Standing for Healing Justice | I.M.A.M. at Global Webinar on Sexual Violence

April 24, 2025

On April 24, 2025, I.M.A.M. participated in an important webinar titled “Sexual Assault: Cradle to Grave – A Call to Healing Justice Across Generations, Faiths, and Genders.” This participation was carried out by Dr. Seyed Masoud Noori, a scholar of Islamic law and I.M.A.M.’s representative to the United Nations. His presence reflected the organization’s unwavering support for all initiatives aimed at achieving justice—particularly for survivors of violence, including gender-based violence.

Dr. Noori emphasized the urgent need for coordinated attention from the international community, governments, civil society actors, and especially faith-based leaders, toward conflict-affected regions where women face an elevated risk of sexual violence. He pointed to the situation in Sudan as a tragic example where women’s security and dignity are gravely threatened. He urged participants to move beyond mere expressions of sympathy and take practical action: supporting survivors, ensuring their safety, and working toward healing both their physical and emotional wounds.

It is important to recognize that all forms of oppression, including sexual violence, are unequivocally condemned in Islam. The Qur’an upholds justice, human dignity, and the protection of victims of injustice as core moral imperatives. There are many verses in the Quran that offer profound insights relevant to the topic of this webinar and can be used to illustrate the moral necessity of justice and healing:

For example, “O you who believe! Stand firmly for justice, as witnesses to God—even if it be against yourselves, or your parents and relatives” (4:135). This verse stresses the duty to stand for justice, even when doing so challenges personal or familial ties. It affirms the principle that perpetrators must be held accountable, without exception. 

In another verse, God says, “Whoever kills a soul…it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one—it is as if he had saved mankind entirely” (5:32). This verse underscores the sanctity of human life and the collective responsibility to protect it—especially in situations where violence escalates to lethal consequences.

In a different verse, God states, “Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread among the believers will have a painful punishment” (24:19). This verse condemns behaviors that threaten communal ethics and dignity, highlighting the spiritual and moral consequences for those who contribute to a culture of harm.

I.M.A.M.’s representative reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to healing justice—across faiths and generations—and underscored the vital importance of collaboration between civil society organizations and faith-based institutions in raising awareness and preventing gender-based violence.

Such cooperation represents a crucial bridge between religious moral principles and human rights advocacy, ensuring holistic support for survivors and contributing to their reintegration and social healing.