Sunday, December 10, 2006

Iran still obsessed with the Prophet cartoons

This is a current item from Fars News. You would think that the cartoons had only just been published and that Iran's retaliatory Holocaust cartoon contest had not taken place already:
Iran's deputy Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mohammadi stressed on Sunday that western countries do not at all reserve the right to desecrate Islamic values and sanctities under the pretext of the freedom of speech.

Speaking to FNA in the central city of Kerman, Mohammadi condemned release of insulting cartoons by western papers, and stressed, "We view as mere lie allegations of the western statesmen that they can't practice control over their media and papers."
I mean, if Iran can do away with freedom of the press, why can't everybody else?
"They can prevent such insulting measures if they are really willing to," he reiterated.

Asked about his ministry's measures to reply to the West's insults to Muslims and Islamic values, the diplomat voiced foreign ministry's resolve to counter any such cases through diplomatic means and legal measures, and added, "In critical cases we will cut all our economic and political ties with any given country."

Regarding Iran's efforts to examine human rights conditions in Europe, he said, "Since the rights of the minorities, specially Muslims, are violated in European countries, foreign ministry has assigned a group of its experts to identify relevant cases in Europe."

"Once this is done, we will pursue the case in relevant authoritative bodies in a bid to restore Muslims' rights," the Iranian deputy foreign minister further stated.
I wonder if we will still be seeing items such as this one ten years from now.

No comments: