Hawzah News Agency- Hojatoleslam Mohsen Hanifi, executive secretary of the Assembly of Ahl al-Bayt (PBUH) Poets, spoke to Hawzah News Agency in Tehran about the international "Shajareh Tayyebeh" poetry conference held in Minab, saying the closing ceremony introduced the selected works at the Minab Martyrs' Cemetery in the presence of the martyrs' families, and the event drew wide participation from Iranian and foreign poets.
He added that more than 540 works in Persian, Arabic, English and Turkish were submitted to the conference secretariat, with numerous poets from Iran and various countries taking part.
Poetry as a Medium for Narrating the Martyrs' Plight
Emphasizing poetry's place in religious and ritual culture, Hanifi said poetry is one of the most important media of our school and faith, and perhaps one of the most active in this field. The martyrs of Minab were deeply wronged, he said, and the language of poetry can reflect their oppression and convey it to audiences worldwide.
Hanifi continued that accordingly, they decided to hold the congress internationally, with poets from various countries participating. Poets from Morocco, Palestine, Iraq, Pakistan and other countries attended and submitted their works, so that through the language of poetry, the voice of the innocent children of the resistance front could reach the world's ears.
Referring to the poets' welcome of the call, he said that compared to many congresses held, this event saw remarkable participation from talented and accomplished poets, with particularly notable involvement from Morocco, Palestine and Iraq in the international section.
Poetry for the Martyred Children of the Resistance Front
Noting the conference's central theme, Hanifi stated that one notable point was that the congress topic was not limited to child martyrs of one region—rather, the martyred children of the resistance front in various countries, from Lebanon and Yemen to Palestine and beyond, drew the poets' attention.
He added that although many of these events had recently occurred, poets tried from the outset to write about them and narrate the plight of the martyred children. This reflects poets' sensitivity to opposing oppression and to the plight of children who play no role in wars and have no conception of conflict.
Hanifi said that a child, due to their innocence and helplessness, is wronged in every war, and when such a subject is expressed through the language of poetry—the language of emotion, affection and tenderness—it can have a different impact on the audience.
Strong Presence of Women Among Selected Works
Referring to the notable presence of women poets among the selected works, he stated that although many prominent poets of the country participated in the call, six of the top eight selected works belonged to women.
Hanifi added that the judging panel believed that due to the completely emotional and affective nature of the subject, women poets were able to reflect it with greater depth in their poems from the standpoint of a mother and by relying on maternal feeling and affection for children, and were more successful in expressing these themes.
He noted that the subject of martyred children has a high capacity to stir emotion and feeling, and this is what made the presence and role of women poets prominent among this year's selected works.
Cultural Programs on the Sidelines
Hanifi then discussed side programs held during the trip to Hormozgan, saying that alongside the closing ceremony, other programs were held and members of the Assembly of Ahl al-Bayt Poets, which organized the congress, attended gatherings of ritual associations in Hormozgan Province.
He added that during these programs, they held discussions with poets and reviewed their works, seeking to strengthen ties between the province's literary and ritual groups and the Assembly of Ahl al-Bayt Poets.
The executive secretary also announced plans to expand ritual poetry activities in the country's southern provinces, saying a project titled "Every Address, One Association" or "Every Class, One Association" is being pursued in Hormozgan Province to provide grounds for training and identifying new poets in the southern provinces.
Identifying Poetic Talent Among Adolescents
Hanifi said past experiences show the success of such projects, adding that Iranians are a nation infused with emotion and feeling, and poetry is fundamentally formed from the blending of emotion and imagination. Our society is full of feeling and emotion, he said, and if adolescents become familiar with some rules and principles of poetry, they can blossom their poetic talent and nature.
He continued that many adolescents and young people may possess great talent and taste, but due to unfamiliarity with the principles and rules of poetry, this capacity remains dormant within them. Proper training can activate this talent and provide the ground for nurturing capable poets.
"Pencil and Missile" Published for Minab's Martyrs
Hanifi pointed to one of the initiatives carried out alongside the conference, saying that during the congress, greater attention was given to some of the dear martyrs, including Martyr Makan Nasiri, and a number of submitted poems were written from the perspective of this martyr's mother.
He added that alongside this, other families of Minab's martyrs also expected works to be composed for their martyred children. Accordingly, three poets, after researching the life and characteristics of each martyr, sought to compose a poem suited to each martyr's name, temperament, personality traits and manner of martyrdom.
Hanifi stated that the result was about 168 quatrains and couplets, published alongside each martyr's photo and a short one- or two-line biography in a collection titled "Pencil and Missile."
He said the collection was dedicated to the families of Minab's martyrs, and the conference's selected poems were also published in the book's final section, providing families and interested readers with a comprehensive collection of works related to Minab's child martyrs.
"Pencil and Missile": A Collection to Preserve the Names of Child Martyrs
Noting the importance of publishing this collection, Hanifi said their effort was for "Pencil and Missile" to be not only enduring in the history of ritual literature as a collection about child martyrs, but also to have an educational aspect.
He added that the collection's poems were selected and refined from among the submitted works and can serve as examples for those interested in ritual poetry, especially young poets, in understanding how to address epic, emotional and human themes.
In conclusion, Hanifi said the "Shajareh Tayyebeh" conference showed that poetry, beyond reflecting emotion and feeling, can become a tool for narrating the martyrs' plight and conveying their message to audiences at home and abroad, and can provide a basis for connecting poets from different countries around shared human and resistance themes.
Your Comment