Announcement

As an ancient land, Iran (formerly known as Persia) has been the cradle of human culture and civility since time immemorial and has been home to one of the most gorgeous and significant old civilizations of humanity. The geographical and civilizational status of Iran situated at the crossroad of three continents and on the trade routes between great civilizations from China to Rome has facilitated the Iranians contact with various ethnic groups from Greeks and Arabs to Turks and Tatars in such a way that they link East to West in reality.
In spite of its plurality and multiplicity of cultures and their continuous diversity and development, Iran’s territory has been governed by a pervasive cultural flow which is survived and preserved through an internal unity against its seeming plurality. The mechanism of such unity and integrity against various pressures resides in the cultural openness, meticulous selection of foreign elements and the moral and rational compatibility with the surrounding environment and pressures which has led to the survival and preservation of the Iranian identity.
The constituting elements of Iranian civilization which is the fruit of confluence and association of different cultures are mainly ancient Iranian culture, Islamic culture and modernity that, in varying degrees, are combined with each other. The Iranians’ character has been such that instead of “self” and “other”, the emphasis has been put on right and wrong as a touchstone and assessment of affairs according to human nature. And it is, indeed, for this very reason they have then embraced Islam.
Accordingly, this territory has definitely lent a notable contribution to the formation, development and consummation of the world culture and civilization. Law, a salient manifestation of civility, does have a venerable history in Iran which, as a consequence, has influenced the legal civilization’s system of human societies. The long-lasting legacies of different periods of the life of this enduring territory’s people are expressive evidence of this historical fact. The Charter of Cyrus the Great which has been frequently referred to in the course of the historical development of law in general and human rights in particular is a clear evidence for this claim. Having embraced Islam besides their own civilizations’ humane and rational values, Iranians have remarkably benefited from the unique capacity of the revelational and rational teachings of Islam and its legal system (Sharīah). Combining the achievements and capabilities of these two cultures, they have created a glorious civilization which can be called the Iranian-Islamic Civilization.
Although this great civilization has been through the vicissitudes over time, it has had a constructive influence on the overall process of human progress. A culture and civilization with so distinctive, and perhaps unparalleled in some respects, capabilities and background should not then remain in anonymity and the world should not be deprived of its relative advantages nor should she deprive herself of benefitting from the relative advantages of other civilizations. It is specifically incumbent on the academicians of human societies to facilitate interaction and sharing of thoughts between the different communities so as to resolve the grounds for misunderstandings, enhance the possibilities for convergence and synergy, and make the world a safer, more convivial and peaceful place for the human societies to live through mutual understanding. A shared intelligible language is the means to establishing such interaction and in effect creating empathy and integration between human societies.
In this vein, professors at the University of Qom’s Faculty of Law’s International Law Department took the initiative to publish the Iranian Journal of International and Comparative Law (IJICL) in English. Several professors and jurists from other universities also help with the process to provide a suitable ground for communicating the views of Iranian jurists on international legal issues and dealing with Iran-related international legal questions as well as open a new door to the expert opinions of professors, thinkers and researchers of rest of the world on these issues and other different topics of international and comparative law.
Therefore, it can be said that IJICL which is published biannually from the early 2023 is an independent scientific organ of the Iranian legal community started its publication mainly with the following goals:
- Reflecting the Iranian perspective (the Iranian jurists) on international law;
- Reconsidering the role and contribution of Iranian-Islamic legal culture and civilization in the formation and evolution of international law;
- Reviewing Iran's international legal issues both descriptively and analytically;
- Identifying and rethinking the views of different legal systems on various national and international legal issues;
- Benefitting from recent legal achievements of human cultures and civilizations in order to reinforce global convergence and solidarity to overcome any untruthfulness, chaos, insecurity and injustice.
In line with the above-cited objectives, IJICL editorial will be more than glad to receive distinguished methodical papers (full article, insight article, state practice, and book review) in the fields of international and comparative law authored by thinkers, professors and researchers around the world and submitted to the Journal’s site. The Journal is proudly run under the scientific supervision of an editorial board consisting of several eminent field scholars from different parts of the world. It also benefits from the consultation of an informed advisory board. International Law professors and specialists are welcome to join the editorial/ advisory board.
Hereby, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the esteemed members of editorial board and advisory board for their generous assistance to the Journal. I am also very grateful to all reviewers for their expert opinions. Officials at the University of Qom deserve special appreciation for their unwavering support: Dr. Ahmad Hossein Sharifi (President of the University), Dr. Saeed Farahani (Vice-president for Research and Technology), Dr. Ali Ehsani (Director of Research and Technology), Dr. Seyyed Hassan Shobeiri (Dean of Faculty of Law), Dr. Seyyed Yaser Ziaee (Research and Cultural Vice-president of the Faculty of Law) and Mohammad Reza Shojai (Director of the University Journals Office). Journal staff at the University of Qom and some public and international law Ph. D. students and researchers should be thanked for their kind help, too. May God bless them with all the happiness and success in their life.
In the end, it is hoped that by the grace of God and blessings of Imam Mahdi (PBUH) and the cooperation of all officials and colleagues, the Journal can succeed in achieving the related goals and go always through a dynamic and growing path. Amen.