UNESCO CHAIR For Inter-Religious Dialogue Studies in The Islamic World
The Imam ʿAlī (A.S.) Center for Specialized Studies and Research in the holy city of Najaf, in collaboration with the UNESCO Chair for Interreligious Dialogue at the University of Kufa, convened an international dialogue session on the evening of Saturday, October 4, 2025, under the title:
“Imam ʿAlī (A.S.) in Contemporary Global Scholarship.”
The session witnessed broad international participation from researchers and academics representing various countries. Among the distinguished participants were Dr. ʿAbd al-Shāfī al-Shāfī, Professor of Qur’anic Exegesis at Al-Azhar University (Egypt); Dr. Muḥammad al-Nūrī, Vice President of the Council of the Muḥammadan Rabat Scholars in Baghdad; Dr. ʿAlī al-Mūsawī, Secretary-General of the International Council for Religious and Human Dialogue in Oslo; as well as representatives of the Hawza (seminary) in Syria, the Ancient Church of the East in Iran and its branch in Baghdad, in addition to professors from the University of Kufa.
The research papers and interventions focused on the profound significance of Imam ʿAlī’s personality and legacy within modern global—particularly Orientalist—studies. The discussions explored multiple dimensions of his life and thought: historical, ethical, spiritual, political, and administrative. They also examined the eloquence, wisdom, and deeply humanistic dimensions embodied in his sermons and sayings, affirming his biography as a “beacon of light” guiding humanity toward peaceful coexistence, the rejection of hatred, and genuine dialogue with the Other.
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Alaa Shatnan, Director of the UNESCO Chair at the University of Kufa, emphasized that holding such intellectual events beyond the walls of the university reflects the Chair’s vision of fostering epistemic and academic integration among university scholars, the religious seminaries, and civil society organizations—so as to render knowledge and dialogue more accessible and beneficial to the wider community.
The session concluded with an act of recognition: the participating researchers were honored with certificates of appreciation presented by Mr. ʿAlī al-Jābirī, General Supervisor of the Imam ʿAlī (A.S.) Center, who also gifted a beautifully bound copy of Nahj al-Balāgha to the representative of the Ancient Church of the East as a token of shared respect and dialogue.
