Special opening program of “Mashhad 2017, the Capital of Islamic Culture”, with the presence of Supreme Leader’s representative in Khorasan Razavi and Mashhad’s Congregational Prayer Leader, Grand Custodian of Astan Quds Razavi, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Minister of Health, Women and Family Affairs Deputy, Governor of Khorasan Razavi, Mayor of Mashhad, Deputy Secretary General of ISESCO, 200 delegates from Muslim countries, scholars from seminary schools, national elites and cultural activists, and other officials and managers of the country, in the vicinity of Razavi Holy Shrine was held.
At the beginning of the ceremony, after the recitation of Holy Quran by Hamed Shakernejad, and performance of Fadak al-Zahra international nasheed group, special praise of Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (A.S.) was read, followed by a video clip on the formation of Mashhad 2017 Staff Secretariat.
Ali Reza Rashidian, the Governor of Khorasan Razavi, at the beginning of the program, while welcoming the officials of ISESCO and other participants in the program, pointed to the position and magnificence of the Razavi Holy Shrine in order to promote Islamic culture worldwide and stated, “Holy Mashhad, with Illuminated Grave of Samen al-Hujaj (A.S.), seminaries and active universities, and famous figures of Islamic Iran, has a high potential to promote Islamic-religious discourse.”
Then, after a video clip on Mashhad 2017 protocol, the capital of Islamic Culture, Mrs. Amina Al-Hajri, the Deputy of Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, ISESCO, said, “Mashhad, as the capital of Islamic Culture in 2017, has greatly contributed to Islamic and human culture.
Awarding the Medal of Cultural Capital
In this magnificent program, attended by government ministers, provincial and national officials, the medal of the cultural capital, by Dr. Amina Al-Hajri, Deputy Secretary General of ISESCO, was awarded to A.R. Rashidian, the Governor of Khorasan Razavi, and then Mashhad 2017 stamp was sealed by Seyyed Reza Salehi Amiri, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
During the ceremony, Seyyed Reza Salehi Amiri, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, mentioned the holy city of Mashhad as the focus of the emergence of new religious discourse in the world and said, “Holy Mashhad, from the era of Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (A.S.) so far, has been the cradle of religious discourse, a forum for thinkers and religious scholars, and in 2017, the process will be incremented.
Seyyed Solat Mortazavi, Mayor of Mashhad, also introduced the introduction of the city as the cultural capital of the Islamic world in 2017, an opportunity to pave the way for the formation of Islamic human-building civilization and said, “The occasion, has also established an opportunity for introducing the rich culture of Islamic Iran to the world in order to play its civilizing role in the future of the world.”
Seyyed Hassan Hashemi, Minister of Health, was another ceremony’s lecturers, who in a short speech expressed, “Today, in the light of the teachings of Islam, which is entirely based on brotherhood and peace, Islamic countries should be a model for world peace.”
At the end of the program, the Grand Custodian of Astan Quds Razavi pointing out that human civilization only in light of the teachings of the divine Prophets (S.A.W.), and Sacred Being of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) and the Infallible Imams (A.S.) as the true interpreters of the Quran will take shape, said, “Islamic teachings have plans for all aspects of human life, and ensure happiness in this world and the hereafter of man in the various economic, political and cultural fields.”
“Historically, there have been many abuses in the holy name of Islam, and today, Takfiri groups, who commit crimes by terror and sowing discord in the world, exploit the name as well” he remarked, pointing to the abuses of the world’s miscreants in the holy name of Islam.
It should be noted, during the program, several works on the subject of Mashhad 2017 were unveiled.
