TEHRAN, Iran - Iran blasted Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as
"ignorant" Thursday for saying that Western civilization was superior
to Islam.
"These remarks are the result of the Italian prime minister's ignorance
about Islam's culture and civilization and its fundamental impact on Western
civilization," said Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, quoted by Iran's news
agency IRNA.
"It is expected that the Italian prime minister will revise his viewpoint
and correct his remarks," Kharrazi said, adding that the comments were
"irresponsible."
Muslims around the world demanded an apology and the European Union voiced
concern over the remarks by Berlusconi, who took office in June amid concerns
outside Italy about his far-right political partners.
"We should be conscious of the superiority of our civilization , which
consists of a value system that has given people widespread prosperity in those
countries that embrace it, and guarantees respect for human rights and
religion," Berlusconi said Wednesday.
"This respect certainly does not exist in the Islamic countries," he
told Italian journalists in Berlin.
Berlusconi's office said he would meet the Saudi ambassador to Italy and other
Arab diplomats Tuesday, in an apparent effort to make amends.
Without mentioning Berlusconi's statement, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami
had earlier issued a strongly worded warning against people trying to create a
clash of civilizations.
Officials in Islamic countries have voiced concern over an anti-Muslim backlash
in the West after the September 11 suicide attacks on the United States.
Washington has named Saudi-born Islamic militant Osama bin Laden as the prime
suspect in the attacks which were allegedly carried out by Arab Muslim
militants.
17:32 09-27-01
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