HM the King: UNAOC Values, Ideals It Stands for and Paradigm It Promotes Are Exact Same Values, Ideals and Paradigm Championed by Morocco

In a message addressed to the participants of the 9th Global Forum of the UNAOC, held on November 22 and 23 in Fez, HM the King said that the Kingdom of Morocco, a founding member of the Alliance of Civilizations, has been involved in all of the organization’s struggles for reasons that are inseparable from its identity and for others that are inherent to the country’s commitments.

As far as for the reasons that are inseparable from its identity, the Sovereign underlined in this message, which was read by Mr. André Azoulay, Advisor to HM the King, that « Morocco is built around a model of openness, harmony and synergy that has seen the convergence of Arab-Islamic, Amazigh and Saharan-Hassanian confluents, and that has, at the same time, been enriched by African, Andalusian, Hebrew and Mediterranean tributaries ».

Regarding the reasons inherent to the country’s commitments, HM the King said that « the Alliance’s values, the ideals it stands for and the paradigm it promotes are the exact same values, ideals and paradigm championed by Morocco ».

From the outset, Morocco has been committed to this basic policy; it has remained steadfastly attached to it, stressed HM the King, noting that the Kingdom has shown its commitment by promoting openness as a pillar of the culture of peace, by living religion as a vehicle of peace and by working for development – in the broadest sense of the term – as an ingredient of peace.

In this regard, HM the King said that « as Commander of the Faithful – all the Faithful – I guarantee the free exercise of worship throughout the Kingdom of Morocco », considering that religion « should be a bulwark against extremism, not a pretext for it. This is a conviction I have been championing everywhere, through the Kingdom’s religious diplomacy ».

« The Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema and the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Murshidin and Murshidat are meant to thwart the radicalism that is rampant at the gates of Africa, and to promote a moderate, middle-of-the-road Islam », underlined the Sovereign, recalling that Morocco had the United Nations General Assembly adopt Resolution A/73/328 on « Combating hate speech: promoting interreligious, intercultural dialogue and tolerance », co-sponsored by 90 countries.

HM the king also highlighted the historic visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Morocco, during which « we stressed the importance of seeing the three Abrahamic religions « open up to each other », in the framework of respect for otherness and understanding of the Other » and signed, together with Pope Francis, the Al-Quds Appeal, which calls for the preservation of the Holy City as a gathering place for the faithful from the three monotheistic religions, and as a symbol of peaceful coexistence, dialogue and mutual respect.

Morocco has been involved in all areas of the Alliance’s action – from the consolidation of multilateralism, to enhancing the status of young people and making them aware of their responsibilities, to empowering women and highlighting their role as actors in the promotion of peace and security, said HM the King, stressing the Alliance’s role as a powerful vehicle for peace.

« The dialogue fostered by the Alliance should hold its rightful place and bring about the conditions for success. It is from dialogue that salvation will come », said HM the King considering that this dialogue should be inter-civilizational, inter-generational and inter-continental.

The Sovereign underlined that the current context is marked by the resurgence of the very causes which led to the creation of the Alliance of Civilizations.

His Majesty the King ended His Message with a call to go back to « living together », which never before has come under such a threat, on a daily basis.

« There is really no point in carrying out major projects if we do not manage to go beyond this first link in the chain of ‘living-together’, in the name of a single humanity, which puts back human beings at the center of its concerns », underlined the Sovereign, who stressed the importance of holding the 9th edition of the UNAOC in Fez, on African soil, which is a choice that gives a strong signal of continuity and universality.