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.
-CNN