Desert Sky
Our country participated in the 14th meeting of culture ministers of the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), hosted by the city of Kazan in the Republic of Tatarstan under the theme "Dialogue of Civilizations." The Yemeni delegation was headed by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Engineer Mutie Damaj.
The meeting, which included culture ministers from member states of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), discussed ways to enhance joint cultural cooperation and deepen civilizational dialogue among the countries of the Islamic world in a manner that serves the causes of development and peace.
In his address to the conference, Minister Damaj emphasized the world's urgent need to activate the role of culture as a force capable of rebuilding bridges between peoples, consolidating the values of dialogue, peace, and coexistence, and protecting societies from racism, extremism, and hatred.
He pointed out that the rich cultural and civilizational heritage of the Islamic world faces significant challenges due to campaigns of distortion and prejudice, in addition to the practices of extremist groups that target Islamic societies and hinder efforts toward modernization and stability.
In closing, the Minister of Culture and Tourism called for building a comprehensive cultural strategy for the countries of the Islamic world, based on protecting cultural heritage, antiquities and manuscripts, supporting cultural and creative industries, empowering young creators, in addition to investing in digital transformation to serve culture and arts, promoting civilizational dialogue and confronting hate speech, extremism and isolationism.
