Category: News

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held, via videoconference on Thursday, 16 July 2026, the Fourth Meeting of the Joint Committee on Cultural Policies for Sustainable Development. The meeting was held as part of both parties’ efforts to promote cultural policy reforms in ICESCO Member States and to strengthen the role of culture as a lever for sustainable development at the regional and international levels.

Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Sector of Culture, opened the meeting, reaffirming the key role of the Committee as a mechanism to measure the progress made in implementing the relevant international commitments, in line with the Doha Declaration (2023) on Renewing Cultural Action in the Islamic World and the Jeddah Declaration (2025) on the Impact of Culture on Development.

Ms. Emmanuelle Robert, Expert at the Culture Sector of UNESCO, highlighted the Organization’s priorities in the fields of cultural rights, culture and education, creative industries, technological integration, climate action, and cultural response in times of crisis. For her part, Ms. Somia Djacta, Head of ICESCO’s Office at UNESCO in Paris, stressed the importance of the meeting, held prior to the upcoming signature of a partnership agreement between the two organizations. Likewise, Ms. Rime Jirari, Head of the Division of Organizations and Bodies at the Sector of Partnerships and International Cooperation at ICESCO, reaffirmed the Sector’s commitment to widening the scope of cooperation in the upcoming period.

The meeting saw the presentation of ICESCO’s project, the “ICESCO Charter on the Development of Cultural Rights in the Islamic World,” and the Strategic Action Plan of the Culture Sector for the period 2026–2029. The meeting also shed light on key studies and analytical tools developed by ICESCO pertaining to cultural GDP, sustainable cultural and creative economies, the reference framework for cultural professions and skills, and ICESCO’s indicators for cultural and creative technologies.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to launch joint workshops to foster cultural policies and development strategies, in partnership with the National Commissions, as well as to jointly prepare for the next session of the World Conference on Cultural Policies (MONDIACULT). They also agreed to coordinate efforts to strengthen cultural rights, citizenship, and education through culture, thereby contributing to the development of more inclusive, innovative, and sustainable cultural policies across the Member States.

Mr. Ahmed Toufiq, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco, participated in the First International Forum on Islamic Civilization in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and the International Scientific Conference “Al-Jami’ al-Musnad al-Sahih by Imam al-Bukhari: The Book of an Ummah” in Samarkand. The two events were organized in partnership between the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Center of Islamic Civilization, under the patronage of His Excellency President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and brought together more than 300 speakers from 40 countries, including ministers, scholars, and religious and cultural figures.

In a recorded address presented during the opening session of the forum, held from 7 to 11 July 2026, Mr. Ahmed Toufiq stressed that discussion of Islamic civilization should not be limited to thought, sciences, and the arts, but should also encompass the system of good governance it developed, which offered a civilizational model that the Muslim world continues to draw inspiration from and seek renewal.

The Moroccan minister noted that the concept known in the Islamic heritage as the Five Higher Objectives of Islamic Shariah (Al-Kulliyat al-Khamsah)—namely, the preservation of religion, life, intellect, property, and progeny—represents one of the most advanced intellectual formulations reflecting the comprehensive Islamic vision for building individuals, society, and the state.

In his address to the opening session of the international conference dedicated to Imam Al-Bukhari, delivered on his behalf by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General of ICESCO, the Moroccan Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs highlighted the scholarly and spiritual status of Sahih al-Bukhari in the Kingdom of Morocco, noting the great attention devoted to its memorization, study, commentary, and teaching in traditional schools and Sufi institutions.

Mr. Ahmed Toufiq explained that the most prominent manifestation of this interest is the annual royal religious vigil marking Laylat Al-Qadr, during which the completion of the reading of Sahih al-Bukhari constitutes the scholarly and spiritual culmination of the assembly. This reflects Morocco’s deep attachment to the legacy of Imam Al-Bukhari and its commitment to preserving and transmitting the sciences of the Prophetic Hadith across generations.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) issued a new scientific publication, titled “Al-Jami’ al-Musnad al-Sahih by Imam al-Bukhari: The Book of an Ummah. A Scientific Embodiment of the Civilization of the Chain of Narration and Authentication.” The publication was co-authored by a host of academics and researchers from 16 countries, in a bid to enrich specialized studies in the field of hadith sciences and promote scientific research on Imam al-Bukhari’s legacy and contributions to Islamic civilization.

The publication contains the scientific papers presented at the International Conference, “Al-Jami’ al-Musnad al-Sahih by Imam al-Bukhari: The Book of an Ummah,” organized by ICESCO in Samarkand on 9–10 July 2026, in partnership with the Center of Islamic Civilization in Tashkent and the Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center, under the patronage of His Excellency President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The 800-page book discusses five main themes, namely: the geographical, social, and scientific context of Imam al-Bukhari’s upbringing; the scientific methodology and the authentication and classification practices in Al-Jami’ al-Sahih; valuable manuscripts held in libraries around the world; the efforts of scholars worldwide in the service of Al-Jami’ al-Sahih; and the key issues and criticisms of Al-Jami’ al-Sahih and their rebuttals.

In his foreword to the book, Dr. AlMalik reaffirms the special attention ICESCO accords to the Sunnah and Hadith sciences through sustained scientific and civilizational initiatives geared towards preserving Islamic heritage, raising awareness of the Muslim world’s civilizational identity, and anchoring Islamic scientific and human values.

During his reception and decoration ceremony, Dr. AlMalik presented this publication to H.E. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, along with the abstracts of the research papers contained in the publication, translated into Uzbek by the Center of Islamic Civilization in Tashkent.

For his part, Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General, who oversaw the various stages of this work, stated that the publication was prepared following a rigorous scientific methodology that consisted of preparing the Conference’s reference document, setting out the themes, announcing the call for papers, and establishing a specialized scientific committee to evaluate the submitted research papers in compliance with the highest academic standards.

The book is available via the following link:

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) has published a new book titled “Morphological Parsing: A Proposal for Parsing in Light of Modern Phonetic Studies” by Dr. Hossam Saeed Al-Nuaimi, a Member of the Iraqi Academy of Sciences. The publication comes within the framework of the strategic partnership between ICESCO and the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco, and as part of the celebration of Rabat as the World Book Capital for 2026.

The book examines recent developments in the study of Arabic morphology, and the resulting need to reconsider certain grammatical analyses of examples involving phonetic formations that affect the structure of semantic units. It also retains from the linguistic heritage the elements that are consistent with modern linguistic scholarship.

Published as part of the Research Excellence Program in Arabic Language and Literature, overseen by ICESCO’s Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, the book presents a well-substantiated case for adopting sound phonetic interpretation in grammatical parsing, so that the treatment of grammar and morphology remains consistent with principles that have become fundamental to modern phonetic studies.

This publication also opens the door to rigorous scholarly research that reexamines the sciences of the Arabic language to ensure their continued relevance amid evolving developments and modern technologies.

The publication is available at:
https://icesco.org/y9yp

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) has released the seventh issue of its quarterly cultural magazine, published under the supervision of the Organization’s Poetry and Literature Center. The issue features a collection of articles, studies, and interviews addressing a range of intellectual, literary, and cultural issues in the Islamic world.

The issue includes a special section devoted to the theme “The Arabic Language and the Questions of Knowledge Identity,” featuring a selection of articles and perspectives that examine the current state of the Arabic language, its future, and its relationship to knowledge production. The section also addresses the Arabization of the sciences, linguistic diplomacy and its cultural and civilizational roles, as well as analyses of the Arabic language’s current situation, the challenges it faces, and the richness and flexibility it embodies.

In the issue’s first interview, the magazine hosts Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, in a discussion exploring the contours of the next phase and the Organization’s future priorities following the unanimous renewal of his mandate for an additional six years by the Member States. The interview highlights the key orientations and visions guiding ICESCO’s efforts to strengthen its presence, expand its impact, and consolidate its partnerships in education, science, culture, and communication.

The issue also features a variety of topics, including the celebration marking ten million visitors to the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization; an article by Dr. Ali Daher, Ambassador of the Lebanese Republic to the Kingdom of Morocco, on ICESCO’s goals and their relevance to the Lebanese cultural experience; and an article titled “When the Camera Becomes a Wing” by poet and journalist Yassin Adnan. In addition, it includes an article by Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, former Secretary-General of the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association, on the contributions of Arab and Muslim scientists to the foundations of modern chemistry. The issue also presents an interview with Iraqi poet Dr. Arif Al-Saadi on his poetic experience, his vision of the Arab cultural scene, and the transformations of contemporary poetry, alongside an interview with education expert Dr. Mohammed Derrij on the state of education in the Islamic world.