Hawzah News Agency- The remarks were delivered during the “International Day” session of Research and Technology Week, organized by the Islamic Propagation Office of the Qom Seminary. The meeting was held at the Martyr Soleimani Hall of the Islamic Sciences and Culture Research Institute, with the participation of senior academic, seminary, and diplomatic officials, including the head of Al-Mustafa International University.
At the opening of the session, Hojatoleslam Mohammad Iraqi, head of the International Department of the Islamic Sciences and Culture Research Institute, presented a detailed report on the institute’s major international activities over the past year. He highlighted key achievements in cross-border scientific cooperation, academic exchanges, and international research projects, describing them as an important step toward strengthening Iran’s scholarly engagement worldwide.
Addressing the gathering, Hojatoleslam Ali Abbasi, head of Al-Mustafa International University, congratulated Research and Technology Week and described the Islamic Sciences and Culture Research Institute, Baqir al-Ulum University (PBUH), and Al-Mustafa International University as successful models of effective cooperation between seminaries and universities. He emphasized that such institutional synergy has played a vital role in expanding international academic and religious interactions.
Referring to the 1,500th anniversary of the birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the senior cleric critically reviewed orientalist studies concerning the personality of the Prophet of Islam. He noted that a significant portion of these works stems from insufficient understanding, methodological weakness, and, in some cases, clear bias—misrepresentations that continue to be amplified today through modern and emerging media.
Hojatoleslam Abbasi described the anniversary as a strategic opportunity to present the authentic image of the Prophet of Islam and to properly articulate his message and teachings. He stressed that monotheism, ethics, spirituality, and justice form the core pillars of Islamic thought, but added that shortcomings in language capacity and international communication have hindered the effective transmission of these concepts to global public opinion.
Highlighting the university’s linguistic infrastructure, he said Al-Mustafa International University currently translates scholarly and religious works into more than 40 languages. He added that this unique capacity can serve as a strong support base for other scientific and research institutions across the country, particularly in the realm of international academic cooperation and cultural diplomacy.
In the final part of the meeting, Hamid Makram, the representative of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qom, referred to the designation of a year in honor of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). He explained that the initiative originated in Qom and was later approved by Islamic countries, but lamented that it did not receive adequate attention at the domestic level, especially within Qom.
Makram also emphasized the need for targeted and strategic planning around major religious and international occasions. He noted that in the field of international research and engagement, strengthening the jurisprudential perspective is a pressing necessity, warning that Iran’s foreign policy is insufficiently grounded in jurisprudential research, leaving notable gaps that must be addressed through serious academic work.
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