The Iranian government on Thursday announced the closure of the French Institute for Research in Iran in response to the cartoon contest on the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, held by the French satirical magazine ‘Charlie Hebdo’.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on its website that the decision comes «in response to an offensive action» by the magazine, which it accused of «undermining recognized moral standards, violating religious sanctity, violating political and religious authority and insulting the country’s sovereign symbols and national values.»
Thus, he said that the cartoon contest is «an inhumane act» and accused ‘Charlie Hebdo’ of «using the noble concept of freedom of expression as a cover for countercultural acts and desecration of human beings, human dignity and moral and religious values.»
The ministry has recalled in this sense the publication in the past of «insulting caricatures» of Mohammed and has charged against the «inaction of the French authorities in the face of the manifestations of Islamophobia and propagation of racist hatred in French publications».
For this reason, he has transferred to Paris that it has «direct responsibility» in making «respond» to those responsible for these statements and has emphasized that «ignorant fear is a manifestation of institutionalized racism» in France.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has also stressed that it is «reviewing cultural relations with France and examining the possibility of continuing French cultural activities in Iran», while stressing that the closure of the center is «a first step».
The announcement has come a day after Iran summoned the French ambassador to Tehran to protest the cartoons. Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hosein Amirabdolahian warned that Iran «will not allow the French government to step out of line.»
The satirical magazine announced on December 9 an «international competition to produce caricatures of the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran,» whom it described as «a symbol of retrograde thinking, narrow-mindedness and intolerance of religious power.» ‘Charlie Hebdo’ on Wednesday unveiled a selection of winning cartoons and said that over the past few weeks it has received «more than 300 drawings and thousands of threats.» «Religious intolerance has not said its last word,» it said in an editorial.
The magazine jumped into the international spotlight following the publication in 2006 of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, which had originally appeared in the Danish newspaper ‘Jyllands-Posten’. In 2015, its headquarters was the target of an attack that left twelve dead.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)