US criticizes violation of religious minority rights in Iran
The US Vice President on Thursday urged the Iranian people to walk the path of freedom and peace, citing the Islamic Republic's violations of the rights of religious minorities. Earlier, the US Secretary of State had also criticized the persecution of religious minorities in Iran.
On August 25, at a State Department meeting on "Advancing Religious Freedom," Mike Pence, Donald Trump's vice president, called the Islamic Republic "the leading state sponsor of terrorism" and said: "The people of Iran do not enjoy many freedoms, if any (at all), the least of which is religious freedom."
Speaking to representatives of 80 countries in Washington, Mr. Pence emphasized the violation of the rights of religious minorities in Iran, saying that religious minorities in Iran are imprisoned, persecuted and in some cases killed. He said in this regard that in 2016 the Islamic Republic executed 20 Kurdish citizens on charges of war crimes.
The Vice President continued: “The people of the United States of America have a message for the suffering people of Iran: Know that we stand with you, even as we stand in the face of the threats and evil actions of your leaders in Tehran. We pray for you and encourage you, the good people of Iran, to continue courageously on your path to a free and peaceful future.”
These statements came two days after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized the situation of religious minorities in Iran.
In an article published on the American website USA Today on August 2, Mr. Pompeo began his article by referring to the execution of Mohammad Salas, a Gonabadi dervish, and emphasized that religious minorities are not tolerated by the Islamic Republic.
Referring to the persecution of minorities, particularly in Iran and China, he added that this approach must end and called for public participation in this regard.
On August 2, the US Secretary of State made the same remarks regarding religious minorities in Iran to Iranians living in California.
The US State Department also expressed concern about the situation of religious minorities in Iran in its annual report on religious freedom in June of this year and criticized the repression of Christian converts and Baha'is in Iran.
At the time, the Iranian Foreign Ministry called the report "political, unrealistic, and rejected."
Source: Radio Farda
