Youths encouraged to be patriotic and hardworking

During the COVID-19 lockdown, it is impossible to meet and carry out activities as previously.

However, Muhammad Reza Ghezel Sofla the Cultural Consulate of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran says they have learnt to engage the youth in activities that stimulate their brains instead of being idle and disorderly.

One way they did that was to organise an essay competition where every youth regardless of their religious affiliation participated. 

"We tasked the youth to write an essay about Iran today and new Islamic civilization," Ghezel Sofla revealed over the weekend.

These were to compete for the undisclosed cash and cultural prizes in case their essays won.

Saluwa Salha Sukana Biliwo, the first winner revealed that she found the essay competition timely because it occupied her during the Covid 19 lock down.

"I was not occupied during the lockdown but when the competition came, I found work to do on a temporary basis," Biliwo stated. "I learned the nature and reality of Islamic Republic of Iran through researching and writing the essay."

Besides that, Biliwo intimated that the essay writing helped her to improve on the research and the writing skills in addition to analysing different political issues.

"When I return to school, I will be able to use the same skills to improve my academic grades," she attested.

The second winner, Sharifa Nalukwago, a second-year student at Al- Mustafa Islamic College said through the research, the competition taught her to have values like honesty, and patriotism, which are good to emulate.

"We should be ready to fight for our nation's peace if we want to develop," she said.

Instead of seating back and relaxing, Umar Mubiru the third winner and also a journalist in Kampala said the essay writing urged them to find solutions to their country's problems.

"It instilled in us the zeal to solve contemporary challenges of our society through education, research, creativity and innovation and scientific technologies that are already well grounded in Iran," he revealed.

Before giving of the awards, Ghezel Sofla encouraged the youth to always clarify the information through research to avoid fatal blunders.

"That is the only way they will be able to change the nation," he remarked.

In the light of the ongoing political campaigns for the 2021 elections, Ghezel Sofla encouraged Ugandans to go and cast their vote.

"You can only practice democracy by voting for the leader you want," he said this during the commemoration of Iran defense week, which was immediately after the competition.

He added that the roots a development are located inside the country.

"Development is not imported issue. So, all people should be united under one umbrella develop the beloved country Uganda," he said.

"Before 1979, Iran was under a monarchical kingdom ship. Then all Iranians under the leadership of Imam Khomeini decided to be united and demanded for Islamic Republic political system rule." he said, "Today all Iranians choose their leaders through casting the vote.

"Unfortunately, everything changed when some western countries wanted to suffocate the new revolution in 1980 and they imposed an eight -years- war (September 22, 1980 - August 20, 1988) on Iran using Iraq's Saddam Husain as an agent. But after an 8-year resistance, the Iranians gained their liberty."

Ghezel Sofla appealed to the participants to be hardworking and defend their nation at all costs since both Christianity and Islam encourages us to love our country as it is part of faith.

"Religious democracy comes with human values and equality for all but not certain class of people that leave others suffering," he said.

Salim Imran, a lecturer at Islamic College, Lubaga Kabusu observed that the defense week is helpful because it teaches Ugandans to be united if they want to achieve a common goal of peace and equality for all individuals.

Mortazavi the wife of His Excellence Murtaza Mortazavi Iranian ambassador in Uganda encouraged the winners and all to try their own best for the development of the country as Iranian did and succeeded.