(January 11, 2014, Tehran): Bishop Sipoh Sarkissian, Metropolitan of the Armenian Church in Tehran, said that Christians in Iran live in peace and love with all sects of the Iranian people, and that Iran is one of the safest countries in the region where Christians feel safe, and the country respects Christians in general and Armenians in particular. Sarkissian pointed out that there are more than 600 churches in the Islamic Republic of Iran in different cities, of which 37 are located in Tehran, the capital, and in Tehran, Christians practice their religious rituals and have about 21 schools and a large number of newspapers and social clubs. "We are first and foremost Iranian citizens, and we enjoy all our rights like any other citizen, but we have our own rights and laws affiliated with the church, and the state respects other faiths," he said. He explained that the diocese is preparing to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, as the Armenian Genocide is the beginning and the end of the Armenian people, and they have a special center for Armenian issues that prints special publications and magazines in Persian to inform about Armenian issues. Sarkisian appreciated the fatwa and the role of the Sheikh of Al-Azhar in condemning the 1915 massacres of Armenians by the Turks, and emphasized that Al-Azhar is a role model for all religious institutions towards the issues of humanity, and Egypt has a special place in our hearts and we have strong relations with the Egyptian ambassador in Tehran. Sargsyan emphasized that the Armenian community in Iran is working to take care of Syrian refugees, and has collected many donations to support them, and provided them with some housing. It is worth mentioning that Bishop Sipoh Sarkissian, a Syrian native born in Qamishli, moved to Lebanon and graduated from the Higher Theological School in Pantelias, Lebanon, and served in the Armenian Church in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, and finally moved to the Armenian Church in Tehran in 1994.