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This dork is blaming Israel for the Pope's remark?
Iran leader blames US-Israeli conspiracy for pope remarks
by Aresu Eqbali
1 hour, 5 minutes ago
TEHRAN (AFP) -
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has blamed a US-Israeli conspiracy aiming to sow conflict between religions for remarks by the
Pope Benedict XVI on Islam and violence that unleashed a wave of anger across the Muslim world. ADVERTISEMENT
Khamenei said the comments were part of the same conspiracy that started with the US invasion of
Iraq and has been hatched by great powers intent on creating crises between religions to "pursue their evil objectives".
"Leaders of the arrogant imperialists have already defined the links of the chain in this US-Zionist project by attacking Iraq," Khamenei said in comments broadcast on state television.
"The issue of the insulting cartoons and remarks of some politicians about Islam are different links in the conspiracy of the Crusaders, and the pope's remarks are the latest links in this," he added.
The pope's comments, which unleashed a wave of anger in the Islamic world, came after caricatures published in a Danish newspaper last year deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammed set off deadly protests.
"The most important aim of these remarks is the creation of a religious crisis in the world and to make different religions confront each other," Khamenei continued.
"This is the intention of those powers whose survival is dependent on creating crisis to pursue their evil objectives in the international community."
He said protests against the pope's remarks should be targeted at the "great Satan", the Islamic republic's traditional term for its arch foe the United States, with whom it has no diplomatic relations.
"Everyone should consider that in this case the great Satan is responsible. The direction of the attacks and objections should be focussed on those that benefit from these unfair remarks by the pope," said Khamenei.
"These remarks were a surprise from a high Christian official and very much to be regretted," he added.
In a speech in Germany on Tuesday, the pope spoke of a link between Islam and jihad, or "holy war", and quoted a 14th-century Byzantine emperor who said innovations introduced by the Prophet Mohammed were "evil and inhuman".
On Sunday the pope said he was "deeply sorry" for the outrage triggered across the Muslim world by the remarks he made about Islam, and stressed they had not reflected his personal opinion.
Iran's government spokesman said earlier the expression of deep regret by
Pope Benedict for the outrage sparked by his comments did not go far enough, calling on the pontiff to admit he had made a mistake.
"The pope was right to give these explanations and he said that his comments were badly reported," government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham told reporters.
"These explanations were necessary but not sufficient. He needs to say more clearly that what he said was an error and correct it," he added.
Elham also echoed Khamenei's comments that the United States and
Israel were implicated in the affair. "It is important that religious figures take care not to fall into the traps of the Zionists," he said.
by Aresu Eqbali
1 hour, 5 minutes ago
TEHRAN (AFP) -
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has blamed a US-Israeli conspiracy aiming to sow conflict between religions for remarks by the
Pope Benedict XVI on Islam and violence that unleashed a wave of anger across the Muslim world. ADVERTISEMENT
Khamenei said the comments were part of the same conspiracy that started with the US invasion of
Iraq and has been hatched by great powers intent on creating crises between religions to "pursue their evil objectives".
"Leaders of the arrogant imperialists have already defined the links of the chain in this US-Zionist project by attacking Iraq," Khamenei said in comments broadcast on state television.
"The issue of the insulting cartoons and remarks of some politicians about Islam are different links in the conspiracy of the Crusaders, and the pope's remarks are the latest links in this," he added.
The pope's comments, which unleashed a wave of anger in the Islamic world, came after caricatures published in a Danish newspaper last year deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammed set off deadly protests.
"The most important aim of these remarks is the creation of a religious crisis in the world and to make different religions confront each other," Khamenei continued.
"This is the intention of those powers whose survival is dependent on creating crisis to pursue their evil objectives in the international community."
He said protests against the pope's remarks should be targeted at the "great Satan", the Islamic republic's traditional term for its arch foe the United States, with whom it has no diplomatic relations.
"Everyone should consider that in this case the great Satan is responsible. The direction of the attacks and objections should be focussed on those that benefit from these unfair remarks by the pope," said Khamenei.
"These remarks were a surprise from a high Christian official and very much to be regretted," he added.
In a speech in Germany on Tuesday, the pope spoke of a link between Islam and jihad, or "holy war", and quoted a 14th-century Byzantine emperor who said innovations introduced by the Prophet Mohammed were "evil and inhuman".
On Sunday the pope said he was "deeply sorry" for the outrage triggered across the Muslim world by the remarks he made about Islam, and stressed they had not reflected his personal opinion.
Iran's government spokesman said earlier the expression of deep regret by
Pope Benedict for the outrage sparked by his comments did not go far enough, calling on the pontiff to admit he had made a mistake.
"The pope was right to give these explanations and he said that his comments were badly reported," government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham told reporters.
"These explanations were necessary but not sufficient. He needs to say more clearly that what he said was an error and correct it," he added.
Elham also echoed Khamenei's comments that the United States and
Israel were implicated in the affair. "It is important that religious figures take care not to fall into the traps of the Zionists," he said.
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