The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned the terrorist attack in Paris, saying any terrorist act against the innocent people has nothing to do with the Islamic teachings.
Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham also said abusing freedom of expression and insulting religious values and symbols are “unacceptable”.
“Such behaviors are continuation of unprecedented extremism and physical and mental violence-seeking over the past decade, which have been developed at the international level due to wrong policies and double standards in countering violence and extremism,” Afkham stated.
She pointed to President Hassan Rouhani’s proposal of the World against Violence and Extremism (WAVE) and expressed hope that leaders of all countries would root out violence and extremism through avoiding double standards.
On Wednesday, two masked gunmen stormed into the Parisian headquarters of the satirical weekly, Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people, including eight journalists, two police officers, a maintenance worker and a visitor.
Tehran’s Friday Prayers leader Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Khatami also condemned the terrorist attack in Paris.
Islam does not allow killing of the innocent people be it in Paris or Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Khatami told worshippers.