President Rouhani:

Iran Not Xenophobic

Rasa - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterated the country’s policy of having constructive interaction with world countries and said the Islamic Republic is not a xenophobic country.

News ID: 426969

Date: 30 January 2017 - 20:54

RNA - Speaking to reporters on Monday at the shrine of Imam Khomeini, south of Tehran, President Rouhani pointed to the causes of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and said the path of Imam Khomeini as the founder of the revolution was one of “independence”.

He noted, however, that “Independence does not mean isolation but means prevention of others from controlling the country’s destiny.”

“We are neither xenophobic nor xenophile nor isolated… in the world but we are Muslims, revolutionary and Iranian with all the similarities and differences with other peoples around the world,” the president said, adding that the Islamic Republic, under the guidance of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, benefits from constructive interaction with the world to serve its national interests and the interests of the people.

His comments came after the US President Donald Trump ordered the immediate construction of a border wall between the US and Mexico and signed an executive order that bans all immigrants and visa holders from seven countries, including Iran, from entering the US for 90 days, and opens the door to more country-based bans in future.

In relevant remarks on Saturday, President Rouhani dismissed the idea of building walls between nations in the contemporary era, saying today’s world would not tolerate separating peoples.

“Today is not the time to build walls between nations. Some have forgotten that the Berlin Wall came down a couple of years ago. Actually, (the existing) walls among nations should be removed,” President Rouhani said in an address to a conference on tourism industry in Tehran on Saturday, without directly pointing to new US President Donald Trump’s decision to construct a wall on US-Mexico border.

There is no room for separation of nations in the present era, the Iranian president added, saying people of the world have turned into neighbors due to cultural, scientific and civilizational globalization.

He further highlighted the long history of peaceful coexistence among various Iranian religions, ethnicities, cultures and races, stressing that Iran has never been familiar with racial prejudice.

“Iran is the country of peace and friendship. We are proud of peace, reconciliation, fraternity and coexistence,” the president went on to say.

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