Category: News update

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is participating in the 45th session of the Islamic Commission for Economic, Cultural and Social Affairs, of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which is being held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, January 22-24, to prepare for the next session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of OIC’s Member States.

During the opening session, which saw the participation of several officials and representatives of Member States, organs and institutions operating within OIC’s framework, the new bureau was elected under the presidency of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, in addition to approving the draft agenda and draft work program and discussing reports on OIC’s subsidiary organs.
The commission’s agenda includes discussing the 2022 activity reports of the specialized bodies, including ICESCO’s activity report, and approving the final report and draft decisions issued by the commission, which will be presented during the 49th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers due to be held in Nouakchott, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, on March 16-17, 2023.

Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Head of the Department of Legal Affairs and International Standards, will represent ICESCO at the meeting.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) mourns the passing of the great Mauritanian scholar and thinker, Dr. Mohamed El Mokhtar Ould Bah, who died on Sunday, January 22, 2023, after a rich scientific and academic journey.

ICESCO General Directorate expresses its sincere condolences to the son of the deceased, Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Advisor to the ICESCO Director-General for Partnerships and International Cooperation, Supervisor of the Secretariat of National Commissions and Conference, to his family as well as the President, Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO DG, commended the struggle of Dr. Mohamed El Mokhtar Ould Bah for his country, religion and Ummah, stressing that he was one of the great figures of Mauritania, who contributed to its history at the political, educational and religious levels, and made outstanding contributions to the Chinguetti culture through his writings and research works, beseeching Allah Almighty to have mercy on him and grant him the highest paradise.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) strongly condemns the barbaric behavior that instigated the Swedish “hard-line” movement to burn a copy of the Holy Quran, in a scene that demonstrates civilizational defeat. The act, which is a blunt rejection of the spirit of tolerance that believes in cultural and religious diversity, does nothing but stir up hatred feelings and revive hate speech whenever they start to vanish.

ICESCO re-affirms that disdain for the values and principles governing the lives of nations and peoples is the most dangerous weapon of destruction that is likely to disrupt efforts of establishing international peace and development. Therefore, the Organization warns that this heinous act will only escalate tensions, hostility and confrontation, and drive the whole of humanity into international conflicts that threaten its security and peace instead of making people rally around peace principles that guarantee its prosperity and progress.

While reminding that the repetition of such offenses will not undermine the value of the Holy Quran, which attracts more and more believers around the world every day, ICESCO warns again that the authorities – wherever they are – by allowing these trends to undertake such heedless expressions, are simply deviating humanity from the civilized path that is committed to respecting the values of peoples and the ethics of their cultures and customs. The Organization also reaffirms that it will never fail to move forward with the international peace-loving forces, in fighting such trends and promoting the culture of enlightenment and the principles of moderation.

On Saturday, 21 January 2023, a delegation of Palestinian personalities visited the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently hosted at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat.The delegation comprised of a number of Palestinian personalities, namely Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, Head of the Supreme Islamic Authority in Jerusalem, Preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and Bishop Suhail Dawani, former Bishop of the Anglican Church.

The delegation members were invited to the celebrations of the silver jubilee of Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency in Morocco.

The delegation was received by Ms. Amira Al Fadel, Head of ICESCO’s Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, Dr. Nidal Abu Zuhri, Director of the Administrative Affairs Department, Dr. Najib Rhiati, cultural advisor to ICESCO DG, and Dr. Salim Al Habsi, Programme Manager at the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences.

During the visit, the delegation was briefed on the contents of the pavilions and sections of the exhibition, which is the fruit of the strategic partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League (MWL) and Morocco’s Mohammadia League of Scholars.

It was emphasized that the exhibition seeks to highlight the civilizational aspects of the Prophet’s biography and details of his life using modern technology and artificial intelligence techniques.

Upon the tour, the head of the Supreme Islamic Authority in Jerusalem, Preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, commended ICESCO’s initiative to host this distinguished edifice, stressing its success in promoting the biography of our Prophet (PBUH).

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting with the American Organization “Embrace Relief,” and together discussed mechanisms for the implementation of joint programmes and projects as part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) they concluded to cooperate in healthcare, education and safe drinking water programmes.

During the meeting, which was held via videoconference, the two parties emphasized the importance of joint action to assist vulnerable groups and reviewed the major programmes, projects and activities that their respective organizations are currently implementing in the areas of health promotion, provision of safe drinking water, poverty alleviation, women empowerment and peace-building.

The meeting touched upon the proposed mechanisms for implementing the programmes and projects provided for by the MoU and the relevant implementation procedures. It is worth noting that the Memorandum provides for the implementation of joint projects worth $600,000 annually in several ICESCO member states.

Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of the Social and Human Sciences Sector, the Sector’s team, and Dr. Yusuf Muhammad, Expert at the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, represented ICESCO at the meeting.

Dr. Nizar bin Saleh Abdel Hafeez, Saudi Cultural Attaché in Rabat, and his accompanying delegation and Saudi students in the Kingdom of Morocco, and a delegation from the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research in Morocco visited the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, on Thursday, January 19, 2023, currently hosted at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat.

Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director General, received the two delegations, in the presence of several heads of the Organization’s Sectors. He stated that the exhibition comes as part of ICESCO’s mission to introduce the civilizational aspects of the Prophet’s Seerah, the moderation of our true religion and the fight against extremist ideology, through relying on the latest technology and artificial intelligence.

The two delegations were introduced to the elements displayed in the exhibition’s pavilions and sections and the modern display technologies which narrate and document in detail the biography of our Messenger (PBUH) and virtually transport the visitor back to the Prophet’s era.

After the tour, the Saudi Cultural Attaché in Rabat commended ICESCO’s initiative to host this exhibition, pointing out that it is an opportunity to learn about many aspects of the Prophet’s biography in an encyclopedic and simplified manner.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the National e-Learning Center (NELC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi National Commission for Education, Science and Culture held a meeting to explore the prospects of cooperation and review the arrangements for signing a memorandum of understanding between ICESCO and the Center in the field of e-learning.

During the meeting, held today, Thursday, January 19, 2023, via videoconference, the NELC representatives stressed their keenness to exchange knowledge, share the Center’s experience with ICESCO Member States and encourage cooperation to share the best practices with educational institutions and officials, through holding e-learning training and capacity building sessions, both in-person in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and via videoconference.

The representatives also conveyed the Center’s readiness to grant professional certificates to teachers and specialized trainers, strengthen distance education criteria, promote pedagogical skills, design, technical support and leadership, and facilitate access to the Center’s electronic platforms in order to achieve cooperation objectives.

ICESCO was represented at the meeting by Ms. Amira ElFadil, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, Dr. Salim Al Habsi, Program Director at the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences, Mr. Aziz El Hajir, Program Director at the Education Sector, Mr. Omer Hamid, Expert at the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Ms. Asmae Mahdaoui, from the Department of Legal Affairs and International Standards. The NELC was represented by Mr. Najm Alhemsi, Deputy Director General of Partnerships and Investment, Mr. Badr Alghamdi, Director of Partnerships Implementation, and Ms. Sara Albabtain, Senior Strategic Partnerships Expert, while Mr. Meshari Bin Kadasa represented the Saudi National Commission for Education, Science and Culture.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the UAE National Commission for Education, Culture and Science and the representatives of 21 African Member States held a meeting to discuss the preparation of the inscription file of African traditional games on the list of intangible cultural heritage of ICESCO and the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Culture and Communication Sector represented ICESCO in this virtual meeting, held on Tuesday (January 17, 2023), during which Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of the Sector, thanked the UAE National Commission for its support and the representatives of African countries for their commitment to promote the intangible cultural heritage and strengthen the cultural bonds of the African continent.

The representatives of the African countries stressed the importance of this file, which will contribute to highlighting the common cultural aspects of African countries and ensuring the preservation and promotion of their intangible heritage.
At the close of the meeting, the parties agreed to hold other expert meetings to complete the preparation of the inscription file of African traditional games on ICESCO’s intangible cultural heritage lists.

The meeting comes within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed by ICESCO and the UAE National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, in November 2022, under which the UAE will provide support for the Organization’s programs to promote the heritage of ICESCO’s African Member States.