Iranian Envoy: Terrorist Groups No Way Linked to Islam
"The terrorist groups like al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, al-Nusrah Front and the like are not at all related to Islam and have grown with the supports and assistances that they have received," Dehqani said, addressing the UN Security Council in New York on Sunday.
He underscored the necessity for the international community to pay attention to the root causes of terrorism, and said, "Unfortunately, we are witnessing that certain sides are using terrorism as an instrument, attempting to use the terrorist groups to meet their shortsighted interests."
Dehqani said that the first effective step to fight the ominous phenomenon of terrorism is stopping the financial and spiritual supports for these terrorist groups.
In relevant remarks in November, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei warned that the bullying powers were using every method and tool to spread Islamophobia among the world people.
"The world expansionist and bullying powers are highly concerned about the attraction of Islam's freedom message and the danger posed to their interests and have used all instruments, specially art tools, to intimidate the entire world people from Islam," Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing Iranian Army cadets in Tehran.
He underlined that creation of armed groups under the name of Islam and Islamic State to massacre innocent people was another instance of enemies' methods to promote Islamophobia.
"The message of the real Islam for humanity is the message of tranquility, honor and life along with security and safety, and ill-wishers do not want the nations to become familiar with this message," Ayatollah Khamenei said.
Many Iranian officials have warned on different occasions that the western powers are trying to spread Islamophobia throughout the world.
“Big and Western powers who are after their own interests in the region and seek to get their claws on the resources of Muslim countries, particularly in the oil and gas sectors, have always followed two ominous goals, namely to deepen divisions among Muslims and to spread Islamophobia in the world,” President Rouhani said, addressing the 27th International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran in January.
The Iranian president reiterated the importance of improving the notion of “dialog and interaction” in the Muslim world, particularly in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain and Libya.
“The Iranian government and nation have made it clear to the world that they are after moderation by adopting a policy of balance and prudence,” Rouhani said.