Spokesman Congratulates Iranian Christians on Christmas
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani congratulated the country’s Christian community on the occasion of Christmas and the new Gregorian calendar year.
In a post on his Twitter account on Sunday night, Kanaani expressed his felicitations over the auspicious birth anniversary of Jesus Christ (PBUH) to all Christians across the world, especially in Iran.
Christianity in Iran has had a long history, dating back to the very early years of the faith.
There are many churches in Iran, including some very old ones like Ghara Kelissa (the Black Monastery) near the city of Maku, northwest of the country.
Religious minorities, including Christians, enjoy a favorable position in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Under the Iranian Constitution, the recognized religious minorities have the right to elect parliamentary representatives of their own.
Five seats of the country’s parliament are reserved for religious minorities. There is one Zoroastrian, one Jewish and three Christian (two for Armenian Christian and one for Assyrians) lawmakers in the Iranian parliament.
