‘The problem facing the Muslim world is Israel’ says Iranian foreign minister

Published November 14th, 2016 - 02:00 GMT
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif addresses the First International Conference on the Geopolitical Crises in the Islamic World at Tehran’s Shahid Beheshti University, November 14, 2016.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif addresses the First International Conference on the Geopolitical Crises in the Islamic World at Tehran’s Shahid Beheshti University, November 14, 2016.

"Muslim states should respond to the Zionist regime (Israel)'s violations of the Palestinian people's rights," Foreign Minister Zarif said at the First International Conference on the Geopolitical Crises in the Islamic World in Tehran on Monday.

The Muslim world, he said however, has failed to unite behind the cause of delivering such a response due to "discourse difficulties," which have hindered constructive interaction among Muslim countries.

Some "delusional" rulers in Islamic countries, Zarif said, have been attempting to portray Islam's main problem as such false threats as discord between Shias and Sunnis and Arabs and Persians.

He cautioned all Muslim countries not to engage in "deviation and the giving of false directions," and thereby prevent "this challenge [of extremism] from turning into a substantive challenge and a threat that is not just limited to the geographical contours of Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and the Muslim world but one that threatens the humanity."

Editor's note: This article has been edited from the source material

Subscribe

Sign up to our newsletter for exclusive updates and enhanced content