AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Fourth Conference of “Elites of the Shia Minbars” (Elites of Shiite Pulpits) concluded its work in the Holy city of Karbala near the Holy Shrine of Imam Hussein (a.s.).
During the event, outstanding participants of the First “Safinat al-Najat Mourning Festival” were honored.
The message of Ayatollah Arafi to the conference was also read out by Hojat al-Islam Fakhr Rouhani, Director of the Office of National Seminary Elites.
A part of this message read, “I extend my gratitude to all scholars, poets, elegy poets, writers, eulogists, artists, and intellectuals who have contributed through their pens, arts, and words to the globalization of this authentic Shiite symbol. I humbly request prayers from the participants of the Fourth Elites of the Shia Minbars Conference, who have gathered from various nationalities in the Holy city of Karbala, and I hope that soon, with the blissful Reappearance of the Avenger of the progeny of Allah (a.s.) [Imam Mahdi (a.s.)], we will once again unite under this banner, raising the shirt of Hussein (a.s.) high, eradicating oppression, tyranny, and injustice from across the globe, so that all the oppressed people of the world, especially the oppressed people of Gaza, may taste the sweet essence of Hussaini life.”
During the ceremony, Davood Manafi Pour, Secretary of the Qamis al-Hussain Assembly, also stated, “The millions-strong Arbaeen (pilgrimage) is one of the symbols of Shiite power, which deserves to be held with greater grandeur each year.”
He added, “Karbala is the refuge of Shiites in the End Times, and increased attention to Karbala will resolve many cultural harms.”
Mr. Momeni Sharif, Head of the Scientific Committee of the Safinat al-Najat Mourning Festival, also announced, “The reception by artists exceeded expectations, with 2,500 works submitted, half of which were in the fields of poetry and elegy. Additionally, 650 works were submitted in the fields of storytelling and short stories, 350 works in visual arts, and over 200 works in performing arts by Kourosh Zarei.”
Narges Manafi, spokesperson for the scientific section of the works, also presented a report on the submitted articles and invited academic centers to collaborate in research with the festival’s secretariat.
A poetry recitation by Mojahedi was among the other programs of this event.
During the ceremony, two books titled The Ancient Shirt and The Scroll of the Glorious Shirt, featuring selected poems and images from the First International Safinat al-Najat Mourning Festival, were unveiled.
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