Rouhani's Call to Condemn Hostile Shia and Sunni Channels

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, said on Wednesday, January 7, "If a television or radio channel stands in defense of Shia or in defense of Sunni against other religions, we should condemn it with one voice." According to IRNA, Rouhani, speaking at the 28th "International Conference on Islamic Unity," added, "If we seek unity and solidarity, if someone insults the sanctities of another religion, we should reject and condemn them with one voice." These remarks by Hassan Rouhani come three days after Mohammad Pourfalah, the Deputy Minister of Intelligence of Iran, announced that the offices of 17 satellite networks established in the name of "Shia" have been closed for inciting division. A few days prior, the governor of Qom had reported receiving a letter from Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon, complaining about the programs of these satellite networks. Rouhani continued his speech by saying, "The meaning of unity and solidarity is not that someone should abandon their path. It means tolerance. It means moderation." These statements from Rouhani come at a time when some Shia clerics have verbally attacked Sunnis in recent years. For instance, Mohammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi, a member of the Assembly of Experts, referred to Sunni Muslims as believers in a "false religion" and stated, "Shia books should be promoted among Sunnis so that those with less prejudice can quickly reach the true religion." Meanwhile, Hamid Reza Pashang, the secretary of the Sunni Representatives Assembly, called on April 13 this year for insults against the sanctities and scholars of Sunnis to become red lines for the regime.