TEHRAN,(Mehr News Agency) - Iran is a typical example of peaceful coexistence between members of different religions, MP Yonatan Bet Kolia, the representative of the Assyrian and Chaldean Christian communities in the Majlis, said in Tehran on Wednesday.

Kolia made the remarks in a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki and the world's Assyrian representatives.

He urged the Iranian government to help Iraqi Assyrians obtain their basic living rights.

Pointing to the proper living conditions of Assyrians in Iran, he said "We are having equal rights with Muslims, my vote carries the same weight as that of a Muslim's with the power to dismiss or appoint an official and this shows the respect Iran pays to the religious minority groups"

He lauded Iran's policy of obligatory religious training at schools, adding that it is a unique initiative and "to the benefit of our children"

About 20-30 thousand Assyrians live in Iran.

... Payvand News - 7/27/07 ... --