Cleric criticizes US over Visa denial to Iranˈs envoy
Tehran Interim Friday prayers leader Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani strongly criticized Washington for not issuing visa for Iranˈs proposed envoy to the United Nations in New York.
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ˈThis move shows the US continued animosity towards people of Muslim countries,ˈ Ayatollah Movahedi Kermani said, addressing a ceremony in Shiraz on Saturday night.
He pointed to the fact that the UN is not a private organization of the US, but it belongs to all member-states while strongly criticizing the US outrageous move.
ˈThis US attempt is in the meantime in the interest of our people and other Muslim nations because it shows the real face of the US statemen to the international community with regard to their animosity towards the freedom-seekers,ˈ Ayatollah Movahedi Kermani said.
His remarks came after the US House of Representatives unanimously approved a legislation that would prevent Aboutalebi from entering the US. The US Senate had earlier approved the legislation in a voice vote.
US President Barack Obama also singed the legislation on Friday.
Washington says it is denying Aboutalebi a visa because he was involved in the takeover of the former US embassy in Tehran during post-revolution incidents in 1979. Aboutalebi, however, says, he worked merely as an interpreter while negotiations were going on for the release of the embassy staff.
On November 4, 1979; a group of Iranian university students took over the US embassy in Tehran, which they believed had turned into a ˈden of espionageˈ. Documents found at the compound later corroborated the claims by the students.
On Wednesday, Iranˈs Permanent Representative to the United Nations Gholam Hossein Dehqani deplored the US move, saying it weakens the UNˈs status.
"This move is in contravention of the host countryˈs commitments regarding the headquarters agreement with the UN and other diplomatic laws," Dehqani said in a meeting with UN Undersecretary General for Legal Affairs Miguel Soares.
He underlined that the US move would negatively influence the activities of the member-states and it would undermine the UNˈs status.
Dehqani noted that Iran would certainly pursue the row in the Host Committee of the UN.
Soares, for his part, said that he studied Iranˈs letter of protest and the UN would take appropriate action in response. /SR
