US report on religious freedom in Iran ‘false, biased, politicized’

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News ID: 4061040 – Wed 16 August 2017 – 15:06

 TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said the US State Department’s annual report on international religious freedom is unrealistic, unfounded, and biased with certain political goals.

“The US report once again has presented a distorted and politicized picture of religious freedom in the Islamic republic of Iran with unfounded and unacceptable accusations leveled against the country,” Bahram Ghasemi said in a statement on Wednesday.

He went on to add, “making subjective and unfounded interpretations of religions and religious beliefs ultimately leads to the escalation of inter-religious crises and conflicts with no positive outcome.”

“In order to resolve religious differences and bridging gaps, it is necessary to avoid politicizing this issue and move along this path only through dialogue and respect for one another’s beliefs based on transcendental human values and respect for the followers of all divine religions,” Ghasemi stressed.

“The US government seems to have forgotten this important goal and only seeks political exploitation of the existence of religious diversity in some countries across the world,” Ghasemi said, adding “I assume that the United States does not even have a realistic assessment of the internal situation of these countries, especially their demographic and religious conditions.”

The Iranian diplomat went on to stress, “the great Iranian people exercise their religion and worship rituals according to the progressive principles of the Constitution, freely and within the framework of law which is in line with protecting religious freedoms.”

“In the age of communication and interconnection, it is a well-known fact that racial and religious discrimination, Islamophobia and xenophobia have become a widespread phenomenon among American politicians,” Ghasemi said, adding “Muslims living in US are daily targeted with violent and discriminatory measures by the country’s governmental institutions such as the police and security forces, as well as anti-Islam propaganda from particular media and religious institutions.”

“Instead of judging the status of religious freedom in other countries, the US government is expected to take legal and practical measures to protect religious freedom, especially in the case of Muslims, in the United States,” Ghasemi concluded.

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