A dangerous statement, or gaffe, was made by the Russian Foreign Ministry, by its minister Sergey Lavrov, in which he said that "if the current Syrian regime collapses, some countries in the region will want to establish Sunni rule in Syria." It is very strange that a foreign minister would issue such a statement, particularly the Russian Foreign Minister.

This statement, or gaffe, was not made by Hassan Nasrallah or Nuri al-Maliki or Moqtada al-Sadr or even Iranian Foreign Minister Salehi or Bashar al-Assad himself, rather it was made by a secular state that is not known for falling into sectarian quicksand, particularly with regards to the language that "mullah" Lavrov used; and when we say "mullah" here, we mean one of the mullah's of Khomeinist Tehran! However, can we look at Lavrov's statement solely from this sectarian standpoint? I think not, for it is clear that Lavrov's statement reflects confusion, more than fears of Sunnis!

Over the past days, the Russian Foreign Minister has issued an excessive number of statements about the situation in Syria, however all of these statements have been contradictory, with one statement criticizing Bashar al-Assad and holding him accountable for inflaming the situation by reacting wrongly to what was carried out by the Syrian people, another statement revealing that Russia wants to cooperate with the UN Security Council and others, and finally the latest statement, or gaffe, which I repeat is difficult to imagine any foreign ministry issuing, let alone the Russian foreign minister! Issuing a statement saying that some countries in the region want to establish Sunni rule in Syria is not just dangerous, this also lacks the diplomatic judgment expected from a Russian Foreign Minister. Therefore, Lavrov's statements about Sunni rule represents evidence of Russia's frustration at the Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] states – and particularly Saudi Arabia – ignoring Lavrov's contradictory statements on Syria, namely the statements that claim that Moscow has opened the door to "pressing' the al-Assad regime – at least to those willing to believe this – however this, of course, is not true; all the while time is running out and Moscow is becoming increasingly embarrassed [of its relationship with the al-Assad regime].

I previously wrote an article summarizing the need to sit down with the Russians [Time to sit down with the Russians, 11/3/2012], particularly following Lavrov's meeting with Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, however even if the Gulf States – or Saudi Arabia, in particular – have failed to sit down with Russia, this does not explain this shameful statement about Sunni rule in Syria. This statement serves to fuel sectarianism, in an unprecedented manner, whilst it will also be difficult to erase this statement from the region's memory, on all levels, even if Moscow secure al-Assad's departure from Syria. In this case, what is the difference today between what Sheikh al-Arour is saying about the al-Assad regime, and what Lavrov said about the Sunnis? Is Moscow paying attention to this?

What is certain is that even if Russia become aware of this, the damage – which is significant – has already been done, as it has become clear that there is no difference between the mullah dressed in red and the mullah dressed in black in Iran, for each is more dangerous than the other, because they are pouring oil on fire in a region that is surrounded by dynamite! Unfortunately, this is precisely what Mullah Lavrov did.

Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, the youngest person to be appointed that position. He holds a BA degree in Media studies from King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, and has also completed his Introductory courses towards a Master's degree from George Washington University in Washington D.C. He is based in London.