Dany Scorpio, a Cameroonian blogger and media activist, made the remarks during a visit to the museums of the Imam Reza (AS) shrine in Mashhad, where he was among foreign guests attending the Islamic Unity Conference.
The visit included tours of martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei’s Gifts Museum and the Carpet Museum located within the holy shrine complex.
Scorpio, representing a broad segment of African society, was among the visitors who explored the cultural and historical treasures housed at the shrine.
Speaking during the visit, Scorpio explained that his trip was motivated in part by an interest in the transformative role of Islam in a world that has experienced considerable turmoil over the past century.
He said he intended to convey a positive image of Mashhad and Iran to African audiences, stressing that the city should not be viewed merely as a major pilgrimage destination that receives millions of visitors each year. Rather, he said, the city also contains a rich civilization, part of which was on display during his visit to the shrine's museums.
Scorpio also reflected on his earlier perceptions of Iran, saying that the image he had formed during childhood was of a very poor country whose people were generally associated with terrorism or support for terrorism.
He said the visit had completely changed that perception, giving him a very different understanding of Iran and its cultural and civilizational heritage.