AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The seminar titled “Human Geography of Shiites,” featuring Hojat al-Islam Dr. Mehdi Farmanian, a professor of Islamic denominations, was held at the ABNA News Agency Hall within the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly.
The academic visit, organized by the Social History of Shiites Association and the Seminary Historians Association, was arranged for Ph.D. and Master’s students from Baqir al-Olum University to familiarize them with the research projects and datasets of the Assembly.
At the beginning of the session, Hojat al-Islam Dr. Farmanian referred to the establishment of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly in 1990 and described its principal mission as disseminating the teachings of the AhlulBayt (a.s.).
He noted that in addition to various other activities, the Assembly has published more than 2,000 book titles in 58 languages.
Dr. Farmanian stated that Shiites, across all denominational branches, are present in 140 countries, estimating their total population at 346 million. He emphasized that, aside from four countries, Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Bahrain, Shiites constitute a minority in all other parts of the world.
The history professor estimated the population of Twelver Shiites at approximately 300 million.
Dr. Farmanian warned that, unfortunately, a large portion of the world’s Shiite population lives in poverty, and literacy rates among them, particularly in Asia and Africa, remain very low.
In the final part of his remarks, he pointed to the restrictions facing Shiite activities, explaining that the spread of Shiism alone generally encounters no obstacles in foreign countries. However, when this expansion is accompanied by support for the Islamic Revolution and advocacy for political Islam, it provokes significant governmental sensitivity, and Shiites who support political Islam are perceived as a threat by the Western world.
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