Tehran, April 4, IRNA

Provisional Friday Prayer leader of Tehran heavily condemned here Friday the recent wretched moves against holy Islam in Europe, arguing, "There is a catchy disease spreading in Europe today, whose victims feel obliged to insult Islam and to fight against the Muslims."

Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami, addressing thousands of Tehrani worshipers at central campus of Tehran University, added, "One day they publish blasphemous cartoons of the Holy Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.a.) and the other day the Pope insults Islam. And here we are today, with the vast scale broadcasting of a fifteen minute film whose contents are fully lies, aimed at insulting our holy faith." 

He stressed, "The fact that rather than sound logic they have begun swearing and insulting proves that the anti-Islamic figures have no sound, logical point worth proper presentation, which has accidentally been the case ever since the advent of Islam."

He added, "They notice that the plans they had devised for hundreds of years have borne absolutely no fruit, which is the reason why they have begun conducting such wretched moves."

Khatami said, "Such moves are made in Europe under the cover of freedom of expression prove that such a freedom does not exist there, since as soon as an intellectual begins talking about the Holocaust, they put him to trial, condemn his move, and imprison him."

He reiterated, "Behind all such satanic moves you can easily trace the hands of the global oppression, particularly the Zionist regime.

"We know that the Zionists are intriguing such moves, and we remind them that the more they would do so, the more opposite results they would gain."

Ayatollah Khatami referred to the unprecedented high sales of the glorious Quran in Holland, saying, "The Dutch have also bought a large number of electronic versions of Quran in their own language and a large number of people in Holland have openly announced they have converted to Islam." 
 
Elsewhere in his sermon, Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami said Iran's Greater and Lesser Tunb islands, as well as Abu Mussa Island, have always been Iranian, and will remain so for good.

Ayatollah Khatami, referring to the recent communique of the Arab League issued in Damascus, reiterated, "The contents of this communique makes one wonder whether the Arab League has become entrapped by the United States."

He added, "The members of that league have during their recent meeting instead of thinking about the problems with which the Palestinians are entangled, have in their final communique stated that the three Iranian islands belong to the United Arab Emirates."

Khatami added, "They had better realize that the blue vastness of the Persian Gulf would remain Iranian for good, with no other name than the Persian Gulf."

Elsewhere in his sermon, the Friday preacher of Tehran appreciated the broad presence of the Iranians at March 14th Parliamentary Elections, stressing, "The proof for health of that election is that the United States, the European Union, and the Iranian
anti-revolutionary forces got mad hearing about its results."

He pointed out that the average participation of the world nations parliamentary elections is around 40 percent, adding, "Despite the heavy satanic propagation against people's participation at 8th Parliamentary elections, 60% of the Iranians voted this time."

Khatami one more time condemned the occupation of Iraq by US-led foreign forces, asking the Iraqi politicians not to fall preys to the traps of discord, arguing, "Beware of the fact that the occupiers think of nothing, save for further extending the period of occupation of Iraq and looting its national wealth."