A number of delegations participating in the first international forum of military music, organized by the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces on the occasion of Throne Day, visited the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, being housed at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and cultural organization (ICESCO) in Rabat. Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, received on Friday (26 July 2024), the delegations representing the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Senegal, explaining that the Organization is hosting the Exhibition within the framework of its efforts to showcase the correct image of our true religion, in strategic partnership with the Muslim World League and the Mohammadia League of Scholars.
Afterwards, the visitors listened to explanations about the detailed simulation of the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) through the use of the latest technologies that take the visitor into a real experience to discover the prophet biography.
At the end of the tour, the visitors expressed their happiness to visit this great Exhibition, commending its ways of addressing all categories in a simplified manner through the use of the latest technologies.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Organization for Education, Science and culture (ICESCO), received Dr. Saud Al-Harbi, former Director General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) and former minister of education and higher education of the State of Kuwait. The two parties exchanged views and ideas on the development of action in the educational fields in the Islamic world.
At the beginning of the meeting, held on Friday July 26, 2024, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the key axes of the Organization’s vision and strategic orientations, and its programs and projects, especially in the field of education in light of the major global transformations, particularly in the fields of technology and artificial intelligence and the relevant opportunities and challenges in the educational field.
The Director General of ICESCO explained that the Organization is striving to mobilize efforts and encourage commitment to transformation within its Member States towards a new path in education that keeps up with the global developments.
For his part, Dr. Al-Harbi commended the roles played by ICESCO in the development of the fields of education, science and culture in the Islamic world, and provided some ideas and opinions on ways to develop the working methodology of international organizations in the field of education.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received a delegation from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), headed by Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian, Cultural, Social and Family Affairs, after the close of the second meeting of the ICESCO-OIC Joint Coordination and Cooperation Committee.
During the meeting, held on Wednesday (17 July 2024) at ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat, in the presence of Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director General of ICESCO, and a number of heads of sectors and directors of departments at the Organization, Dr. AlMalik underlined the strong relations between ICESCO and the parent Organization (OIC), thanking the Committee for its efforts to consolidate the partnership between the two organizations to serve the Islamic world and Muslim communities around the world.
For his part, Ambassador Bakheet thanked ICESCO DG and the OIC team, highlighting the success of the second meeting of the Joint Coordination and Cooperation Committee.
The delegation members also commended ICESCO’s achievements in its areas of competence, as well as its initiatives, programs and distinguished projects, and appreciated the improvements to ICESCO’s headquarters, as well as the modernization of the Organization’s working mechanisms.
During the meeting, the two parties affirmed the need to continue their mutual coordination to follow up the partnership programs and projects, and discussed the proposal to open an office of ICESCO at the OIC General Secretariat’s headquarters, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and an office of the OIC at ICESCO’s headquarters, in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Tarek Ben Salem, Secretary-General of the Arab Maghreb Union, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the Organization and the Union in areas of common interest.
During the Meeting, held today, Tuesday 16 July 2024, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main pillars of ICESCO’s vision and strategic directions, as well as the Organization’s flagship initiatives, programs, and projects currently being implemented to serve its Member States and Muslim communities around the world. This includes areas such as youth capacity building, artificial intelligence, space sciences, promoting values of coexistence and civilizational dialogue, and preserving and appreciating heritage.
The DG pointed out that ICESCO has adopted a new working methodology, based on leveraging the capabilities provided by modern technology to improve its performance and achieve its goals. The Organization has achieved significant accomplishments and successes over the past five years, which have been praised and appreciated by its Member States.
For his part, the Secretary-General of the Arab Maghreb Union praised ICESCO’s roles in its fields of competence, affirming the Union’s keenness to strengthen cooperation with the organization in several programs and projects for the benefit of Member States of both institutions.
Following the Meeting, the DG of ICESCO accompanied the Secretary General of the Arab Maghreb Union on a tour within the Organization’s premises to see the developments and updates in its infrastructure, technology, and work environment. The Tour also included a visit to the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, currently hosted at ICESCO headquarters in partnership with the Muslim World League and the Mohammedia League of Scholars.
The second meeting of the Joint Committee for Coordination and Cooperation between the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) kicked off on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at ICESCO headquarters, in Rabat, to review the latest partnership developments between the two organizations and discuss its development mechanisms through the implementation of a number of initiatives and programs for the benefit of the countries of the Islamic world in areas of common interest.
Prior to the beginning of the Committee’s technical meetings, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of ICESCO, welcomed the OIC delegation, led by Ambassador Tariq Ali Bakhit, Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian, Cultural, Social and Family Affairs, and underlined ICESCO’s willingness to develop the partnership with its parent organization, the OIC, given their common goals and visions aiming at serving the countries of the Islamic world in their respective areas of competence.
He stressed that the cooperation approach between the two organizations is based on newness and continuity, recalling the recent bilateral meetings he had with Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, OIC Secretary General, and their willingness to consolidate the partnership between ICESCO and the OIC.
Moreover, ICESCO Director General reviewed the main successful programs implemented by the Organization for the benefit of its Member States, in the light of its new vision and action strategy. He also hoped that this meeting would be a continuation of the first meeting, held two years ago at the OIC General Secretariat headquarters, in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He also underlined the importance of this meeting in view of the enormous challenges facing the Islamic world, and indicated that the OIC General Secretariat has been working to eliminate the obstacles hindering cooperation between the two organizations.
On behalf of the OIC Secretary General, Ambassador Bakhit presented Dr. AlMalik with the OIC shield in recognition of his efforts in developing the fields of education, science and culture in the Islamic world.
The two-day technical meetings of the joint committee began in the presence of the OIC delegation, as well as the Heads of Sectors and Directors of Centers and Departments of ICESCO, to examine the latest developments in cooperation between the two parties, as well as the proposed programs and projects for the coming period.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received a delegation of Saudi youth visiting the Kingdom of Morocco as part of the National Youth Cultural Tourism Program (Cultural Exchange), organized by the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication.
During the meeting, held on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed that the Organization attaches special importance to youth, within the framework of its vision and strategic orientations. He further explained that this attention is clearly reflected in the programs, projects and initiatives it implements for the benefit of the youth of the Islamic world, notably, the proclamation of the ICESCO Year of Youth, the program to support youth to create and develop small projects in the fields of technology and innovation, training workshops to design an educational satellite (CanSat), the Young Professionals Program, and the Leadership Training in Peace and Security Program (LTIPS).
The Director General also held an open discussion with the delegation, which included 12 young men and women, touching on topics pertaining to the Organization’s work, including its roles, working mechanisms, and its support for the efforts of its Member States, highlighting the special partnership relations between ICESCO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
At the close of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik advised the young delegation to take serious steps to prepare themselves for tomorrow’s professions, and keep up with the developments unfolding in the world, especially in the fields of technology and artificial intelligence (AI).
Prior to the meeting, the youth delegation toured the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently housed at ICESCO headquarters, in partnership among the Organization, the Muslim World League and the Muhammadia League of Scholars.
Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), affirmed that the Organization’s new vision and strategic orientations adopt an open, forward-looking approach to sustain the efforts of its Member States in modernizing the fields of education, science and culture, and prioritize building the capacities of youth and training them on leadership for peace to contribute to building a brighter future for humanity and to confront the challenges imposed by the rapid changes and transformations occurring in all sectors.
This was part of a television interview given by Dr. AlMalik to the famous journalist Mikhail Gusman, First Deputy DG of the Russian TASS News Agency, and aired by Russian television via the Russia 24 news channel, as part of the most prominent talk show, which hosts senior officials and decision-makers from all over the world and broadcast by a large number of websites.
During the interview, Dr. AlMalik stated that ICESCO has strong relations with the Russian Federation, which joined the Organization as an observer in 2007, and that both sides cooperate in several programs and projects, including the launch of research chairs in Russian universities in the field of the Arabic language for non-native speakers, and the promotion of relations between the countries of the Islamic world and Russia in ICESCO’s areas of competence.
He further pointed out that ICESCO has made great strides over the past five years in its endeavor to become a global beacon of civilizational and knowledge exchange, stressing that all of the Organization’s initiatives, programs and projects are designed and implemented to serve people, regardless of their gender or religious beliefs, and focus on supporting creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship; encouraging investment in technology including artificial intelligence, space science and its applications, and spreading a culture of anticipation.
ICESCO DG touched upon the Organization’s roles in contributing to the development of educational systems in its Member States, supporting scientific research, enhancing the status of universities, and valuing and preserving tangible and intangible heritage through the programs and projects it implements in countries of the Islamic world and beyond in the areas of building the capacities of youth and women and consolidating the values of coexistence, peace and civilizational dialogue.
He also stressed that the development witnessed by ICESCO is the fruit of recruiting distinguished competencies in all specializations from around the world, and of rejuvenating the Organization’s staff with more than 41% of ICESCO’s employees are now under 35 years of age, in addition to women assuming 50% of leadership positions in the organization.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched its initiative “Read it… to Understand It”, on Tuesday (9 July 2024), as a positive response to the desperate attempts disrespecting the Holy Quran, and bring to light western stances that provide positive views of the Holy Quran, so that non-believers can discover the mercy and guidance of the Holy Quran.
At the close of the International Seminar “The Quran and the West: Towards a Rational Approach”, held at ICESCO’s headquarters, in Rabat, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director General, announced this initiative, stressing that it is the outcome of a rich consideration of how the Holy Qur’an is dealt with all over the world, by believers, following its teachings and protecting its sanctity, to respectful non-believers, to the rest who build their whole character around their hatred towards the Quran, manifested in behavior that can only described as uncivilized, an ungrounded hatred as they did not even bother to read it and ponder upon its meanings.
Dr. AlMalik indicated that the initiative contents are drawn from proposals received from a number of ICESCO Member States’ National Commissions, and inspired by the constructive scientific discussions put forth during the Seminar, reviewing the mainlines of the initiative, which hinges upon establishing partnerships with Western think tanks and scientific research centers to highlight the richness of the Quran and expose the flimsy grounds of wrongful claims about its teachings, urging governments in the Islamic world to capitalize on cultural diplomacy to accord special attention to addressing Quran-related matters within the spheres of their bilateral and multilateral relations. In this regard, the Organization will provide the Member States with an annual report highlighting trends in dealing with the Holy Quran.
The initiative also encourages Muslim communities in the West, through their religious institutions, to respect national legislations, indicating that ICESCO supports the design of a vision to prioritize according better attention to the Holy Quran in Muslim communities and fostering its presentation in a tolerant, convincing and easy way, exchanging visits between intellectuals in both the West and the Islamic world, especially from among young people, and stressing ICESCO’s willingness to support the translation of the Holy Quran, coordinate between Quranic translation institutions and hold the Conference, Quran and the West, at a periodical basis.
The initiative includes organizing travelling exhibitions equipped with the latest display technologies in major capitals, in addition to advertising campaigns in public squares and transportation means to express the humanitarian and cultural aspects of the Holy Quran, cooperating with relevant parties to provide introductory brochures in several languages, and announcing ICESCO annual Prize for the best applications and proposals presented in the context of urging the (Other) to read and understand the Holy Quran.
The initiative appreciated the positions of European countries regarding the extremist desecration of the sanctity of the Holy Quran, and affirmed ICESCO’s willingness to strengthen its ties with various Western legislative institutions to counter fanaticism and racism.
The headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) hosted the first International Seminar “The Quran and the West: Towards a Rational Approach” on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. The Seminar, organized by ICESCO in collaboration with the German Institute for Dialogue and Understanding (Mouatana), was attended by high-profile international figures, several ambassadors accredited to the Kingdom of Morocco, and experts in Islamic studies and Interreligious dialogue.
This Seminar, held in-person and via videoconference, opened with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by opening remarks of Ambassador Khaled Fatahalrahman, Head of ICESCO Center for Civilizational Dialogue, who emphasized the significance of the Seminar’s theme among Muslims worldwide. He noted that the Seminar’s diverse sessions would feature rich contributions from a select group of thinkers, experts, and scholars in Arabic and Islamic studies as well as Interreligious dialogue.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), underscored the profound human impact of the Quran, describing it as the most influential book in shaping the characters and attitudes of its followers toward others. Dr. AlMalik highlighted that the Seminar, as reflected in its title and themes, is convened to promote the welfare of humanity and enhance security, peace, and coexistence.
Dr. AlMalik stated that the West’s representation of the Quran in the Seminar encompasses the entirety of Western civilizational heritage and its manifestations in global human relations and geostrategic implications. Furthermore, Dr. AlMalik presented intellectual perspectives from various orientalists on the eloquence, miraculous nature, and powerful influence of the Quran on the human psyche.
Moreover, ICESCO DG stressed that a rational approach is the optimal way to counter campaigns of defamation against the Holy Quran. He added that this approach requires strict adherence to respecting sacred values and upholding the principles of freedom of expression while balancing it with the rights of others. Dr. AlMalik announced that the Organization would reveal the launch of the initiative “Read It… to Understand It” at the closing of the Seminar, after receiving several proposals from National Commissions in Member States.
In his remarks, Mr. Robert Dolger, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Kingdom of Morocco, affirmed the Quran’s significant position in Europe and its highlight of the cultural exchange between different civilizations.
The Seminar proceeded with the main lecture delivered by Prof. Stefan Schreiner, Senior Professor of Religious and Jewish Studies at the University of Tübingen, Germany, entitled “The Evolution of Quran Knowledge in Europe through Translation.” This was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Abdelmalek Hibaoui, Head of the Interreligious Dialogue Department at the German Institute for Dialogue and Understanding (Mouatana).
Another session themed “Visions and Ideas,” moderated by Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of the Human and Social Sciences Sector, was held with the participation of several experts worldwide.
On Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024, the Islamic World AI Charter for Asia and Middle East Regions Workshop concluded its proceedings. The two-day workshop featured rich discussions and an exchange of ideas among a select group of officials, experts, and representatives of ICESCO Member States. They presented the results of their discussions on the ethical principles of artificial intelligence to be included in the Charter, as well as their proposals for oversight and governance mechanisms to ensure the proper application of these principles.
Participants in this workshop, organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) and the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology of Oman, and in collaboration with the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, emphasized the necessity of drafting legal and ethical frameworks to govern artificial intelligence. The participants also stressed the need to carry this out in tandem with building human capacities to use AI and the importance of aligning the Islamic World Charter for Artificial Intelligence with international charters, while considering the specificities and values of the Islamic world. Moreover, they called for balancing innovation and scientific research with the protection of individual rights, stressing the importance of awareness-raising and capacity-building.
At the beginning of the second day of the Workshop, held as part of the activities of ICESCO Chair for Artificial Intelligence Ethics at UTAS in Oman and in preparation for the Islamic World Charter for Artificial Intelligence, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director General, gave his remarks prior to the start of the working group discussions, where he underscored the necessity of integrating an ethical value system into the Charter to achieve its intended purpose, with a focus on creativity, individual freedom, and equity.
Dr. AlMalik added that although the application of artificial intelligence across various domains yields substantial advantages, its unethical use poses significant risks, such as its use in preparing research and studies for academic degrees, which represents a form of academic plagiarism and corruption.
In his statement, Dr. Kais Hammami, Head of ICESCO’s Center for Foresight and Artificial Intelligence, reviewed the Center’s efforts and methodology in promoting the culture of foresight, foundational principles of methodological analysis, dynamic scenario building, and the use of the Arabic language in this domain.
Speaking next, Dr. Said Bin Salem Jaboob, Deputy Vice Chancellor of UTAS for Postgraduate Studies, Research, and Innovation, stated that preparing the initial draft of the Charter’s articles is a significant step towards establishing a solid framework for AI ethics and governance in Asia and the Middle East.
The second day’s agenda included brainstorming sessions to develop a comprehensive vision for the Islamic World Charter for Artificial Intelligence. Experts and researchers were divided into four groups, each discussing multiple scenarios to derive several ethical principles necessary for better drafting of the Charter.
