Iranian mullah claims "Islam advocates freedom"

Iranian.ws.:

Jul 22, 2005

Mullah Khatami said on Tuesday that Islam advocates freedom, progress and development.

Iran house to over 50.000 political prisoners from students, journalists to ordinary citizens, many were executed already.

In a meeting with chancellors of universities and heads of centers of science and technology, President Khatami said that Islam advocated by late Imam Khomeini calls for recognizing national interests and international criteria and "saving ourselves from the crisis created by others."

"It is not right to welcome crisis with wrong behavior. We are expected to secure our national interests by avoiding crisis," mullah said.

"In the past eight years, we have worked hard to say that Islam is not against freedom, progress and development." "What is being introduced in the name of Islam in other parts of the world is nothing more than violence and backwardness. It is diversion from the true path of Islam. Such methodology has given excuse to those who want to misportray truth as falsehood," mullah added.

"We should prove that Islam (infamous)Khomeini advocated is contrary to the Islam of Talibans and al-Qaeda," he said.