Iran said:
"My delegation believes that respect is the key term for understanding human rights particularly for freedom of religion. Under freedom of religion or belief states have an obligation to promote interreligious communication. By the same token all forms of racism racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance constitute serious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms."
And this is how Iran respects freedom of religion according to the 2013 U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom report:
- "The government of Iran continues to engage in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, including prolonged detention, torture, and executions based primarily or entirely upon the religion of the accused. Iran is a constitutional, theocratic republic that discriminates against its citizens on the basis of religion or belief. During the past year, the already poor religious freedom conditions continued to deteriorate, especially for religious minorities, in particular for Baha'is as well as Christians and Sufi Muslims. Physical attacks, harassment, detention, arrests, and imprisonment intensified. Even some of the recognized non-Muslim religious minorities protected under Iran's constitution-Jews, Armenian and Assyrian Christians, and Zoroastrians-face harassment, intimidation, discrimination, arrests, and imprisonment. Majority Shi'i and minority Sunni Muslims, including clerics who dissent, were intimidated, harassed, and detained. Dissidents and human rights defenders were increasingly subject to abuse and several were sentenced to death and even executed for the capital crime of 'waging war against God.' Heightened anti-Semitism and repeated Holocaust denials by senior government officials and clerics continue to foster a climate of fear among Iran's Jewish community. Since the 1979 revolution, members of minority religious communities have fled Iran in significant numbers for fear of persecution."