Category: Director General

The Headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat hosted the official opening of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization in a major celebration held on Thursday, November 17, 2022, under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, and in the presence of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, may Allah protect him.

HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan was received by a host of Moroccan ministers and officials, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), Dr. Ahmed Abbadi, Secretary-General of the Mohammadia League of Scholars, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Zaid, Deputy Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL), Secretary of the International Academy of Islamic Fiqh, Sheikh Dr. Nasser bin Misfer Al-Qurashi Al- Zahrani, Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the International Exhibitions and Museums of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, and a host of ICESCO officials.

HRH Crown Prince started his tour of the Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization at ICESCO headquarters by cutting the symbolic ribbon, marking the launch of this cultural landmark in Rabat, culture capital in the Islamic world for 2022, which is aimed at promoting the Prophet’s biography and lofty virtues, the Islamic civilization, and the noble purposes of the message of Islam, namely mercy, justice, peace, tolerance, moderation, and coexistence.

Following Dr. AlMalik’s welcoming remarks, the Crown Prince visited the three main sections of the Exhibition and Museum, starting from the pavilion of the “Exhibition on the attachment of Moroccans to the Noble Prophet, a symbol of love and loyalty,” which is supervised by the Mohammadia League of Scholars in the Kingdom of Morocco, where the League’s Secretary-General presented the displayed treasures that include historical manuscripts, rare paintings and coins, models of Moroccan architecture, decorations and inscriptions, and traditional tools.

MWL Deputy Secretary-General welcomed HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan before his tour in the second pavilion, which is the “Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization,” supervised by MWL, while the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the International Exhibitions and Museums of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization reviewed the pavilion’s sections. These include “The Prophet PBUH as if you can see him” on the Muhammadiyah garden, the Prophet’s food, drink, clothing, and furniture, and the “The Prophet PBUH as if you are with him” on the Prophet’s lofty virtues and values ​​of dialogue, coexistence, forgiveness, mercy and tolerance, as well as a special section on the merits and status of Ahl al-Bayt.

HRH Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Morocco was then briefed on the “Greatest Minbar” section, which is a simulation of the Minbar of Muhammad PBUH.

Prince Moulay El Hassan also visited the third pavilion on the “Panorama of the Noble Prophet’s Chamber in the First Age,” which displays, for the first time in history, using 3D imaging and virtual reality, the daily life of the Prophet PBUH in his honorable chamber and presents an accurate depiction of the chamber’s contents and an overview of its history through creative films using modern 3D video techniques and effects.

It is worth noting that the Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat is the fruit of a strategic partnership between ICESCO, MWL and the Mohammadia League of Scholars in the Kingdom of Morocco, and is the first of its kind outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) hosted an international celebration of the International Day for Tolerance, organized by ICESCO in partnership with the Moroccan Observatory on Extremism and Violence (OMEV), and the Danube Institute in Hungary on Wednesday, November 16, 2022. The event brought together a host of representatives of international organizations and institutions, and researchers in the fields of peace-building, promotion of tolerance, and the fight against extremism and violence from the Islamic world and beyond.

The celebration began with a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a general presentation by Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Head of the ICESCO Center for Civilizational Dialogue, in which he noted that tolerance is a major human value and one of ICESCO’s main areas of activity.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), began his address by emphasizing that tolerance, which is enshrined in all laws and religions, is an inherent value to humans that is deeply rooted in their souls, and that radiates across all human activities.

He stressed that ICESCO places youth and children at the core of its activities to nurture tolerance in them, foster fraternity, cultivate harmony, and eliminate racism, intolerance and hatred, calling for the integration of the concept of tolerance and its importance in school curricula all over the world.

Dr. AlMalik added that tolerance is the “unparalleled gem” in all of ICESCO’s activities and orientations, explaining that the Organization has launched several programmes to promote tolerance, namely the International Day of Mercy Initiative as an international occasion that radiates forbearance and peace, in addition to launching the Encyclopedia on Deconstructing Extremist Discourse.

For his part, Mr. Eric Falt, Director of UNESCO’s Maghreb Office, praised ICESCO’s efforts to promote tolerance and highlighted that this value is key to human survival and coexistence among societies.

For his part, Mr. Jeffrey Kaplan, Researcher at the Danube Institute, reviewed the Institute’s main projects and programmes geared towards combating extremism and spreading the values of tolerance and peace, underlining the need for greater efforts to break the chain of violence, discrimination and intolerance.

In his address, Dr. El Mostafa Rezrazi, OMEV Executive Director, noted that spreading tolerance and anchoring peace is a forward-looking project whose outcomes will appear in the future, and reviewed the Observatory’s major projects aimed at promoting tolerance by educating the public and raising their awareness and combating violence.

For his part, Mr. Thierry Malbert, Expert at the Civilizational Dialogue Center, explained that ICESCO is keen to make tolerance a cornerstone for building peace and achieving rapprochement between cultures, civilizations and peoples as a contribution to overall development and prosperity.

In his address, Dr. Ahmed Abbadi, Secretary-General of the Mohammedia League of Scholars in the Kingdom of Morocco, underscored the need to uphold tolerance as a lofty, unparalleled value, and called for joint action to instill and display its principles, commending ICESCO’s efforts to commemorate this occasion.

In a joint address on migration and extremism and their link to North Africa and Europe, Ms. Sáron Sugár and Ms. Virág Lőrincz, Researchers at the Danube Institute, explained the importance of the geographical location of Morocco and North African countries in promoting tolerance.

Today, 17 November 2022, the Headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat will host the inauguration of the Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco, may God assist him, and in the presence of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, may God protect him.

The inauguration of this outstanding Exhibition at ICESCO’s headquarters marks the first traveling version of the Museums of the Prophet’s Biography which are based in Al Madinah Al Munawwarah, and enjoy special attention from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, may God assist him, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The Exhibition is the fruit of a strategic partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League (MWL) and the Mohammadia League of Scholars in the Kingdom of Morocco. It aims to highlight the message of Islam as the embodiment of justice, peace, mercy, tolerance, coexistence and moderation, based on the Holy Quran, the Noble Sunna and the glorious Islamic history. Using state-of-the-art technology, this Exhibition will allow visitors to experience the real-life Prophet’s biography as well as monuments and historical events.
Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan will be received by Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, ICESCO Director-General, Dr. Ahmed Abbadi, Secretary General of the Mohammadia League of Scholars, and Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Zaid, Deputy Secretary General of the MWL, Secretary of the International Academy of Islamic Fiqh, representing Sheikh Dr. Muhammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary General of the MWL, in addition to Sheikh Dr. Nasser bin Misfer Al-Qurashi Al- Zahrani, Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the International Exhibitions and Museums of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization.

The Exhibition and Museum are made up of three main sections: the first, entitled “International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization,” is supervised by the Muslim World League; while the second is called “Panorama of the Noble Prophet’s Chamber in the First Age,” and will be presented for the first time in history using 3D imaging and virtual reality. This section is based on verified scientific sources and authentic encyclopedias and is a scientific, practical, spiritual and religious invitation to explore the life and journey of the Prophet in depth. The third section is entitled: “Exhibition on the attachment of Moroccans to the Noble Prophet, a symbol of love and loyalty,” and is supervised by the Mohammadia League of Scholars.

Display of the Exhibition and Museum uses modern technology and interactive screens, including holographic imagery, 3D display screens and the educational panorama, and its content will be presented in several languages.

After its official opening, the Exhibition and Museum will be open to the public.

The Headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) hosted a major cultural and artistic event in commemoration of World Children’s Day 2022. Organized by ICESCO in partnership with the office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Morocco and the HIBA Foundation, the event brought together a high-caliber host of ministers, ambassadors accredited to the Kingdom of Morocco, representatives of international organizations and bodies, as well as child and young artists.

In his opening remarks at the event, which was held on Monday, November 14, 2022, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), noted that the Organization places children at the heart of its interests and invests in their creative abilities to nurture their imagination to build prosperous societies, stressing the need to listen to the voices and opinions of children and youth to understand their aspirations for they possess the potential to bring about positive change.

“This celebration is an opportunity to highlight the fundamental rights of children to engage in building and developing societies and emphasize the need to make them part of comprehensive development plans to ensure that the voices of children and youth are heard in the post-pandemic recovery,” explained ICESCO DG.

Dr. AlMalik added that ICESCO seeks through this event to convey a positive message of equality and engagement for all children through art as a key instrument for anticipating their future.

For her part, Dr. Aawatif Hayar, Moroccan Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family, delivered an address in which she reviewed Morocco’s efforts to protect children and boost their creativity through a set of policies and initiatives, and the commendable progress achieved in protecting children rights, improving living conditions, equalizing opportunities and instilling social justice in various areas.

In an address delivered on his behalf by Mr. Mustapha Messaoudi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication (Youth Department), Minister Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid highlighted that building the present and looking forward to the desired future rests upon developing children and youth capacity, noting that it is incumbent upon all parties concerned to provide them with the appropriate environment to innovate and prosper, enhance their capabilities, and harness their creative potential in different areas.

Mr. Marwane Fachane, Executive Director of the HIBA Foundation in the Kingdom of Morocco, reviewed the Foundation’s vision and its collaborative programmes geared toward developing and refining youth creative skills by experts and professionals in graphic and plastic arts.

Dr. Speciose Hakizimana, UNICEF representative in the Kingdom of Morocco, affirmed the Organization’s commitment to providing care for children and building their capacities, emphasizing that this event is part of a range of activities that are aimed at celebrating and engaging children.

The celebration featured multiple theatrical and musical performances, notably that of young artist Hamza Labied which impressed the audience.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), called for a better understanding of young people’s psychological and social environment and the adoption of new approaches to meet their needs and aspirations, emphasizing their pivotal role in achieving development as they represent the largest proportion of the global population, which compounds society’s responsibility to advance their rights, develop their capacities to enable their effective engagement in real-life experiences and believe in their ambitions to shape the future.

This statement came in his address during the opening ceremony of the national meeting for youth center (Dar Chabab) directors, which was organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication in the Kingdom of Morocco under the theme “Youth Centers: A Space for Development and Inclusion”, on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, at the Moulay Rachid Complex for Youth and Childhood in Bouznika. The meeting saw the presence of Mr. Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, Moroccan Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mr. Younes Sekkouri, Moroccan Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, Mrs. Mbarka Bouaida, President of the Association of Regions of Morocco (ARM), Mr. Mohamed Dardouri, Wali, National Coordinator of the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), Mrs. Patricia Llombart, Ambassador of the European Union to Morocco, and Mr. François Reybet-Degat, Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Rabat, Morocco.

In his address, Dr. AlMalik highlighted that ICESCO attaches particular importance to youth who are increasingly employed in the Organization, noting that 23% of ICESCO’s employees are young people under the age of thirty (30), an exceptional percentage bearing a tremendous potential that the Organization leverages to implement its plans and programmes based on its young employees’ energies and practical proposals that keep pace with present-day requirements.

Dr Salim M. Al-Malik, Director(General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met Mr. Sergio Mujica, Secretary-General of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), to explore cooperation in the field of quality standards and their widespread use in the Islamic world.

During this meeting, held on November 12, 2022, as part of the participation of the two officials in COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Dr. AlMalik stressed that ICESCO is proud to have obtained ISO certification, in 2021, in accordance with the international standards (ISO 9001: 2015) related to quality management systems, adding that the Organization is looking forward to obtaining the certification of Information Security Management System (ISO 27001).

In addition to the possibility of signing an agreement between ICESCO and ISO, the meeting focused on the importance of promoting the adoption of quality standards by institutions in the ICESCO Member States, in coordination with their respective National Commissions for Education, Science and Culture, as ICESCO is keen to provide outstanding and innovative services to its Member States in these three fields.

At the end of the meeting, the two parties agreed to work together to develop the educational systems in the Islamic world by promoting quality education to ensure inclusive and quality education for all.

In the presence of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Mahmoud Al-Matini, President of Ain Shams University in Egypt, and Dr. Ghada Wali, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), a simulation with several young people was held at ICESCO’s pavilion at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, to raise awareness of the importance of involving them in the efforts aimed at preserving and protecting heritage from the impact of climate change.

During the activity, which was held on Saturday, 12 November 2022, Dr. Al-Malik highlighted ICESCO, as a beacon of civilizational and scientific outreach, which aims to provide 3D imaging of heritage sites on its heritage lists in the Islamic world, using virtual reality technology, to enable youth in the Islamic world to explore Member States’ culture and history, enhancing pride in their cultural heritage.

For his part, Dr. Al-Matini stressed the need to develop young people’s skills through strengthening cooperation based on concrete initiatives and programs between a number of organizations, universities and international institutions, including ICESCO, to involve them in the efforts of preserving heritage, protecting the environment, and technological, technical and cultural innovation.

Dr. Ghada Wali, on her part, talked about the importance of equal opportunities between young men and women in the fields of education, science and culture, to help them achieve their ambitions and strengthen their creative abilities.

During the simulation activity, many young people participated in the discussion, shared their ideas and asked many questions about the dangers of climate change on heritage, which were answered by Dr. AlMalik, Dr. Al-Matini, Dr. Ghada Wali, ICESCO experts and professors from Ain Shams University.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, on Friday 11 November 2022, in Sharm El-Sheikh, launched an initiative to establish a fund for safeguarding heritage sites and museums in Egypt and the Islamic world from the effects of climate change.

The launch of this initiative saw the participation of high-level figures, including HRH Princess Dana Firas, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Cultural Heritage, President of the Petra National Trust (PNT) in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Dr. Ayman Ashour, Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Chairman of the Egyptian National Commission for Education Science and Culture, as well as Dr. Mostafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and Dr. Mohamed Bayoumi, Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Head of the Climate Change Team, in addition to a large number of COP 27 leaders from around the world.In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, pointed out that climate change and its impacts have become one of the major challenges facing humanity, adding that the world is witnessing new phenomena related to climate change that threaten plans and policies and contradicts anticipations and aspirations.

Dr. AlMalik underscored that climate change has become a tangible threat to human heritage, stating that it has caused damage to about 33% of the world’s natural heritage and about 31 cultural heritage sites in 29 countries, a number which is expected to increase due to the acceleration of these changes.

The Director-General explained that ICESCO’s initiative, launched in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, reaffirms the Organization’s commitment and efforts with Member States in establishing effective partnerships to better anticipate the future, based on common visions and the spirit of sharing.For his part, Dr. Ayman Ashour stressed that this initiative represents a real translation of the recommendations into a tangible reality and that the related programmes will contribute to the protection of heritage sites against climate change damage. He added that this initiative reaffirms the commitment of Egypt in the fight against climate change in accordance with international standards given their great importance for humanity. He also commended ICESCO’s efforts in protecting the heritage of its Member States through the inscription of historical sites and heritage items on its Islamic World Heritage List.

Dr. Mostafa Waziri emphasized the role played by ancient Egypt in facing environmental challenges, most notably flood barriers and torrents. He called for a better understanding of the heritage and history of civilizations in order to learn from the experiences of ancient civilizations in adapting to unexpected climate change.

For his part, Dr. Mohamed Bayoumi stressed the need to protect heritage areas from the effects of climate and sea level rise, despite the high cost of their protection, the goal is to preserve the world’s heritage from disappearance.

It should be noted that the establishment of this Fund aims to study the impact of climate change on heritage sites and museums to provide the necessary funding for the development of plans for their protection, encourage ICESCO Member States to adopt green transition initiatives and use clean energy in heritage sites and museums, to preserve the heritage environment and face the challenges that heritage and actors in this field are facing because of climate change.

As part of holding the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), and with high-level attendance at the Egypt Pavilion in the Blue Region, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, ICESCO, UNESCO, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Industrial Modernization Center (IMC) in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday, November 11, 2022, to support the green transformation project and the use of clean energy, represented in converting heritage sites and museums in Egypt to the use of solar energy as a sustainable alternative that does not affect the environment and contributes to achieving sustainable development goals.

The signing ceremony witnessed a high-caliber presence of princes, ministers and officials of the MoU participating parties and the Member States, mainly HRH Princess Dana Firas, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Cultural Heritage, President of the Petra National Trust in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and from the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chairman of the Egyptian National Commission, Dr. Ahmed Issa, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Dr. Ahmed Samir, Minister of Trade and Industry, and Dr. Mostafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt.

Dr. Mohamed Zine El Abidine, Head of the Culture and Communication Sector, signed the MoU on behalf of ICESCO. During the signing ceremony, Dr. Salim M AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, delivered an address in which he explained that the cultural and natural heritage is among the most precious treasures of human history and the responsibility to preserve it is a collective task that requires a lot of planning, action and perseverance to achieve success.

Dr. AlMalik pointed out that climate changes increase the deterioration of several natural heritage sites, as the number of sites affected by climate changes increased from 35 to 62 sites in just three years, and the number of sites degraded due to the severity of climate changes increased to 16 sites since 2017, noting that this alarming situation requires all stakeholders to redouble efforts and build bridges of communication for greater cooperation to protect and preserve heritage sites of all kinds from deterioration.

The MoU comes in implementation of ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations in adopting and supporting green transformation initiatives, in order to preserve the environment and address the damages caused by climate changes that affect all aspects of life on the planet, especially heritage that ICESCO accords special attention to and places its protection, safeguarding and sustainability at the forefront of its strategic objectives.

By participating in this agreement, ICESCO aims to use clean energy in heritage sites and museums to provide sustainable protection for heritage sites from the effects of using unclean energy sources that negatively affect heritage sites, museums and their collections.

ICESCO also aims to encourage and motivate its Member States to adopt and implement green transformation initiatives with all their components based on the use of clean solar energy. ICESCO contributes to converting several heritage sites and museums to use solar energy with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

It started with the Museum of Islamic Art and another site that does not belong to the Islamic historical era, as a confirmation that ICESCO’s interest in heritage does not distinguish between one era and another or its connection to a particular religion as human heritage represents the identity of peoples and is a cultural and civilizational diversity.

In this connection, ICESCO calls on Member States to participate in signing an international agreement, to be adopted by ICESCO, to convert all heritage sites and museums in the Islamic world to use clean energy through relying on green transformation initiatives.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Jerome C. Glenn, CEO of the Millennium Project, where they discussed cooperation prospects for developing think tanks in the Islamic world.

During the meeting, held on Thursday (November 10, 2022) before the kick-off of the ICESCO Think Tank Forum “Towards a New Vision for Time,” at the Organization’s headquarters, in Rabat, Dr. Al-Malik reaffirmed that ICESCO strives through its foresight vision to establish the first network of intellectual centers aimed at building a safe world for future generations, pointing out that the Organization will launch its think tank “Fatima al-Fihriya,” in honor of this great figure, who had a major impact on the cultural and scientific history of humanity by building the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Kingdom of Morocco.

Moreover, he reviewed the efforts of ICESCO and its Center of Strategic Foresight for consolidating the culture of foresight and addressing future challenges.
For his part, Mr. Glenn commended ICESCO’s efforts and plans to advance the fields of thought and foresight in the Islamic world, stressing the need to enhance and elevate the international status of think tanks.

At the end of the meeting, the two parties agreed to cooperate for the development of think tanks in the Islamic world through the promotion of networking between experts from different countries and knowledge sharing.