Senior Iranian Cleric Strongly Condemns Massacre of Muslims in Myanmar


Senior Iranian Cleric Strongly Condemns Massacre of Muslims in Myanmar

TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Tehran's provisional Friday prayer leader strongly condemned massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and called for Muslims' unity against the brutal killing of people in the Southeast Asian country.

Addressing a large group of Iranian worshippers in Tehran, Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani lashed out at the international bodies including the United Nations for their silence on ethnic cleansing of Muslims in Myanmar and described it as "surprising".

He also deplored efforts for expelling of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar to the neighboring countries in particular Bangladesh.

The Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar have long faced severe discrimination and were the targets of violence in 2012 that killed hundreds and drove about 140,000 people from their homes to camps for the internally displaced.

Nearly 150,000 Muslims have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh in less than two weeks, officials said.

In a rare letter to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern that the violence in Rakhine could spiral into a “humanitarian catastrophe”.

The Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN) said on Tuesday that the persecution is backed by the government, elements among the country's Buddhist monks and ultra-nationalist civilian groups.

Also on Friday, Iranian foreign minister, in a letter to secretary general of the United Nations, underlined that the international community and Islamic countries expect the government of Myanmar to put an immediate end to the ongoing violence against Rohingya Muslim community.

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