TEHRAN – The El Faro International Publishing House in the Colombian capital of Bogota has announced its plan to publish a book on the Arbaeen gathering.

“Arbaeen, the Heaven on Earth” will be published this year on Arbaeen, which will fall on September 27, El Faro director Angelica Maria Rojas said in a press release published by Persian news media on Monday.

Arbaeen marks the end of the 40-day mourning period following the martyrdom of the Imam and his loyal companions on Ashura.
  
Over the past decade, Iran has initiated the Arbaeen gathering, which is held by Shia Muslims in Iraq every year.

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians and Shia Muslims from other countries embark on a journey to the Iraqi city of Karbala to observe the day of Arbaeen at the holy shrines of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Imam of the Shia, and his brother, Hazrat Abbas (AS).

“This pictorial book, which also contains passionate writings in Spanish, aims to introduce this great gathering in Colombia and it will be unveiled in a special session,” Maria Rojas said, however, she didn’t mention any names for the writers or compilers.

“Photos by 21 Iranian and Pakistani photographers make the book an honorable and everlasting work,” she added.

“The book illustrates the Arbaeen gathering for non-Muslims and those who have recently converted to Islam step by step from the beginning in Najaf to Karbala so that it would produce a pretty good image of the gathering for the readers,” she stated.
         
She said that this is the first time a book on the Arbaeen gathering is being published in Latin America and added, “The book will first be distributed in Colombia and Mexico, and we have plans to publish it in Ecuador, Venezuela and Argentina in upcoming months.”   

She also said that the book will be published in French and Portuguese in the near future.

The book carries photos by the Iranian photographers Iman Jannaati, Ahmad Hassani, Ahmad Zohrabi, Amir Hesaminejad, Hamid Abedi, Mohammad Akhlaqi, Zoheir Seidanlu, Faezeh Bakhtiari, Mohsen Karamali, Mohammad-Javad Hashemi, Mohammad-Ali Marizad, Mohammad-Javad Mashhadi, Atieh Keshtkaran, Morteza Jaberian, Mohammad-Ali Jafari Nodusahn, Reza Ramezani, Mehdi Bakhshi, Mohammad-Hassan Salavati, Mohammad-Sadeq Abedi and Mehdi Jafari.

Photos by Pakistani photographer Tahazzob al-Hassan Mohammad have also been published in the book. 

The El Faro International Publishing House has previously published numerous books by Iranian writers.

Ebrahim Hassanbeigi’s novel “Muhammad” about the Prophet of Islam (S) is one of them, which has been translated into Spanish by Maria Rojas. The book was published in Ecuador in 2020.

Mohammad-Ali Jaberi’s book “Uncle Qassem” (“L’Oncle Qassem”), which reflects Lieutenant-General Qassem Soleimani’s regard for children, was also published in French by the publisher earlier this year.

A Spanish translation of the book entitled “Mi Tío Soleimani” had been published by the publication house in Venezuela in January 2021.

The book was introduced in the capital, Caracas, during a ceremony attended by Mayor Erika Farias Pena, the head of the Capital District Government, Jacqueline Faria and Iranian Ambassador Hojjatollah Ansari.

Photo: El Faro director Angelica Maria Rojas holds some books in an undated photo.

MMS/YAW