Ahmadinejad spoke to CNN's Piers Morgan in New York, ahead of the president's visit to the U.N. General Assembly this week.
"Fundamentally, first of
all, any action that is provocative, offends the religious thoughts and
feelings of any people, we condemn," he said about the inflammatory film
that mocks the Prophet Mohammed as a womanizer, child molester and killer.
"Likewise, we condemn any
type of extremism. Of course, what took place was ugly. Offending the
Holy Prophet is quite ugly. This has very little or nothing
to do with
freedom and freedom of speech. This is the weakness of and the abuse of
freedom, and in many places it is a crime. It shouldn't take place and I
do hope the day will come in which politicians will not seek to offend
those whom others hold holy," said Ahmadinejad.
"We also believe that
this must also be resolved in a humane atmosphere, in a participatory
environment and we do not like anyone losing their lives or being killed
for any reason, anywhere in the world."
The privately produced
film sparked protests against the United States, where it was made.
While most of the demonstrations have been peaceful, some were marred by
violence that has left more than two dozen people dead -- among them U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other Americans killed in an attack on the consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that reportedly followed a demonstration against the film.
When asked by Morgan
whether he thought protesters should stop threatening U.S. staff abroad,
Ahmadinejad responded that he cannot say what other people or nations
should do, but that he believes "extremism gives birth to following and
subsequent extremists.
"Perhaps if the
politicians take a better position in the West vis-a-vis offensive words
or thoughts or pictures towards what we hold holy, I think conditions
will improve," the president said.
During the wide-ranging
interview, which will be broadcast Monday, Ahmadinejad discussed what
Iran would do if Israel were to attack it.
"Any nation has the
right and will indeed defend herself. But my question is this: Why
should the world be managed in such a way that an individual can allow
himself to threaten a rich and deeply rooted historical, ancient
country, such as Iran. A great country, such as Iran, based on an excuse
of his own fabrication ... Another country can say, I am guessing that
country B is doing activity X, therefore I will attack that country ...
can this be ... a successful formula for the management of the world?"
Ahmadinejad asked.
The president was likely referring to his country's disputed nuclear program.
Some world powers,
particularly Western nations, suspect that Iran is seeking to build
nuclear weapons. Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful
purposes.
In response to whether
he feared a war, or military conflict, with Israel was imminent,
Ahmadinejad said: "The Zionists are very much, very adventuresome, very
much seeking to fabricate things and I think they see themselves at the
end of the line and I do firmly believe that they seek to create new
opportunities for themselves and their adventurous behaviors."
In related news Sunday, a
top general in Iran said his country would be capable of defeating
Israel within a day, according to Iran's state-run Press TV.
"A regime (with a
frontier) that in some spots is only 24 kilometers wide could have its
back broken by one of our infantry battalions in 24 hours," Brigadier
General Hossein Salami reportedly said.
"Our strategic doctrines
are all defensive, but our tactics are invasive. It means that we do
not initiate any war, but if anyone wages a war against us, we will
counterattack incessantly and will not stop," he said, Press TV
reported. "The enemy could initiate a war, but its ending would be up to
us."
President Ahmadinejad also spoke strongly about his views on homosexuality.
"I'm sorry. Let me ask
you this. Do you believe that anyone is giving birth through
homosexuality? Homosexuality ceases procreation. Who has said that if
you like or believe in doing something ugly, and others do not accept
your behavior, that they're denying your freedom?" he asked Morgan.
"Proper education must
be given ... the education system must be revamped. The political system
must be revamped. And these must be also reformed, revamped along the
way. But if you, if a group recognizes an ugly behavior or ugly deed as
legitimate, you must not expect other countries or other groups to give
it the same recognition."
CULLED:CNN
EDITED:LII
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