TIBF panel discussion urges Muslim publishers to follow up immediate necessities

1391/02/21-08:30

A panel discussion in the 25th Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF) urged world Muslim publishers to join hands in examining and identifying the immediate needs and demands in the field and to follow up such urgent necessities, TIBF press office reported Wednesday.

Organized by the IRI-based International Union of Muslim Publishers, the panel discussion was held at the union’s pavilion in north Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla (grand mosque), the venue of the book fair and was joined by representatives of publishing corps in different Muslim countries.

Ali Zare’i Najafdari, the union’s director general, opened the discussion saying the inter-Muslim union had played a key role in promoting of Muslim publishing industry by having world Muslim publishers to exchange with one another.

As for the union’s objectives, Mr. Zare’i said the union was established in 2009 in a bid to mend several shortfalls within the field including poor knowledge on the part of Muslim publishers from one another that at some occasions had led to duplicate and even conflicting projects.

According to Mr. Zare’i, a draft policy of the union was ratified in a second convention in 2011 in Tehran and a general assembly was subsequently established. The director general said the union’s executive council would convene in mid-June in Tehran to decide on terms of membership.

Up to 650 top Muslim publishers had joined the union since establishment, Mr. Zaer’i said, adding that official enrolment would start only after the membership terms are officially approved in mid-June convention.

The union has also been popular with Muslim publishers who run business in non-Muslim states, the director general said, adding that the union would pursue in future sessions the possible ways of putting in place an efficient distribution system among the members.

The inter-Muslim union primarily focuses on humanities-related themes, including religion while pursuing a general scope under its policy, the director general said.