Scholars from 21 countries assembled under the auspices of the 6th International Congress of Imam Reza at Imam Reza International University’s women’s division.
Hoj. Ali Shaba Chala, director of Islamic Pulse Pakistan, recalled the Qur’anic command “Worship God, and avoid tyranny”, asserting, “Resisting oppression and shunning domination are divine mandates”.
He warned that if the Islamic nation fully embraced these responsibilities, tragedies such as those in Gaza would be prevented. He also referenced how the 1979 Islamic Revolution led by Imam Khomeini revived pure Islam—a spiritual outburst still resonating worldwide.
Speaking in the event, Dr. Morteza Roojooei, president of Imam Reza International University (IRIU), observed that resistance has become an influential intellectual current among elites.
He decried the pervasive oppression and violations of humanity’s basic right to life, as seen in recent events in Palestine, Gaza, and Syria, expressing hope that “this burgeoning trend will evolve into a broader cultural demand that reshapes public discourse and behavior”.
According to Sheikh Abdulqader Alousi, head of Robat Mohammadi Islamic Scholars Association of Iraq, “True human dignity is achieved by following the path of Ahl al-Bayt”.
He noted that divine scriptures affirm the inherent honor in every person—a potential fully realized through adherence to the luminous tradition exemplified by Imam Reza. Citing practical examples such as care for orphans, aid for the poor, and respectful treatment of captives, he also described Imam Reza shrine as “a center for acquiring knowledge and spiritual blessings”.
Elsewhere in the gathering, Masoud Shadjareh, president of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, London, condemned the crimes committed by the Zionist regime in Gaza over the past year. “These armed, political, and media-backed atrocities receive full support from Western and European powers that claim to champion human rights”.
He decried the routine broadcast of these mass injustices while criticizing academic suppression of voices in solidarity with the oppressed.
Also speaking in the session, Dr. Michel Ka’adi, a Lebanese Christian scholar and philosopher from Rouh Aghdas Marouni University, hailed Imam Reza as a global saint and sacred personality.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, he described his literary work on Imam Reza and Ahl al-Bayt—which has seen multiple reprints in the Arab world—and asserted: “Imam Reza embodies perfection and virtue, setting a supreme example for humanity”.
Marzieh Hashemi, a Press TV anchor, reporter and producer, argued that Imam Reza’s teachings on human dignity represent the true embodiment of Islamic human rights.
Citing the prolonged violence in Gaza—with over 52,000 martyrs and 117,000 wounded—she criticized superficial slogans by human rights advocates, noting that “only by embracing Imam Reza’s spiritual framework can genuine human rights be realized”.
At the end of the event, Dr. Zhano Silva Jordao, an Islamic sciences researcher from Portugal, explained in a specialized panel that social justice, in Imam Reza’s view, is firmly rooted in the reality of Tawhid (monotheism).
He lamented: “Secular pressures in parts of Europe suppress Islamic values”, and stressed that “establishing a society based on divine commandments and a strict adherence to Tawhid is the only path toward true social justice.