Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki: Iran respects minorities’ rights

Source: IRNA
Iran has always respected the rights of minorities and its history is proof of this claim, says Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

Speaking at a meeting with the representatives of the Assyrian community who attended a conference in Tehran, Mottaki said, “Assyrians played an important role in promoting sciences around the world”.

“What threatens the region and culture of its minorities, especially Assyrians and Chaldeans, is the instability and insecurity resulted from US-led invasion of Iraq,” he added.

He noted that the US intends to change the cultural structure of the region in the name of its so-called democracy.

He said, “Western democracy was witnessed in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo prisons and the damage to the Iraqi people was more brutal than the crimes of the executed dictator Saddam Hussein.”

The minister pointed out that the Islamic Republic of Iran respects the rights of minorities and the participation of minorities on the national scene is proof positive of this claim.