Legal Statement Condemning the Recent Threats and Insolences of the President of the United States
Legal Statement Condemning the Recent Threats and Insolences of the President of the United States
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
“Had not Allah repulsed the people from one another, ruin would have befallen the monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques in which Allah’s Name is much invoked. Allah will surely help those who help Him. Indeed Allah is all-strong, all-mighty.” (Quran, 22:40).
Divine leaders and religious scholars are the perfect mirrors of the identity of Islamic nations and human societies. Any aggression against them is an attack on the beliefs and emotions of hundreds of millions of people and poses a threat to the spiritual and civil existence of societies. Therefore, in light of religious teachings and established legal principles, the scientific associations of the Islamic seminaries, representing the entirety of scholars, jurists, thinkers, researchers, and legal experts, express their deep concern over the unprecedented hate-mongering and threats by the President of the United States (Trump) against the esteemed authority and wise leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Khamenei (may the Almighty prolong his life). They draw the attention of all international organizations, governments, Islamic countries, and the free people of the world to the following points:
- Blatant Violation of Fundamental Principles of International Law and the United Nations Charter
Threatening to assassinate political and religious figures, especially high-ranking officials of a United Nations member state, is a clear violation of the peremptory norms of international law. Such threats not only contravene Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of states, but also seriously conflict with the established principles of humanitarian law and protective rules for non-military officials during times of peace and war.
- Hurting Public Sentiments and Spreading Hatred
Actions and threats of this nature are a clear example of hate-mongering and deeply offend the religious sentiments of the Islamic Ummah, as well as other independent and freedom-loving nations and all honorable people of the world. They have the potential to provoke a wave of severe and uncontrollable reactions at regional and international levels. Article 20, Paragraph 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights prohibits any advocacy of national, racial, or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence by law. This provision aims to prevent the promotion of violence. Particularly in light of Article 1 of the United Nations Charter, which considers the maintenance of international peace and security as the primary goal of the United Nations, this act is clearly an actual threat to global order.
- International and Criminal Responsibility of Perpetrators and Threateners of Assassination
According to international customary law prohibiting threats and assassinations of official and religious figures, and certain rules enshrined in the Rome Statute (1998), direct incitement to commit murder and assassination, when accompanied by criminal intent and directed at a specific target, and transcending the assassination of an individual, is subject to criminal prosecution and removes the immunity of the perpetrators of such actions.
- The Necessity of Immediate Response from International and Regional Institutions
Previously, numerous institutions have taken firm and decisive positions regarding threats and insults against leaders of the Muslim community, deeming them in conflict with Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. It is expected that the United Nations Security Council, alongside the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and other international and human rights institutions, will respond decisively, publicly, and effectively to this explicit and unprecedented threat. They must prevent the institutionalization of criminal practices outside the framework of international law by these rogue leaders.
- Iran's Legitimate Right to Self-Defense in Accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter
The Islamic Republic of Iran enjoys the inherent right to legitimate defense and can, in accordance with international norms, utilize all its military and non-military capabilities to counter such aggressive actions.
Based on the above, the scientific associations, along with the Human Rights Commission of the seminaries, while strongly condemning the irresponsible, illegitimate, and contrary-to-all-international-and-humanitarian statements of the President of the United States, expect the country's diplomatic apparatus, competent national and international authorities, and all freedom-loving people of the world to harness all available capacities to stand against these shameless insolences, pursue appropriate legal measures, and exert utmost efforts to condemn this heinous behavior.
“And victory comes only from Allah, the All-mighty, the All-wise.” (Quran, 3:126)
His Eminences and Scholars, Messrs:
- Abu al-Qasem Alidoust / Association of Jurisprudence and Law
- Jawad Habibi Tabar / Association of Women and Family
- Hasan Kheyri / Association of Social Studies
- Hamid Reza Mottahari / Association of Historical Researchers
- Reza Berenjkar / Association of Islamic Theology
- Reza Habibi / Association of Islamic Ethics
- Seyyed Sadeq Mohammadi / Association of Principles of Jurisprudence
- Abdolhadi Masoudi / Association of Hadith
- Ali Aghapirouz / Association of Islamic Management
- Ali Akbar Rashad / Association of Philosophy
- Seyyed Kazem Seyyed Bagheri / Association of Political Studies
- Mohsen Alviri / Association of Civilizational Studies
- Seyyed Mohammad Vaez Mousavi / Association of Communication and Preaching
- Mohammad Hosseinzadeh / Association of Epistemology
- Mohammad Ghorbanpour / Association of Translation and Foreign Languages
- Mohammad Taqi Rabbani / Association of Mahdism
- Mohammad Taqi Sobhani / Association of Imamate
- Mohammad Javad Zarean / Association of Islamic Education
- Mohammad Javad Tavakkoli / Association of Islamic Economics
- Mohammad Hasan Zamani / Association of Quran and Orientalists
- Mohammad Hossein Bahrami / Association of Religion and Cyberspace
- Mohammad Reza Barteh / Secretariat of Scientific Associations and Human Rights Commission of Seminaries
- Mohammad Ali Rezaei Esfahani / Association of Quranic Research
- Mahdi Hadi / Association of Islamic Psychology
- Mahdi Farmaniyan / Association of Religions and Denominations
- Mahdi Aboutalebi / Association of Contemporary History