For Morocco, religion must be a bulwark against extremism, as advocated by HM King Mohammed VI through the worship diplomacy of the Kingdom in Africa, underlined, Friday in Tangier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans residing abroad, Mr. Nasser Bourita.
“For Morocco, country of the Commandery of believers, religion must be a bulwark against extremism and not its pretext. This is what HM the King advocates, through the worship diplomacy of the Kingdom in Africa”, affirmed Mr. Bourita, who was speaking at the opening of the International Conference “Dialogue of Tangier”, noting that the Mohammed Foundation VI of the African Ulemas and the Mohammed VI Institute for the training of Imams, Mourchidines and Mourchidates are there precisely to counter the radicalism that is rampant at the gates of Africa and to promote an Islam of moderation and the happy medium.
The minister said religion finds its most eloquent expression in the Al-Quds Appeal, in which HM King Mohammed VI and Pope Francis called for “preserve the Holy City of Jerusalem/Al-Quds Acharif as common heritage of humanity and, above all for the followers of the three monotheistic religions, as a meeting place and a symbol of peaceful coexistence, where mutual respect and dialogue are cultivated”.
“With few exceptions, the relationship between the West and the Muslim world has not always been completely harmonious. This is perhaps a historical evidence, but not a fatality”, noted Mr. Bourita, adding “we must reset the relations between the West and the Muslim countries”.
The Minister, in this regard, assured that Morocco, under the leadership of HM the King, demonstrates that the Muslim world is not a burden for the West; on the contrary, a country that provides national responses to pressing global issues, and that actively contributes to debates and actions around these issues.
“It is moreover a central ally in the fight against terrorism, a credible partner against climate change, and a responsible player in the management of migration”, he noted, adding “these are precisely our complementarities which allow us to apprehend an Enlightenment diplomacy in action”.
The Minister also indicated that the world gains from moving towards “co-knowledge”, stressing the need to stop essentializing religions, and in particular the Muslim religion and its believers, to move towards this co-knowledge. .
He also welcomed the choice of Tangier to host a dialogue of this magnitude, which is intended to be a debate rooted in history, resolutely turned towards the future and authentically focused on sharing, noting that “if Morocco is the ideal place for this, it is first of all for the leadership and the vision of HM King Mohammed VI”.
He pointed out that the principles of openness and tolerance and the values of peace and living together are part of the Kingdom’s DNA, adding “and who better to embody this spirit of openness and mixing than Tangier, (…), which, under the impetus of HM the King, has grown, modernized and opened up even more to the world, without ever losing its soul”.
“It is not insignificant that it is Tangier that welcomes us. Between 2 continents, 2 shores and 2 seas; Tangier has always been the crossroads and the link. She always kept her eyes riveted on the horizon and her soul open to the Other”, he explained, adding “No doubt we too could find there the inspiration necessary for a lucid reflection. and fruitful”.
After having made it known that the Aladdin project is a strong utility, one of the expressions of which is the organization of this kind of meeting, but its action goes beyond, and its impact can also be deeper, Mr. Bourita assured that Morocco’s commitment alongside this Project is an early commitment, welcoming, in this regard, the discreet but effective commitment of Mr. André Azoulay, Adviser to HM the King.
“The Aladdin Project has come to crystallize a long-standing Moroccan commitment: The same commitment that was expressed through the protection of fellow citizens of the Jewish faith by the late HM Mohammed V, in the face of xenophobia and Nazism. The same commitment expressed through the spirit of brotherhood and openness cultivated by the late HM Hassan II between Jews and Muslims all over the world. The same commitment that is expressed today, and for more than 2 decades, through the commitment of HM King Mohammed VI, to integrate the Hebrew tributary into the Moroccan Constitution, to enhance and safeguard the national Jewish heritage”. he noted.
“We defend, in Morocco, the common History – not in its partial or fragmented variations, but in its high memory, which belongs to all”, he said, noting that this “space of conviviality”, that SM King Mohammed VI continues to defend, is also the very essence of the Alliance of Civilizations.
Mr. Bourita, in this context, hailed the committed and tireless leadership of Miguel Angel Moratinos, High Representative of the Alliance of Civilizations, a UN organization that works for international action against fundamentalism through cooperation and intercultural and interreligious dialogue.
“The Alliance is necessary, today more than ever, at such a special moment in history, when certainties are shifting, when geopolitics is being rewritten, and when the causes at the very origin of the creation of Alliance are experiencing an unprecedented resurgence,” he said, stressing that Morocco intends to host the 9th Alliance Forum this year, for the first time in Africa.
The Minister indicated that exchanges, such as those that will be hosted by the Tangier Dialogue, are essential, because the world always needs free, dispassionate reflection “out of the box” and “out of the block”, of an approach uninhibited complex subjects, as well as intellectual tolerance and diversity of perspectives.
He noted that the Tangier Dialogue can mark its specificity and make a difference, by transcending brainstorming towards an active management of the topics discussed, as well as by perpetuating and broadening the reflection, underlining that the “Tangier Dialogue” must become a tradition – a regular meeting, and remain creative, never redundant; bold, never follower.
“The current context makes such an exercise relevant,” he noted, noting that the pandemic has been a powerful indicator of the deep state of international society.
Referring to the Age of Enlightenment, which he said is a state of mind and an era of the rise of modern diplomacy, the minister stressed that diplomatic time must once again become “geopolitical”, and not just “political”. , given that it is a strategic Time, which needs momentum to build over time, space to explain, and endurance to adhere.
“It’s the exact opposite of tactical time, which unfolds in ‘little moves’ and lives on polls and reactions. “Enlightenment diplomacy” is a “long-distance race”, through a sprint of headlines”, he explained, adding “this is the meaning of the patient but visionary diplomatic construction led by HM King Mohammed VI in Africa, the Middle East and on multilateral and global issues”.
Mr. Bourita specified that the challenge of the “Dialogue of Tangier” is to bring the Enlightenment back to the order of the contemporary, expressing the wish that Tangier can carry this ambition high: that of a better world, where the Enlightenment, ‘wherever they come, leave no one in the dark or in the shadows.
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 several topical, urgent and major issues related to interreligious coexistence and intercultural dialogue.