Iran’s foreign minister hails birth of Jesus in Christmas tweet

on December 25, 2021 | 10:37:14

Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif shared a Christmas message commemorating the birth of Jesus to Twitter on Monday.

Quoting a verse from the Islamic holy book the Quran, Zarif wrote: “The angels said, ‘Mary, God gives you good tidings of a Word from Him whose name is Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary; high honored shall he be in this world and the next, near stationed to God.’ (QURAN 2:45) May the blessings of the birth of Jesus usher peace and joy to all in 2019.”

Although Islam does not consider Jesus to be God as do Christians, it recognizes him as an important prophet. While Christmas is not traditionally celebrated in Islam, many Muslims around the world commemorate the holiday in remembrance of Jesus’s birth. Iran is also home to an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 Christians, primarily of Armenian and Assyrian descent. This Christian minority is guaranteed representation in the country’s government, as is the Islamic Republic’s minority Jewish community.

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