Draft:Grand Prize of the Great Prophet (s)

The Grand Prize of the Great Prophet (s) (Persian: جایزه بزرگ پیامبر اعظم) is an international cultural and artistic festival dedicated to portraying the authentic character of Prophet Muhammad (s). Established in response to sacrilegious acts directed against the Prophet (s) and Islamic sanctities between 2012 and 2013, the initiative aims to utilize cultural mediums—particularly cinema, literature, and the visual arts—to illuminate the genuine persona of the Prophet (s).

The inaugural edition was organized by the Ahlul Bayt World Assembly in collaboration with various cultural and artistic institutions, taking place from May 24 to May 26, 2014, in Tehran. The competition spanned three categories: short film, screenwriting, and book authorship and translation. During the closing ceremony, a poster was unveiled for a proposed second iteration titled "The Grand Prize of the Prophet (s) and the Quran"; however, this subsequent event did not materialize.

The monograph Is Mohammad a Prophet?, authored by Mohammad Hassan Ghadiri Abyaneh and published in the United States in 2017, was selected as a distinguished English-language entry in the festival's inaugural run.

Background

Poster of the second round of the Grand Prize of the Prophet (s) festival titled "The Grand Prize of the Prophet (s) and the Quran", which was not held.

During 2012 and 2013, a series of affronts to Prophet Muhammad (s) and Islamic sanctities occurred in Europe and the United States, triggering significant global media coverage and provoking outrage among Muslims. Notably, the production of "Innocence of Muslims," a film by Nakoula Basseley Nakoula produced in the US with the assistance of expatriate Egyptian Copts, was deemed offensive to the Prophet and Islam. This led to widespread condemnation and protests in nations such as Egypt and Libya.

In response to these events, the Ahlul Bayt World Assembly organized a series of programs in 2012 titled "Covenant with the Prophet of Mercy and Justice." Subsequently, in 2013, the Assembly, in concert with other cultural institutions, established a working group designated "The Grand Prize of the Great Prophet (s)." The objective of this prize was to leverage artistic output—specifically in cinema, literature, and visual arts—to project an accurate image of the Prophet (s).

First Round

Image of the book "Is Mohammad a Prophet?", one of the selected books of the first Grand Prize of the Great Prophet (s) festival in English.

The inaugural Grand Prize of the Great Prophet (s) festival was convened by the Ahlul Bayt World Assembly in partnership with cultural and artistic bodies from May 24 to May 26, 2014, in Tehran. Keynote speakers at the opening ceremony included Muhammad Hasan Akhtari, the then Secretary-General of the Ahlul Bayt World Assembly, and Majid Majidi, a renowned Iranian film director. The festival solicited entries in three primary fields: screenwriting, short film (comprising animation and fiction), documentaries, and book authorship and translation in English (subdivided into biography and apologetics). The event concluded on the eve of the Mab'ath of Prophet Muhammad (s) with an awards ceremony honoring the laureates. Although organizers announced plans for future annual iterations, only the first round was successfully executed.

Selected Book of the First Festival in English

Facilitated by the Ahlul Bayt World Assembly, the English-language book Is Mohammad a Prophet? by Mohammad Hassan Ghadiri Abyaneh was published in 2017 by "Ahlul Bayt Publications" in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, USA. This work was recognized as a selected title during the first Grand Prize of the Great Prophet (s) festival.

See Also

• Year of the Great Prophet (s)