Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Muslim world must, instead of highlighting differences, strengthen its unity in the face of extremism and show the Western world how it can fight the scourge on its own.

The top Iranian diplomat was speaking at a Tuesday Iftar meal at the residence of the Iranian Ambassador to France Ali Ahani in Paris, where envoys of Islamic councils from 33 countries as well as some French officials were present.
�In the Islamic world, we need to show how we can fight, by ourselves, the extremism and terrorism that has affected the Muslim world,� Zarif said.
The Iranian foreign minister said Islam is a religion one of whose teachings is that each human being represents the entire humanity, and that killing one human being is like killing all human beings.
�We follow a religion that can simply show that us not standing together would mean us losing together. If we don�t stand together, we will lose together. We need to be united so we can make a better future for our children,� he said.
Violence and extremism has plagued parts of the Middle East in recent years, with the Takfiri terrorist group of Daesh carrying out a campaign of terror mainly in Iraq and Syria. The Daesh terrorist activities have turned into a pretext for extra-regional countries to engage in military activities in the region.

Zarif is in Paris at the head of a high-ranking delegation on the first leg of a two-nation European tour, which will also take him to the Netherlands. He arrived in the French capital on Tuesday.

According to Ahani, the Iranian ambassador to France, Zarif will on Wednesday meet with French President Francois Hollande.

The Iranian foreign minister is also scheduled to meet with his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault,�President of France�s National Assembly Claude Bartolone, and Senate President Gerard Larcher.

Zarif is also scheduled to address reporters and journalists and attend an exclusive interview with the Paris-based television news channel France 24.

Back in July 2015, then-French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius visited Tehran and extended an invitation to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to visit France. President Rouhani went on a state visit to France in January this year.

By Press TV