News

Special Representative Khalilzad; Prospects of Peace in Afghanistan

During an event hosted by United States Institute of Peace, Director of Shirazi Foundation meets the Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad in an event titled Prospects for Peace in Afghanistan.

Representative Khalilzad has expressed his optimism for dialogue with Taliban and achieving positive results.

 Numerous attempts by the humanitarian organizations including women rights, minority rights, and other activist groups has brought forth attention of the international community towards continuous human rights violations of the terrorist group Taliban upon the Afghan citizen including men, women and children. 

Representative Khalilzad emphasizes Afghan people have suffered for many years under the Taliban influence in Afghanistan and deserve a peaceful coexisting society

Shirazi Foundation Washington DC director hopes for an Afghanistan where all religious & ethnic minorities are able to coexist together without any violence and bloodshed. Violence only leads to remorse. Generations of bright minds have lost lives to the extremist group and only by rebuilding a peaceful and inclusive society, Afghan people can hold up the values they have fought for and enjoy the beautiful and prosperous country Afghanistan is and should be

Shirazi Foundation promotes and advocates for a peaceful and inclusive Afghanistan and hopes the violence against minorities and religious groups stops immediately

News

The message of Shirazi Foundation to the Palestinians

In a message to all Palestinian factionswithout exception,Shirazi Foundation calls for putting differences aside and bringing together to serve the Palestinian people and their cause. That’s what the message states:

Honorable brothers in all factions of the Palestinian leadership,

May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you

You are well aware of the serious and challenging conditions surrounding the Palestinian cause today, which seek to steal the achievements of this long-suffering people and also to bypass their legitimate rights, whether by military and security pressure, normalization or something. They are assisted by a number of Arab regimes that no longer care about this cause as much as they care about not losing their power.

Therefore, the national duty and ethics and the actual situation require all factions of different denominations more intellectual and political conformity in order to safeguard the achievements and not to compromise the rights and to serve the Palestinian people in general.

The intellectual and political conformity creates an appropriate and necessary ground for further coordination and cooperation between all the parties, while on the other hand, it closes all loopholes for enemies and prevents them from defections and weakening the position.

Such conformity also would lessen the armed clashes between factions which weaken the all without exception, as happened in previous times, and not as some think they would weaken some and strengthen others, as stated in the dignified verse:

{and do not dispute and thus lose courage and your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.}

With patience, intellectual and political conformity can be achieved, and that’s when you stand each other in the common interest.

News

Theologian Ayatollah Shirazi addresses Musilm leaders regarding Ramadhan

In the name of Allah the Merciful the Compassionate

The month of Ramadhan is the Lunar month chosen by God to bestow the Holy Qur’an upon his last Prophet; Mohammad, (Peace be upon him and his progeny), as a guidance for mankind, historic lessons learned from past, and roadmap for the future. 

Ramadhan is the month of mercy, compassion, helping the needy, and uplifting the oppressed. It’s month of cleansing the heart, body, and soul from ill thoughts, and actions. It is the month to focus within and take steps towards betterment. 

Prophet Mohammad advised people that this is the month of blessing where we can aim for a better hereafter, the judgement day. 

Ayatollah Shirazi seeks this opportunity and congratulates the Muslims and non-Muslim on arrival of this holy month, and reiterates the message of prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, that this month is the month of Mercy and forgiveness. World Leaders, including the leaders of Muslim nations can utilize this month to bridge the gap between their citizens, spread peace in their regions of control, and execute what true leaders do; uplift the hopeless and protect the helpless. 

Many countries are in Human Rights turmoil, and it is duty of world leaders to protect people as oppose to put them in harms way. Islam stands for peace and harmony, but unfortunately a violent picture of what Islam is not is portrayed and we as Muslims have the burden on our shoulders to cleanse that and rejuvenate the positive and constructive teachings of Islam. 

This month, Ramadhan, is another opportunity for betterment and we collectively, specially the world leaders, have responsibility to make this world a more peaceful place.  

May God bestow his blessings upon all of us, Muslim and Non-Muslim, and may you have a blessed and holy month of Ramadhan.

News

Yemen catastrophe; what can be done to stop the war.

Shirazi Foundation’s expert on International Relations attended an interactive symposium hosted by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, titled Yemen catastrophe what can be done to stop the war. Due to the ongoing conflict the United Nations estimates more than 10,000 civilians have been killed. UNICEF numbers suggest two million Yemeni children suffer from malnutrition while 60,000 children lost their lives last year of preventable causes associated with acute malnutrition. With 60% of Yemen’s population suffering from food insecurity and 7 million unable to survive without food assistance, Yemen has an immediate food emergency facing them. Experts spoke of the role of the tribes in facilitateing dialogue instead of use of force and incitement of violence.  Experts dissected the many parties involved in the conflict while mentioning that many groups involved have been left fragmented.

News

Stabilizing Iraq: What Is The Future For Minorities?

Shirazi Foundation’s researcher on Rise of Extremism  attended an interactive conference hosted by the United States Institute of Peace, titled, Stabilizing Iraq: What Is the Future for Minorities?.

Shortly after opening remarks Dr. Fareed Yasseen Iraq’s Ambassador to the U.S stated that the consequence of the fight against ISIS is that it has brought all of Iraq together collectively.

Many minorities over the last three years have faced unspeakable atrocities including mass murder, sexual enslavement, rape, and torture. According to experts Iraq post-ISIS, many minorities will suffer from PTSD and there should be a focus placed on organizations that are instrumental in preventing revenge killings. It was also suggested that Iraqi psychologist should be trained to counsel survivors of the war. Experts spoke of what practical steps look like to those living in areas affected by the terror group such as security, stability, economic opportunity, and development. Experts look forward to finding a practical solution to prevent and resolve a violent conflict by working with local partners in order to increase the number of individuals who will become a catalyst for peace.

News

Human Rights in Egypt

Our Human Rights Researcher attended a conference hosted by Young Professionals in Foreign Affairs titled Human Rights in Egypt, sharing views on in-depth research of human rights the dynamics, politics, and discourses in the Middle East and between Middle Eastern and Western counterparts. The expert explained the growth of human rights and people’s interaction with the Human rights framework.

Results from interviewing a selected number of human rights activist in Egypt and shared that the distrust between the two rivaling parties has brought forth an array of dysfunction. The role of social media has become a tool in Human Rights that has made an impact notably with women rights.

News

Condition of Refugees in Europe and the United States

Shirazi Foundation’s Mujtaba Mohammad maintains a constant contact with the Refugee camps in Europe and Northern America.

The organization has begun to contact refugee facilities located in some European countries and the United States of America to view the situation of residents and see their needs, especially women, children and people with special needs.

The contacts included camps in Canada, Italy, Germany, Turkey and America.

The spokesman said that the organization has moved in this humanitarian endeavor based on a number of complaints issued by Muslim women in the shelters, which suffer from different psychological pressure for various reasons, some cases of harassment at the forefront.

This follow-up became a necessary step with dire importance after His Excellency Sayid Sadegh Shirazi reiterated the importance of Muslims helping in the rebuilding process of areas ISIS has ruined and/or destroyed.

“Buildings are not all the unIslamic State destroyed, the worrying number of women, men, and children who lost lives to the extremist group are also part of the recovery and rebuilding” of the future of the region.” Sayed Sadegh Shirazi

The spokesman pointed out that “the efforts of the organization revealed the exposure of many refugees in the centers that have been seen from psychological suffering and a significant shortage of special needs.

The large influx of refugees during the last period caused a considerable crowding in the shelters, which resulted in the loss of Muslim women to many of their sacred characteristics and the degradation of their dignity, unfortunately.

According to the UNHCR report, women and girls constitute about 50 percent of the total number of 65.3 million refugees and displaced persons, often the most vulnerable because of their loss of protection.