Iran Summons Azeri Ambassador over Insult to Religious Sanctities
News number: 9102113023 17:50 | 2012-05-22
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9102113023

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned Azerbaijan's
Ambassador to Tehran Javanshir Akhundov to protest at Baku for its recent
insults to religious sanctities.

At the meeting, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi voiced the
Iranian government's protest at Azerbaijan for desecrating religious
sanctities.

The envoy said that he will convey the Iranian protest to the Azeri
officials.

Earlier, the Iranian embassy in Baku announced that Tehran has recalled its
ambassador to Azerbaijan.

"Ambassador Mohammad Bagher Bahrami left for Tehran on May 21 in connection
with the insulting of religious saints in Azerbaijan. He was recalled for
consultations," charge d'affaires Ahmed Nemati said in a statement on
Tuesday.

Baku has in recent months launched a serious campaign against Islam and
Islamic values , including destroying mosques, banning Hijab (veil for
women), detaining Muslim activists, killing Islamists and insulting
religious scholars.

Meantime, several anti-government protesters were arrested in Azerbaijan as
clashes broke out between Azeri police and protesters in central Baku a few
days before a gay parade in the Muslim state.

The activists in Azerbaijan have also opposed a gay parade planned on the
last day of the Eurovision contest (May 26). The protesters say the Muslim
country is no place for such immoral practices.

A proposal to hold a gay pride parade during this year's Eurovision Song
Contest in Baku has sparked anger among people in the mainly Muslim state of
Azerbaijan.

An international gay website initially floated the idea of a parade taking
place between March 22 and March 26, in the lead-up to the finals in May,
but then removed the proposal days later.

Since then, hundreds of people have joined a Facebook page opposing the plan
and a local gay group has received a death threat.

A group of hackers, calling themselves Cyberwarriors for Freedom, attacked
the official websites of the Eurovision song contest last week, demanding
that Azerbaijan cancel the parade.