AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Ayatollah Reza Ramazani, Secretary General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, who recently traveled to East Africa in order to participate in the birth anniversary celebrations of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) and meet with religious figures and centers, discussed the objectives and achievements of his trip in an interview with ABNA.
ABNA: What was the purpose of your trip to the African continent, and why was the East African region chosen for the visit?
Ayatollah Ramazani: In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Some observers consider Africa as a poor continent in the world that is struggling with many problems, including poverty. During my trip to Africa, I came to an interesting point. That is, contrary to the view of some, Africa is a rich continent in terms of nature and minerals such as gold, diamonds, and rubies.
Unfortunately, the people of the world are afraid of traveling to African countries because they fear that there are many diseases that threaten human life. For example, it is said that there are mosquitoes in Tanzania that endanger a person’s life if bitten. However, it is our duty to visit the areas where Muslims and enthusiasts of AhlulBayt (a.s.) live in poverty. It is our inherent duty to take care of the affairs of the enthusiasts of AhlulBayt (a.s.) everywhere in the world. Therefore, it was very important for us to be aware of the situation and to be present in the field.”
On the other hand, in addition to the many missionaries affiliated with AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly who are in Africa, some of the 700 members of the General Assembly of the Assembly live in the continent. Before this visit, the Secretary General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly had only visited Africa once, which included only a few specific countries. According to reports, our experts have only limited contact with Africa. Therefore, this trip was very important.
Africa is a large and rich continent with a beautiful nature that many people will find unbelievable. However, the colonialists did not allow this wealth to be used in Africa itself, which I will discuss more on this issue. Therefore, a set of the mentioned factors made us prioritize the trip to Africa.
For the fourth year, I have the honor of serving as the Secretary General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly. It was decided that the trip to Africa would start earlier. But unfortunately, due to the spread of Covid-19, as well as the holding of the 7th General Assembly, the trip was postponed.
It was interesting to me that in his speech on the first day of 1402 (SH) in Mashhad, the Supreme Leader of the Revolution mentioned Africa and Latin America as priorities. Therefore, the experts of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly with their detailed field studies about Africa, made this trip a priority, and then we traveled to these areas.
Africa is a very vast continent that cannot be visited all in one trip. Therefore, we divided it into three parts: East Africa, West Africa, and South Africa, so that we can, God willing, travel to all three regions. But according to the field study of our experts, and planning to hold several summits, East Africa was chosen as the first trip. It was decided to hold several meetings in three neighboring countries, namely Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, to achieve the desired goals of the trip. Therefore, in the first round of our trip to Africa, we chose the east. In the second round, God willing, we will visit West African countries.
ABNA: Various summits and meetings were held in Africa. Please explain the most important achievement of these meetings.
Ayatollah Ramazani: The visit to Africa and the meetings held by the Assembly there is an important event. Because in the 7th General Assembly, which was held in September 2022 in Iran, it was approved to hold regional meetings, part of which will be held in each region itself. It was also emphasized that these programs should have appropriate and practical output and that the summit should not be held just for promotional purposes.
In holding summits and meetings, we should consider goals and draw the path of activity according to them. Therefore, to achieve the desired objectives, a department was formed in the Assembly to review the holding of various summits and meetings. In the contemporary world, we are facing complex changes that must be included in our plans.
The modern and postmodern world, with its indicators and components, follows a set of issues and consequences, and some people are managing the world. We are strongly opposed to globalization and the management of global arrogance. But we must accept that the path is the path of globalization. Today’s world is very different from 50 years ago. Today, a lot of progress has been made in various fields. Some are trying to take advantage of the wealth of the world in different ways and follow the path of modern and ultra-modern colonialism.
Today, some people are trying to lead the youth astray. The rule of liberalism in the world follows moral liberalism, which seeks to spread immorality and promiscuity. In the 13 to 14 years that I lived in Europe, I did not see the results of the educational plans in these countries except for the education of a secular generation. Therefore, for the new generation to pay little or no attention to religion and religious teachings, they seek to raise a generation that is indifferent to spirituality or seeks a spirituality that avoids responsibility. Now in Europe and America, there are about 4,000 fake spiritualities that are either fighting the responsibility or evading it. In the West, they are trying to transfer this thinking to the educational environment of young people.
Such plans are being implemented for women as well, and the West tries to lead women astray. The films of 100 years ago in Europe show that the hijab and covering of women in European countries has reached nudity during a process. Therefore, today, big companies use women as tools and use them to sell their products. In some European countries, I saw that women are used as mannequins in shop windows, and they are used as a tool to sell various goods.
As a result, it must be said that today we are facing two types of threats, one against the young generation, and the other against the women of human society. Women make up half of the world’s population, which is considered a huge capacity. Therefore, it is a big threat to mislead them.
Kenya
After many studies and consultations, it was decided to hold the youth meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. In this two-day meeting, 123 youth activists from ten East African countries participated, which resulted in the formation of the East African Youth Union. We offered them training such as artificial intelligence, media literacy, and familiarization with new issues that are necessary for the young generation, which were well received.
In various meetings, we stressed that African youth should find themselves, not let others rule over them, and they should manage the situation themselves. We always insist that they should be the chosen ones in their way. You see that global imperialism is always trying to impose its desired content and forms on everyone, such as the Palestinian issue that is happening. We say that Palestine should be for the Palestinians themselves. Why should people be displaced there, and women and children killed? A referendum should be held in Palestine so that the government will be run by the Palestinians themselves, they will determine the fate of Palestine, and not let decisions be made for them from outside.
In all public and private meetings and sessions, I emphasized that young people need to believe in themselves. I said to the young Africans, “You are the descendants of Bilal the Abyssinian”. This literature was very pleasing to them. Some people did not ask for a miracle from the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h), because his words were a miracle for them. Others asked the Prophet (p.b.u.h) for a miracle, and after seeing the miracle, they accepted his prophethood. There was also a third group who were looking for an excuse so that even if they saw a thousand miracles from the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h), they would not believe. Therefore, I said to them, “You live in a continent where some of you are like Bilal the Abyssinian, who did not ask for a miracle from the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) but considered his words to be in harmony with his nature and soul.”
To hear and accept the truth and spirituality, the African youth are fully ready and capable. We observed this issue in various meetings, and we were able to obtain significant results. For example, at the end of the Nairobi meeting, which was held from morning to evening, the East African Youth Union was formed. This union is run by the youth of Africa, and it needs to be, and we just encouraged, helped, and paved the way. An important issue that we emphasized in Africa was that they need to find themselves and study to know themselves. We told them that they are a precious treasure with God and that they should never underestimate themselves, because they can grow.
At the Nairobi youth meeting, I guess we achieved results that were much more than what was anticipated, and it was well received. This was our first trip (a delegation from the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly) to Africa, during which we visited six African countries and one island. The interesting point of this trip was the readiness and eagerness of the young African generation to learn.
One of the problems of traveling in Africa, in addition to the high cost of plane tickets, is the lack of airports with waiting halls, and among the more than 50 African countries, perhaps 4 or 5 airports have waiting halls. Therefore, to travel from one country to another, sometimes we needed two flights, and maybe we were delayed for nearly 5 hours to get to the next flight.
Uganda
We left Kenya for Uganda where we had many and varied programs, and we held meetings of members of the General Assembly and communication with missionaries. The General Assembly of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly has more than 700 members from 130 countries, some of which are in Africa. During the visit to East Africa, it was decided that about 30 members of the General Assembly would gather in a roundtable meeting. In this one-day meeting, these members expressed their opinions, and we also heard their talks and presented some discussions. In the closing ceremony, the contents were summarized, and the final statement was issued. By the grace of God, all African members are active and manage organizations that indicate the important position of these members in their countries.
The second session held in Uganda was dedicated to missionaries. We needed a database of missionaries and activists. In Africa, there are about a thousand active and inactive local missionaries who need to be organized and updated. Some missionaries had worked there for many years. We sought to honor them, and to the best of our ability, we acknowledged some of them. About 180 people participated in this meeting. Missionaries told us about the propagation problems, and it was interesting for them that we listened to their concerns. In this one-day meeting, we raised discussions and made suggestions, including holding meetings to share preaching experiences before the beginning of preaching occasions (including Ramadan, Muharram, and Safar), and forming groups in virtual space for communication and scientific and practical synergy. Nowadays, you must go to the virtual space, and if we do not use cyberspace seriously, this space will become a threat to society.
In this meeting, a training workshop for missionaries was also held. I believe that educational workshops should be held every year about missionary affairs. Because the Supreme Leader of the Revolution included the topic of preaching as the priority of seminaries. Although it is currently in the second priority.
Tanzania
After successfully holding two sessions and several side meetings, we traveled to Tanzania. Tanzania is a Muslim country, once 85% of its population was Muslim. But today, just about half of its people are Muslims. Two meetings were planned in this country, the first of which was dedicated to women. As a result, a very successful meeting was held with the participation of 70 active women from ten African countries for one day. The most important result of this meeting was the establishment of the East African Women’s Union. There also we emphasized that young people should find themselves and play a role in determining their destiny.
The second meeting in Tanzania, as the fifth meeting in the visit to Africa, was a meeting with African benefactor businessmen. About twenty businessmen from different African countries participated in the meeting. This meeting was an innovative and valuable initiative, and it had very good results. There are businessmen in the world who are interested in relations with Iran. There are also benefactor businessmen who can help solve the problems related to Shiites in the world, such as building mosques, schools, clinics, and orphanages, which are very important in Africa. The AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, although does not have any business activities, plays a role as a link between businessmen and Shiite centers.
The visit to East Africa was to achieve a set of objectives that were pre-planned. One of the most important objectives was the participation and presence of all experts and related officials of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly in five meetings in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Concluding this section, I should say that all the sessions and meetings held during this trip were successful and, by the grace of God, we could achieve our goals.
In all these events, we had a single approach, that is, avoiding interference in their activities. We just paved the way for East African activists to know themselves, manage affairs, and be able to do their tasks properly.
ABNA: In addition to participating in sessions and meetings, you also had some meetings and side visits. What were the objectives of this part of your trip?
Ayatollah Ramazani: When you travel at this level, it is clear that a series of side programs are planned, from meeting people to going to some centers and mosques, each of which has its reasons. Here are some of the visits and events I remember. One of the programs in Kenya was to attend a meeting of the Council of Religions with the participation of some leaders of various revealed and human religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. In this meeting, we mentioned the interactive view and dialogue between religions, and we invited them to visit Iran. They argued that these discussions could be very enlightening, leading to an awakening. They told us clearly, “We believe that interfaith dialogue can increase mutual understanding, and lead to increased interaction between religious followers.”
In that meeting, I emphasized the use of the great capacity of religious followers because today’s world needs such interactions. The more the followers of religions communicate and the closer the religious leaders get, the more it will help to achieve a just peace and prevent oppression, discrimination, and poverty. For example, today some people in the world want to desecrate holy matters so that no sacred thing remains. Holding these types of meetings can create a common position. We consider all the prophets and holy books as holy because they are from the same holy source. Of course, today’s Gospel and Torah have been subjected to some distortions.
We raised the issue that the holy things and the Sharia must be preserved. Because global arrogance is trying to eliminate Sharia. Therefore, religious leaders should not allow such action. We held such a meeting with Christians in Malawi. They said that they would like to hear such words more often. They were even ready to come to Iran to learn the teachings of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) school. The Supreme Leader of the Revolution has always emphasized that “we need to introduce AhlulBayt (a.s.) to all the people and elites of the world.” This is the responsibility of the World Assembly to introduce the AhlulBayt (a.s.) correctly to the world and eliminate extreme views.
In addition to the meeting with Christians in Malawi, we also held a meeting with Christian leaders, Sunni followers, and Shiite figures in Tanzania, where the importance of interfaith interaction and preservation of divine Sharias was emphasized.
Another side program that was held on the sidelines of the five main meetings was the participation in two Sharia maturity ceremonies in Tanzania. In this ceremony, Chadors were bought for about 700 girls who had just reached the age of Sharia maturity. This Sharia maturity celebration was almost rare and perhaps unique. Because it was held with the presence of Sunni and Shiite children together. In fact, the best celebration in human life is this Sharia maturity celebration. Because during it, man becomes God’s addressee, and God speaks to him or her.
In some meetings, mass performances were held, which we have many memories of. For example, in a girls’ school in Tanzania, the anthem of the Islamic Republic was sung in Persian. In one of the reports that I sent to some organizations, I wrote that if I wanted to sing the anthem of the Islamic Republic myself, I might not be able to perform it so fluently. During another program, we visited the seminary of Bibi Sakineh (a.s.) where the hymn “Salaam Ya Mahdi” was performed by the girls’ choir. The performance of such hymns leads to a change in the attitude in Africa, which means a lot, and all of these have been realized thanks to the Islamic Revolution of Iran.
In one of the visits, we went to a school that had up to the sixth grade. This school did not have a strong building and was built with wood and tin. They did not have the means to build the school with bricks and wood. We supported it to the best of our ability so that there is no danger to children’s lives. There was a strange atmosphere, but no one complained of poverty. The children were singing poems about AhlulBayt (a.s.), and we were accompanying them, which created a beautiful atmosphere. The programs we participated in were very diverse and participating in each one had a specific goal that was achieved.
ABNA: Please provide information about the various groups that participated in the groups.
Ayatollah Ramazani: All the meetings we had with people were beautiful for us. All age groups of African people, including children, women, youth, middle-aged, and old, were very motivated, patient, and resilient, and lived a lively life. For example, we went to a place where the people had a miserable living situation so that no one had shoes. But when these same people invited you to their home, they brought everything they had for the guest.
Most people in Africa were known as the descendants of Bilal the Abyssinian. Another group is the Khojas, who are among the richest people in Africa. This group is originally from India, who migrated to Africa. The Khojas had large mosques, schools, and orphanages that we visited during this trip. Khojas were present in almost all six countries Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Burundi, and Madagascar. We had meetings with Shiite Khojas.
Another group is the Bohars, who are a sect of Shiites and we met them in Madagascar. They had a huge newly built school which we visited. We even went to the house of their leaders, and they respected us a lot. We should be in contact with Shiite sects, such as Zaidiyyah and Bohras, and use these capacities.
ABNA: Regarding meetings with other religions, you mentioned a meeting with the Vatican ambassador in Madagascar. Please explain about the meeting.
Ayatollah Ramazani: Of the 2.2 billion Christian population, 1.3 to 1.4 billion are Catholics, led by the Pope, who resides in the Vatican. The Iranian ambassador to Madagascar, due to his connections with the Vatican ambassador, organized a meeting with him in which good topics were discussed, including dealing with the sacrilege of beliefs and the power of religious followers and leaders to deal with discrimination, oppression, and injustice, the things that can be very influential. It was decided that this meeting would be held with Christian priests. Due to the connection with the Sorbonne Catholic Institute, I was ready to participate in the discussions with them, but unfortunately, priests couldn’t attend.
Finally, it should be said that as our relationship with religious leaders increases, we can take advantage of common positions to realize lofty goals, including the movement of human society towards the monotheistic and revelation system.
ABNA: According to your accompanying delegation on this trip, and the feedback received from the virtual space and the released videos, you were widely welcomed as a worthy representative of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution. What is your analysis of these receptions?
Ayatollah Ramazani: In response to this question, several points can be mentioned. First, in my opinion, a huge range of African people love Iran. That is, they are interested in Iran’s rational, spiritual, and just literature and discourse. The name of Iran has been raised in the world as an Islamic country that stands in front of imperialism and confronts it, which draws the attention of the people of the world to the name of Iran.
Second, a cleric from Iran came to Africa, meeting him was interesting for them, and they welcomed him with their traditions as we witnessed the great reception of the people at the opening of Al-Zahra (a.s.) Institute in Uganda.
The third point is that a servant of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) came to Africa, and the people of the region, according to the introductions, were eager to meet him and welcome him.
ABNA: According to your words, what kind of support or attention do the people of Africa, especially the people of the east of the continent, need?
We must keep a few points in mind. First, Africa has an intact capacity in different sectors. In my opinion, there is a rare readiness to listen to the pure AhlulBayt (a.s.) teachings in Africa, which is a clear example of Imam Reza’s (a.s.) saying: “If people know the beauty of our speech, they will follow us.” African people, especially the young generation, are truly ready to listen to the AhlulBayt (a.s.) teachings. Also, when we presented some content from the Holy Quran regarding the position of women and the presence of women in the field of social activities, it was welcomed by them.
The second point is very important. Unfortunately, colonialism has tried to prevent Africans from finding themselves, and therefore, they have been neglected and exploited. First, they looted their wealth. For example, a large gold mine was discovered in one of the African countries. The Americans, spreading rumors of a disease outbreak, moved the entire mine and after two weeks said the disease had disappeared.
The nature and land of Africa, even the clay of this land has the potential to generate income and they are considered wealth. But the colonialists did not allow the African people to use their wealth. Of course, today some countries such as Niger, after the departure of the French colonialists, have been able to sell their uranium for 200 dollars instead of 80 cents and prevent their wealth from being plundered.
Another thing we learned from some experts was that colonialism creates fear towards Africa and propagandizes against this continent so that no one travels there and sees this beautiful nature. When you analyze these issues, you will realize that global arrogance has targeted the wealth of this continent and tries to exploit this huge capacity by creating fear and panic. In terms of health, the situation in Africa is very poor. Africa’s enormous wealth has not been allowed to be used in the areas of health, education, research, and development of youth and women. Therefore, the result of plundering Africa’s wealth by the colonialists has been nothing but the poverty of its people.
Another point is the sovereignty of some global powers over African countries. For example, many African countries have been colonies of the same country. Part of the continent was for France and another part was a British colony. Today, modern colonialism has reached its peak. So the people of the region have been humiliated so much in the past that they are still obedient. African people should believe in themselves and use their great wealth for themselves. If this happens, Africa will become one of the most beautiful continents in the world and a destination for tourists.
ABNA: How do you evaluate the trip to East Africa and its achievements in general?
Ayatollah Ramazani: Before we saw Africa in person, we did not have such a view of the continent, and according to the accompanying delegation, being in Africa changed our view of this continent. For example, during intercity trips, we constantly observed beautiful nature, and barely any desert areas were found there. The largest mines in the world, including gold, diamonds, rubies, and other precious stones, are in Africa. So that this continent is one of the biggest exporters of gold and precious stones. Also, apart from farming tea and coffee, Africa is so gifted with water and soil that anything can grow there. Therefore, Africa should be introduced to African people, so that they can use its potential more.
Another thing that should be considered is that in Africa there are two classes, the rich and the poor, and the latter constitutes the majority of the society. Poverty can be seen even in terms of urban structure. There are areas where the houses are very humble and made of wood and tin, which are not strong and non-standard. However, it is interesting that the people of these regions are patient, resilient, and cheerful. Maybe if the salary of an organization is delayed for only four days, its employees will be depressed and sad. But African people have a strange vibe that has a positive effect on people. Of course, we understood their sorrow.
An important point that I must emphasize is the readiness of African youth to listen to pure [Islamic] teachings. If we can correctly raise the issue of human dignity, they will welcome it. Therefore, the trip to East Africa was very good and valuable. There is an island called Réunion near Madagascar, which is perhaps one of the most beautiful islands in the world. But entering this island required a French visa and tourists were not allowed to enter it easily. Eventually, we could travel to that island. There we visited six Shiite mosques and met with young people and answered their questions.
Finally, it should be said that more study is needed about Africa. We traveled to six African countries for seventeen days. But our information is still not complete. To complete this information, we need to live in those areas so that we can get to know more about Africa and have a correct analysis of it.
ABNA: At the same time as your trip to Africa, the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation began. What was the view of African elites regarding global arrogance and Zionism?
Zionism owns more than 90% of the world’s media. The Zionists have a media dictatorship and empire so many news stories reach the audience with the censorship of facts and realities. Of course, some people feel responsible for bringing the news to the world. To the same extent, the hatred of these crimes is evident among the elites and general public.
Gaza is a city of two million people that Israel has besieged, not even allowing food to reach the city. Gaza is a prison where they kill 4,000 children, and in the last two weeks, they have killed more than 8,000 people. Aren’t these crimes an example of the Quranic verse about the killing of the oppressed “For what sin was she killed?” Zionists have been slaughtering children for the last 75 years, and they do not give up any heinous acts to achieve their goals. Every conscientious person denounces these crimes.
The Zionist regime is skilled in playing the victim and oppressed. Therefore, we must be vigilant to inform the world about their crimes. Everyone should fulfill their human and conscientious duty. We ask God to help all of us in realizing this path.
Abna: Thank you for giving us your precious time.
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