TEHRAN – Iran's Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili has written a letter to the ministers of culture of 34 Islamic countries, denouncing Israel's war crimes against journalists in Palestine.

In the letter, which was published on Wednesday, Esmaeili stated that the killing of journalists amounts to a gross violation of cultural rights.

Esmaeili offered his support to the oppressed people of Palestine, particularly the Muslims of Gaza and the West Bank, who are currently facing attacks by the Zionist regime. He emphasized that the international community must take action to stop these violations of human rights.

The following is part of the mentioned letter:

As you are aware, over three decades have passed since the first intifada in Palestine and Muslims in the occupied territories and Gaza Strip on the West Bank are still standing against the Zionist regime. The uprising, initiated with the bare hands and unwavering strength of children, has found its perpetrators still seeking vengeance by targeting children for death. 

These days, people across the globe have joined hands to support the Gaza resistance, bringing forth an unprecedented amount of social and cultural capital for the cause of freedom. Through this resistance, the dream of Muslim conformity has been quelled, creating an opportunity for the oppressed to make their mark in history.

Before the ongoing conflict, during a meeting of Culture Ministers from Islamic nations, I addressed the matter and stressed the significance of the ever-changing landscape. 

Henceforth, as representatives of the Islamic world's culture, we hold a vital obligation to enact influential policies and champion the "cultural rights of Islamic resistance." This responsibility falls directly on the shoulders of the culture ministers of Islamic nations and must be carried out with utmost diligence.

Two proposals are put forward based on the mentioned facts:

1. According to official statistics, at least 10 Muslim and non-Muslim journalists from major media outlets around the world have lost their lives and become martyrs in the past week. The footage of the dismembered bodies of these journalists in the hands of Zionist occupiers hurts the conscience of every cultured, freedom-loving, and human-friendly individual. 

We cannot be inactive or silent in the face of this, which is our primary responsibility. These atrocities, along with the bombardment of news agencies' offices in Gaza, constitute a "war crime against journalists" and not only a gross violation of cultural rights, but also a "systematic military constraint" against global media. 

We must utilize every possibility to protect journalists and media outlets. Therefore, it is proposed that we all request our governments to take coordinated and collective action against the Zionist regime for trampling on the rights of the media and this crime against journalists by filing a complaint with the International Court of Justice, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will also take steps in this regard.

2. Advancing the ideas of the 12th Meeting of Ministers of Culture of the Islamic World in Qatar is necessary in the current critical situation. Today, not only Islamic intellectuals but also independent thinkers from around the world have joined the resistance camp. 

If this historic opportunity for the "unity of resistant intellectuals" is not appreciated, it will cause significant damage. Therefore, there is readiness for the Islamic Republic of Iran to host the resistant intellectuals for the exchange of cultural initiatives against the Zionist regime in the shortest possible time, and through this, we can take immediate actions.

SAB/