In a message issued on Sunday, President Hassan Rouhani denounced the deaths of three US Muslim students in a recent shooting in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, describing the incident as an alarming indication of expansion of violence and extremism.
He offered condolences to the victims' families, and all Muslims and human rights activists, IRNA reported.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Marzieh Afkham also strongly condemned the tragic event, which hurt the feelings of Muslims and followers of other divine religions.
Extending her sympathies to the families of the victims, she said, "The purposeful promotion of Islamophobia and anti-Islam mentality is highly deplorable and we call on the US administration to ensure a fair trial to restore the rights of the victims' families." In addition, the official stressed the responsibility of the international community to safeguard and promote religious and human values and the crucial role of the media to prevent extremism. The murder suspect has reportedly been motivated by hatred toward the victims because they were Muslim.
