Freetown Hosts Int’l seminar on ‘Human Dignity in Quran’
It will be attended by scholars, researchers, and religious and academic figures from Iran, Sierra Leone, Syria, India, and the Republic of Azerbaijan, who will examine the place of human dignity in Quranic teachings and its capacities for strengthening peace, coexistence, and intercultural dialogue.
This seminar is held by the Iranian Cultural Center in Sierra Leone in cooperation with the International Institute of Islamic Studies.
According to the announced program, scholars attending the event will speak on topics such as human rights in the Quran, combating extremism, the role of religion in strengthening social solidarity, respect for human diversity, and the civilizational capacities of the Quran to strengthen world peace.
Sheikh Moaz Bah and Sheikh Ali Kalay from Sierra Leone, Yazan Ali from Syria, Seyed Aun Naqvi and Seyed Hedayat Razavi from India, Tofigh Asadov from the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as a group of intellectuals and cultural officials from the Islamic Republic of Iran will participate at the event in person and online.
Also present from Iran will be Iranian Ambassador to Sierra Leone Javad Dehghan Haghighi Lotfabadi, Iranian Cultural Attaché Abedin Siyahat Esfandiari, and Seyed Hossein Shahcheragh, president of the International Institute of Islamic Studies.
On the eve of this event, Siyahat Esfandiari referred to the importance of the issue of human dignity in the contemporary world, and said today, more than ever, the world needs to reexamine the original human and moral concepts.
“In a situation where many societies are facing crises caused by violence, discrimination, extremism, media wars and moral collapse, returning to fundamental concepts such as human dignity can create a platform for dialogue, understanding and coexistence between nations.”
He added, “In the view of the Holy Quran, human dignity is not limited to ethnicity, race, religion or geography, but rather, human beings as human beings have divine dignity and status. This view can be an important foundation for the development of peace, social justice and mutual respect in today's world.”
Emphasizing the role of cultural diplomacy in strengthening relations between nations, the Iranian envoy said the Islamic Republic of Iran has always tried to use its cultural, Quranic and scientific capacities to create constructive interactions between nations.
Holding such seminars is part of the Islamic Republic of Iran's cultural and Quranic diplomacy, which aims to create a scientific, moral and humane atmosphere among intellectuals from different countries, he stated.
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He also pointed to Sierra Leone's position as a country with a high capacity for dialogue and cultural interactions, saying, “Sierra Leone has a diverse religious and cultural society that has a valuable capacity for interfaith dialogue and scientific and cultural cooperation. We believe that scientific and cultural cooperation between Iran and African countries can pave the way for a deeper understanding of nations and the development of human and cultural cooperation.”
He said one of the goals of this event is to present a realistic, rational and humane image of Islamic and Quranic teachings; an image that emphasizes respect for humanity, justice, ethics, rationality and coexistence and can play a role against extremist and Islamophobic trends.
This seminar is not just a scientific program, but an effort to expand the literature of human dignity in the cultural and academic space of Africa and strengthen the connection between religious and academic elites of different countries, he went on to say.
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