BERLIN (AP) – Iran’s foreign minister has accused the West of fueling Islamic extremism by failing to protect the rights of Muslim immigrants.
Mohammad Javad Zarif told the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday that “a sizeable number” of those joining the Islamic State group and others were second-generation immigrants in western democracies.
He noted that some of those “beheading innocent civilians speak European languages with native accents” – a veiled reference to “Jihadi John,” who appeared in several IS propaganda videos showing the execution of the group’s prisoners.
“Jihadi John” was revealed last week to be Mohammed Emwazi, a young man raised in London.
Zarif also repeated his country’s previous claim that western efforts to promote human rights in the Mideast have destabilized existing regimes and benefited extremist groups.