Rasa – Hujjat al-Islam Bahjatpour said, “I will not allow the Women’s Seminaries to take on a essence other than the essence of leadership and we will be careful not to enter into regressive political games.” RNA – In a meeting with Hujjat al-Islam Mohaqqeqi, the director of Rasa News Agency, and a group of officials of this media organization, Hujjat al-Islam Abdolkarim Bahjatpour, the director of the Women’s Seminaries of Iran, praised its valuable activities.
Hujjat al-Islam Bahjatpour referred to his plans and actions since he accepted the responsibility to oversee the Women’s Seminaries of Iran and noted that attention to quality and avoidance of quantitative development is considered an important principle in management and added, “We have a sufficient number women’s seminaries at various levels and we now have to focus on solving some of the problems and activities that may have been harmful, changing some aspects and preparing for a change in terms of content.”
He described one of the shining examples of the women seminarians the recent floods in the provinces of Golestan, Khuzestan and Lorestan and said, “In the town of Pol-e Dokhtar [Lorestan], the women’s seminary was turned into a centre for flood relief efforts and the principal of the seminary sold his gold and personal belongings and sent the money to help the flood victims. Similar incidents also occurred in other areas of the country.”
He also noted that the school-centered approach is another approach and action of the Women’s Seminaries and said, “We believe that the women’s seminaries must go forth from the schools and headquarters to serve the schools and we need to structure the real work in schools.”
Hujjat al-Islam Bahjatpour said, “In regard to the entrance exam this year, the seminaries don’t have an objective to attract the maximum number of students and we have also changed the selection system and the time of registration and we hope that we can achieve the desired changes in the women’s seminaries and theological schools.”
In another part of his speech, the director of the Women’s Seminaries of Iran emphasized that in regard to political issues, the seminaries must not become the political clubs of parties and movements and said, “We believe that the seminaries must be political and follow the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Khamenei] and according to his indications but it must not take on the colour of parties and movements.”
His Eminence also explained the mission of the Islamic Seminaries in regard to the statement issued by the Supreme Leader on the Second Phase of the Islamic Revolution, and emphasized that the Islamic Seminaries must find its role and position in this statement and said, “In my opinion, this statement is a visionary statement and the Islamic Seminaries must act in accordance with this statement.”
He continued, “In our opinion, it’s necessary for the Islamic Seminaries to understand what they must do in regard to the statement on the Second Phase of the Islamic Revolution and what missions they have. You must also be sufficiently aware of your lack of action in the first phase of the Islamic Revolution.”
Hujjat al-Islam Bahjatpour noted, “By issuing this statement, the Supreme Leader, with all his experience and presence in the events and thoughts, acted in a manner that many of the organizations couldn’t have done.”
His Eminence said, “In line with the statement on the Second Phase of the Islamic Revolution, our work must be committable and of course be measurable.”
He also referred to the issue of the Islamic lifestyle, which is one of the pillars of the statement of the Second Phase of the Islamic Revolution, and said, “In this regard, we must know the issues and variables, then assess them, and then, with regard to the serious variables of the lifestyle, we must compile them.”
Hujjat al-Islam Bahjatpour stressed one of the effects of revolutionary action is not to surrender to the arrogant powers and said, “The biggest duty of the Islamic Seminaries in the Second Phase of the Islamic Revolution is to protect and demonstrate our valuable religious identity against the arrogant powers.”
Referring to Ayatollah Mortaza Motahhari, a late Iranian cleric, philosopher, lecturer, and politician who is considered as having an important influence on the ideologies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, His Eminence stated, “The Islamic Seminaries must be the Motahhari of their time, know the issues, resolve the crises and be the focal points of the women. Generalizations aren’t beneficial.”
He added, “We believe that the women’s seminaries must find their own issues and in this arena we need the assistance of the media and news agencies, especially Rasa News Agency.”
Hujjat al-Islam Bahjatpour referred to the issue of media conferences and said, “In regard, we have such meetings at the Centre for the Management of the Islamic Seminaries. Our emphasis is to have the doors of the women’s seminaries open for specialized disciplines.”
The director of the Women’s Seminaries of Iran also announced that the Centre for the Management of the Islamic Seminaries was fully prepared to cooperate with Rasa News Agency in various fields and said, “We consider the issue of engagement with the media and news agencies to be a serious matter and at the same time we believe that the women’s seminaries should be exposed to criticism in order to be seen.”
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