Tehran : Iran’s annual Unity Week returns this year as a broad cultural-spiritual platform that moves beyond ceremonial observance toward a national and international programme linking heritage with future action. Under the banner “In the Love of Ahmad (PBUH): People’s Unity, the Ummah’s Cohesion” and the overarching motto “Mercy to the Worlds” the initiative mobilises art, scholarship, social service and diplomacy to foreground Islamic solidarity.

Presidential Address at the UN

Hojjat al-Islam Reza Ezzatzamani, Deputy for Cultural Affairs at the Islamic Propagation Organization, announced that President Masoud Pezeshkian will deliver an official address to the UN General Assembly marking the 1500th anniversary of the birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The move follows a consensus among 57 OIC member states to honour the occasion as a global symbolic milestone.

“Unity is Practice, Not Slogan”

In a message for Unity Week, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyed Abbas Salehi stressed that unity in Iran is a lived reality, proven in critical junctures since the era of Sacred Defense. He described unity as the “firm rope” safeguarding identity and social peace, a collective responsibility that extends beyond elites. Highlighting Gaza as a living example of Islamic solidarity, he called for reflection on the ethical message of shared support for the oppressed.

12,000+ Events Across Six Pillars

The Central Committee announced over 12,000 cultural, social, religious and artistic events nationwide, structured around six main pillars, including:

• Popular, campus and mosque celebrations; city and shrine adornments
• Scholarly and media forums; Sunni–Shia dialogues; recognition of unity figures
• Youth volunteer initiatives and service campaigns supporting Gaza, including advocacy for the release of 17,000 Palestinian prisoners

Key national and international items include the 39th International Islamic Unity Conference, the “Ummah of Ahmad (PBUH)” festival in Qom, commemorations at the Shrine of Abd al-Azim al-Hasani, a multi-ethnic arts festival with artists from 12 Iranian ethnic groups, and global art campaigns such as “Our Ummah, a Sun that Never Sets” and “World, Look at the Children.” Organisers note that programming will extend year-round under the “Mercy to the Worlds” project led by inter-agency committees.

“Rahmatan-lil-Alamin” Festival

Hosted at the Mellat Cultural–Cinema Complex by Tehran Municipality’s Art & Culture Organization and Saray-e Melal, with the Foreign Ministry and ICRO as partners, the festival runs 5–10 September and showcases:

• Music performances titled “Voices & Melodies of Islamic Peoples”
• Visual-arts exhibitions, poetry evenings, cultural dialogues and heritage gifts
• Thirteen ensembles representing: South Khorasan, Turkmen, Kormanj, Bushehri, Arab, Gilaki, Kurdish, Bakhtiari, Azeri, Sistan-Baluch, Mazandarani, Qashqai and Lori traditions
• Parallel fairs for traditional foods and handicrafts in black tents (Siah-Chador)
• A commemorative postage stamp unveiling on 7 September marking the 1500th anniversary

“Ummah of Ahmad (PBUH)” Expanded

Ezzatzamani announced the expansion of the “Ummah of Ahmad (PBUH)” festival to eight provinces—including Kurdistan, Tehran and Hormozgan—after its success in Sanandaj, held in line with the Sunni narration of the Prophet’s birth. Content is thematically anchored in Qur’an 48:29, aiming to embody the ideal of a single Islamic Ummah and deepen fraternal bonds.