By Vareedi

Americans often wonder when and where hard feelings against the West began in Iran. Perhaps it goes all the way back to the ancient Greeks calling their Persian invaders Barbarians as the start of the current East/West split.

Reaction to Threat of Quran Burning

Tehran’s Ettelaat International Newspaper, quotes Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: “Muslim nations must grow closer to one another and take steps toward unity, since the only way to confront the anti-Islamic front is the formation of a united front by the Muslim community.”

The Leader previously said on Friday, September 10, 2010: “The idea that the enemies of Islam are on friendly terms with some Muslims and are enemies with other Muslims is a wrong one, because they are opposed to the main principle of Islam which urges standing up to bullies.”

Both statements were made in the context of Florida Pastor Terry Jones’ plan (which was later reversed, of course) to burn Qurans on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. About this threat, President Ahmandi Nejad was quoted the same day saying: “The plan to burn Qurans was a Zionist plot, and against the teachings of all divine prophets.”