The International Seminar of Mahdism Doctrine

(Tehran - 6th & 7th September 2006)
Peace be upon al-Mahdi through whom Allah has promised to unite nations, put an end to disunion and fill the earth with justice
The worthy culture of Mahdism and its valuable teachings have a capability to influence on different aspects of human life and potentially can fulfill the mankind needs in every field. It is therefore incumbent upon intelligentsia and researchers to theorize about the issue of Mahdism.

Introduction:
The Bright Future Institute was established in early 2004 by a number of scholars and masters of Islamic seminaries in the holy city of Qom with a view to develop the culture of lntizar or Awaiting Imam Mahdi a.s and to increase the knowledge about him both in Iran and abroad by supporting research and cultural works of other scholars. This Institute is a non-profit making, independent research centre which promotes efforts to reject wrong ideas about Imam Mahdi by holding discussion sessions and also by preparing scientific answers to respond to superstitions surrounding him.
The Bright Future Institute is to hold an international Seminar every year in the presence of the President of IRI about fifteenth of Sha’ban, the auspicious birthday of Imam Mahdi (May God hasten His reappearance).
For more information about us please visit the BFI Web-site by clicking here or here to visit our Farsi language news agency.
Papers are invited for:
1. The teachings of Mahdism and its capability for theorizing as a doctrine.
2. The Mahdism and Messianic Doctrine in other religions (Abrahamic: Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrian and non-Abrahamic: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Shintoism, Daoism and Confuciusism )
3. The Mahdism and other contemporary political-social doctrine (Alvin Toffler’s theory of third wave, Francis Fukuyama’s End of History, Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations, Khatami’s Dialog between civilizations, globalization, westernization and Americanization globalism)
4. The Mahdism vis-أ -vis the major philosophical theories of history ( the theories of Durkim, Marks, Weber, Parsons, Hegel, Ibn Khaldun, Plato, Al-Farabi, Egustin, Socialism etc)
5. Mahdism and theories of Traditionalists and Modernists(the theory of Kumara Soami, Rene Geneon, Titus Borkheart, Seyed Hussein Nasr, Martin Lings, Huston Smith, Hance Koung etc)
6. The Mahdism and culture (conventions, history, language, literature, religion, sociology, anthropology etc)
7. The Mahdism and the Renaissance subsequent experiences (scientism, rationalism, philosophical schools, humanism schools, the methods of politic)
8. The Mahdism and politics (International relations, Human Right, Democracy, Liberalism, political strategy, the international law, global politic, international organizations
9. The Mahdism teachings & theorizing and its influence on:
a. Anthropology
b. Education
c. Sociology
d. Ethic & mysticism
e. Spiritualism
f. Economy
g. Management
h. Art
i. Technology
Further explanations:
1) Articles with subjects similar to the seminar articles are also accepted.
2) Articles should not have been published in other publications or even released to other seminars previously held in Iran. The accepted articles will be later published in a book and the rights of their authors will be acknowledged.
3) The interested people should forward an abstract or a summary of their articles (maximum 500 words and in Microsoft Word Format) written in English, Arabic or Persian to the secretary of the Seminar for consideration by the scientific committee of the institute preferably via E-mail by10th of June 2006.
4) Researchers whose abstracts or article summaries are accepted by the BF Institute should forward their articles written in one of the above-mentioned languages (maximum 6,000 words and in Microsoft Word Format) to the secretary of the Seminar for the final review via E-mail or in a diskette form by11th of June 2006.
5) The conference will be held on September 6th and 7th, 2006 in Tehran in the presence of IRI president at the auditorium of Islamic leaders’ conference.
6) There will be no registration fee and the Institute will pay all the expenses.
7) The interested people should fill the registration form and send it to the secretary of the Seminar.
8) The address of the Seminar Web-site is:
www.intizar.org
Please mark all correspondence for the attention of the secretary of MD seminar:
Bright Future Institute (BFI)
PO Box 37185-471
No 5 - 23rd Alley
Safaieye .St.
Qom
Iran.
Tel: 0098 (251) 7833 713
Fax: 0098 (251) 7834 329
Or E-mail to:
secretary@intizar.org
article@intizar.org