Iranian Delegation Visits Malaysia to Bolster Religious, Scholarly, Cultural Ties
According to Habibreza Arzani, the Cultural Attaché of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Malaysia, the Iranian delegation also participated in a gathering of religious leaders in Kuala Lumpur.
He said Ayatollah Alireza Aarafi, the director of Iran’s Islamic Seminaries and Ayatollah Ahmad Mobaleghi, a member of the Assembly of Experts, traveled to Malaysia on a three-day visit.
Also, participating in scientific, cultural, and religious meetings and programs in Malaysia and highlighting the role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in uniting the Islamic world and supporting the oppressed were among the goals of this trip, he noted.
On the first day of the trip, Ayatollah Aarafi addressed a meeting with a group of Malay scholars, intellectuals, and Iranians living in Malaysia, explaining the three approaches to Islam in today’s world: reactionary Islam, liberal Islam, and authentic Islam based on the Quran, Sunnah, reason, and ijtihad, Arzani said.
Ayatollah Aarafi said that the Islamic Republic of Iran was founded on the basis of authentic Islam, which has the ability to respond to the needs of contemporary humanity and is derived from the Holy Book, Sunnah, and reason, he noted.
“Ayatollah Aarafi also considered the unified Islamic identity to be the most important concern of the Islamic world, saying it does not matter which country we are from, what matters is our unified Islamic identity.
“In this gathering, Ayatollah Aarafi, referring to the continuous suffering and pain of the oppressed people of Gaza, stated that scholars, scientific, academic and cultural figures gathered in Malaysia to brainstorm to alleviate the great pains of Gaza and hoped that the sum of these discussions will lead to the formation of unity in the Islamic world.”
According to Arzani, at this meeting, Professor Chigo Azmi, head of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations (MAPIM), emphasized the need for a joint response to the problems of Muslims around the world and the cooperation of religious leaders.
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“Also, on the sidelines of this meeting, the Malay translation of the book ‘The Purpose of Life’ by Martyr Morteza Motahari was unveiled in cooperation with the Iranian Cultural Center in Malaysia and IBDE Publications.
“On the second day, Ayatollah Aarafi and his accompanying delegation participated in the Second International Conference of Religious Leaders, which was held at the official invitation of the Prime Minister of Malaysia. More than a thousand prominent religious figures from 54 countries were present at this conference.
“It began with a recitation of the Quran by Muhammad Radwan, the top winner of the 65th Malaysian International Holy Quran Competition. Its main themes included dialogue and exchange of views on important issues in the Islamic world, convergence and consensus on today’s challenges and crises in the Islamic world, assistance to oppressed Muslims in Gaza and Palestine, exchange of religious delegations and cooperation in the academic and scientific fields, and examination of the fundamental role of religions in resolving conflicts and promoting peaceful coexistence.
“Ayatollah Aarafi and Ayatollah Mbaleghi chaired two of the five specialized sessions of the conference, entitled ‘Gaza and the Resolution of World Conflicts’, and during the conference, the role of religious leaders in eliminating manifestations of violence and conflict was emphasized.
“Furthermore, the Iranian delegation met with Muhammad Naeem Mukhtar, Minister of Religious Affairs of Malaysia, and discussed educational and religious cooperation and exchange of delegations. Referring to the existence of 14 state muftis, the Malaysian minister of religious affairs emphasized his country’s high capacity in the religious field and welcomed the development of Quranic cooperation between the two countries.
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“A meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was also one of the important plans of the trip. The Malaysian Prime Minister stated at the meeting, ‘We seek peace and empathy with religious leaders and we will begin this peace with them.’
“The Iranian delegation attended the Friday prayers at the Velayat Mosque and met with the Mufti of Kuala Lumpur and discussed the development of religious, educational and cultural cooperation.”
Arzani went on to say that the Iranian delegation also met with Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, the secretary general of the Muslim World League during their stay in Malaysia.
Side programs of this trip included meetings and discussions with other international figures, high-ranking Malaysian officials, visits to scientific centers such as the Institute of Religion and Civilization (ISTEC), as well as meetings with Iranian residents and scholars of the humanities and Islamic sciences, he concluded.
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