World Admits Iran’s Pioneering Role in Fighting Terrorism

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani expressed pleasure in the last year approval of Iran’s proposal for creating a ‘World Against Violence and Extremism’ by the UN, and said the world is now aware that Tehran plays a pioneering role in fighting terrorism.

“Today, no one has any doubt or can deny that the Islamic Republic of Iran is a vanguard in fighting terrorists in the region and in campaigning violence, extremism and terrorism everywhere in its bid to take the compassionate voice of Islam to the entire world,” Rouhani said in Tehran on Tuesday afternoon.

He also pointed to Iran’s WAVE proposal which was approved by the UN General Assembly in December 2013, and said, “Approval of this proposal in the UN General Assembly through consensus was a valuable achievement.”

On September 25, 2013, President Rouhani proposed the WAVE initiative in his address to the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

On December 18, 2013, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to approve Iran’s proposal, which called on all nations across the globe to denounce violence and extremism.

On December 20, 2013, Iran offered to host an international conference on UN resolution adopted based on President Rouhani’s WAVE initiative which was held in Tehran on Tuesday with several world ministers’ participation.

President Rouhani proposed yesterday that December 18 will be named as the International Day against Violence and Extremism after Iran’s proposal was approved by the UN.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced on Tuesday that his ministry would pursue implementation of the anti-terrorism and anti-extremism proposals made by President Hassan Rouhani at the first international conference on ‘World Against Violence and Extremism (WAVE)’ in Tehran and other international meetings.

“We will pursue Mr. Rouhani’s proposals in different international meetings, including this meeting, and God willing we will follow up (his) viewpoints at the UN and other international bodies in a bid to achieve our common goal that is fighting against extremism and violence as well as campaigning against the anti-Islam and anti-human moves …,” Zarif told reporters in Tehran on the sidelines of his trilateral meeting with the Iraqi and Syrian foreign ministers who visited Iran to participate in the WAVE conference.