In the name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Undoubtedly, it is God Almighty’s wish that all human beings should live in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility; a divine blessing that is, unfortunately, being violated by some people who are depriving others of blessing through oppression and crime. Over the past one month or so, we had witnessed that the occupying Zionist regime launched a new genocide to shed the blood of innocent children, women, and civilians in order to oust the Palestinians from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem where they have lived all their lives. Surprisingly, those who claim to be the champions of democracy and human rights remained silent vis-à-vis these atrocious and beastly crimes. These inhuman crimes wounded the souls of all the peace-loving people of the world, who for sure, expect some effective reaction towards the Israeli crimes.

Meanwhile, the violent crackdown on the fasting Palestinians, by the occupier regime’s police, sparked another intifada, and mass demonstrations and the rocket attacks of Hamas on Tel Aviv marked another defeat for the Zionist regime and proved that such terrible crimes shall not remain unanswered anymore, as no free human being can remain silent in the face of blatant oppression and persecution.

Now, the existing ceasefire, which was the only left option to the Zionists to escape the consequences of what they had started, has provided the world and especially the leaders and followers of world religions with an opportunity to think of a just solution for resolving the problems of Palestinians - by recognizing the existing realities. It should be remembered that, as very rightly stated by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, the establishment of lasting peace and security in Palestine will be possible only with the return of Palestinian refugees to the wrongly occupied territories and the collective decision (through free elections) of all its inhabitants - Jews, Christians, and Muslims - with regard to its administration and nothing else.

Therefore, as the Chairman of the Policy-Making and Coordination Council of the Interreligious Dialogue of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been working for years to promote greater understanding and cooperation among different religions, I congratulate this victory to the oppressed people of Palestine and call upon all religious leaders and cultural personalities to strongly condemn these barbaric crimes that are mercilessly going on in Palestine, the birthplace and origin of many great divine prophets, and take appropriate steps in fulfilling the religious and human duty that has been vested on them and extend their serious support to the proposed referendum in the occupied territories and to raise it in the international arena.

We pray to God Almighty to help us with regard to this important matter.

Dr. Abouzar Ebrahimi Torkaman

Chairman of the Policy-Making and Coordination Council of the Interreligious Dialogue of the Islamic Republic of Iran