Ms. Krista Piccat

Director of the UNESCO Cluster Center for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

THE TEACHER OF WISDOM IS STILL RELEVANT

The inclusion of the 1150th anniversary in UNESCO’s Global List of Dates has great importance for 2020.

Preparation for the celebration corresponds to the mission of bringing people together through the organization globalization, development of the world culture, science and education.

The wisdom of the Great Teacher is still relevant today. Understanding the treatises of the scientist requires a certain level of preparation, internal training and awareness.

The establishment and expluatation of a new Al-Farabi Center is of great importance to the United Nations and UNESCO.

Al-Farabi’s vision and heritage are in line with the new Sustainable Development Agenda, as well as UNESCO’s programs and goals. Thus, Central Kazakhstan and Central Asia can become an active partner of UNESCO in the development of intercultural dialogue.

The activities of the Center can help UNESCO in promoting youth science, knowledge and skills necessary for sustainable development, as well as in promoting global culture and combating violence, and also in recognizing the values of cultural diversity.

Joseph ben Ahmad al-Osemin

Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILIZATION

I highly appreciate the initiatives of the First President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, to create cultural centers and the decision to restore the Al-Farabi Cultural Center in Damascus, built by Kazakhstan in 2012.

Recalling the outstanding contribution of the outstanding philosopher Abu Nasr al-Farabi to the development of world science, medicine, physics, metaphysics, logic, politics, music and his legacy for world civilization, his works are still mentioned in medieval catalogs. It should be noted that we found less than half of the works.

Throughout history, Muslim scholars and researchers, including al-Farabi, have contributed to the development of human civilization through tens or even hundreds of thousands of manuscripts for various scientific disciplines, as well as through countless discoveries, inventions and innovations.

We highly value and recognize the importance of OIC in promoting the rich scientific and encyclopedic heritage of Al-Farabi, not only among young people, but also abroad.

Metin Gundoudu

Member of Turkish Grand National Assembly

THE SOURCE OF OUR SHARED VALUES

In 870, in Otrar, on the territory of modern Kazakhstan, the great scientist, encyclopedist and prominent figure in Islamic philosophy, Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn Tarhan ibn Uzlag al-Farabi at-Turki, known as the “Second Teacher of Humanity” and “Aristotle of the East”, was born.

The great scientist is a scientific and spiritual bridge between the West and the East. He is a great philosopher of culture. We need the vision of Al-Farabi to solve the problems that arise between states. Al-Farabi is not only an important figure in the Turkic world, but also one of our common values. Looking at the areas where he lived, we see that the great scientist was the most authoritative in the world of a certain geography.

The opening of the Al-Farabi House Museum in Istanbul and the Farabi Research Center at Istanbul University has particular importance for the integration of the two countries. That is why in 2020 in the year of Farabi, we plan to hold various events in Turkey, Istanbul and Ankara, with representatives of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.

Nasser Muhammad al-Akeli

Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Saudi Arabia for Science and Innovation

GENIUS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION IS A TRIBUTE

We, Saudi Arabia, are aware of the importance of the relationship between our universities and Al-Farabi University, and we greatly value this collaboration. The Republic of Kazakhstan is the large country, the 9th largest territory, and also the most economically strong state in Central Asia.

We have a lot in common when it comes to the depth of our historical relations, our dependencies and our priorities in the oil and gas industry. We are honored to celebrate the 1150th anniversary of Al-Farabi and look forward to the further development of research and scientific cooperation, which will benefit universities of the two countries.

Muhammad Mahir Kabakibi

Rector, University of Damascus

AL-FARABI – THE SECOND TEACHER

Old Damascus is an ancient historical part of the capital and is distinguished by numerous features, in particular, the walls of ancient Damascus. Here is the mausoleum of the great Abu Nasr al-Farabi. He is one of the most prominent figures. He died in 329 AD and was buried in Damascus. The old Al-Farabi Cultural Center was established next to his mausoleum in Old Damascus. He was nicknamed the “Second Teacher” for his deep knowledge of philosophy, logic, physics, music, medicine and ethics. This center is a gift of Kazakhstanis to Syria.

George Steiers

Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Kapodistri Athens National University (Greece)

BRIDGE OF WEST AND EAST

Abu Nasr al-Farabi sought to combine the ideas of Plato and Aristotle with Eastern traditions and brought philosophy to the Great Eurasian steppe. Moreover, his important medieval musical treatise, The Great Book of Music, is located there. Beside the significance in the history of philosophy, al-Farabi’s ideas are still relevant. Although his philosophy is a little inspired by Plato and Aristotle, he shows his own point of view on important and interesting ways of representing another world. Instead of a monolingual and mono-ethnic city, the teachings of al-Farabi are a multicultural, multilingual and multi-confessional global state. He was the first person to think about globalization and come up with this idea. He seeks to support the idea of a good city of the ancient Greeks, and also increases the size of a good community. His vision remains significant and influential as al-Farabi’s global heritage is governed by wisdom and patience. No religious or ethnic tradition excludes another.

Al-Farabi is a unique philosopher who first studied the issues raised at the intersection of Islam and classical Greek philosophy. He was an example of philosophical and religious orientation, which developed in both directions.

Kazakhstan is a country composed of powerful and wonderful nations, its representation lies on the huge shoulders of such giants as Al-Farabi and Abay.

Absattar Haji Derbisali

Director of the R.B.Suleimenov Institute of Oriental Studies, Academician of the Academy of Science of Higher Education, Doctor of Philology, Professor

WORSHIP OF THE GREAT

Al-Farabi is a self-taught scientist. At first he studied Greek science, its philosophy, and especially Aristotle. According to Ibn Khallikan, Abu Nasr read Aristotle’s “Metaphysics” more than forty times, the work “On the Soul” a hundred times and “Rhetoric” two hundred times. Only with such persistence he freely mastered the scientific heritage of Aristotle.

A famous historian wrote that he was a man who dressed modestly and stayed away from the festival, possessed the only couple of things that were modest. During the day, he often served as a security guard in the city garden, he read the book all night with a candle, which he bought for those money. [Ibn Khallikan. Uafajat al’-agajan ua anba abna az-zaman… Volume 5, p. 154].

Even in the Middle Ages, Abu Nasr firmly claimed to create a happy, tolerant and non-coercive society. He linked the birth of such society with wisdom, education and morality of the head of state.

Abu Nasr al-Farabi restored the foundations science, such as philosophy and logic, emphasizing the importance of differentiating of each area of science as a separate discipline and seeking to understand its meaning. He conducted a comprehensive study of melody, made great discoveries in mathematics, left several short books on astronomy, and enriched the science of physics with fresh ideas. He wrote important works in such important fields as natural sciences, medicine, chemistry and mineralogy. He analyzed the best principles of ancient Greek scholars.

Anasatas Gerdzhikov

Professor, Doctor of Philological Sciences Rector of St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University

DEAR PROFESSOR GALIMKAIR MUTANOVICH!

On behalf of staff members of St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University and on my behalf, I congratulate you and through you the teaching staff, workers and students of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University on the occasion of the opening of the celebrations of the 1150th anniversary of Abu Nasr al-Farabi in Kazakhstan under the auspices of UNESCO.

The celebration of historical dates is the most important event in modern history, aimed at deepening the historical consciousness of people and promoting the country’s spiritual culture in a global format. The inclusion of the 1150th anniversary of the great scientist and philosopher of the medieval East Abu Nasr al-Farabi in the international calendar of memorable dates is only a small tribute to the memory of one of the prominent thinkers of the Golden Age of Islam. Today, humanity will have to learn from the legacy of al-Farabi and return to the origins of great humanism in building a common future. Thanks to these great personalities, you inform the world community that culture and science, education and literature have long developed in the steppes of Kazakhstan.

For 85 years, your university has been worthy of the name of a great thinker, encyclopedic scientist, teacher of the East al-Farabi. Basing on the ideas of al-Farabi about a virtuous society, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University implemented an innovative project of Al-Farabi University Smart City – a symbiosis of high-tech and spiritual-moral platforms. Strengthening education, creating innovations and improving the quality of human capital, you work in dignity to increase the intellectual potential of your country.

We highly appreciate our cooperation with you and we are pleased for many successful contacts. Implementation of joint academic and scientific projects, mutual visits, exchange of experience, opening of the Al-Farabi Scientific, Educational and Cultural Center at St. Clement of Ohrid Sofia University, contribute to fruitful academic and research activities. We hope to maintain and develop the established tradition of cooperation!

Dear Galimkair Mutanovich! I am sure that the best traditions of the university, professional experience, the ability to think and act in accordance with the requirements of the time allow us to strive for new achievements. I sincerely wish you and all the teaching staff, workers, students of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University inexhaustible life energy, new scientific discoveries and prosperity in this significant year.

Sofia, January 30th 2020

Luca Maria Scarantino

President of International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP)

THE PRESIDENT MESSAGE FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 1150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF AL-FARABI

Dear Colleagues,

It is a privilege and a great honor to take part, albeit in absentia, inthe launching ceremony of the 1150th anniversary of the birth of al-Farabi.

There are timely reasons to commemorate Al-Farabi’s philosophical work. Of course, his writings are widely studied across the world. His great relevancein the history of thought is established. Most, if not all,philosophers across the world are familiar with his name, work, and conceptual tenets. Yet, something more profound than academic study is at stake today. It involves the scope and boundaries of philosophy.

Today, a growing number of colleagues across the world show an increasing attraction to themes, ideas, even styles of other philosophical traditions. We perceive a growing awareness that what we usually call “philosophy”, as an understanding of the “human” in its historical existence, can no longerbe confined to a particular conceptual horizon. We no longer write just for a local or regional readership. An increased complexity and diversity of philosophical concepts is required to make sense of the social and ethical complexity of our world. While creativity, imagination, historical awareness, feeling, learning, critical thinking and analysis are required to form new conceptual tools, this effort also confronts us with a very sensitive reappraisal of the nature of philosophy, of its history,and of its relations with other forms of spirituality, of science, and of religion.

Because of its expected scholarly and intellectual influence, this commemoration of al-Farabi may considerably contribute to the ongoing reassessment of the sense of philosophy, and for enhancing the theoretical and cultural diversity of current philosophical concepts.

On behalf of the scholarly community gathered at FISP, I would like to express our admiration for your effort to expandphilosophical dialogue through a durable reflection on the philosophical contribution of al-Farabi, and to promote intellectual exchanges and debates across the scholarly communities of the world. May I ensure you that FISP fully supports your endeavor inpursuing this highly valuable task.

A future opportunity to further enhance the understanding of al-Farabi’s work will be representedby the upcoming World Congress of Philosophy, to be held in Melbourne in July 2023. Its main theme will be “Philosophy across Boundaries”, and we certainly wish this title to apply both to participantsand to philosophical traditions. Al-Farabi certainly represents,in this context, a classic of thoughtfor all philosophers of the world.

On behalf of FISP, it is my pleasure to extend to you all an invitation to join us there, and to make the presence of classic and contemporary Kazakh philosophyas visible and influential as possible. May I congratulate you for today’s momentous eventand wish you all success.

Milan, January 28th 2020