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IRAN DENIES CHARGES OF RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION
SINDH TODAY
Oct 2nd, 2008
Pakistan
Tehran, Oct 2 (IANS) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Thursday
rejected the allegations of discrimination towards religious minorities
in Iran, saying the whole Islamic country is a big unified family,
the official IRNA news agency reported.
'Religious minorities enjoy full legal rights in Iran,' Ahmadinejad
said in a meeting with Majlis (parliament) deputies representing
religious minorities in Iran.
'We all are Iranian and our relations are based on humanitarian
principle. Religious minorities have lived in peace with us and even
they have dedicated martyrs to the Islamic Revolution.'
'We are a big and unified family and seditious plots of the enemies
cannot affect our relationships,' the Iranian leader said, dismissing
the charges by the West of discriminatory policies by Iran towards
religious minorities.
'The enemies (of Iran) play some games by claiming discord between
Iran and religious minorities but these games will have no impacts
as we are all part of the grand Iranian family,' he said.
Shia Muslims constitute the majority of Iran population, while
Christian Armenians, Zoroasters, Assyrians and Jews are acknowledged
as the religious minorities in the country.
The minorities also have five seats in the parliament, two for
Armenians and the remaining three for Zoroasters, Assyrians and Jews.
Among the minorities, Jews have biggest challenge in Iran because
of the country's anti-Israeli stance and its denial of the historic
dimensions of the Holocaust during the Second World War.
SINDH TODAY
Oct 2nd, 2008
Pakistan
Tehran, Oct 2 (IANS) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Thursday
rejected the allegations of discrimination towards religious minorities
in Iran, saying the whole Islamic country is a big unified family,
the official IRNA news agency reported.
'Religious minorities enjoy full legal rights in Iran,' Ahmadinejad
said in a meeting with Majlis (parliament) deputies representing
religious minorities in Iran.
'We all are Iranian and our relations are based on humanitarian
principle. Religious minorities have lived in peace with us and even
they have dedicated martyrs to the Islamic Revolution.'
'We are a big and unified family and seditious plots of the enemies
cannot affect our relationships,' the Iranian leader said, dismissing
the charges by the West of discriminatory policies by Iran towards
religious minorities.
'The enemies (of Iran) play some games by claiming discord between
Iran and religious minorities but these games will have no impacts
as we are all part of the grand Iranian family,' he said.
Shia Muslims constitute the majority of Iran population, while
Christian Armenians, Zoroasters, Assyrians and Jews are acknowledged
as the religious minorities in the country.
The minorities also have five seats in the parliament, two for
Armenians and the remaining three for Zoroasters, Assyrians and Jews.
Among the minorities, Jews have biggest challenge in Iran because
of the country's anti-Israeli stance and its denial of the historic
dimensions of the Holocaust during the Second World War.