‘Contemporary Life and the Muslim Family’ Forum Held in Turkey’s Capital

IQNA – A number of Iranian and Turkish intellectuals in a forum in Ankara discussed the challenges and ways to strengthen the family institution in the contemporary world.

The ‘Contemporary Life and the Muslim Family’ forum was organized by the Iranian Cultural Center in Turkey in cooperation with the Çukur Ambar Cultural Center. 

It was held ahead of the 36th demise anniversary of Imam Khomeini (RA), the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

At the beginning of the forum, Hulya Oşan, director of the Çukur Ambar Cultural Center, welcomed the guests, stressing the pivotal role of women and young girls in society and the need to hold such meetings in Turkey’s cultural spheres.

He also welcomed the continuation of cultural cooperation between Turkey and Iran.

Then Sayed Qassem Nazmi, the cultural attaché of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in a speech focusing on the importance of the family in the contemporary world, said the family as the fundamental unit of society plays a decisive role in maintaining the identity, culture and mental health of society.

He added that a reinterpretation of Islamic values in the field of the family can be the solution to many common social challenges in Muslim countries.

Suiylay Karaman, a member of the Women and Family Policy Council in the Turkish National Assembly, in her speech identified the shake-up in moral values and the prevalence of extreme individualism as the main causes of the family crisis in the contemporary world.

One should not blame only technology and social networks, she said, adding that the root of the crisis is the departure from human values such as perseverance and patience.

Amir Mehrdad Khosravi, an Iranian expert in the field of Islamic sciences, in his speech referred to Imam Khomeini’s views on the status of women and the family, and said modern man, despite being more prosperous, has less peace and this is due to the neglect of spirituality.

The family is the starting point of this return to spirituality, he stressed.

At the conference, Shuleh Turker, an advisor to the Turkish Ministry of Family Affairs, pointed to the designation of 2025 as the “Year of the Family” in Turkey and said the Ankara government has on the agenda a set of financial, legal and social supports to strengthen the family institution and emphasizes the need to play an active role of governance in safeguarding the foundation of the family.

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