Iran's parliament backs rights for Shia in M'sia

Following media reports on the clampdown on Shia in Malaysia, Iran' s Parliament has reportedly contacted officials in Malaysia to convey its concerns. The Islamic Republic of Iran is Shia -predominated, but it is also a member state of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC). Another republic in the Islamic world where Shia form the majority of the Muslim-predominated population is Iraq which is Iran's neighbour. There is also a noticeable minority of Shia in the Sunni -majority and monarchical Saudi Arabia where Islam was first founded as a religion, but Iran and Saudi Arabia are said to be in geo-strategic competition as the former has clearly enhanced its influence in post-Saddam Iraq.

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