Leila Fazleeva: "Where memory and dream unite, the future appears."

      In Kazan, a congress of culture ministers from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation took place

      At the congress of culture ministers from the OIC, everyone was given a voice. Photo: Artem Dergunov

      The second congress of culture ministers from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was held at the Kazan City Hall — in addition to representatives from 28 countries and three international organizations, it was attended by the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Olga Lyubimova, the head of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and the Director-General of ISESCO Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik. Many of them will continue their work in Kazan throughout the year — as part of events dedicated to the Year of Kazan as the capital of the Islamic world.

      "The Ummah needs solidarity not only politically but also culturally"

      The theme of the congress was "The Art of Dialogue: The Role of Russia and Islamic World Countries in Preserving World Culture" — and for three hours, all countries and organizations were given the opportunity to speak. Profile ministers came from 14 countries. "We strive to show that the world of Islamic culture is not only a great history. It is contemporary art, creative industries, digital technologies, and, importantly, it is our youth," said the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, speaking at the congress and as the chairman of the Strategic Vision Group "Russia — Islamic World." "We want young creators from all over the Islamic world to see Kazan as a launchpad, as a city where traditions inspire innovation. Your presence here confirms — the Ummah needs solidarity not only politically but also culturally. We are open to cooperation and ready to share our experience of peaceful coexistence of different faiths and peoples," noted Minnikhanov. Rustam Minnikhanov invited the youth to Kazan. Artem Dergunov / realnoevremya.ru

      For the second year, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov attended KazanForum. This time, the national leader of the Turkmen people spoke at the Kazan City Hall, presenting several proposals. The first is working with historical heritage. "I believe it is advisable to focus not only on studying research but also on actively promoting Islamic cultural heritage through the creation of literary works, cinematography, virtual museums, galleries, and other widely accessible internet platforms," noted the former head of Turkmenistan. The second is education and enlightenment; here, Berdimuhamedov proposed launching a program to familiarize countries "with the best works of Islamic poetic and philosophical heritage, from ancient times to the modern period." "The historical features of Islamic philosophical thought are its lyrical and poetic content. Therefore, as a first step, I propose to consider creating a World Anthology of Islamic Poetry, which would include works by outstanding poets, thinkers, and philosophers of the Muslim world, as well as those authors who feel their belonging to Islam and Islamic culture," added Berdimuhamedov. Finally, the third initiative concerned the development of diplomatic relations between "smart cities" of the Islamic world. In Turkmenistan, this is Arkadag, which was built in 2023, 30 km from Ashgabat. Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik. Artem Dergunov / realnoevremya.ru

      "Civilizations do not clash; they complement each other"

      The Director-General of ISESCO (the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for Education, Science, and Culture) also took the floor. Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik pointed out: "We strive to develop our cooperation. This can be reflected in various programs. Kazan occupies a special place here as an example of harmonious coexistence of different cultures and religions." Additionally, on May 13-14, the 15th session of the General Conference of ISESCO took place at the Millennium Panorama hotel. Mohammed Al-Malik was re-elected for a new term until 2029. The series of speeches by profile organizations began with the Minister of Culture of the UAE Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al-Qasemi, and, as later noted by the Minister of Culture of Russia Olga Lyubimova, everyone was given a voice. Some guests limited themselves to expressions of gratitude and confidence in the successful outcomes of the meeting in Kazan, but often either specific proposals or words of readiness for cooperation were heard. For example, the Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva said that her country is ready to host artists from other countries in its residences. "Civilizations do not clash; they complement each other when there is a vision," noted representatives from Egypt. "Our responsibility is to move from words to developing real mechanisms that will strengthen our cultural interaction." Mohammad Mahdi Imanipur. Artem Dergunov / realnoevremya.ru

      On the other hand, the head of the Organization for Islamic Culture and Relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Mahdi Imanipur could speak of nothing else but what is happening in his country: "Historical monuments, UNESCO World Heritage sites have been damaged, there is pressure on world leaders, including the head of Catholics, for criticizing the war and supporting peace; these and hundreds of other crimes have exposed the true face of liars claiming to protect freedom." "In the Gaza Strip, the latest aggression left no intact educational or cultural building. Hundreds of schools and libraries have become ruins. Thousands of books and manuscripts have been completely destroyed. Meanwhile, educational processes have completely ceased, and many teachers have been killed," said the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the Russian Federation Abdel Hafiz Nofal. "But the culture of Palestine is alive. We appeal to the world community to promptly support our culture and institutions, to open borders so that our educational institutions can resume their work." Salem bin Khalid Al-Qasemi is not in Kazan for the first time. Artem Dergunov / realnoevremya.ru

      "We have a year of very serious work ahead"

      "Culture has a unique ability to unite peoples, even when contradictions in the world are intensifying. It speaks in a language understandable to everyone — the language of memory, beauty, respect, and dignity," concluded Lyubimova at the end of the congress and added: "We are ready to jointly implement exhibition, museum, restoration, educational, and creative projects, exchange experiences, and create a new format for cultural dialogue.

      "We have a year of very serious work ahead and a lot of events: exhibitions, theater and film festivals, Islamic art festivals, Olympiads on knowledge of the Arabic language," she shared her plans with journalists. As the moderator of the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan Leila Fazleeva added, there will definitely be cross exhibitions in Kazan, projects for transferring knowledge about folk arts and crafts, and preserving manuscripts: "I want to take advantage of the thesis of one of the speakers, who said that culture is memory and dream. And where memory and dream unite, the future appears."

      Radif Kashapov