Kissing the Quran, Most Beautiful Moment in My Sports Life: Armenian Soccer Player

TEHRAN IQNA) – Iranian Armenian soccer player Andranik Teymourian said his kissing of the Quran was the most beautiful moment in his sports life.

Teymourian, who is the first Christian to lead Iran’s national football team as its permanent captain, made the remark in response to a question about a widely-circulated photo showing him kiss the Quran before leaving the country for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

“I respect all sacred books and this (The Quran) is also one sent by God, just like the Bible,” he said, ISNA reported.

In 2014, members of Iran’s national soccer team, including Teymourian, who were heading to the World Cup, kissed the Quran, as part of the farewell ceremony.

“I’m happy that as a Christian I play in a Muslim team,” he said in a recent interview. “I have Armenian roots but I hold the Iranian passport and I’m proud of that, I hold my flag high. I hope I can enhance the good reputation of Armenian people in Iran.”

Ethnic Armenians make up the majority of Iran’s estimated 400,000 Christians.