Constancy in terms of definite sources, beliefs, legislations, values and methods.

 

1. Constancy in terms of definite sources,
beliefs, legislations, values and methods.

2. Change in relation to the Muslims’own
intellectual efforts and research (Ijtihad), as well as their own innovations
that may or may not be sound, leading thus to difference of opinion. The
cultural strategy for the Islamic world to be mentioned in this paper
subsequently, defines the sources of the Islamic culture as follows :

a) the Holy Qur’an

b) the Prophetic tradition or Sunnah(1)

The Holy Qur’an is the basic source for the
Islamic sciences and the Arabic language, as well as the reference that guides
the Muslim in his search for realities in the field of knowledge, and values,
thought, theory and behaviour. It is also considered as the most important
source of the Islamic culture, for it contains religious, moral and social
teachings and is valid in all times and places.

The Prophetic tradition is the second major source
for the Islamic culture as it is perfectly in line with the Holy Qur’an and
expounds what is not quite clear and details what is general therein.

Second : Cultural action within the framework of
the Organization of the Islamic Conference :

This includes all the cultural areas in addition
to the implementation mechanisms through structures set up by the Organization
of the Islamic Conference.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference
interest in the cultural action started with the convening of the second
conference of the foreign ministers in 1970. Since then, cultural issues have
become recurrent items on the agenda of those meetings. In its statement on the
activities of Islamic organizations and cultural centers issued in 1972, the
Organization of the Islamic Conference expressed its awareness about the
obligations and responsibilities of the Muslims to spread and preserve the
Islamic creed and culture. It is to be noted that the Organization establishes a
close relationship between the Islamic creed and the Islamic culture, for the
major sources of the former are exactly the same as those of the latter.

In that same year (1972), the Organization of the
Islamic Conference set up a consultative committee to advise the Secretary
General on cultural matters. Since the sixth Islamic Conference of the foreign
ministers of 1975, special meetings have been held on cultural matters.

Dr. Abdullah Al Ahsan(1)determined the
Organization’s cultural activities in four areas viz, education,
information-related activities, legal institutions and human activities.

Institutional structures :

First : Education field :

Several institutions have been established in this
field, foremost of which is the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization -ISESCO-

It was established by virtue of the resolution
issued by the leaders of the Muslim World at the third Islamic Summit Conference
held in 1981 in Mecca.