(IRNA) - Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hossein Saffar Harandi, in meeting with his Palestinian counterpart said that Iran and Palestine share many cultural roots.
During a meeting with Atallah abu Assibah, Saffar Harandi pointed out that Palestinians had always regarded Iran as their home just as Iranians looked to Palestine as their second home, reports Trend.
Saffar Harandi referred to the struggle of the Palestinians against the Zionist regime as reminiscent of the Iranians' struggle against the Pahlavi regime, adding that the recent surge in violence in Palestinian territories, pitting stones against armored carriers, and the involvement of women and children in battle scenes, makes the Palestinian struggle even more significant.
He called on Palestinians to reshape their ideals in this renewed struggle to match those of the Iranian nation in their struggle against global arrogance.
Saffar Harandi interpreted Hamas' victory in the parliamentary elections in February this year as giving it a mandate from the people to create a full-fledged Palestinian government that would eventually bring down the Zionist regime.
Iran's culture and Islamic guidance minister expressed hope the Iranian and Palestinian nations would be drawn closer to each other in relations, particularly in the cultural field.
He assessed the current agitation in the Islamic world as signifying a desire to go back to true Islam as taught in the holy Quran, and expressed confidence the enemies were on the brink of defeat politically and militarily.
With this in mind, he said "we should now plan for the future on the basis of cultural and economic principles."
Harandi also expressed Iran's full readiness to enter into cultural agreements with Palestine and expressed hope cultural links between the two nations would increase.
Palestinian Culture Minister Atallah abu Assibah, in his talks, said Islamic Iran was the Palestinians' inspiration in their struggle, and said they were looking forward to the day when Arab and Muslim nations would be freed from the dictates of global arrogance.
He further said that the Palestinians voted Hamas to power expecting it would introduce modifications in Palestinian society in the areas of culture, music, theater and civilizational heritage.
Abu Assibah said that the Palestinian people desired a culture ministry that would encourage a culture of resistance and support for policies of resistance as against apathy and capitulation.