Insulting Religious Authority Rejected by Int’l Charters: Lebanese

TEHRAN (IQNA) – A Lebanese researcher and scholar said insulting Muslims’ religious authority is something that is rejected both by intellect and by all international rights charters.

Speaking to IQNA about a recent move by the notorious French magazine Charlie Hebdo to insult Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Sheikh Tawfiq Alawiya al-Amili said the Zionist lobby is behind such a brazen attack.  

He said any move against the Islamic Republic and the axis of resistance is rooted in the enmity of the Zionists who are afraid of the Islamic Republic’s power.

The cleric further underlined that insulting religious symbols of Muslims has nothing to do with freedom of speech but is an instance of corruption and deviation.

“Freedom of speech never allows mockery and fomenting sedition among people. Freedom of speech is a beautiful, pure, and sacred concepts in which there is love ad justice,” he said, adding that Western societies should not let evil projects be carried out in the name of freedom of speech.

He said the Shia religious authorities have been the target of onslaughts by enemies since long ago but what has led to the intensification of the attacks recently is the Leader of the Islamic Revolution’s power in confronting the global arrogance, colonialists, and Zionists.

According to Sheikh al-Amili, the only way to confront their sedition is for Muslims to get closer to the religious authority.

He also referred to the Western media’s role in distorting the reality and stressed the importance of the Muslim world’s media campaigns against them.

The French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo has published several insulting cartoons of Leader of the Islamic Revolution after the controversial right-wing magazine had in early December announced a competition for such cartoons.

In a statement last week, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran holds the French government responsible for the uncultured, inhumane move by the notorious French weekly.

The ministry also said it would review France’s cultural activities in Iran, and that it was “ending the activities of the French Institute for Research in Iran as a first step.”

Earlier, the Iranian Foreign Ministry had summoned the French Ambassador in Tehran, Nicolas Roche, to protest the act of anti-Muslim bigotry.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian also strongly condemned the “insulting” act and promised a “decisive” response.

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