DPA: The Central Council of Muslims in Germany has condemned the call by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for the destruction of Israel. DPA
BERLIN – The Central Council of Muslims in Germany has condemned the call by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for the destruction of Israel.
The central council’s chairman, Nadeem Elyas told Germany’s weekly Bild on Sonntag, that Ahmadinejad’s statement was unacceptable and harmed the search for a solution to the Middle East conflict.
Elyas’ interview was released ahead of its publication on Sunday.
Ahmadinejad’s call for Israel’s destruction has been met with condemnation from leaders from around the world.
Speaking at a conference this week, Ahmadinejad said: “God willing the eradication of Israel would soon be realized through the continued wisdom of the Palestinian nation.”
But Elyas told Bild: “We expect each state to respect international law and to respect the rights of other states.
“This applies both to Israel regarding the Palestinian people, and to Iran regarding Israel,” he said.
Along with Germany’s Islamic Council, the Central Council of Muslims is one of the biggest organizations representing the around 3.2 million Muslims living in Germany.
In a separate interview with Berlin newspaper B.Z. am Sonntag, Germany’s designated Minister of the Interior Wolfgang Schaeuble warned Ahmadinejad’s threat had to be taken seriously.
“These remarks must make everyone tremendously anxious in particular about Iran pursuing further an atomic energy policy”, said Schaeuble in the B.Z. interview, which was also released ahead of its Sunday publication.
Schaeuble said it was the task of all countries to make it clear to Iran that it is taking a completely wrong path, adding that it would be dangerous to have illusions about Iran.
