Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), took part in the Ordinary Session of the General Assembly of the Moroccan National Commission for the Education, Science and Culture, held on Friday, April 15, 2022, at the headquarters of the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco (BNRM), in Rabat, under the chairmanship of Dr. Chakib Benmoussa, Moroccan Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports, President of the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science and Culture.
The meeting brought together Mr. Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication; Mr. Younes Sekkouri, Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills; Ms. Aawatif Hayar, Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family; Mr. Ahmed Réda Chami, President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council; Mr. Karim Hendili, Director of UNESCO Maghreb Office in Rabat, as well as the members of the General Assembly of the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science and Culture. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, ALECSO Director-General, also participated in the meeting via videoconference.
In his address during this meeting, ICESCO Director-General expressed his thanks to the President of the Moroccan National Commission and his appreciation for its achievements. He also commended the cooperation relations between ICESCO, since its inception, and the Commission, which has resulted in the implementation of many programs and projects in the fields of education, science and culture.
Dr. AlMalik seized this opportunity to call on the Moroccan ministries, government institutions and civil society institutions to schedule their cultural activities and initiatives within the framework of the Celebration of Rabat, Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022, which is part of ICESCO’s Programme for Culture Capitals in the Islamic World. This celebration includes a large number of programs and activities to be implemented in Rabat and other cities of the Kingdom of Morocco to highlight the cultural status and the rich tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Rabat, the City of Lights.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Egyptian Minister of Environment, explored prospects of cooperation between ICESCO and the Arab Republic of Egypt in the fields of environment protection and promotion of the climate culture. The two parties also discussed ICESCO’s participation in the UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, which will be hosted by Egypt in November 2022, in Sharm El-Sheikh.
At the beginning of the meeting, held on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at the Environmental Cultural and Educational Center, “Cairo House,” Dr. AlMalik congratulated the Egyptian Minister on the selection of Egypt as the organizer of COP27, stating that this selection reflects the great appreciation of the Egyptian efforts to protect the environment and address climate change. He also stressed ICESCO’s keenness to take part in COP27 and cooperate with the Egyptian Ministry of Environment in areas of common interest.
In the same vein, the Director-General highlighted the Organization’s key programs in the field of environment, noting that ICESCO seeks to promote a positive climate action plan in the Member States to build a green future and promote innovative solutions and concepts to protect the environment through supporting the creation of smart, sustainable and resilient cities. He added that ICESCO also works towards building capacities in the field of environmental technologies, fostering the use of green technology to address the impact of climate change on various sectors and promoting scientific research and international cooperation in environmental fields.
For her part, the Egyptian Minister commended ICESCO’s roles and reaffirmed the Ministry’s readiness to cooperate with the Organization in the field of environment protection, extending the invitation to ICESCO to set up a pavilion in the Green Zone at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh.
The meeting discussed proposals for cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry in several fields, including the inscription of Egyptian natural heritage on the Islamic World Heritage List and the integration of the youth in awareness-raising programs and activities on the importance of environment protection. The two parties also agreed to hold expert meetings to develop joint programs and activities.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), visited the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, Egypt, which is one of the largest Islamic museums in the world. He was received by Dr. Mamdouh Hassan Othman, DG of the Museum.
During his tour of the Museum’s exhibition halls, Dr. AlMalik listened to a presentation on the Museum’s collections, which include about 100,000 Islamic artifacts from different eras and regions.
The visit, made on Tuesday (April 12, 2022), is part of Dr. Al-Malik’s visit to Cairo to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Celebration of Cairo, Culture Capital in the Islamic World. Dr. Al-Malik was impressed by the Museum’s collection of artifacts from Egypt and other regions inside and outside the Islamic world, such as China, India and many other countries.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of the Arab States (LAS), today Wednesday 13 April 2022, at the headquarters of the League’s General Secretariat in Cairo.
During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed the Organization’s keenness to promote cooperation with the League as well as with its various bodies, notably the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO). The Director-General noted that ICESCO and ALECSO enjoy great cooperation, stating that they hold an annual meeting to coordinate joint visions and plans and follow up on the implementation of the trilateral cooperation program between ICESCO and ALECSO and the Arab Bureau of Education of the Gulf States (ABEGS).
For his part, the Secretary-General expressed his delight to hold this meeting, commending ICESCO’s roles in service of the Islamic world.
At the close of the meeting, Mr. Aboul Gheit presented his two books, “Shahadati”, and “Shahidun Ala Al-Harbi wa Salam” to Dr. Al-Malik, who in turn presented the Secretary-General with ICESCO’s Shield.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Enas Abdel Dayem, Egyptian Culture Minister, and Major General Ahmed Rashid, Governor of Giza, launched on Tuesday evening, April 12, 2022, the 10th edition of Faisal Book Fair and the cultural and artistic activities accompanying the Fair within the framework of the celebration of Cairo as Culture Capital in the Islamic world.
The Fair, organized by the Egyptian General Book Authority, headed by Dr. Haitham Al-Hajj Ali, head of the authority, is held on an area of 3,000 square meters on King Faisal Street in Giza Governorate, with the participation of 33 publishing houses, including sectors of the Ministry of Culture, the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, the Ministry of Endowments and Dar Al Maaref. The Azbakeya Wall also participates with two libraries and several private publishing houses. The Fair includes a pavilion for the “Your Culture Is Your Book” initiative, which offers books at cheap prices starting from one Egyptian pound to twenty pounds, as well as all the magazines and series issued by the Egyptian Book Authority.
After the tour of the Book Fair pavilions, ICESCO DG, the Minister of Culture and the Governor of Giza attended a performance by the children of the El Shams Band for persons with special needs, led by the artist Wafaa Al-Hakim affiliated with the Theater House of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. The band succeeded in attracting the attention of the audience, who interacted with its songs.
They also inspected an exhibition of rare historical documents that narrate part of the biography of the ancient city of Cairo, on the occasion of the celebration of Cairo as Culture Capital in the Islamic world, by the General Authority for National Library and Archives headed by Dr. Nevin Moussa along with several drawing and traditional crafts workshops and a special corner for VR glasses to display children’s stories. They also attended a performance of the traditional skirt by the little girl, Toqa, with special needs from the National Center for Child Culture.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and together they explored cooperation prospects between the Organization and the Ministry in coordination with the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture in areas related to youth and sports for sustainable development.
The meeting was held on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Cairo, and brought together ICESCO delegation accompanying the DG along with officials and heads of various sectors at the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports. During the meeting, the two parties reaffirmed their keenness to build effective cooperation through the implementation of programmes with a tangible impact in areas of common interest. These include building youth capacity and empowering them to overcome future challenges and supporting entrepreneurship in the fields of innovation, artificial intelligence and new technologies.
The two parties then reviewed, respectively, the key thrusts of their action strategy as well as the major programmes they are implementing and the objectives thereof.
At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed on sustaining communication and establishing a task team in charge of proposing programmes and activities that will be jointly implemented by ICESCO and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Ines Abdel-Dayem, Egyptian Minister of Culture, inaugurated the exhibition of Egypt’s Khedivial mosques. The event is organized by the General Authority for National Library and Archives in cooperation with the Ministry’s Cultural Production Affairs Sector as part of the year-long celebration of Cairo as the Culture Capital in the Islamic World, which kicked off on April 10, 2022.
The exhibition, which took place in the Adam Hanin Hall in El-Hanager Arts Center at the Cairo Opera House, showcases photographs and paintings of major historical Egyptian mosques picturing the most prominent architectural features distinguishing Khedivial Cairo by monitoring the development in the construction of mosques, minarets and all related arts in different eras.
ICESCO DG and the Egyptian Minister of Culture also attended the 10th of Ramadan celebration held by the Ministry’s Cultural Production Affairs Sector, headed by director Khaled Galal, on the evening of Monday, April 11, 2022, at El-Hanager Arts Center’s square in the Cairo Opera House, during which they paid tribute to a group of veterans on the occasion of the anniversary of the 10th of Ramadan victory.
They also honored the artists Mostafa Shaban, Nahed Roshdy, Bushra, Laila Ezz Elarab, the poet Amir Teima, the fashion designer Malak Zoulfikar, the director of photography Ayman Abu El Makarem, and the name of veteran actor Ahmed Halawa, with certificates of appreciation and commemorative medals for their participation in national artworks that have achieved a resounding success and contributed to the preservation of the Egyptian national identity.
The celebration concluded with a performance of various patriotic songs by the “Rouh al-Sharq” choir, which consists of students from Ain Shams University in Egypt.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the Egyptian Ain Shams University, and the German Marburg University signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of safeguarding cultural and natural heritage in the Islamic world through the promotion of scientific and technological research in the fields of heritage preservation and management. The parties also agreed on preparing and implementing joint academic projects in this field, including a master’s program on the preservation and digitization of archival heritage; preparing and implementing courses and offering grants in the field of heritage; and building the capacities of heritage professionals.
The MoU was signed during the visit of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), and his accompanying delegation to the headquarters of Ain Shams University in Cairo, where they were received by its President, Dr. Mahmoud Al-Matini, at the University Presidency in the historic Al-Zaafaran Palace, in the presence of several vice-presidents and faculty deans.
At the beginning of the visit, the two parties held a meeting to explore cooperation prospects between ICESCO and Ain Shams University in many fields of common interest such as space sciences and its applications, academic chairs, and youth training in the field of heritage preservation and protection. During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik highlighted the main axes of ICESCO’s new vision and strategic orientations by 2025, while Dr. Al-Matini gave an overview of the University and talked about its key faculties, noting that more than 200,000 students are enrolled in the University, which has a teaching staff of 14,000 members. At the close of the meeting, both parties expressed their keenness to build fruitful cooperation.
Afterward, the signing ceremony of the MoU, as well as its annex to the MA program, was held, with the attendance of representatives from Universität Marburg and the participation of Dr. Albercht Fuess, President of the Center of Islamic Studies at the University, from Germany via videoconference.
In his address, the President of Ain Shams University reiterated his thanks to ICESCO DG for his visit to the University, commending the Organization’s new open-door policy and its constructive cooperation with universities in its Member States and beyond. Dr. Al-Matini noted that there are numerous areas of common interest between ICESCO and the University, especially about building young people’s capacities and training them to face the challenges of the future.
Dr. Mamdouh Al-Damati, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Archeology at Ain Shams University, gave a presentation on the MoU and cooperation in the fields of training, capacity-building and scholarships, explaining that the MA program includes two years of study, the first year at Ain Shams University and the second at Philipps-Universität Marburg. For his part, Dr. Albrecht Fuess expressed his delight to take part in this signing ceremony, noting that his University and Ain Shams University have completed 10 years of cooperation, with eight other German universities planning to join this cooperation.
Dr. Ayman Saleh, Vice President of Ain Shams University for Graduate Studies and Research, commended ICESCO’s efforts to cooperate with universities and research centers, and encourage investment in space sciences, explaining that the MA program will provide scholarships for researchers from inside and outside the Islamic world for the preservation and management of heritage.
In his address, Dr. AlMalik stressed that ICESCO’s vision accords great importance to heritage preservation. “The Organization has established the Center of Heritage in the Islamic World as an effective tool for implementing its strategy for safeguarding heritage and sustaining its development role for the benefit of all Member States’ peoples. ICESCO has also launched the academic programs for teaching and linking heritage with modern technologies with a view to training qualified staff capable of managing and safeguarding heritage”, underlined ICESCO DG.
At the close of his address, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed ICESCO’s sustained keenness to cooperate with all international and academic parties operating in the fields of heritage and AI to optimize its use in all the components and patterns of heritage, calling for holding an international scientific conference on the use of AI applications and technologies and digitization in the fields of heritage.
After that, Dr. AlMalik and Dr. Al-Matini signed the MoU, and then ICESCO DG and his delegation visited the collection of heritage manuscripts at Ain Shams University and the restoration of the manuscript lab, where the officials explained the stages of the restoration process and highlighted the lab’s mechanism.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Ministry of Culture of the Arab Republic of Egypt have officially launched the celebration of Cairo as Culture Capital in the Islamic World with a ceremony organized by the Ministry in concert with the Organization. The ceremony was held on the evening of Sunday, April 10, 2022, at the Roman Amphitheater on the northern wall of Fatimid Cairo, and saw the presence of high-level officials of the Egyptian government, ambassadors of Arab and foreign countries to Egypt, members of the Egyptian House of Representatives and Senate, public figures, writers, intellectuals, artists, along with a wide public.
The year-long celebration of Cairo as Culture Capital in the Islamic World, which was scheduled for 2020, but has been postponed to 2022 due to the COVID- 19 pandemic, is held as part of ICESCO’s Programme for Culture Capitals in the Islamic World. The celebration’s program consists of 149 different activities, ranging from training courses and workshops to competitions, exhibitions and artistic performances, in which all sectors of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and various official cooperating parties will take part. The four-day inaugural program includes a vast array of activities, notably the opening of the “Cairo, Culture Capital in the Islamic World in Egyptian Archives” Exhibition organized by the General Authority for National Library and Archives, a book fair organized in cooperation between the General Authority for Books, the General Authority for Cultural Palaces and the National Center for Translation, a fine arts exhibition organized in cooperation between the Fine Arts Sector and the General Authority for Cultural Palaces, and an Arabic calligraphy exhibition organized by the Cultural Development Fund.
Before the start of the ceremony, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), Dr. Ines Abdel-Dayem, Egyptian Minister of Culture, and Major General Khaled Abdel Aal, Governor of Cairo, toured these exhibitions and listened to each presentation. They then answered the journalists’ questions during a press conference that saw the attendance of various Egyptian, Arab and foreign media outlets.
At the onset of the ceremony, ICESCO DG delivered an address in which he hailed the rich history of Cairo, the city of a thousand minarets, which was marked by the succession of several civilizations, and yet successfully preserved its prominence and heritage. He also reviewed Cairo’s most prominent luminaries and emblematic heritage sites, namely Al-Azhar Mosque, the Cairo Opera House and the House of Books.
Dr. AlMalik also praised the achievements that Cairo has undertaken within the framework of Egypt Vision 2030, the ambitious national strategy currently implemented under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to fulfill the hopes of the Egyptian peoples who “mastered the art of living, catch sun rays, and bring hope to all.”
ICESCO DG conveyed his thanks to the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, represented by Minister Ines Abdel-Dayem, and the Egyptian National Commission, represented by its Chairman, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of ICESCO’s General Conference. In conclusion of his address, Dr. AlMalik extended his gratitude to all those who contributed to the celebration of Cairo, Culture Capital of the Islamic World, and recited a poem that he composed on Egypt and Cairo.
The Egyptian Minister of Culture began her address by thanking ICESCO and its Director-General for selecting Cairo as the culture capital in the Islamic world, noting that the city stands as a monument to harmonious coexistence, which earned the status of beacon of culture, civilization and enlightenment throughout ages, enumerating Cairo’s abundant landmarks that make the city a distinguished haven for cultural diversity.
She added that the celebration is a fresh, post-pandemic start for Cairo in 2022 that will enable the city to showcase its culture and civilization to the entire world through several cultural and artistic activities that reflect Cairo’s civilizational and cultural richness, which bear witness to the city’s ancient history.
ICESCO DG then handed over the flag of Cairo, Culture Capital in the Islamic World to the Egyptian Minister of Culture. The Minister then presented ICESCO DG with the celebration’s shield and a copy of the commemorative stamp issued by the Egyptian Postal Authority on this occasion.
The ceremony featured the announcement of the launch of an exceptional session of the Turathi Photography Competition, organized by the National Organization for Urban Harmony (NOUH), in cooperation with ICESCO, for photographers in Egypt and the other ICESCO Member States to draw inspiration from the abundance of the Islamic architectural heritage. The ceremony also featured the screening of a documentary entitled “Cairo,” produced by the Cinema Palace, and the “Here is Cairo” Operetta produced by the General Authority for Cultural Palaces, and concluded with an art show by the Sufi chanting troupe “Al-Hadra.”
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met Ambassador Nabila Makram Abdel Shaheed, Minister of State for Immigration and Egyptians Abroad Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, where they discussed prospects for cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry in areas of common interest.
During the meeting, held on Sunday (April 10, 2022), at the Ministry’s headquarters in Cairo, Dr. Al-Malik reviewed ICESCO’s forward-looking vision and the mainlines of its strategic orientations by 2025, which adopts an open-door approach for cooperation with all parties to serve the Member States and Muslim communities around the world.
Besides, Dr. AlMalik pointed out that ICESCO devotes special attention to training and building the capacities of young people in leadership for peace and security to consolidate the values of coexistence and civilizational dialogue. “In a bid to promote the status of the Arabic language, ICESCO has established the Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers as well as several regional centers to contribute to the preservation of the identity of young people in the Islamic world and the children of Muslim immigrants, especially the second and third generations,” he added.
For her part, Ambassador Nabila Makram welcomed Dr. AlMalik and his delegation and reviewed the main axes and objectives of the presidential initiative “Speak Arabic” that the Ministry of Immigration launched under the kind patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to foil any attempts to destabilize the identity of Egyptians living abroad, strengthen their spirit of patriotism, and consolidate the values of peaceful coexistence, citizenship and acceptance of the other.
The Minister referred to her meeting with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, which touched upon the developments of the presidential initiative “Speak Arabic,” stressing that the President gave his instructions to expand the scope of the interactive educational programs aimed at linking Egyptian youth abroad to their homeland and urging them to learn Arabic and consolidate their Egyptian identity.
The meeting also discussed proposals for cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry within the framework of the Celebration of Cairo, Culture Capital in the Islamic World. The proposals mainly focus on the mechanisms for disseminating the messages of the “Speak Arabic” initiative, emphasizing its importance and promoting its objectives, foremost of which is the preservation of identity.
