Senior Cleric Stresses Media Experts’ Role in Expressing Awareness in Today’s World
“Pen and writing are considered divine blessings that ought to be used to establish righteousness and express divine teachings”, said Hoj. Ahmad Marvi, the holy shrine custodian, in the closing ceremony of the 2nd round of Imam Reza International Media Festival held in Quds Hall on July 14, with a group of high-ranking media managers and winners of the festival in attendance.
Referring to the role of writing in ‘Jihad of Clarification’, which was outlined by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Marvi said: “Pen is the most crucial tool for Jihad of Clarification; pen and writing are the preconditions for clarification. The Islamic Revolution has been founded on Islamic thought, culture, and cultural revolution, so thinkers and media and culture experts have a key role in the clarification of divine values, explanation of truths, elimination of doubts, enlightenment of minds, and guidance of society”.
The holy shrine custodian further brought up historical instances for Jihad of Clarification, pointing to its beneficial manifestations when implemented, and heavy losses to Muslims when overlooked during the history of Islam.
“Unlike other types of jihad, Jihad of Clarification is not confined to a specific geography or period of time; rather it addresses all strata of society and mankind”, said the official.
Elsewhere, the scientific secretary of the festival, Dr Akbar Nasrollahi, called the event a promising rise for the media, noting: “The festival can pave the way for Jihad of Clarification and promote religious teachings and Imam Reza’s culture across the globe”.
Nasrollahi cited the rampant growth of communication tools and media worldwide as the reason why the mainstream media lost their grip on activism and everyone turned into an activist in all fields.
“This method of content production and publicity have both threats and opportunities. On the one hand, it could be a threat because individuals with no expertise tend to publicize groundless opinions in religious matters leading to serious doubts. On the other, it could be an opportunity to use the extensive media capacity for Jihad of Clarification”, added the secretary.
He also called for media experts to take up all the existing capacities to promote Imam Reza’s life and conduct, concluding that the festival had provided all media activists with the chance to participate in a bid to enhance the quality and quantity of content regarding Imam Reza’s culture.
At the end of the ceremony, winners in different sections were awarded.
Source: Astan Quds Razavi
