Mohammad Khatami, Iran's former president, has lashed out at Iranian extremists, saying that they gave Iran's enemies the "best excuse to attack Islam and Iran."
Khatami, who espoused "Islamic democracy" during his eight-year leadership in Iran, was considered a moderate in comparison to his successor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Ahmadinejad elicited widespread criticism when he publicly announced that the state of Israel should be "wiped off the map." "We do not have to voice words that create political and economic problems for us in the world," Khatami said in response to his predecessor's remarks.
According to AFP, he said that those who "think that belief in democracy, freedom and progress tarnishes the revolutionary image of our country in the Islamic world and try to compete with the Taliban by advocating violence and committing extremist acts, which are at odds with the religion."
He added, "These groups should not forget they will never be able to replace Osama bin Laden and the Taliban, but will only be at the end of the line."
© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
