Khamenei: The Level of Tolerance in Iran is Not Seen in the Christian World

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, stated that the level of tolerance towards non-Muslim religious minorities in Iran is not seen in the Christian world. He also criticized the film 'American Sniper,' directed by Clint Eastwood. According to the Tuesday, February 17 report by the Iran newspaper, Khamenei addressed representatives of religious minorities in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, criticizing what he termed Western propaganda against Muslims. He stated: 'Today, you see what propaganda is being conducted against Muslims in Europe and America. The issue is not why Muslims lack the necessary freedom in many of these countries; the issue is why they lack personal security.' The murder of three young Muslims in North Carolina, USA, is one of the recent events that has drawn international reactions, with some world leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, condemning it. Former US President Barack Obama also described the incident as a 'horrific and brutal murder' and emphasized that no one in America should be targeted for their religion. However, Khamenei expressed disbelief that Western governments seriously pursue those who commit violence against Muslims. Speaking on Saturday, February 24, he remarked: 'Neo-Nazi youths in Germany attack a group of Muslims, attack Muslim mosques; they beat, they kill, and there is no serious pursuit; we have not heard of it. Or that young Arab girl who, for example, had a hijab, is beaten and killed because of her hijab, and no one follows up; now they said they imposed a punishment [on the perpetrator]; one does not think that they are being seriously pursued; they really are not pursued. It is the same in other places; in America and other countries, unfortunately, it is the same. They claim to be human rights advocates.' Khamenei referred to the case of Marwa El Sherbini, an Egyptian immigrant in Germany who had sued Alexander Wenz for insulting her Islamic dress and hijab, but the accused attacked her in court and killed her with knife stabs. The German court sentenced Marwa El Sherbini's murderer to life imprisonment, which is the maximum penalty in that country. However, Khamenei stated that these events should be 'compared with what is happening in Iran' so that 'the Christian world knows that there is this much tolerance towards non-Muslims in an Islamic country; this tolerance does not exist there.' He added: 'Reflect these behaviors of the Islamic Republic abroad.' The leader of the Islamic Republic said: 'In the Islamic era and the Islamic Republic, there has been no precedent of aggression against non-Muslims by Muslims. Even the most radical Hezbollah youth never allows himself to attack a non-Muslim.' Khamenei's remarks come at a time when various reports from international organizations indicate violations of religious freedom in Iran. For instance, Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur, has cited multiple cases of the arrest of religious minorities such as Baha'is, Gonabadi dervishes, and Protestant Christians. Since the revolution, several church leaders have been killed in Iran, and hundreds of Christians have been interrogated and imprisoned. The printing of the Bible in Persian has been banned, and some churches have been closed, with church ceremonies being prevented. Dozens of Gonabadi dervishes are currently imprisoned in Iran. Last summer, the Shiraz Revolutionary Court sentenced 15 Baha'i citizens to suspended and punitive prison sentences for 'security crimes,' with the least of these sentences being one and a half years of suspended imprisonment and the most being three and a half years of punitive imprisonment. Last year's report from the Commission on International Religious Freedom, based in the United States, identified Iran along with 14 other countries as among the worst violators of religious freedom. Regarding the criticism of the film 'American Sniper,' Khamenei's remarks on Saturday also included criticism of this film, which is the latest work by Clint Eastwood. He said: 'This film 'Sniper,' which has now raised a ruckus and Hollywood has made it, encourages a young person to harass Muslims as much as he can; it encourages this meaning; as it has been reported, we have not seen this film. This method is not favored by Islam; Islam believes in fairness.' The film 'American Sniper' is based on the memoirs of a US Navy SEAL sniper in Iraq who targeted dozens of people during the war in that country. This film has been nominated for awards in six categories at this year's Academy Awards.