MOROCCO, June 3 - Morocco is among the countries that have seen "notable progress" in the field of religious freedoms, said Thursday the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

In remarks at the release of the State Department's 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom, Blinken said that "this year's report includes several countries where we see notable progress, thanks to the work of governments, civil society organizations and citizens."

"For example, last year the Kingdom of Morocco launched an initiative to renovate Jewish heritage sites, like synagogues and cemeteries, and to include Jewish history in the Moroccan public school curricula." The U.S. diplomat said.

Indeed, the report hailed HM King Mohammed VI's leadership as “the monarchy continued to support the restoration of synagogues and Jewish cemeteries throughout the country, efforts it stated were necessary to preserve the country’s religious and cultural heritage and to serve as a symbol of tolerance.”

The document recalls that on December 14, HM King Mohammed VI introduced an initiative to renovate Jewish heritage sites in the country, including hundreds of synagogues, cemeteries, and other sites in several cities.

In this regard, the U.S. diplomatic report quoted the Israeli publication Israel Hayom which said that the Jewish cemetery in Fez, which includes 13,000 graves, was included in the initiative, and that the King had decided to reinstate the original names of some of the country’s Jewish neighborhoods.

Similarly, the State Department said the Moroccan government continued to fund the study of Jewish culture and heritage at state-run universities.

In October, the report added, the Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education, and Scientific Research announced a change to the public school curriculum to include Jewish heritage and history in both Arabic and French, starting in the fourth year of primary school.

MAP 03 June 2022