The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a cultural symposium titled “Artists and Civic Engagement” as part of the seventh session of the “Artists of the World, Guests at ICESCO” program. The event featured the participation of the Moroccan composer Dr. Nabil Benabdeljalil, the Tunisian playwright Raouf Ben Yaghlane, and the Moroccan academics Dr. Bouazza Benachir and Dr. Abdelillah Krim.

The hybrid symposium, held on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, opened with remarks by Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture Sector. He explained that the event focuses on the role of intellectuals and the commitment of artists in the Islamic World, in light of the role of authentic cultures that seek to promote the mission of art as a driver of aesthetic and creative societies in Member States.

Dr. Bouazza Benachir, professor at Mohammed V University in Morocco, emphasized the importance of the artist’s connection to reality and society as an agent and producer of knowledge and thought, conscious of their society’s realities, aspirations, history, and concerns.

For his part, Dr. Nabil Benabdeljalil noted the sensitivity surrounding artists and art throughout Islamic history, highlighting contemporary issues in the arts, including conceptual challenges resulting from the disconnect between art and thought, as artists—even when they are intellectuals and scholars—are not invited to intellectual and social forums to share their views.

In his presentation, Dr. Abdelillah Krim, professor at Ibn Tufail University in Morocco, highlighted the rise of public square theater and its role in representing communities. He also drew attention to theater’s social role in confronting racism, citing the example of California Theater. He added that other schools employ art and culture in different ways, such as the Frankfurt School, which discusses culture and art as means of controlling the masses.

For his part, Raouf Ben Yaghlane called on artists to constantly strive to cultivate aesthetic, intellectual, and civic values that raise individuals’ awareness of culture and its essential creative and societal role as an inherent foundation of human existence. He added that culture shapes citizenship, consciousness, and human presence.