TEHRAN German Ambassador to Tehran Horst Baechmann was summoned to Iran's Foreign Ministry, following the attack of a group of counterrevolutionary agents on a group of Iranian people holding a mourning ceremony in the city of Cologne on Thursday. The attack took place at a time when a group of Iranians and Muslims residing in Germany were holding mourning ceremonies to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), the Third Imam of the Household of Prophet Mohammad (S).

The Iranian Foreign Ministry strongly protested irresponsible act of the German police and called for arrest and punishment of those who violated the religious sanctities of the Muslims and Iranians residing in Germany. The Foreign Ministry Director General in charge of Western Europe, Ali Ahani told Baechmann that the failure of the German police to provide security for those attending the religious rituals is not at all acceptable.

The ceremony had been held with the prior knowledge of the German officials concerned, he added. He also held the German government responsible for consequences of any similar incidents in the future. Denouncing the attack, Baechmann said that according to reports received from the German Foreign Ministry, the demonstration by the counterrevolutionary agents took place suddenly. According to the primary investigation, the local police in Cologne was unaware of the significance of `Ashura' ceremony for Muslims, nor did it have a precise evaluation of the sensitivity of the issue, the German ambassador stressed.

Meanwhile, an informed source at the Foreign Ministry told IRNA that following the attack by a group of counterrevolutionary agents on the Muslim mourners, the Iranian Embassy in Bonn, immediately, sent a protest note to the German Foreign Ministry, denouncing the irresponsible approach of the German police towards the incident. (AFP)