The 7690th Meeting of UN Security Council was held on May 11 dealing with the theme of countering the narratives and ideologies of terrorism.
Holding a day-long open debate on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, the Security Council requested that the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee present a proposal for a ‘comprehensive international framework’ to counter terrorist narratives used in recruitment and incitement to violent acts.
The session was attended by 10 ministers of foreign affairs, permanent representatives of 73 countries including Iran’s Gholamali Khoshroo in addition to UN Deputy Secretary-General, Islamic Scholar as well as Secretary-General of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif Islamic Research Academy Dr. Mohie Ed-deen Afifi.
Ambassador to the United Nations of Saudi Arabia also made speech where he leveled unsubstantiated allegations against Iran which were responded by Javad Safaei, a member of the Iranian mission to the UN.
What follows is the full speech of the Iranian diplomat Safaei who took the floor a second time in response to the statement made by his counterpart from Saudi Arabia:
Mr. President,
I am taking the floor to reply to the baseless accusation leveled by the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia against my country. It was Ironic that he accuses Iran of fanning sectarianism and preaches against it. It is, in fact, quite to the contrary. It is of common knowledge as to where the Takfiri ideology comes from and what it exactly seeks. It is also of common knowledge as to who are putting this ideology to practice. The example of the inflammatory statements against Islamic different Sects by influential Saudi clerics and officials, including the government appointed grand Mufti of Mecca, shows clearly who are spreading sectarian rhetoric and inciting sectarian hatred. As an example, a sermon by Abdul Rahman al Sudais, the government appointed prayer leader at the Mecca Holy Mosque made a litany of hate speech and incitement to violence against Shiites saying that "Our war with Iran, say that loud, is a war between Sunni and Shiites, our war with Iran is truly sectarian. If it is not sectarian we will make it sectarian."
It is quite clear who consider themselves the only true believers and who set out to destroy and annihilate the other sects in the Islamic world, let alone those outside the Islamic world. In this respect, a cursory look at history books will easily reveals that the proponents of the Takfiri ideology began their sectarian drive in the year 1805 when they launched attack on the holy shrines in Najaf and Karbala and set them ablaze. And One of their last criminal sectarian acts was committed in June 2014 when they horrifically massacred 1700 Iraqi air force cadets in Tikrit, simply because they were of a different Islamic sect.
We can agree that creating centers and financing organizations for fighting terrorism is good, but there should be no doubt that we need action in weeding out those elements that incite hatred and intolerance against those who are different. We believe that taking actions against those who spread the hateful Takfiri ideology and their proponents inside Saudi Arabia is the necessary action that should be taken in that country.
The Saudi Ambassador also referred to Hezbollah as a sectarian and terrorist organization. Here also it is of common knowledge that Hezbollah is part of the government and parliament of one of the UN member States. And it is the one that helped drive Israeli occupiers out of the Lebanon and in numerous cases stood up to and fought with the Israeli regime that occupies the Palestinian lands. It is astonishing that an Islamic Country finds this way a common ground with the Israeli regime and put out exactly the same claims as the heads of that regime do. Such statements go counter to the interest of the Islamic world and damage the unity that we need to build with a view to advancing the wellbeing of the Muslims everywhere.
HA/PR