AhlulBayt News Agency: The grand Arbaeen pilgrimage, beyond being a religious ritual, has evolved into a global and civilizational event with unparalleled capacities for cultural diplomacy. Within this phenomenon, the role of women—especially female pilgrims, servants, missionaries, and cultural activists—is highly significant. This article, adopting an international perspective, explores the role of women in the cultural diplomacy of Arbaeen. Key themes include field analysis of women's participation from different countries, intercultural communications, content creation, and their global impact.
Arbaeen is not only a Shiite religious event but also a platform for the manifestation of Islam’s soft power. Cultural diplomacy, as a core component of soft power, finds in Arbaeen a fertile ground for cultural exchange, international understanding, and influence over global public opinion. In this context, women—owing to their communicative, educational, and cultural roles—can be effective agents of influence.
1. Definition of Cultural Diplomacy and Its Relevance to Arbaeen
Cultural diplomacy refers to the use of cultural tools to establish broad and sustainable connections between nations and cultures. The Arbaeen pilgrimage offers a vast platform for interaction among millions from dozens of countries, who communicate through language, art, literature, dress, behavior, service, and shared religious beliefs.
2. The Role of Women in Representing Shiite Cultural Identity
Women on the path of Arbaeen are carriers of Shiite culture, ethics, and lifestyle. Their modest attire, active presence, child-rearing practices, social behavior, and even their contributions to decorating Mawkibs (hospitality stations) serve as indirect cultural expressions encountered by international audiences. Many foreign pilgrims—especially new Muslims or non-Muslims—are drawn to the Zeinabi (Zainab-like) model of womanhood through these representations.
3. Women’s Participation in Producing and Transmitting Cultural Narratives
Women from various countries contribute to the Arbaeen culture by sharing personal narratives, creating videos, writing memoirs, and engaging in social media. Female journalists, documentarians, researchers, poets, artists, and social activists who take part in Arbaeen generate significant cultural and media reflections on the international stage.
4. Women’s Mawkibs and Intercultural Engagement
In recent years, women-led Mawkibs—including international women's Mawkibs—have become centers of intercultural exchange. They offer programs such as Quran education, teachings on Lady Zainab (PBUH), cultural exhibitions, art workshops, language classes, counseling, and dialogue tables. These spaces foster interfaith and international conversations.
5. The Impact of Women’s Cultural Diplomacy on Global Perceptions of Shiite Islam
In a global environment where Islamophobia is promoted by Western media, the dignified, modest, and impactful presence of Muslim women during Arbaeen presents a new image of the Muslim woman. The woman of Arbaeen is not portrayed as oppressed or isolated but as active, participatory, and globally responsible.
6. Civilizational Potential and Forward-Thinking
Women can advance the cultural diplomacy of Arbaeen by establishing international cultural networks, founding grassroots institutions, producing multilingual content, participating in global forums, and launching specialized media platforms. This trajectory lays the foundation for a woman-centered, Zainab-inspired civilizational movement in the contemporary era.
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