Int’l Conference to Discuss Human Rights in ‘Eastern’ Perspective
Speaking at a press briefing held on Sunday, April 13, Seyed Hadi Sajjadi, Deputy for International Affairs at Baqir al-Olum University, explained the goals and structure of the event.
“This conference aims to present a critical discourse on the current, Western-dominated human rights narrative,” he said. “But more importantly, we are developing a new, affirmative framework—one that includes the perspectives of civilizations and religions which have historically been excluded or marginalized in the formation of international human rights norms.”
Sajjadi clarified that the term "Eastern" in the conference title refers to a cultural, rather than geographical, East. “This includes all societies whose rights have been overlooked,” he noted.
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Over the past year, the organizers have hosted 17 preparatory sessions, featuring 70 scholars from both Iran and abroad.
“A critical examination of the foundational claims of today’s human rights discourse is a key component of this new approach,” Sajjadi added. “Our critiques address both the conceptual content and the practical application of modern human rights. One core theme is solidarity rights, which emphasize cultural balance and oppose the dominance of one culture over another.”
According to Sajjadi, the opening ceremony will take place on April 27 at the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization in Tehran. The event will be attended by senior officials, including Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, and Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi.
That evening, the conference will move to Qom, where Baqir al-Olum University will host specialized panels on April 28 and 29. Six halls have been prepared to accommodate sessions featuring seven international and seven Iranian scholars.
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The event will host 50 international guests from 26 countries. A trilingual website—available in Persian, Arabic, and English—has been launched to provide public access to conference content.
The closing ceremony will be held on April 30 at Qom Seminary, where a permanent secretariat for the initiative will be established.
Following the event, organizers and guests will travel to Isfahan, where they will plant a symbolic tree in the city's Human Rights Garden to represent their respective nations.
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