‘Syria militants spreading Islamophobia’

A senior Iranian Sunni cleric says foreign-backed Takfiri militants operating inside Syria are spreading Islamophobia across the world.

In an interview with Press TV on Thursday, Molavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi described the militants fighting against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as “extremist deviants.”
He said: “By resorting to violence and extremism, not only do Takfiri insurgents stir hatred within the Muslim world but they also turn non-Muslims against Muslims.”
The cleric said these groups seek to monopolize Islam by categorizing everyone else as non-believers.
He further called on all Takfiri groups to accept rationalism and the true teachings of Islam, and renounce violence and extremism.
Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.
According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in the violence.
On October 7, the UN said over four million other Syrians will be forced out of their homes in 2014 due to the escalating conflict in the country.
Two million Syrians are expected to take refuge outside the country while another 2.25 million are predicted to be internally displaced next year.