Leila Mojtahedi - Shahrvand - Number 1206 - Friday, December 4, 2008
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| From right: Dr. Alireza Asgharzadeh — Kaveh Shahrooz |
On Saturday, November 15, 2008, Iranian students advocating for human rights at York University (ISHR) and the Iranian Association at the University of Toronto (IAUT), supported by the Shahrvand publication, held an academic seminar titled "Human Rights and Iran" at the University of Toronto. This seminar, conducted in English, lasted seven hours and included invitations to professors and activists from various universities. The speakers included:
Kaveh Shahrooz, a law graduate from Harvard University
Alireza Asgharzadeh, a professor at York University
Mohammad Tavakoli, a professor at the University of Toronto
Mansour Bankdaran, a professor at the University of Toronto
Minou Deraye, a professor at York University
Payam Akhavan, a professor at McGill University (Montreal).
Ehsaane Tehrani, a student at York University and the program host, began by thanking each of the professors and the Citizen publication for their support in organizing this seminar. He then invited Dr. Reza Moridi, a member of the Ontario Parliament, to give an introductory talk about human rights in Iran.
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| Dr. Reza Moridi |
Dr. Moridi, while thanking the organizers of the seminar, emphasized that respect for human rights and democracy are interdependent, stating: "In a society where human rights are violated, democracy will have no meaning. In a society where democracy does not prevail, human rights will also not be respected. Human rights and democracy in a society are as essential and necessary as the basic human needs of water and bread." He noted that since Iranian society is multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic, and multi-religious, we must be able to respect and acknowledge each other’s rights as individuals. Unfortunately, in Iranian society, we are far from the principles of human rights, and we need extensive public education to reach that goal.
It was time for the speakers. Kaveh Shahrooz spoke about "International Human Rights." Alireza Asgharzadeh presented on "Reflections on Human Rights and Diversity in Contemporary Iran." Mohammad Tavakoli discussed "Civil Liberties and Competing National Identities." Mansour Bankdaran addressed "Modernity, State, Opposition, and Human Rights in Iran." Minou Deraye spoke on "Women's Rights in Islamic Law," and Payam Akhavan presented on "Religious Minorities and Human Rights."
Below is a summary of Dr. Alireza Asgharzadeh's remarks.
Alireza Asgharzadeh began his remarks by examining the contradictions between human rights and nationalism, explaining how the universal nature of human rights conflicts with the phenomenon described in sociological theories as "methodological nationalism."
According to this methodology, scientific research in the fields of humanities and social sciences is shaped by the priorities and interests of the nation-state, reducing society, with all its complexities, to the level of the nation-state.
In fact, the common differences and diversities in society become among the first victims of this reductionist perspective.
This viewpoint specifies the parameters of "official identity," "official gender," "official religion," "official history," "official language and literature," thus delegitimizing the identity characteristics of others and dividing citizens into "insiders" and "outsiders."
The logical outcome of this discriminatory classification creates first-class, second-class, third-class, and fourth-class citizens, a situation we currently witness in Iranian society.
Therefore, through the application of methodological nationalism, human rights are not only violated by repressive governments and regimes but are also undermined by researchers, writers, and so-called neutral intellectuals.
Asgharzadeh traced the roots of methodological nationalism in Iran to the "Young Iran's Association" (Anjoman-e Iran-e Javan) under the presidency of Dr. Mahmoud Afshar and the first issue of the magazine Ayandeh, published in 1925 by this association, analyzing its relations with the court of Reza Shah.
According to the speaker's analysis, Mahmoud Afshar's nationalistic methodology, which divides the people of Iran into two groups—Persians and non-Persians—has led to catastrophic results that Iranian society is still grappling with more than eighty years later.
To clarify this issue, the speaker provided examples of the Pahlavi regime's actions, the leaders of the Islamic Republic, and opposition groups such as the "National Front of Iran" concerning the language, national, cultural, and collective rights of non-Persian peoples in Iran, analyzing how the positions of the Islamic Republic and opposition groups regarding the human rights of non-Persians do not differ significantly.
In another part of his speech, Asgharzadeh addressed the diversities and differences within Iranian society, referring to sexual, gender, linguistic, class, geographical, disability, religious, and cultural spheres as areas of exploitation, exclusion, and oppression.
He noted that the era of hierarchical understanding and macro-narratives of oppression and victimization has passed.
For solidarity against oppression, it is essential to precisely identify and simultaneously challenge all areas that perpetuate and create oppression.
In the final part of his speech, Dr. Asgharzadeh referred to the body as the ultimate domain of violations and also of freedoms and rights, urging Iranian students and intellectuals in the diaspora to promote and advocate for modern and progressive perspectives on society and humanity while rejecting the outdated and failed theories of "Aryan race" and "methodological nationalism."
Dr. Akhavan, as the last speaker, delivered a cohesive speech addressing human rights violations and their relationship with power in Iran. He thanked the organizers and emphasized the need for such seminars to be held more frequently to examine the state of human rights in Iran, adding, "We must ensure our voices are heard."
Link to the original news: https://shahrvand.com/archives/637