President Hassan Rouhani has condemned Friday’s “terrorist, racist” attacks on Muslim worshippers in New Zealand, saying the perpetrators of the crime should be brought to justice.

Rouhani’s message, published on his official website late Friday, reads as follows:

In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

The terrorist, racist attack on Muslim prayers in New Zealand was a brutal, tragic act that filled the hearts of all Muslims and free people around the world, including the Iranian nation, with deep grief.

This savage crime that led to the martyrdom and injury of a number of innocent, defenseless prayers is another sign for the importance of comprehensive fight against terrorism and spreading hatred towards ethnic and religious groups, and also the common Islamophobia in the West, which is unfortunately fanned by some western powers.

The unprofessional, inhumane news coverage of this terrorist crime by some boastful western media is another proof of their racist views and double standards towards the lives of people. This ferocity and clear barbarism is not something that clear conscience that respect human values can forget.

This crime proved that terrorism is still an important global scourge and requires integrated fight and identical approach of all countries towards violence and extremism anywhere in the world, and the international communities, especially Muslim countries should show serious reaction to such anti-human crimes, exposing all their hidden and clear sponsors and supporters.

The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is still determined to combat terrorism and racism and is confident that such blind, indiscriminate conspiracies of the enemies will not have any results for them except for more infamy under more unity and integrity among Muslims.

I hereby condemn this horrible catastrophe and express my sympathy to the families of the victims, offering condolences to the entire Muslim community in the world, and pray to the Almighty for the martyrs and wish swift recovery for the injured.

The foreign ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran will seriously follow up the heinous act and call for the apprehension and bringing all its perpetrators and instructors to justice through international stages.