President Hassan Rouhani said preferring peace with foes is more difficult than choosing war, and tolerating peace is much harder than confrontation with adversaries.
He made the statement in a meeting with Qur’an reciters on Saturday, which coincided with the birthday anniversary of Imam Hassan [PBUH], the second Shia Imam.
Imam Hassan is best known for his seventh century peace treaty with Muawiyah, the founder of the Umayyad dynasty, and his abdication from the caliphate.
“Today is a very auspicious day, as Imam Hassan was the symbol of patience. It requires extraordinary courage to extend the hand of peace to enemies in the interest of the Muslim society. Imam Hassan did it for Islam and the Ummah, and with his peace [deal], he endured the [edge of] a sword that was much more painful than a sword in the battlefield,” his official website quoted him as saying.
Rouhani had previously likened his signature achievement, the July 2015 nuclear agreement with the six world powers, with Imam Hassan’s deal with Muawiyah.
The deal settled a decade-long dispute with the US and its western allies who accused Tehran of trying to secretly develop atomic weapons and eased international economic sanctions.
Rouhani has vowed to work toward removing the non-nuclear US sanctions that are hampering Iran’s economy and trade with the outside world.
Add new comment
Read our comment policy before posting your viewpoints