More than 600 guests, both foreign and local, attended the opening session of the 40th International Unity Conference in Tehran on August 27.
It will go on till August 30.
This year’s theme was “Islamic Unity in the Thought of the Martyred Imam, Ayatullah Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei.”
For the first time in 37 years, the Rahbar was not present for the Islamic Unity Conference.
He was martyred in a criminal zionist attack, backed by the US, on his residence/office compound on February 28, 2026.
It was, therefore, appropriate that this year’s conference is dedicated to his vision of Muslim unity.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Secretary General of Majma at-Taqrib bain al-Madhahib fi Islam, Shaykh Hamid Shahriari and hundreds of Muslim scholars and thinkers from some 40 countries participated.
Foreign guests included prominent academic, cultural and religious figures from Iraq, Pakistan, Turkiye, Yemen, Oman, Lebanon, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf states.
A number of Tehran-based ambassadors also attended the opening ceremony.
As the name suggests, the International Islamic Unity Conference is aimed at fostering unity and understanding among Muslims.
Held every year on the occasion of the birthday of the Prophet (ﷺ), it incorporates the two dates observed by Sunni and Shi‘a Muslims, from 12th Rabi‘ al-Awwal to 17th Rabi‘ al-Awwal respectively.
The criminal war launched by the evil duo, the US and zionist Israel on Islamic Iran, naturally featured prominently in the conference deliberations.
Equally strong was the appeal for Muslim unity to overcome these challenges.
This was highlighted in the message of senior Iranian alim, Ayatullah Hossein Noori Hamedani as well as President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Ayatullah Hamedani said Muslim unity had been essential throughout Islamic history, but its importance was even greater today as Islam’s enemies were seeking to weaken Muslims, sow divisions and establish control over Muslim countries.
“Today, when the enemies of Islam are using all their capabilities to weaken Muslims, create divisions and dominate Islamic countries, this issue has taken on even greater importance.”
President Pezeshkian also stressed the necessity of unity in the Muslim world and stressed that the conference draws on the intellectual legacy of the martyred Imam.
“We are meeting under exceptional circumstances at this conference, which is rooted in the thought of the martyred Imam, Seyyed Khamenei... We must not accept threats to the security of an Islamic state or threats to the security of a Muslim people”, the president added.
He described Islamic unity as a commitment to defending justice and standing with those facing oppression, while highlighting the strategic position of the Islamic world at the intersection of civilizations, cultures, and global economic routes.
Secretary General of Majma at-Taqrib, Shaykh Hamid Shahriari said the war on Iran was continuing because Iran represented a model “to be emulated in the Islamic world.”
He emphasized that Iranian institutions were targeted because they represent a civilization that threatens western interests in the region.
Shaykh Shahriari said Iran was confronting “arrogant capitalism and American hegemony.”
It was the capabilities Iran’s youth and the armed forces that thwarted the evil designs of the aggressors.
“This war is not only about resources; it is a confrontation between Islamic civilization and western barbarism,” he added, saying that Iran’s strength had also been demonstrated through attacks on US bases.
Deputy head of Lebanon’s Supreme Islamic Shi‘ite Council, Shaykh Ali al-Khatib said the Islamic world was confronting unprecedented challenges.
He said Islamic Iran was standing against “the tyrants of the world” while drawing on Islamic civilizational principles.
The Lebanese alim called for broader support for Iran and greater dialogue among Islamic countries.
The conference is being held in a decentralized format and will continue through August 30.
Sessions are taking place in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad, while four specialized sessions are being held in the provinces of West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Golestan, and Razavi Khorasan.
The conference’s agenda covers the concept of unity, and modern Islamic civilization in the teachings of the martyred Leader, alongside the role of shared Islamic principles in shaping a common identity.
The role of scholars and religious institutions in preserving Islamic identity will also be discussed as will economic cooperation among Muslim countries.