Iran�s top leaders sent Christmas greetings on social media today, reaching out via unprecedented tweets from the Islamic republic � including one message directed at Pope Francis.�Felicitations to�@Pontifex�on birthday of Christ, Prophet of love, mercy & friendship,� Iranian President�Hassan Rouhani�tweeted, referring to the Pope�s Twitter account, �@Pontifex.�
Hassan Rouhani�@HassanRouhani
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Felicitations to @Pontifex on birthday of Christ, Prophet of love, mercy & friendship. Hoping for new year filled with peace & prosperity.
12:40 AM - 26 Dec 2013
Iranian Supreme Leader�Ali Khamenei, who has final word in state matters, praised Jesus Christ in a series of tweets and a�Facebook post. Adherents of Islam, Iran�s official state religion, consider Jesus Christ a prophet.
khamenei.ir�@khamenei_ir
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No doubt that Jesus #Christ has no less value among Muslims than [he has] among the pious Christians. 27/12/2000
12:39 PM - 24 Dec 2013
khamenei.ir�@khamenei_ir
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Jesus #Christ was a minister of a heavenly justice to call all oppressed on earth for emancipation from the thralldom of bullying despots.
1:54 PM - 24 Dec 2013
Iranian Foreign Minister�Mohammad Javad Zarif, wished his Twitter followers a �Merry Christmas� in his own message Tuesday.
Javad Zarif��������?�@JZarif
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May the spirit of Christmas bring joy, peace, empathy and compassion to everyone throughout the coming year. Merry Christmas.
1:25 PM - 24 Dec 2013
The Iranian leaders� comments follow a similar interfaith outreach around the time of the Jewish New Year, in September, when Rouhani�used Twitter�to �wish all Jews, especially Iranian Jews, a blessed Rosh Hashanah.�
The tweets, dismissed by critics of the Iranian regime as a less-than-genuine public relations move, turned heads because of longstanding criticism over the Iranian government�s treatment of religious minorities within its borders. The Iranian state follows a hard-line brand of Shia Islam.
Religious minorities in Iran, which include Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Sunni Muslims and Baha�i, face restrictions in education, employment, politics, the government and military,�according to Freedom House, a U.S.-based organization that researches human rights and political freedoms. The Baha�i, believed to number more than 300,000 in Iran, �enjoy virtually no rights� and �are banned from practicing their faith,� the organization said.
Christians make up a tiny percentage of Iran�s population of 80 million.
Since he assumed office in August, Rouhani has put a friendly face on engagement with the West, even exchanging tweets with U.S. President Barack Obama.
Today, he shared a photograph of himself spending time �on this special day� with Christians.
So far, Pope Francis has not tweeted back.
By ABC News
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