Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Manzoor Nadir, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana, during their participation at the proceeding of the 3rd Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network (NAM PN) held under the banner: “Revitalizing parliamentary action in combating climate change.”
During the meeting, which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 25, 2024, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the Organization’s further progress made towards its development, as well as its new vision and strategic orientations aimed at establishing it as an international beacon of civilization and knowledge hub for the Islamic world.
Dr. AlMalik highlighted ICESCO’s approach of increased communication with its Member States to design programs and projects based on their needs and priorities in coordination with their respective National Commissions.
For his part, Mr.Manzoor Nadir commended ICESCO’s efforts in building the capacities of youth and women, stressing the willingness of the competent authorities in Guyana to promote collaboration with the Organization in education, science and culture.
Every year on March 27th, the world celebrates the World Theatre Day, an occasion to highlight the role of art in promoting intercultural and civilizational dialogue, as a source of inspiration fostering diversity and cultural openness, and as an integral part of the intangible civilizational heritage reflecting the values of belonging and coexistence.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) seizes this opportunity to renew its commitment to supporting the art of theatre, promoting cultural dialogue and developing the skills of theater practitioners in its Member States. At the same time, it strives to highlight the efforts undertaken to strengthen this ancestral art (the father of all arts) through its scientific publications and symposia, particularly in light of the challenges posed by artificial intelligence and its impact on reducing human creativity.
In this regard, ICESCO is working towards the publication of a set of guides aimed at anchoring the cultural identity of theatre in the Islamic world, as well as the elaboration of a guiding study on artistic and theatrical education for schoolchildren, with the aim of supporting all art forms, particularly theater.
On this World Theatre Day, ICESCO reaffirms its support for the efforts of its Member States to develop this art form, promote the training of artists and the preservation of performing arts, in addition to integrating people with special needs into theatrical performances and consolidating social cohesion.
A host of senior Muslim Ulema and distinguished intellectual figures participating in the Hassani Religious Lectures, held during the holy month of Ramadan and headed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco, may Allah assist him, visited the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently housed at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in Rabat.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, received these guests, on Wednesday (March 20, 2024), including Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, the Grand Mufti of AlQuds and the Palestinian territories, Imam and Preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque; Sheikh Essa Darboe, President of The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council; Dr. Bahauddeen Nadwi, Vice Chancellor of Darul Huda Islamic University, in India; Dr. Hassan Al-Mannai, retired professor from Al-Zaytouna University in Tunisia; and Dr. Akram Nadwi, Director and Co-founder of Al Salam Institute in Oxford, in Britain; as well as the reciters Al-Hussein Al-Qasimi Al-Baqali and Ayoub Nasser from Morocco.
During the meeting, ICESCO Director-General reviewed the Organization’s vision and strategic orientations, and highlighted its current programs and projects geared towards developing the fields of education, science and culture, noting that ICESCO is open to all parties with the view of serving its Member States and the Muslim communities worldwide, and introducing the cultures and civilization of the Islamic world.
Moreover, he indicated that the Organization is hosting this Exhibition within its efforts to show the correct image of Islam and confront extremism and hatred, highlighting that the exhibition is the fruit of the strategic partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League and the Mohammadia League of Ulema.
Dr. AlMalik, along with Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General, and Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Advisor to the General Directorate of ICESCO, took the guests on a tour of the various halls of the Exhibition and Museum, during which they listened to detailed explanations.
At the close of the tour, the guests expressed their happiness at visiting this great scientific edifice, which addresses all groups in a simplified manner using the latest technologies.
World Water Day is observed every year on 22 March. This year’s theme, “Water for Peace,” is a rallying call to shed light on the threats of water scarcity to food security, social parity, and the environment, hindering sustainable development, security, and peace in the world.
On this occasion, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) brings attention to water scarcity in most of the countries of the Islamic world and calls for cooperation and joint action to ensure the right to access safe and clean water. It is particularly concerning that 29 of these countries are currently facing water stress, with 18 experiencing a critical stress level. Additionally, the average renewable water resources are alarmingly low, at 3,806 cubic meters, compared to the global average of 7,027 cubic meters per capita. These figures emphasize the urgent need for the rational and efficient use of water resources.
In this context, ICESCO reaffirms its unwavering commitment to promoting sustainable water resource management and environment protection and enhancing peace and security by harnessing synergies among international and regional organizations, institutions, and research centers in the field. These efforts address the causes and consequences of water scarcity and urge the international community to strive for a future where every individual, regardless of their geographical location, has rightful and sustainable access to clean water.
As part of its strong commitment to addressing climate change issues among its Member States, including water scarcity, ICESCO implements a set of programs aimed at enhancing water resource management, mainly its program of water and sewage network repair in several rural areas in the Islamic world countries.
To mark this occasion, ICESCO reiterates the importance of strengthening the international and regional exchange of expertise in building scientific and innovative capacities to confront future challenges in water and food security, biodiversity, and crisis management. These efforts are essential for ensuring social and economic development while establishing the pillars of sustainable peace.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Osama Al Azhari, Advisor to the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt for Religious Affairs, who visited ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat and gave a lecture entitled: “Today’s youth: tomorrow’s beacon of civilization”.
At the start of the meeting, which took place on Tuesday 19 March 2024, Dr. AlMalik welcomed Dr. Al Azhari stressing the exceptional relations binding ICESCO and Egypt in the fields of education, science and culture.
He commended the support of H.E. Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, to the Organization’s efforts, and his generous sponsorship of ICESCO’s Year of Youth, which saw the implementation of concrete programs and projects for the benefit of youth in a number of countries in the Islamic world, as part of His Excellency’s ongoing support for youth, exemplified by the announcement he made at the opening of the 14th session of ICESCO’s General Conference in Cairo of the granting of 100 scholarships in Egyptian universities to young people from the Organization’s Member States, and by his proposal to create a Fund to support education and talents in the Islamic world.
The Director General reviewed the main thrusts of ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, as well as the programs and projects it implements in the fields of capacity-building for youth and women, consolidating the values of coexistence, peace and civilizational dialogue, combating extremist ideas, promoting investment in technology, innovation, artificial intelligence and space sciences, disseminating the culture of foresight, and consolidating the status of the Arabic language worldwide.
For his part, Dr. Al Azhari expressed his pleasure at visiting ICESCO’s headquarters, praising the Organization’s outstanding and central role in disseminating and strengthening science, thought and culture in its Member States.
Following the meeting, an intellectual gathering was organized during which Dr. Al-Azhari gave a lecture entitled “Today’s youth: the beacon of tomorrow’s civilization”, moderated by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director General, in the presence of a number of ambassadors and ambassadors’ spouses accredited to Rabat, as well as other high-profile personalities.
Dr. Al-Azhari emphasized that the theme of the lecture urges youth in the Islamic world and the world at large, to become the beacon of tomorrow’s civilization. In this respect, he presented examples of scientific methodological thinking, which has transformed the meanings of the Holy Quran into creative scientific thinking, that motivated Muslims throughout history to take inspiration from it to develop minds and promote the values of ambition and innovation to make glorious civilization that has contributed to enriching human civilization, stressing that mercy is the most important and central value of our true religion.
He went on to talk about the transformation that occurred in the civilization of the Islamic world with the appearance of hospitals, the stages of their the evolution, and how the need to relieve the sick was first thought of in application of the value of mercy derived from the opening of Surah Al-Fatihah “In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful”, noting that the innovative Muslim mind transformed the word the “Compassionate, the Merciful”, into a “value”, then created a civilization in which mercy became a central value.
After the lecture, the floor was opened to discussion and questions which Dr. Al-Azhari answered, before ICESCO Director General presented him with a shield of honor.
At the end of his visit to ICESCO, Dr. Al Malik took Dr. Al Azhari on a tour of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Seerah of the Prophet and Islamic Civilization, currently hosted at the Organization’s headquarters as part of a strategic partnership between ICESCO, the Islamic World League and the Mohammadia League of Scholars.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the NewGlobe Organization, specializing in education on the international level, convened to explore opportunities for collaboration in implementing various initiatives, programs, and projects. The focus was particularly on supporting educational transformation, skill development, and organizing international conferences and seminars on educational matters.
Chaired by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Ms. Shannon May, President and Co-Founder of NewGlobe Organization, the meeting took place via videoconference on Thursday 14 March 2024. Also in attendance were Mr. Jay Kimmelman, CEO and Co-Founder, and Mr. Isfundiar Kasuri, Executive Director of the Pakistan office, as well as Policy and Partnership Director at the Organization. Representing ICESCO during the Meeting were Dr. Boly Koumbou Barry, Head of the Education Sector, and Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, alongside experts from both sectors.
Dr. AlMalik reviewed ICESCO’s vision and operational strategy during the meeting, expressing the Organization’s keenness to collaborate with various international institutions to serve its Member States and Muslim communities worldwide in the realms of education, science, and culture.
The NewGlobe Organization representatives commended ICESCO’s efforts within the scope of its fields of competence before offering an outline of their Organization’s activities and programs implemented in various African and Asian countries. These endeavors aim to support educational transformation in partnership with the respective governments of those countries, striving to develop sustainable and resilient education systems.
Emphasizing the Organization’s adoption of data-driven and scientifically researched methods, NewGlobe representatives highlighted their efforts to support positive educational transformation, boost gross domestic product, generate employment opportunities, and address poverty issues.
The Two Parties explored possible future avenues of cooperation and areas of mutual interest, agreeing to continue discussions to formulate executive plans for initiatives, programs, and practical activities that carry tangible impacts.
During this year’s month of Ramadan (1445 A.H/2024), the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) will stream, for the fifth year running, its two series, “Ramadan Whiffs” and “Intellectual Sparks.” As part of its integrated initiative, “ICESCO Digital Home,” the video series will be broadcast on the Organization’s official social media accounts. The two series will be broadcast starting tomorrow, Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at 10:00 GMT, with the participation of a host of prominent intellectual, cultural and religious figures from the Islamic world and beyond, who will present their thoughts and views on key contemporary intellectual and religious issues.
Through this initiative, ICESCO aims to spread focused and meaningful messages that highlight the key role of enlightened thought in raising societal awareness and entrenching sound cultural and religious values that are based on the principles of peace, tolerance and coexistence among communities.
The Organization also aims to explore key issues and discuss new ideas in a bid to promote cultural life and contribute to renewing the fields of thought, culture, knowledge, literature and science.
Likewise, ICESCO endeavors to promote the values of peace, spread knowledge and enhance religious, cultural and intellectual communication between eminent personalities and the public to support spiritual and intellectual exchange.
The International Conference on the Protection of Diversity and Fight Against Islamophobia kicked off on Friday (March 8, 2024) in Baku, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Organized by the Baku International Center for Multiculturalism, in partnership with the G20 Center for Interreligious Dialogue and the Azerbaijan Policy Analysis Center, the two-day conference brought together scholars and religious leaders from 30 countries, along with experts and representatives of international and non-governmental organizations and bodies.
The Conference’s opening session was marked by a reading of the address of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev, who addressed the international community, highlighting Azerbaijan’s advanced role in standing against the active extremist currents that manifest Islamophobia in the West.
In his statement at the first session of the Conference, Ambassador Khaled Fathurahman, Head of ICESCO’s Center for Civilizational Dialogue, outlined the Organization’s new vision which stems from an open-door approach to accommodate visions characterized by diversity and cultural richness. The ICESCO official also addressed the civilizational dilemma posed by policies and trends resulting from Western centralism, noting that they attempt to impose and generalize the West’s vision, thus exacerbating the struggles of the future.
The conference sessions will address several topics, including cultural diversity, Islam and the clash of civilizations, and women and human Rights.
As part of the celebration of International Women’s Day and the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) hosted, on Friday, March 8, 2024, the Forum, “A Ramadan Journey into the Depths of the Human Soul”. The event, which brought together high-caliber participation, was organized by ICESCO in cooperation with the Group of Spouses of Arab Ambassadors and Heads of International Organizations accredited to the Kingdom of Morocco.
Held in person and via videoconference, the forum opened with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran.
In a recorded address on the occasion, Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, ICESCO Director General, stated that the celebration of women is unparalleled because of the meanings, values and significance it bears as a celebration of all moral virtues, calling for empowering women to share the responsibility of building a better world.
Moreover, the Director-General mentioned ICESCO’s due diligence to protect women’s rights and nurture their talents, stating that the Organization will sustain its support of women in its areas of competence. Dr. AlMalik also highlighted ICESCO’s leading initiative to proclaim 2021 as the Year of Women, which was marked by a number of remarkable programs and projects, noting that half of the leadership positions in ICESCO are held by women.
The Director General added that these facts place ICESCO at the forefront of international organizations that address the needs of rural girls and marginalized communities, and call for an end to the genocide of women, children and the elderly in Gaza.
In his address, Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, Deputy Director-General of ICESCO, thanked the Group of the Spouses of Arab Ambassadors and Heads of International Organizations for partnering with the Organization in holding this forum in celebration of Women’s Day and the advent of the holy month of Ramadan.
He stressed that Women’s Day is a celebration for all members of society and an occasion to recognize those who create happiness for those around them, paying tribute to Palestinian women who are steadfast in the face of the attacks they are subjected to by the Israeli occupation.
In a recorded statement, Ziauddin Yousafzai, father of Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai and founder of the Malala Fund, emphasized that education is the key to empowering girls and preparing them to contribute to the efforts to achieve development, promote the economy and protect the environment.
For her part, Ms. Rania Shobaki, Chairwoman of the Group, praised ICESCO’s initiatives and efforts to support women, and commended the cooperation between the Group and the Organization in the field women empowerment.
In her remarks, Dr. Yousra Bint Hussain Al-Jazairy, member of the Group, saluted women for all their generosity, patience and resilience, noting that ICESCO has given women the status they deserve. She expressed her pride in belonging to such a keen group of dedicated women who exert serious efforts to promote social development in the Kingdom of Morocco and strengthen cooperation and communication between Morocco and all the countries they represent. Dr. Al-Jazairy stated that the spouses of the ambassadors of Arab countries also gear their work to bring culture together, promote knowledge, and support humanitarian causes in clear manifestation of the values of love and solidarity with the Moroccan people and among themselves. She concluded her speech by saluting Palestinian women as a symbol of steadfastness and empathy.
Dr. Al-Jazairy then introduced Dr. Khadija Abouzid, Professor of Higher Education at the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences in Rabat, who delivered a lecture titled, “A Ramadan Journey into the Depths of the Human Soul”.
At the close of the forum, Dr. Khadija Abu Zeid and Dr. Yusra bint Hussein Al-Jazairi were honored by Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa in recognition of their efforts in organizing the forum and ensuring its success.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in cooperation with Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, concluded the launch of the first phase of the Program, “Promoting the Arabic Language in the Bilingual Education System of the Union of Comoros”, on March 6, 2024, to strengthen Arabic presence in bilingual education systems (Arabic-French).
As part of the program activities, Mr. Adel Bouraoui, Advisor to ICESCO Director-General in charge of its Arabic Language External Bodies, held two meetings with Dr. Takiddine Youssouf, Minister of National Education, Scientific Research, Training and Professional Integration, President of the National Commission and Dr. Muhammad Hussein Jamal Al-Lail, Advisor to the President of the Republic in Charge of Relations with the Arab World. Mr. Bouraoui stressed the Organization’s commitment to supporting the efforts of Comoran authorities to achieve universal access to Arabic in primary education.
Moreover, Mr. Bouraoui held two expert meetings in Moroni on developing Arabic language programs in schools, and on drafting an action plan to redevelop the headquarters of ICESCO’s delegation to improve its work. Following, the delegation visited Anjouan, the second largest of the Comoros Islands, to meet senior education officials and discuss the challenges of teaching Arabic.
