The first international seminar on Persian poet Nur-al-Din Abd al-Rahman Jami (1414-1492) will be held on August 17-18 in the city of Torbat-Jam, Khorasan Razavi Province, where the renowned 15th century scholar, mystic, writer and poet is said to have been born.
"With an initiative of local officials, the seminar is being conducted by the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad," said Morteza Damanpakjami, research deputy of the Foreign Ministry's Center for International Research and Education, told a press conference at the Institute for Political and International Studies in Tehran on Monday, IRNA reported.
The seminar coincides with the 25th year of the independence of the Central Asian states and "will have a positive impact on the interaction between Iran and Muslim nations in Central Asia," he added.
Jalil Rahimi, representative of Torbat-Jam in the Majlis (parliament), who was also present, said such events "are of great significance for building trust and friendship between regional countries, while helping promote Iranian-Islamic culture and eliminating Iranophobia."
"Iran is a regional hub of culture and civilization. Regional countries are like the pages of a book, which make sense if only bound together. Jami is actually a binding factor among all these countries," he said.
Secretary of the International Seminar on Jami Alireza Qiamati said 307 articles have been submitted to the secretariat, of which 250 are from Iran and 57 from foreign countries, namely the US, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh and Jordan.
Noting that Jami has a vast geographical influence covering the Indian subcontinent, Asia Minor and Central Asia, he said "80% of Pakistani "qawwali" (a form of Sufi devotional music popular in South Asia) songs are Jami's poems."
"The submitted articles will be published in two volumes and given to the seminar participants," Qiamati added.
Sadollah Nasiri Qeydari, secretary-general of Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, said in 1996 Jami was inscribed on UNESCO's List of Anniversaries. The list celebrates and draws attention to personalities and works or events that have contributed to the mutual enrichment of cultures that help to promote international understanding, closer relations among peoples and peace. Persian polymath, physician, alchemist and philosopher Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi (854-925), Persian Sufi poet Mahmoud Shabestari (1288-1340), and Shia scholar Sharif al-Murteza (965-1044), are also on the list.
The Center for International Research and Education, UNESCO National Commission in Iran, ECO Cultural Institute, Central Asian Studies Institute, Iran and Tajikistan Friendship Association, Society for the National Heritage of Iran and Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies are collaborating in the two-day international event.
