The holy Al-Husseiniya shrine announced today, Thursday, its participation with more than 550 titles in the 18th edition of the Erbil International Book Fair, revealing that it has printed and published over 15,000 titles in the past ten years, confirming that its pavilion is witnessing wide demand from various segments of society.
A representative of the shrine at the fair, Ammar Abbas, said in a press interview seen by "Video News Agency," that "the shrine is participating for the tenth time in the Erbil International Book Fair with more than 550 titles that vary among religious, intellectual, philosophical, historical fields, and the biographies of the pure Imams (peace be upon them)."
Abbas added that "the shrine includes more than 15 sections that contribute to the publication of books and printed materials, including the Intellectual Affairs section, Religious Affairs section, Prophets Studies Foundation, Nahj al-Balagha Foundation, and Al-Da'il Foundation," explaining that "the shrine is keen on presenting new releases at every fair, where each affiliated institution offers between 20 and 30 new publications."
He clarified that "the publications are subject to review and verification before they are approved for printing, as the ideas presented by researchers and writers are studied to ensure their soundness and absence of issues before being subjected to reading and evaluation."
He pointed out that "the shrine's pavilion is witnessing wide demand from various ages, segments, and components, in addition to continuous visits from school students as part of educational trips during both the morning and evening sessions."
He continued that "the public turnout exceeded expectations, especially since the fair coincided with the beginning of the school year," confirming that "the pavilion is experiencing continuous attendance from visitors at levels similar to previous years."
Abbas noted that "the shrine adopts symbolic prices for selling its publications, despite the rising costs of printing and quality, as most books are sold at nominal prices or at cost price," stressing that "the main goal of participation is service and knowledge, not profit."
Regarding the remaining books after the fair concludes, Abbas explained that "these publications are transferred to other fairs in which the shrine participates, including fairs in Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, and Zakho, or are returned to the main warehouses in Karbala."
He confirmed that "the shrine's participations are not limited to local fairs but extend to Arab, Islamic, and international fairs, including fairs in the Sultanate of Oman, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iran."
Abbas revealed that "the volume of knowledge production for the Al-Husseiniya shrine has seen significant expansion over the past decade, surpassing 1,000 titles for each of its five affiliated institutions," pointing out that "the total number printed and published by the shrine in the past ten years exceeded 15,000 titles in various fields."