Category: News update

Mr. Abdennebi Manar, Director-General (DG) of the Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO), and his accompanying delegation comprising of the organization’s officials 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.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), received the delegation on Tuesday, 17 January 2023, and availed himself of this occasion to reaffirm that this initiative is part of the Organization’s efforts to highlight the civilizational aspects of the biography of the Prophet (PBUH), by displaying documented encyclopedic information about his life using virtual and augmented reality technologies.

ICESCO DG pointed out the growing interest in visiting the exhibition and museum among Moroccans of all ages, as well as residents and guests of the Kingdom of Morocco from all over the world, noting that this scientific edifice, which is the first edition of exhibitions and museums of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic civilization outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the fruit of a strategic partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League (MWL) and Morocco’s Mohammadia League of Scholars.

For his part, Mr. Manar praised ICESCO’s initiative to host the exhibition and museum which visually transported numerous visitors back in time to explore multiple aspects of the Prophet’s life.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Sheikh Sultan Al-Burkani, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Yemen, and his accompanying delegation, and together discussed ways to promote cooperation between ICESCO and Yemen in the fields of education, science and culture.

During the meeting, held Tuesday, January 17, 2023, with the presence of Ambassador Azzedine Said Al-Asbahi, Ambassador of Yemen to Morocco, Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General; and several heads of the Organiozation’s sectors, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed that ICESCO relies on communication with its Member States, through coordination with the National Commissions for Education, Science and Culture, to identify their respective priorities and needs with the aim of designing tailored programs and projects.

The Director-General also noted that ICESCO accords great attention to supporting Yemen, particularly in the fields of education and safeguarding and promoting Yemeni heritage. He added that the Organization has inscribed several Yemeni historical sites and cultural elements on its lists of tangible and intangible heritage in the Islamic world.

For his part, the Parliament Speaker commended ICESCO’s efforts and the strides of progress it has made over the last years, making it a beacon of civilizational and scientific outreach. The Yemeni official also seized this opportunity to highlight the need to sustain joint efforts to preserve and promote Yemeni heritage by setting up a technical committee to identify the working priorities in this field over the upcoming period.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik offered Sheikh Sultan Al-Burkani an ICESCO Shield.

Following the meeting, the Director-General took the Yemeni official and his delegation on a tour of the Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently housed at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat. The Speaker listened to detailed presentations on the contents of the different pavilions and sections, which feature modern display techniques and narrate and document in detail the Seerah of our Prophet (PBUH).

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.

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.