Latest Developments in Islamic World of Culture, Religion
Several developments have been reported by IQNA in the Islamic world as cultural and religious events.
The final stages of the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Competition for Memorizing the Holy Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah in Africa are underway in Pretoria, South Africa. The event, organized by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, has brought together 44 participants from 29 African countries who advanced from a preliminary pool of over 80,000. The competition aims to promote the memorization and understanding of the Quran and Islamic teachings. A panel of scholars from Saudi Arabia and South Africa is serving as the judging committee for the various competition categories.
The General Authority for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has successfully implemented a comprehensive digital environment at the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. This initiative utilizes advanced technology to enhance service quality and operational efficiency for the millions of pilgrims who visit annually. New digital services, including a unified transportation system and a central reporting system, have been introduced to help visitors access services and navigate the sites smoothly. The digital transformation is part of an integrated strategy to leverage modern technology to serve worshippers.
Hojat-ol-Islam Mohammad Mehdi Imanipour, the head of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO), warned of “digital slavery” at the Eighth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. He described this as a modern reality rooted in humanity’s increasing dependence on the internet and digital services. Imanipour argued that the reliance on certain “service packages” can limit human freedom and decision-making, as advanced algorithms predict and guide user behavior. To combat this, he proposed that “value-oriented countries” establish shared data banks to break the monopoly of digital data. He also called for interfaith collaboration to shape “Big Data” in a way that promotes free thinking and sustainable peace, rather than aligning with mainstream media narratives.
