Holy Najaf-INA
Al-Abbas Alawite Holy Shrine on Sunday announced the launch of the 15th edition of International Al-Ghadir Week in the holy city of Najaf, with participation from 27 countries and plans to raise the Al-Ghadir flag at nearly 150 locations and events in Iraq and abroad.
Haider Rahim, head of the shrine's media department, said during a press conference that International Al-Ghadir Week is among the most prominent religious and cultural events organized annually by the shrine to commemorate Eid al-Ghadir, which marks the declaration of the (Waliyat) guardianship of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib.
The festival aims to promote the values of loyalty, unity and justice through a wide range of religious, cultural, artistic, public and service-oriented programmes, Rahim said.
He added that the 15th edition of the international festival will see Al-Ghadir flag raised at around 150 locations worldwide, including sites across Iraq and abroad, with participation from 27 countries.
The programme includes the raising of Ghadir flags in 20 Iranian provinces, 21 locations across Iraqi provinces, eight holy shrines inside and outside Iraq, 26 revered religious sites, and eight locations in and around Najaf, he said.
Rahim said the week's activities will feature what organizers described as the largest open-air theatrical production dedicated to Al-Ghadir Day, involving more than 500 actors, artists and technicians and performed in a venue with a capacity of 5,000 spectators. The programme will also include dozens of Quranic, cultural, public and service-related events.
He noted that the Ghadir flag initiative has undergone its largest expansion since its inception, with the number of participating locations increasing from about 90 in previous years to nearly 150 this year.
Participating countries include Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Finland, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Romania, the Czech Republic, France, Austria, Iran, India, Pakistan, Australia, Lebanon, Thailand, Turkey, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, China, Kenya, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Egypt.
Rahim added that Al-Ghadir flags will be raised this year in 20 Iranian provinces affected by recent attacks, as part of a humanitarian and solidarity initiative launched by the shrine last month under its relief campaign for the Iranian people.
He said the epic theatrical production, titled "Al-Bay'ah Ila Al-Haqq" ("Pledge of Allegiance to Truth"), will run for 15 days and feature the participation of 500 actors, artists and technical staff.
