Hawzah News Agency- Hojatoleslam Mohammad Mehdi Imani-Pour and Dr. Mohammad Hadi Fallahzadeh, heads of the International University of Islamic Denominations and the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO), signed a cooperation memorandum in Tehran on Monday.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Fallahzadeh described the ties between the two institutions as "deep-rooted, meaningful, and purposeful," adding that the agreement marks a serious step beyond purely historical and repetitive approaches in the field of approximation studies.
"We seek, with a realistic outlook, to pursue the modern Islamic civilization on the horizon — not merely through theological and historical discussions, but through unity-building activism grounded in the realities of today's Islamic world," he said, expressing hope that the bilateral cooperation would accelerate the Islamic system's progress toward its lofty goals.
The university chief stressed the institution's mission to train moderate elites, develop comparative Islamic sciences, strengthen scientific and cultural dialogue among denominations, and offer scholarly solutions to the problems facing the Muslim ummah.
He noted that ICRO operates in cultural diplomacy while the International University of Islamic Denominations works in education and research, saying both sit at the top of the Islamic Republic's decision-making pyramid. "This memorandum is a link between 'knowledge' and 'the field of diplomacy' so that, through synergy, a new chapter of activism in the Islamic world can begin."
'Old Methods' Must Be Abandoned
Fallahzadeh said outdated methods of engaging with the Islamic world are obsolete, adding: "If we want to play an effective role in the Islamic world, we must recognize the contemporary language of Islamic societies and their issues, and turn to an 'accurate sociology of the audience' — because without understanding the needs, demands, and concerns of target societies, one cannot speak of unity and ummah-building."
Media, AI Are Frontline of Global Interaction
Emphasizing the need to employ modern technological tools in unity diplomacy, he said: "Today, media and artificial intelligence are the frontline of global confrontation and interaction. This memorandum is not merely an administrative document; it is a 'roadmap.'"
He said the university is ready to use its scientific and research capacities, alongside Iran's cultural attachés and smart identification of audiences, to avoid scattered efforts and multiply the country's diplomatic power in civilization-building.
Fallahzadeh described the university as a specialized institution in the field of approximation of Islamic denominations — religious and inter-denominational studies — with a unique and active role in training moderate elites, developing comparative Islamic sciences, and providing scholarly solutions to the ummah's problems.
He added that the university, using its educational, research, scientific, and cultural capacities, can work with ICRO to forge a more effective link between knowledge, elites, and the field of cultural diplomacy.
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