TEHRAN – The head of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) made a visit to Malaysia with the aim of strengthening cultural diplomacy, engaging with elites and intellectuals, supporting Iranians living abroad, and expanding Quranic and cultural cooperation between the two countries.

During his four-day visit, Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Mehdi Imanipour had a meeting with activists in the field of Palestine as well as a meeting with the Speaker of the Malaysian House of Representatives, attended a gathering with Iranian elites, intellectuals, and cultural figures residing in Malaysia, and held meetings and discussions with Malaysian and Iranian thinkers and elites, and religious leaders, ISNA reported.

One of the programs of this visit was a meeting with Palestinian activists, non-governmental organizations, and influential Malaysian elites. In this meeting, the issue of Palestine, as one of the most important points of common ground between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Malaysia, was discussed.

Malaysian intellectuals, while expressing their views, emphasized their pride in the firm positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran in supporting the Palestinian people and standing against the Zionist regime.

Noting that in today’s world there are only two paths: compromise or resistance, Hojjatoleslam Imanipour stated: “The discourse of resistance has now found its place at the global level, and that nations around the world are moving within the framework of this discourse. The greatest achievement of standing against the Zionist regime has been the strengthening and consolidation of the discourse of resistance on the global stage”.

Another program of the visit was delivering a speech at the Cultural Attaché’s Office of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Malaysia. He explained the role of ethics and moral values in contemporary human life and emphasized the importance of ethics-based relationships in strengthening cultural ties between Iranian and Malaysian societies. This program was attended by the Iranian and Persian-speaking residents of Malaysia.

Hojjatoleslam Imanipour also visited the museum and complex of the Restu Foundation. This foundation is the second-largest Quran printing complex in the world, after the King Fahd Complex in Saudi Arabia, and prints about one million copies of the Holy Quran annually. During the visit, he described these activities as highly valuable and emphasized their role in strengthening Quranic diplomacy as one of the most important means of communication with the Islamic world.

During this visit, a precious Quranic collection calligraphed by Master Akrami, a prominent Iranian calligrapher, was presented on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Restu Foundation.

Another program of the visit was a meeting with Iranian elites, intellectuals, and cultural figures residing in Malaysia. This meeting was held as part of the mission of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization to strengthen ties with Iranians abroad and to support their cultural and artistic capacities. During the session, selected Iranian participants were honored with certificates of appreciation and gifts.

In this meeting, the Iranian participants presented their suggestions and viewpoints and emphasized Malaysia’s strong potential to become a cultural hub in Southeast Asia for introducing Iranian-Islamic culture and art.

Topics such as Iranian cinema, the Iranian Film Festival in Malaysia, Quranic activities, scientific achievements and inventions by Iranians, and their active presence in Malaysian universities were among the issues discussed.

In his concluding remarks, while welcoming the proposals presented, Hojjatoleslam Imanipour described Iranians living abroad as one of the great assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran and emphasized that efforts would be made to strengthen cultural and artistic programs to better introduce Iran and present a realistic and valuable image of the country, particularly in Southeast Asia.

Also, during his visit, Hojjatoleslam Imanipour met and held talks with Tan Sri Dato’ Johari bin Abdul, Speaker of the Malaysian House of Representatives.

In this meeting, the two sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Malaysia, among the most important of which was support for Palestine and the people of Gaza.

Both sides also emphasized the shared values of the Islamic world and expressed hope for a better and more stable future for all Muslims. They stressed that by strengthening unity and solidarity, the position of Muslims at the international level could be enhanced, as Muslim unity can lead them to a special and influential status in the world. This, they noted, can only be achieved through resistance and perseverance, such as the steadfastness of the brave people of Iran, which serves as an example to the world.

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