TEHRAN, August 04 (MNA) – In reaction to the note that was published in an Irish media, Iranian Ambassador to Dublin Masoud Eslami said that Iran has embraced religious diversity for millennia and continues to do so."The letter entitled “religious persecution in Iran” (July 17th) contained absurd allegations of people having been arrested solely because of their religious beliefs," said Eslami.

"Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, all of the main religious communities have not only been able to freely practice their religion, but they have also been represented in the national parliament.

There is no state-sponsored religious discrimination or segregation in Iran and there are several hundred churches, synagogues, and temples where religious minorities practice their religion," he added.

"COVID-19 has posed a deadly challenge to humanity at large with no discrimination.

It does not recognize any religion, nationality, ethnicity, or other affiliations.

The noble people of Iran are already struggling with the challenges posed by the pandemic and the inhumane maximum pressure of Donald Trump’s devastating economic sanctions.

They are sick and tired of political stereotyping," the Iranian ambassador said.

He went on to say, "Regretfully, while the voices of hatred find an echo in the media, what seems to be as ruthless as the virus is the political blame game.

It only seeks to distort and smear the reputation of one of the most ancient nations on earth which have embraced religious diversity for millennia and is continuing to do so." "Under the current circumstances of immense global anxiety, what we all need is to let the voices of truth reverberate and words of sympathy resonate worldwide," Eslami noted.

His remarks came as Irish Times published a note titled, "Religious persecution in Iran" in 17 July.

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