Meeting for creation of regional assembly held at SMERI

Posted: April 13, 2008

An informal meeting for the proposed creation of regional assembly of Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) followers in the Cotabato provinces was held yesterday at SMERI Library.

(For full story, see SM Newsletter Issue 41.)

SMERI opens Orphans' Fund

Posted: March 31, 2008

Simultaneous with the holding of the 2nd Islamic Unity Week Audio-Visual Exhibit on March 30, 2008, SMERI has initiated the opening of the Orphans’ Fund.

(For full story, see SM Newsletter Issue 40.)

SMERI forms Consultative Body

Posted: March 19, 2008

On the eve of the beginning of International Islamic Unity Week (Rabi‘ al-Awwal 12-17/March 20-25), SMERI has formed a six-member Consultative Body.

(For full story, see SM Newsletter Issue 40.)

International Conference on Occidentalism

Posted: February 06, 2008

Below is SMERI Research Bureau’s Writing and Translation Department’s voluntary translation from Persian into English of a call for paper notice posted at http://www.qomicis.com/farsi/farakhan/004.aspx:

Topics:

A. Occidentalism: Generalities

1. Conceptual Studies

- The Historical and Geographical Essence of the West

- The Cultural Essence of the West

- The Concept of the West at the Age of Globalization

- The Essence of Modernity

2. The Necessity of Occidentalism

- The Impact of Western Civilization upon Muslim Societies and Culture

- The West’s Intellectual and Cultural Rivalry with Islam

- The Cultural Onslaught of the West: Its Dimensions and Consequences

B. Occidental Studies

1. Occidentalism in the West

- Main Western Figures and Currents Critical of Occidentalism and Western Society

- Main Western Figures and Currents Critical of the Intellectual-Cultural West

- Main Western Figures and Currents Critical of the Scientific-Technological West

2. Occidentalism among Muslims

- The West from the Viewpoint of Imam Khomeini

- The West from the Viewpoint of Ayatullah Khamene’i

- The West in the Views of Iranian Intellectuals (Ahmad Fardid, ‘Ali Shari‘ati, Jalal Al Ahmad, etc.)

- The West from the Perspective of Arab Intellectuals (Sayyid Qutb, Hasan Hanafi, Taha Jabir al-‘Alwani, etc.)

- The West in the Views of Intellectuals of the Indian Subcontinent (Mir Sayyid Ahmad Khan, Abu’l-A‘la Mawdudi, Maryam Jamilah, etc.)

- The West in the Views of Muslim Intellectuals of East Asia (Dr. Alatas, etc.)

- Occidental Studies in Muslim Countries

3. The Muslims and Western Civilization

- The Muslims and Colonialism

- The Muslims and Western Knowledge

- The Muslims and Western Culture

- Positive and Negative Achievements of the West for Muslims

- The Islamic Revolution of Iran and the West

- The Issue of the Usurper Zionist Regime among Muslims and the West

- The West and Muslims after 9/11

C. The Foundations and Elements of Western Civilization

1. Epistemological Foundations of Western Civilization

- Ontological Foundations of Western Civilization

- Humanistic Foundations of Western Civilization

- Epistemic Foundations of Western Civilization

- Methodical Foundations of Western Civilization

2. Western Civilization and Its Contributory Factors

- Protestantism and Western Civilization

- Science and Technology, and Western Civilization

- The Role of Colonialism in Building Western Civilization

- Capitalism and Western Civilization

- Mass Media and Communication, and Western Civilization

D. Science and Religion in Western Civilization

1. New Sciences and Western Civilization

- Conflicts between Science and Religion in the West

- The West, Reason and Rationality

- Scientific Secularism in the West

2. Religions and the West

- The West’s Relation with Christianity

- The West’s Relation with Judaism

- The West’s Relation with Islam

- The West and Eastern Religions

- Religion and State in the West

- Religion and Postmodernism

E. Western Civilization: Its Challenges and Future

1. Challenges against Western Civilization

- The West and Social Challenges

- The West and Cultural Challenges

- The West and International Challenges

- The Moral and Spiritual Crisis in the West

- The Crisis of Machinism in the West

2. The Future of Western Civilization

- The Emergence of New Spiritualities in the West

- Postmodernism and Western Civilization

- Eastern Civilizations and Their Global Status in the Future

- The Prospect of Interaction between Islamic and Western Civilizations in the Future

- Different Views on the Future of the West

Organizer: Nur International Academy

Date: Autumn 2008

Venue: Qum, Islamic Republic of Iran

Address of the Secretariat:

Nur International Academy

Salariyeh Junction, Amin Boulevard

Qum, Islamic Republic of Iran

Tel: 0098-251-213336

Fax: 0098-251-213333

Email: [email protected]

Notes:

1. Topics not included above are subject to the approval of the Scientific Committee of the Conference.

2. The article must be at least 30 pages of 250 words (each page) in A4 size.

3. Deadline for the submission of the abstract is March 5, 2008.

Free copies of "A New Analysis of Wahhabi Doctrines"

Posted: January 31, 2008

Please be informed that limited free copies of our newly published translated book entitled “A New Analysis of Wahhabi Doctrines” (Tehran: ABWA, 2007) are now available upon request on first-come-first-serve basis.  

You may get your copy from SMERI Library.

Authors and translators with works about Imam Khomeini

Posted: January 27, 2008

In His Most Exalted Name

Honorable Representative[s] of Ahl al-Bayt ('a) World Assembly (ABWA):

Salamun 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

May Allah increase our and your recompense for mourning for Husayn ('a), his family and his companions, and may Allah accept our deeds and acts of obedience on this holy month [of Muharram]!

We would like to respectfully inform you that the Headquarters of 19th International Commemoration of the Demise of the Founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, His Eminence Imam Khomeini (r), is pleased to invite a number of prominent Shi'ah scholars who have works about the different dimensions of the personality, life and struggle of the eminent Imam to participate in a special commemoration anniversary of Imam Khomeini and related conferences [at Tehran] in June 2008.

As such, we request you to introduce a maximum of two qualified persons along with their curriculum vitae for assessment and invitation.

And success comes from Allah and to Him we repose our trust.

Asia-Oceania Office

International Affairs Department

Ahl al-Bayt ('a) World Assembly (ABWA)

What SMERI has accomplished in 2007?

Posted: January 1, 2008

Shajaratun Muntazirah Educational & Research Institute (SMERI) is a non-profit private institution established in 2004 aiming to cater for the academic, intellectual and religious training needs of the Muslims in the Philippines, the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt (’a) among them in particular.

SMERI is managed by a small staff of full-time and part-time volunteers.

Below is a rundown of its accomplishments in year 2007.

SMERI Accomplishments in Summary
* Translation of 5 books from Persian into English
* Translation of 4 fact sheets on Islam from English into Filipino
* Translation of 2 fact sheets on Islam from English into Cebuano
* Writing/presenting 1 international conference paper
* Publication of 12 issues of monthly Shajaratun Muntazirah Newsletter
* Writing 4 newspaper column articles
* Free distribution of 237 copies of books
* Free distribution of more than 300 copies of fact sheets on Islam
* Maintenance of website

SMERI Accomplishments in Detail
Translation of 5 books from Persian into English
o Islamic Political Theory (volume 2) by Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi
o The Qur’an as Reflected in Nahj al-Balaghah by Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi
o Islamic Studies Volume 2 (Prophethood, Imamate and Leadership) by a group of scholars
o In the Presence of the Beloved by Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi
o Liqa’ Allah: A Treatise on the Stages of Mystical Wayfaring toward the Station of Beatific Vision by ‘Allamah Hasan Mustafawi
 

Translation of 4 fact sheets on Islam from English into Filipino
o Prejudice (‘asabiyyah)
o Pretending Virtuousness (riya’)
o Anger (ghadhab)
o Self-admiration (‘ujb)
 

Translation of 2 fact sheets on Islam from English into Cebuano
o What Non-Muslims Say about Islam
o What Non-Muslims Say about Prophet Muhammad (s)
 

Writing/presenting 1 international conference paper
“Islamic Iran’s Declaration of International Quds and the Advent of the Mahdi (‘atfs)”
 

Publication of 12 issues of monthly Shajaratun Muntazirah Newsletter
* “What SMERI has accomplished in 2006?” (January)
* “SMERI first 2 video productions released” (February)
* “ABWA to create Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) Human Rights Commission” (March)
* “SMERI to translate Mutahhari’s works” (April)
* “SMERI launches 5-year Mutahhari Translation Project” (May)
* “Yet another reminder” (June)
* “3rd int’l confab on Mahdism to be held in Sha‘ban” (July)
* “ABWA to hold 4th General Assembly” (August)
* “SMERI site traffic hits” (September)
* “SMERI embarks translation of fact sheets into Cebuano” (October)
* “SMERI completes Filipino translation of DILP fact sheets” (November)
* “SMERI to translate booklets into Filipino and Cebuano” (December)
 

Writing 4 newspaper column articles
* “Who is Papanok?” (July 23, 2007)
* “On the ‘verticalization’ of eschatology” (August 1, 2007)
* “The politics of hermeneutics or the hermeneutics of politics?” (September 9, 2007)
* “What autumn means to me” (November 26, 2007)
 

Free distribution of 237 copies of books
The recipients are from diverse locations in the country such as Manila, Batangas, Dipolog City, Pagadian City, Zamboanga City, Tawi-Tawi, Marawi City, Davao City, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Cotabato City, and also under exceptional cases from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Germany, Holland, India, Iran, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Thailand.
 

Free distribution of more than 300 copies of fact sheets on Islam
Fact sheets on Islam in English, Filipino and Arabic are regularly distributed and are also available online. In addition to books and fact sheets, others cultural items such as magazines (2), audiotapes (8), Holy Qur’an poster (1 copy), Islamic calligraphy posters (4), calendars (4), postcards (8), stickers (53), tracts (8), leaflets (38), CDs (6), keychain (1), and turbah/muhr (3) are also given free of charge.
 

Maintenance of website
SMERI website has access to Muntazirin in different parts of the Philippines as well as those presently working abroad in countries such as the USA, UK, Italy, Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Islamic Republic of Iran.