In a message released on Tuesday, Ayatollah Khamenei said the “grave and unforgivable sin” committed by the French magazine, Charlie Hebdo, to insult the divine character of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) once again laid bare the devilish hostility and grudge that Western political and cultural organizations hold against Islam and the Muslim community.

The Leader also denounced as “rejected, wrong and demagogic” the justification of freedom of expression given by certain French politicians for refusing to condemn such a serious crime.

“The deeply anti-Islamic policies of Zionists and the arrogant governments are the reason for such hostile moves that take place every now and then,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding that the insulting move at the current juncture could be aimed at distracting the attention of West Asian nations and governments from the ominous plots that the US and the Zionist regime have hatched against the region.

“Muslim nations, particularly West Asian countries, must remain vigilant about issues in this delicate region, and never forget the hostilities of the Western politicians and leaders against Islam and Muslims,” Ayatollah Khamenei underlined.

Charlie Hebdo has republished the same cartoons about the Great Prophet and Islam that prompted a deadly attack on the magazine in 2015.

While the insulting move has drawn widespread condemnation from the Muslim world, French President Emmanuel Macron has refused to criticize the satirical magazine’s decision to republish the cartoon.