Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), extended condolences on the passing of Lebanon’s former Parliament Speaker, Mr. Hussein al-Husseini, may Allah have mercy on him, at the headquarters of the Lebanese Embassy in Rabat.
Ambassador Ziad Atallah, Lebanese Ambassador to Morocco, received Dr. Al-Malik, who expressed his and on behalf of all ICESCO staff, sincere condolences to the Lebanese government and people on the passing of Mr. Hussein al-Husseini, who passed away on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.
In a message he wrote on the Embassy’s condolences book, ICESCO Director-General commended the great role of the late Mr. Al-Husseini in enriching the political scene and his outstanding contributions during his parliamentary career marked by his clear positions that highlighted his deep awareness of the Lebanon’s unique position, especially his remarkable efforts to reach Taif Agreement, which restored civil peace to Lebanon.
The “Mishkat Al-Arabiya” hall at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) hosted a training session on the creative development of the skill of Arabic reading for the benefit of 198 non-Arabic educational staff working in the field of teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers in Chad, Nigeria and Benin. Guinea, Cameroon, Malaysia, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Bashkortostan, Vietnam and Morocco. The session saw the participation, via videoconference, of several interested stakeholders in the field from Germany, Britain, Gabon, France, Algeria and Jordan.
The four-day session, which was launched on Thursday, January 12, 2023, aims to introduce participants to concepts related to the creative development of students’ reading skills and train them to apply modern and effective strategies in teaching Arabic reading to non-Arabic students as well as the proper methodological and educational methodology during the stages of teaching reading skills.
The session, which was supervised by Dr. Samira Maslouhi, Expert in educational training, with the participation of Dr. Youssef Ismaili, Expert at the ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, was divided into three main parts: “The role of the creative competence in developing communicative ability,” “Reading skill as an effective input to improve learning” and “Modern applications in the creative teaching of Arabic reading for non-Arabic speakers.”
This session is the fourth training session organized by the ICESCO International Programme “Mishkat for Arabic Language for professional development and continuous training in the Arabic language for the benefit of non-Arabic speakers”, which is a programme implemented by ICESCO in cooperation with the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance.
A delegation from Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency, headed by Mr. Mohamed Salem Cherkaoui, Director in charge of the management of the Agency, and a delegation from the Moroccan Observatory on Extremism and Violence (OMEV), headed by Mr. El Mostafa Rezrazi, Head of the Observatory, visited the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and the Islamic Civilization, currently held at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), welcomed the two delegations this Friday, 13 January 2023, noting that the exhibition takes its visitors on a spiritual visit and a journey back in time to Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al- Madinah Al-Munawwarah to discover the rich history of the Prophet (PBUH). He added that the exhibition provides several encyclopedic information on the noble biography of the Prophet and the Islamic civilization, presented using the latest virtual and augment reality technologies.
ICESCO DG emphasized that since its inauguration on 28 November 2022, the exhibition has witnessed approximately half a million visits from all categories and age groups of the Moroccan public, as well as from residents and guests in the Kingdom.
For his part, Mr. Cherkaoui expressed his delight at the visit and emphasized that the exhibition offers its visitors a unique experience, thanking ICESCO for hosting this major scientific event.
Mr. Rezrazi reaffirmed that the visit to the exhibition is a spiritual and educational journey that contributes to the fight against extremism and violence and uses the latest technologies to display the core civilizational values that are embedded in the Prophet’s biography.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Mohamed El Ferrane, Director of the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco, and both discussed the development of cooperation between ICESCO and the Library, especially in organizing an international conference on the future and digitization of libraries.
During the meeting, held on Thursday (January 12, 2023) at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik stressed the Organization’s keenness to build a partnership that contributes to modernizing the fields of education, science and culture in the Member States, emphasizing the importance of developing libraries through modern technologies to keep up with new developments, disseminate knowledge and help in facing future challenges.
For his part, Dr. El Ferrane commended the great development that ICESCO witnessed over the last three years and its modern working mechanisms that turn it into a global organization concerned with global issues and new areas of interest to youth.
The meeting discussed cooperation proposals between ICESCO and the Library. The two parties agreed to co-hold an international conference on the future of libraries and the challenges facing their digitization.
After the meeting, Dr. AlMalik took Dr. El Ferrane and his delegation on a tour of the pavilions of the International Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, at ICESCO Headquarters.
During the tour, Dr. AlMalik discussed with several schoolchildren, who were visiting the museum, and listened to their opinions about their visit and the information and knowledge they learned about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), stated that the Organization has paid growing attention to the theater over the last period through its programs and projects, in recognition of its role in building nations and raising their civilizational awareness throughout history by highlighting injustices on its stage.
Dr. AlMalik made this statement on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at the opening session of the 13th Edition of the Festival of Arab Theater, held in Casablanca, on 10-16 January, by the Arab Theater Authority, in cooperation with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco. The festival is held under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the State of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Sharjah, President of the Arab Theater Authority. This edition is held under the theme, “Towards a new and renewed theatre” and saw high-caliber participation including officials, ministers and theater artists from different parts of the Arab world.
The DG stated that the attention ICESCO accords to the theater are manifested in its celebration of World Theater Day in 2022 and its organization of an international symposium which will be held next March, on the latest developments in world theater, announcing that the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), which reports to ICESCO, will hold the FUIW Theater Forum.
He added that Arab theater never ceases to prove its merit to be a major world theater, given the boldness, richness and diversity of the topics it addresses, noting that it drew from the Arab tale literature and built on it to branch out into various forms including political, social, educational, children and poetic theater.
The DG commended the selection of Casablanca to host this edition, as it celebrates the theatrical growth the Kingdom has witnessed over time and recognizes the contributions of Moroccan theater figures who excelled at Arab and international stages.
The DG concluded his address by reaffirming ICESCO’s readiness to cooperate with the Arab Theater Authority and other institutions concerned with supporting theater and theater artists, to promote the presence of this prestigious art and contribute to overcoming the challenges it faces.
The festival’s opening session featured the respective addresses of Mr. Mohamed Hahdi Bensaid, Moroccan Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication; Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director General of the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science (ALECSO); and Mr. Ismail Abdellah, Secretary General of the Arab Theater Authority. The opening session also featured tributes to several theater artists.
A delegation from the Supreme Council of Judicial Power, led by Dr. Mohamed Abdennabaoui, First President of the Court of Cassation, and a delegation from the Public Prosecutor, led by Moulay El Hassan Daki, the King’s Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, President of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, visited the International Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in Rabat.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, received the two delegations, reaffirming that the Exhibition is part of the Organization’s efforts to highlight the civilizational aspects of the Prophet’s biography, disseminate the true image of Islam, counter extremism and invest in new technologies and artificial intelligence for knowledge dissemination.
He pointed out that the Museum initiative, which is part of a strategic partnership between ICESCO, the World Muslim League and the Mohammadia League of Scholars, is the first edition of the museum outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The two delegations listened to explanations about the different pavilions of the Exhibition and the used modern technologies, which narrate and documented in detail the Prophet’s biography.At the end of the visit, Dr. Abdennabaoui commended the valuable information and important messages that the Museum reflect about tolerance in Islam.
For his part, Dr. Daki expressed his happiness in visiting ICESCO’s headquarters and the Exhibition, commending the Organization’s initiative to host this great Museum and its leading role in the fields of education, science and culture.
Dr. Salim M AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat, two delegations, one from the Moroccan Diplomatic Club, headed by Ambassador Taieb Chaoudri, President of the Club, and the other from Rabat’s Local Council of Ulemas, headed by Mr. Mohamed Asban, President of the Council, to visit the pavilions and sections of the International Exhibition and Museum on the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, which is currently hosted by ICESCO Headquarters.
During the two meetings, Dr. AlMalik indicated that the Exhibition is honored by the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, and was inaugurated by His Royal Highness Prince Moulay El-Hassan, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Morocco, along with the generous support and patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may God protect him, and his Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Muhammad bin Salman. ICESCO Director-General stated that this scientific museum, which presents the honorable biography of the Prophet with the latest technological presentation methods, is the fruit of the strategic partnership among ICESCO, the Muslim World League (MWL) and the Mohammadia League of Scholars.
He added that the exhibition is witnessing a great turnout from the Moroccan public of all age groups and residents and guests of the Kingdom of Morocco from all over the world; the number of its visitors exceeded 250,000 during December alone.
For his part, Ambassador Chaoudri commended the hosting of this distinguished exhibition and museum by ICESCO headquarters and thanked ICESCO Director General for providing the opportunity to visit, stressing that all members of the club are eager to visit the exhibition.
The President of Rabat’s Local Council of Ulemas also valued the initiative to set up the exhibition and museum in the City of Lights, noting that it represents a sublime civilizational message, as it presents the great biography of the Prophet to new generations with technological methods that bring them closer to prophet’s biography.
The two meetings were attended by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director General, and Mr. Najib Riati, Cultural Adviser to the Director General.
The Education Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is holding a training workshop on integrating and using educational technology in girls’ school dropout programs, in N’Djamena, Chad, under the patronage of Mr. Moussa Khaddam, Minister of National Education and Civic Promotion, and in cooperation with ICESCO Regional Educational Center in the Republic of Chad, for the benefit of several education officials, teachers and local specialists.
The four-day workshop, which kicked off on Monday (January 9, 2023), aims to build and strengthen the participants’ capacities in designing educational plans and developing programs to combat school dropouts among girls, develop their skills in using information and communication technology in combating school dropouts, especially among girls, and disseminate good practices to enhance school dropout programs.
The opening session saw the presence of Mr. Mohamed Said Farah, Secretary-General of the Ministry of National Education and Civic Promotion, Dr. Ali Mohamed Qamar, Director of ICESCO Regional Education Center in N’Djamena, Mr. Musa Mohamed Abdallah, ICESCO National Correspondent, Ms. Fatima Tabou Bitibi, Director of Girls Education and Gender Development, and Mr. Abdelhamid Mohamed, Director of Qatar Charity Office in Chad, as well as Mr. Aziz El Hajir, Programs Manager at ICESCO Education Sector.
During the opening session, the participants stressed the importance of using technology to combat girls’ school dropouts and thanked ICESCO for its continuous efforts to develop Member States’ educational systems.
At the end of his official visit to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on the occasion of the launching ceremony of Nouakchott as the Culture Capital of the Islamic world for 2023, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), attended several cultural activities within the framework of this celebration.
ICESCO DG participated in the inauguration of the memorial erected on the road to Nouakchott airport, on the occasion of the celebration of this city as Culture Capital, during a ceremony held in the presence of his accompanying delegation, Mrs. Fatimetou Mint Abdel Malick, President of the Nouakchott region, as well as several Mauritanian officials.
Designed and built by young Mauritanian women engineers, the memorial is distinguished by its artistic lines inspired by Islamic art, consisting of the name of Nouakchott inscribed in large letters in both Arabic and French clearly visible to all visitors to the city from the airport.
Dr. AlMalik also attended a play in the Cultural Village of Nouakchott, which depicts a historical Mauritanian epic entitled: “Bint Al Bar,” in an open theater that includes all elements of the desert environment, with the participation of several actors using horses and camels.
He also participated in the awarding of prizes to the winners of two races of camels and horses, organized by the National Federation of Camels, the National Federation of Equestrian Sports and the Presidency of the Region of Nouakchott.
Representing an aspect of the culture and sports heritage of the country, these races saw the participation of horses and camels of domestic breed for a distance of five kilometers on a track designed according to international standards.
ICESCO DG also attended a live-fire shooting competition, organized in a shooting range located not far from Nouakchott.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Ms. Mabrouka Toghy Othman, Libyan Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, in the capital of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Nouakchott, following their attendance of the opening ceremony of the celebration of Nouakchott as Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2023.During the meeting, held on Saturday, January 7, 2023, Dr. AlMalik stated that as part of its new vision and strategic orientations, ICESCO accords priority attention to safeguarding and promoting cultural heritage in the Islamic world.
He added that the Organization exerts tireless efforts to inscribe historical sites and cultural elements on its heritage lists, and build the capacities of heritage professionals in the Islamic world on how to prepare nomination files.
The Director-General also noted that ICESCO has inscribed several Libyan historical sites in its heritage lists and is continuously working with Libyan parties specialized in the fields of education and science to have a better understanding of their needs and priorities aimed at designing suitable programs and activities.
Likewise, the meeting discussed ICESCO’s support for the School of Arts and Traditional Crafts in Tripoli to become a regional hub for promoting and preserving heritage traditional crafts and holding training sessions for heritage professionals in Libya.
For her part, the Libyan minister commended ICESCO’s efforts to support its Member States to safeguard and promote their heritage, noting that the Ministry organized last week a ceremony to celebrate the inscription of some Libyan sites on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List.
