Category: News

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan, will launch the celebration of Samarkand as a 2025 Culture Capital in the Islamic World on Tuesday, 27 May 2025. This event is part of ICESCO’s Culture Capitals program and will begin with an international conference in Uzbekistan under the theme: “Spiritual Heritage and Cultural Expressions in the Islamic World: Calligraphy, Music, Poetry, and Solidarity.” The Conference will be attended by high-level officials, including ministers of culture from ICESCO Member States and representatives of international organizations and institutions.

On this occasion, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, stated that the year-long celebration will feature a rich and diverse array of programs, activities, and initiatives organized by ICESCO in cooperation with relevant Uzbek national authorities. These efforts aim to enhance the city’s cultural capital, highlight its distinguished cultural and historical heritage, and reaffirm its pivotal role in the civilization of the Islamic world.

Dr. AlMalik affirmed ICESCO’s strong commitment to ensuring the success of the celebration and presenting it in a manner worthy of Samarkand’s historical stature. He noted that a comprehensive program has been developed in collaboration with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Culture and expressed his hope that the Samarkand celebration would serve as a model for future Capitals of Culture in the Islamic world.

The celebration program will include the organization of an Uzbek Culture Week in Rabat, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of ICESCO’s Culture Capitals initiative. It will also feature international conferences on the influence of scholars from the region of Transoxiana on human civilization, such as Al-Khwarizmi, Al-Biruni, and Ibn Sina. Furthermore, the celebrations will include the organization of international forums focusing on traditional arts, manuscripts, literature, and Islamic architecture. Additional activities will include poetry and photography competitions and the launch of a new initiative to assess and reduce the carbon footprint of heritage sites and museums in Samarkand.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with H.E. Bakhtiyor Saidov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in an official meeting held on Saturday, 24 May 2025, in Tashkent.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed prospects for enhancing bilateral cooperation in the fields of education, science, and culture. The session culminated in the signing of a Joint Action Plan that lays the groundwork for an advanced strategic partnership between ICESCO and Uzbekistan in the coming phase.

Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to deepening its collaboration with Uzbekistan through the implementation of programs and initiatives that highlight the country’s rich civilizational heritage, particularly in the context of celebrating Samarkand as a Culture Capital of the Islamic World for 2025.

The ICESCO Director-General emphasized that the signing of the Action Plan marks a new chapter in bilateral cooperation and is expected to yield distinctive international initiatives that benefit the Islamic world and promote collaborative cultural action.

For his part, H.E. Bakhtiyor Saidov praised ICESCO’s role and the high regard it holds within Uzbekistan’s political leadership. He commended the Organization’s innovative programs in Member States and affirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening this partnership. This is reflected most recently in the establishment of the National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture, designed to serve as an effective focal point with ICESCO.

The Action Plan serves as a reference framework for the implementation of a panoply of initiatives and activities that build on ongoing programs. Key among them are the launch of the ICESCO Manuscripts Center at the Center for Islamic Civilization in Tashkent and the organization of the International Scientific Conference on “Al-Jami’ Al-Musnad As-Sahih by Imam Al-Bukhari” in the Uzbek capital.

Representing ICESCO at the meeting were Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Dr. Abdulhakeem AlSenan, Director of the Organization’s Regional Office in Baku.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), held a meeting with Dr. Arjoon Suddhoo, Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on the sidelines of the 21st edition of the Education World Forum (EWF), which took place in London from 19 to 22 May 2025.

The meeting, held at the Commonwealth’s headquarters in Marlborough House, London, featured in-depth discussions on strengthening cooperation between the two organizations, especially in light of the new strategic directions recently adopted by the Commonwealth Secretariat. These include achieving sustainable development and social justice, with particular emphasis on health and education.

During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik outlined ICESCO’s vision and its strategic orientation as an innovative and forward-looking organization, highlighting the international recognition it has received in this regard. He emphasized the importance of identifying areas of synergy and complementarity between the two entities to maximize impact in states that are members of both organizations. He also expressed ICESCO’s readiness to collaborate with the Commonwealth on matters of shared interest, particularly in the fields of culture, education, science, and peacebuilding.

For his part, Dr. Arjoon Suddhoo conveyed the greetings of Ms. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, to Dr. AlMalik. He noted his familiarity with ICESCO’s activities and praised the Organization’s efforts, pointing to the many intersections in their programs and priorities. He also presented the main pillars of the Commonwealth’s recently adopted strategy, which focuses on democracy and governance, sustainable development, climate action, and support for small and vulnerable states.

Dr. AlMalik proposed launching two joint education projects as a starting point for bilateral cooperation, with results to be presented at the upcoming Conference of Education Ministers in the Islamic World. Both parties would contribute to the funding and oversight of these projects.

At the close of the meeting, both sides agreed to organize reciprocal visits between ICESCO and the Commonwealth and to sign a cooperation agreement for the implementation of joint programs—underscoring their shared commitment to strengthening international partnerships and advancing sustainable development in the face of global challenges.

It is worth noting that the Commonwealth is a voluntary international association headquartered in London, comprising 56 member states that collaborate based on shared values such as democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and sustainable development. The organization runs specialized programs in areas including education, youth empowerment, development, women’s advancement, and cultural exchange.

On May 21–22, 2025, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held the International Conference, “The Arabic Language and its Manuscript Heritage: Historical Relationship and Key Testimonies,” in Fez, Kingdom of Morocco, in cooperation with the National Network for Reading and Culture in Morocco and Dar al-Makhtutat (House of Manuscripts) at the Sultan Ahmet Foundation in the Republic of Türkiye. The Conference brought together a host of Arabic and manuscript experts to discuss the role of manuscripts in documenting Islamic knowledge, and the future of manuscript and Arabic language studies.

The two-day conference was marked by rich panels and academic discussions attended by experts and researchers from Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Qatar, Mauritania, and Mali. The Conference concluded its proceedings by issuing a set of recommendations, notably emphasizing the need to preserve the manuscript knowledge heritage, calling on cultural institutions to cooperate in order to introduce various age groups at different educational levels to the sciences of Arabic manuscripts, and stressing the need for scientific programs focusing on manuscripts. Participants also recommended the use of the latest technological tools and artificial intelligence applications in a bid to promote the status of the Arabic language and its manuscript heritage.

The Conference opened with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a general overview presented by Dr. Idham Hanash, Director of ICESCO’s Calligraphy and Manuscript Center, in which he explained the Conference’s context, objectives, and themes. Afterwards, Dr. Majdi Hajj Ibrahim, Head of ICESCO’s Arabic Center for Non-Arabic Speakers, read out an address on behalf of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, who stressed that Arabic is not only a tool of speech or a medium of communication, but also a carrier of messages, a vessel of culture, and a repository of extended civilizational memory—highlighting that its manuscript heritage is one of its deepest manifestations and a living medium for the transfer of science, literature, and human knowledge.

At the close of the address, Dr. AlMalik called on the participants to explore the future of the Arabic language and its manuscript heritage through a vision inspired by technology, aiming to protect both the language and its manuscripts.

Speaking next, Dr. Fatiha Abdellah, President of the National Reading and Culture Network, stressed the need to accord due attention to the national manuscript depository, especially in the city of Fez, given the invaluable manuscripts the city houses. She called on researchers to dedicate their work to studying, authenticating, indexing, and cataloguing these key documents.

For his part, Dr. Mahmoud Masri, Director-General of Dar al-Makhtutat at the Sultan Ahmet Foundation, praised the topic of the conference and its comprehensive vision that brings together three essential elements. He further explained that language is a tool for thinking and knowledge production, which in turn becomes a heritage preserved in manuscripts. The opening session concluded with a tribute to the scholar Dr. Ahmed Chouqui Binebine, Director of the Royal Hassania Library at the Royal Palace in Rabat, in recognition of his efforts to serve manuscripts and enrich the Arab library.

Taking part in the Conference sessions and proceedings were Dr. Adham Hamawiya, Expert at ICESCO’s Arabic Center for Non-Arabic Speakers; experts Dr. Ahmed Abdel Basset and Dr. Dr. Mohameden Ahmedou from ICESCO’s Calligraphy and Manuscript Center; and Dr. Hani Al-Balawi, Expert at the ICESCO Center for Civilizational Dialogue.

On Thursday, 22 May 2025, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), visited the headquarters of the Islamic Cultural Centre in the British capital, London. He was received by Dr. Ahmad Al-Dubayan, Director-General of the Centre. The two sides discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the coming period through the organization of international conferences, seminars, and training workshops in areas of shared interest, particularly in promoting civilizational dialogue and combating extremist ideology.

During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik expressed his satisfaction with the existing cooperation between ICESCO and the Centre, as reflected in their joint participation in many activities, initiatives, and conferences. He also expressed his ambition to further strengthen and expand future cooperation.

For his part, Dr. Al-Dubayan commended ICESCO’s efforts in highlighting the civilizational aspects of the Prophet’s Seerah, conveying the true image of moderate Islam to the world, and promoting the values of civilizational dialogue. He affirmed the Centre’s keenness to cooperate with the Organization in this area.

Following the meeting, Dr. AlMalik, accompanied by Dr. Al-Dubayan, toured the various wings and departments of the Centre, where the ICESCO Director-General was briefed on the Centre’s most notable programs and initiatives.

It is worth noting that the Islamic Cultural Centre in London is one of the oldest Islamic centres in Europe. It plays a major role in introducing the values and culture of the Islamic world and promoting the Arabic language and dialogue between communities.