TEHRAN – Iranian officials and international scholars were convened at the International Human Rights Conference in Tehran on Tuesday, where strategic and parliamentary Vice President Mohsen Esmairi made harsh criticisms of the Western-controlled human rights system, noting that Israel’s “genocide crimes” were enabled in Gaza.
Attended by 40 foreign guests from 22 countries, the event highlighted Iran’s call for a new human rights paradigm rooted in cultural and Islamic values in the eastern region.
Esmairi opened his remarks by condemning the ongoing Israeli attack on Gaza, in which more than 61,000 Palestinians, including 17,000 children, have been killed since October 2023.
More than 111,000 others remained injured, many unable to access medical care due to Israeli lockdown, and more than 14,000 are missing and are estimated to be dead.
“An appreciation of Gaza’s atrocities today provides the most clear evidence of the inefficiency of human rights rhetoric,” declares Esmairi, adding, “The crimes of the Zionist regime against the oppressed and unprotected people of Gaza force all peace-loving individuals to ask: what should we do in this failed human rights system?”
He emphasized that the “encouraging silence” of international organizations like the UN towards Gaza and other global injustice has exposed their accomplices.
“The human rights agencies born to prevent new conflicts after World War II have lost far from their original mission,” Iranian officials said they cited their inaction during the 1980s and Iraq’s chemical attacks on Iran targeting Iranian civilians today.
Esmairi argued that the current human rights framework is “controlled by flawed Western discourse” that underestimates human dignity.
“The West doesn’t think humanity is inherently dignified. This is why such tragedy continues worldwide,” he said.
In contrast, he praised the cultural spheres of the eastern region, particularly the Iran and the Islamic world, and praised it for offering a “persuasive alternative” based on compassion and collective responsibility.
To quote the ancient Persian poet Saadi, “Man is the limbs of one body made from the same essence” – Esmairi pointed out that this message, displayed in the United Nations, emphasizes a timeless emphasis on Eastern unity.
The conference ended with a call to draft new human rights documents that reflect Eastern values.
Esmairi urged scholars to “grab this critical moment,” saying Iranian government is ready to support efforts in a system that prioritizes “human dignity to geopolitical interests.”
The continued bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli regime has sparked global condemnation, but the West rejected the UN ceasefire resolution and the armed Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, human rights groups are facing accusations of bias, with critics pointing to the failure to hold the Israeli regime accountable for war crimes, including driving away hospital targets and 1.9 million Palestinians.