Interim Friday Prayer Leader of Tehran Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani said on Friday that, "Al-Qaeda is the illegitimate child of the United States and Israel." Addressing thousands of worshipers at central campus of Tehran University, Kashani made the remark in response to British Prime Minister Tony Blair's criticism of Islam in his reaction to fatal Thursday bomb blasts in London.

He added, "Tony Blair has in his yesterday remarks asked, 'Is this Islam? What kind of Islam do they (Al-Qaeda) believe in? This is a fake version of Islam.'"

Ayatollah Kashani reiterated, "Has the British prime minister forgotten who Al-Qaeda's parents are? I remind him then that the United States is Al-Qaeda's father and Israel is the mother of that illegitimate child (Al-Qaeda)."

This week's Friday prayer preacher further stressed, "It was you yourselves that created this group in the name of Islam and therefore the conduct of a child whose father is the global arrogance, or the White House, and its mothers are the Israeli butchers should not surprise anyone."

According to IRNA, Emami-Kashani said, "You gave birth to this group to make a beast out of it for us, but thanks Allah, it is now taking good care of ourselves."

© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)