André Azoulay, Advisor to His Majesty the King, received, on Friday in Tangier, the prestigious “Award for lifetime service to Dialogue of cultures”, in recognition of his commitment and his efforts in favor of intercultural and inter-civilizational dialogue.
This prize, awarded by the Aladdin project during the opening ceremony of the international conference “Dialogue of Tangier”, is a mark of recognition of Mr. Azoulay’s valuable contribution to the rapprochement of cultures and the promotion of the values of coexistence. , tolerance and living together.
Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Azoulay said he was happy to receive this prestigious award in this city, a crossroads of cultures and civilizations.
“My country is recognized today through this distinction given to me. This award is given to my country and my King,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of this meeting, which is intended to be an opportunity to discuss several current issues related to interreligious coexistence and intercultural dialogue, and to examine the means of building peace through culture.
“You are gathered today in Tangier since Morocco has been able to find the way and reach this consensus, which is that of a nation and a society, in the land of Islam in the Arab world, which says the modernity”, he explained, stressing that the Kingdom constitutes a crossroads of civilizations and a model of coexistence and convergence of cultures and religions.
“Know that every year tens of thousands of Muslims from Morocco and elsewhere and tens of thousands of Jews from Morocco and elsewhere gather in Essaouira for the happiness of being together,” he said. continued, noting that “Morocco has this ability to both listen and respect the truth for all”. “We are emerging from this exercise of shared truth and dignity respected for all, more confident and committed than ever to making this Moroccan compass a landmark”, he underlined, specifying that “Morocco has not only found its bearings , but transformed them into a social reality for an entire people and an entire nation”.
“Morocco has succeeded in making this historic consensus existing between the King and the people, which is unprecedented for me, as a Moroccan citizen”, he noted, adding that “we have never reached this degree consensus and collective awareness and commitment”.
After recalling the objective of creating the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Mr. Azoulay said he was happy to see Morocco belong to the United Nations high-level group, which reflected on the roadmap for the Covenant.
He also recalled the content of the message sent by HM King Mohammed VI to the participants in the Conference to launch the Aladdin project, in which the Sovereign had affirmed: “My reading of the Holocaust and that of my people are not not that of amnesia. Our reading is that of a memorial wound that we know is inscribed in one of the most painful chapters, in the pantheon of universal heritage”, noting that this speech came from the Commander of the Faithful and the direct descendant of the Prophet Sidna Mohammed.
He also recalled the Royal message addressed to the participants of the high-level round table at the UN headquarters on “the power of education to prevent racism and discrimination: the case of anti-Semitism”, in which the Sovereign had affirmed that “anti-Semitism is the antonym of freedom of expression”, adding that “it was the speech of my King, it was the mirror of what we think of Morocco”. Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, in partnership with the Aladdin Project and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), under the theme “Towards a new shared light” , this meeting aims to discuss mainly the means of building peace through culture, the importance of economic factors in the dynamics of relations between the West and the Islamic world, and issues related to new technologies and climate change. in Africa and the Middle East, as well as short- and medium-term prospects in the Middle East and North Africa.