West responsible for IS crimes: Iran

Tehran, March 2: Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has slammed the West for the crimes committed by Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in Europe and the Middle East.

"Why quite a sizeable number of individuals and groups espousing extremist ideologies and engaged in acts of brutal terror and heinous violence, in Europe and on a much bigger scale in Iraq and Syria, happen to be second generation citizens of 'Western democracies'," Press TV quoted Zarif as saying while addressing a session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.

"It is frightening that IS terrorists, beheading innocent civilians, speak European languages with native accent.

"The high rate of terrorist recruitments signify a systematic failure, which has led to marginalisation, alienation and disenfranchisement of individuals and groups born, raised and educated in Western democracies," he added.

He commended the UN agency for its efforts to establish peace in the world, but criticised the international body and some other regional and Western countries for politicising all world issues with their double policies.

He added that such duplicitous approaches have stepped up the spread of acts of terrorism in the world.

The Iranian foreign minister also said that Islamophobia is an insult to Muslim sanctities.

"We should thus join hands to contain, control and defeat Islamophobia as well as extremism of other varieties," said the minister.

Zarif arrived in Geneva on Monday and is scheduled to head to Montreaux to meet with the US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The two top diplomats are scheduled to discuss issues relating to Iran's nuclear programme.

Head of Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi is also accompanying Zarif.

IANS