WILAYAH NEWS VOICE OF THE GLOBAL AWAKENING
Related Articles
**Ayatollah Arafi emphasizes the necessity of developing Seminary social work in line with the needs and contemporary challenges of society, calling for the adoption of six strategic pillars that will enhance the efficiency of Seminary initiatives and consolidate the role of the Seminary in serving the community.**
**Hawza News Agency –** Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, Director of the Iranian Islamic Seminaries, addressed a message to the conference titled “The Leading and Superior Seminary: From Strategic Message to Grassroots Social Work,” which was held on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at the assembly hall of the Yavaran Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) complex in the city of Qom. The text of the message is as follows:
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
The peace and blessings of God be upon all the martyrs of the Islamic Revolution, especially the Master of the Martyrs of the Islamic Revolution, His Eminence Imam Khamenei (may God be pleased with him), and upon the noble families of the martyrs, the great Iranian people, and upon you, O elites, dear members of the Islamic Seminaries, faithful social activists carrying the concerns of society, and those who possess intellect and action in the popular arenas.
I congratulate all the organizers, those in charge, and the dear participants on holding this valuable conference titled “The Leading and Superior Seminary: From Strategic Message to Grassroots Social Work.” This gathering is clear evidence of the vitality of the Seminaries, their sense of responsibility, and their effective presence at the core of society’s needs and in the field of serving the dear people in Islamic Iran.
Undoubtedly, the Seminaries have not, throughout their history, been merely institutions for education and teaching; rather, alongside expounding divine knowledge, they have had an active, inspiring, and guiding presence in social, cultural, moral, and popular arenas.
Today, and more than ever, the Seminary is expected to play a wise and influential leading role in the field of social work, addressing people’s real problems, and responding to emerging needs in society, all while preserving its scientific and spiritual authenticity.
It is a great honor for this group of Seminary social activists from all over the country, along with the directors of Seminary-based civil society institutions, to gather in such a forum for dialogue and the exchange of views regarding the relationship between the strategic message of the Martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution and grassroots social work.
This meeting represents a precious opportunity to reread the vast energies that the Seminary possesses in the fields of enhancing social safety, addressing ailments and problems, strengthening social capital, and expanding the scope of popular services.
In this context, I would like to remind you of a number of strategic points that would contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of the services provided by Seminary activists:
**1. Accurate diagnosis of needs and focusing on real problems:**
Social services should be based on a true understanding of society’s needs, local priorities, and the tangible problems people face, not on personal tastes, impulses, or fleeting periodic movements.
**2. Relying on popular participation and avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy:**
Seminary activities are more effective when they place people at the heart of participation, activate popular energies, and distance themselves from becoming heavy, slow-moving organizational structures.
**3. Integration, networking, and avoiding duplication:**
It is necessary to create effective connectivity between Seminary activists, civil society institutions, cultural and social bodies, and Jihadist groups, so that energies are employed within a coordinated and purposeful system rather than being scattered.
**4. Combining rationality, spirituality, and efficiency:**
Seminary social services should be based on a cognitive and moral foundation and be accompanied by rationality and executive management, as well as being assessable and focused on results, so that their impact is tangible and sustainable in people’s lives.
**5. Preparing intermediate cadres and a new generation of Seminary activists:**
The continuation and expansion of this path require preparing faithful, competent, creative, and conscious energies regarding contemporary issues; so that this movement does not remain restricted to a few individuals but transforms into a sustainable trend.
**6. Prioritizing real and urgent issues in society:**
Issues such as social safety, strengthening family bonds, moral dilemmas, poverty, deprivation, addiction, social isolation, and identity crises are among the most prominent arenas in which the Seminary can play an influential role that strengthens its position as a reference for society.
Despite my intense desire and deep longing, I have been deprived due to emergency circumstances from being present among you, my dear ones, and participating in this valuable meeting. I sincerely wished to be in this blessed and luminous forum. Nevertheless, I see the holding of this conference as a source of hope and activity, and a strengthening of the bond between the Seminary and society. I ask God to grant you all success, effectiveness, and continuous achievement.
It is hoped that this meeting will be a starting point for more scientific, harmonious, and popular steps towards elevating the Seminaries and sincere service to all segments of society, and that its fruits will appear clearly in strengthening the moral, social, and cultural safety of the country.
I ask God Almighty to grant you all success, health, and dignity.
Peace be upon you, and the mercy of God and His blessings.
**Alireza Arafi**
**Director of the Iranian Islamic Seminaries**