MOROCCO, December 24 - Morocco has been for several centuries a unique model of coexistence and convergence of civilizations, cultures and religions, said the ambassador of the Kingdom to the Holy See, Rajae Naji Mekkaoui.

"As a champion of a tolerant and moderate Islam throughout its history until today, Morocco has always been a land of cohabitation, tolerance and interaction between Muslims and followers of other religions," underlined the Moroccan diplomat in an interview with Italian magazine Ex Partibus, published on Wednesday.

The ambassador welcomed the singularity of the Moroccan religious model, based on the Commandery of the Faithful, which is a factor of unity and guarantor of respect for the principles and values ​​of Islam in Morocco, highlighting the efforts undertaken by HM King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, in promoting the values ​​of tolerance and interreligious and intercultural dialogue.

This model of interaction and living together between Muslims, Christians and Jews has helped Morocco preserve its multicultural origins, said Mekkaoui, noting that all of these tributaries have been recognized by the Constitution of 2011 which enabled the Kingdom to strengthen its diversity, its unity, its identity and its cosmopolitanism.

Custodians of a legacy that has its roots in sub-Saharan Africa as much as in the Europe of Andalusia, Moroccans proudly share this heritage on a daily basis as an asset for the future of their country, she pointed out.

During the reign of the Alawite dynasty, the spirit of openness, brotherhood, tolerance and peace has always been cultivated in Morocco, the ambassador said.

It is in this regard that we must recall the efforts made by the late HM Hassan II, who promoted peace and dialogue between monotheistic religions, and by the late HM Mohammed V who categorically refused to hand over Moroccan jewish citizens during the Vichy regime.

The extension of these stances is seen every day with HM King Mohammed VI who made the Kingdom an exception in the region, she added.

Referring to the tribute paid, recently in Italy, to the Archbishop of Rabat, Cardinal Cristobal Lòpez Romero, the diplomat stressed that this well deserved distinction pays homage to the efforts of the Sovereign, renowned throughout the world for his efforts for peace, conciliation and the fight against extremism and radicalism and to Morocco as a unique and emblematic land with a very particular history in terms of tolerance and cohabitation.

MAP 23 December 2021