June 2, 2014
AFP news agency (Agence France-Presse) has distorted remarks by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei about support for “Takfiri groups” in Syria.
In a meeting with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah in Tehran on Monday, Ayatollah Khamenei warned that the threats posed by “Takfiri groups” will eventually backfire on their regional supporters.
“Unfortunately, some regional countries are not aware of the danger that these Takfiri groups will pose to them in the future and continue supporting these groups,” the Leader stated.
However, AFP distorted the Leader’s remarks, using the phrase “extremist Sunni Muslim groups” instead of Takfiri groups.
In its initial version of the remarks, AFP said, “Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday warned regional countries of the ‘high price’ they would eventually pay for supporting extremist Sunni Muslim groups fighting Tehran’s key ally Syria.”
The news agency subsequently made a change to the piece, but once again inaccurately used the term “rebels” to refer to Takfiri groups.
In its apparently amended story, AFP wrote, “Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday warned regional countries of the ‘high price’ they would eventually pay for supporting rebels fighting against Tehran’s key ally Syria.”
It also claimed that Takfiri is “a synonymous term” Iranian officials use for Sunni extremists.
However, Takfiri groups have declared that they have a right to declare any Muslim and non-Muslim as apostates.