Category: Front Page

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Ambassador Ahmed Nihad Abdel-Latif, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Kingdom of Morocco, on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat. The meeting focused on exploring avenues of joint cooperation between ICESCO and Egypt in the fields of education, science, culture, and heritage preservation.

During the meeting, Ambassador Abdel-Latif submitted the nomination file for the inscription of the Dendera Temple archaeological site on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List, as part of Egypt’s efforts to protect its cultural and civilizational heritage.

The two sides also discussed ongoing preparations for the inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum, scheduled for 1 November 2025, and the possibility of broadcasting the inauguration proceedings in ICESCO’s Conference Hall at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a workshop on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, as part of its Forum “Culture for Rethinking the World,” focusing on the importance of recovering African cultural property. During the event, researchers Benjamin Brou, French Ivorian academic and writer, and Eleni Lazidou from Greece, presented their new book “Sur l’art africain,” published in 2025 by L’Harmattan.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of the Culture Sector at ICESCO, emphasized the need to safeguard cultural rights in Africa and to promote research and creativity across disciplines to honor the continent’s aesthetic and civilizational memory. He reaffirmed ICESCO’s commitment to supporting initiatives that restore value to heritage and broaden access to it.

Brou and Lazidou outlined the key themes of their book. Brou revisited Africa’s history and the injustices it endured, highlighting the moral symbolism of recovering cultural property as a means of reclaiming a past whose richness and value had been obscured. Lazidou stressed the need for a shared path between Africa and the West to ensure cultural rights, including the restitution of looted or confiscated African artifacts and the affirmation of African heritage.

The workshop was moderated by Ms. Zineb Bougrine, expert at ICESCO’s Culture Sector, and attended by Dr. Mohamed Abba Ousmane, also a specialist in the same sector. Together with the authors, they discussed the book’s content and the questions it raises regarding cultural policies, memory, and heritage preservation in Africa.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) and the Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), concluded a virtual capacity-building training session on sustainable water management for Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The session, held on October 15-16, 2025, brought together over 60 experts and researchers from 15 OIC Member States.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Fahman Fathurrahman, Expert in the Science and Environment Sector at ICESCO, stated that the training aimed to support national capacities in water governance, promote innovation, and facilitate the exchange of best practices to address water scarcity and climate change challenges. He noted that urbanization and population growth are intensifying water stress.

Dr. Fathurrahman also reaffirmed ICESCO’s commitment to four key priorities: climate-smart agriculture, non-conventional water resources, integrated governance through the water-energy-food-ecosystems nexus approach, and building resilience to water-related risks.

COMSTECH emphasized the role of science and technology in addressing water issues and called for enhanced cooperation among Member States to develop integrated and effective policies. SESRIC highlighted the importance of capacity building and data-driven policymaking to support integrated water resource management and climate adaptation strategies.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a panel discussion titled: “Trustworthy AI in Practice: Transparency, Accountability, and Societal Alignment,” in partnership with Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) and Pakistan’s COMSATS University. The panel discussion took place on the sidelines of the Organization’s participation in the International Conference on Application of Emerging Technologies and AI for Advancing Science, Technology and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), held in Amman, Jordan, from 14–15 October 2025.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Adel Smeda, expert in the ICESCO Science and Environment Sector, emphasized the importance of building AI models that are trustworthy and interpretable. He stressed that making AI systems understandable is not a mere technical luxury but an ethical necessity, warning that the absence of clear accountability frameworks undermines public trust and weakens AI’s capacity to serve sustainable development goals.

During his participation in the conference, Dr. Smeda also discussed steps ICESCO has taken to develop scientific cooperation strategies and knowledge exchange among Islamic countries, including the launch of the Riyadh Charter on AI Ethics in the Islamic World and the preparation of a study titled “Promoting Scientific Diplomacy: Roadmap to the Strategy of ICESCO Member States.”

Professor Raheel Qamar, Head of Science and Environment Sector at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), presented the Organization’s strategy for building resilient, sustainable, and smart cities in its Member States during the 3rd Azerbaijan National Urban Forum (NUFA3), held in the cities of Khankendi and Baku on Wednesday, 15 October 2025. His intervention took place during a panel session titled “Interplay Between Mobility, Data, and Spatial Planning: Innovative Urban Solutions.”

In this context, Professor Qamar emphasized that mobility, data, and spatial planning constitute the living system of a city and determine whether it merely survives or thrives. He called for leveraging digital technologies as tools to empower people, protect the environment, and drive inclusive development.

Professor Raheel showcased pioneering initiatives by the Organization in this field, notably the “Digital Twin of Marrakech” project, which employs smart technologies to safeguard and promote cultural heritage, enhance tourism, and support urban planning. He noted the adaptability of similar models in other countries, including those with limited infrastructure, through data-driven approaches.

Furthermore, Professor Raheel outlined the key components of ICESCO’s smart cities agenda, including the development of the “Smart, Sustainable, and Resilient Cities Program in the Islamic World,” the promotion of policy adoption through ministerial conferences, and innovation programs such as startup competitions and living labs. He reaffirmed ICESCO’s goal to support each Member State in establishing at least one resilient smart city by 2030.

The Forum brought together over 400 representatives from public and private institutions across 60 countries, in addition to delegates from international organizations, academic institutes, and civil society organizations.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in a workshop organized by the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), held in Ankara, Türkiye, on 14-15 October 2025, under the theme “Cyber Addiction: Best Practices to Protect Children from Violence via Internet in the OIC Member States.” The event brought together a group of international experts to discuss initiatives aimed at enhancing digital safety for children and youth across the Islamic world.

ICESCO was represented at the workshop by Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Director of Legal Affairs and International Standards, who delivered an intervention during the fourth session. His presentation addressed strategies to combat internet addiction and protect children within national and international legal frameworks, highlighting the challenges facing the implementation of such policies.

Mr. Shili emphasized the complex and interlinked relationship between digital addiction and online violence, noting that each phenomenon fuels the other and exacerbates psychological and social impacts on children and adolescents, pointing out that legislative gaps in several Islamic countries reveal the need for a comprehensive approach that goes beyond criminalizing certain forms of online violence to addressing the psychological and social roots of the issue. He called for a comprehensive strategy involving the state, family, school, civil society, and the technology sector.

He concluded by stressing the importance of adopting the concept of “human-centered cybersecurity,” and announced ICESCO’s readiness, in coordination with the OIC General Secretariat, to propose a convention on cybersecurity and the protection of individuals in digital spaces. This convention would be based on five principles: prevention and education; shared responsibility; comprehensive protection of children’s rights; international cooperation; and ethical digital sovereignty aligned with spiritual values.

The workshop made several key recommendations, including the development of national frameworks to combat digital addiction, enhanced coordination among ministries of health, education, and social affairs, integration of online violence issues into curricula, training of guidance professionals, promotion of innovation in artificial intelligence, and strengthening of partnerships to ensure a safe digital environment for children.

The 2nd International Conference on Teaching Arabic Language and Literature (ICTALL 2025), held under the theme “Prospects for Teaching Arabic Language and Literature in Southeast Asia: Local Experiences and Inspiring Models,” concluded on Wednesday, 15 October 2025. The event was held under the honorary patronage of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and organized by Sultan Azlan Shah University (USAS) in Kuala Kangsar, Malaysia, in cooperation with ICESCO’s Center for Arabic Language for Non-Arabic Speakers and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY).

In ICESCO’s opening address, Dr. Majdi Bin Haji Ibrahim, Head of the Center of Arabic Language for Non-Arabic Speakers, reviewed the Organization’s key orientations in the field of Arabic language teaching for Non-Arabic Speakers. He emphasized ICESCO’s commitment to promoting Arabic globally through diverse content that fosters dialogue and mutual understanding among peoples, responds to learners’ goals, and continuously develops teaching curricula. He also highlighted the importance of diversifying resources, tools, and services through a forward-looking approach that considers the future role of modern technology in language education.

During the conference’s first session, Dr. Majdi Bin Haji Ibrahim presented a research paper titled “Language Immersion in Teaching Arabic to Non-Arabic Speakers: Insights and Experiences,” in which he reviewed ICESCO’s experience in organizing several language immersion programs in Southeast Asia. These programs, launched mid-year, targeted three countries in their initial phase: Indonesia, Cambodia, and Malaysia.

The opening session also featured addresses by Dr. Wan Sabri bin Wan Yusof, Vice-Chancellor of Sultan Azlan Shah University; Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Qarni, Advisor for Educational Affairs at the World Assembly of Muslim Youth; and His Eminence Dato’ Seri Haji Wan Zahidi bin Wan Teh, Mufti of Perak Darul Ridzuan State.

On the sidelines of the conference, a roundtable meeting was held with representatives of participating organizations, institutions, and universities to discuss joint strategies among Arabic language curriculum developers and digital platform providers. Additionally, ICESCO’s representative held a meeting with the Vice-Chancellor of Sultan Azlan Shah University, who also serves as Secretary of the Association of Islamic Universities in Asia. They discussed prospects for cooperation through student and training exchange programs and the organization of academic forums. The Vice-Chancellor expressed his interest in ICESCO joining the Association, which currently includes 85 Islamic universities across Asia.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a seminar titled “Narratives and the Question of Identity” on Wednesday, 15 October 2025, at its headquarters in Rabat, in celebration of World Novel Week. The seminar aimed to deepen the discussion around questions of identity in Arab narrative, explore its connections to current cultural transformations, and deconstruct the dialectic of place and memory. These themes were discussed by a distinguished group of writers, poets, thinkers, and academics participating in the event.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, emphasized that the Organization’s mission is to rewrite the civilizational narrative of the Islamic world with a contemporary spirit that highlights creativity and restores the value of the human being in light of their history and contributions. He added that the Islamic world is currently writing a new chapter in its cultural history, balancing authenticity and openness, and shaping a civilizational narrative based on diversity and mutual respect.

Dr. AlMalik pointed out that identity is not a wall of isolation but a window to the world through which we look with confidence and pride. He noted international data showing that over 50% of the world’s languages are endangered and that 80% of global cultural production is translated from Western languages, while Arabic, Asian, and African languages combined account for only 10% of translation activity. He considered these figures indicative of an imbalance in the fairness and cultural diversity of the human narrative.

In her intervention, Ms. Rawda El-Haj, Director of the Center for Poetry and Literature at ICESCO, stressed the role of narrative in enhancing awareness of identity and expanding its aesthetic horizons. Meanwhile, Iraqi thinker and academic Dr. Abdullah Ibrahim highlighted that identity is shaped within a narrative framework that gives it meaning and purpose, noting that autobiographical writing in modern Arabic novels has accumulated a creative fusion between fiction and autobiography, producing hybrid forms such as the “autobiographical novel” and the “novelized autobiography”.

Dr. Mhamed Dahi, Moroccan critic and researcher in self-semiotics, addressed issues of dynamic identity and autobiographies in world literature, referencing the experience of French novelist Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio as a model for reclaiming origins and lineage through narrative travel across time and space. Egyptian literary critic Dr. Mahmoud Eldabh explained that the third millennium witnessed radical transformations that shook the certainty and rigidity of identity, and that the concept of identity now extends beyond the individual and the group to include the “identity of place and time.”

The seminar concluded with the honoring of winners of the first edition of the “Cities of Poems” competition, overseen by ICESCO’s Center for Poetry and Literature. Nine poets from various countries were recognized for their poems celebrating the cultural capitals of the Islamic world for the year 2024: Benghazi, Marrakech, and Azerbaijan’s Shusha. The ceremony also acknowledged the outstanding creativity of other participants in the competition.

This seminar came as part of ICESCO’s ongoing commitment to advancing its programs and initiatives aimed at promoting linguistic and cultural diversity and supporting narrative and poetic creativity as a key pillar in building a contemporary and open civilizational narrative.