IRAN’S RELIGIOUS MINORITIES TO CELEBRATE VICTORY OF ISLAMIC REVOLUTION
Tehran Times
Jan 30 2008
Iran
TEHRAN — The director of Iran’s office for religious minority
affairs has provided some details about the programs the office will
be holding in commemoration of anniversary of the victory of Iran’s
Islamic Revolution.
At a session at the office on Monday, Saeid Taqavi said that the
office, which is affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Islamic
Guidance, actively participates in the Ten-Day Dawn celebrations
(February 1 to 11) every year.
He noted that there are about 150,000 Iranians who are practitioners
of the three main minority religions (Zoroastrianism Christianity, and
Judaism), adding that special programs will be held in West Azarbaijan
and East Azarbaijan provinces and in the cities of Shiraz, Kerman,
Yazd, and Isfahan since many practitioners of minority religions
reside in those places.
He stated, "Members of parliament and the religious figures of all the
minority religions gathered at the mausoleum of the late Imam Khomeini
to pay tribute to the Founder of the Islamic Republic on January 25."
Taqavi added, "The programs will include decoration of sacred monuments
and schools, participation in the opening ceremony of the 10-Day Dawn
at the mausoleum of the late Imam Khomeini, the ringing of church
bells on the morning of February first (to commemorate the arrival
of Imam Khomeini in Tehran on that day in 1979), a ceremony to honor
Armenian martyrs (of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war) at their graveyard
on February 7, and a rally on February 11, the day of the victory."
Robert Markarian of the Armenian Christian community also took part in
the session, saying that the unveiling of the book "Armenians and the
Iraqi Imposed War", art and cultural contests, and visits to patients
at the Avedisian charity clinic are some of the programs Armenians
are organizing for the Ten-Day Dawn celebrations.
Zoroastrian Rostam Khosravian said his community would be arranging an
exhibition of handicrafts by Zoroastrian women and special programs at
schools and holding ceremonies to commemorate the Zoroastrian martyrs
of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war during the Ten-Day Dawn celebrations.
Representatives of the Assyrian and Chaldean Christian communities
and the Jewish community also attended the session and spoke about
the programs they would be holding for the Ten-Day Dawn celebrations.