Era of puppet rulers expired: Larijani

Speaker of Iran’s Majlis (parliament) Ali Larijani says the ongoing popular uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa serve as evidence that the era of puppet dictators has expired in the Muslim world.

In a meeting with Iraq’s Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Saturday, Larijani warned against plots hatched by enemies to cause a split between Shia and Sunni Muslims and stressed the importance of reinforcing unity among Muslim nations.

Integrity and unity among Muslim nations are absolute necessities in the Muslim world at the current juncture, he said, the Majlis news agency, ICANA, reported.

The top Iranian parliamentarian further pointed to Tehran’s deep-rooted relations with Baghdad and stated that the two sides enjoy great potential and opportunities to strengthen relations in line with the interests of the Iranian and Iraqi nations.

Iraq’s Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, who is currently in Tehran to attend the 5th International Conference on Palestinian Intifada, lauded the Islamic Republic’s efforts to support the rights of the oppressed Palestinian people.

The Iraqi speaker said enemies are making every effort to cause a rift among Muslim nations, and stressed that the senior officials of Muslim countries shoulder a heavy responsibility to counter such plots.

Nujaifi expressed the support of the Iraqi government and people for any move which aims to improve amicable relations with Iran.

In a separate meeting with Kuwaiti Parliament Speaker Jassem al-Kharafi, the top Iranian legislator said that Palestine is the most important issue of the Muslim world.

Larijani added that the parliaments of Muslim countries can play a leading role in restoring the rights of the oppressed Palestinian people through cooperation.

He noted that parliamentary ties between Iran and Kuwait are invaluable ground for bolstering cordial relations in all fields.

The Kuwaiti speaker, for his part, said there have always been good relations between Iran and Kuwait.

The 5th International Conference on Palestinian Intifada kicked off in Tehran on Saturday with the purpose of calling enough attention to the issue of Palestine.

Representatives, parliament speakers and scholars from different countries as well as a number of Palestinian leaders are attending the two-day event.

The conference, with the motto of “Palestine, Homeland of Palestinians”, focuses on the restoration of Palestinians’ rights, including their rights to return to their homeland and determine their own fate, and on the liberation of Palestinian territories occupied by Zionist Israel.