Cleric warns US, UK against dividing Shiites, Sunnis

Arabic News.com, 20 January 2007

Iran's Substitute Friday prayers leader of Tehran Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani yesterday warned against the US and UK attempts to divide Shiites and Sunnis and said the world, including the Middle East and Muslim world, have become growingly aware of this.

Delivering his second Friday prayers sermon to large groups of worshipers at Tehran University campus, Ayatollah Kashani said dividing Shiites and Sunnis is a “rusted and useless weapon.” “That's a rusted weapon and the US and UK do not know what a hell they can do. Sometimes they decide to divide Shiites and Sunnis, sometimes they attack Iranian consulate in Erbil and sometimes they speak of issuing sanctions against Iran,” said Ayatollah Kashani.

He then switched to nuclear charges against Iran and said, “Nuclear energy is a scientific subject but they launch publicity against it, falsely claiming that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons.” He emphasized that Iranian nation will stage a huge rally on Bahman 22 (February 11), marking triumph anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, and will respond to all the plots.

The cleric said the US and British policies are defeated worldwide.

He called on Shiite and Sunni leaders to be vigilant against the US and UK conspiracies and said, “Unity between Shiites and Sunnis should be real, from bottom of their hearts and for the sake of God; and it should not be geopolitically and economically motivated.”