Khamenei to Western youth: Read the Koran, dispel anti-Islamic myths

Haaretz

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has launched an appeal to Western youth, following the recent deadly attacks by Islamist gunmen in Paris, to re-examine Islam and dispel anti-Muslim myths.

In a 900-word letter posted on Twitter, Khamenei implores readers to "receive knowledge of Islam from its primary and original sources," and "study and research the incentives behind [a] widespread tarnishing of the image of Islam."

Khamenei asks Western youth "not to allow the derogatory and offensive image-buildings to create an emotional gulf between you and the reality, taking away the possibility of an impartial judgment from you.

"Today, the communication media have removed the geographical borders," Khamenei continues, "Hence, don’t allow them to besiege you within fabricated and mental borders."

The Iranian leader explicitly refers to the recent terror attacks in France, which, he says, convinced him to directly address Western youth, saying, "Don't allow [the perpetrators of the attacks] to hypocritically introduce their own recruited terrorists as representatives of Islam."

Extracts from the letter have been posted individually and as graphics on Khamenei's Twitter account, using the hashtag #Letter4U.

Khamenei is an avid Twitter user, and has previously taken to the social media platform to, among other things, call for Israel's elimination.