TEHRAN -- The Resistance Poetry Night was held here on Tuesday at Tehran’s Khavaran Cultural Center.

Several prominent poets including Soheil Mahmudi, Abdoljabbar Kakaii, Musa Bidaj, Hamidreza Shekarsari, and officials from American Syrian Arab Cultural Association (ASACA) attended the ceremony.
Mahmudi was the first to deliver a speech. He described the ceremony as a symbol of constructive cultural relationship in the Middle East.
With reference to the holy shrines located in Iraq and Syria, he stated, “We share much common religious beliefs with these two countries. There has always been some literary relations between us. Iran’s luminaries of previous decades were in contact with those in Damascus and Aleppo. That is, after Baghdad, we had the closest relations with Damascus and Aleppo.”
He also expressed regret over the superficial knowledge of several neighboring Arab countries and continued, “Some of these countries have the lowest natural and cultural attractions, that is, anytime it is scheduled to stay there for a few days, we can hardly tolerate more than two days and prefer to return. But Syria is different. Parts of Turkey like Istanbul and Konya are also interesting.”
Musa Al-Ghurair, an official from ASACA was next who talked and appreciated the efforts of the Khavaran Center which for organizing such events and said, “ASACA is proud to be cooperating with Iran. This can be the beginning of closer mutual relationships.”
He went on to say, “Today, the world is in dire need of committed poets and a poetry with an sincere message of compassion..”
Afterwards, Iranian poet Shekarsari recited several pieces of his works, and Kakaii continued with his poems in praise of Prophet Muhammad (S).
Musa Bidaj who is a poet and translator of Arabic texts delivered a speech about the Arab poetry. He said some of the best Arab poetry comes from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Egypt.
“In a sense, any poetry can be seen as the poetry of resistance, even a love poem or the ghazals of Hafez. When there is no love, we begin to scream and when there is no humanity we begin to shout. A committed poet is the one who does not forget resistance in his society,” he concluded.