The Foreign Affairs Unit, affiliated with the Public Relations Department of the Holy Alawi Shrine, carries out its specialized duties in two domains—translation and field activities—as part of the continuous services it provides to pilgrims during the days of Arbaeen al-Hussaini. This initiative plays an important role in facilitating communication with pilgrims of various nationalities and in supporting the service-delivery process and executive affairs.
Engineer Muhannad al-Jumaili, head of this unit within the Public Relations Department, stated:
“The activities of this unit are carried out along two main axes. The first is field activities, whereby the unit’s translators have been dispatched to the Services Section and the Lost Persons Unit to support service delivery, provide translation services to pilgrims, and facilitate communication with them.”
He added:
“One translator is fluent in Turkish, Azerbaijani, and Persian, while another is fluent in English and Urdu.”
Al-Jumaili continued::
“The second axis is the written translation section, which includes the translation of administrative correspondence sent from various departments of the Holy Alawi Shrine—particularly letters and correspondence issued by the Operations Room of the Million-Strong Pilgrimages—as well as the translation of directional signage, brochures, and publications specially prepared to introduce pilgrims to the shrine’s services.”
It is worth noting that the translators’ work is coordinated between the Translation Unit and the Lost Persons Unit, and that by being present at service locations, they provide direct, in-person translation services to pilgrims so that their needs, regardless of nationality, are met in the best possible manner throughout the days of Arba’een.
