Turkish Official Says Hezbollah Should Change Name To “Party Of Satan” And Discuses Racism, Islamophobia

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir BozdaÄŸ said Hezbollah, or "the Party of God" in Arabic, should change its name to "the Party of Satan," or Hezb al-Shaitan. Hezbollah is a militant group and political party in Lebanon, which vowed its support for the Syrian government a few days ago, NPR reports.

Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised address that the group pledges its assitance to Syria to fight against Islamic radicals who pose a danger to Lebanon. Nasrallah said Hezbollah will help make Syrian President Bashar al-Assad victorious in the conflict.

"We will continue this road until the end, we will take the responsibility and we will make all the sacrifices," he said. "We will be victorious."

This comment was the clearest public confirmation that the Iranian-backed group is involved in Syria's war.

BozdaÄŸ blamed Hezbollah for killing civilians in Syria when he suggested they change their name to "Party of Satan."

In his symposium in Ankara, BozdaÄŸ also discussed racism and its impact on the world. He called racism "one of the deadliest diseases the world is facing," and a huge factor to the division in the Muslim world.

"Racism is a sickness that threatens Turkey and other countries in the Middle East," BozdaÄŸ continued. "If someone decides to kill a man based on racist feelings, then he rejects the book of God and His orders. Quran and Islam do not absolutely approve of killing of people based on racist feelings. Turkey has been fighting against racist terrorism for the past 30 years."

BozdaÄŸ also voiced his rejection towards those who promote "Islamophobia," which is an echo of what Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan firmly believes and has discussed at length in the past.

"There is an international media that works for Islam to be remembered with activities of violence and terror and make Muslims to be believed to be terrorists. Whoever is carrying this propaganda is making a huge slander against Islam," BozdaÄŸ said.

The Turkish official also compared Assad to Pharoah in the book of Exodus in the Bible, Yahoo! News reports. He drew comparison between Pharoah's order to kill all Israelite newborns in Egypt with Assad's violent war against his own people to maintain power.

"The Pharaoh gave orders for the killing of innocent children and their mothers to maintain power. What is the difference between what the Pharaoh did and Assad is doing?" BozdaÄŸ questioned.