Introduction

The Islamic Propagation Office of the Seminary of Qom was established at the dawn of the victory of the Islamic Revolution by the order of Imam Khomeini (RA). Since the glorious victory of the Islamic Revolution (May 6, 1979) and over the course of 38 years, by continuously increasing its capabilities and playing an intermediary role between the seminaries, the regime, and popular institutions, it has strived to meet religious and cultural needs, finding a special place among the organizations responsible for cultural activities in the country.

*The Islamic Propagation Office from the perspective of Imam (RA) and the Supreme Leader (may his shadow endure)

Imam Khomeini (RA):

Thus far, the aforementioned office (the Islamic Propagation Office of the Seminary of Qom) has rendered commendable services to Islam, the Islamic Republic, and the seminaries, for which it must be thanked.

The Supreme Leader (may his shadow endure):

The Propagation Office is undoubtedly one of the blessings and divine graces, both for the seminary and for the Iranian nation.
– In my view, the Islamic Propagation Office is a symbol of seminary intellectualism.
– Regarding free-thinking, which is the foundation of the work, high hopes are pinned on the Propagation Office.
– I have placed great hopes in that office and its all-out efforts, and I expect and pray that these hopes will be fulfilled through the collective efforts and planning of the gentlemen.

*Establishment

This office initially began its activities under the name “Imam’s Propagation Office”; and finally under the title of “Islamic Propagation Office of the Seminary of Qom”. It became known as a pioneering institution in novel fields responsive to the needs of the Islamic regime and society, and is currently engaged in explaining and expanding revolutionary beliefs, insights, and values, as well as deepening and developing Islamic knowledge and awareness. It is the first cultural institution that has endeavored to draft and approve its mission statement and twenty-year horizon document.
The Islamic Propagation Office, introduced by the Supreme Leader (may his shadow endure) as the “symbol of seminary intellectualism,” has defined itself on the horizon of the country’s twenty-year vision as the “main provider of cognitive and human (software) needs in the field of culture, for the development and deepening of religious adherence.” Furthermore, “theorizing and thought-crafting in the realm of Islamic sciences and teachings to meet the intellectual needs of the contemporary world” is among the concerns of this scientific and cultural center.

*Objectives:

Centering upon the teachings of the Quran and the School of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), and intellectual-cultural boundary-guarding of the sanctuary of Velayat-e Faqih under the shadow of Imam Khomeini’s (RA) ideals, the lofty thoughts of the Supreme Leader (may his shadow endure), and the achievements of the Islamic Revolution, the Islamic Propagation Office pursues the following objectives:

General Objectives:
A) Explaining, propagating, and expanding Islamic and revolutionary beliefs, insights, and values
B) Deepening and developing Islamic knowledge and awareness

Operational Objectives:
A) Presence and participation in the country’s policymaking and propagation-scientific planning authorities to supply the intellectual-religious needs of the grand management of the regime
B) Continuous recognition of audiences and retrieval of the cultural needs and dilemmas of the regime and segments of society to make Islamic propagation and religious research targeted and efficient
C) Providing the necessary training to nurture scholars in the field of Islamic propagation and religious research activities
D) Attracting, organizing, and dispatching required clerics for domestic and foreign use and related centers, and supplying propagation content for them
E) Endeavoring and cooperating toward the production and supply of written publications, audio-visual products, software, and information portals in the field of Islamic culture and teachings by utilizing the scientific-cultural reserves of the seminaries

The Islamic Propagation Office of the Seminary of Qom pays serious attention to the following matters to elevate the quality of activities and productivity in achieving its goals:
1) Preserving and strengthening the office’s distinctive traits, including: pioneering modernization and new-thinking in religious activities, attention to areas with voids, organizational renewal, and the ability to mobilize talented seminary forces in the fields of research, education, and propagation
2) Striving to improve methods of responding to the needs and demands of audiences through the use of up-to-date methods and technologies in effective artistic formats and emphasizing the optimization of traditional methods
3) Non-intervention in service-provision affairs and refraining from entering areas with capable custodianship

*Transformation and Progress (Approaches, Fields, and Activities)

The Islamic Propagation Office of the Seminary of Qom, with three decades of continuous activity in the field of religious culture, relying on its seminary origins, utilizing the precious guidelines of Imam Khomeini (RA) and the Supreme Leader (may his shadow endure), and drawing upon a pool of knowledgeable, forward-thinking, and value-oriented seminary and academic human resources, has proven its pioneering and effective presence in various fields within the matrix of educational, research, and propagation systems and affiliated institutions—such as the Research Institute of Islamic Culture and Thought, Baqir al-Olum University (AS), and Bostan-e Ketab. Thus, it participates actively in many decision-making and policy-making centers. Relying on the premise that “the production and promotion of religion-centered thought and culture must be connected to its historical origin, namely the seminaries and the clergy,” it has paid serious attention to the following core axes:
* Capacity building
* Environmental intelligence (through communication with other organizations of the regime as well as conducting codified research)
* Seriousness in content deepening
* Redoubled effort with priority given to the cultural sphere
* Possession of a cross-sectoral attitude
* Structural cohesion and process facilitation
Accordingly, with its seminary, revolutionary, cultural, propagation, scientific, research, educational, publishing, and press institutional identity, and by playing an active intermediary role between the seminaries and the Islamic regime and the religious needs of society, the Islamic Propagation Office has transformed into a blessed tree (Shajarah Tayyibah) in the field of culture and yields abundant fruits.
What follows is a passing review of the capacities, approaches, works, and activities of the Islamic Propagation Office.

*Mission Statement

The Islamic Propagation Office, by centering on the teachings of the Quran and the School of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), defending the sanctuary of Shia Islam in the arena of interfaith and inter-religious dialogue, intellectual and cultural boundary-guarding of the ideals of Imam Khomeini (RA), Velayat-e Faqih, and the Islamic regime, honoring the precious heritage of the seminary, new-thinking and innovation, clash of opinions, and future-casting, has proceeded to draft its mission statement. Its introductory passage states:
“The Islamic Propagation Office is a seminary, revolutionary, propagation, and scientific institution that, by playing an active intermediary role between the seminaries and the religious needs of the people and the Islamic regime, explains and expands Islamic and revolutionary beliefs, insights, and values, and deepens and develops Islamic knowledge and awareness”.

*Important Axes of the Statement:
Clause 1: “Presence and participation in the country’s propagation and scientific policymaking and planning authorities to supply the intellectual-religious needs of the grand management of the regime”
Clause 2: “Continuous recognition of audiences and retrieval of the religious-cultural needs and dilemmas of the regime and strata of society for the purpose of targeting and making efficient Islamic propagation and religious researches”
Clause 3: Providing the necessary training to nurture scholars in the field of Islamic propagation and religious research activities”
Clause 4: Theorizing and thought-crafting in the realm of Islamic sciences and teachings to supply the intellectual-religious needs of the contemporary world.
Attracting, organizing, and dispatching required clerics for domestic and foreign countries to related institutions and centers and supplying propagation content for them, endeavoring and cooperating in the production and supply of written publications, audio-visual products, software, and information portals in the field of Islamic culture and teachings by leveraging the scientific-cultural reserves of the seminaries, supporting and providing infrastructural and financial facilities where necessary for propagation, educational, and research activities in the field of religious culture are other matters addressed in this statement.

*Twenty-Year Horizon Document of the Islamic Propagation Office of the Seminary of Qom

With the help of Almighty God and seeking assistance from the graces of the Master of the Age (AJ), the Islamic Propagation Office of the Seminary of Qom, as the symbol of seminary intellectualism on the horizon of the regime’s twenty-year vision, has depicted its future image with an active and dynamic approach, possessing intelligence toward upcoming challenges and geared toward the development of religious adherence in society (which is among the necessities of Islamic civilization-building and a prerequisite for realizing the regime’s twenty-year vision) in such a way that its most important core passage is: “The primary provider of cognitive and human (software) needs in the cultural sphere for the development and deepening of religious adherence.”
As evident from the text of the horizon document, theorizing and model-making for the regime are considered among the main duties of the Islamic Propagation Office. In this direction, the office will possess the following traits within the aforementioned horizon:
– Convergent and transformative in the seminaries, a theorist and model-maker for the Islamic regime, and a guide and respondent to social strata and groups within the scope of national and transnational issues;
– Active, current-generating, and immunity-providing against cultural challenges;
– Capable and pioneering in the objective and etiological recognition of audience needs;
– Pioneering in offering novel, timely, and effective products and services;
– Endowed with a dynamic, knowledge-centered, Velayat-adhering, value-oriented, and law-abiding organization;
– Relying on committed, scholarly, creative, future-casting, compliant, and revolutionary human resources.

*Organization

The Islamic Propagation Office consists of 4 deputy offices (Education, Research, Cultural & Propagation, Human Resources & Support), 3 general directorates (President’s Office, Security & Protection, Special Research Office), 9 affiliated institutes and centers (Research Institute of Islamic Culture and Thought, Baqir al-Olum University (AS), Qard al-Hasan Loan Fund, Masoumiyeh Seminary Higher Education Institute, Bostan-e Ketab Institute, Ferdows-e Vosuf Cultural Institute, Imam Reza (AS) Seminary Higher Education Institute, Mojtahedah Amin Seminary Higher Education Institute, Allameh Mojtahedi Institute), and three branches (Isfahan, Southeast, Khorasan), along with 2 representations in Tehran and Khuzestan.