TEHRAN – Hojatoleslam Reza Taqavi, the Leader’s representative in the Agriculture Ministry, has visited the biggest slaughterhouse of the JBS company in Brazil’s Campo Grande.

During the visit which lasted more than four hours, top JBS managers presented Taqavi, who was accompanied by a delegation, with the process of meat production, the Agriculture Ministry website reported on Thursday.

They explained that the slaughterhouse produces high-quality halal meat for Iran under supervision of religious and sanitary experts.

10 of the 35 slaughterhouses owned by the JBS in Brazil produce halal meat for the Islamic Republic, they said.

The cleric, who has travelled to Brazil to supervise the halal slaughtering of livestock, also visited the Halal Center of the Islamic Republic in Brazil.

He urged the employees of the center to be transparent in their jobs and to observe decency and ethics.

The personnel of the center also introduced themselves and explained their tasks and responsibilities.

Leader’s representative meets leader of Orthodox Christians in Brazil 

Taqavi then met with the leader of the Orthodox Christians in Brazil, Archbishop Mansour Damaskinos, in Sao Paolo.

He pointed out that establishing relations between the clerics of Abrahamic religions would bring followers of divine religions closer together.

All of the wars happening in recent years were because of staying away from spirituality, he said.

Those who have killed Iraqi and Syrian people should not be regarded as Muslims, Taqavi stated.

He further said that the message of Islam is “peace, humanity and service to people” and that Islam does not condone killing and destruction.

The Leader’s representative also traveled to Foz do Iguacu to meet with the representative of the Pope and leader of the Catholic Christians in Brazil.

During the meeting, he called for closer relations between Muslim and Christian religious scholars, saying the scholars can play an effective role in strengthening relations.

Taqavi also said religious minorities in Iran live in quite peace and security.

Christians, Zoroastrians and Jews have representatives in Iran’s parliament, he remarked.

He then said the Islamic Republic is a strong proponent of peace and has never favored war. “But we will stand up to whoever attacks us and threatens our interests.”

Islam has taught us not to tolerate oppression, he said, adding, “We do not hold enmity toward any country and if we have a problem with the U.S., it is because of the oppression it has inflicted upon us over the years.”

MH/PA