Iran says insult against Prophet red line for all Muslims

Insult against Islam, against Muslims' beliefs and against the Prophet are the red lines of all the Muslims, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said here on Thursday.

"Western countries have long been insulting Islam and Muslims' beliefs. The freedom of speech does not mean to humiliate religious leaders. The insult against religious beliefs and against Prophet is the red line of all the Muslims," Larigani said at a press conference while referring to the recent attack to the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo which left 12 dead in Paris.

Larijani held a press conference after the three-day meeting of the 10th session of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States in Istanbul.

He said that the meeting was held during a very sensitive period and provided an opportunity for 56 Muslim countries to express their determination to stand united against terrorism and against insulting Islamic values and the Prophet.

Since the World War II, Islamic states have been under pressure of controversial arguments with respect to religious ideology, he argued.

"Unfortunately, as per to this pressure, young Muslim generation considers that the defense of Islamic values can be only accomplished by their own efforts," Larijani warned.

As a result, terrorism has been fueled, he added.

Larijani, when answering the questions of the journalists about Iranian support to the Shi'ite Houthi militia against the government in Yemen, said that Houthis are the biggest part of the people in Yemen and Iran wants all the fractions and the government to agree among themselves through dialogue.

"However, if Yemen people need any help, we are ready to provide the necessary support," he added.

He also made it clear that Iran is not in a position to offer help only to the government but not to the people. "We are not looking to the events from such a narrow perspective," he said, adding that Iran has also been having talks with Yemen authorities.

In the meantime, just few hours before the Larijani's press conference, a suicide car bomb exploded at the gate of the hotel where Turkish delegation stays in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is expected to start his visit to Somalia on Friday.

Larijani strongly condemned the attack, adding that this incident reveals that the Islamic countries need to express their solidarity more than ever. Endit