28 May 2024

Iran yesterday pledged to work closely with the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe.

In his first ever meeting with the Right Reverend Dr Farai Mutamiri, the Bishop of the Diocese of Harare of the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa, at the church head offices in Harare this Tuesday morning, May 28, 2024, the Cultural Counsellor of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Zimbabwe, Mr Hamid Bakhtiyar, said Iran wants to forge new fruitful and long-lasting relations with the Zimbabwean church.

These relations, he said, would be premised on broad based interfaith and interreligious dialogue, among the other various forms of interventions meant to promote relations between the church and Iran.

He noted that the Cultural Centre of the Embassy of Iran enjoys a healthy relationship with various Christian churches and other related religious bodies in Zimbabwe, through whom various interfaith exchanges take place. Iran is prepared to grow these all-encompassing relations.

Mr. Bakhtiyar said Iran was ready to partner with Zimbabwe in educational exchange programmes through the offered science and religious based scholarships.

He said the Anglican church also stands to benefit from the rich array of scholarships on offer.

In his welcome remarks, Bishop Mutamiri began by paying his condolences to the people of Iran following the passing of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last week.

Mr. Bakhtiyar said President Raisi was the people’s president, served the people well, and was a great supporter of the Palestinian cause. He noted that President Raisi’s martyrdom affected most of the international community, as he was a highly regarded international statesman.

Bishop Mutamiri welcomed Iran’s offer of friendship, and said his church is ready to cooperate with Iran in all the mutually agreed areas of interest.

He said his church is open to dialogue with Iran as a way of understanding and appreciating the country’s belief systems.

Mr. Bakhtiyar was later taken on a tour of the imposing cathedral complex, where he got to appreciate the church’s history and operations.