The 12th annual Great Prophet Festival, organized by the Imam Al-Hadi Foundation, kicked off at Sana’a University.
The 10-day festival features competitions in Quran recitation, Arabic poetry, and chanting for adults and youth, with 42 participants vying for top honors. This year’s events also include a marketplace for local families, and a fine arts exhibition, alongside musical performances and theatrical plays.
The opening ceremony was attended by Finance Minister Abdel-Jabbar Ahmed, Culture and Tourism Minister Dr. Ali Al-Yafai, and Head of the Central Organization for Control and Auditing Ali Al-Emad. In his remarks, the Vice Minister of Culture and Head of the Imam Al-Hadi Foundation, Abdullah Al-Washli, said the festival renews the community’s connection to the Prophet Muhammad and champions his values, character, and blessed life story.
Al-Washli emphasized the urgent need for the Muslim world to revive the Prophet’s path, study his leadership, and follow his example in jihad, confronting tyranny, and supporting the oppressed. He also addressed the atrocities of genocide and starvation facing the people of Gaza amid what he called a “shameful Arab and Islamic silence,” stressing that this situation calls for a return to the Prophet’s teachings to correct the course of the Muslim community by standing in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
He noted that the festival will highlight key moments from the Prophet’s life and that all events and performances will embody the prophetic approach, reviving the spirit of merciful Islamic teachings.
Following the speeches, a performance titled “The Greatest Leader” was presented. It depicted scenes from pre-Islamic Arabia, the birth of the Prophet, the debates among Jews about his birth, his call to his people to embrace Islam, his fight against polytheism, and his jihad to raise the word of God, support the oppressed, and thwart the plots of hypocrites, polytheists, and Jews.
