TEHRAN – Some major Iranian cultural organizations have denounced the U.S. airstrike in Baghdad on Friday, targeting Iran’s Quds Force commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and a number his companions.

In a statement published on Friday, The Iranian House of Cinema, which is the official guild of Iranian cineastes, sent a message of condolences over the martyrdom of the commander. 

“The Iranian House of Cinema and Iranian cineastes along with the patient and peace-seeking people of Iran condemn this crime and ask all the world artists to accompany us in censuring violence and terrorism,” the statement reads.

The Iran Music Publishers Guild also expressed condolences over the brave martyrdom of the commander in a message.

“Martyrdom is the art of the men of God,” reads the message, strongly condemning the terrorist action by the U.S. government.

Iranian cineastes also have signed a petition asking world devotees and peace-seeking people to condemn the terrorist act.

“We Iranian artists from any range of thoughts and viewpoints censure terrorism in any kind,” reads the petition.

“The establishment of new tensions by the U.S. government, which only leads to elevated tensions and death in the Middle East, an increase in the number of weapons sales and the destruction of human resources, is condemned by all the world peace-seeking people,” the petition adds.

“We ask all the scholars, artists and peace-seeking nation of Iran, the region, and the world to censure this terrorist act, which led to the martyrdom of commander Qassem Soleimani,” it concludes.

Homayun Asadian, Ahmadreza Darvish, Kamal Tabrizi, Behruz Shoeibi, Narges Abyar, Mohsen Amiryuseifan actors Parviz Parastui, Mohsen Tanabandeh, Farhad Aslani and Alireza Shojanuri are among the cineastes who have signed the petition.

Photo: A portrait of Quds Force commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani. 

RM/MMS/YAW