since it will provoke and hurt Muslims’ feelings across the world and will create a sequence of extremism in the world,’ Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said in Tehran.

She stressed that respecting the beliefs, values and sanctities of different religions was a globally accepted principle and European statesmen were expected to heed such norms.

Afkham underscored that it was not enough for the western governments to admit to their wrong policies, and they need to adopt correct decisions which serve the interests of the followers of all religions and nations.

Her remarks came after the new edition of the French satirical magazine went on sale yesterday, a week after gunmen murdered eight journalists and four others at its offices in Paris. The magazine’s cover shows a sacrilegious cartoon of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad (S).

Last week the ISIL terrorist group attacked the weekly after it released a cartoon of ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. At least 12 people were killed last Wednesday when masked gunmen stormed the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo and opened fire.

Iranian officials condemned the attack, but warned that the incident should not be used as a pretext for accusing Islam or pressuring the Muslim community in the West, reminding that ISIL is not an Islamic group.

The same day, Afkham condemned the attack, and said any act of terrorism against innocent people was opposed to Islamic teachings.

Other Iranian officials have also blasted the desecration of Islam’s beloved Prophet Muhammad, with the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Keyvan Khosravi saying: ‘The most disrespectful act of republishing a cartoon lampooning the Prophet of Islam and also cartoons desecrating Christianity and other heavenly religions is a provocative act promoting violence and terrorism; the Islamic Republic of Iran has set as its guiding principle and code of conduct respect for morals and ethics.’

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