Hawzah News Agency (Qom, Iran) – In a meeting with the chairman of the Organization of Culture and Islamic Guidance in the Province of Qom, senior cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi thanked the authorities for holding the international religious book fair in Qom saying, "Today, the city of Qom, due to the presence of Lady Masuma Shrine (sa) and numerous Islamic seminaries, is considered as a major scientific hub in Iran; the fact that tens of thousands of foreign students are learning Islamic sciences in the seminary of Qom makes this city the most internationally-recognized city in Iran."

 Member of the Supreme Council of Iranian Seminaries Ayatollah Alireza Arafi further noted, "Today, there are more than 100 thousand foreign students learning Islamic sciences in the seminary of Qom; If we add up the number of their family members who are also living in Qom we have almost 300 thousand foreign residents in Qom. This great potential can be used to hold international, national and provincial book fairs in Qom."

At the beginning of the meeting, the Chairman of the Organization of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Qom presented a report on the last International Fair of Religious Books in Qom.

End.