In the international
section of the festival, the first rank was received by a Belgian woman, Fatima
Yalmaz, this year. Mazandaran province is the host of this festival. It
receives thousands of love notes that the lovers of Imam Reza (A.S) send
to the secretariat of the festival, from different countries of the world each
year. These letters are filled with expressions of devotion and affection
toward Ali ibn Musa al-Reza and show the love of foreigners who beyond the
borders seek for the kindness and dignity of the eighth shining star of the
Imamate.
In the international
section of the festival, the first rank was received by a Belgian woman, Fatima
Yalmaz, who wrote a love letter filled with emotions and it starts with
"Peace be upon you, O Ali ibn Musa al-Reza".
In her love note, she
addresses the eighth Imam, saying:
Peace be upon you, O Imam.
Peace be upon you, O my soul.
I love you very much, dear
Imam. I'm eager to visit you.
I've missed you a lot, O
Imam Reza. I always remember those times I was before you at the Nights of
Destiny.
I'm looking forward to those
days, dear Imam. That special Night of Destiny that I was praying under the
rain was very enjoyable.
I know you like me and give
me a hand with my problems. My life found value with you. Without you it's
worth nothing, dear Imam.
Could my heart feel calm
without you? I've missed you a lot, dear Imam.
You called me again and
saved me from this separation. I can't explain my happiness, dear Imam.
What a love it is that makes
me miss you from far distances? What a love it is that makes me miss you even
when I'm close to you.
What a love it is that even
when I'm before you, my heart is not calm.
This is the love of Ali ibn
Musa al-Reza that exists in our hearts.
Time always passes very
quickly when one is before you, but when it's the time for separation, it seems
difficult to me.
Being separated from you,
breaks my heart and my tears flow from my eyes.
I wish I would never be separated
from you and would always be by you. But I know you are always in our hearts. I
hope you call me again and do not leave me separated.
When I return home, I will
say again, "I've missed you a lot, dear Imam".