Iran, Algeria slam desecration of Islamic sanctities, urge coop. to end insults
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Saturday called for a lawful and international mechanism aimed at stopping measures that desecrate religious values and holy sites.
The top Iranian diplomat made the call during a phone conversation with his Algerian counterpart Ramtane Lamamra, in the wake of the recent insulting cartoons published by the French magazine Charlie Hebdo and the visit by an Israeli far-right minister to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Al-Quds.
The Algerian foreign minister, on his part, condemned the publication of the cartoons and the Israeli minister’s visit, while stressing the need for enhancing cooperation among Islamic countries to counter such measures.
The two officials also discussed developments in West Asia, as well as bilateral relations which Amirabdollahian described as good.
On January 3, far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, sparking anger from Palestinians and Muslim countries.
Palestinians see such visits as an attempt to change the status quo at the mosque, which is the third holiest site in Islam.
And recently, the French magazine Charlie Hebdo published insulting cartoons of Islamic jurisprudence.