The 16th annual International Martyrdom Festival kicks off in Wasit Governorate

The 16th Annual International Martyrdom Festival kicked off at Al-Kut University in Wasit Governorate.

The festival is being held under the auspices of the Imam al-Hussayn (peace be upon him) Cultural Forum, in cooperation with the Preaching Project of the Hawza (seminary) in Najaf and the holy shrines in Iraq (of Imam Ali, Imam al-Hussayn, Imam al-Kadhem and Imam al-Jawad, Imam Al-Hadi and Imam al-Askari, and of al-Abbas, peace be upon them), with the participation of other organizations. The festival is being held under the slogan "Lady Fatima Az-Zahra (peace be upon her): A Beacon of Guidance and an Unwavering Bond," commemorating her martyrdom, peace be upon her.

Sheikh Hazem Al-Dabouni, the festival's supervisor, stated that the academic week's activities are part of the 16th Annual International Martyrdom Festival, which will take place in Wasit Governorate over 30 days and includes a variety of cultural, scientific, and outreach events.

He added that the academic week includes religious outreach programs at the universities of Kut and Wasit, as well as several institutes and colleges, with the participation of a group of religious studies students. A book fair will also be held, featuring the holy shrines and their affiliated publishing houses.

He explained that these activities aim to provide students and researchers with opportunities to engage with scholarly, hadith-based, and Shi'a heritage sources, and to benefit from cultural and scientific output that contributes to enriching the academic landscape. He noted that the holy shrines, particularly the Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine, play an active role in supporting universities and academic institutions by providing verified knowledge resources that contribute to developing the capabilities of students, professors, and researchers.

He explained that these events represent an opportunity to introduce the doctrines of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) school of thought and to promote the culture of peaceful coexistence advocated by the Supreme Religious Authority in Najaf. He noted that the festival also included a Quranic gathering with the participation of a select group of Quran reciters.

For his part, Mr. Salam al-Janabi, head of the Exhibitions and Arts Unit in the Department of Intellectual and Cultural Affairs at the Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine, explained that the shrine's participation in the book fair included displaying a diverse collection of its publications, encompassing encyclopedias, books on doctrine and jurisprudence, and peer-reviewed journals, with the aim of disseminating the knowledge and culture of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).