ISLAM TODAY

 

Axes of the Study

This study contains four axes :

First : General definition of culture and the
cultural areas in the Organization of the Islamic Conference, as well as the
distinctive aspects and facets of the Islamic culture in relation to other
cultures.

Second : Structure of culture in the Organization
in terms of areas and institutional structures.

Third : Cultural strategy prepared by the Islamic
Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and adopted by the
Sixth Islamic Summit Conference held in Dakar, Senegal in 1991.

This chapter includes the strategy’s objectives
and fields, in addition to its mechanisms of implementation in Islamic countries
as a whole, as well as in every country. The aim of examining the Strategy is to
bring into focus the Organization’s perception of its tasks, and the adequacy of
the means made available for implementation together with the objectives to be
attained. The purpose is also to highlight the fact that the Strategy reflects
the difference between its own objectives and those achieved.

Fourth : Examination of the Organization’s
activity in the cultural area in the course of the current year, in
collaboration with non-governmental organizations, universities and research
centres.

First : Culture

Since the last century, many social scientists
have attempted to define the concept of culture. And there are scores of
definitions of the concept. However, the oldest and most widely known definition
is the one put forward by Edward Eleanor late in the nineteenth century in his
book on the primitive culture. In this book, he defines culture as “any system
that includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, ethics, law and customary law and other
skills and customs acquired by man as a member of society”(1)

The simplest and clearest definition of culture is
that of Robert Pircetd in early 1960's. He defines culture as “The sum of our
thoughts and actions as members of society” (2)

Islamic culture : concept, specificities, sources
: By and large, the Organization of the Islamic Conference considers that
everything that is not political or economic comes under the scope of culture.

If we take this into account, we will then easily
realize the extent and scope of the definition of culture according to the
Organization. This very broad definition presupposes, as a result, wide areas of
action for the Organization.

However, the Organization puts forward the idea
that the Muslim World has its own specificities that require the latter to have
a culture of its own, hence the attribute “Islamic” associated with the concept
of culture.

The definitions of the concept of culture are
numerous even though they all agree that its sources are the same. One of those
definitions considers that culture includes beliefs, thoughts and skills
contained in the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet’s tradition, as well as the rulings
of the Islamic Sharia (law), literature and ethics derived from them and which
must be the central traits and features of the Muslim individual whose life
should be marked by the characteristic of Almighty Allah(3).

Culture also includes the acquisition of
knowledge, information, concepts and Islamic norms and standards which help put
right the Muslim’s belief, perception, work, conduct and morality, allow him to
have a sound perception of life, of the world and of his own era and prompt him
to perform good deeds and discharge his responsibilities(4).

Some consider that the Islamic culture differs from other cultures in that it is distinguished by two main characteristics :