TEHRAN -- The Minority Rights Research Center has been opened at Shahid Beheshti University (SBU) in Tehran, with members of the Iranian parliament and university researchers in attendance.
At the inauguration, representative of Armenians of Tehran and northern Iran in parliament Ara Shahverdian described this initiative as a sign of the commitment of the Islamic Republic of Iran to support the human rights of the minorities in the country. 
This serves as a model for other countries in their pursuit of social justice and peaceful coexistence, he added.
Shaverdian stated that the opening of the center, coinciding with the commemoration of International Human Rights Day, should be seen as a positive sign. 
He said both events focus on justice and human dignity, adding the International Human Rights Day commemorates the adoption of the document that first recognized the rights and freedoms of all human beings, irrespective of any discrimination.
Behshid Barkhordar, the representative of Iran’s Zoroastrian community in parliament, said Iranian culture, with its historical and human roots, is one of the world’s richest and most prominent cultures. 
“This culture is so valuable and amazing that anyone who gets to know it cannot help but appreciate it,” she said.
Hessamoddin Lesani, a professor at the Law Department at Hazrat Masoumeh University (SA) in Qom, also spoke at the meeting, noting that minority rights are one of the oldest topics in international law.
He mentioned that since 1550, there have been documents between governments and rulers to support minorities. However, he added, we are still far from realizing an international utopia where people are not pressured or discriminated against because of their ethnicity, race, or religion.
Lesani also pointed out that the rights of minorities have been weakly reflected in the United Nations Charter.