The Secretary-General of the Imam Hussain Shrine, Mr. Hassan Rashid Jawad Al-Abayji, affirmed that in the modern era the image has become the backbone of prevailing global culture on intellectual, religious, ethical, and humanitarian levels, and a powerful means of supporting oppressed peoples in truth and justice. He made these remarks during his speech at the awards ceremony honoring the winners of the Third International “Khutwa” Photography Competition, organized by the Media Department of the Holy Imam Hussain Shrine in cooperation with the International Federation of Photographic Art and the Iraqi Photographic Society / General Headquarters.
The Secretary-General stated that “a single image is capable of conveying a profound message, influencing emotions and minds, and delivering elevated humanitarian meanings at a speed that sometimes surpasses words. Therefore, supporting and caring for this art is one of the important means of consolidating principles and values, spreading a culture of peace, strengthening societal awareness, and highlighting just humanitarian causes.”
He explained that “the image has a spiritual and psychological impact on shaping the social and cultural life of Arab and Islamic societies, and it plays a major role in forming public opinion that preserves the identity of the nation. Through it, one can delve into the depths of Arab and Islamic awareness and thus influence and guide it in the direction we seek to achieve, because it addresses conscience, sentiment, and emotion before reason.”
He continued, “A single image may change public opinion, contribute to shaping it around certain issues, evoke sympathy, or stir anger. As is well known, images quickly provoke emotions such as sadness or joy. They are also political and advertising tools used to direct public orientation, mobilize opinion on critical issues, and raise the level of mass awareness.”
He added that “images can also be used to spread awareness and aesthetic education, but they may likewise be employed for deception and the dissemination of falsehoods. Therefore, we must learn how to distinguish between genuine and fabricated images, and between virtue and vice, good and evil, and between the people of Paradise and the people of Hell.”
He noted that “images have become one of the modern methods used in the field of mental health and therapeutic practice, serving as an effective tool for expressing emotions and inner thoughts. From these concepts and realities came the idea of the General Secretariat of the Holy Imam Hussain Shrine to support this activity organized by the Media Department, distinguished by the idea of this competition, in addition to its many cultural dimensions, foremost among them the religious, ethical, and educational axis, and the reinforcement of the values and principles embodied and sacrificed for by Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), his household, and his noble companions.”
He pointed out that “today, in the modern era, the image represents the backbone of prevailing global culture on intellectual, religious, ethical, and humanitarian levels, and in the support of oppressed peoples in truth and justice, especially after the dominance of globalization culture, which has controlled people’s minds through unethical and non-educational methods by imposing the logic of force and tyranny over the resources and rights of peoples, thus becoming a major threat to our societies.”
In conclusion, the Secretary-General of the Holy Imam Hussain Shrine called for “the continuation of the competition idea, with greater diversity and expansion, in a manner that affirms the greatness of the Islamic message and civilization and its symbols and leaders, who gave and devoted their worldly lives and the fruits of their years to reviving the values and principles of the true Islamic religion and defending truth and justice.”
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