AVA- Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi on Friday denounced the deadly attacks by an alleged white supremacist - reportedly an admirer of US President Donald Trump - as inhumane and totally brutal.
“Any terrorist attack must be condemned by all states no matter where in the world, by whom, and with what motivation and pretext it is carried out,” Qassemi said.
He also urged governments to prevent racist and Islamophobic movements and ideologies from threatening the security and tranquility of the citizens of states across the world.
His reaction came as political and Islamic leaders expressed their disgust at the massacre and cited rising "Islamophobia" as responsible.
At least one gunman killed 49 people and wounded more than 20 during Friday prayers in New Zealand's worst ever mass shooting, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern condemned as terrorism.
The Australian gunman, identified as Brenton Tarrant, broadcast live footage on Facebook of the attack on one mosque in the city of Christchurch, mirroring the carnage played out in video games, after publishing a "manifesto" in which he denounced immigrants, calling them "invaders".
In his manifesto, Tarrant said he saw Trump as “symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose.”
The 28-year-old terrorist said he chose to use a gun over other weapons because it would spark a debate around the second amendment.
“With enough pressure the left wing within the United States will seek to abolish the second amendment, and the right wing within the US will see this as an attack on their very freedom and liberty,” Tarrant said.
“This attempted abolishment of rights by the left will result in a dramatic polarization of the people in the United States and eventually a fracturing of the US along cultural and racial lines.
“Eventually, when the white population of the USA realizes the truth of the situation, war will erupt,” he added.