Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
New York
IRANIAN President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad slammed Sunday
an anti-Islam film and the violent and deadly protests it triggered in
the Muslim world.
Ahmadinejad spoke to CNN’s Piers Morgan in New York, ahead of the president’s visit to the U.N. General Assembly this week.
“Fundamentally, first of all, any action that is provocative, offends
the religious thoughts and feelings of any people, we condemn,” he said
about the inflammatory film that mocks the Prophet Mohammed as a
womanizer, child molester and killer.
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“Likewise, we condemn any type of extremism. Of course, what took
place was ugly. Offending the Holy Prophet is quite ugly. This has very
little or nothing to do with freedom and freedom of speech. This is the
weakness of and the abuse of freedom, and in many places it is a crime.
It shouldn’t take place and I do hope the day will come in which
politicians will not seek to offend those whom others hold holy,” said
Ahmadinejad.
“We also believe that this must also be resolved in a humane
atmosphere, in a participatory environment and we do not like anyone
losing their lives or being killed for any reason, anywhere in the
world.”
The privately produced film sparked protests against the United
States, where it was made. While most of the demonstrations have been
peaceful, some were marred by violence that has left more than two dozen
people dead — among them U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and
three other Americans killed in an attack on the consulate in Benghazi,
Libya, that reportedly followed a demonstration against the film.
When asked by Morgan whether he thought protesters should stop
threatening U.S. staff abroad, Ahmadinejad responded that he cannot say
what other people or nations should do, but that he believes “extremism
gives birth to following and subsequent extremists.
“Perhaps if the politicians take a better position in the West
vis-a-vis offensive words or thoughts or pictures towards what we hold
holy, I think conditions will improve,” the president said.
“Any nation has the right and will indeed defend herself. But my
question is this: Why should the world be managed in such a way that an
individual can allow himself to threaten a rich and deeply rooted
historical, ancient country, such as Iran. A great country, such as
Iran, based on an excuse of his own fabrication … Another country can
say, I am guessing that country B is doing activity X, therefore I will
attack that country … can this be … a successful formula for the
management of the world?” Ahmadinejad asked.
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