“Salam Before Speech”: A Model for Effective Activism in Cyberspace

Birjand – The CEO of the Hedayat Foundation of the Islamic Propaganda Organization, emphasizing the role of effective communication in cognitive warfare, described “Salam Before Speech” as a simple model for strengthening activism and increasing cultural impact in cyberspace.

According to Mehr reporter, Hojjat-ul-Islam Seyyed Nasser Mirmohammadiyan said on Monday afternoon in the gathering of the daughters of Haj Qasim in Birjand, referring to the importance of virtual space in cognitive warfare: today, in addition to military warfare, a large part of society is engaged in cognitive warfare, and virtual space is considered one of the most important fields of activity and activism.

He added: In order to be effective in this field, not all people should necessarily be content producers or make clear positions on virtual pages; Rather, you can start with simple actions such as communicating with others, saying hello, expressing affection and positive emotional reactions.

The CEO of the Hedayat Foundation of the Islamic Propaganda Organization of the country, pointing out that many people who are concerned and interested in working for the revolution, spend several hours a day on social networks, said: a large number of these people just hang around in cyberspace and do not have any specific actions; While it is possible to create a great capacity for activism by encouraging them to do simple activities.

Mir Mohammadian continued: Some people think that they must produce specialized content, have enough information, or be able to answer all questions in order to be active in cyberspace; Some people also feel that their activity is useless or they are worried that they will lose their friends by taking a stand.

Stating that it is possible to start the activity without entering into these concerns, he said: greeting, congratulating, offering condolences, sympathizing with others and expressing affection are actions that almost everyone is capable of doing, and there is no need for specialized knowledge or producing complex content to start activism.

Love is a part of religious and revolutionary activism

The CEO of the Hedayat Foundation of the Islamic Propaganda Organization of the country, emphasizing that cultural activism should not be limited to sloganeering and explicit positions, stated: Sometimes we think that cultural and revolutionary activity only means expressing political slogans and positions; While sincere communication, love and attention to others can also have deep cultural effects.

Referring to the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) in the field of how to communicate with others, he added: Imam Sadiq (a.s.) emphasizes good behavior and communication with love; In such a way that the good behavior of the followers of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) should be such that others, even in the presence of differences in beliefs, attribute this behavior to the school of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) and be influenced by it.

Mir Mohammadian continued: If people feel that religious and revolutionary people are kind, sympathetic and companionable people, despite their differences, their views will also change. Therefore, we should include love and kindness among our religious and revolutionary actions.

From invisible presence to effective activism

Referring to the necessity of more active presence of religious and concerned forces in social networks, he said: Many of these people are present in the virtual space, but they prefer not to be seen and do not do specific activities; While even announcing your presence through communication and kind behavior can change the virtual space.

The CEO of the Hedayat Foundation of the Islamic Propaganda Organization of the country added: If each person can encourage a number of people around him to this type of activism, a wide network of people will gradually form, whose presence in the virtual space will provide support and encouragement to others.

Referring to the story of the Battle of Badr and the support of the angels to the believers, he considered this companionship a source of encouragement and emphasized: the presence and companionship of people, even when they are not directly active in the field, can give strength to others and remove the feeling of loneliness.

Hello, an introduction to message delivery

Referring to the idea of "greeting before words", Mir Mohammadian stated: Even if we intend to convey a message to others, it is better to communicate first; Because when the communication is formed, the ground is also provided for the speech to be heard.

Stating that this simple method can be used to expand communication and increase cultural impact, he said: Every person can start from his family, friends, classmates, neighbors and members of the mosque and his delegation and encourage those around him to communicate and behave in a loving manner.

The CEO of the Hedayat Foundation of the Islamic Propaganda Organization of the country noted: This method reduces the four main obstacles to activism, i.e. lack of skills, sense of futility of activity, fear of not being able to respond and worry of losing friends; Because to start, you only need to communicate and show affection.

He emphasized: People can gradually and according to their ability, from simple communication to more extensive activities. This gradual path provides the ground for a more effective presence in cyberspace without causing initial concerns.