The first international lecture of the pre-con events of the international conference on Imam Reza and Interreligious Dialogue was held online on December 13, 2023. At this session, Dr. Zahra Sharif  (Assistant Professor, Research Institute of Woman and Family) delivered her speech in Arabic under the title “Foundations of Family Ethics in the Contemporary World”. 

Amid contemporary developments and the challenges of modernity and postmodernity, the family faces significant challenges in maintaining its ethics and its pioneering role in society, due to the technological revolution and current economic transformations. These transformations, which have reshaped ethical concepts and values under the influence of liberalism and relativism, put religion and the family in confrontation with a prevailing culture that threatens to weaken traditional ethical values. This highlights the need to reconsider the family's fundamentals as a basis for ethics in facing these challenges. The ethical challenges imposed by the contemporary world are manifold, starting with the erosion of values due to skepticism towards the theoretical foundations of ethics, through to individualism and the rise of cultural privatization that exacerbates the gap between generations and leads to the neglect of traditional values. Moreover, prioritizing pleasure and enjoyment over true values contributes to dismantling the real meaning of life. In the face of these challenges, the family's capacity and its fundamental role in enhancing ethics and confronting challenges emerge through the emphasis on collective identity and deepening family relationships based on values and traditions. The family can play a vital role in embedding ethical values by focusing on strengthening family bonds, maintaining communication among its members, and enhancing awareness of the importance of living righteously and observing Islamic values in all aspects of life. Religious texts, especially the Holy Quran, highlight the importance of the family as a fundamental unit of society endowed with the capacity to educate individuals on ethical values and prepare them to be active and responsible members of the community. Emphasizing individual and social ethics through sacrifice and altruism, instilling values such as deep and steadfast love, teaching patience, and practical virtues, strengthens the family's role as a solid fortress against the ethical challenges of the contemporary world.