Iranian Catholic priest: ‘terrorists will not succeed in frightening our people’

Jun 16, 2017

TEHRAN: Christians and Muslims in Iran will always be united in defending the principles of their faith. That was the message of a Catholic priest in Tehran, after IS/Daesh terrorists stormed the parliament building and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini on Wednesday, June 7, killing at least 17 people and injuring dozens more.

“As an Iranian Assyrian Chaldean Catholic priest, I am saddened by such inhumane acts, mostly accomplished by people who present themselves as faithful to God and Islam, and therefore spread a false image of faith and religion,” said Fr Hormoz Aslani Babroudi, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Society in Iran.

“But the perpetrators of the massacres do not know that these acts will fail to spread fear among the people or weaken the State. So many have tried to do it before them, and they did not succeed, and they will not succeed this time or in the future. Because Iranian Muslim and Christian people will always be united in defending the principles of their faith and their country.”

Fr Hormoz also expressed his condolences to “Spiritual Guide, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and President Hassan Rouhani,” and said he felt close to the families of the victims. “I will pray for the souls of those who have lost their lives, for the comfort of their family members and also of all the wounded,” he said. --ICN