HR Issue Used As Pretext To Attack Human Culture: Iran Official

Tehran, March 13, IRNA - Head of Iranˈs High Council on Human Rights Mohammad-Javad Larijani said on Tuesday human rights issue has been used as a pretext to attack human culture. Larijani made the remarks in the 22nd regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Referring to the recent report by the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, he said the current invasion of human culture is considered as the greatest crime against humanity. Therefore, he said, Iran, as a part of the Muslim community, has a God-given right to chose its lifestyle based on Islamic tenets and its valuable culture, Larijani noted. He described the fourth report of Shaheed filed with the support of the US and its European allies as the product of an ˈunconstructive, biased and unfairˈ measure. Larijani stressed that such measures from technical point of view will only lead to further politicizing the atmosphere of human rights at the UN. Under pressure from the US and its allies, the UN Human Rights Council named Shaheed, the former Maldivian foreign minister, as its human rights rapporteur for Iran on June 17, 2011./end