Protests Against Anti-Islam Film Continues In Iran

Tehran, Oct 20, IRNA -- Thousands of Iranians including the members of Basij volunteer forces continued protests against a sacrilegious US-Israeli movie insulting Islam's Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) here on Friday. Tehran's people and over 15,000 members of Basij volunteer forces and commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) gathered in one of Tehran major squares named Palestine Square as a sign of protest to the Zionist regime element’s insulting actions. Friday was the final day of three-day maneuver of Basij volunteer forces Code-named as “Ála Beit-ul-Moqaddas” (Towards Beit-ul-Moqaddas) in an eastern district of Tehran which began on Wednesday to demonstrate their combat power against any possible attacks of enemies. The protesters chanted 'Death to the US', 'Death to Israel' and 'Silence of a Muslim Means Betraying the Holy Qur'an', and expressed disgust at the US and the Zionist regime's campaign against Islam. The demonstrators set fire on the Israeli and US flags in a show of hatred for the Zionist policies in charge of such insulting moves against Islam. The protests have continued for the past one month, since parts of the movie went on display on YouTube. Similar protest rallies have been held by Iranian students all throughout last month, some on universities' campus grounds, and others in front of the UN office and in front of the French embassy complex in Tehran. The Iranian students called for unity among Muslims and respect for the holy prophet of Islam (PBUH), and expressed disgust at the French government's anti-Islam policies. The blasphemous cartoons were published after an anti-Islam US-Israeli film in mid September drew condemnation from numerous countries, including Afghanistan, Egypt, Libya, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Morocco, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, etc. After the display of the movie, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei blamed the US and the Zionists for the sacrilege of Muslims' Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), and called on Washington to punish those behind the blasphemous act. In a statement issued last month, the Iranian supreme leader said the US and Zionists' hands can be seen behind the move, and stressed that if Washington statesmen claim not to be involved in this sacrilege of Islam and Islamic values, they should punish those who have designed and orchestrated the move. 'The filthy hand of the enemies of Islam once again revealed its deep-rooted malice by insulting the Grand Prophet (Mohammad) (PBUH) and with an insane and deplorable measure showed the fury of the evil Zionists at the daily-increasing radiance of Islam and Holy Qur'an in the present world.' 'Behind this evil move lie the antagonistic policies of the Zionists and the US and other heads of the global arrogance, who in their vain delusions want to knock down the Islamic sanctities from their lofty position in the eyes of the young generations in the world of Islam and to extinguish their religious sentiments. Had they not backed the previous links in this evil chain, namely Salman Rushdie, the Danish cartoonist, and the US pastors who burned the Holy Qur'an and had they not made orders for (production of) tens of anti-Islam movies to companies affiliated to the Zionist capitalists, things would not have led to this great and unforgivable sin today,' said the Leader. 'The prime suspects in this crime are Zionism and the US. If the American politicians are honest that they had no role, then they must punish those who committed this heinous crime and their financial backers, who have wrenched the hearts of Muslim nations, in proportion to this great crime,' Ayatollah Khamenei said. 'Muslim brothers and sisters must know that this desperate move by the enemies in the wake of the Islamic Awakening is a sign of the grandeur and importance of this uprising and heralds its increasing growth,' the Leader added./end