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The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the International Conference that the World Muslim Communities Council (TWMCC) held in Abu Dhabi, under the patronage of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Conference, which coincides with the fourth founding anniversary of TWMCC, explored the theme “Islamic Unity: Concept, Opportunities and Challenges”.

The Conference kicked off on Sunday, May 8, 2022, at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), with the participation of delegations from more than 150 countries from all over the world, in an effort to lay the deep, comprehensive and complex historical foundation of Islamic unity, which has built a pioneering civilization that largely contributed to the progress of humanity.

In his address at the opening session, delivered on his behalf by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General (DG), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO DG, highlighted the importance of the Conference theme, especially during the current context in the Islamic world, pointing out that the issue of the common human destiny is clearly reflected in times of crises and shocks, which necessitates the promotion of the values of unity, solidarity and compassion to address various challenges. This has been demonstrated by the Muslim countries and peoples on many occasions throughout their glorious history.

ICESCO DG also commended the theme of TWMCC International Conference as an initiative to join the efforts of the Islamic Ummah towards raising awareness of the common destiny of humanity and building an international community, where the strong protects the weak, the powerful helps the powerless, and people stand in solidarity with one another without any discrimination.

At the close of his address, ICESCO DG stressed the importance of strengthening the unity of Muslim communities, as a centuries-old nation that has unique morals and unparalleled values to act like a nation eager to lead the way for humanity.

The ICESCO Women Poets Forum continues its creative activities and holds periodic meetings aimed at celebrating and introducing creative women poets and their poetic experiences. These meetings feature poetry recitation, interventions, critical appraisals and video screenings.

In this respect, the forum recently held two sessions. The first session touched upon the experiences of the Jordanian poet Omaima Youssef and the Algerian poet Dr. Amna Hazmoun, and was moderated by the Syrian poet Shatha Qassem. The second session reviewed the experiences of the Lebanese poet Asil Siklawi and the Palestinian poet Amal Ghazal, and was moderated by the Tunisian poet Salwa Rabhi.

The ICESCO Women Poets Forum, chaired by the Sudanese poet Rawda Al-Haj, continues to hold its creative meetings regularly and prepares to publish the first issue of the “Shawa’ir” magazine on women’s literature.

It is worth noting that the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) announced the launch of the ICESCO Women Poets Forum during the celebration of the World Poetry Day, which was held by the Organization on March 31, 2022, under the theme “Perspectives of Women’s Poetry” to express appreciation for women poetry and offer women poets a space for creative exchange.

The Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), under the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched the Project for the Development of Open Education in the Federation’s Member Universities, which aims to build the capacity of professors to use open education resources and tools and integrate them in university curricula, and introduce them to the best new practices of disseminating such education tools.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), FUIW Secretary General, inaugurated the launching ceremony of the project, today, Thursday, May 5, 2022, via videoconference, where he gave an address stressing the need to raise awareness of open education and provide training in this field through taking advantage of the current technological revolution, which offers huge opportunities in the fields of education and learning.

Moreover, the DG stressed that ICESCO is committed to promoting open education by capitalizing on modern technology to serve students and teachers, in order to achieve quality education and strengthen knowledge economy in the Member States.

Dr. AlMalik also stated that the project includes a series of training courses for professors and researchers in Member States’ universities and higher education institutions, which are based on three key components, namely building professors’ capacities, promoting best practices in universities, and fostering cooperation with international institutions to benefit from their experiences and resources in this regard.

In his address, Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to ICESCO DG for the FUIW, said that about 400 teacher-researchers from 25 countries will benefit from this project through virtual trainings to develop their capacities to design open educational resources and use them in their daily activities with their students and colleagues.

Dr. Halli added that project will also provide an open accreditation plan to encourage teachers to create their own platforms and develop their distance teaching skills, noting that ICESCO and the FUIW will grant accreditation to at least one national institution and one university in each Member State where the training program is to be implemented.

Likewise, he stated that the project will be implemented over the course of two years, under the supervision of experts specialized in open education in a number of FUIW Member Universities and European universities.

Also taking part in the ceremony were Dr. Daniel Burgos, Vice Rector of the International University of La Rioja of Research and Technology in the Kingdom of Spain, and Dr. Khalid Berrada, Professor at Mohammed V University in Rabat, both supervisors of the training. Both officials praised the program and stressed its importance and its great potential to keep up with the evolution of the educational process in universities around the world.

In parallel with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr all across the Islamic world, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) celebrates its fortieth anniversary. The Organization is honored by this inspiring coincidence and seizes this opportunity to renew its commitment to steadily accomplishing further achievements through its fruitful open-door approach and modernizing vision, which includes making progress towards meeting future requirements through many programmes and activities. ICESCO also called various non-Member States to join the Organization as observers, and updated its internal regulations and organizational structure.

Moreover, ICESCO has concluded many cooperation and partnership agreements with major international space institutions to keep up with the rapid global transformations. The Organization has created centers specialized in the fields of civilizational dialogue and strategic foresight. It also developed training incubators for young people from various Islamic countries, some of whom have become ICESCO ambassadors. Furthermore, ICESCO has enhanced the status of women, who now account for half of its staff, given a new impetus to the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) to achieve its desired goals, and concluded successful partnerships in the field of heritage restoration and preservation in the Islamic world.

This anniversary also coincides with the Celebration of Rabat as Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022. On this occasion, the Organization expresses its sincere thanks and gratitude to the Kingdom of Morocco for this forty years of care and support, particulalry the continuous patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, to many programmes and activities.

ICESCO also avails itself of this opportunity to extend its heartfelt thanks to the leaders of its Member States for their support to the Organization through their valuable participation and the payment of their financial contributions to the Organization’s budget.

Special thanks go to the leadership and members of the General Conference and the Executive Council for their contribution to the Organization’s achievements and outstanding performance.

ICESCO also sincerely thanks all those who have contributed, throughout the last forty years, to its achievements, which are highly commended at the regional and international levels.

Being aware of this responsibility, ICESCO renews its commitment to fulfilling the requirmements of its vision and making further achievements to ensure the prosperity and progress of the Islamic world.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) recalls its previous statements regarding the recurrent Israeli attempts to threaten the identity of holy sites and obliterate their history, along with the relentless campaigns of terror targeting Palestinian citizens. The Organization condemns these recurrent incursions and provocations which took place during the holy month of Ramadan, violating the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and its courtyards, closing the holy site’s gates and attacking worshipers, without regard for religious considerations or respect for the monument of Al-Aqsa Mosque for the Islamic nation. This would magnify the hate, violence and extremism, and dim any chances of reviving the peace process.

ICESCO also calls upon all humanity to stand against this injustice and work towards preserving historical rights and preventing all acts that could hinder peoples’ pursuit of a decent life that guarantees their freedom and the future of their children.

The Science and Technology Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held two separate meetings with Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakesh and the Regional Investment Centre in Beni Mellal (Kingdom of Morocco), respectively, to discuss cooperation in the implementation of science and technology activities and initiatives.
The first meeting gathered ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector, represented by Dr. Muhammad Sharif, advisor to the Sector, and Dr. Abdul Rahman, expert to the Sector, and Cadi Ayyad University represented by its president Dr. Moulay Lahcen Hbid, and Dr. Fatima Iflahen, Vice President of the University, and Dr. Zuhair Benkhaldoun, professor at the same institution.

The two parties discussed cooperation between ICESCO and the University in the implementation of an awareness-raising program on space sciences, as well as a workshop and training on the “CanSat” device for the benefit of youth and students from the Islamic world.

During the second meeting, held by the Sector’s delegation with Mr. Adil Azmi, Director of the Pole “House of the Investor” at the Regional Investment Center of Beni Mellal, and Mr. Nawfal Hamoumi, Director of the Pole “Economic Drive and Territorial Offer” at the same Center, Dr. Muhammad Sharif reviewed the efforts to contribute to the development of entrepreneurship and scientific research in ICESCO Member States through strengthening cooperation means and mechanisms with various bodies and institutions in implementing many programs and activities. Cooperation includes the implementation of ICESCO’s program for training young people in the creation and development of small projects in the fields of technology and innovation in the Kingdom of Morocco.

The ICESCO Women Poets Forum launched its new creative project, “20 Moons in the Poetry Sky,” which will release 20 poetry collections by women poets.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), announced the launching of the ICESCO Women Poets Forum in March 2022 during ICESCO’s International Celebration of World Poetry Day, which was held under the theme “Perspectives of Women’s Poetry,” in recognition of women poetry to give them a creative platform.
The Forum aims to highlight women’s poetry as a fulcrum of Arab culture and support women poets through increasing their participation in international cultural events, publishing their poem collections, and holding poetry seminars and readings.

ICESCO Women Poets Forum, headed by Ms. Rawda Al-Hajj, continues its creative and introductory program, with three recent poetry sessions held via videoconference. The first session was moderated by Ms. Salwa Rabhi from Tunisia and featured the Libyan poet, Dr. Umm Al-Khair Al-Barouni; the second session was overseen by poet Soumaya Al-Yacoubi from Tunisia and hosted three poets, namely Ameni Zaibi from Tunisia, Amani Amine and Ameera Tawheed from Egypt. For the third session, it was moderated by Sumaya Wadi from Palestine and featured two poets, Asmaa Talaat from Egypt and Ameera Nader from Syria.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Moroccan Observatory on Extremism and Violence held a meeting to discuss a number of ideas and proposals related to the arrangements for organizing the Second International Conference on Combating Terrorism and Violent Extremism, under the theme “Collective Intelligence in Combating Terrorism and Building Strategies to Combat Violent Extremism and Prevention”.

The meeting, held on Monday, April 25, 2022, at ICESCO headquarters, in Rabat, explored a number of ideas and proposals related to the preparation for the conference, to be held on 8-10 June 2022. The two sides agreed that ICESCO will host the conference at its headquarters.

The meeting brought together Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General, Ambassador Khaled Fathrahman, Director of ICESCO Center of Civilizational Dialogue, and Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Director of the Department of Legal Affairs and International Standards at ICESCO, as well as Dr. Mostafa El-Rezrazi, President of the Moroccan Observatory on Extremism and Violence.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs in the Kingdom of Morocco, will launch today, Thursday, April 28th, 2022, the lecture series, “Cenacles of Gentle Exchanges”. Seeking to highlight the modern and ancient civilzational and historical aspects of Rabat, the series is part of the Celebration of Rabat as Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022.

The first lecture will kick off at 2:00 p.m UTC, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, which will be presented by Ms. Fouzia Ben Abbad, Head of the Department of Mosque-based Literacy at the Moroccan Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs. The lecture will discuss the topic of the role of mosques in women’s literacy.

The lecture series will span over the period of two months and aims to highlight the civilizational and cultural depository of Rabat and the glorious history of the Kingdom of Morocco. These include historical mosques, patterns in manuscripts, ashama’il books, Moroccan endowments in the Two Holy Mosques, Moroccan monarchs’ special attention to the Holy Quran and Sahih Al-Bukhari, and other issues that cast light in civilizational aspects of the Kingdom.