Hojat al-Islam Darvishi, Deputy for Education and Research of the Ashura International Foundation, continued his meetings with Vatican officials and academic figures on Thursday, October 17, 2025, when he, accompanied by Hassan Niazi, Deputy Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Vatican, visited the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI) and met with the distinguished Christian scholar and Ashura researcher, Professor Christopher Paul Clohessy.

During the extended meeting, Hojat al-Islam Darvishi conveyed the greetings and appreciation of Ayatollah Mohammad Hassan Akhtari, Chairman of the Supreme Council of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly and President of the Ashura International Foundation, for Professor Clohessy’s scholarly works on eminent AhlulBayt (a.s.) figures, including Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (a.s.), Imam Hussein (a.s.), Lady Zaynab (a.s.), and Hazrat Abbas (a.s.).

He also announced the Foundation’s plan to translate Professor Clohessy’s works on Ashura into Spanish, French, German, Russian, and Persian, noting that these translations would soon be published and made available to Muslim and non-Muslim audiences worldwide interested in Ashura studies. The books he added would be distributed both in print and digital formats during next year’s Arbaeen Great Walk for Imam Hussain (a.s.).

Professor Clohessy expressed his appreciation for the Foundation’s initiative and welcomed the invitation to attend the unveiling ceremony of Ashura-related works to be held in Baghdad on the auspicious birth anniversary of Imam Hussain (a.s.) in mid-Sha’ban. He also voiced his deep desire to visit the holy shrine of Imam Hussain (a.s.) in Karbala.

Emphasizing the universal significance of the Ashura discourse, Professor Clohessy stated that Ashura transcends religious, sectarian, and national boundaries, encompassing profound mystical, ethical, and socio-political dimensions. He added that the absence of Ashura-related studies in the Vatican’s Department for Interreligious Dialogue is deeply felt and affirmed that the message of Ashura could serve as an intellectual framework for promoting justice, resistance to oppression, compassion, and coexistence among religions, particularly within Christianity.

He further proposed initiating a series of interreligious academic dialogues between Islamic institutions and scholars of Ashura from various faith traditions under the auspices of the Pontifical Institute, to strengthen cultural and intellectual exchange at the global level.

Expressing satisfaction with the news of the Foundation’s efforts to translate and publish the works of other prominent Christian thinkers, such as Professor Julien Gelly and Dr. Chris Hewer, into various languages, Professor Clohessy commended this cultural initiative as a vital step toward enhancing interfaith dialogue.

He also announced his readiness to provide academic consultation and collaboration in introducing the shared concepts of Imam Hussain’s (a.s.) revolution and contributing to the production of films depicting his life and uprising wherever necessary.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Hojat al-Islam Darvishi presented a special gift to Professor Clohessy on behalf of the Warith al-Anbiya Studies Center, affiliated with the administration of the Holy Shrine of Imam Hussain (a.s.). The gift included sacred soil, fragments of the blessed shrine’s stone, and a framed carpet from the Holy Shrine of Imam Hussain (a.s.), which deeply moved and delighted Professor Clohessy.

Additionally, a collection of scholarly works on Ashura by Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, the late Ayatollah Safi Golpaygani, the late Ayatollah Reyshahri (r.a.), and other Shiite scholars was presented to the specialized library of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies to support further research and academic engagement in this field.