Identities, Differences and Universality of Human Rights Based on Iranian Religious and Ethnic Identities

The concept of “Human rights” is the main signifier of the discourse of international community. Despite its growing use, widespread resonance and hegemony, there are different approaches and debates for its understanding ranging from universalism to relativism. In recent decades, the issue of human rights has seriously promoted and encouraged universal respect and observance especially from the perspective of “minority rights” including all fundamental freedoms for all, without any discrimination, as well as safeguarding religious, cultural and ethnic identities. This paper referring to the understanding of the concept of “minority” argues and investigates the stand of human and minority rights from two dimensions of international documents and Islam. Then, it focuses on the issue of minority rights in Islam reviewing indiscrimination, fundamental freedoms and rights as well as religious, cultural and ethnic identities of the minorities considered in Islam. The concepts like freedom, equal rights, no torture and mistreatment, and participation right of the minority groups included in the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran are the next issues discussed by the researcher. At the end, the fruits and challenges of the rights of the religious and ethnic minorities are discussed at the national and international levels and the obligations of legal-political management and the official duties and commitments of the Islamic Republic of Iran are mentioned.