A small desk, a pen holder containing a few small and large reed pens, a knife for sharpening the pens, an inkwell, a flake of cotton and silk put in the inkwell and a white board make up the materials needed to create beautiful calligraphy. But these are actually not the main instruments needed for creating calligraphy. Calligraphy requires a lover's heart to inspire his spirit in the flesh of these elements. Then the handwriting created soothes the eyes and the hearts with its musical sketch.

Master Hamid Ajami, a 40-year-old calligrapher, has a lover's heart. For 25 years he has been deeply involved in the curves and tracks of this art for the sake of gaining God's grace. As a true lover, he has created a new kind of calligraphy which he himself has named Mo'alla.

He said, "My main method in this work is Nast'aligh (a specific style of Iranian calligraphy), but in 1999 I experienced a different spiritual state which produced Mo'alla calligraphy. After that I have mainly focused on this style of artistic script."

It seems that when he received a special order to write Imam Ali's (AS) name, he tried to write the Imam's name in a creative form which paved the way for the birth of Mo'alla. He stated, "Gradually, Mo'alla became standardized and I was able to devise all of its elements and hold my first individual calligraphy exhibition at the Soureh Gallery. Of course, I could have held an exhibition for my Nast'aligh works too, but I didn't."

Since then, Master Ajami has held more than 10 exhibitions of Mo'alla calligraphy in Iran and other countries. He said, "I am determined to take Mo'alla calligraphy to Europe in order to utilize their regularity and arrangement and then register it as our own."

One of his recent exhibitions was held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. He announced that in the near future he will hold exhibitions in Turkey and Austria.

He mentioned that Iranian artists have had quite different reactions toward his art. Some of the detractors are his own friends, which does not bother him, but he says that he has not seen any written objective criticism of his works. He has just heard humors. He says he is ready to have a meeting with the opponents of Mo'alla calligraphy. He believes that there are only a few people opposed to Mo'alla who are masters or students of graphic art.

He addresses them, saying, "Graphic art is a practical art which mainly influences our everyday life, but it does not have any relationship with the spiritual world. But our traditional calligraphy is in touch with the spiritual world, so graphic art can never comprehend the spiritual world of calligraphy. I wish we would only comment on the fields that we can communicate with."

He added, "Some of these fellows have a specific objection to Mo'alla because it was born after their birth. Besides, it has been created by a person like me. Of course, one should not forget that the religious roots of this script are another reason for their objections.

"These opponents believe that there is a trace of harshness in this calligraphy. They imagine that I want to relate what they consider as harshness to Imam Ali (AS), who had a very tender nature. If I consider this calligraphy to be for Imam Ali (AS), the reason is my devotion to this great personality. I have no intention to relate my work to Imam (AS) by force."

He is also ready to discuss their views with them in a session. He believes that Mo'alla calligraphy can not be stopped for the sake of people who are not familiar with it.

He requests that these opponents study the art of calligraphy and discover its world as it is. He added, "Someone who has only studied graphic arts should not accuse Mr. Amirkhani (one of the great masters calligraphers) of copying Mirza Kalhour's calligraphy. By its very nature, calligraphy can not be recreated. In fact, in this art we only have constant creation. For example, if someone who works on Douchalipa (a combination of two Nast'aligh calligraphy) writes them with only one specific content, they will still have distinguished and different spirits. So, if they are unable to comprehend it, that is their problem, but they should not condemn it."

The master calligrapher concluded by saying, "It is better to descend from the stairs of prejudice and hostility. History will judge us in the future. We should not ruin the reputations of our great masters, earned through years of hard work, by our bad judgement. Maybe the future generation will make an unsuitable judgement about these dear people, too.