Fight on Extremism Needs Joint Effort by Followers of All Religions: Larijani
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani referred to concerted action among followers of all divine religions as an effective way to counter extremism and terrorism in the Middle East, which he blamed on the foreign interference.
“Extremism harms the followers of all divine religions and Islamic denominations including Muslims, Christians, Assyrians, Shiites and Sunnis, and cooperation among followers of the divine religions can effectively contribute to the fight on such great peril,” Larijani said in a meeting with head of the Chaldean Catholic Church Louis Raphael I Sako, held in Tehran on Sunday.
The Iranian speaker stressed that the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East region do not stem from inside the Muslim societies, but interference of certain “Western countries and their regional allies” have caused problems in Syria and Iraq.
Sako, for his part, slammed terrorism as the enemy of all humans and emphasized the need for joint efforts to counter the menace.
He also hailed Iran as a regional power, saying peaceful coexistence among followers of divine religions in the Islamic Republic serves as a unique role model for the world.
Back in December 2014 and in a message to congratulate Iranian and world Christians on the new Christian year, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran takes pride in being the home to believers in all divine religions.
“We take pride in Iran, which is home to all Iranians, including Muslims, Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians,” Rouhani said in the message.
