The unveiling ceremony of the book “Arbaeen Photo Album” in Spanish was held in Qom on Thursday morning, September 23, 2021, with the presence of Ayatollah Reza Ramazani, Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly.
In this ceremony, referring to the Holy Defense (8-year war imposed by Iraqi Ba'athists against Iran), Ayatollah Reza Ramazani stated, “The Islamic Revolution has gone through golden eras, one of which was the holy defense. War was imposed on us, and for this reason, we consider defense sacred. We had to defend ourselves according to reason and religion, and we do not regret this defense.”
“The Holy Defense was full of bravery, struggle, and self-sacrifice. These virtues must always be vibrant in society so that we can resist tyranny,” he continued.
“The (Iranian) warriors voluntarily and sincerely participated in the Holy Defense. Love, intuition, and mysticism were visible at that time. True mysticism and mystic could be seen on the fronts. There were teenage warriors who had not even grown a beard, but prayed to God at night,” added the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly.
“Today we can best follow the example of the Holy Defense. Today more than ever we need the courage of that time,” said Ayatollah Ramazani, referring to the need to model the holy defense.
“Islamic art is the art that promotes the teachings of Islam, and even maybe a non-Muslim can create religious art. For example, we see non-Muslim photographers participate in the Arbaeen pilgrimage to capture this event,” he continued.
“Art has beauty, permanence, and influence. In the Holy Quran, we also see manifestations of art. The eloquence and rhetoric of the Holy Quran are two miracles of the holy book. Of course, the most comprehensive miracle of the Quran is the expression of knowledge related to human beings,” stated the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, considering art as a way to reach the truth.
“There are 300 verses in the Holy Quran about contemplation and thinking. Quranic verses have such deep meanings that some scholars and thinkers can talk for months about a single verse of the Holy Quran,” he added.
“God’s names are spread throughout the universe. For this reason, art is a divine gift to mankind. Art can have a great impact on society. Sometimes a wise poem easily conveys the facts to the audience and affects their mind,” said Ayatollah Ramazani, referring to the nature of art.
“Imam Ali (a.s.) stated the truths in the best and most beautiful way. Imam Sajjad (a.s.) also used the art of expression when he wanted to introduce himself,” he continued.
“Arbaeen has media, cultural and social dimensions. One should not look at Arbaeen from a single dimension. Arbaeen can be considered from different perspectives. So far, photographers have exhibited some of the Arbaeen facts by their works, and some of the Arbaeen photographs have become extremely lasting,” stated Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, saying that Arbaeen has various dimensions.
“Arbaeen is a global movement and artist photographers capture part of Arbaeen,” he said, referring to the characteristics of Arbaeen.
“Arbaeen is a divine phenomenon whose main management is in the hands of God and no one can claim to manage Arbaeen. Everyone who attends Arbaeen is impressed by its spirituality. God has taken over the management of Arbaeen with His saints,” pointed out the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly.