Saudi Gazette report MADINAH — Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, is scheduled to launch today (Tuesday) festivities to celebrate Madinah as the new capital of Islamic culture. Prominent Muslim scholars, historians and intellectuals will be in attendance at the festivities which will continue for a whole year. The idea to choose a city in the Arab and Islamic World to be the capital of Islamic culture for a year on a rotational basis was introduced by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) in 2005. Makkah was chosen to be the first capital of Islamic culture, and has been given the same honor eight years on. ISESCO has chosen its Islamic culture capitals to ensure Asia, Africa and the Arab World are all represented. Madinah Emir Prince Faisal Bin Salman is the chairman of the supreme organizing committee supervising all activities. Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz Khoja is deputy chairman and Imam of Quba Mosque Sheikh Saleh Al-Mighmasi is the committee's secretary general. About 180 senior scholars, historians and intellectuals from Saudi Arabia and 150 from abroad will attend the opening ceremony planned in a giant tent built in the western plazas of Quba Mosque. As many as 400 activities will be held during the occasion. There will be an exhibition covering an area of 1,800 sq. meters displaying the various stages of the holy city's history. Renowned Muslim scholar Sheikh Saleh Bin Humaid will deliver a lecture Wednesday on “Our Muslim Youth and Aspirations”. The activities also include an exhibition showing the life story of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions from a historical perspective.
