Cleric: Iranian Justice Become Model for World / Human Dignity, Red Line of Islam

Hojat al-Islam Dr. Hamid Shahriari, the Secretary-General of the Islamic World League for Islamic Rapprochement, at the International Conference of Religions that began today (Thursday) in Russia, referring to fundamental Islamic values, elaborated on the status of dignity and justice in the Islamic system and critiqued the conduct of global arrogance.

At the beginning of his remarks, the Secretary-General of the Islamic World League for Islamic Rapprochement, referring to the critical state of the contemporary world, said, "In these critical times and circumstances, I wish to speak about two Islamic values: dignity and justice. Dignity is a human value that God has bestowed upon all human beings, regardless of their religion, sect, or belief; even those who do not worship God possess this worldly attribute, human dignity and honor. God says: 'And We have certainly honored the children of Adam.'"

He added, "Justice is the observance of the right of another and the highest and most accepted social value that God has emphasized. In contrast, oppression is the deprivation of another's right through aggression and hostility."

The Fundamental Rights of Humans in Islam

Dr. Shahriari, emphasizing that humans have certain inalienable rights that respect for them is obligatory upon all, pointed to the most important of these rights and said, "The right to life and living, the right to food and water, the right to reside in one's homeland, and the right to freedom are among the most important human rights. No human has the right to kill another human without just cause, or to besiege them and deprive them of the right to food, water, shelter, and homeland."

He continued, "These are the same human principles that the Holy Quran has commanded, and it is obligatory upon Muslims to attend to them regardless of the religion, sect, or creed of the addressee."

The Secretary-General of the Islamic World League for Islamic Rapprochement, referring to the widespread challenges facing moral values, said, "Today we see that these are the very rights that have been stripped from Palestinians. Cruelty and oppression are the ugliest behavior one can commit against another. The right to life is the foremost of human rights. The Islamic nation and the Muslim world have been in grief and intense pain for over 70 years."

He stated, "With the support of America, the system of domination, and the usurping Zionist regime, a part of Palestine, which is the land of the Islamic nation, has been occupied. A nation has been displaced from their homeland, and through the most brutal and violent aggressions, they have been deprived of all human rights by destroying homes and plundering their property and assets."

Dr. Shahriari, referring to the history of Palestinian displacement, said, "Previously as well, several generations of them have been displaced to other lands without enjoying the least civil and human rights, living in camps. Today we are witnessing the displacement of hundreds of thousands of families in Gaza and the homelessness of millions of Palestinians from their homeland, and the martyrdom of tens of thousands of ordinary citizens, most of them children and women. Nearly 50,000 have been wounded, and every ten minutes a child is killed, but no one stops them."

Western Double Standards and Iran's Resistance

The Secretary-General of the Islamic World League for Islamic Rapprochement, referring to the contradictory behavior of global powers, said, "These years have proven more than ever that global arrogance and Zionist tyranny, led by America and with the support of Britain and France, have brought forced displacement and imposed siege and war. They are trying to break the spirit of resistance in the world so that they can access the world's energy resources."

He added, "It seems that the arrogant world, led by America, operates with double standards when facing war and justice, and seeks to achieve its own specific interests. If killing is wrong, it is wrong everywhere. If displacement is wrong, it is wrong everywhere. But the usurping regime has called the killing of innocents, including children and women, a 'just war' and has labeled the defense of human rights 'terrorism.'"

Dr. Shahriari, in the concluding part of his remarks, referring to the steadfastness of the Islamic Republic of Iran against American aggression, emphasized, "Today, Iranian justice has become a model for the world, for it has revived hope in the hearts of the oppressed and astonished the entire world. We resisted American aggression and overcame it, and this is what the world is witnessing with open eyes."

He noted, "What the Zionist regime has done in Gaza, Lebanon, and other Islamic countries is genocide, ethnic cleansing, and mass killing. Crimes that animals do not commit against other animals. These crimes reflect the double standards of the West and the disregard for human rights when confronting oppressed nations."