Syed Mohammad Ali Hosseini while giving an interview to Pakistani Urdu news channel ‘Roze News’ said the Zionist regime of Israel is an occupier, fake, illegitimate and racist regime based on terror and usurpation of the Palestinian land.
“Why should we recognize such an oppressive regime that has usurped the rights of a nation and committed all kinds of crimes against the Palestinian people?” asked the ambassador.
He added the principles of the UN Charter call on nations to defend the oppressed nation against an oppressive government.
“Human rights principles also oblige us to defend the rights of the oppressed people of Palestine against the oppressors. Morally and humanely, it is our duty to support the oppressed,” he said.
He went on to say the school of Islam and the Qur'an also advises and encourages all of us to defend the rights of the oppressed against the oppressor.
“There is no ambiguity in the Palestinian scene. The Zionist regime has been occupying the land of Palestine for more than 70 years now. This passage of time does not create any rights for the occupiers and oppressors," he added.
“Our Islamic identity does not allow us to defend the oppressor against the oppressed. I would like to commend the clear and unequivocal position of Mr. Imran Khan, the esteemed Prime Minister, in this regard,” said ambassador Hosseini.
To a question he said relations between Iran and Pakistan are based on friendship, neighborliness and brotherhood.
“As you know, Iran was the first country to recognize Pakistan's independence and Pakistan was the first country to recognize and establish relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. These two countries have a huge capital, which is the historical relationship and cultural, religious commonalities, and especially there are commonalities between the two nations in literature and language of the two countries. Iran and Pakistan have very good relations in various political, cultural and academic fields that are expanding,” he said.
The envoy noted the outbreak of the coronavirus, however, has affected all of these interactions worldwide. Naturally, travel and exchanges of diplomatic delegations have decreased. “Economic cooperation has also been affected. But common interests remain, and Corona itself has become a common ground for cooperation between the two countries,” he said.
To another question Hosseini said Iran is a rich source of energy, including oil and gas. “Energy is one of the basic needs for the growth and development of any country, including Pakistan,” he said.
The envoy expressing his views said in the past, a joint agreement was signed between the two countries regarding the construction and operation of a gas pipeline called Peace, which is to transport gas from Iran to Pakistan.
“The gas pipeline has been piping as far as the Pakistani border. But there have been problems and obstacles on the Pakistani side that we hope will be resolved soon. Certainly gas transmission has a great impact on the lives of ordinary people. In addition, it will have a major impact on Pakistan's industrial and development projects,” he added.
The ambassador went on to say the parties are now interested in this work and there is a serious incentive to complete this project; Despite some restrictions imposed by foreign powers.
To yet another question the Iranian envoy said we believe that there are good capacities in this region, and with the right use of them, we can do important and great jobs in general.
“Iran, Pakistan and China each have great potential. On the other hand, the political relations between these three countries are excellent. There is joint cooperation between Iran and Pakistan, Pakistan and China, China and Iran,” said the ambassador.
Syed Mohammad Ali Hosseini viewed if this bilateral cooperation takes the form of a tripartite, in fact, the capacities of the three countries have been used, and this is very good.
“The CPEC plan is a good one and we have repeatedly stated our readiness to participate in various projects of this plan. With the formation of multilateral cooperation, other countries besides these countries will also benefit from the results,” he pointed out.
The ambassador told Roze TV that from the beginning of the Corona outbreak, we have witnessed close cooperation between the two countries, and the health ministers of the two countries have been in contact and exchanging views on a daily basis on many occasions.
“Both sides announced their readiness to sign an agreement on health protocols and to cooperate and interact in various fields of nursing, medical and health equipment such as mask production. Now that travel has declined due to the spread of the virus, we can use each other's experiences to hold webinars, and health professionals from the two countries can interact with each other,” said the diplomat.
To a question Syed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said to evaluate a person as President of the United States, we must look at his performance.
“We need to see how he implements the policies he has put forward during the campaign and how committed he is to his commitments. We have to see what attitude he has towards the issues of our region in practice. In fact, we evaluate performance, not slogans. So I do not prejudge and wait to see what the policies of Biden will be,” he added.
The ambassador said: We believe that in all three countries, India, China and Pakistan, there are experienced and wise politicians who try to reduce tensions based on their experiences and realistic outlook. “This de-escalation is in the interest of these countries and the South Asian region,” he pointed out.
He said the principled policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to resolve regional disputes and tensions between countries through peaceful means and through diplomatic channels.
The ambassador expressing his views on Afghan peace process said Iran has always supported and will continue to support the Afghan peace process.
“Iran and Pakistan as the two most influential neighbors of the country, have suffered from internal insecurity and instability in Afghanistan. There are currently millions of Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan. This has been an issue for more than three decades. Better results will be achieved if Iran and Pakistan intensify their political consultations for the Afghan peace process,” said the envoy.
He stated these unrests and instabilities certainly affect all countries in the region, and most of all the people of Afghanistan themselves have suffered from poverty and social problems over the past decades. “Therefore, if a just and inclusive peace is established in Afghanistan, it will be in the interest of both the people of that country and the region,” he said.
The ambassador in his views said the government of Mr. Imran Khan is taking good initiatives for the solidarity of Islamic nations. “One of his initiatives is to reduce tensions in Iran-Saudi Arabia relations. Iran welcomed and supported this initiative. What we are witnessing is that this government is trying to strengthen both its relations with Islamic countries and the relations of Islamic countries with each other,” he said.
To a question he said Islamophobia project was launched by some colonial countries. “Their goal is to show others an ugly and horrible face of Islamic sanctities. They turn the face of the Prophet of Islam against a completely inverted face and show the school of Islam upside down,” he said.
The ambassador added that it is natural that Muslims cannot accept insults to their sanctities. Islam is a religion that invites us to logic and recommends thinking.
“Therefore, we say that if someone has a question about Islam, he can ask, but the insult is unbearable. It is unacceptable for Western countries to justify blasphemy under the guise of freedom of expression and at the same time not allow even a logical question about the Holocaust to arise. This is a clear contradiction and a double and discriminatory standard,” said the ambassador.
“Pakistan has taken good steps to combat Islamophobia and registered a day in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation as a day to fight Islamophobia. This will be very effective in the convergence between Islamic countries,” said Hosseini.
The Iranian ambassador in his message to the people of Pakistan said: I salute and respect the people of Pakistan and wish them all the best. I hope that they will go well on the path of development, progress, security, prosperity and health, and achieve their holy goals and aspirations with the support of God Almighty.
“The people of Pakistan know that the Iranian people love them very much, and our effort at the embassy is to further develop the relationship between these two good people,” he said.
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