AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Ashura International Foundation, in collaboration with the Institute for the Study and Strategy of the United Ummah, held a poetry ceremony on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Lady Zainab, entitled “Lady Zainab, the symbol of eloquence and rhetoric”. In this webinar, elites of contemporary male and female poets from Arab and Islamic countries recited their odes and poems.
After the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran by Qari Sayed Abbas Sharafuddin, Hojat al-Islam Sayed Fadi, the head of the Center of the United Ummah, after welcoming the participants and viewers, talked about the meaning and effectiveness of speech, in which eloquence and rhetoric lies. He emphasized, “This kind of committed and mission-oriented literature and poetry has wisdom, true and eloquent words, and is in accordance with the truth and affects the hearts quickly.”
Sayed Fadi then said that throughout history the Arab poets have pursued one of the following three thoughts:
1. Poets seeking wealth, status, and fame who adhered to no ideology or ethics. In the Quran, God has described them as misleading poets who are followed by the misguided;
2. Poets who were only fascinated by poetry itself and had no mission or responsibility and did not pursue a goal;
3. Committed and mission-oriented poets who tried to defend the truth through poetry and ode and expressing it to the audience. Like the poets of the AhlulBayt (a.s.), Debel al-Khuzai, and al-Humairi, and other poets like them who used their poetry to defend the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) and his pure family. Although they faced anger, exile, imprisonment, and isolation from tyrannical rulers, they did not give in to wealth and force. Because they learned patience, and perseverance from the school of Lady Zainab (a.s.) to reveal the truth and expose the hypocrisy and deviation of the enemies.
Furthermore, Sayed Fadi stressed the need to follow the teachings and manners of the saints of God, including Lady Zainab (a.s.) and AhlulBayt (a.s.).
In the end, he stressed the need to promote and develop mission-oriented and purposeful poetry and asked the authorities to support these poets. He also announced, “Center of United Ummah is always ready to publish the innovations and creations of this group of poets, who really use their poetry and literary creations for the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) and the Infallible AhlulBayt (a.s.) and some of them are present at tonight’s poetry ceremony.”
In his opening remarks at the webinar, referring to the virtues of Lady Zainab (a.s.), Ayatollah Akhtari, the head of the Ashura International Foundation, said, “Poets should introduce this great lady of Islam as their role model and that of other Muslims. Inspired by this lady, the women of the world, in particular, must learn how to perform their duties in the service of Islam and society.”
Emphasizing the role of the devoted and courageous leadership of Lady Zainab (a.s.) in Karbala and the Day of Ashura, and during her captivity in Kufa and Levant, Ayatollah Akhtari pointed to some examples of these sacrifices.
Referring to the characteristics of committed poetry and its importance in the growth of awareness and insight in society, he stressed, “The duties and mission of poets are not less than the duties of scholars and educators. Poets who express responsibilities and problems of their society in the form of committed poetry and literature can increase the spirit of jihad, sacrifice and resistance against oppression and corruption in society.”
While analyzing and evaluating the situation of poetry and poets during the globalization of culture, cultural and intelligence invasion of the West, the director of the Ashura International Foundation emphasized, “Ashura International Foundation is at service of the committed and mission-oriented poets and writers. The foundation is ready to cooperate with the cultural and literary centers of the world in order to strengthen cultural, literary and friendship ties in every way, to raise the level of innovation of poets in the service of Islam and the teachings of the AhlulBayt (a.s.).”
Then, in her speech, Dr. Linda Taboush, Head of the Studies Department of the United Ummah Center, emphasized two axes of the life of Lady Zainab (a.s.):
1. Common intellectual and moral points of Lady Fatima Zahra (a.s.) and Lady Zeinab (a.s.),
2. Outstanding and distinguished features of the personality of Lady Zainab (a.s.) as a great teacher and mentor of life throughout history.
At the end of the webinar, a number of male and female poets recited their beautiful poems describing the virtues and characteristics of Lady Zainab (a.s.).
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