[caption id="attachment_141330" align="alignright" width="203"] Iran President’s special aid for religious minorities Ali Younesi[/caption]
Tehran, Feb 25, IRNA – Special Presidential Advisor Hojatoleslam Ali Yunesi said while part of the basic slogan of the government is observance of citizen’s right there are extremist elements who have penetrated into some centers and through arbitrary actions and violation of the right are creating problem for the Islamic Republic of Iran.




Speaking to IRNA, Hojatoleslam Yunesi who is president’s advisor in ethnic and religious minority affairs noted that extremist groups belong to no institution.

He pointed to strained relations with Canada and said what happened in connection with Zahra Kazemi (Iranian born Canadian photojournalist), for which all the documents on who was responsible are available, was a personal decision for which Iran is still paying the price.

Yunesi further remarked that in cases in which human rights are violated influence of extremist elements is involved, adding: “We should get rid of them and push them away from centers of power.”

Stressing that the 11th government has started two movements for observation of human rights, the official said the first movement was practical behavior of the government in using all tastes in the affairs which has helped opening of the atmosphere and in the field of ethnicity it has tried to behave better than the past.

In the field of citizen’s right a bill has been prepared for the approval of which the condition should be ripe and it is unlikely to be submitted to the 9th Majlis.

Stressing that the government is determined to defend citizen’s right, Yunesi added that observation of human rights is not merely in the monopoly of the government and other organizations should cooperate some of which do not.

Elsewhere in his remarks Yunesi said Israel is taking advantage of discrepancies more than others and the only means for Israel’s persistence is disputes among Muslins and no threat is graver that religious war on which Israel has made investment.

Yunesi, former intelligence minister, said when he was the minister his ministry discovered many cases, including a case where huge amounts of dollars were sent from outside to a cleric to write books on Sunni religious sanctities. He said some people were still in prison in connection with the case.


By IRNA