‘Misinformed and Unacceptable’: India Hits Out at Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s Remarks on Muslim Community in South Asian Country
'We strongly deplore the comments made regarding minorities in India by the Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. These are misinformed and unacceptable,' the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
New Delhi, September 16: India on Monday strongly reacted to remarks by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on the "suffering" of the Muslim community in the south Asian country, along with in Gaza and Myanmar.
"We strongly deplore the comments made regarding minorities in India by the Supreme Leader of Iran. These are misinformed and unacceptable," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Orders Attack on Israel in Retaliation for Killing of Hamas’ Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran: Report.
"Countries commenting on minorities are advised to look at their own record before making observations about others," it added. The Iranian supreme leader made the remark about Indian Muslims in his message to the community, stressing unity, on the occasion of Prophet Mohammed’s birth anniversary.
"The enemies of Islam have always tried to make us indifferent with regard to our shared identity as an Islamic Ummah. We cannot consider ourselves to be Muslims if we are oblivious to the suffering that a Muslim is enduring in #Myanmar, #Gaza, #India, or any other place," he said in a post on his X handle. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Vows Revenge Against Israel Over Killing of Hamas’ Political Bureau Chief.
However, various Iranian media outlets did not mention India in reports about his comments purportedly made at a meeting with Sunni clerics across the country at the beginning of the "Islamic Unity Week" on Monday.
This was not the first time that Iran's supreme leader has spoken about Indian Muslims. In August 2019, he had also commented on the revocation of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 16, 2024 10:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).