Controversy
The Iranian Vice President recently made some extremely controversial remarks during a speech given at a UNODC Drugs and Crime conference in Tehran. In June 2012, Mohammad Reza Rahimi made the following statements at the UNODC Conference:
| “ | "The Islamic Republic of Iran will pay for anybody who can research and find one single Zionist who is an addict. They do not exist," he said. "This is the proof of their involvement in drugs trade." | ” |
He then went on to blame the Talmud, a key Jewish religious text, for the expansion of illegal drugs around the world and said that it teaches to “destroy everyone who opposes the Jews.”
Rahimi has been universally condemned for his controversial, and to many, totally unacceptable, remarks:
- EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton called his remarks "unacceptable" and reaffirmed the European Union's "absolute commitment to combating racism and anti-Semitism." Ashton went on to say that "the High Representative is deeply disturbed by racist and anti-Semitic statements made by Iranian First Vice President Mohammed Reza Rahimi at the U.N. International Day against Drug Abuse,"
- The UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon issued a statement saying that he had "...on many occasions called on Iranian officials to refrain from these kinds of anti-Semitic statements... believes it is the responsibility of leaders to promote harmony and understanding and he deeply regrets expressions of hatred and religious intolerance."
- The Minister for Middle East in the UK Alastair Burt said "We condemn utterly the baseless comments from Iran's Vice-President Rahimi about the Talmud and the Jewish faith, made at a United Nations drugs control event in Tehran this week. Racism and anti-semitism are unacceptable in any circumstance, let alone at an event sponsored by the United Nations. We call upon Iran to correct this scandalous statement, and to ensure that its officials respect the proper international norms and standards in the future."
- Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that "Israel would not allow any Jew to be harmed".
Read more about this topic: United Nations Office On Drugs And Crime
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