(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Iran's ambassador to the Vatican says officials in the Catholic Church back the popular protests in Arab countries, but fear extremists might take control.
"They are concerned that some radical, extremist groups like the Wahhabis in Arab nations might seize power and violate the rights of religious minorities," Ali Akbar Naseri said on Thursday.
The Iranian envoy said in meetings with Vatican officials, it was stressed that terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and extremists like Wahhabis have no relation with true Islam, and are forged by arrogant powers.
Naseri also pointed to Pope Benedict XVI reaction to the brutal crackdown on anti-regime protesters in Bahrain and Libya.
"While the Pope took a strong position concerning the killing of people in Libya but it was not so in the issue of Bahrain, for this reason in our meetings with the Pope we explained the West's double standards in certain countries including Bahrain," he pointed out.
Since the onset of Bahrain's popular uprising in February, large numbers of anti-government protesters have poured into the streets across the Persian Gulf island nation, calling for more rights, freedom and wide-ranging political reforms in the political system of their country.
Local sources say dozens of people have been killed and hundreds arrested so far during the government clampdown on peaceful demonstrations in the kingdom.
According to the Bahrain Center for Human Rights -- a non-governmental organization -- there are currently over 1,000 political detainees inside the country.
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16 September 2011 - 19:30
News ID: 266034
Iran's ambassador to the Vatican says officials in the Catholic Church back the popular protests in Arab countries, but fear extremists might take control.
