Speaking at the opening session of an international symposium on “The role of the media in promoting the civilizational identity of Al-Quds Al-Sharif”, Bensaid said that the Kingdom of Morocco, against the backdrop of the acceleration of events in the Palestinian territories, insists on the centrality of the just Palestinian cause and on its firm and constant stance on this issue.
Morocco, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al Quds Committee, has remained faithful to its position of principle, stressed the Minister, recalling that the Kingdom has always defended the sanctity of the Holy Places and rejected any attack on the legal and historical status of Al Quds and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, “in view of the city’s symbolic role as a land of peace, coexistence and encounter between the three monotheistic religions, as underlined by the Al Quds Appeal signed by His Majesty the King, Amir Al Mouminine (Commander of the Faithful), and His Holiness the Pope of the Vatican, in Rabat in 2019.”
HM King Mohammed VI “places the Palestinian question on the same level of importance as the the Moroccan Sahara issue, as attested by various speeches and royal letters as well as the meetings the Sovereign has held with several heads of state”, noted Bensaid, adding that this High Royal solicitude is also reflected in the in-depth work undertaken by the Bayt Mal Al Qods Asharif Agency to support the holy city’s population through concrete, multidimensional programs.
Noting that developments in the Palestinian question “involve major issues that place the media at the heart of a professional and ethical battle”, the Minister insisted that the media must observe strict objectivity in the exercise of their noble mission, assuring that for Morocco, Al Quds Asharif is not simply an issue of interest to the media, but is first and foremost a humanitarian issue that challenges the international system of peace, justice and human rights.
Consequently, the media today are called upon to move from a purely informative logic to one based on explanation, analysis and investigation in the service of Humanity, observed Bensaid, noting that in addition to reporting daily facts, the media have a fundamental role to play in shaping public opinion, regardless of political and economic agendas and constraints.
