Updated 1 February 2011

My experience in Iran is one that I will always remember and cherish. Not only did I get the opportunity to complete the ziyarat of our eighth holy Imam’s shrine, but I also had the chance to make lifelong friends. The Qum camp was a worthwhile trip because it gave participants a wide range of experiences. We had an opportunity to learn from a variety of learned scholars. Within the three weeks, we met with more great personalities then I have in my entire life.  We even had the opportunity to have a question and answer session with Ayotullah Sistani’s representative in Qum. We also had classes daily with several sheikhs, who came to teach us different subjects including Akhlaq, Aqaid and Quranic Principles. Our teachers were wonderful; they were engaging and despite classes being held so early in the morning, I took plenty of notes and learnt a lot. We also were taken on many different trips. We visited Imam Khomeini’s home, the graveyard of all the shaheed of the revolutionary war, The Shah’s secret prison in Tehran, and many other sites. One of my favorite places to visit was Behist-e-Zehra; the shaheeds graveyard. That was one of the most moving places for me. To see the thousands of graves of all of the men who sacrificed their lives for the sake of Islam; many of them being youth like ourselves. It made everything we hear about the revolution and jihad feel very real.

I enjoyed my time in Iran so much. Being able to live for even a short period of time in a place so different from where I’ve grown up really puts things into perspective. We were able to see how people are living on the other side of the world and understand that people actually have to struggle for things we take for granted, like water and air conditioning. In my short trip to Iran I made memories that I will make sure to keep with me forever. I would also like to thank everyone who made it possible for all of us to have this extraordinary experience, including The World Federation members who organized it, the volunteers in Qum who took care of us, our lovely mentors who woke us up for Fajr and all our teachers who enlightened us with their knowledge.

By Amena Karim, from Minnesota