Expert Defines Quranic Diplomacy as Understanding Int’l Relations from A Quranic Perspective

IQNA – Quranic diplomacy refers to the understanding of international relations from a Quranic perspective, an Iranian Quran expert said.

Seyed Hassan Esmati, who is also a qari and served as Iran’s cultural envoy to Senegal and Tunisia in the past, made the remark in an interview with IQNA.

“The topic of Quranic diplomacy, which I originally introduced, was very well received by the government, the people, and religious leaders of Senegal at a conference titled ‘The Holy Quran, Spirituality, and a World Free of Violence’, held in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, in 2014,” he said.

“Thank God, the interest in Quranic diplomacy in Senegal is quite strong, and those Senegalese who are in touch with me are actively following the topic of Quranic diplomacy.”

Regarding the definition of Quranic diplomacy, he said, “If we want to provide a scientific definition of this topic, we can say that Quranic diplomacy means understanding international relations through the lens of the Quran. However, if we aim for a simpler definition, it refers to prioritizing the Quran in international relations.”

The Quran expert at the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization added, “For over 30 years of cultural activity, I have believed that the Quran and the Quranic world are essential for humanity, a reality that becomes even more apparent in this era of digital technology and artificial intelligence. The Holy Quran can provide significant guidance for contemporary life and address many of the epistemological, cognitive, and even social challenges that humans face.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, he referred to the introduction of the Quranic plan ‘Risalat Allah’, and said, “This major initiative, launched by the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, has been pursued for about three years and is fundamentally centered on Quranic diplomacy, encompassing various phases. The first phase involves establishing Quranic centers in the cultural centers of the Islamic Republic of Iran abroad.”

He noted that in recent months, Iran has set up ten Quranic centers in countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa, and several others, with the aim of making these centers a base for transferring the Quranic experiences of the Islamic Republic to other countries.

“Recently, under this comprehensive plan, we officially launched the (plan for the) formation of the Quran Parliament of the Islamic Ummah, which has thankfully come to fruition. This assembly aims to bring together Quranic activists from different countries to foster synergy among them. We have gathered initial data for Quranic networking, (for instance during) the Tehran International Quran Exhibition, and its international section, where we have thoroughly identified various Quranic artists who participated in previous years and introduced their works.”

He noted that the term ‘Quranic diplomacy’ attracted the attention of experts participating in the Quran exhibition, which was held in Tehran earlier this month.

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