By Mayasa Albawi
November 1, 2025
Respect — a word we often use casually, as though it carries an automatic, universal meaning. From childhood, we are taught that honoring others’ ideas, beliefs, and traditions defines our humanity. I, too, embraced that belief, until a recent experience profoundly tested it.
During the Iranian Opposition Conference in Oslo on October 18, I expected to engage in open discussion about pluralism, mutual understanding, and the freedom to debate ideologies. Instead, I encountered a deeply unsettling reality. Several participants — self-identified members of the opposition — dismissed the very principle of respecting differing beliefs. One even warned that those who voiced opposing ideas would “be treated so harshly.”
It was shocking and disturbing. These were individuals who claimed to oppose the Iranian regime in the name of democracy and justice, yet their words echoed the same intolerance and authoritarianism that have long silenced diverse voices within Iran, including the Ahwazi Arabs.
This experience forced me to reflect on what respect truly means, and why it is indispensable to any vision of Iran’s democratic future. If even those who resist tyranny fail to uphold respect, how can the seeds of genuine freedom ever take root?
At its core, respect is not a courtesy. It is the foundation of coexistence. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something” and “due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others.” These two parts recognition of others’ worth and regard for their dignity, which are what make respect essential to human connection.
Sociology teaches us that respect is not just a personal virtue but a form of social glue. Erving Goffman, in The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959), linked respect to “face-work” the preservation of one’s dignity in social interactions. He distinguished between vertical respect, rooted in hierarchy, and horizontal respect, based on equality and mutual recognition. Axel Honneth, in The Struggle for Recognition (1995), argued that respect is the moral foundation of social justice, acknowledging individuals as beings of inherent worth. When respect erodes, societies fracture; power replaces equality, and domination replaces dialogue.
Psychologically, respect sustains both self-worth and empathy. Carl Rogers described it as “unconditional positive regard” .
An essential component of human relationships and healing. Lawrence Kohlberg’s work on moral development showed that respect for others’ rights signals maturity and moral growth. In short, respect is not an emotional luxury. It is a psychological necessity and a civic duty.
In legal theory and human rights discourse, respect is not merely aspirational, it is binding. As articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), every person is entitled to dignity and equality. Scholars such as Ronald Dworkin and John Rawls have shown that respect is the cornerstone of justice: it transforms law from an instrument of control into a guardian of fairness. Jack Donnelly expands this idea further, noting that states have a “duty to respect, protect, and fulfill” human rights. In practice, this means governments must not only avoid violating dignity but actively defend it. Without this obligation, law becomes a weapon of oppression, a truth painfully familiar to the Ahwazi Arab community.
For decades, the Ahwazi Arabs have endured systemic discrimination , cultural suppression, economic deprivation, and political exclusion. Despite repeated promises of reform, our people continue to be treated as second-class citizens, denied respect for our language, identity, and traditions. What is most disheartening is to see echoes of this same disregard emerging even within opposition movements. When minority voices are silenced or threatened by those who claim to fight for democracy, it becomes clear that the struggle is not only against a regime.It is against a mindset that refuses to recognize equality for all.
True democracy in Iran requires a system that enshrines respect into law, not just into rhetoric. That is why I believe federalism offers the most viable path forward. A federal structure would allow each region to govern itself according to its cultural values, language, and traditions protecting diversity rather than punishing it.
Without federalism, Iran risks repeating history: cycles of dominance, centralization, and marginalization. Respect cannot flourish through uniformity; it thrives where differences are valued and protected.
Respect is not abstract. Sociologically, it sustains order. Psychologically, it nurtures empathy. Legally, it safeguards dignity. For Iran to achieve a truly democratic future, respect must move beyond slogans. It must be practiced across ethnic, religious, and ideological lines.
Opposition movements must embody the very values they claim to defend. Freedom without respect is not liberation. It is merely a change of rulers. If Iran’s future is to be inclusive and just, it must begin with one simple but transformative commitment: respect for every belief, culture, and person, especially those who have long been denied it.
