Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim, Wasallallah ala Sayyidna wa Nabiyyina wa Habib Qulubina wa Shafii Dhunubina Abal-Qasimi al- Mustafa Muhammad, wa ala Alih Al-Tayyibina Al-Tahirina al-Maasuminina, Siyyama Baqiyyatullah Fil-Ardhi Sahibul Asr Waz-Zaman, Ar-Ruwahuna lahul Fidaa.
Assalam Alaikum Warahmatullah Taala wabarakatuh
First of all, I would like to start by congratulating all of us on the occasion of the beginning of the Month of Dhū l-Qaʿda, which is upon us today. This is the month of the birthday of Lady Fatima Al-Ma’sumah (peace be upon her), the sister of Imam Reza (peace be upon him), and the beginning of the ten blessed days, which are called in Arabic (عشرة أيام المباركة / ten blessed days), leading up to the 11th day, which is the official date of birth of Imam Reza (a.s.).
Congratulations on these occasions to all of us. Secondly, I also have to congratulate you on participating in this important gathering, and I can call it an important conference on the matters of the media.
Media in general has become the most important instrument in disseminating information and even enlightenment and education today.
Before this time, there was a period when newspapers were the main means through which information was passed. Then after that, radio and television came, which are called electronic media. And as you know, the electronic media then expanded to reach the satellite level, although it became so expensive that not everyone could afford it.
Now that social media is easily accessible to everyone to see, it has become impossible for anyone to control the media. Now every individual can become a radio or television station of themselves. As much as it is a simple and good way to reach everyone, it also remains an instrument of propaganda for others.
They particularly control every narrative used by other people regarding social media. There are so many platforms on social media gaining currency in the world today, mostly under the control of Western nations. And even those under the control of the East, the West has also penetrated to the extent that they try to control anything that has been said.
Now it is very important that The Ahlul-Bayt (as) World Assembly News Agency - ABNA - is disseminating the right information to the world through its own television (Al-Thaqalayn International TV), and also through this network. We have to understand that the propaganda against us is tremendous in the media. Others use the media to show us in a very bad light, and it is up to us to challenge and refute those other narratives by passing on the right teachings of Ahlul-Bayt (as) through this channel. And of course, I would like also to address the negative propaganda against us.
Now they have trained people who are parading themselves as the followers of Ahlul-Bayt (as). Perhaps it is true that most of them are followers of Ahlul-Bayt (as), but they have decided to sell their own conscience to others. They carry the same propaganda that our enemies are spreading against us.
What I’m trying to say is: They normally accuse the followers of Ahlul-Bayt (as) of certain lies, then these people confirm those lies by doing the same thing that the enemies do. For example, they accuse the followers of the Ahlul-Bayt (as) that they are against the Sahaba (Companions) and so on, then they have people who parade themselves as the followers of Ahlul-Bayt (as), who are there to do what the enemies want. You can see they are launching a Shia channel, but this is what they are saying!
We have to counteract this by stating that we must get information through reliable sources. The World Assembly of Ahlul-Bayt (as), which has members all over the world, and it has the General Assembly which consists of the followers of Ahlul-Bayt (as) and scholars from all parts of the world, and it also has the Supreme Council which contains the leading figures from the followers of the Ahlul-Bayt (as), they have their own voice which is a genuine voice that should be considered and taken as a reliable source.
We have to also create our own narratives. As you know, social media are under the control of Western or Eastern nations, but we can also use them. But we also have to create our own platforms, which we can control what is being said, just as they do on their own. You know, they particularly flag certain names and ideas which, if they see them, they have to follow up, and they don’t care. They remove whatever has been said about Ahlul-Bayt (as), even if it has millions of followers or likes, they don’t care. They follow up accounts, they follow up platforms, they block individuals. So, if we have our own platforms, there is no way they can block or blackmail us on the global stage.
It is the challenge of The Ahlul-Bayt (as) World Assembly News Agency, through ABNA, to create a similar platform which others can join, everyone can join. I don’t want to give it a name, but importantly, it is a platform where others can join.
It is important to understand that this instrument is what is being used currently. The time of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w) used what was available at that time. For example, it has been said that Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w) used to go occasionally to the market which takes place every four years, and all sorts of materials for sale were displayed. So the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w) also used to go to the market to workers to spread the message of Allah (s.w.t.).
And at the time of the late Imam — Imam Khomeini (Quddisa Sirruh) — it was the era of cassette tapes, which were used to circulate his message. If the Imam were alive in our time today, oh, it would be so much easier and simpler for his message to reach everywhere. The control of the cassette was very difficult for the regime of the Shah, but they tried all they could do to control the cassette at that time. But the era of the cassette ended, and its role faded away.
Now it’s easy, there is no way anyone can control anything today related to social media. It is very easy and very cheap for everyone to get access to information through social media. Social media is so important that we have to utilize it to the utmost. Firstly, to use it to disseminate the right information and news of what is happening around the world, because whatever has happened to other people affects us, and we want to hear about the developments. Secondly, to use it also to pass on the real teachings of Ahlul-Bayt (as) through eminent scholars. It is a means to inform, to educate, and to even entertain. This is what social media can do today. And we have to utilize it to the utmost, according to all our possible means, Insha’Allah.
We thank Allah for giving us this opportunity to have a conference like this regarding the media.
And we also thank the foresight of Sayyid Al-Qaid, Sayyid Ali Khamenei (May Allah Preserve him) for creating the World Assembly of Ahlul-Bayt (as).
And we also thank the Secretary General of the World Assembly of Ahlul-Bayt (Peace be upon them), Ayatollah Ramazani, for preparing and arranging this conference.
We wish you all the best and success, and we hope Insha’Allah your conference will be successful, and will be a milestone for passing information.
We look forward to seeing many similar conferences and we look forward also to seeing much development through this channel, Insha’ Allah.
Wal-Hamdulillah Rabil A’lamin. Wasallallahu ala Muhammad wa A’lih Al-Ta’hirin.
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