Urmia: Iran's ethnic and religious communities live freely and enjoy equal citizenship rights, rejecting foreign media attempts to sow division and portray a false image of the Islamic Republic, says a prominent priest of the Eastern Assyrian Church in Urmia. Daryavoush Azizian made the remarks during the sixth episode of the 'Revayat-e Nasr' program produced by IRNA's West Azarbaijan bureau.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Azizian emphasized the unity and empathy among Iran's diverse ethnic and religious groups. He highlighted how the nation, despite various viewpoints, has formed a harmonious coexistence, describing Iran as a country where no ethnicity or religion holds superiority over another in terms of citizenship rights. This unity is particularly evident in cities like Urmia, where the coexistence of different communities is tangible.

Azizian remarked on the persistent efforts of external forces to create division among the Iranian people, noting that such attempts have historically resulted in the opposite effect, strengthening national unity. He referred to the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s as an example where people from various backgrounds united against a common enemy, reinforcing the notion that as long as Iranians remain united, they remain resilient against external threats.

He also recounted visits by the Martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, to families of Christian soldiers who died during the conflict. Azizian highlighted these visits as significant and memorable, reflecting the respect and status accorded to followers of different religions and ethnicities within the country.

Ayatollah Khamenei's assassination by US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28 led to a war that lasted 40 days, ending with Washington and Tel Aviv seeking a ceasefire due to relentless Iranian retaliatory airstrikes. Azizian's remarks underscore the enduring unity and strength of the Iranian nation in the face of adversity.