According to the Public Relations Office of the International Arbaeen Narrative Festival, Dr. Alireza Zali, President of the University, speaking at the unveiling ceremony of the poster for the Second International Arbaeen Narrative Festival—held this morning at Shahid Beheshti Hall in the presence of the University’s board of directors—stated that the essence of holding this event lies in using artistic tools to reflect the profound symbols embedded in the grand and noble event of Arbaeen. He remarked: “If the narration of the Ashura event is embodied in art, more lasting and impactful works will be recorded.”
Referring to the first International Arbaeen Narrative Festival held last year, he continued: “This festival has planned a variety of programs to make use of cultural and artistic capacities. For many years, we faced a void in utilizing such capacities during the Arbaeen ceremonies, but last year, with the organization of the first International Festival and the establishment of cultural and artistic pavilions, this gap was largely addressed.”
The University President highlighted the international nature of the festival as one of its most important features, adding: “The Arbaeen pilgrimage is a massive human gathering at the international level, attended by people from different countries and religions. The size of participation in this gathering has been recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records, and it is recognized worldwide as an international event. Even the World Health Organization has mentioned this event in its health guidelines for mass gatherings.”
Dr. Zali stressed that many programs related to the Arbaeen ceremony have little student involvement, whereas the Arbaeen Narrative Festival, by drawing upon student ideas, will have much greater diversity.
He concluded: “The Arbaeen pilgrimage can be considered a socio-religious phenomenon with civilizational significance, since it employs cultural and artistic tools to promote discourse and narrate this great event.”
