Iranian President Mohammad Khatami gave assurances that lawyer and Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi can work in security despite having received her prize without the Islamic veil. "I have given orders to the ministries of the interior and information that she should work in complete security," he told Le Monde newspaper.
"It would have been better as a Muslim woman (to have worn the veil) but everyone is free to make their own choice," he said.
"Islam bars us from producing nuclear weapon," Khatami told later a meeting of European scholars who gathered in the site of global council of churches.
Khatami touched on the world community pressures on Iran's nuclear activities, underscoring the fact that "Islam has meticulous regulations regarding wars. It would neither allow us to destroy houses and farms, nor to raid women and children."
"(Regarding that) how would such a religion (Islam) let us to produce atomic weapons?," the president argued.
Khatami denounced proliferation of all kinds of weapons of mass destruction in the world.
Iranian president exemplified Iran as the best for democracy in the region, reasoning the theme with poising a question: "Where would you find a couontry the same as Iran, in which authority and centralisation are reduced in favour of the public." (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
