Populist, Separatist Movements Feed on Violent Extremism, Intolerance and Hate (Upper House Speaker)

Populist and separatist movements feed on violent extremism, intolerance and hatred, said the Speaker of the House of Councillors, Enaam Mayara, stressing that these movements have started to spread in a worrying way in many parts of the world, where security vulnerability and instability prevail.

Speaking at the plenary session of the 146th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) held under the theme “Promoting peaceful coexistence and inclusive societies: combating intolerance”, Mayara said that at the forefront of these areas where the foundations of peace and coexistence are openly threatened is the Sahel region, which faces very intractable challenges impacting larger geographical areas.

Mayara, who leads a Moroccan parliamentary delegation to this event held from March 11 to 15, stressed the need to intensify and combine the efforts of the international community to enable the countries of this region to lay a solid foundation for peace and coexistence by eliminating the roots of violent extremism, intolerance and hatred, in order to establish inclusive societies of all cultural, religious and political components.

« This is through an approach based on human rights, the values of social and community justice, full respect for the religious and cultural symbols of their nations and peoples, and the principles of a permanent and fruitful dialogue for the peaceful settlement of disputes in a manner that respects the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the region’s countries,” he explained.

As one of the founding members of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, he said, the Kingdom of Morocco is committed to international efforts to promote the principles of peace and consolidate the system of values and ideals of coexistence, stressing that this commitment stems from the core of the Moroccan identity based on openness, harmony and cohesion, united by the fusion of its different components Arab, Islamic, Amazigh and Sahrawi Hassan, and rich tributaries African, Andalusian, Hebrew and Mediterranean, as well as the firm commitment to preserve Morocco’s status as a land of tolerance, coexistence and openness.

He recalled that Morocco, aware of this role, had the UN General Assembly adopt resolution No. 73/328 on “Combating hate speech: promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance”, noting that this resolution, co-sponsored by 90 countries, highlights the importance of the “Fez Plan of Action on Combating Hate Speech and Violence that could lead to criminal atrocities”.