Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani on Sunday called for collective collaboration among followers of all divine religions to combat terrorism and extremism, saying the challenges can harm all religions.
In a meeting with the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, Louis Raphael I Sako, Larijani referred to the peaceful coexistence of followers of different religions in Iran and said, "According to the Constitution, followers of all religions enjoy equal rights and regardless of their population, they all have their own representatives in parliament."
Turning to the recent developments in the Middle East, he said the current crises in the region and the rise of terrorist groups do not originate from inside Muslim countries. "Rather, they have arisen as a result of the interference of some western countries and their allies in Syria and Iraq," IRNA quoted him as saying.
The Primate, for his part, expressed pleasure with his visit to Iran and getting familiar with the community of Iranian Assyrian and Chaldean Christians and said the peaceful coexistence of followers of different faiths in the Islamic Republic is a unique example in the world which should be considered by other countries.
Referring to the killing of the innocent people of the region by extremist groups, he said terrorism is an enemy to humankind and needs to be dealt with through collective cooperation among religious people.
Hailing the defensive power of the Islamic Republic as a gift of God which serves to boost the confidence of the nations residing in the region, he described Iran as "a great and influential regional power" that seeks to spread the peace enjoyed by its own nation to its neighboring countries.
Noting that Islam has called on Muslims to respect followers of other religions, he said Christians have no problem with the Islamic culture.
