AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A delegation of healthcare professionals from Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, met with Ayatollah Reza Ramazani, Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, in Qom on Wednesday, October 9, 2025.
The delegation, consisting of 18 physicians, pharmacists, and nurses, primarily comprised of Shiite Turkmen elites from Kirkuk province, held discussions with the Secretary-General regarding regional and humanitarian issues.
Ayatollah Ramazani welcomed the Iraqi delegation and emphasized the deep-rooted ties between the two nations, stating, “Our relationship with Iraq is strategic and fundamental, not tactical.”
Highlighting faith and knowledge as the two essential pillars of personal and social progress, he said, “The advancement of every society depends on two elements: faith and science. Faith without knowledge is ignorance, and knowledge without faith has led to crimes committed throughout history and in our own time. Therefore, these two must never be separated.”
Referring to the golden age of Islamic civilization, he reminded that Muslims were once at the forefront of scientific advancement and the founders of many disciplines, including physics, chemistry, and medicine, which later spread to the West.
Rejecting the view held by some groups that women should be barred from education, Ramazani described such notions as “contrary to the explicit teachings of religion.” He emphasized that women must play active roles in all scientific fields and should face no restrictions in any discipline.
Turning to the current tragedy in Gaza, Ayatollah Ramazani said, “Today in Palestine, around 60,000 people, mostly women, children, and civilians from various walks of life, have been martyred. Yet international organizations take no action; even those wishing to provide humanitarian aid are prevented from doing so.”
Denouncing the silence of international institutions, he added, “These organizations, instead of supporting humanitarian efforts, remain silent and thereby contribute to the promotion of savagery. Such behavior cannot be justified by any logic.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, a representative of the Sulaymaniyah medical delegation expressed gratitude to Ayatollah Ramazani and the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly for their continuous support of the Iraqi nation in health, education, and religious development.
He also thanked the Islamic Republic of Iran for its “steadfast assistance against Israeli-American aggressors,” saying this support had “brought pride to Muslims around the world.”
The delegation further called for the establishment of a branch of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) Assembly in Kirkuk province.
**************
End/ 345
