On the occasion of the 13 th of Aban (4 November), the High Council for Human Rights issued a statement emphasizing that this day serves as a reminder of the fundamental truth that freedom and human dignity are not privileges to be granted by global powers, but inalienable rights that must be safeguarded through awareness, faith, and steadfast resistance.
The statement further noted that, in today’s world, where the false narrative of human rights has once again been instrumentalized as a means of domination, this message must resonate more powerfully than ever: So long as global arrogance persists, the 13th of Aban will be reiterated.
In the occasion of 13th of Aban, the National Day of Fighting Global Arrogance and the Anniversary of the Takeover of the Former U.S. Embassy in Tehran, the High Council for Human Rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran, while commemorating the memory of the martyred students, declared this day as an enduring symbol of the Iranian nation’s resistance against hegemonic powers and global arrogance, particularly that of the United States.
The statement of the High Council for Human Rights is as follows:
The 13th of Aban, in the calendar of the Islamic Revolution, is not merely a historical date; it stands as a symbol of awakening, faith, and resistance by a nation that rose against foreign domination and historical humiliation. This day, intertwined with three defining events: the exile of Imam Khomeini (PBUH) in 1964 for protesting the Capitulation Law, the massacre of revolutionary students in 1978, and the takeover of the former U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979, remains a vivid account of the Iranian people’s struggle against domestic despotism and foreign arrogance.
The takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was not a blind or emotional reaction, but rather the outcry of an awakened generation that had long endured the taste of dependency and foreign interference. The United States, while presenting itself as a champion of freedom and human rights, was one of the main supporters of the Pahlavi regime, a regime that, through SAVAK, torture, censorship, and repression, silenced every voice calling for liberty. The documents released from that very embassy revealed how American politicians were not only aware of the regime’s crimes, but actively strengthened and guided it to maintain their dominance. This blatant contradiction between a human-rights façade and inhumane actions exposed the true face of powers that have turned “human rights” into nothing more than a political tool.
But the Islamic Revolution, and its shining moment on the 13th of Aban (November 4th), introduced a new discourse to the world: the discourse of human dignity within the framework of faith and justice. In this perspective, human rights are not a tool for political pressure, but a truth arising from the very nature of humanity and its divine will. Inspired by these very principles, the Iranian nation transformed the concepts of independence and freedom from mere slogans into living realities.
Now, decades after that historic event, the world continues to witness the repetition of the same double-standard and domineering policies. The unjust sanctions that target the daily lives of the Iranian people, the unconditional U.S. support for aggressive regimes in the region, including its backing of Zionist crimes in Gaza and the massacre of defenseless Palestinians, and the ongoing efforts to undermine the will of nations, all demonstrate that global arrogance has yet to turn away from the path of oppression and domination.
In such circumstances, the 13th of Aban (November 4th) is not merely a remembrance of a historical event, but an enduring necessity rooted in the conscience and identity of the Iranian nation. Every day that the people stand against humiliation, sanctions, and aggression, they, in fact, revive another 13th of Aban. The Islamic system, drawing upon this legacy of awakening, strives to renew the spirit of resistance to arrogance among younger generations, not out of hostility toward other nations, but to safeguard human dignity and the independence of the country.
The 13th of Aban reminds us that freedom and human dignity are not gifts granted by the powers of the world; they are rights that must be preserved through awareness, faith, and steadfastness. And today, in a world where the falsehood of “human rights” has once again become a tool of domination, this message must resound clearly: as long as arrogance exists, the 13th of Aban will be repeated.