Iranian Republic News, Islamic Republic of Iran

President Ahmadinejad Blames

'Enemies' for 'Misguided' al-Qaeda

Are the United States and the West attempting to replace 'the world's divine religions' [Islam and Christianity] with misguided man-made schools of thought?' According to this news account of a speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from the state-controlled Iranian Republic News Agency, the creation of al-Qaeda was just one element of this policy, the ultimate goal of which is to sow discord between these two religions.

August 18, 2007

Islamic Republic of Iran - Iranian Republic News - Original Article (English)

Tehran: By sowing discord among the divine religions, enemies are trying to replace Islam and Christianity with misguided man-made schools of thought, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday [Aug. 18].

Addressing the opening ceremony of The Fourth Ahl-ul-Bait General Assembly  [to promote Islamic teachings and culture], he said, "Misguided groups [reference to al-Qaeda] with little or no understanding of Islam have been equipped by enemies [reference to the CIA] during recent years to disgrace Islam by killing Muslims in the name of Islam. This logic is identical to that exercised by the hegemonic system [referring to the United States]," stressed the President, in his address to participants from over 100 countries.

The President said that the division amongst Muslims had "external roots" and were created as a result of the presence and interference of "enemies" in regional affairs.

He said: "Islam is a complete truth which is partly revealed by Judaism, Christianity and other divine faiths." Criticizing the current divisions among divine religions, the President said: "The world today is going through one of its most sensitive periods, and we are witnessing a large number of massive and sudden changes. The international equation is rapidly changing in favor of justice and against falsehood," stressed the President.

Referring to the arrogant powers, he said that after the collapse of the former Soviet Union, the Western arrogance [the U.S.] began deploying its forces worldwide. President Ahmadinejad added that the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq as well as the massacre of defenseless people in Palestine and Lebanon are clear examples of America and the Zionist crimes against humanity.

Noting that the enemies sought to sow discord among Muslims, the President said: "Despite all of these efforts, they (the enemies) are caught in a quagmire that they will be hard pressed to escape." Stressing that no one on earth believed in U.S.-style democracy, President Ahmadinejad said: "No one supports the world arrogance's war-mongering policies. They (the arrogant powers) have even failed to implement true liberal-democratic systems in their own countries," criticized the President.

Noting that Zionism pioneered Western-style liberal democracy around the world and that it serves as the vanguard of occupation and aggression, he said, "The Zionist regime is the flag of Satan."

He stressed to the religious gathering the need for Muslim states to maintain unity and solidarity and urged participating scholars to protect the souls of, "the faithful whose hearts are prepared to accept the call of divine religion and the prophets. We're not only responsible for the world's Muslims," said the President, "our duty goes far beyond that."

He stressed, "The world's people are fed up with the impractical way that man-made schools of thought address the problems confronting the world's nations. Despite all the fabrications and concealing of facts by the world's arrogant powers, the world's people haven't been fooled, and they dislike the existing situation."

"Our duty goes beyond the geographic limits of the Islamic world. Muslim scholars must invite the world's people to take up monotheism and Islam," said the President.

On Saturday, the Fourth Ahl-ul-Bait General Assembly began its work with the participation of religious and political figures from 110 countries. The Assembly is a non-profit and non- governmental organization based in Tehran that was established in 1990 to promote Islamic teachings and culture.