"The needs of human beings are not limited to development and prosperity," President Raisi said in a meeting with the leader of the Assyrian Church of the East, Mar Awa Royel II, and his accompanying delegation, in Tehran on Monday.
"One of the most essential needs of humanity in those societies is spirituality, ethics, and connection with God, which have been neglected," he added.
The president stated that the foundation of civilization and humanity, as heralded by divine prophets, is based on reasoning, spirituality, morality, and justice.
President Raisi maintained that the stark contrast between two opposing camps -- those espousing ethics and morality versus those bereft of those values— has never been more evident than in the fight against terrorism.
"The Takfiri terrorists that committed atrocities in our region under the false pretext of religiosity were not in the least devoted to religion and morality," he pointed out.
“However, those who stood up to those criminals and rid the region of their scourge, including martyrs Lieutenant General Qassem Soleiman and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, were armed with genuine faith and ethics,” he continued while making a reference to Iranian top general and his Iraqi companion killed in a US air strike in Iraq in January 2023.
Awa III, in turn, expressed his appreciation for the Islamic Republic of Iran's commitment to interfaith dialogue and respect for monotheistic religions.
The leader of the Assyrian Church of the East said he hoped that these shared values would continue to foster friendship and goodwill between different religious communities.
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