IFP Exclusive

Leader Praises Peaceful Coexistence of Shiite, Sunni Muslims in Iran

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, has lauded the peaceful coexistence of Shiite and Sunni Muslims in Iran, describing them as a role model for all Muslims in the world.

In comments released on Tuesday, Ayatollah Khamenei said the Sunni-majority provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan in the southeast, Kurdistan in the west, and Golestan in the northeast are symbols of Muslim unity and a role model for cooperation and brotherly coexistence of Shiite and Sunni brothers in the world.

Addressing a group of people from Sistan and Baluchestan province, Ayatollah Khamenei said the martyrdom of a Sunni teenager during the eight-year war imposed by Iraq on Iran, or the martyrdom of a Sunni cleric while defending the Islamic Revolution against the counter-revolutionary forces, indicate that Shiite and Sunni brothers in the Islamic Republic come together in the most difficult situations.

The Leader further expressed his great love for the people of Sistan and Baluchestan, and described the Baluchis as a friendly, sincere, and talented people with a brilliant and unique history compared with other Iranian ethnic groups.

“Despite such abundant capacities, the people of Sistan and Baluchestan were ignored during the Qajar and Pahlavi dynasties, and this kept them from flourishing,” he added.

The Leader urged the provincial officials to seriously follow up fulfilling the people’s needs in this region, including water desalinating facilities and railway system, and asked them to tap into the potentialities of the private sector while using the resources of National Development Fund.

Sistan and Baluchestan is the second largest province in Iran (after Kerman Province), and shares borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan. The population comprises the Baluch who form a majority in the province, followed by the relatively large minority, the Sistani Persians.

Baluchis are predominantly Sunni Muslims. Sistanis, however, are predominantly Shiite Muslims.

The province today is the most underdeveloped, desolate, and poorest of Iran’s provinces. The Iranian government has been trying to reverse this situation by implementing new plans such as creating the Chabahar Free Trade-Industrial Zone.

IFP Editorial Staff

The IFP Editorial Staff is composed of dozens of skilled journalists, news-writers, and analysts whose works are edited and published by experienced editors specialized in Iran News. The editor of each IFP Service is responsible for the report published by the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website, and can be contacted through the ways mentioned in the "IFP Editorial Staff" section.

Recent Posts

Senior advisor to Iran FM: No immediate plans to adjust military advisors in Syria

Ali Asghar Khaji, a Senior Advisor to Iran’s Foreign Minister, stated in an interview with…

8 hours ago

Biden, Xi to discuss China’s support for Russia at APEC summit

US President Joe Biden will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of…

10 hours ago

Rights group accuses Israel of crimes against humanity over forced displacement of Gazans

Israel is using evacuation orders to pursue the “deliberate and massive forced displacement” of Palestinian…

10 hours ago

Iran to give ‘immediate response’ to any anti-Tehran resolution by IAEA: Nuclear chief

Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), has warned of…

10 hours ago

Trump seeking to bring Ukraine, Russia to negotiating table: US National security advisor nominee

Donald Trump wants to bring Moscow and Kyiv to the negotiating table to end the…

11 hours ago

Army commander: Iran to deliver crushing response to Israel

The Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army, Major General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, has vowed a decisive…

11 hours ago