The deputy interior minister stressed the need to create effective mechanisms to help Afghan refugees return to their homeland and said, “The reconstruction and development of Afghanistan is the most crucial tool in this relation.”
Speaking at a meeting on reviewing the cultural and social issues of refugees which was held in the provincial city of Qom on Thursday, Hossein Zolfaqari touched on major regional issues and said, “Today, the Muslim world is faced with enormous challenges,” ISNA reported.
The deputy interior minister for security affairs enumerated the emergence of extremist and takfiri groups, the presence of foreign powers in Islamic countries under the pretext of fighting terrorism and the wrong interpretation of Islamic teachings as the major challenges of Muslim nations at the present time and said, “The brutal and anti-religious actions of takfiri groups have tarnished the image of Islam today.”
A takfiri is a Muslim who accuses another Muslim of heresy. The security official described the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan as an urgent necessity to help overcome its internal problems and encourage expatriate Afghans to return home. “This key objective (the return of refugees) could be achieved through the non-intervention of foreign countries and the assistance of countries and international organizations.”
He touched on Iran’s efforts to help bring stability and peace to the region and said, “The stability of the region is to the benefit of all countries and nations.”
Representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to Tehran Sivanka Dhanapala also said, “Iran’s approach and aid to refugees should serve as a model for other states.” Addressing the conference, Dhanapala said, “The services provided to refugees in Iran can be used as an example in other parts of the world,” ISNA reported.
