Cleric criticizes Washington over US Visa denial to Iranˈs envoy

Tehran Interim Friday prayers leader Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani strongly criticized Washington for not issuing visa for Iranˈs proposed envoy to the United Nations in New York.

According to IRNA, Ayatollah Movahedi Kermani said, addressing a ceremony in Shiraz on Saturday night, ˈThis move shows the US continued animosity towards people of Muslim countries.ˈ

He pointed to the fact that the UN is not a private organization of the US, but it belongs to all member-states while strongly criticizing the US outrageous move.

Ayatollah Movahedi Kermani said, ˈThis US attempt is in the meantime in the interest of our people and other Muslim nations because it shows the real face of the US statemen to the international community with regard to their animosity towards the freedom-seekers.ˈ

His remarks came after the US House of Representatives unanimously approved a legislation that would prevent Aboutalebi from entering the US. The US Senate had earlier approved the legislation in a voice vote.

US President Barack Obama also signed the legislation on Friday.

Washington says it is denying Aboutalebi a visa because he was involved in the seizure of the US espionage den in Tehran during post-revolution incidents in 1979.

Aboutalebi, however, says, he worked merely as an interpreter while negotiations were going on for the release of the embassy staff.

On November 4, 1979, a group of Iranian university students took over the US embassy in Tehran, which they believed had turned into a ˈden of espionageˈ. Documents found at the compound later corroborated the claims by the students.