Dubai: Iran summoned France's envoy in Tehran on Wednesday to protest against dozens of cartoons about the nation’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei published by the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani reportedly told the French envoy on Wednesday that Iran did not accept insulting its Islamic, religious and national sanctities and values in any way, Reuters reported.
The French magazine said the cartoons were part of a competition it launched last month to support anti-government protests in Iran touched off by the death of a young woman in the custody of morality police.
The raging protests against the harsh Islamic laws in the nation expressed deeper woes of women with many coming out openly cutting their hairs and even confronting security forces.
Protests had caused ripples of support from across the world with many celebrities expressing solidarity with the women.
In the face of criticism and protest, Iran's religious leaders chose to accuse its foreign foes of fueling mass protests to destabilise the country.
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Wednesday warned that Iran would give a ‘ firm response’ to the "offensive and indecent" move.
"We won't allow the French government to go too far. They've definitely chosen the wrong path," Amirabdollahian reportedly tweeted.
The special edition of Charlie Hebdo ran the caricatures to mark the anniversary of a deadly attack by Islamist militants.
on its Paris office on Jan. 7, 2015 that wiped out all of its editorial staff.
The attack came after the weekly had published cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed.