3 months ago
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NEW DELHI:
Iran
on Tuesday summoned
Australia
's ambassador over a social media post by the Australian embassy that the Iranian government considered "norm-breaking"
The reaction comes a day after the official Instagram handle of the Australian embassy shared multiple photos featuring diplomats dressed in purple and enjoying cupcakes to commemorate 'Wear It Purple Day', an annual event celebrating LGBTQIA+ youth that originated in Australia.
The caption read, “Today, and every day, we’re dedicated to creating a supportive environment where everyone, especially LGBTQIA+ youth, can feel proud to be themselves.”
The Instagram post was criticised by Iran for promoting homosexuality. However, Australia's ambassador to Iran, Ian McConville, clarified that the post was not intended to offend Iranian values and did not mention Iran. McConville, appointed in April, is a senior diplomat with prior experience in South Korea, Nigeria, and the UN.
An Iranian
foreign ministry
official condemned the embassy’s post as insulting and contrary to Iranian and Islamic traditions, claiming it violated international law, according to Iran's Mehr news agency.
The post is still available on the embassy's Instagram page.
Australian minister for employment and workplace relations Murray Watt expressed concern over Iran's reaction and reaffirmed Australia’s support for LGBTQIA+ rights. He said it was too early to determine if Australia would respond formally.
Foreign minister
Penny Wong
also defended Australia’s commitment to human rights, and asserted that the country advocates for these principles both domestically and internationally.
Homosexual activity is illegal in Iran and can be punished by death.
In 2022, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned homosexuality as part of Western "moral depravity."
Last month, Australia also summoned Iran's ambassador over a controversial post on X calling for the violent removal of Israelis from Palestine, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned as anti-Semitic and inappropriate.
