On the occasion of Iran's World Mosque Day, which the Iranian regime marked on August 20, 2015, Iranian President Hassan Rohani accused Israel of responsibility for the arson at the Al-Aqsa Mosque 46 years ago, and added that Israel is continuing to perpetrate massacres and rapes.
The August 21, 1969 arson at Al-Aqsa was the act of a young Christian from Australia, Michael Denis Rohan, a member of the Church of God.
The following are excerpts from Rohani's speech, that were deleted from his official website and by most of the Iranian websites that covered the speech:
"We honor World Mosque Day, and we will not forget the bitter memory of the arson at the Muslims' first direction of prayer [i.e. Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem] 46 years ago.
"This incident means that the aggressive, occupying Zionist regime is not bound by the laws of society and of humanity. It takes no pity on men, children and women, and continues to kill and rape [them]. Not only [does it] disregard a house of prayer or a mosque, [it] also disregards the first direction of prayer in the world of the Muslims, and a place respected by all religions.
"This move by the Zionist regime [i.e. the arson] shows [its] aggressive essence and is also a sign of our awakening and our alertness regarding the preservation of our religious and Islamic identity."[1]
[1] Aryanews.com, August 20, 2015.
