Towards the Establishment of OIC platform for the Protection of Cultural Heritage

Towards the Establishment of the OIC platform for the Protection and Conservation of Cultural Heritage in the Islamic World The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at its headquarters in Jeddah hosted two-day deliberations, October 7-8, to establish the OIC platform for cultural heritage protection and conservation. The workshop brought together delegates of member states and OIC agencies, along with representatives of international organizations and non-member states to discuss how to preserve heritage and archaeological sites in the Muslim world. In his address to the meeting, Secretary General Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen said, “the OIC cultural heritage protection and conservation platform stems from the Organization’s firm commitment to exert every possible effort to bolster joint Islamic action for the preservation of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible.” The project, he went on, is a demonstration of the General Secretariat’s commitment to join in the effort to safeguard the global cultural heritage repository, particularly in the Muslim world. Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian, Cultural and Social Affairs Ambassador Tariq Bakheet, speaking on behalf of Dr AlOthaimeen, explained that the objective of the OIC platform is to promote the integration of cultural policies into national development policies and contribute to effective mainstreaming of national cultural policies into international cooperation and development policy. The meeting chairperson, Mr Ismail AlHammadi, Chief of the Tangible Heritage Department of the UAE Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, pointed out that the platform should be seen as an effective springboard for the member states to further stimulate their economies. For his part, the French Consul General and Special Envoy to the OIC underscored the need for international expertise and the combined effort of the OIC and the international community for heritage conservation in the Muslim world. Contribution to Cultural Development The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) took part in the deliberations of the seventeenth session of the Advisory Council for Cultural Development in the Islamic World, organized by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) in cooperation with the Tunisian Ministry of Cultural Affairs and hosted in Tunis, capital of Tunisia, on 20-21 September 2019. The meeting discussed the documents of the eleventh session of the conference of ministers of cultural affairs in the Member States hosted by the Republic of Tunisia on 17-19 December 2019. It is worth noting that the meeting reviewed the reports on the follow-up of the execution of the Islamic world’s cultural strategy between the tenth and eleventh sessions as well as the report of the Islamic World’s Cultural Heritage Committee, in addition to the two studies submitted to the eleventh conference of the ministers of cultural affairs. On the other hand, the meeting discussed the draft text of the Tunis Declaration for the Reform of the Current Cultural Policies in the Islamic World, in preparation for its adoption by the 11th conference of the Member State’s ministers of cultural affairs, in December next, in Tunis. First Islamic Art Biennale in Riyadh in Cooperation with ISESCO Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Culture and Chairman of the National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, has congratulated the Islamic countries on UNESCO’s adoption of a resolution to proclaim 18th November as International Day of Islamic Art. Prince Badr announced that the Islamic Museum in Riyadh would host the first Islamic Art Biennale, which will be held by the Ministry of Culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in cooperation with Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO). Prince Badr announced this decision on his Twitter account. His Highness added that this Biennale would serve to celebrate and publicize Islamic Art in its diverse forms of expression throughout the ages, and shed light on its role and influence on other artistic movements. In this vein, a joint work team from the Saudi Culture Ministry and ISESCO is due to be set up to coordinate and prepare for the organization of the Biennale, which is the first in its kind, in 2020.

Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyya (DAI) of the National Council for Culture and Arts in the State of Kuwait held an exhibition “Art in the Civilization of Muslim Countries” at the Amricani Cultural Center under the auspices of the Kuwaiti Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Mohammad Nasir Al-Jabr. The Secretary General of the (Kuwaiti) National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters (NCCAL) Kamel Al-Abduljalil said in a speech on this occasion that art is the truest news of history and one of the major components in nurturing the soul and body. It also constitutes a vehicle of civilization and a reflection of the cultural identity and creativity of man. He believed that the importance and the advantage of this exhibition lies with its handling of the geographical extension of Islamic civilization, which reached areas far from the center, such as Spain and China, and the dimension of the time span that exceeds 14 centuries. He pointed out that the exhibition sheds light on the manifestations of Islamic art, its variations and materials, such as stones, wood, glass, fabric, calligraphy, decoration, metal artifacts, jewels and ornaments, so that invisible senses appear and harness nature and its elements, reformulation and composition. Abduljalil added that this exhibition embodies a luminous side of Islamic civilization including an active role in communication among peoples in geographical areas extending in the Middle Ages and modern times. He explained that he shares the opinion of Sheikha Hessa AlSabah, the General Supervisor of the Islamic Antiquities House and one of the owners of (AlSabah Group), that it is difficult to define the word (art) «unless it is associated with a type of its kind, such as visual, plastic or cinematic art.» He stated that Sheikha Hessa Al-Sabah said in a brilliant introduction, included in the brochures of this exhibition, that the word “art” is not described in Arabic in the sense that it has no limits and this is the secret of its convergence with the products and intentions of the human mind. Furthermore, Abduljalil said that all this proves the civilized character of Islam that is far from accusations of bias against arts in general. He added that the Islamic civilization that inspired the world was, and still is, based on enlightened values through which Muslims were able to prove their existence and embody the noble teachings that their great religion brought, which paints the image of existence from the angle of Islamic perception and beautiful expression of life through its perceptions. He pointed out that that the spread of the religious message of Islam and its continued expansion contributed to the convergence

of Muslims with different peoples of different faith, civilization and culture, leading to exposure and cross-fertilization with great empires such as Byzantium in the West and Sassan in the East, which contributed to the development of arts as reflected by the contents of this exhibition. He considered this exhibition one of hundreds of evidences of their endeavors to spread culture, enlightenment and entertainment through its cultural seasons. For her part, the Director of the Department of Cultural and Art Resources in the House, Dalal Al-Fadhli, said that the exhibition covers the beginning of the first AH century and 7th AD century up to the emergence of the Ottoman Empire, the Safavid Empire in Iran, and the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. She pointed out that the exhibition includes more than 200 diverse historical art pieces “inspiring the heart before the eye”, including a Quranic manuscript decorated with gold, silver, a text written on a shaded red background from the 10th century AH.

Dr. Qotb Mustapha Sanou, Minister in charge of diplomatic affairs and diplomatic advisor to HE the President of the Republic of Guinea, said in a lecture he delivered at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on 16 September 2019, “Fear from Islam, or Islamophopia, is contingent upon Muslims, their conduct and the manner in which they –individually– project this noble faith which, in fact, does not carry in its texts any advocacy of bloodshed”. The lecture was delivered within the framework of the “OIC lecture series” under the theme of “Culture of Fear For or From Islam: A Critical Perspective” in which Dr. Sanou highlighted the need to engage in an exercise of self-criticism to dig out the reality, and drew attention to the adverse fact whereby “undue fear for Islam” could lead in the end result to the export of a negative message by some erring Muslim individuals or groups, which then could give rise to Islamophobia. In the lecture which was facilitated by Dr. Abdullah Bin Moussa Al Tayer, Director General of Cabinet at the OIC and Senior Advisor to the OIC Secretary General, Dr. Sanou presented various definitions of the concept of “fear” stating first that it is “a certain behavior resulting from a feeling of insecurity”. He noted that there were two types of “fear”, the first being rational and the second rather devoid of reason, under which he placed the phenomenon of Islamophobia, which has pervaded the West and certain other parts of the world. In the second lecture, Australia’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and the Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation

(OIC), Radwan Jadwat, gave a lecture entitled: “Australia – A Story of Cultural and Religious Diversity”, at the headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat, in Jeddah on Monday, October 28, 2019 Australia’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and the Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Radwan Jadwat, gave a lecture entitled: “Australia – A Story of Cultural and Religious Diversity”, at the headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat, in Jeddah on Monday, October 28, 2019. The lecture is part of a series of seminars hosted by the OIC at its headquarters in Jeddah. Ambassador Ali Goutali, Director of the Department of Al-Quds and Palestine Affairs, introduced Ambassador Jadwat, highlighting that he worked in the diplomatic corps in several countries in the Middle East. For his part, Ambassador Jadwat said that the Islamic world is important for Australia because of the presence of a large number of Muslims in Australia, where multiculturalism and diversity are important elements in the country. The Ambassador reviewed his bitter personal experience with the apartheid policy encountered by his family in South Africa in the era of the apartheid regime, before migrating to Australia. Ambassador Jadwat elaborated on the differences between the two experiences at that time, noting that as a person of Indian descent he and his family were prohibited from dealing with the white man in South Africa, this distinction ended once his family obtained an immigration visa to Australia, where the Australian embassy’s employee who treated family’s visa request in South Africa was the first white man with whom his family dealt with throughout their stay in South Africa during the apartheid era. He added that multiculturalism is mainly the cornerstone of the state and society in Australia, where Muslims enjoy their religious centers and halal restaurants and practice their religion freely. Ambassador Jadwat pointed out that Australia includes 200 different languages, with 3 million people speaking languages other than English, and Christians represent half of the population of Australia, where Muslims immigrated to this country from countries that were subject to British rule, noting that Muslims are already participating in life in Australia dynamically and without any obstacles. As Australia’s envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, he affirmed his country’s solidarity with the Islamic world against the New Zealand attacks that claimed the lives of dozens of Muslims while performing prayers in a New Zealand mosque.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation called for the elaboration of a cultural vision that addresses the challenges in this area facing the countries of the Islamic world. This call came in a speech by the SecretaryGeneral of the Organization, Dr. Yousef AlOthaimeen who addressed the 11th session of the Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers held by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), in coordination with the OIC General Secretariat, in the Tunisian capital on 17-19 December 2019. Speaking on behalf of the Secretary General, Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs Ambassador Tariq Bakheet, said that this session comes at an opportune time as it signals the OIC member states’ recognition of the magnitude of challenges facing our world today, where the cultural perspective emphasizes its active role to achieve the common goals of our Muslim world in building entrenched values of cultural diversity and the principles of moderation, tolerance and the rejection of extremism, hatred and intolerance. He further added that the cultural aspect plays a major role in cultural coexistence between Muslims and other peoples, especially the western ones. In conclusion of his speech, the Secretary General expressed hope that the conference would come up with a clear vision that incorporates accurate implementation mechanisms and continuous follow-up, so that the resolutions of the 11th session would be put into practice, to enhance cultural communication, and confront the challenges looming for the Muslim world. Al-Othaimeen added that «Allow me, first of all, to renew my congratulations to His Excellency President Qais bin Said on the occasion of his winning the confidence of the Tunisian people and his election as President of the Tunisian Republic, expressing to His Excellency sincere wishes for success in his great duties, and appreciating and thankful for his patronage of this conference.» He also added: «I also appreciate the continuous efforts made by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and its Director General, His Excellency Dr. Salem bin Muhammad Al-Malik in order to advance the Islamic cultural scene. Thanks all of you for your attendance and your participation in this meeting, which we hope will in its deliberations and recommendations Al-Othaimeen pointed out that the eleventh Conference of Culture Ministers came together to review the challenges faced by the Islamic world in the cultural field, pointing out that it coincide with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of its establishment, and with the closing ceremony of the Tunisia’s showcase representing the Arab region, as the capital of Islamic culture for 2019, Which also coincided with the passage of 40 years since the registration of the city of Tunis, as well as Carthage on the World Heritage List, and the passage of 10 years since the celebration of Kairouan as the capital of Islamic culture. He said that the choice of Tunisia, with its ancient history and its distinguished gift throughout the ages, as the capital of Islamic culture for 2019, demonstrates its position which constitutes a unique model in the history of human civilization and assures the whole world that green Tunisia was and still is a land of convergence between civilizations and that Islamic civilization is an essential basis for the human march and an extension of the civilizations that preceded it. The Secretary-General noted that the conference had come at an appropriate time in recognition of the Organization›s member states to the magnitude of the challenges facing the Islamic world today, where the cultural perspective confirms its effective role in achieving the common goals of the Islamic world in building relationships based

on respect for human dignity, and consolidating the values of cultural diversity and social justice, the principles of moderation, tolerance, rejection of extremism, hatred and intolerance. Al-Othaimeen stressed the importance of culture as a bridge and a portal for improving the image of Muslims in the world as demonstrated through communication and cultural exchange between the peoples of member states and with other peoples of the world, indicating that this is what led the organization’s attention to culture, placing it at the center of interests and prioritizing it as one of the main pillars of programs that the organization works to embody. It is worth noting that culture has a fundamental role in enhancing understanding and activating coexistence between us and others, and within the values and principles of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and its goals that it seeks to achieve by giving priority to the language of openness and dialogue with the other. Ambassador Tariq Bakhit stated that the cultural issue necessitates talking about the question of Palestine, and Jerusalem in particular, as it has a special place in the organization›s interests. Israel, the occupying Power, has embarked on an organized policy to Judaize the city of Jerusalem, to obliterate its religious, civilizational and cultural heritage, and to displace its inhabitants in an attempt to impose its false reality on the whole world, and the Israeli occupation remains a blatant challenge to protecting identities, heritage monuments and cultural institutions in Palestine.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation held the first session of the Ministerial Conference for Social Development in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey on December 9, 2019, which was opened by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ambassador Tariq Ali Bakhit delivered the speech of the Secretary-General of the organization, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, at the opening session, where he said that the convening of the conference comes in the context of the organization’s interest in social development issues due to their in achieving development in the member states. Al-Othaimeen added that, the OIC is working to ensure social equality and prosperity for all its peoples, especially in the area of enabling the institution of marriage and the family and preserving their values, and ensuring the welfare of the child and social security of the elderly and those with disabilities. The Secretary General expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the organization’s specialized, subsidiary and affiliated institutions for their tremendous efforts, each in its field of competence, including the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training For the Islamic countries (SESRIC), and the International Islamic University in Malaysia, for their efforts in the field of strengthening the institution of marriage and the family, which produced unique and rich document on the strategy of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in the field of empowering the institution of marriage and the family and preserving its values in the Islamic world. The speech highlighted the effort made by (ISESCO) in the field of child care and protection in the Islamic world, which was crystallized by holding five ministerial sessions of the Islamic Conference of Ministers of Childhood in coordination with the General Secretariat, while it seemed that the completion of the draft of the organization’s strategy for the welfare and protection of children and their discussion was nearing completion. The report was commissioned by the Council of Foreign Ministers at its forty-sixth session, held on 1-2 March 2019 in the United Arab Emirates. Al-Othaimeen recalled the joint effort with the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission in reviewing and revising the Covenant on the Rights of the Child in Islam, after the Abu Dhabi Ministerial Council called for a second meeting of government experts to review it. The Secretary General also praised what SESRIC achieved in coordination with the General Secretariat in the field of preserving welfare and social security for the elderly and people with disabilities in the Islamic world. SESRIC prepared a draft welfare strategy for the elderly and its operational plan of action in accordance with the decision of the Council of Foreign Ministers at its forty-sixth session 2019 in Abu Dhabi. The Secretary General added that the conference constitutes an occasion to review the challenges faced by the Islamic world in the social fields, especially those related to empowering the institution of marriage and the family and preserving their values, issues of child welfare, welfare and social security for the elderly and people with disabilities in member states, and evaluating the successes recorded during the fifty years since the founding of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The Secretary General stressed that, challenges should be converted to opportunities to serve the interests of peoples, as the Social Development Conference is a major turning point towards achieving the goal that everyone aspires to, to set a road map for the social action agenda in the Islamic world by strengthening and building upon what was previously achieved, for the people of member states to enjoy the desired luxury that everyone seeks. At the end of his speech, he affirmed that the General Secretariat of the organization, its institutions, and its various bodies would spare no effort in working to achieve the desired goals of the conference, in the interest of the Islamic Ummah.

Recently, the Gaza Strip witnessed the establishment of the first youth team specialized in presenting performances through «marionette» or string dolls, hoping to promote this kind of popular traditional art. The team of eight girls and two boys adopts humanitarian goals behind its shows, which focus on shedding light on the marginalized areas in the Gaza Strip, which has been besieged by Israel for more than 12 years. A member of the team, Yasmine Rassas, who works as a graphic designer and illustrator, told the German News Agency (DPA) that they are preparing the first team in the Gaza Strip specialized in presenting «marionette» puppet shows. Yasmine explains that the team received intensive training over a period of six months before they started performing shows targeting marginalized areas, «because children in them are in dire need of entertainment and psychological support.» She notes that they use simple tools such as wood, coral and leather to make dolls that are moved with strings, and her performances are increasingly being admired among the population. The story of the show is composed, the appropriate characters are chosen for the story, and voices that fit the characters are recorded. Sounds can be used in the show itself in an improvised manner, and the theater is a screen that hides the puppet engine for viewers to see only the marionettes. This ancient art is new to the Gaza Strip and begins with drawing the character based on a script, then carving its details, and ending with its coloring and clothing. The designer within the team, Tarnim AlMadhoun told DPA that she usually creates puppet figures from the street and contemplates the normal life of the local community in Gaza. Al-Madhoun explains that the team formed many dolls that resemble the reality in Gaza society in its finest details, knowing that it takes about four days for a single doll to work on to be ready. She added that learning marionette bridal art is not an easy thing and needs a lot of training. However, the team has succeeded, through puppet shows, in transmitting social and cultural messages to ensure the spread of joy despite the modest possibilities. The process of making dolls go through several stages, the most prominent of which is sculpting the face according to the shape of the required figure, smoothing the head and body, then making the hands, fixing the hair and eyes, and choosing clothes for the character before the strings are tied in the doll’s knuckles for easy movement from the top. The credit for the initiative of establishing the Marionette Brides Team in Gaza goes to Mahdi Karira (40 years old), who has been attracted to it since his early years to play with dolls and dig up memory through them in search of the days of the beautiful time. And for years, he kept moving with his hands the threads of the past with marionette dolls, which were made by a childish dream, which became a team that formed an old age, according to what he told the German News Agency. «At the beginning, I faced many difficulties, but gradually thanks to self-education via video clips on the Internet and consultations with specialists abroad, I started the stage of making dolls and then moving them,» Karira said of his journey in this field. Karira developed interest in string dolls eight years ago, driven by his love for Egyptian puppet theater, such as (Bougie and Tamtam), (Sesame World), and operetta (The Big Night), which are theatrical perfor

mances that have been shown on Egyptian television for years. He points out that marionette dolls are the most difficult type of dolls, and when a doll is made, all its joints must be movable by strings tied to a wooden piece on top. Karira prefers to use paper pulp and glue to make dolls instead of wood, which «needs a lot of tools and machines» which is difficult for him to provide due to his limited resources. It highlights that the greater the number of strings in the dolls, the more difficult it is to move it, as each member has a thread tied to it and is responsible for moving it, but the greater the movement, the more beautiful and dazzling the show and the realism in performance. Karira works in writing songs and scripts for civil society institutions in Gaza, combining the writing of the theatrical script and then making the dolls that the script needs. He explains that the dialogue is recorded in a special studio, and then the sound and movement of the puppets are matched with the decorations required to embody the puppet theater. Karira produces theatrical stories, which he publishes through his YouTube channel, about some values and topics of interest to women, children and the local community.

Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) stated that Islamic Social Finance Instruments such as Zakat and Endowments (Waqfs) are among a wide range of tools introduced by Islam to combat poverty and consolidate public welfare. These, he noted, encourage the inter-exchange of riches and the redistribution of revenues and wealth. He further added that the Waqf institution offered free education to many who became illustrious scientists and scholars. These declarations were made in a statement by the Secretary General at a forum on Islamic Social Finance held in Jakarta on 12- 13 November 2019, delivered on his behalf by the OIC Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs, Amb. Ahmed Ssenyomo. The symposium comes as part of the OIC’s efforts to promote Islamic Social Finance as an effective tool to mobilize funds to manage the issue of financial exclusion faced by the underprivileged in OIC Member States. Al Othaimeen noted that Islamic Social Finance instruments could assist governments and societies in meeting innumerable developmental needs, and affirmed that, despite the considerable efforts put in, the official use of these instruments in favor of the poor, the destitute and the underprivileged, is still limited. The Secretary General said, “The forum provides our countries with an opportunity to discuss ways and means to promote active cooperation between OIC countries on the

use of Islamic social financing to enhance social and economic development in our member states. I am sure that our deliberations today and tomorrow will further enhance the existing cooperation between our member countries that is beneficial to all. We should direct our collective actions towards developing Islamic social financing, which we have not yet tapped fully into its potential in most of our countries. “ He continued: “ Islamic social financing tools, such as zakat and endowments, are among the many tools that Islam brings to fight poverty and enhance the welfare of people. These tools also encourage wealth circulation and income redistribution. Needless to say, their role in developing the social sectors of the economy. An educational endowment has provided free education, which produced great scholars from Al-Azhar University in Egypt, Al-Zaytoonah University in Tunisia and AlQarawiyyin University in Morocco. In addition, the endowment provided employment opportunities for those who are skilled in the labor market. Activating Zakat collection and endowment has become a priority for Islamic countries. To this end, some member states of the organization have established mandatory systems of collecting zakat administered by the state, while others have formed government institutions that specialize in collecting zakat voluntarily. Moreover, in 1986 the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) adopted a resolution authorizing the use of Zakat funds in investment projects, provided that the basic and immediate needs of the beneficiaries entitled to them are met. Since the beginning of the 1990s, several member states of the organization have established some agencies to meet the endowment needs, either in the form of ministries or government committees. The Islamic Conference of Endowment Ministers, which was held in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1997, called on the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to start studying the endowment issues, including financing the endowment properties. Hence, the Awqaf Property Investment Fund was established, which held its inaugural meeting on February 3, 2001 with a capital of US $ 57 million. The Secretary General said that Islamic social financing tools can help governments and societies meet a range of development needs, noting that, despite the efforts made by some member states and non-members of the organization, the official use of these tools, which is inspired by religious teachings, to care for the poor, the destitute and the disadvantaged, in the contemporary environment is still limited. Meanwhile, it is estimated that at least $ 600 billion in excess Zakat from 40 OIC countries can be distributed annually for development and humanitarian action. According to data collected for Indonesia, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Yemen (constituting 17% of the Muslim population in the world), it comes out that these countries alone produce at least $ 5.7 billion in Zakat annually, explaining that if it is taken into account that Zakat is currently paid through Informal mechanisms, the actual amount available is likely to be much greater. Endowment structures are widely available in many countries, especially in the Middle East, and are a preferred method of charitable giving. According to available data, the global size of the endowment assets ranges from $ 105 billion to $ 1 trillion. The Secretary-General said in his speech that “in this context, the development of the endowment industry should be seen as an additional source of support for programs related to social and economic development.