The launch of the fifth edition of the Maraqi Al-Mujtaba (peace be upon him) International Competition

The Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine held the activities of the fifth international Maraqi Al-Mujtaba (peace be upon him) competition for classical poetry.

The competition was held in the Imam Al-Hassan (peace be upon him) hall within the holy shrine, and it was organized by the Intellectual and Cultural Affairs Department of the holy shrine, in cooperation with Al-Ameed University.

The competition was attended by the Deputy Secretary-General of the Holy Shrine, Mr. Abbas Mousa Ahmed, a member of its Board of Directors, Dr. Afdhal Al-Shami, the university president, Dr. Joudat Al-Jashami, along with several of its officials, religious and academic figures, and a select group of poets participating in the competition.

The activities began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a speech from the General Secretariat of the Holy Shrine delivered by the head of the Intellectual and Cultural Affairs Department, Mr. Aqeel Al-Yasiri. He emphasized that "this competition is not merely a celebration of poetry in its artistic form, but rather a cultural and missionary project that stems from a deep affiliation with the school of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). It seeks to restore the value of the original vertical word as an expressive medium that is still capable of conveying the essence of faith, narrating the stories of the oppressed, and highlighting the aesthetics of religion, stance, and the values of Al-Hassan (peace be upon him)."

Then, the ten poets with the winning poems in the competition ascended the stage to recite their poems to the audience, concluding the event with the honoring of the winning poets.

Al-Yasiri said, "The Maraqi Al-Mujtaba (peace be upon him) competition is being held for the fifth consecutive year to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Imam al-Hassan (peace be upon him) through the composition of poetic verses." He explained that "the competition witnessed the participation of 59 poems from six Arab and Islamic countries: Bahrain, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, and Iran, in addition to Iraq, from which ten poems were shortlisted after being reviewed and judged by a specialized committee."

He added that "the competition aims to enrich the literary library with poems that celebrate Imam Al-Mujtaba (peace be upon him) and commemorate the anniversary of his martyrdom."

In the same context, Dr. Joudat Al-Jashami said: "The competition was held in the belief that universities are not just platforms for knowledge and learning, but also platforms that support culture and thought," explaining that "the poems recited in the competition represent a mirror reflecting the thoughts and heritage of the family of Prophet Mohammad (Allah's prayers be upon him and upon his holy household)."