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Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (ICESCO) Director-General (DG), received on Friday, November 13, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat, Mr. Mao Jun, Chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of China to Morocco, as well as his accompanying delegation. The two parties discussed the basis for a future partnership between ICESCO and China in the fields of education, science, and culture.

The DG expressed his thanks for the Chinese Embassy’s donation of 10 new computers and 10 printers. Dr. Chen Dongyun, Cultural Advisor at the Embassy, also attended the meeting.

The two parties discussed aspects of future cooperation, including ICESCO’s participation in the Chinese initiative to relaunch the Silk Road, scholarship opportunities in distinguished Chinese universities for young people from ICESCO’s Member States, and the creation of an ICESCO Chair in one of China’s pioneering universities.

The officials also discussed the training sessions opportunities, as well as China’s assistance, in cooperation with ICESCO, to the countries most in need to cope with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chinese Chargé d’affaires praised ICESCO’s dynamic performance, which the whole world witnessed during the pandemic. He also stressed his country’s readiness to ensure more cooperation with the Organization.

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, expressed his condolences following the passing of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, may Allah rest his soul, at the Embassy of Bahrain in Rabat.

Mr. Bassam Dalhan al-Dosari, Advisor at the Embassy, welcomed Dr. AlMalik. The DG expressed, on ICESCO’s behalf, heartfelt condolences to His Majesty Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, the honorable Royal family, the Bahraini people as well as to the Arab-Islamic Ummah on the sad occasion.

In a message he wrote in the Embassy’s condolence book, ICESCO’s DG reaffirmed that the late Prince was a true statesman who dedicated his entire life to elevate the status of his nation and the support for all joint actions. Dr. AlMalik beseeched Allah to shower him with mercy and make paradise his eternal abode.

The headquarters of the Moroccan Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research saw yesterday, the launch of the “Project on countering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting innovation and the development of entrepreneurship among women and youth.”

The project is part of the cooperation between the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture, with the support of Al-Waleed Philanthropies.
Before the beginning of the ceremony, Mr. Said Amzazi, Moroccan Minister of National Education, Chairman of the Moroccan Commission, held a special meeting with Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of ICESCO.

During the meeting, both parties reviewed the successful cooperation and partnership programs between ICESCO and Morocco. They also stressed the continuation of joint action to achieve the objectives of the agreed programs. Mr. Jamal Eddine El Aloua, Secretary-General of the Moroccan National Commission, and Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Cultural Advisor to ICESCO DG, also attended the meeting.

During the ceremony, Mr. Amzazi gave an address wherein he expressed his satisfaction with the project, marked by effective governance and based on a participatory approach and defining responsibilities through the creation of national coordination and follow-up unit to be headed by the Secretary-General of the Moroccan National Commission.

Mr. Amzazi also thanked ICESCO and its DG for the Organization’s services to the Member States based on forward-looking vision. He commended the efforts of the Moroccan Commission in keeping up with ICESCO’s projects and making progress within the framework of the strategic partnership to ensure the success of all projects.

In his address, Dr. AlMalik praised the great interest shown by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made Morocco an example to follow in the implemented measures to deal with the negative repercussions of this pandemic.

The DG also expressed his thanks and gratitude to ICESCO’s permanent partner, Al-Waleed Philanthropies Foundation, whose Board of Directors is chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, for its generous donation and support to ICESCO’s humanitarian and social initiatives to assist 10 African countries, including Morocco. The project falls within the partnership.

Dr. AlMalik pointed out that under the new vision, the Organization has greatly supported the Member States through numerous initiatives to provide preventive, educational, and medical equipment and materials based on the needs of each country.

Ms. Maryam Ait Mahoucht, from the Moroccan National Commission, and Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Director of the Human and Social Sciences Sector at ICESCO, gave an explanation on the phases and details of the project as well as its implementation plan.

At the close of the ceremony, the two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation phases of the project, which aims at developing the sense of entrepreneurship among women and youth in Morocco and supporting the private sector, entrepreneurs, and small businesses.

As part of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) initiatives to publicize great thinkers and intellectuals in the history and present of the Islamic world, the Organization held an international webinar under the theme: “Tolerance, Foresight and Iqbal.” The goal is also to benefit from the scholars’ perceptions and creativity to advance the reality of the Islamic world, promote its societies, and build the future.

ICESCO’s Strategic Foresight Center held the webinar to commemorate the birth of the illustrious intellect, as one of the most important philosophical, poetic, and literary figures in the history of the Islamic world.

At the opening session of the webinar, Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), called on the Islamic world to renew and enlighten minds and promote the values to revive the glories of the Ummah. The DG particularly focused on the thought, action, peace and tolerance, and active engagement in progress and development.

The glory can also be achieved through rejecting all forms of violence, extremism, and intellectual momentum that have nothing to do with the Islamic religion and the Message of the Honorable Prophet (PBUH), the DG continued.

At the close of his address, Dr. AlMalik stressed that the webinar will not be the last of its kind to revive and disseminate the peaceful messages contained in the noble Islamic religion, a religion known for its tolerance and noble moral values. He also stressed learning from the contribution of the Ummah’s historical and contemporary scholars and thinkers to human civilization.

In her address, Ms. Nasira Iqbal, a lawyer and daughter-in-law of the late scholar Muhammad Iqbal, said that the message of peace was clear in the teachings of Muhammad Iqbal and that his poetry constitute an invitation for tolerance and equality. She added that Iqbal believed that everyone plays a role in the international community and that the ideal state is one that respects the faith and beliefs of its different citizens.

Mr. Hamid Asghar Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan to Morocco, indicated in his presentation the importance of history and foresight. He stressed on the role of education in the advancement of peoples and of tolerance achieving respect for culture.

Mr. Imtiaz Ahmed Kazi, Ambassador of Pakistan to the Philippines, explained that tolerance does not mean abandoning social values, but rather not persisting in imposing certain practices on others. He continued that Muhammad Iqbal is among the poets who promoted the value of tolerance in Pakistan.

The first session of the event discussed “Aspects of peace and tolerance in the writings of Muhammad Iqbal.” Mr. Abdul Raouf, a Pakistani journalist and analyst, said that Muhammad Iqbal was an outstanding Muslim figure and, through his philosophy, called for tolerance and unity among all Muslims, as well as knowledge and innovation.

Mr. Asadullah Khan, writer and journalist, said that Muhammad Iqbal was seeking a vision of the future for all humanity that is not limited to any specific region, as well as supporting democracy and the right of peoples to independence.

The second session focused on “Muhammad Iqbal’s Forward-looking Vision,” which featured Dr. Aziz Ali Najam, former Vice-Chancellor of Karakoram International University in Pakistan. Dr. Najam stated that Muhammad Iqbal was aware that critical thinking is needed to limit the influence of the material world and that poetry was only a method to keep the Ummah united.

Philosopher Abdul Nour Bidar stressed the need to teach the thought and writings of Muhammad Iqbal to current and future younger generations, and to encourage scholars to deepen his thought.

Mr. Mohammed Thami Elharrak, a scholar specialized in Islam and Sufism, stressed the urgent need for a religious revival to develop Islamic thought.

In his address, Mr. Sulaiman Bashir Dayyan, philosopher and specialist in Islamic philosophy, said that divided communities rejecting the Other need to know and be inspired by the principles of Muhammad Iqbal’s philosophy, which are deep-rooted in the Holy Quran.

Dr. Kaïs Hammami, Director of the Center for Strategic Foresight, said that ICESCO is in the process of producing a book on the thought and philosophy of Muhammad Iqbal, under the title “Relation with Time in the Philosophy of Muhammad Iqbal.” He also stated that the Organization will hold a symposium in 2021 to discuss the Scholar’s ideas and prospective vision.

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, called on all international organizations and associations interested in women and girls’ affairs to join ICESCO’s call to declare 2021 a year for women. The step is in recognition of women’s efforts in facing the COVID-19 pandemic, diseases, and violence.

The DG stressed that ICESCO counts members and partners from outside the Islamic world and strives to build bridges of communication between people from different continents, countries, religions, and cultures.

The statement came during the DG’s speech at the “First Forum on Women, Faith and Diplomacy: Preserving Faith and Changing Tomorrow.” The “Religions for Peace” organization held the event on november 10, in partnership with the Foundation of “Peace Dialogue of the World Religions and Civil Society” and with the support of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Forum brought together António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations; Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor; and many representatives of specialized international organizations and officials.

In his address, Dr. AlMalik pointed out that the responsibility for giving a free rein to women’s potentials rests with the international community, as women are the school of peace, tolerance, and interfaith dialogue. He stated that ICESCO is working, as part of its new vision, toward turning girls and women into makers of change and a lever for building healthy, peaceful, prosperous, and strong societies out of the belief that the hands of women are capable of shaping the future of harmonious and inclusive societies.

Dr. AlMalik stressed the need to empower women and girls, ensure their protection, and give them access to the right to education. The DG particularly focused on women and girls who suffer from vulnerability and deprivation due to conflicts and crises to achieve social cohesion and development. ICESCO’s DG noted the crucial role that Muslim women have played in the development of science, citing the example of Fatima al-Fihriya, known as “Umm Al-Banin,” who established in 859 AD, Al-Qarawiyyin University in Fez in Morocco, which according to UNESCO is the oldest university in history. He stated that working women contribute more than a trillion US dollars to the global economy. In the Middle East, women’s participation in the workforce will reach a record rate by 2025, which will increase the region’s GDP by 47%, according to McKinsey estimates, continued the DG.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), rejected any link between Islam and the criminal and extremist acts. He also stressed that ICESCO refuses the phrases “Islamophobia” and “Islamist terrorism,” which is deliberately meant to poison international relations, incite hatred in addressing terrorism, and mislead the international opinion. He also highlighted that Islam is the religion of tolerance, which is far from the terrorist crimes, political agendas, electoral motives, and media campaigns.

The statement was part of Dr. AlMalik’s address at the International Virtual Conference on “Hatred Speech as a Source of Terrorism” that the Caucasian Muslims Office held yesterday. The event brought together the representatives of many international specialized organizations, Muslim leaderships, public figures, and politicians from Russia, North Caucasus, Middle Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Dr. AlMalik added that as part of its new vision, ICESCO launched short videos entitled “Nafahat Ramadanya” and “Afaq Fikrya wa Thaqafia” during which influential, religious, and intellectual figures to raise awareness of the issues related to terrorism and hate speech.

ICESCO also held an international virtual forum on the role of religious leadership in face of crises, which issued a historic document “ICESCO Declaration for Moral Solidarity.” The document was submitted to the world’s decision-makers at the G20 and the United Nations.

“ICESCO, in collaboration with its partners, launched a new action program for the benefit of university and research institutions as well as all researchers, students, and young people to ensure intellectual immunity from the extremist discourse,” underlined Dr. AlMalik.  

The DG continued that “ICESCO has embarked on the preparation of the first guide on the deconstruction of extremism discourse and the first international encyclopedia on the deconstruction of extremism discourse.”

Dr. AlMalik also called for the implementation of the legitimate international resolutions relevant to the disputed Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh region, and the protection of heritage sites and historic monuments. He also called for compliance with the principles of international law, respect for the cultural and historical rights, and the provision of the necessary guarantees for the return of displaced people while stating that ICESCO has kept up with and supported the initiative of “Baku Process” for the promotion of intercultural dialogue which contributed to peace between world peoples and rapprochement between cultures and religions.

Dr. AlMalik thanked and congratulated His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, on the liberation of the Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh while welcoming the signed cease-fire deal.