Dr. Seyyed Abolhasan Navvab with the company of associates, directors and deans of faculties of the University of Religions and Denominations met with Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif, the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Tuesday, November 26, 2019.

According to the public relations office of the University, Dr. Seyyed Abolhasan Navvab, the Chancellor of the University of Religions and Denominations, in meeting with Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif, the foreign minister, presented a report of the activities of the University of Religions and Denominations such as holding international courses and explained the proximity based approach of the University; he said: “I regard Your Excellency as more than a foreign minister; you are a national figure.

Pointing to his familiarity with Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif since he was Iran’s representative in the United Nations and the thirty-year-old history of friendship, he added: I consider you a national, religious and influential figure and the presence of the family of the University of Religions and Denominations in this place is because of you; and although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is respected, our respect toward you is more than the ministry and your existence in Iran has caused our honor and we hope that this government can make the best use of your existence.

The chancellor of the University of Religions and Denominations called this university the branch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qom and said: to be honest, the world of religion in the world does not truly know us and we do not know them truly either.

After the remarks of Ḥujjat al-Islām wal-Muslimīn Seyyed Abolhasan Navvab, Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif, the foreign minister of our country welcomed the chancellor of the University and the accompanying delegation and said: actually the University of Religions and Denominations matters for the foreign policy of our country.

The power of the Islamic Republic, is not because of its military strength. It has been some days that a clip is broadcast of Imam Khomeini who says, “because of your military power you cannot survive; with people you will survive.” We also say this, but the reality is that the source of power is different.

He added: we can take a lot of advantage of this source of power which is spiritual power. After all the Americans have a military superiority in the world and expend as much as ten countries in military field. Definitely the Americans like a lot that we accept that the basis of power lies in the ownership of guns, cannons, and tanks, because in this way we must accept that the US is the superior power.

The basis of power is something else, not that cannons and tanks do not matter but that these are not the basis of power. The power that has also made the Islamic revolution prominent is that we have spiritual power which we try to maintain and develop.

Zarif said in the end: the active presence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qom is indicative of the importance of Qom and the Qom seminary; and our business is communication with the seminary and the centers that are related in a way to it. Therefore, we are ready to exchange experiences and viewpoints informed of the latest developments in the world and cooperate in a more constructive way.