TEHRAN – Ahead of Iran’s Anti-Imperialist Day, a press conference for the conference “We and the West: Thoughts and Views of the Leaders of the Islamic Revolution” was held at the Institute for Research and Culture of the Islamic Revolution.
The event was attended by Mohammad Eshaqi, deputy director of research and education at the institute. Musa Haqqani, scientific secretary of the conference; and Moussa Najafi and Mohammad Javad Larijani, members of the policy council overseeing the event.
Emphasizing the historical and contemporary influence of Western civilization, Eshaqi said, “The West has progressed from colonial powers to global hegemonic regimes. In contrast, over the past 25 years, the Islamic Revolution has built a broad front of resistance that extends to the United States, Europe, and its universities and think tanks.”
He added that the foundations of Western civilization – theoretical foundations such as human rights, democracy, secularism and women’s rights, as well as practical foundations such as military power, economic power and media power, are currently facing a crisis of legitimacy. “Recent events in Gaza, Lebanon and other countries demonstrate the limited commitment of Western countries to human rights and national freedoms.”
Mr. Larijani outlined Iran’s approach to the West, contrasting the principle of compromise, which relies on concessions, with the principle of resistance, which emphasizes national independence, dignity, and principled engagement. “This approach does not reject interaction with Western countries, but frames it within national interests,” he explained.
The conference, organized by the Institute for Research and Culture of the Islamic Revolution in cooperation with the Academic Center, will be held on November 10th. 54 specialized sessions including international conferences will be held. A total of 533 abstracts were submitted, 385 papers were accepted, and 46 academic interviews were conducted with leading scholars, highlighting Iranian-Islamic identity and strategies of resistance to global hegemony.