Khatami: countries who claim to respect freedom of expression do not allow the smallest talk about the myths of Holocaust and persecution of the Jews.

Iran tells Muslims to target U.S., not Denmark, over cartoons
Iran Focus
February 10, 2006

Tehran, Iran, Feb. 10 – A senior Iranian cleric called on Muslims on Friday to direct their fury over cartoons of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad at the United States, rather than Denmark.

When crowds of worshippers in Tehran chanted “Death to Denmark” during his fiery sermon, Tehran Friday prayers leader Ahmad Khatami told them, “We shouldn’t say ‘Death to Denmark’. Denmark is nothing! We must say, ‘Death to America’. It’s the Americans who set up the likes of the Danes”.

Khatami, who is not related to Iran’s former president, accused the European Union of “double standards” in its approach to the publication of cartoons of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad and Iran’s denial of the Holocaust.

“They talk about human rights and freedom of expression, but at the same time they disgustingly insult more than a billion Muslims”, the ayatollah told worshippers in central Tehran.

“They justify this great crime on the grounds of freedom of expression and the stupid Prime Minister of Denmark says that they are willing to pay the price of freedom. But these very countries who claim to respect freedom of expression do not allow the smallest talk about the myths of Holocaust and persecution of the Jews”, he said.

“The United States and European states are taking advantage of human rights, freedom of speech, disarmament, and the International [Atomic Energy] Agency. All of these are being misused. They want to force their rule upon the world through these methods”, the senior cleric said.

Turning to the situation in Iraq, Khatami said that the U.S. had spent a lot in the country “but they got the opposite result. The Iraqi people entered the scene and voted for Islam”.

He said that the victory of the radical Islamist group Hamas in the Palestinian elections was the “most effective blow” to U.S. prestige.