Iranian Jewish Community Refutes US anti-Iran Claims

Iranian Jewish Community Refutes US anti-Iran Claims     Written by ebrahimi    Monday, 22 September 2008 The Association of Tehran's Jews issued a statement on Sunday refuting and condemning claims by the US State Department that Iranian religious minorities face restrictions in performing their religious duties. The statement reads: "We Iranian Jews condemn claims of the US State Department on Iranian religious minorities and announce that we are fully free to perform our religious duties and we feel no restriction on performing our religious rituals." The annual report of the US State Department tried once again to meddle in Iran's internal matters by falsely claiming that the Islamic Republic of Iran does not respect religious freedom.
It alleged that although Iran's constitution officially recognizes the Jewish minority, it follows discriminatory policies concerning this religion, while the Iranian government's policies against Israel have led to an increase of pressures on Jews residing in Iran.
This is all absurd propaganda by the US, and the Iranian Jewish community has refuted these allegations by sending a letter to the Persian service of the Voice of America a year ago, in protest to such false claims.
Part of the letter reiterates that all religious minorities have enjoy religious, cultural, and recreation rights since the victory of the Islamic Revolution that granted them complete freedom based on their religious principles. This means that the claims of the Persian service of the VOA is sheer lies and propaganda. As a matter of fact, the VOA Persian service pursues the goal of humiliating Iran's religious minorities. The former representative of the Iranian Jews in the Islamic Republic Consultative Assembly (parliament), Morris Motamed, has also refuted the US claim, saying there is no restriction on freedom of religious monitories in Iran, including Jews.
During his participation in a recent conference in Moscow entitled "Islam and Judaism, Perspectives for Cooperation and Dialogue", Morris Motamed also termed the Iranian Jewish community as the oldest religious minority in Iran, saying: dialogue and interaction among different religions in Iran dates back to 2700 years ago.
Morris Motamed also emphasized complete freedom and the existence of proper conditions in Iran for the country's 25,000 Jews and announced that Jews, like other religious minorities in Iran perform their rituals and ceremonies freely.
The statement of the association of Tehran's Jews also reiterates that once again Global Arrogance has failed to understand the reality of life of Iranians of various faiths, who enjoy unity in diversity.