Hawzah News Agency- The fifth World Congress of Imam Reza (PBUH), attended by Islamic thinkers from Iran and four continents, was held on Monday, May 13, at the Quds Hall of Razavi Holy Shrine in Mashhad, Iran.

Twenty specialized meetings, during which selected articles on the subject of justice and the social life of Imam Reza (PBUH) are scheduled to be presented, will run concurrently with the congress.

At the beginning of this event, the Scientific Secretary of the Congress Hujjat al-Islam Seyed Saeed Reza Ameli said, “I consider it necessary to express my gratitude to the wise and far-sighted supreme leader of the Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, for the establishment of this important congress of Imamology and to the senior Shia clerics for laying the foundation of this congress that is a matter of knowledge.”

The scientific secretary of the World Congress of Imam Reza (PBUH) referred to the 40-year history of the congress, saying, that the content of this huge congress owes to the thoughts of great thinkers and scholars from more than 35 countries, including Iran, as the cradle of thought and civilization, so I am especially grateful to them. Without this national and global participation, this great gathering would not have been possible.

"The superintendent of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH) is to hold this important scientific congress every two years, and theoretical planning has been done for seven congresses,” he said.

“The fifth World Congress of Imam Reza, centered on the civilizational view of Imam Reza (PBUH) and with emphasis on the most key aspiration of the world, which is justice and the establishment of justice for all, and also with a view to the most important challenge of the contemporary world, which is the spread of oppression and discrimination, seeks to reveal the knowledge and secrets of the divine truth and the realities of the contemporary world,” Hujjat al-Islam Seyed Saeed Reza Ameli noted.

He went on to say, “This congress is being held just as discrimination and oppression are becoming more widespread and deeper day by day, and the hope for the establishment of global justice among the people of the world has faded, and in a way, we are witnessing injustice and oppression towards everyone. It should be noted that our age is the age of universal communication, and we all live in the same world and are subject to the rule of influence and impression.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Hujjat al-Islam Saeed Reza Ameli mentioned, “God has ordered justice and beneficence in the holy Qur'an, ‘Indeed, Allah enjoins justice and beneficence(16:90).’ And this is a great value that is common to all divine religions. Basically, the goodness of justice and the ugliness of oppression is a rational matter that applies to everyone as a good point.”

He also pointed to the current issue of Gaza and stated, “Unfortunately, today, the most important and deepest symbol of oppression and discrimination, which is considered one of the dreadful crimes, is the mass genocide of people and children in Gaza, leading to the most intense pain and wounds on the bodies of the oppressed Palestinian people. The Food Security Information Network describes the status of Phase 3 and above as critical, dangerous, and catastrophic; this is while, unfortunately, the people of Gaza are in phase 4.”

“From November 24, 2023, to March 7, 2024, more than 90 percent of the population of the Gaza Strip (about 2.08 million people) are facing high levels of acute food insecurity,” he clarified, adding that meanwhile, more than 40% of the population (939,000 individuals) are in an emergency (IPC Phase 4) and more than 15% (378,000 people) are in a catastrophic situation (IPC Phase 5). At least one out of four families (more than half a million people) face catastrophic conditions (IPC).

“When we look at the general situation of the world, all the five pillars related to the material dimensions of human life, namely food, water, housing, health, education, and the environment, are in very dangerous conditions. In general, social inequality has dramatically increased compared to two centuries ago, i.e., 1820, and it has increased from 28% of the population to 85% of the population.” the Scientific Secretary of the Congress continued.

In another part of his speech, he referred to the spiritual decline in the world and noted, “The violation of human privacy leading to cruelty to children and sexual abuse of children suggest great deterioration and injustice. According to the International Justice Mission report, 1,700,000 children are subjected to sex trafficking and sexual abuse, most of which have occurred in Europe.”

Concluding his remarks, Hojjat al-Islam Saeed Reza Ameli said, “During this two-day congress, more than 80 articles will be presented in scientific meetings.”