According to Taqrib News Agency, the third session of the “Compassionate Ummah” meetings on “Examining the Importance and Status of Proximity Concepts in the Official Education System of the Country” was held with the presence of Hujjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimin Dr. Alireza Sadeghzadeh Ghamsari (Associate Professor of Philosophy of Education at Tarbiat Modarres University and Head of Theoretical Studies Committee of the Document of Fundamental Transformations in Education), Mehdi Navid Adham (Faculty Member of Tarbiat Dabir Shahid Rajaei University and Consultant to the Minister of Education), Nasser Gholi Sarli (Head of the Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Kharazmi University).
Emphasis on Preparing the Prerequisites for the Proximity of Islamic Denominations
Hujjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimin Dr. Alireza Sadeghzadeh Ghamsari, Head of Theoretical Studies Committee of the Document of Fundamental Transformations in Education, stated at the beginning of the meeting: “We usually expect in social systems that if we teach someone, problems will be solved; But we have to think about whether the problems can really be solved only through education.
He added: “It is important to know that education does not bring us to the end unless it has a specific goal; In fact, education is just one of a set of measures to solve problems.”
Hujjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimin Dr. Alireza Sadeghzadeh Ghamsari continued: “We must provide the prerequisites for the proximity of Islamic Denominations and make the discussion of unity of the Islamic Ummah more visible than before, and people from different denominations feel brotherhood and have a common identity.”
He added: “Today, our task is to examine the extent to which we have emphasized the document of the fundamental transformation of education in the education system and the extent to which we have worked on guiding the Shiite and Sunni communities; Therefore, we must prepare the proximity infrastructure based on these points so that the issue of proximity can be significantly included in our educational system.
The Head of Theoretical Studies Committee of the Document of Fundamental Transformations in Education stated: “Today, our task is to review our education system and examine what are the weaknesses in our education system and to solve these weaknesses and infrastructures. We should try and organizations such as the World Forum for the Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought should try to create conditions in the society so that, God forbid, people not be ignored because their denomination is different.
He stated that the realization of proximity between Islamic Denominations requires several prerequisites and at least three issues. He said: “These issues are: 1- The feeling of a common Islamic identity among the members of the Islamic Ummah 2- The existence of a common vision 3- Presenting common solutions. Therefore, if we consider these three issues, we can create a common Islamic identity.
Hujjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimin Dr. Alireza Sadeghzadeh Ghamsari, pointing out that when we talk about a common vision, it means that we should create common beliefs and values for people, said: “Although Shiites and Sunnis have differences on some issues, but we should focus on aspects they have in common. We should know that the differences between denominations are mostly about fatwas and we have a lot in common in most issues, so we should not let the differences come, so we must believe and accept all this and educate individuals in the society through the educational system.”
“We need to find solutions that increase dialogue and interaction among denominations,” he said. For example, Imam Musa Sadr, for the first time as an Islamic scholar, talked to all denominations.
Hujjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimin Dr. Alireza Sadeghzadeh Ghamsari acknowledged:
“Today, it is our duty to focus on religious identity instead of working on national identity.”
The Head of Theoretical Studies Committee of the Document of Fundamental Transformations in Education stated that in the educational system, three common aspects of education should be worked on: 1- Human identity 2- Islamic identity and 3- National identity.
The Head of Theoretical Studies Committee of the Document of Fundamental Transformations in Education stated: “Education and pedagogy should pave the way towards religious training; If we work and invest in common principles and beliefs, the result will be the formation of a Unified Islamic Ummah; Therefore, we must work together on Islamic identity.”
Emphasizing that it is necessary for Muslims to be familiar with all kinds of beliefs, rulings, etc., and it should be considered as a basic principle, he said: “It is not good at all that we do not know what is going on in one of the religious sects.”
Hujjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimin Dr. Alireza Sadeghzadeh Ghamsari stated: “The spirit of proximity is more important than the form of proximity. We should not expect some ideas and issues to be welcomed at the beginning, we should even know that it causes more controversy. For example, in the early years of education, children need to become more familiar with the spirit of dialogue, diversity, etc., rather than with differences; Of course, it is important that we do not treat all human beings equally; Therefore, if we pay more attention to the spirit of religion in the discussion of proximity than other issues and work on religious commonalities, the differences will be decreased.”
The Head of Theoretical Studies Committee of the Document of Fundamental Transformations in Education added: “In the discussion of educating children, if we want to teach a formal content, it does not work, so it is important to find out that whether the spirit of proximity exists in our educational programs or not. In fact, talking to others, recognizing differences of opinion, differences of ideas and ethnicities, and emphasizing commonalities are some of the important issues that people will easily accept if we include them in the curriculum.”
He continued: “For example, when a Baluch or a Turk enters a school, he will no longer be ridiculed.”
These issues and debates are beyond the religious pillars. Today, in Islamic societies, there are people who want to create divisions between ethnicities, religions, etc., because they are afraid that we will form a Unified Ummah; Therefore, we should work more on a common religious identity, but at the same time allow this common religious identity to be accompanied by a religious tolerance or national identity, and at the same time recognize ethnic identity.”
Today, it is the Duty of Muslims to Eliminate Cultural Ignorance
Following the meeting, Mehdi Navid Adham, Senior Consultant to the Minister of Education, said: “If the culture of a society is based on contradictions, the people of that society are also in contradiction. Today, we are witnessing the systematic efforts of enemies for making division among the Muslims of dear Iran, but they have never been successful because our country has a rich and authentic cultural history.”
He added: “God the Almighty has said in the holy Qur’an:
« وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا»
The rope of religion and the strong rope is the holy Qur’an; The same Qur’an that calls and encourages Muslims to a Unified Ummah. In fact, a Unified Ummah is formed when the moderate Ummah is formed; Therefore, the requirement of a Unified Ummah is the issue of balance and moderation and the avoidance of extremism.”
Navid Adham continued: “The moderate Ummah is a nation that is based on moderation, both in causes and in consideration; One of the roots of theoretical extremism is Self-aggrandizement; That is, the individual considers his own people and tribe as superior; Another root is self-praise and arrogance. Unity occurs when you see and recognize others; However, if we do not value others, perhaps one of its reasons is the misunderstanding of religion, so these are the roots that do not allow us to reach the moderate Ummah.
He stated that there are cultural phenomena in the beliefs of human beings, and said: “Modification in external behaviors will create unity among Muslims; It should be said that people’s behavior is rooted in their beliefs, if you have a problem with a person's behavior, you should also examine that person’s beliefs; Of course, it is important that changing people’s beliefs takes time; Therefore, cultural phenomena in childhood and adolescence must be studied to form beliefs.”
The senior consultant to the Minister of Education stated: “We have experiences in the country that we can share with the thinkers of the Islamic world; One of these experiences is our textbooks. You may not find the word proximity in our textbooks, but all of our textbooks are based on a unifying view.”
He presented a proposal to the World Forum for the Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought and said: “World Forum for the Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought can review the proximity books of the Islamic world in the form of a project; Today, we see that in some textbooks of the Islamic world, our country has been named as a province of their own country and is considered a part of their own country. Muslims should be aware that they should never raise such controversial issues.”
Navid Adham specified the strengthening of cultural interactions as another important cultural and educational issue and said: “Multicultural dialogue is a serious issue. We must train different people with patience and resilience and provide a basis for dialogue with others and recognize them; If we can key the design of student or university camps among the students of the Islamic world and pursue cultural tourism with the aim of proximity and not with the aim of economic benefit, unity will be created.”
He continued: “It is the duty of Muslims to eradicate cultural ignorance. In fact, it is necessary to recognize hostility and extremism and it should be on the agenda of the educational system. The question may be raised that how can we distinguish the words of the enemy from non-enemy. It should be said that if a person’s words go to fratricide, etc., one should distance oneself from that person and his way of thinking.”
The senior consultant to the Minister of Education said: “In Iran, there is a local identity rather than an ethnic identity. In history, our heroes were not known by their ethnicity, like Hafez Shirazi. All this shows that our neighborhoods were codified and significant. This is one of the issues we need to insist on.”
He added: “One of the components of our Iranian-Islamic identity is ethnic identity, but we should not pay too much attention to it to be affected by Pan-Turkism and Pan-Arabism, etc., because this issue is anti-unity; If we seek unity, we must value it as much as it weighs; Another of the unifying components of the Holy Quran and the Prophet (PBUH) and their knowledge is that today it is the duty of Muslims to turn to their religious role models that they can be unifying.”
Using the Proximity Experiences of Muslim Countries to Promote the Teaching of Proximity Concepts
Nasser Gholi Sarli, Head of the Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Kharazmi University, said in the continuation of the meeting: “I was born in the Golestan Province in a village with Sunni residents in which there were some manifestations of Shiism in that village. From the early childhood we became familiar with their customs and traditions and we understood them closely and we accepted them easily.”
He added: “In fact, the cause of some minor differences between Shiites and Sunnis in most cities or countries is that different denominations are not present in that city or country and they are not closely related to each other. If there is a multiplicity of denominations in a city or country since childhood, our children are confronted with these different denominations and it is easier for them to accept each other.”
Sarli added: “Religious concepts are linked to the upbringing of children. It has a direct relation and this religious education is rooted in human childhood because when a child is born, he first encounters religious education and a clear example of that is reciting the call to prayer in the ear of a newborn baby.”
In this regard, he continued: “If, in our country, we follow the discussion of proximity education more seriously, especially in primary and higher education, we can achieve the desired unity; In fact, in Islamic countries, we should recognize the diversity of religions in the discussion of education, for example in the book of “Heavenly Gifts” we can show a picture of a Sunni child praying with his hands closed and show that there are people who are Muslims but they perform another form of prayer.”
“The main difference between Shiites and Sunnis is in ideological and theological issues, and the more fundamental problem that has a greater socio-political impact is that in Afghanistan, for example, there are two groups that are both Hanafi in jurisprudence but are in conflict with each other,” Sarli said. “Therefore, their problem is not a jurisprudential problem, but it is their perception and their approach towards ideological and theological issues.”
He continued: “I remember when ISIS started its activities, Ayatollah Sistani had said in a message that the Sunnis are not just our brothers, but they are our souls, and this was a new wave that was based on Islamic culture; It brings a new discourse, a new wave and new awareness. The diversity of denominations in our country throughout history is a kind of opportunity.”
The Head of the Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Kharazmi University said: “If we return to the historical roots of our country, we will see tolerance and unity in all areas; For example, Naser Khosrow Ghobadiani was one of the Ismaili claimants. If they wanted to, they could have destroyed culture and history at that time, and none of this knowledge and experience would have come to us, but this did not happen and we owe this gift to history.”
“We can take a look at the proximity experiences of Muslims in other Muslim countries and get a deep understanding of them and bring them into our country and show that this cultural difference is not source of division, but it is source of merci,” Sarli said.
The Head of the Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Kharazmi University stated: “To teach the concepts of proximity to children, we can use these concepts in the form of story books, poems and with the help of the media to teach them so that they can easily communicate with it and promote the culture of proximity. When that child reaches an older age, we can teach these teachings more directly, and finally, there can be a representative of all religions and sects in the provinces to expand the circle of these connections.”
