Hawzah News Agency (Mashhad - Iran) - The first meeting of the board of thinkers of Deputy Office for Islamic Ideology Dissemination was held in the presence of the chief custodian of Astan Quds Razavi.
“Imam Reza’s pilgrims are a rainbow of different ages, social, scientific, cultural and ethnic levels and therefore regarding the cultural work we should pay attention to these differences and purposeful planning should be done for all audiences and for all walks of life, and in this regard, a board of thinkers was formed and took charge of this responsibility,” said AQR chief custodian addressing the meeting.
He added: “In the geography of the holy shrine, in terms of infrastructure and provision of facilities and equipment, significant measures have been taken and with the studies done, at present, except for the completion of ongoing projects, there is no need to expand the physical space.”
Referring to the instructions of the Revolution’s Leader in the appointment decree, concerning serious emphasis on cultural affairs in the holy shrine, he stressed the need to make maximum use of the facilities of the holy shrine which annually hosts about 30 million pilgrims and if every year, cultural work is done on only 5 million people in the city of Mashhad, after a few years, the whole country would have been influenced.
“For foreign pilgrims, in addition to lecturing in their own language, we should have appropriate cultural planning. All AQR establishment is reduced to the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) and this has no other meaning than pilgrimage and knowledge, and other sections and facilities of this spiritual establishment have been created to serve the pilgrimage,” he noted.
He pointed out that the holy shrine is a great blessing and opportunity, which should be used to the maximum to expand educational and cultural goals and called for paying attention to pilgrims and serious planning for cultural promotions in the holy shrine.
“AQR reaches out to all thinkers to achieve cultural goals. We hope that you will consider yourself responsible in the holy shrine and the output of our work in this heavenly establishment will be effective and acceptable to this Imam,” he commented.
Also Hoj. Gonabadi, the deputy AQR Deputy Office for Islamic Ideology Dissemination presented a report on the number of pilgrims visiting the holy shrine during the year, the length of stay of pilgrims in Mashhad, the hours of their presence in the holy places of the shrine, the average age of pilgrims, the percentage of pilgrims, the gender ratio, the plans made to increase the knowledge of pilgrims, the need to establish continuous communication with pilgrims, attention to the tastes of the audience, etc.
Furthermore, Hoj. Panahian, a professor of seminary and university stated that the holy shrine is a source for refreshing cultural institutions and AQR can reform and develop the country’s cultural institutions.
He went on to express his views on the promotional activities of the holy shrine, promoting the pilgrims’ insight into the politics and guardianship of Imam Reza (AS), inserting a brief biography of Imam Reza (AS) briefly under the prayer books in the holy shrine, using new promotional methods to attract pilgrims, specialize promotional, Quranic and cultural relations, holding weekly lectures on a single topic at a specific time, the need for mutual relationship and interaction to continue communication with pilgrims and so on.
Hoj. Moradi, elsewhere pointed to the effects of pilgrimage in creating peace in society and said: “Indirect promotion for increasing the awareness of pilgrims, paying attention to pilgrimage and the calming role of the holy shrine on the souls of the people, using new media and promotional methods, appreciating the works of artists and the good behavior of people appointed to Imam Reza (AS), will be effective measures to promote religious culture in the society.”
Moreover, in this meeting, Hoj. Karimian, Secretary General of the Islamic Radio and Television Association, addressed two issues of the global role of the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) and the need to pay attention to the media capacity in promoting Razavi teachings, especially in the international arena.
Hojjatoleslam Derayati, a professor of seminary and university, spoke over the need to benefit from accurate statistics and information in planning, and the interaction between the promotional activities and the identity of the city of Mashhad; Meysam Moradi, the head of Khorasan Razavi Art Center talked on the need and knowledge of the capacity of art in the activities of the holy shrine as a rich artistic treasure; Ms. Dejbord, the head of AQR Women’s Affairs Center, pointed to the opportunity of the holy shrine as the most irreplaceable capacity to revive and strengthen the family and Islamic lifestyle and Hoj. Nabavi spoke on how to promote the pilgrim’s awareness before moving to Mashhad similar to the experience of Umrah and Hajj, and also on preparation for the capacity of the clergies of Hejrat Project.
The Board of Thinkers of Deputy Office for Islamic Ideology Dissemination has been formed for the first time in the presence of activists and experts in various fields.