Sana'a: The Student Forum at Yemeni Universities organized an international online student and youth symposium to commemorate the Prophet's birthday, under the title "The Prophet's Birthday: Renewing the Prophetic Approach in Confronting Zionist Tyranny." Representatives from student and youth unions and organizations from 11 countries participated in the symposium: Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, Iran, Canada, Libya, Australia, Nigeria, Egypt, Mauritania, and Turkey.
According to Yemen News Agency, the symposium addressed several key themes, most notably the importance of the Prophet's birthday as a unifying occasion for the Muslim community and its various fronts; the reasons for the enemies' unease with commemorating this anniversary and their attempts to distort it; the necessity of reviving the Prophetic methodology and returning to the Holy Quran; the Prophetic project of liberating humanity from servitude, building the nation, and acquiring the elements of strength; and recalling the Quranic and Prophetic stance in confronting the forces of falsehood and arrogance.
During the symposium, Hassan Al-Arid, representative of the Youth Action Office of Hamas, emphasized the necessity of adhering to the values of resistance, liberation from servitude, and standing against oppressors and tyrants that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught the Muslim community. He renewed the pledge to continue this path, remain steadfast in upholding the truth, support the oppressed, and not compromise on Palestine, the first Qibla and the site of the Prophet's Night Journey.
For his part, Engineer Ibrahim Matar, representative of the Quds Association for Palestinian Students, explained that commemorating the Prophet's birthday is a spiritual milestone for reviving the Prophetic methodology linked to the Holy Quran. He emphasized the importance of a conscious return to this methodology, strengthening compassion and unity among the nation's people, preparing to face challenges, and equipping youth to bear the responsibility of defending holy sites.
In turn, Dr. Ali Al-Hajj, the youth official in the Educational Mobilization of Hezbollah in Lebanon, affirmed that the Prophet's birthday is not merely a historical occasion, but rather an opportunity to restore the nation's dignity, awareness, and unified identity. He stressed the importance of unity and cohesion, acquiring the elements of strength in the fields of science, economics, and media, and enhancing the ability to confront projects targeting identity and holy sites.
Meanwhile, Dr. Musab Shaqqaf, representative of the General Union of Libyan Students, emphasized that adherence to the Prophet's life and methodology should be transformed into a practical system of values and principles in one's life. He called for confronting stereotypical and distorted images of Islam with knowledge, awareness, and good character, and for strengthening the responsibility of families, educational institutions, and student unions in acquainting youth with the Prophet's biography.
Sayed Hussein Termizi, representative of the Al-Kadhimiya Islamic Association in Australia, pointed out that celebrating the Prophet's birthday is a celebration of a good example, highlighting the Prophet's approach's ability to bring about comprehensive social transformation. He emphasized the importance of patience, faith, and trust in Allah's support in facing trials and challenges.
Dr. Ahmed Al-Baroushi from Yemen stressed the importance of practically emulating the Prophet (peace be upon him), not merely adhering to outward appearances. He called for protecting young people's awareness from strategies aimed at alienating them from their issues, confronting smear campaigns targeting freedom fighters and those striving for liberation, and strengthening confidence in the ability of people to change their reality through patience and steadfastness.
Mohamed Hamed Al-Amin, a member of the Executive Bureau of the National Union of Mauritanian Students, emphasized the importance of utilizing the Prophet's birthday to deepen students' knowledge of the Prophet's biography, activating the role of student organizations in disseminating it, and developing joint, simplified programs that help students and young people understand the messages of the Prophet's biography and apply them to their university and daily lives.
Anas Issa from Nigeria emphasized that true connection to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) transcends merely knowing his biography or celebrating his birth anniversary. It encompasses moral and practical commitment and emulating his conduct. He stressed the importance of mercy and tolerance, confronting injustice and corruption, and transmitting the Prophet's biography to future generations as a way of life.
In his remarks, Ibrahim Rafiq, head of the Youth Office of the Karama Party in Egypt, affirmed that the Prophet's birthday is an opportunity to return to the Quranic methodology, build humanity, and liberate the mind from subservience. He pointed to the importance of the nation possessing comprehensive strengths in the fields of science, knowledge, technology, economics, and industry, and of promoting awareness and independent media to counter attempts at distortion.
Yaqub Buray, head of the International Relations Office of the Turkish Youth Union, affirmed that the message of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is based on resisting injustice and standing with the oppressed. He called for strengthening cooperation among the countries of the region, activating joint action, and moving from slogans to practical steps to confront challenges.
Mostafa Kazemi, the student mobilization representative at Tehran University in Iran, called for strengthening student solidarity with peoples facing attacks, activating the economic boycott of Israeli products, and encouraging universities to take practical steps in this direction, in addition to enhancing political and social cooperation among university students worldwide.
Meanwhile, Firas Najm, director of the Canadian Human Rights Defenders in Canada, emphasized the importance of embodying true allegiance to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) through noble character, respect for others, and standing with the oppressed. He called for Muslims to unite, overcome their differences, and confront media campaigns aimed at distorting the image of supporters of just causes.
Participants in the symposium stressed that commemorating the Prophet's birthday should transcend mere celebration to invoke the values and principles embodied in his life, enhance the awareness and responsibility of youth and students, and solidify unity, cooperation, and communication among student and youth groups. This, they argued, would contribute to transforming the symposium's themes and topics into practical programs and initiatives.