Iran: ISIS is 'killing humanity'
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
(CNN) -- Sounding as much like a Western leader as a Middle Eastern one, Iran's president is denouncing ISIS in strong terms, but even in firm opposition he's hardly embracing the U.S.-led military effort intent on destroying the extremist group.
Hassan Rouhani, in an interview with NBC News, characterized ISIS's recent beheadings of three Western captives are offensive to all people, including Muslims like himself.
"They want to kill humanity and, from the viewpoint of the Islamic tenets and culture, killing an innocent person equals the killing of (all) humanity," Rouhani said of ISIS militants, according to the translation on NBC's website. " ... The killing and beheading of innocent people, in fact, is a matter of shame on them and a matter of concern and sorry for all ... mankind."
The only relevant thing about the victims is that they were innocent, not their nationalities or religions, according to Rouhani. The three killed were British aid worker David Haines and American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff. Sotloff was Jewish and had dual citizenship with Israel.
"Who can really tolerate to see an innocent person be executed?" said the Iranian president. "It doesn't make any difference, from our viewpoint, if the person is Muslim, Jewish, Christian or (a) follower of any other religion. It is not important to us ... which nationality he belongs to."
Rouhani's position on ISIS isn't entirely new or unexpected.
The group is made up of Sunni Muslims aiming to create a vast caliphate in the region under its strict, distinct version of Sharia law. Iran consists predominantly of Shia Muslims, and it could find itself under attack if ISIS militants move east from Iraq into its territory.
Iran isn't alone in its stance on ISIS. U.S. President Barack Obama has been active in his opposition to the group, ordering airstrikes targeting ISIS in Iraq and promising similar air attacks on the group in Syria.
In his NBC interview, Rouhani did not appear supportive or impressed with Washington's plan to form a coalition -- one which he called "ridiculous" -- or its using airstrikes, rather than ground forces, to combat the ISIS threat.
Visit link:
Iran: ISIS is 'killing humanity'