“Al-Farabi Global Forum” -President of Pakistan emphasizes Continuing Relevance of Al-Farabi’s teachings for humanity

Islamabad, Dec 22, 2020 – An international scientific and practical conference “Al-Farabi Global Forum” was held in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, on December 21-22, dedicated to the scientific and humanitarian heritage of Abu Nasr Al-Farabi, which also marked the 1150th anniversary of the birth of the great scientist and thinker.

The Global Forum was organized by the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Saudi Arabia, jointly with the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and its special body – the Standing Committee on Science and Technology (COMSTECH) under the patronage and participation of the President of Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Arif Alvi.

The Forum marked the end of the 1150th anniversary of Abu Nasr Al-Farabi, which was widely celebrated this year in Kazakhstan and abroad.

The event was attended by over 150 participants from 17 countries, including recognized scientists and Farabi scholars from leading universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Qatar, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and other countries, representatives of international organizations, including the international Turkic Academy, as well as members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Pakistan.

Kazakhstan was represented by the Permanent representative of Kazakhstan in the OIC H.E. Mr. Berik Aryn, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan H.E. Mr. Akan Rakhmetullin, and Director of the Al-Farabi Center at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University Mr. B. Meirbayev.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Global Forum, the President of Pakistan H.E. Mr. Arif Alvi emphasized the continuing relevance of the Al-Farabi teachings for humanity and in particular for the Islamic world. In this regard, he called on the Islamic world to mobilize its efforts to make a breakthrough in science and technology that is in demand today, relying primarily on the moral component of Al-Farabi’s scientific heritage.

Furthermore, the OIC Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology, H.E. Mr. Askar Mussinov, informed the participants about the special resolution unanimously adopted by the Foreign Ministers of the Organization’s member countries on the regular holding of international events to promote the scientific heritage of Al-Farabi not only among the OIC member countries, but also at the global level.

In his speech, H.E. Mr. Berik Aryn spoke about the large-scale anniversary and scientific and practical events that were held this year under the auspices of UNESCO in Kazakhstan and abroad to promote the heritage of Abu Nasr Al-Farabi.

In addition, he highlighted that the philosophical heritage of Al-Farabi is a revelation of a new humanitarian, ethical, dialogical and rational ideology of the XXI century, the heritage of all humankind and the pride of the Kazakh people.

During the two-day conference, participants discussed the worldview of Al-Farabi, his philosophical, linguistic, metaphysical, psychological works, their impact on the formation of early Islamic and Western scholars, as well as the multidimensional contribution of the great thinker to the development of human civilization.