Minister: U.S., Israel hold 'civilizational hostility' toward Iran

Tehran - BORNA - The ceremony for International Museum Day and the beginning of Cultural Heritage Week was held on Monday morning, attended by a group of veterans, researchers, restorers, university professors, cultural heritage officials, and cultural families of the country.

Addressing the event, Seyed Reza Salehi-Amiri congratulated cultural heritage activists across the country, referring to them as the "trustees of Iran's ancient treasure." He stated: "If a powerful and proud Iran stands in the world today, it is due to the sacrifices of a generation that gave their lives for the survival, honor, and dignity of this land."

Emphasizing the deep connection between cultural heritage, national identity, and the historical resistance of the Iranian nation, the minister noted: "Enemies devoid of history, culture, and civilization have lined up today against the oldest living civilization in the world. However, relying on its vast cultural capital, national cohesion, and culture of sacrifice, the Iranian nation stands more powerful than ever."

Honoring the martyrs of the Ramadan War and the child martyrs of the Minab school, Salehi-Amiri stressed: "The blood of the innocent children of this land will never be wasted, and the perpetrators of these crimes will, sooner or later, be held accountable before the awakened global conscience and international courts."

Referring to the events as the "third major U.S. crime in contemporary history," he added: "The world has not forgotten Hiroshima and Vietnam, and Minab will never be erased from the historical memory of the Iranian nation either."

Preserving Strategic Cultural Assets

Salehi-Amiri described the philosophy behind Cultural Heritage Week as a "re-reading of Iran’s civilizational glory," stating: "We hold Cultural Heritage Week so that Iranians and the world know that Iran is the land of narratives, secrets, civilizations, and the historical memory of humanity—a land whose grandeur even its enemies are forced to acknowledge."

He continued: "We hold this week to teach Iran’s children in schools, universities, and cultural centers that Iranian identity is rooted in a several-thousand-year-old civilization, and this vast heritage must be preserved and reproduced as a strategic asset."

The minister emphasized the attack on Iran's historical monuments as a sign of the enemies' "civilizational hostility," reiterating: "The aggression against 149 historical monuments in Iran remains a stain of shame on the foreheads of the Zionist regime and the United States. Because they lack history, lineage, and civilization, they have fallen into anger and frustration when facing the oldest living civilization in the world."

He noted that the Iranian nation was not weakened by this aggression, but rather stood more cohesive, empathetic, and united than in the past, turning its wounds into a bridge toward national unity.

In conclusion, Salehi-Amiri highlighted Iran's immense cultural capacity, noting: "With more than one million historical sites and 43,000 nationally registered monuments, Iran is one of the world's greatest soft powers, and our mission will be to introduce this historical glory to the public opinion of Iran and the world."

"Iran is a sun from whose light, warmth, culture, and civilization the world benefits, and this nation, more invincible than ever, will continue its historical path," he concluded.

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