Police Intensify Security at French Embassy

The Law Enforcement Police increased security layers and entanglements around the French embassy in Tehran, where students have congregated to condemn the publication of insulting cartoons by a French magazine directed at the holy prophet of Islam (PBUH).

Hundreds of angry Iranian students who have gathered in front of the French mission in Tehran since the early hours of Thursday morning trampled the US and Israeli flags and chanted slogans “Death to the US”, “Death to Britain”, “Death to France” and “Death to Israel”.

The protestors 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 Iranian students also called on the French and US nations to show reaction to their officials’ insults to the Muslims’ prophet.

The blasphemous caricatures were published after an anti-Islam US-Israeli film drew condemnation from numerous countries including Afghanistan, Egypt, Libya, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Morocco, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, etc.

In Iran, millions of Iranians in Tehran and other cities across the country held nationwide rallies in protest against the recent desecration of Islam.

The Iranian protesters chanted “Death to the US” and “Death to Israel” slogans, expressing disgust at the US and the Zionist regime’s anti-Islam policies.

Earlier, Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei blamed the US and the Zionists for the sacrilege of Muslims’ Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in a movie made by an American-Israeli man, and called on Washington to punish those behind the blasphemous act.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Iranian supreme leader said the US and Zionists’ hands can be seen behind the move, and said if Washington statesmen claim to be not 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 lead to this great and unforgivable sin today,” said the Leader.

“The number one 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.