Today at ISESCO Educational Centre in Malaysia, a “training session on educational methods in teaching Arabic language to non-Arabic speakers in Malaysia” kicked off in coordination with the Directorate of Education of the Islamic Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), and in cooperation with the Islamic Education Department at the Ministry of Education of Malaysia and the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
This two-day session, held in Fadenj Sojana High School in Jerantut City, Pahang Darul Makmur, aims to provide participants with mechanisms and methods to benefit from modern technologies in the field of teaching Arabic language through training on the use of computer educational programmes in teaching Arabic language to non-Arabic speakers.
The training, which brings together forty two (42) teachers from primary schools in Pahang Darul Makmur State, is the first of its kind held in this region for the benefit of Arabic language teachers. The training is supervised by the expert and associate professor, Dr. Jan dine Sardi from Universiti Teknologi MARA.
The Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the Republic of Tunisia hosted today the Meeting of the High Preparatory Committee of the 11th Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers (ICCM), and the closing ceremony of the celebration of Tunis as Capital of Islamic Culture for 2019, to be both held in Tunis, on 17-19 December 2019.
The Meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Mohamed Zine El Abidine, Tunisian Minister of Cultural Affairs, and Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), and together they reviewed the latest organizational arrangements for the Conference and the celebration. Representatives of the ministries and administrations concerned also made presentations on the preparations carried out by their respective departments to ensure a good organization for the two events.
In this connection, the two parties agreed to mobilize all resources to hold the conference in line with ISESCO’s new vision, which gives more importance to implementing field activities and projects for the benefit of Member States; and adopt a new approach to the relations with National Commissions as part of a modern vision that takes into consideration regional and international mutations.
Prior to the Committee’s Meeting, the Minister of Cultural Affairs and ISESCO Director General had held a bilateral meeting wherein they explored ways to promote cooperation and partnership between the Ministry and the Organization, and reviewed the ongoing preparations for holding ICCM.
The Fifth Meeting of International Organizations: ALECSO, ISESCO and ABEGS kicked off today in Tunis, Republic of Tunisia. It is a periodical meeting to promote cooperation and complementarity among these three organizations and explore the ways and mechanisms to boost their partnership with Member States’ National Commissions.
During the opening session, addresses were given by the representative of Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States; the representative of Dr. Hatem Ben Salem, Minister of Education and President of the Tunisian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture; and the representative of Dr. Mohamed Zine El Abidine, Minister of Cultural Affairs.
In his address during the opening session, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), reaffirmed that the common denominators among ISESCO, ALECSO and ABEGS are crystal-clear in their objectives and missions as provided for in their Charters, action programmes and initiatives in vital the fields that determine our present and future destiny (education, science, culture, information and communication) which are the foundations of action marked by the multiplicity of aspects and the complementarity of fields.
Dr. AlMalik also stressed that, in light of ISESCO’s new strategic plan, further attention will be given to the implementation of field activities and projects for the benefit of Member States, adoption of a new approach with regard to the relation with the National Commissions as part of a comprehensive innovative vision and a modern methodology that is mindful of all regional and international changes.
On his part, Dr. Ali bin Abdul Khaliq Al-Karni, Director-General of Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS), gave an address wherein he stated that this Meeting is quite important and very special as we all face challenges with determination to make achievements while looking toward the future, especially as we have the brains, wills, experiences, expertise and hopes necessary for creativity.
Afterwards, Dr. Mohamed Walad Amor, the Director-General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), gave his address stressing the importance of cooperation between ISESCO, ALECSO and ABEGS and the need to promote, develop and upgrade this cooperation to reach the level of partnership.
During the opening session, Dr. AlMalik and Dr. Walad Amor signed the Framework Cooperation Agreement between ALECSO and ISESCO. This agreement aims to set a joint framework of action for the period 2020-2021 in the fields of education, culture, heritage, information, communication and special programmes, including the programmes for Al-Quds Al-Sharif and the threats thereto, programmes geared to educational, cultural and scientific conditions in Palestine, programmes designed for the countries with special needs, and the programmes for unstable countries.
During the same session, the participants watched a video on the 8th Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers, which was held on 2-3 October 2019 in ISESCO headquarters in Rabat and brought together a large number of participants, including ministers and officials of environment from Muslim countries, as well as the heads of regional and international organizations operating in the field of environment protection and sustainable development.
On the sidelines of the opening session, the Directors General of ISESCO, ALECSO and ABEGS inaugurated the publications exhibition of the three organizations.
Moreover, Dr. AlMalik met a number of the National Commissions’ secretaries general, and together they explored the fields of cooperation between ISESCO and their respective countries as part of ISESCO’s new vision.
Today morning, in Bandar Seri Begawan, capital of Brunei Darussalam, the Majlis Ilmu Conference kicked off under the presidency of His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, with the participation of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), as the guest of honor. The Conference was also attended by Government members and officials in Brunei, the ambassadors accredited to the Sultanate, and a large number of academic and cultural figures from the Islamic world and beyond.
In his opening address to the Conference, His Majesty Sultan Bolkiah welcomed the participants from various countries and stressed the importance of unity and determination in supporting cultural projects in the country and publicize the civilizational heritage of Brunei.
During the opening session, Dr. AlMalik congratulated Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah for holding this Confence and reiterated his thanks to His majesty for his invitation and his keeness to hold this event concurrently with ISESCO Programme of the Celebration of Bandar Seri Begawan as the Asian region’s Islamic Culture Capital for 2019. He also stressed ISESCO’s willingness to contribute to the action aiming to publicize this event and support the educational, scientific and cultural initiatives of His Majesty.
This year’s session of this annual conference is marked by the inauguration of the National Manuscript Exhibition, which dispalys significant historical manuscripts and documents of Brunei, including precious and rare manuscripts from the Sultan’s treasury. The participation of ISESCO Director General in this conference is part of his current visit to the Sultanate of Brunei, the first among his scheduled visits to ISESCO Member States, initiated by his meeting with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah in ‘Istana Nurul Iman’.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Supervisor of the General Secretariat of the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), today at ISESCO headquarters, received a delegation of the Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII), and together they explored ways of cooperation between the FUIW and the UIII in the fields of common interest.
On this occasion, the delegation expressed the desire of the UIII, recently established, to benefit from the expertise of the FUIW in the fields of developing university education and scientific research, and communicate with similar Member Universities.
For the record, the UIII is a public university, established in 2016. It includes the faculties of Islamic studies, education, social sciences, human sciences, economics and finance, science and technology, polytechnics, and fine arts.
Dr. Salim M. Almalik, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), began his first visit to Member States by meeting with His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, on Thursday, at Nurul Iman Palace. During this audience, the two parties reviewed the new ISESCO vision and the development steps drafted in the Organization’s plans and strategies; and the proposed innovative mechanisms to support ISESCO’s financial sustainability, most notably through setting up waqfs and holding donor forums.
In this regard, ISESCO Director General hailed Brunei Darussalam’s role in supporting ISESCO and promoting joint Islamic action, reaffirming keenness to render Brunei a regular destination for holding international symposia and hosting some ministerial conferences that falls within the realm of ISESCO’s competence.
The Director General also lauded the celebration of Bandar Seri Begawan as Capital of Islamic Culture for 2019, and the programmes and activities implemented and planned for this occasion.
It is worth noting that since his appointment, based on the nomination of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the endorsement of the Third Extraordinary Session of ISESCO General Conference (9 May 2019, Makkah Al-Mukarramah), Dr. Salim M. Almalik has been working on turning ISESCO, established on 3 May 1982, into an international beacon in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.
Moreover, the notable success in organizing the Eighth Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers, held at ISESCO headquarters, on 2-3 October 2019, is a striking example of the transition the Organization currently witnesses. The conference saw the participation of a large number of Member States and regional and international organizations active in the field of environment; and issued key resolutions that set a forward-looking roadmap to protecting the environment and fostering sustainable development in the Islamic world.
The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) provided an overview of its constant efforts and action in the field of monuments protection and heritage preservation in the Islamic world, during a workshop organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and attended by representatives of Member States and international organizations at expert level to examine ways to protect heritage in the Islamic world. ISESCO was represented in the event by Dr. Najib Rhiati, Director of Culture.
On this occasion, ISESCO stated that it had already set up an observatory and a fund at its General Directorate to finance cultural projects, within the framework of the Islamic World Heritage Committee (IWHC), to give effect to the resolutions of the Tenth Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers (ICEM), held in Khartoum, on 21 October 2017, namely those relevant to the creation of “ISESCO Fund for Supporting Cultural Projects” to support the projects of protecting, preserving, publicizing and saving the existing Islamic heritage to be managed by ISESCO which shall accept support requests from Member States.
The resolutions of the conference also provided for the establishment of the “Heritage Observatory” at the IWHC in order to monitor the situation of the monuments of Al-Quds Al-Sharif and submit reports thereon to the competent authorities; follow up the situation of Islamic heritage in war-prone areas; collect information and news on the smuggling and illegal trafficking of Islamic cultural heritage, the destruction of this heritage by extremist groups, and unauthorized search and excavation; and collect information and news on the smear and misconceptions about Islamic heritage propagated in the media, books and the internet.
As a specialized technical organization in the field of monument protection and heritage preservation, ISESCO launched the “Electronic Portal for the Archaeological and Historic Landmarks in the Islamic World” which will serve as a depository of the archaeological and historic landmarks of civilizational and human significance that abound in Member States. Moreover, ISESCO will set up digital and interactive “bibliographic” database of the various elements of the architectural and urban heritage in the Islamic world. To this end, the Organization contacted Member States’ competent parties on the matter.
For the record, Paragraph 84 of the final communiqué of 14th Islamic Summit Conference, held in Makkah Al-Mukarramah on 31 May 2019, strongly condemned the crimes committed against cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, in Syria, Iraq, Mali, Libya and other Member States. It also invited OIC specialized bodies, most notably ISESCO, in coordination with Member States, to strengthen cooperation with competent institutions to monitor the situation of cultural, civilizational and religious heritage across the Muslim world, and take part in countering acts of damage to and looting of heritage.
The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) will take part at the conference on the “civilized management of jurisprudential difference”, organized by the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide, under the supervision of Dar al-Ifta al Misriyyah, in Cairo on 15-16 October 2019.
ISESCO will be represented in this international conference, held under the patronage of the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a delegation composed of Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Cultural Advisor to the Director General, and Abdelkader El-Idrissi, editor-in-chief of ISESCO Journal, expert at the Office of the Director General.
This conference, which will be presided over by Dr. Shawki Allam, Mufti of the Arab Republic of Egypt, President of the Supreme Council of Fatwa Authorities Worldwide, aims to identify the civilizational and contemporary sources for dealing with jurisprudential difference, reconsider jurisprudential difference to become a solution for contemporary problems, and suggest fatwa initiatives among the people operating the field of fatwa based on the civilized management of jurisprudential difference.
The conference will annonce the “Charter of Jurisprudential and Fatwa Tolerance” the “International Day for Fatwa” and “Imam Qarafi Award for Fatwa Excellence”.
The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, today morning in his office, received Dr. Muhammad Abubakar, Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
During this meeting, the two parties discussed ways to promote cooperation relations between the competent parties in Nigeria and ISESCO in areas of common interest, particularly climate change, education, and emerging technologies.
On this occasion, Dr. Abubakar congratulated Dr. AlMalik on the success and the achievement of the objectives of the 8th Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers. He also expressed his interest in and support to ISESCO’s new programmes and vision, including the Waqf project under development.
At the close of the Eighth Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers (ICEM), held on 2-3 October 2019, at the headquarters of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), under the theme, “the Role of Cultural and Religious Factors in the Protection of the Environment and Sustainable Development”, a number of resolutions pertaining to the action plan for the next phase were adopted. The conference also elected the members of the Conference’s Executive Bureau for a two-year term.
The conference decided to hold the ninth conference session at ISESCO headquarters in Rabat, in October 2021, and invited the Member States willing to host the next session of the Conference to submit an official request thereon including the proposed organizational facilitations to ISESCO General Directorate in order to consult with the Conference presidency and inform Member States of the decision taken thereon.
As for the composition of the Islamic Executive Bureau for the Environment, the Conference elected the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as chair, and ISESCO as head of Secretariat. The Conference also elected the following countries as members in the Bureau: State of the United Arab Emirates, Republic of Tunisia, and Federal Republic of Somalia for the Arab region; Burkina Faso, Republic of Sierra Leone, and Republic of the Gambia for the African region; and Republic of Uzbekistan, Republic of Suriname, and Malaysia for the Asian region.
In addition, the Conference adopted the “Draft Strategy for the Activation of the Role of Cultural and Religious Factors in Protecting the Environment and Achieving Sustainable Development in the Islamic World”; called on Member States to devote more attention to cultural and religious factors when preparing national plans and strategies aimed to surmount socio-economic and environmental challenges, in such a way as to meet their needs and in line with their priorities; and invited ISESCO to draft an executive plan for the Strategy, in cooperation with the national, regional and international organizations and relevant institutions within and outside the Islamic world.
Likewise the Conference adopted the “Draft Guidance Document on Strengthening the Role of Youth and Civil Society in the Protection of the Environment and Achievement of Sustainable Development”, taking into consideration the observations of the Conference members, and in accordance with the criteria laid down by relevant decisions and resolutions governing rules of cooperation with the non-governmental organizations, adopted by OIC Summits and Ministerial meetings. In the same regard, the Conference called on Member States to promote the roles of youth and civil society in the implementation of national sustainable development plans and strategies, taking into consideration the peculiarities of Member States and meet their needs in a way that is consistent with the legislations, references, principles and orientations adopted and applied by Member States.
The Conference adopted “ISESCO Report on the Executive Action Plan for Natural Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in the Member States”; took note of the achievements made under the Pilot Programme for Capacity-Building in the Field of Natural Disaster Risk Mitigation and Management in Member States; and called on Member States to give effect to the measures and procedures to reduce natural disaster risks, and cooperate with relevant international and regional institutions.
The Conference also adopted the Report on the Programme of the celebration of the Islamic World Environmentally-Friendly Capitals; adopted the City of Agadir in the Kingdom of Morocco and the City of Nur-Sultan in the Republic of Kazakhstan as the Islamic World Environmentally-Friendly Capitals for the years 2020-2021; adopted the City of Kampala in the Republic of Uganda as the Islamic World Environmentally-Friendly Capital of Merit for the African region for the years 2020-2021; and adopted Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the Islamic World Environmentally-Friendly Permanent Capital.
In the same vein, the Conference entrusted ISESCO Director General to prepare a schedule for the celebration of Islamic World Environmentally-Friendly Capitals until the end of 2030, in the light of the nominations received from Member States in this regard, while taking into consideration the balanced geographical distribution among Member States and conformity with the terms of nomination and selection criteria of such capitals.
Moreover, the Conference adopted the “Report on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Award for Environmental Management in the Islamic World; reiterated thanks and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for the creation of the Award and for his kind approval as to expanding its scope to cover the Islamic world and entrusting its General Secretariat to ISESCO, in order to entrench the broad concept of environmental management and promote sustainable development in Member States; and hailed the coordination efforts exerted by ISESCO and the General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the good preparation of the second edition of the Award.
As for the establishment of the Islamic Academy for the Environment and Sustainable Development, the Conference adopted the “Progress Report on the Creation of the Islamic Academy for the Environment and Sustainable Development”; thanked the Kingdom of Morocco, represented by the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Sustainable Development, for the progress made in the construction of the Academy’s headquarters, and the commitment to take the necessary technical and regulatory measures for its operation, in coordination with ISESCO in this regard.
By the same token, the Conference adopted the document on the “Project of the Establishment of the Islamic Network for Environmental Action and Sustainable Development”, within ISESCO; and called on relevant Member States’ government institutions and authorities, and parallel international and regional organizations to cooperate with the Network with a view to promoting joint Islamic environmental action and facilitating the sharing of expertise and best practices in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development.
Last, the Conference adopted “the Report on ISESCO’s Efforts in the Fields of Environment and Sustainable Development between the 7th and 8th sessions of the Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers”; extended thanks and appreciation to ISESCO for its efforts in the fields of environmental protection and sustainable development, and urged it to sustain coordination and consultation with the competent parties in Member States and national, regional and international competent authorities, in such a way as to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promote joint Islamic environmental action.
