Iran's supreme leader condemns Olympics opening ceremony

Iran- Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday condemned "insults" he said were made against Christianity at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. "Respect for #JesusChrist... is an indisputable, definite matter for Muslims. We condemn these insults directed at the holy figures of divine religions, including Jesus Christ," read the statement on the official X social media account attributed to Khamenei. The July 26 opening ceremony featured a show with dancers, drag queens and a DJ in poses that recalled depictions of the Last Supper, the final meal Jesus is said to have taken with his apostles. A group of French bishops condemned in a statement on July 27 what they saw as "scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity".

Since then, many other religious figures and institutions, including Islamic ones, as well a number of world leaders and high-ranking officials including former US president Donald Trump have lambasted the ceremony. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined the fray on Tuesday condemning "immorality against all Christians". The organisers of the ceremony, have apologised for any offence saying "there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group". "If people have taken any offence, we are of course really, really sorry," Paris Olympics 2024 spokeswoman Anne Descamps said on Sunday.

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