Tlemcen 2011 : Address of mister the managing director of the ISESCO

Your Excellency, Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President, the democratic and popular republic of Algerian
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank mister the presidents for his heed to this exhibition and greets his support for the revival of culture in his country and for common Islamic action. Among the main objectives of the program of the ISESCO are devoted to the capitals of Islamic culture and adopted by the IVth Islamic Conference of the ministers of Culture, represent the strengthening of Islamic solidarity; the promotion of the relations of cooperation between Member states, especially on cultural plan in the broad sense; the establishment of a broad network of cultural exchanges between the capitals of Islamic culture; the broadcasting of true Islamic culture; the promotion of Islamic civilisation, fruit of efforts of many people of religions, races, languages and different cultures and of global cultural and civilisation revival to which aspire all people of the Islamic World. Among these objectives, also let us name: the promotion of cultural industries; the development of the cultural product under all its forms; the promotion of cultural conscience in all circles and activation of the role of culture in global and lasting development. The aim of all this actions is to make culture be a lever of development and of progress which reinforces human relations between people and nations.
Culture, in its global conception which the ISESCO is adopting and working for, constitutes an engine of human progress and of scientific and literary creation and a factor which favours peace between the human beings; a peace founded on justice, equality and respect for human rights.
The Islamic culture, celebrated this year in Tlemcen (for the Arab region), Jakarta (for the Asiatic region) and Conakry (for the African region), is a culture which constructs Man and contributes to the development of the people, as much as it calls to brotherhood and to peace and encourages good, justice, beauty, virtue and human happiness. Islamic culture has therefore a human character, since across ages; it was always opened to dialogue with other cultures. It is in this perspective that we work in the fact that Islamic culture contributes to the development of the dialogue of cultures and to the alliance of civilizations, this objective is backed by the United Nations and to which the ISESCO contributes actively the choice of Tlemcen, Capital of Islamic culture for 2011, which actually expresses the recognition, by the Islamic World, of the privileged cultural and civilisation place of this millennium city and rich by its history.
The celebration of Tlemcen aims at giving a new breath to the cultural and civilization role that it plays in development and that will reflect itself on local as well as continental scope, so that it goes back to its historical role. This celebration will contribute to the radiance of this generous country which advances towards progress and prosperity, while preserving its cultural and civilisation specificity as well as its spiritual identity.
(…) City of streams, Tlemcen was witness of a succession of conquests before the arrival of Islam. It was the key of the central Maghreb during more than three centuries, lived its golden age during the development of the Islamic civilisation, and became centre of cultural, spiritual and commercial radiance which made it worth to be nicknamed by the historians: «Grenada of Africa» or «Pearl of the Maghreb».
(…) In the fall of Andalusia, in 1492, Tlemcen was a host for thousands of Muslim expatriates, among whom scholars, poets and skilled artisans, who going to contribute to the development of this city.
(…) After the French conquest, it hosted the emir Abdelkader who installed in it his base for djihad during his resistance to occupation. Tlemcen yielded several men of knowledge and letter, of whom we can name: Afif Eddine Attlemçani, Abou Mediène Attlemçani, Ibn Marzouk Attlemçani, etc. and also famous politicians.
The celebration of Tlemcen, Capital of Islamic culture, has a cultural, artistic, economic and development character; culture being, in the foreground, in the service of economic and social development. Indeed, the development of cultural initiative contributes to progress and prosperity of society in every field. That is why this celebration, between others, aims at the promotion of the economic and development role than this millennium city plays; a role which is a product of the promotion of the integrated cultural initiative, meeting the needs of the local people and in requirements of the global and lasting development of the region.