Habilian Association, as a non-governmental organization in Iran, has been active since 2005, focusing on supporting victims of terrorism and exposing extremist and terrorist groups. By meticulously documenting the oral histories of victims, Habilian not only preserves their memory but also provides an educational tool to reveal the mechanisms of terrorism and the behaviors of extremist groups.
This association offers psychological and emotional support to victims of terrorism and their families, as well as pursuing the legal cases of those murdered in domestic courts, making it a vital support organization.
Beyond assisting the families of terrorism victims, Habilian also focuses on various sectors of society, including students and youth, aiming to shield them from the harms of terrorism and extremism. Educating the public about the violent actions of these groups, as well as the deceptive methods they use in media and social networks, forms an essential part of the educational content offered to the community. In recent years, the organization has placed special emphasis on providing educational courses for teachers.
Moreover, Habilian has organized specialized meetings with experts and academics in relevant fields, using their scientific insights while also sharing its field experiences with the academic community.
Dialogue with religious leaders from various Islamic sects and other faiths, such as Christianity and Judaism, has always been one of Habilian's main concerns in its efforts to reduce extremism and, in turn, reduce terrorist actions. One of the key initiatives of the association was organizing a specialized session titled “Divine Religions Advocating Human Rights, Denouncing Terrorism,” held in 2019, which brought together Sunni, Shia, Assyrian, Armenian, Zoroastrian, and Jewish leaders from different countries to confront extremism. This was an important and noteworthy example of Habilian's efforts to gather religious leaders to address extremism.
The management of one of the NGOs under the umbrella of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, known as the “Union for the Proximity of Terror Victims’ Organizations in the Islamic World,” by Habilian demonstrates its successful efforts and valuable experience in this field, which has led to trust in the organization and its management of such an important entity.
The publication of books, articles, specialized journals, educational pamphlets, visual productions, and the organization of exhibitions across the country are among Habilian’s ongoing efforts over nearly two decades in confronting extremism, violence, and terrorism.
Habilian must be seen as a successful experience among Iranian NGOs, having always strived to examine the causes and roots of phenomena such as extremism and terrorism from a non-political and non-security-oriented perspective, in order to take a realistic approach to combating such destructive phenomena.
The experience of Habilian Association in Iran and the countless other NGOs around the world shows that investment in education, social justice, and intercultural dialogue is the key to reducing the appeal of extremist ideologies. The International Day of Prevention of Violent Extremism as and When Conducive to Terrorism should serve as an opportunity to remind us of this truth: lasting peace, the rejection of extremism, and the fight against terrorism is the result of the collective efforts of us all.