Hawzah News Agency- The meeting, held at the Approximation Studies Research Institute in the holy city of Qom, was attended by academic and executive directors of the congress and a representative of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The structural dimensions, research approaches, and operational strategies of the congress were outlined, and important understandings were reached in academic, international, and media areas.
Second Congress Focuses on Prominent Shia Figures
Hojatoleslam Eskandari, secretary of the congress, explained the scientific and executive structure of the secretariat and highlighted methodological innovations. Citing the guidance of Ayatollah Arafi, he described the congress's management model as "participatory contribution," in which seminary and cultural institutions go beyond ceremonial roles and serve as direct actors in the executive chain.
Referring to the success of the first round — commemorating Allama Khursan — and expanded cooperation with Iraqi holy shrines and domestic seminary centers, he announced the themes of the second round: prominent figures of the Shia world, including Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpaygani, Allama Sayyed Hibbat al-Din Shahrastani, and martyred Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Provincial Distribution and Four Main Goals
Honoring prominent figures, reviving works, intellectual modeling, and elite networking are the four main goals of the congress, pursued through a provincial distribution approach. Programs are designed with thematic separation according to local requirements:
- Hormozgan: Field-level approximation and Shia-Sunni unity in the resistance front
- Semnan: Mahdism
- Hamedan: Spiritual and ethical dimensions
- Fars: Civilizational dimensions of Islamic resistance
Preparations are also underway for specialized sessions in Baghdad and Najaf.
Research Projects and Oral History
In the academic section, 12 of 20 major projects defined around Sayyed Nasrallah's intellectual system have entered the implementation phase. Oversight is provided by professors including Dr. Kamal Akbari, Nahavandi, Reza Mokhtari, and Zamani. Additionally, an oral history project is being organized, identifying 100 to 120 prominent domestic and international figures to record experiences and memories.
Sayyed Hamed Shahrokhi, head of the congress's articles section, noted that scientific committees have been formed in Mashhad and Iraq, and more than 400 to 500 specialized articles have been collected through the secretariat's call and cooperation with Razavi University of Islamic Sciences and the Astan Quds Razavi.
Nasrallah: Approximation Realized on the Battlefield
Abdipour, director of conferences and scientific sessions, explained Sayyed Nasrallah's distinct role in advancing the cause of approximation. He said Nasrallah's fundamental advantage was taking approximation out of theoretical and abstract discussions and bringing it to the field of action and defense of Islamic identity — an approach that placed Shia and Sunni forces side by side on the front lines.
He described Martyr Nasrallah's view of unity as having a human and civilizational horizon, stressing that his perspective transcended traditional boundaries of interfaith convergence. He sought unity and connection among all free and dignified people to stand against oppression, defend the oppressed, and establish justice.
Abdipour, citing Hormozgan's strategic position on the Persian Gulf, called for using the approximation diplomacy capacity of the Global Forum to invite Sunni scholars and regional thinkers. He also proposed giving the secretariat access to a database of Islamic world elites, forum assistance in holding scientific sessions in Sunni-populated areas, applying an "airport-to-airport" economic model for foreign guests, and the need to re-read the forum's missions in light of new regional developments and enemy attacks on the resistance front.
Shahriari: Nasrallah Was the Best Leader for the Islamic World After the Martyred Leader
Hojatoleslam Hamid Shahriari, secretary-general of the Global Forum for Approximation of Islamic Schools of Thought, welcomed the guests and praised Sayyed Nasrallah's services to the Islamic world, stating: "After the martyred leader, the best person to lead the Islamic world was the martyred Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah."
Referring to his two meetings with Nasrallah, Shahriari said: "In the first meeting, we discussed the theory of a union of Islamic countries — a theory based on Islamic unity, which is based on the single ummah, which in turn is based on approximation of Islamic schools of thought. He approved it and said the Islamic world needs this theory."
Shahriari continued: "Sayyed Nasrallah then said the Islamic world, after ISIS, needs a theory. The theory of Velayat-e Faqih is a Shia theory — it says you must follow a fully qualified Shia jurist, and Sunnis do not accept it. We must have something. Sunnis have gone toward ISIS; ISIS is attractive to them because it contains the theory of Islamic leadership. I am not addressing its deviations. ISIS means Islamic caliphate — meaning we say that just as the Prophet was caliph at the beginning of Islam and after the four caliphs, now we should establish another caliph to revive the Prophet's tradition. This is very attractive to Sunni youth. Therefore, using the theory of a union of Islamic countries can be useful and effective."
He added: "Sayyed Nasrallah then said: Let me tell you the second point — we have passed approximation; we succeeded in approximation; we broke the back of the takfir project. The approximation project is taking root in the Islamic world, and we have won because the entire Islamic world has accepted Shia as one of the schools of thought alongside others."
Shahriari noted: "Sayyed said, Mr. Shahriari, the project of unity and this theory of an Islamic union is what we need today. We want to work on it seriously from now on so we can neutralize the ISIS project in the field and in theory. We have pursued this theory over the years and, God willing, will continue."
Hojatoleslam Shahriari expressed satisfaction with the meeting and announced cooperation with the Umana al-Rusul programs, wishing its organizers success.
Memorandum of Understanding
At the end of the meeting, the two sides agreed to draft and sign a comprehensive official memorandum of understanding for maximum synergy. Under the agreement, the Global Forum will provide academic and international support for provincial conferences (especially in Hormozgan and engagement with regional elites), implement a joint oral history project using the capacity of the Taqrib News Agency, process lesser-seen documents and manuscripts in international media formats, and facilitate academic programs in Najaf and Baghdad. Final coordination is to be completed in a joint meeting with the representative of the Supreme Leader in Hormozgan Province.
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