Farewell and Introduction Ceremony of ABWA’s Deputy for Scientific and Cultural Affairs
The farewell and introduction ceremony of the Deputy for Scientific and Cultural Affairs of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly was held in Qom with the presence of Ayatollah Ramezani, the Secretary-General of the Assembly.
According to the official information website of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly - The ceremony honoring Hojat al-Islam Dr. Mehdi Farmanian, the former Deputy for Scientific and Cultural Affairs of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly and introducing Hojat al-Islam Dr. Reza Shakeri as the new deputy was held at the assembly’s conference hall in Qom.
The AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly is on the Path of Transformation
During the ceremony, while extending his congratulations on the arrival of the blessed month of Ramadan, Ayatollah Reza Ramezani, the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly highlighted the many blessings of this sacred month. “In the words of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (a.s.), God has ordained fasting as a means to strengthen sincerity. Imam Ali (a.s.) also stated in a hadith that God made fasting obligatory as a test of sincerity for His servants.”
Further in his remarks, the Secretary-General addressed the discourse of transformation within the Assembly, stating, “Achieving transformation in any institution requires mutual understanding, active engagement, and collective synergy, which ultimately lead to the advancement of the organization.”
Ayatollah Ramezani emphasized that the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly is undergoing a transformative phase, asserting, “We must transition from translation to authorship. Right after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, students from 130 countries have come to Iran to study Islamic sciences, demonstrating that the era of translation has come to an end.”
The Secretary-General also stressed the necessity of shifting towards the digital sphere, citing key initiatives such as the completion of unfinished book translations, the establishment of the Printing and Publishing Council, the Shiite Global Status Project, the mega-project on the AhlulBayt (a.s.) lifestyle, and the AhlulBayt (a.s.) Virtual Library, all of which he recognized as significant achievements of the Assembly.
Referring to the Assembly’s objective of attaining scholarly authority on a global scale, he highlighted the capabilities of WikiShia. “Structurally and content-wise, WikiShia differs from Wikipedia. It must establish itself as a scientific reference in the field of AhlulBayt (a.s.) teachings worldwide and convey the concepts of the Islamic Revolution in the language of religious logic.”
While expressing gratitude for the efforts of Hojat al-Islam Farmanian and emphasizing the continued utilization of his academic and research expertise within the Assembly, Ayatollah Ramezani acknowledged the 30-year academic and managerial experience of Hojat al-Islam Shakeri in both domestic and international arenas. Congratulating him on his new position, he urged the continuation of the transformational path in this department.
Recent Initiatives of the Scientific and Cultural Affairs Department
During the ceremony, Hojat al-Islam Farmanian, the former Deputy for Scientific and Cultural Affairs of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly presented a report on the department’s achievements in recent years. He stated, “The support of Ayatollah Ramezani, the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly for this department over the past three years has enabled significant progress. The deputies and directors of various divisions within the Assembly have also cooperated with the Scientific and Cultural Affairs Department during this period.”
He further explained that, in line with the Assembly’s policy of entering the digital space, the AhlulBayt (a.s.) Knowledge Network, a digital library, was established a year and a half ago. “This network currently hosts 35,000 resources from the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, including books, journals, and video clips, and has the potential for further expansion. Additionally, in the past three years, 295 unfinished book translations were completed and moved to the publication stage.”
Farmanian added, “This year alone, 5,000 new entries were added to WikiShia, bringing the total number of new entries added over the past three years to 16,667. Moreover, ShiaData and WikiTurath were also launched during this period. We have also compiled all the works of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, translated into 46 global languages, into a flash drive, which has been distributed to prominent international figures worldwide.”
The former deputy also noted the Assembly’s shift toward artificial intelligence, stating, “Over the past three years, we have organized 29 explanatory sessions on AI and the dissemination of AhlulBayt (a.s.) teachings for digital media activists. Additionally, we are in the process of launching the online television channel Islam TV, and program recordings for this platform are currently underway.”
He concluded by expressing hope that a global digital network of AhlulBayt (a.s.) content creators would be established to facilitate the rapid translation of AhlulBayt (a.s.) materials from Persian into other languages and vice versa.
The Vast and Comprehensive Audience of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly
Continuing the ceremony, Hojat al-Islam Shakeri highlighted the status of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, stating, “This organization, dedicated to the teachings of AhlulBayt (a.s.), operates on a global scale and should be seen as a valuable opportunity. The report on the Scientific and Cultural Affairs Department’s activities over the past three years reflects the presence of a strong and capable team within this department. The Assembly benefits from a vast and diverse audience worldwide.”
The newly appointed Deputy for Scientific and Cultural Affairs added, “We must identify existing global opportunities and make the best use of them. In this regard, the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly should foster synergy with various institutions while also ensuring internal coordination, unity, and alignment. This will enable us to successfully implement the major projects of the Scientific and Cultural Affairs Department. Achieving this goal requires a comprehensive strategic plan and well-structured execution.”
At the conclusion of the ceremony, with the presence of Ayatollah Ramezani, the Secretary-General, along with a group of deputies and directors, 60 newly published books by the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly in various languages were officially unveiled.
The farewell and introduction ceremony of the Deputy for Scientific and Cultural Affairs of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly was held in Qom with the presence of Ayatollah Ramezani, the Secretary-General of the Assembly.
According to the official information website of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly - The ceremony honoring Hojat al-Islam Dr. Mehdi Farmanian, the former Deputy for Scientific and Cultural Affairs of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly and introducing Hojat al-Islam Dr. Reza Shakeri as the new deputy was held at the assembly’s conference hall in Qom.
The AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly is on the Path of Transformation
During the ceremony, while extending his congratulations on the arrival of the blessed month of Ramadan, Ayatollah Reza Ramezani, the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly highlighted the many blessings of this sacred month. “In the words of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (a.s.), God has ordained fasting as a means to strengthen sincerity. Imam Ali (a.s.) also stated in a hadith that God made fasting obligatory as a test of sincerity for His servants.”
Further in his remarks, the Secretary-General addressed the discourse of transformation within the Assembly, stating, “Achieving transformation in any institution requires mutual understanding, active engagement, and collective synergy, which ultimately lead to the advancement of the organization.”
Ayatollah Ramezani emphasized that the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly is undergoing a transformative phase, asserting, “We must transition from translation to authorship. Right after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, students from 130 countries have come to Iran to study Islamic sciences, demonstrating that the era of translation has come to an end.”
The Secretary-General also stressed the necessity of shifting towards the digital sphere, citing key initiatives such as the completion of unfinished book translations, the establishment of the Printing and Publishing Council, the Shiite Global Status Project, the mega-project on the AhlulBayt (a.s.) lifestyle, and the AhlulBayt (a.s.) Virtual Library, all of which he recognized as significant achievements of the Assembly.
Referring to the Assembly’s objective of attaining scholarly authority on a global scale, he highlighted the capabilities of WikiShia. “Structurally and content-wise, WikiShia differs from Wikipedia. It must establish itself as a scientific reference in the field of AhlulBayt (a.s.) teachings worldwide and convey the concepts of the Islamic Revolution in the language of religious logic.”
While expressing gratitude for the efforts of Hojat al-Islam Farmanian and emphasizing the continued utilization of his academic and research expertise within the Assembly, Ayatollah Ramezani acknowledged the 30-year academic and managerial experience of Hojat al-Islam Shakeri in both domestic and international arenas. Congratulating him on his new position, he urged the continuation of the transformational path in this department.
Recent Initiatives of the Scientific and Cultural Affairs Department
During the ceremony, Hojat al-Islam Farmanian, the former Deputy for Scientific and Cultural Affairs of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly presented a report on the department’s achievements in recent years. He stated, “The support of Ayatollah Ramezani, the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly for this department over the past three years has enabled significant progress. The deputies and directors of various divisions within the Assembly have also cooperated with the Scientific and Cultural Affairs Department during this period.”
He further explained that, in line with the Assembly’s policy of entering the digital space, the AhlulBayt (a.s.) Knowledge Network, a digital library, was established a year and a half ago. “This network currently hosts 35,000 resources from the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, including books, journals, and video clips, and has the potential for further expansion. Additionally, in the past three years, 295 unfinished book translations were completed and moved to the publication stage.”
Farmanian added, “This year alone, 5,000 new entries were added to WikiShia, bringing the total number of new entries added over the past three years to 16,667. Moreover, ShiaData and WikiTurath were also launched during this period. We have also compiled all the works of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, translated into 46 global languages, into a flash drive, which has been distributed to prominent international figures worldwide.”
The former deputy also noted the Assembly’s shift toward artificial intelligence, stating, “Over the past three years, we have organized 29 explanatory sessions on AI and the dissemination of AhlulBayt (a.s.) teachings for digital media activists. Additionally, we are in the process of launching the online television channel Islam TV, and program recordings for this platform are currently underway.”
He concluded by expressing hope that a global digital network of AhlulBayt (a.s.) content creators would be established to facilitate the rapid translation of AhlulBayt (a.s.) materials from Persian into other languages and vice versa.
The Vast and Comprehensive Audience of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly
Continuing the ceremony, Hojat al-Islam Shakeri highlighted the status of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, stating, “This organization, dedicated to the teachings of AhlulBayt (a.s.), operates on a global scale and should be seen as a valuable opportunity. The report on the Scientific and Cultural Affairs Department’s activities over the past three years reflects the presence of a strong and capable team within this department. The Assembly benefits from a vast and diverse audience worldwide.”
The newly appointed Deputy for Scientific and Cultural Affairs added, “We must identify existing global opportunities and make the best use of them. In this regard, the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly should foster synergy with various institutions while also ensuring internal coordination, unity, and alignment. This will enable us to successfully implement the major projects of the Scientific and Cultural Affairs Department. Achieving this goal requires a comprehensive strategic plan and well-structured execution.”
At the conclusion of the ceremony, with the presence of Ayatollah Ramezani, the Secretary-General, along with a group of deputies and directors, 60 newly published books by the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly in various languages were officially unveiled.