The “Sobh” International Media Event announced its winners.

With the unveiling of the latest painting by Hasan Ruh Al-Amin dedicated to the Palestinian people and honoring Israa Albhaisi, the renowned journalist from Al-Alam Network in Gaza.

With the unveiling of “Fath Gharib,” the latest painting by Hasan Ruh Al-Amin dedicated to the Palestinian people, and a special tribute to Israa Albhaisi, the esteemed reporter of Al-Alam Network in Gaza, the closing ceremony of the 2nd International Media Event was held. The ceremony was attended by a select group of Iranian artists and guests from various countries, along with the head of IRIB and several managers at the IRIB International Conference Center. Although the late president of our country was scheduled to attend and speak at the event, the Sobh Event was organized in his honor during the closing ceremony.

Change of programs in honor of the martyred president and honest servants of the Iranian nation

At the beginning of the ceremony, Mohsen Yazdi, the event’s director, assumed his position. In his speech, he honored the memory and honorable position of the martyrs, altering the ceremony’s format due to the unfortunate incident resulting in the martyrdom of the President of Iran, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other high-ranking officials. He mentioned that the second edition of the Sobh festival was originally planned to take place in a grand and spacious hall. Preparations were made, but it was natural that despite all the predictions and the wide invitation of the closing guests, the final ceremony of the festival would be affected, and the form of the performance would undergo a fundamental change.

He added that due to the limited time for the presence of guests from other countries and the fact that most of them will leave for their countries in the early hours of the morning, it was decided to finish this event according to the previous schedule, but with a change in the approach and manner of holding it. We hope that the message of sacrifice and martyrdom of the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in light of hosting this international event, will receive a fitting tribute befitting the dignity of these esteemed individuals.

Protest Against the Genocide in Gaza; Uniting the Free People of the World

In the following, Ahmad Noroozi, Head of IRIB World Service and Chairman of the Festival’s Policy Council, stood behind the podium. He expressed his condolences for the tragic loss of Iran’s martyred president and his companions. Noroozi mentioned that after the helicopter accident involving the president and his delegation, a decision had to be made. The options were either to cancel the final ceremony or to transform it into a more intimate event. This event would honor the participants and commemorate the individuals who significantly influenced the establishment of a new world order in West Asia.

The director of the 2nd Sobh Media Festival highlighted the main theme of the event and its purpose. He emphasized the protest against the open genocide by the Zionist regime in Gaza as the primary concern and common point of interest among independent media activists worldwide. This issue has become a focal point for participants and special guests at the event, given the current global situation and developments.

He stated, “Despite the 228 days of genocide and the killing of our brothers and sisters in Gaza, we had no reason to celebrate the Sobh event from the beginning. The tragedy of the martyrdom of the President of Iran, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and their companions has altered our pre-planned arrangements. Today, we honor not only the thousands of martyrs of Gaza but also the important supporters of the people of Gaza, Martyr Ayatollah Raisi and Martyr Amir-Abdullahian.

He continued, “The Iranian nation will overcome this tragedy stronger than in the past. We hope to see an end to the genocide in Gaza as soon as possible and to halt the crimes of the aggressors.”

He stated that 228 days have passed since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza. While the awakened consciences of people worldwide and some independent governments are protesting against 76 years of oppression, ethnic cleansing, and usurpation of Palestinian land, some anti-human powers not only turn a blind eye to these crimes but shamelessly contribute to their continuation and escalation. The second edition of the Sobh festival could have been a grand celebration. However, the dear lives of defenseless women, men, and children in Palestine, from Gaza to the West Bank, being targeted by brutal Zionist crimes and hunger, homelessness, forced migration from temporary shelters, loss of family members, lack of access to medicine and treatment, injuries, amputations, and martyrdom, casts a shadow on them, celebrating under these circumstances would be a great injustice.

Noroozi added, “Our grief mixed with anger over this oppression did not allow the Sobh Festival, which was formed with the idea of ‘New World Media and Order,’ to be indifferent to the nearly eight months of genocide in Gaza and 76 years of oppression of the Palestinians in its second edition. The Palestine Special Section has influenced all aspects of the closing ceremony.

According to him, the Sobh festival explores “the role of the media in shaping the new world order” in four key areas: the significance of local and regional identities; spirituality and cultural authority; the influence of family heritage; and the discourse of resistance and opposition to oppressive forces. Four important indicators that were more evident than ever in the 228 days of genocide in Gaza were: 76 years have passed since the Nakba Day and the conspiracy to wipe out Palestinian land and establish a country for European immigrants by the colonialists. The proud people of Palestine and Gaza have preserved and strengthened the Palestinian identity and their right to live and return to the occupied lands.

Referring to the 228 days of the genocide in Gaza as the pinnacle of the relationship between the subject and the object, the spiritual connection, and the intensity of faith among the people of Gaza, both Muslims and non-Muslims, the Head of IRIB World Service highlighted that this profound and sublime spirituality illuminated Palestinian culture worldwide. He emphasized that symbols like Quran 3:173, “Allah alone is sufficient as an aid for us, and He is the best protector,” showcased the culture’s richness and authority to the global audience. On the other hand, after 228 days of genocide in Gaza, the intensity of death scenes, such as bidding farewell to “Ruh al-Ruh” on the pages of history and the narratives that unveiled a new meaning of love, belonging, and family, it is astonishing that the world, united by the sorrow of mothers embracing martyred children and saying goodbye to children alongside the bodies of their parents, has not shattered and still stands.

The Chairman of the Sobh Media Festival stated that 228 days of genocide in Gaza demonstrated that the more brutal the enemy, the stronger their allies, and the more sophisticated their military equipment, it is the determination of the nations that will ultimately overcome the sea of blood and reach the pinnacle of victory, and this is a sincere promise from God. No public or humanitarian media event can remain indifferent to what has been said. Today, we are able to narrate a part of what transpired in Gaza thanks to the blood and unwavering faith of Palestinian media martyrs. Additionally, credit is due to the individuals whose phones transformed into the broadest screens, displaying the truth to people worldwide. These individuals demonstrated that a new world order, shaped by the will of nations, is emerging, and a morning is imminent, akin to “the morning when it blows and dispels darkness with its light.”

We stand at the top.

Vahid Jalili, the Cultural Deputy of the Head of the IRIB, mentioned during the closing ceremony of the 2nd Sobh International Festival that even after 45 years, we continue to witness the revolution gaining strength and effectively conveying its message. He emphasized that we reside in a nation that was once an American colony in the truest sense, but now stands tall and competes at the highest level.

He added, “Today, our beloved country is among the top nuclear countries in the world and ranks high in nanotechnology. We have millions of students and hundreds of thousands of faculty members, a scale that cannot be compared with other societies.”

Referring to the presence of guests and journalists from other countries at the Sobh International Festival, Jalili said, “We would have liked to host you in better conditions, but we mourned our martyred president.” We are proud that the flag raised by Imam Khomeini (RA) is still flying, and we are hosting esteemed colleagues from the front of resistance and struggle against imperialism in this proud country. I hope that this solidarity will increase day by day. One day, we will witness the inevitable defeat of imperialism in the world. With increasing solidarity every day, we will bring more hope to the oppressed people around the world.

Sobh is at the core of the independent network against Western media imperialism.

Peyman Jebbeli, the head of IRIB, was also the keynote speaker at the event. At the conclusion of the Sobh International Media Festival, the head of the IRIB pointed out that the audience was deprived of the opportunity to hear the words of the late president who was martyred. Because we had a brief approval of their presence at the ceremony before losing them in a tragic incident, he addressed the guests and said, “You, our peers in the anti-imperialist resistance fronts, tomorrow you will witness a significant event: the gathering of millions of mourners at the funeral ceremony. The bodies of the martyrs from the recent incident will be commemorated as a significant historical event in the collective memory of humanity.

He added, “Tomorrow, the memorable scenes of people’s presence at the burial scene of Martyr Soleimani’s body will be repeated again.” Undoubtedly, these moments will be very difficult for us, but thanks to independence, self-belief, truth-seeking, courage, and the trained forces of the revolution, the Islamic system of Iran has achieved such a solid infrastructure that even such a painful and irreparable loss is a disruption in its will to continue. The path does not lead to revolution.

Stating that the structure of the Islamic Republic at its highest level is designed within a framework that will persist despite damage and disruptions, Jebelli said, “Fortunately, the Islamic Revolution of Iran has grown stronger day by day as it has navigated a challenging path, relying on several crucial elements.” Independence, truthfulness, and defense of the deprived are some of its core values, ensuring its coherence both domestically and internationally.

He continued, “One of the characteristics of the martyred president is to raise the flag of truth-seeking in the world, which we saw in the display of the photo of Sardar Soleimani and the Holy Quran at the time of insulting the Holy Quran at the United Nations. We observed similar traits in our martyred foreign minister.

Jebelli added that he was a jihadist and a tireless individual who fought bravely on the diplomatic battlefront. Until the Vadeh Sadegh operation, during which Iran targeted sites in the occupied territories with 130 ballistic missiles in response to the terrorist acts of the Zionist regime, no statements were made against Iran. This was the result of a brave and continuous effort in the field of diplomacy, led by Martyr Amir-Abdollahian.

The head of the IRIB stated that moving forward, the system will witness figures like martyr Soleimani, the late president, and martyr Amir-Abdollahian. He pointed to the resistance, emergence, and manifestation of the willful generational heroes during the past eight months and said, “Israa Albhaisi” reporter for Al-Alam, is our pride and a symbol of our media resistance in Gaza. There are quite a few people like her who have become influential figures in the media, informing the world about the atrocities in Gaza. In the past months, tens of thousands of media activists have been informing the uninformed public opinion in the West about the events in Gaza, unaffected by the regime’s censorship.

Jebelli added, “Today, we are witnessing a general awakening among academics in the West and in various parts of the world. It is the result of your activities as journalists and media activists that the truth has finally reached the global public opinion for the first time. These are all the blessings of the new generation of media that you are a part of.

In the end, the head of the IRIB, while expressing gratitude to the organizers of the Sobh media event, stated: “The Sobh Festival, as an event that can yield positive outcomes, could serve as the initial step and foundation for establishing a network to counter Western media imperialism on both regional and global level.” The second edition of the Sobh festival exceeded our expectations and has the potential to generate significant events in the international arena in the future.

Honoring Israa Albhaisi, Hero of Resistance Media

Israa Albhaisi, the journalist of Al-Alam Network in Gaza, was honored for her brilliant media efforts in reflecting the crimes of the Zionist regime and exposing the cruel genocide against the oppressed people of Gaza. In the text of Jebelli’s acknowledgment of this exemplary and dedicated journalist, it is stated:

Praise be to the great Allah who saved Joseph (AS) from the well, Jonah (AS) from the darkness of the fish’s belly, Noah (AS) from the flood, Moses’ (AS) cradle from the waves of the Nile, Jesus (AS) from the schemes of the Jews, and Muhammad (PBUH) from the conspiracies of the polytheists. He instilled in our hearts faith in a bright “morning” after the pitch-black darkness of the night of oppression. 

These days, it is only this inspiring faith and certainty that comforts us. We deeply believe that the heart-wrenching cries of fathers who have lost their children, the restless hands of mothers embracing blood-stained small shrouds, and the desperate cries of children who have lost their parents will break the barrier of oppression, and the smile of the “morning” will appear on the parched lips and grief-stricken faces.

My dear, spirited sister, 
 
There is no doubt that although our bodies were not bloodied with you in Gaza, our spirit, memory, and hearts will always be with you through the battle of truth and falsehood, the war of truth and lies, and the struggle of the real owners of the land of Palestine and its usurper. We have seen your bravery every day and night, your great jihad to bring the voice of the voiceless people of Gaza to our eyes.
 
The second media festival by the name of Sobh, or morning, is an occasion for us to say that there is no sincerity, effort, or faith more worthy than what has manifested in the existence of this courageous female reporter of Al-Alam in Gaza, before whose grandeur we all bow. We pray to the gracious God that soon we will hear the news of the victory of the resistance and the liberation of Gaza and Al-Aqsa Mosque from the control of the Zionist regime through the powerful and joyful voice and image of “Israa Al-Bahisi, the reporter of Al-Alam from Gaza.” Hoping for that “And by the morning when it breathes…”

Winners of the 2nd Sobh International Media Event Award

Prizes for the winners of the Sobh International Festival were awarded by the jury to selected works in the main section with the theme “Media and the New World Order.” The selection was based on the value of local and regional identities, spiritualism and cultural authority, family heritage, the discourse of resistance and opposition against oppressive powers, as well as in the IRIB World Service section and the Palestine Special Section.

Main Section:

Best Vlog Award: “Richard Medhurst”

Best Short Animation: “Seyed Mohsen Pourmohseni Shakib” for Pootin

Best Television-Documentary Award “Alireza Dehghan” for Isatis 

Best Motion Graphic: “Alalam”

Best Radio Drama: “Javad Pishgar”

Best Radio Program: “Hanieh Pirami”

Best Radio Documentary: “Farshid Zaboori”

Best Radio Report: “Giti Mohammadi”

Best TV Program: “Aalamcom”

IRIB World Service Section:

Best Radio Magazine: “Abdolhadi Forooghian”

Best Radio News Report: “Gholam Abbas Heidari”

Best Music Video: “Zoha Shahriari” for “If I Must Die”

Best Magazine Show: “Expose”

Best Talk Show: “Dardasha”

Best Radio Announce and Radio Spot: “Mohaddese Ahmadi”

Television Documentary: “Radwan Mortada” for “Iran and Iraq”

Best News Coverage: “Press TV”  

Best News Report: “Marcelo Ali Sanchez”

Best Radio Program: “Atefe Erfani”

Best Podcast: “Fatemeh Baqeri”

Best Radio Magazine: “Sanaz Ehsani”

Best Website: Press TV

Social Media: “Press TV’s X Page”

Palestine Secial Section:

Best Music Video: “Ali Ahmad Diab” for “How Enthralling Are the Martyrs”

Best Short Film: “Saeed Moltaji” for “Message”

Best News Coverage: “Felestin Alyum TV Channel” for “Ebadeh”

Best Cartoon Illustration: “Carlos Latuff”

Best TV Program: “Palestine Declassified”

Festival Special Award “Stop Zionist Hate” for Innovation in Support of Palestine and Confronting the Zionist Hate 

Citizen Journalist: “Ahmed Abu El-Rous”

Best Motion Graphic: “Press TV”

Best TV News Report: “Ali Shoeib”

Best Podcast: “Fatemeh Roshan” and “Abbas Muntaqim” 

Best Short Animation “Mohammad Lotfali” for “Sound of Clouds”

Best Graphic Illustration: “Ahmad Vejdan Nezhaad”

Best Illustration: “Michael Barati”

Best Feature Story: “Ali Bou Jbara”

Best Documentary: “Ehsan Shadmani”

Sobh Special Awards for Independent Media Activists.

Honoring Marwa Osman was another part of this ceremony. Upon receiving her award, she said, “I present this award to a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who is a symbol for those who lost their lives in the occupied territories in Palestine.”

Ahmed Kaballo also received the “Special Award of the Festival Secretary” for his media role in “Africa Stream,” showcasing local and regional identities from Africa.

In his words, he said, “One should bow down in front of those who die by resisting and standing. Against these people and the resistance that the Palestinian people have shown in recent days.”

The “Palestinian Special Award” was also presented to Suhad Khatib for her remarkable paintings depicting the oppression of the Palestinian people and the genocide in Gaza.

Tadhg Hickey, an Irish media activist and comedian, was also honored for his influential work on social media in support of Palestine.

In his words, he said, “The Western media are trying to instill an atmosphere of Iran-phobia. But the people of Iran are dignified people, and in the current situation and circumstances, the resistance must persist.

The unveiling of “Fath Gharib,” the latest work by Hasan Ruh Al-Amin

In continuation of this ceremony, the latest painting by Hasan Ruh Al-Amin was unveiled. The painting depicts the theme of the power of resistance and the oppression of the people of Gaza.

Ruh Al-Amin commented on the painting, stating that it is inspired by Quran 61:13.

Gaza needs our help more than ever.

Radwan Mortada, one of the international guests and winners of the festival, stated in his speech, “We have failed Gaza.” The reality is that Gaza needs our help more than ever, and I am grateful to the Sobh festival for inviting journalists and filmmakers from all over the country to attend this event and discuss Gaza.

Sobh is a beacon of hope for Palestinian idealists worldwide.

Sean Murray, a documentary filmmaker and one of the judges of this event, addressed the Iranian guests by saying, “You have leaders and officials who have created a peaceful and revolutionary environment for you so that you can easily support the cause of Palestine.”

He added, “In European countries, we live in an atmosphere where people’s policies and public opinion are contrary to the policies of the authorities. Therefore, I hope this gathering and support for Palestine will continue.”

Telling the truth is the only way to support a movement.

Igor Lopatonok, a filmmaker and a judge of this festival, also emphasized, “When we discuss resistance, we must acknowledge the dedication of all reporters and journalists in uncovering the truth. Talking about reality and truth can be challenging due to the high stakes involved. But this should not question our mission as journalists. Sometimes telling the truth is the only way to support a movement.”

The 2nd Sobh International Media Festival was held from May 19th to May 21st, with Mohsen Yazdi as the director. In this international event, more than 3,000 domestic and international works were examined and judged. Over 33 guests, including intellectuals, documentary filmmakers, journalists, and prominent media activists from different countries attended the event in Iran. They held three professional workshops at the Mellat Complex and numerous workshops at universities and cultural-media centers, where they shared their artistic and media experiences with Iranian filmmakers, artists, journalists, and students.

The closing ceremony on the evening of May 21st was attended by Peyman Jebelli, the Head of the IRIB; Mahdi Mojtahed, Executive Deputy of the Head of the IRIB; Vahid Jalili, Cultural Deputy of the Head of the IRIB; Ahmad Noroozi, Head of IRIB World Service; Mohsen Barmahani, Vice President of the IRIB; Hassan Abedini, Deputy Minister of Provincial Affairs; Seyyed Taqi Sohrabi, Deputy Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; Hossein Qaraei, General Director of IRIB Public Relations; as well as domestic and international guests, managers, and colleagues of the national media.