Holy Prophet, Ahlulbayt pioneers of human rights discourse, Sunni cleric says

A Sunni cleric based in the UK said human rights is not an achievement of the Western civilization, stressing that the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, and Ahlulbayt, peace be upon them, were the 

A Sunni cleric based in the UK said human rights is not an achievement of the Western civilization, stressing that the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, and Ahlulbayt, peace be upon them, were the pioneers of defending human rights.

Addressing the “Tarateel Sajjadiyyah” Festival in the holy city of Karbala, Iraq, Sheikh Mohammad bin Omar Ramadhan said it is a wrong perception that the Western civilization was the first to underline the importance of respecting human rights and social justice.

It is because some people are not familiar with history or are reluctant to admit that Islam is the founder of social justice and principles of human rights in the world, he added.

He also referred to the Treatise on Rights (Risalat al-Huquq) of Imam Sajjad, peace be upon him, the fourth Infallible Imam, and said it should be taught in all universities.

The “Tarateel Sajjadiyyah” international festival is annually held by Imam Hussein Holy Shrine on the occasion of the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Sajjad, peace be upon him.

This year’s event began on Monday with the theme of “Social Justice in Imam Sajjad’s Treatise on Rights”.

It has been attended by scholars and people from different countries, including Britain, France, Germany, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Turkey, Iran, Georgia, and Ireland.