Category: News update

His Royal Highness Prince Khalid al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Advisor to the Custodian of the Holy Mosques, Governor of Makkah Region, said that he devoted his life to serving the language of the Quran. He also reaffirmed that the Arabic language is the highest form of expression and the manifestation of human identity.

The statement was part of Prince Khalid al-Faisal’s address at the opening session of the international conference that the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held yesterday, in celebration of the World Arabic Language Day.

His Royal Highness also said that “Allah Almighty and then the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques have given me the honor of serving the sacred Mosque. Thus, I have devoted my life to serving the language of the Quran and Muslims at this time and place. Arabic is the highest form of expression and human identity. Today, ICESCO honors me through the invitation to this conference. I am extremely grateful to ICESCO and all its staff members.”

His Royal Highness beseeched Allah Almighty to make him “among those who remember and praise Allah, learn the lessons of life, and make their speech concise and beneficial.”

At the opening of the celebration under the theme: “Arabic language: Foresight in a changing world,” Dr. Salim AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General expressed his sincere thanks and gratitude to H.R.H. Prince Khalid al-Faisal for his outstanding participation in the videoconference.

“His Highness accomplished many achievements in serving the Arabic language and Arab thought. His intellectual works, poetry collections, and artistic works mainly focus on serving Arabic, promoting its position, and stimulating creativity in Arab thought,” he underscored.

Dr. AlMalik also reaffirmed that “His Royal Highness is a pioneer of cultural, tourism, sports, and literary action in Saudi Arabia and the Arab and Islamic worlds. He is also the founder of many forums, awards, and cultural and literary journals.”

The cornerstone of the “Intangible Heritage Museum” was laid today, in the building of Bank Al Maghrib, Central Bank of Morocco, at Jemaa El Fna Square in Marrakesh in cooperation with the National Museum Foundation in Morocco and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO). The effort is in line with the implementation of a partnership agreement that was signed last October between the two organizations, in cooperation with other partners.

The artist Mehdi Qotbi, President of National Museum Foundation, and Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), oversaw the ceremony with the attendance of several officials from the Organization and the Foundation and senior officials from Marrakesh.

Dr. Abdelaziz El Idrissi, Director of the Rabat-based Mohammed VI Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art, gave a detailed presentation on the project. He pointed out that the Museum will host part of the collective memory of Jemaa El Fna Square. It will be open to the public with particular attention to the history of the building complimenting the surrounding area of the square.

For their part, the architects overseeing the project emphasized that the establishment will be equipped with cutting-edge display technology and will be open to children, from all age categories, to preserve and sustain the collective memory.

Aiming to publicize the Islamic world’s heritage and art and promote the true image of Islamic civilization and culture through art, the partnership agreement signed between ICESCO and the National Museum Foundation comprises a set of major programs and projects to be co-implemented by the parties.

The projects and programs include the Intangible Heritage Museum, exhibitions of collections of pottery, and traditional costumes inspired from the works of late world artist Eugene Delacroix. The Mohammed VI Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art will host from April 7, through July 24, 2021, at ICESCO’s Headquarters, the international exhibition on “Eugene Delacroix: Memories of his Moroccan Travel,” along with training sessions for the staff of museums in the Islamic world.

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, stated that commemorating Muslim scholars in various sciences and arts under ICESCO’s civilizational program for Islamic world culture capitals represents an opportunity to revive the Islamic heritage in its various aspects and publish the manuscripts stored on the shelves of libraries. The aim, Dr. AlMalik underscored, is to link the generations together and build a common ground for anticipating the future, one of the endeavors of the Organization.

The statement came in the DG’s address at the virtual international conference that the Imam Al-Maturidi International Center for Scientific Research held today, at the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, in Uzbekistan, on the future plans of the Center. The event was part of the activities of the celebration of Bukhara as the Islamic World Culture Capital for 2020 for the Asian region. The Conference witnessed the participation of high-level officials and religious leaders from Uzbekistan and the Islamic world.

Dr. Al-Malik noted that Imam Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi, popularly known as “Imam of Huda,” “Imam of the Speakers,” “Leader of the Sunnis,” and “the Eremite Imam” occupied a great place in the history of Islamic thoughts. Al-Maturidi is the founder of a Sunni school that emerged in the fourth century A.H. in the Transoxiana region and spread to the rest of the Islamic world. ICESCO DG pointed out that the most prominent characteristic of the views of Imam Al-Maturidi is that he vilified tradition and advocated the use of logic and reasoning.

At the close of his address, ICESCO DG reaffirmed the Organization’s willingness to cooperate with the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan and Imam Al-Maturidi International Center for Scientific Research in areas of common interest. The DG focused on “ICESCO’s Roads for the Future” Project through the establishment of academic chairs in the fields of heritage, arts and literature, coexistence, and civilizational dialogue.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), visited Dar El Bacha Museum, located in the old town of Marrakech, upon the special invitation of Mr. Mehdi Qotbi, President of the National Foundation of Museums of Morocco. The visit followed laying the foundation stone of the Intangible Heritage Museum in Jamaa el-Fna Square, as part of the Partnership Agreement between ICESCO and the National Foundation of Museums.

Dr. Abdelaziz El Idrissi, Director of Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat, and Ms. Salima Ait Mubarak, Curator of Dar El Bacha Museum, elucidate on the history of the museum stating that Dar El Bacha is one of the treasures of the Moroccan architecture in Marrakech. Built in 1910, Dar El Bacha palace was the residence of Thami Glaoui, who became the Pasha of Marrakesh, in 1912, upon the decision of Sultan Moulay Yusuf. After its restoration, the palace has become a museum that King Mohammed VI of Morocco inaugurated on July 9, 2017.

Dr. El Idrissi and Ms. Ait Mubarak explained that the renovation preserved and restored the palace’s interior design, including the engraved and painted wooden doors, black and white marble floors, colorful mosaic ceilings, and polished columns. They also pointed out that many international celebrities visited the museum, including the French composer, Joseph Maurice Ravel; the famous comedian, Charlie Chaplin; the American artist, Josephine Baker; and the late British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held the two-day forum on scientific paper and patent writing, in partnership with the International University of Rabat (UIR), COMSATS University Islamabad – Pakistan (CUI), the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST) in Morocco, and Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam.

The event brought together the Federal Minister for Science and Technology of Pakistan as well as several academicians, researchers, and students from all over the world. The forum kicked off yesterday at ICESCO headquarters with large participation as well on the Zoom platform.

During the opening session, Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of Science and Technology Sector at ICESCO, thanked all partners and participants for holding the important forum, to help academicians and researchers improve their performance and hone their skills in writing scientific papers and patents.

“It also aims at fostering innovation and creativity in the Member States. This large participation from all over the world is a major success despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientific paper and patent writing is an art that should be mastered,” he underscored.

In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), revealed the Organization’s strategy to overcome the challenges and problems facing most universities and scientific research centers in Member States.

“This strategy is based on four axes: supporting innovative research through the provision of 300 scholarships, launching ICESCO Innovation Award, developing a new comprehensive program for environmental innovation and green technology transfer, in cooperation with many partners, and launching a program for establishing and networking incubators and technological pools in ICESCO’s Member States,” he underlined.

Dr. AlMalik added that ICESCO looks forward to further cooperation with international partners, research centers, and universities inside and outside the Islamic world to achieve its strategic objectives. The goals include supporting scientific research and innovation in the Islamic world by sharing the best practices among the Member States to develop a mechanism for regional assistance and complementarity in capacity-building.

Mr. Fawad Chaudhry, Pakistani Federal Minister for Science and Technology, highlighted the need for developing the infrastructures to achieve a comprehensive and integrated education, and contribute to the promotion of scientific research. He also shared Pakistan’s experience in establishing scientific schools and specialized colleges in different branches of technology.

Dr. Matthias Beller, Vice President of Leibniz Institute, stressed the need for the development of science to improve societies because the current technology will not solve future problems. He also made a presentation on scientific paper outline, stating that the writer should specify the goal behind publishing prior to writing a scientific paper without using materials from previous publications while citing the bibliography.

Dr. Mohamed Boulmalf, Dean of the School of Computer Science and Digital Engineering at UIR, highlighted the importance and the main elements of a scientific paper’s outline. He also underscored the role of graphics in enriching the scientific paper while highlighting their types and forms.

Dr. Kacem Rharrabe, Professor at Abdelmalek Essadi University in Morocco, tackled the elements of good scientific paper writing.

Dr. Hans de Vries, Head of the Department of Catalysis with Renewable Resources at Leibniz Institute, reviewed the major steps in scientific paper writing starting from editing until publication.

The first day witnessed rich sessions on the best methods of scientific paper and patent writing.