Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Tehran (Agenzia Fides) – In view of the upcoming visit of Iranian President Hassan Rohani at the Vatican, where the Iranian leader will be received by Pope Francis, a meeting to reflect on the status of religious minorities in Iran was held on Tuesday, November 10, at the St. George Armenian Church in Tehran.
The meeting was attended by representatives of churches and Christian communities in Iran, along with members of other minority religious communities, including Jews and Zoroastrians. Among those present, even politicians representing religious minority groups in the Iranian parliament.
In his speech, the Armenian parliamentarian Karen Khanlari stressed that the meeting was also meant to respond to the media and to foreign Countries that "present a distorted vision regarding the condition of religious minorities in Iran", using the theme of religious freedom as a political tool to attack the Asian Country. "They are taking advantage of religious minorities as an argument to put pressure on Iran - said the Christian political representative - and this is why everyone should know that here religious minorities enjoy full civil rights" and their needs are taken into account by political authorities of the Country, through official channels of contact which are always active.
On his behalf Ciamak Morsadegh, representative of the Jewish community in the National Consultative Assembly, stressed that Iranian law "guarantees the rights of all", while the Bishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Sebuh Sarkisian, referring to the exodus of Christians from other Countries in the Middle East, noted that now "religious minorities find the best way to address and solve problems related to their condition in Iran" compared to what is happening in the rest of the region. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 12/11/2015)
