Iran Raps US Destructive Role in Region

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif commemorated the 40th anniversary of the fall of his country’s former dictator, reminding that the US has always been siding with tyrants and monarchs of the region.

News ID: 443352

Date: 07 February 2019 - 16:20

RNA - “Iranians—including our Jewish compatriots—are commemorating 40 yrs of progress despite US pressure, just as @realDonaldTrump again makes accusations against us @ #SOTU2019,” Zarif tweeted on Wednesday.

“US hostility has led it to support dictators, butchers & extremists, who've only brought ruin to our region,” he added.

Zarif’s post on his Twitter page came after the US President Donald Trump accused Iran of threatening genocide against the Jewish people.

This is while Head of the Jewish community of Tehran Rabbi Yunes Hamami, in a ceremony on January 30, hailed the status of religious minorities in Iran, underlining that the Islamic Revolution laid the ground for coexistence among different religions and ethnicities.

Hamami made the remarks in the opening ceremony of ‘Imam Reza and the Dialogue among the Religions’, during which he said, “For centuries, Iran has always been the land of peace and coexistence, and the various ethnic groups of Iran have been living together in peace and tranquility.”

Rabbi Hamami also said that after the Islamic Revolution, a new perspective was introduced by Imam Khomeini which urged for cooperation, and integration among the followers of different religions.

He went on to add that Imam Khomeini said “our religion is monotheism, Iran is our country and we are a single nation. These statements by Imam Khomeini opened a new path for interfaith dialogue based on mutual respect.”

He further added all Iranians from different religious and ethnic backgrounds were united to defend their country during eight years of the imposed Iraqi war, adding the enemies discriminately attacked Iranians regardless of their faith and ethnicities.

According to Fars News Agancy, he added that the Islamic Revolution laid the ground for peaceful coexistence among followers of different religions in Iran and provided the chance for them to get to know each other better while preserving their identities.

In a related front, on August 19, representatives of Iranian religious minorities at the Parliament in a statement lashed out at US Vice-President Mike Pence for his allegations, and underlined that the religious minorities in Iran enjoy complete freedom.

"The recent remarks by US Vice-President Mike Pence and US Foreign Secretary Mike Pompeo about the rights of religious minorities in Iran are fully baseless and do not conform to the existing realities," the statement said.

It underscored that the religious minorities are free to practice their religious rituals and enjoy social rights and cultural freedom based on Iran's Constitution, adding that the country has paved a proper ground for them for peaceful coexistence and growth.

The statement rapped the US government's silence on the violation of the rights of the Shiite community in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and massacre of the Muslims in Myanmar, Yemen and Gaza, which they said is an indication of the US leaders' non-commitment to religious freedom and human rights laws.

In relevant remarks in 2017, Representative of Iranian Assyrians at the Parliament Yonatan Betkolia underlined that the religious minorities in Iran enjoy complete freedom.

"These freedoms are to such an extent that it is not comparable with any regional country; they include freedom in all cultural, educational, social and religious aspects of the religious minorities residing in Iran," Betkolia said.

He said the Assyrian community has been living peacefully in Iran for over 3,000 years which shows the peaceful nature of the Iranians.

Also, in December 2016, Archbishop of Eastern Iran's Assyrians Marenresay Benyamin underlined that the religious minorities in Iran enjoy complete freedom.

"We thank God that we live in a safe country like Iran; there is security for all Iranians These freedoms are to such an extent that it is not comparable with any of the regional countries; they include freedom in all cultural, educational, social and religious aspects of the religious minorities residing in Iran," Betkolia said.

He reiterated that the Iranian Assyrians enjoy high level of safety in all Iranian cities, including Tehran, Fardis, Karaj, Orumieh, Salmas, Ahvaz, Shahinshahr, Hamedan and other cities where Assyrians live in Iran.

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