The ceremony, organized at the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) on Tuesday, was attended by Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas Salehi, ICRO President Mohammad-Mehdi Imanipour, Saadi Foundation head Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel, and a number of Iranian and international literary figures.
Addressing the gathering, Imanipour described the Persian language as a symbol of Iran’s civilizational identity and said it was no coincidence that the first major cultural event following the martyred Leader’s funeral was dedicated to Persian poetry.
Imanipour said nearly 3,000 poems were submitted to the inaugural edition of the competition, significantly higher than the initial estimate of 2,000 entries, expressing hope that the event would continue on an annual basis.
Afshin Ala, a poet, said the mission of poets had changed after the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, arguing that traditional approaches were no longer sufficient. He called on cultural institutions to make greater use of Persian poetry to convey the martyred Leader’s message to audiences around the world.
The Global Martyr Leader Poetry Award is jointly organized by the ICRO, the Persian Language and Literature Preservation Center of Iran’s national broadcaster (IRIB), the Art Bureau, and other cultural organizations. The competition, due to be held annually, honors outstanding works of poetry, with winners receiving the Martyred Leader Poetry Award statuette, certificates of recognition, and other prizes.
IRNA