ISESCO, 1 dicembre 2004

ISESCO takes part in an international symposium in Italy o “Islam in Europe”

The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization -ISESCO- took part in an international symposium which was held in Genoa, Italy, on 19 October 2004 on “Islam in Europe”.

The Director General, Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, addressed a speech to this Symposium, the theme of which was drawn by the organizing party, “The Islamic Religious Community - CO.RE.lS.”, from the title of the book “Islam in Europe” by Dr. Yahya Pallavicini, Vice-President of the Community. This symposium was held within the framework of the celebrations on the occasion of the designation of the Italian city Genoa as the Capital of European Culture for the year 2004, along with the city of Lille in France.

Took part in this symposium some members of the Italian government, official personalities from the city of Genoa, the Region of Liguria and the Province of Genoa, an elite of intellectuals and researchers and the officials in charge of some Islamic organizations and Islamic cultural centres in Europe.

Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - said in his address to the symposium - which was read by Dr. Abdulilah Benarafa, a programme specialist at the Directorate of Culture and Communication, that the Islamic world pays utmost attention to the issue of inter-cultural, inter-civilizational and inter-religious dialogue. He said that the Islamic world institutions and its specialized organizations, at the forefront of which is the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, have strived to set up the bases of a balanced dialogue between cultures, civilizations and religions, guided in this by the saying of Allah - may His Name be Exalted – “0 mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other.

The Director General emphasized the necessity of getting to know each other as a result of dialogue, while stressing that human diversity is a divine compassion dictated by the wisdom of God - may His Name be exalted - but which should not be an obstacle in front of mutual acquaintance and dialogue between them.

He went on to say that education in dialogue between religions and cultures has become a must for everyone, noting that modem societies have found a new formula for the regulation of cultural plurality by highlighting the value of diversity, in the face of the deliberate stereotypes being imposed by some dominant powers.

It is to be noted that the Islamic Religious Community “CO.RE.IS” is a member of the Higher Council for Education in the West which works within the framework of the Strategy for Islamic Cultural Action in the West, under the supervision of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.