Killing Muslims in Myanmar aims to counter Islam: Iran cleric

Tehran’s interim Friday prayers leader has slammed the ongoing violence against Myanmarese Muslims, saying such crimes aim to counter Islam and Islamic Awakening.

“In the face of [Islamic] Awakening, they kill oppressed Muslims; in fact, the enemy is doing this to counter Islam, Islamic Awakening and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani said.

He noted that the world is currently in a very dangerous situation, emphasizing that the Iranian nation has a duty to follow guidelines of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei by taking steps to establish a just system and realize true ideals of humanity, IRNA reported.

The government of Myanmar refuses to recognize Rohingyas, who it claims are not natives and classifies them as illegal migrants. This comes while the Rohingya are said to be Muslim descendants of Persian, Turkish, Bengali, and Pathan origin, who migrated to Myanmar as early as the 8th century.

The UN has described Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim community as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

They are deprived of basic rights including education and employment and are subject to forced labor, extortion and other coercive measures.

The Iranian cleric also made a reference to the ongoing unrest in Syria and stated that enemies have surrounded the Syrian people.

He expressed hope the Syrian nation would thwart enemies’ plots through their firm resolve.

Syria has been the scene of unrest since March 2011. Because the presence of armed groups who are supported, financed and armed by Washington, Tel Aviv, Ankara, London, Paris, Berlin and certain Arab regimes.
The US has not objected to its allies aiding rebel groups, and is rather facilitating the arms flow on the Turkey-Syria border, according to a Washington Post report in May.
The CIA’s ability to operate inside Syria was hampered severely by the decision to close the US embassy in Damascus earlier this year, officials said.
The US administration is exploring ways to expand non-lethal support to Syrian opposition groups, officials told the Washington Post.
Iran maintains that negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition groups constitute the best solution for the country’s lingering crisis.

The Islamic Republic has also reiterated its readiness to facilitate talks between the two sides.