The two-day international event, which was run under the auspices of the Scientific and Cultural Organization of the shrine, hosted several Iranian and foreign Muslim and non-Muslim scholars.

“Today’s world is bereft of justice and is governed by double standards, that is, justice is observed in one place, but is not somewhere else. What’s unfolding in Gaza indicates lack of justice”, said Seyyed Ali Fazl Allah, a Shia imam from Beirut. 

As a member of the supreme council of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, the Lebanese imam pointed to Imam Reza’s justice, adding: “Followers of different faiths come to Imam Reza and seek his help if they’re looking for a solution since the Imam was known as the sage among the Prophet’s Infallible Household. Imam Reza was always open to dialogue with other faiths”.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Oleg Pakhomov, professor of Tohoku University in Japan, stressed on Islamic unity and solidarity as a precursor of world peace.

“Should we create a bond between logic and justice, the messages of Islam will become universal”, emphasized the Russian professor. 

Pakhomov praised the international congress as a valuable experience as it paved the way for non-Muslim scholars like him to get familiar with different aspects of Imam Reza’s teachings.

Also, Dr Valerio De Vito, Islamic Studies expert from Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg talked about Imam Reza’s compassion, saying: “Had it not been for Imam Reza’s endless compassion, justice wouldn’t have been established”.

He concluded his remarks by stressing that “To make Imam Reza’s teachings universal, Muslim scholars have to work round the clock. In addition, such congresses need to run in different parts of the world to uncover the truth of Islam to all”.