“Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran is the standard-bearer of the unity of (Islamic) schools of thought,” Sheikh Ahmed Alzain said in an address to a conference on the proximity of the Islamic schools of thought in the southeastern Iranian city of Zahedan on Tuesday. 

This means that various religious sects, including Shiite, Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki and Zaidi, are acting in unison to advance Islam’s objectives, he added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Sunni cleric highlighted the Islamic Republic’s supports for Palestine, saying Iran is today enjoying a “special place” among the world’s freedom-seekers with its support for the oppressed, Palestinians in particular.

Iran has remained committed to supporting Palestine since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani last week pledged Tehran’s unwavering support for the Palestinian nation, saying that the Islamic Republic considers defending the Palestinian people against the Zionist regime of Israel as its “religious duty”.

Speaking in a meeting with members of different Palestinian groups, Larijani said the issue of Palestine has always been high on agenda in the Islamic Republic.

“The issue of defending Palestine is a pivotal issue in Iran and all (political) parties and groups in the Islamic Republic have the same view in this regard,” he said.

Larijani further stressed the need for the unity of Muslim countries in support of the Palestinian nation.