Hawzah News Agency- Anwar al-Tawil, who holds a doctorate in law from Egypt's Mansoura University, made the remarks Thursday at the second scientific session on the resistance front, Islamic unity, and solidarity against the arrogant system, held on the sidelines of the International Imam Reza Congress in Mashhad, according to a report by the Hawzah News Agency.
War on Gaza: A first-hand account
Recalling his personal experience in Gaza during the early months of the war, al-Tawil said he was present in the Strip at the start of the conflict and lived through roughly six months of its most intense phase.
"During that period, no resident of Gaza had any personal security. People faced the possibility of death for themselves and their families at any moment," he said.
The intensity of the strikes was such that entire neighborhoods were bombed and multiple buildings were sometimes destroyed in an instant, he added. His own home was on the eighth floor, and he witnessed with his own eyes buildings collapsing on their residents.
In some attacks, hundreds of people lost their lives in a single moment, and entire families were wiped out — their names removed from civil records, he said.
Water, food, and energy: three pillars of life under siege
Al-Tawil stressed that Gaza's crisis is not limited to food shortages, saying water, food, and energy are three essential elements of human life — and in Gaza, all three have faced a serious crisis.
From the first days of the war, electricity was completely cut off in the Gaza Strip, and people turned to solar cells, batteries, and generators to secure energy — but with fuel cut off, the generators also stopped working, he said.
Even solar cells were targeted in attacks, and in some cases homes, energy equipment, and their residents were harmed simultaneously, he added.
Referring to the difficult conditions for securing food in Gaza, al-Tawil said at one point the price of a 25-kilogram bag of flour reached around $500 to $600, and families were forced to divide a single loaf of bread among their members.
Vital resources must be shared by all humanity
Citing Quranic verses on water, agriculture, and fire, al-Tawil said the Holy Quran directs human attention to God's power and creativity regarding water and its origins — showing that vital resources like water cannot be defined within the framework of individual ownership and domination.
These resources have been made available to all human beings and are not exclusive to Muslims, he stressed. Access to vital resources must therefore be viewed through a human and justice-centered lens.
Referring to the narration "People are partners in three things: water, pasture, and fire," al-Tawil said there are differing views on its meaning and interpretation, and he does not consider himself an authority on the matter, leaving detailed examination to scholars and specialists. Nevertheless, he said, this narration alongside Quranic verses can provide a basis for discussion on public resources and the need to prevent their monopolization.
On the issue of justice in distributing public wealth, he said an Islamic government must, through careful and proper management, provide the ground for equal access to public wealth among members of society — preventing discrimination and the violation of rights.
West Asia water crisis more than scarcity
Turning to the water crisis in West Asia, al-Tawil said the problem in the region — and what is called the Middle East — is clear, but the issue is not merely water scarcity. The way resources are distributed and the interference of hegemonic powers in managing them are also critically important, he said.
He pointed to water-related issues in regional countries, including rivers in Afghanistan, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam dispute in Egypt, the state of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and water relations between Turkey and Iraq, as well as water issues between Iran and Afghanistan — all of which must be examined within the framework of regional relations.
On Iran's situation, he said water scarcity in the Islamic Republic is also a serious issue, and economic pressures and sanctions can exacerbate existing problems and pressures in the water and energy sectors.
Energy crisis a strategic issue in nations' rights
Turning to the energy crisis, al-Tawil said many legal documents and international treaties discuss the human right to food, but the human right to energy has received less attention — even though energy is one of the strategic and fundamental issues of modern human life.
The Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab show that energy is not merely an economic issue — it is directly tied to regional security and global relations, he said.
He also addressed Iran's peaceful use of nuclear energy, saying the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy must be examined within the framework of nations' rights, and this right must not be applied discriminatorily among countries.
Double standards in access to resources must end
Criticizing what he called double standards on human rights, al-Tawil said when human rights and the freedom of nations are discussed, these principles must be applied in practice to all nations — and access to strategic resources and technologies must not be subject to discrimination among countries.
Referring to Quranic concepts about ignorance (Jahiliya), he stressed the need to uphold justice and prevent discrimination, saying the standard of human rights must be the same for all people. One cannot speak of human rights while in practice ignoring the rights of some nations, he said.
Al-Tawil stressed the need to draw on the teachings of the Holy Quran, Islamic knowledge, and the foundations of justice in confronting regional and global crises.
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