"Regarding the issue of nuclear energy, Iran has constantly emphasized two points at the same time,” member of Iran Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Kazem Jalali, told the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in Quebec City, Canada, on Monday.
“One [point] is that as an NPT signatory, Iran complies with all international laws, and the other is that Iran will not back down on its right under the NPT to achieve peaceful nuclear energy,” Jalali went on to say.
The Iranian lawmaker made the remarks in response to accusations leveled against Tehran by Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird at the IPU meeting.
Baird, whose country has criticized Iran over its pursuit of nuclear activities, said the Iranian government “remains the most significant threat to global peace and security.”
The Iranian parliamentarian rejected the allegation, blaming intervention of some world powers as the reason behind the West’s continued standoff with the Islamic Republic over its nuclear energy program.
Jalali also rejected Baird's claims, who said Baha'is and Christians in Iran were “consistently threatened with death and tortured, simply for believing.”
The Iranian Constitution enshrines the rights of all religious minorities, Jalali emphasized, noting that Baha’is are not a religious minority, but a foreign-backed political group which aims to help certain powers to interfere in Iran's internal affairs.
The MP said the Islamic Republic respects all prophets and religions, including Christianity and Judaism, explaining that Iran's opposition against Israel is due to Tel Aviv’s occupationism and oppression.
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