Senior Cleric:

Travel Ban on Muslims Shows US' Islamophobia Approach

Rasa - Tehran's provisional Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani blasted the US officials, specially President Donald Trump, for their recent anti-Iran rhetoric, and said the Muslim travel ban imposed by Washington indicates their animosity towards Muslims.

News ID: 427274

Date: 10 February 2017 - 18:56

RNA - Addressing a large and fervent congregation of the people on Tehran University campus on Friday, Ayatollah Emami Kashani said, "The US president's order for banning visits by citizens from seven Muslim countries, including Iran, to that country revealed Washington's Islamophobia approach."

He went on to say that after his presence in the White House, the new US president ordered a travel ban against nationals of seven Muslim countries, including Iran, to the US, as if they are in problem with Islam wherever they can find a trace of the Muslims.

In relevant remarks earlier on Friday, Iran's First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri sent a wake-up call to the US President, saying Donald Trump needs to realize that election campaign season has come to an end and he should now open his eyes to the realities on the ground.

"This Mr. Trump is still in the atmosphere of election, while he is surrounded by groups like the Zionist regime that pursues its own interests through provoking him," Jahangiri told FNA in Tehran, speaking on the sidelines of the February 10th rallies marking the 38th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

He also said that Trump is also misled by those politicians who are paid by the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO, also known as the MEK, PMOI and NCRI), an anti-Iran terrorist group that has augmented efforts to open a lobby in Washington in the last decade.

"Yet", he said, "the US cannot do a damn thing."

Millions of Iranians from all walks of life took to the streets and squares all over the country to express their support for the cause, aspirations and ideals of the Islamic Revolution.

President Hassan Rouhani also told reporters on the sidelines of the same event in Tehran today that the massive rallies held all across the country on Friday are a show of support for the Islamic establishment and a firm response to the recent threats posed to Iran by US President Donald Trump, warning the new White House leaders to watch their language when speaking to Iran.

"The Iranian nation's massive rallies give the message to the world that they need to speak to the Iranian nation with the language of respect and honor," Rouhani said.

He said the presence of millions of people in the rallies once again displayed that the revolution is "alive and moving towards its exalted goals".

"This presence is a response to the incorrect statements of the new White House leaders as people are telling the world that they are to speak to the Iranian nation with the language of respect and avoid using the language of bullying and threat," the Iranian president reiterated.

"The Iranian nation has shown in the last 38 years that anyone speaking to this nation through the language of threat, the Iranian nation will make him/her regret," he cautioned in yet another reference to the recent threatening remarks by Donald Trump.

Rouhani reiterated that US threats would never manage to deter the Iranians' move on the path of the revolution.

In addition to the annual theme of renewing support for the revolution and Islamic establishment, this year ralliers are also due to express solidarity with the regional nations' revolution against their tyrant rulers as well as their campaign against Takfiri terrorism.

Yet, what has made this year's rallies even more important is the call by the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, on people to give a crushing response to the recent threats of US President Donald Trump by staging massive rallies even larger than ever.

Trump claimed on Sunday that Iran “lost respect” for the US in the wake of the 2015 nuclear deal signed between Tehran and the world powers, and that it now feels “emboldened” by the agreement.

He repeated Obama's catch-phrase "all options are still on the table" to imply that the threat of the adoption of military action against Iran is still alive, but a day later the US president took back his word, stressing that he did not mean to threaten Tehran militarily.

Also early Thursday, Trump echoed his national security adviser Michael Flynn’s comments a day earlier that Iran is now formally “on notice” for firing a ballistic missile.

“Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile. Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the U.S. made with them!” he tweeted, without providing any other details.

“Iran was on its last legs and ready to collapse until the U.S. came along and gave it a life-line in the form of the Iran Deal: $150 billion,” he added.

Flynn during a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room last Wednesday criticized Iran for its recent ballistic missile test.

The rallies this year are covered by over 3,250 reporters and photojournalists, including more than 250 from other countries.

Led by the Founder of the Revolution, Imam Khomeini, Iranians confronted the forces of US-proxy Mohammad-Reza Pahlavi in late 1977 to end his oppressive, cruel and autocratic rule over the country.

By December 1978, millions of Iranians would take to the streets in protest against the policies of the Shah on a regular basis.

Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile to Iran to be received by millions of cheering crowds after the departure of the Shah in mid-January 1979. Two weeks later, the country saw the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

The final collapse of the Shah's regime came on February 10 when the military renounced its loyalty to the Shah and joined the revolutionary forces.

On this day 38 years ago, people took to the streets to celebrate the collapse of the Pahlavi Dynasty and the emergence of the new era.

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