Terror in London (6) - Tehran Sermon: The US and Israel are the Father and Mother of Al-Qaeda; The Preacher Condemns London Attacks and the Crowd Cheers "Death to England"

The following are excerpts from a Friday sermon at Tehran University by Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani, which aired on Iranian TV Channel 1 on July 8, 2005

Kashani: Regarding the bombing incidents in London, the Islamic Republic and the foreign ministry have expressed their position and condemned them. The entire Iranian people condemns this. Massacring women, children, old and young is entirely inappropriate for a human being, and cannot be accepted by anyone with a conscience. Iran has expressed its people's solidarity with the survivors of these incidents in London.

You speak of terror and Al-Qaeda. Have you forgotten who the mother and father of Al-Qaeda are? America is its father, and Israel its mother. It is the illegitimate child of these powers. You yourselves have brought it about...

Crowd:Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Khamenei is the leader. Death to those who reject the rule of the jurisprudent. Death to America. Death to England. Death to the hypocrites (Mojahedin-e Khalq) and Saddam. Death to Israel.

Kashani: You yourselves have brought it about, and you have done so in the name of Islam. Thus, the child, whose father is the arrogance of the White House, and whose mother is the executioners of Israel, and who you have named "Islam" – is known to all. The reason he was named this way is clear, as is your true nature. You brought (Al-Qaeda) about in order to bring calamity to our lives, but, thank God, it has brought calamity to yours.