OIC Foreign Ministers Commend Morocco’s Efforts to Combat Extremist Discourse

18/03/2023

Nouakchott – The Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) commended, at the end of its 49th session held on March 16-17 in Nouakchott, the efforts made by Morocco in combatting extremist discourse, through the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema and the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Mourshidin and Mourshidat.

The Council emphasized the role played by the Mohammed VI Cultural Center for the Dialogue of Civilizations in Coquimbo (Chile), as a bridge of civilizational communication between the Islamic world and Latin America, and its action in the fight against the defamation of religions.

Regarding the fight against the phenomenon of Islamophobia, the Council recalled the initiative of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, which has received wide support, and which consists in drafting an international charter defining the appropriate norms and rules for the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and opinion and the commitment to respect the symbols and sacred values of religions as well as spiritual beliefs (12th Islamic Summit in Cairo 2014).

The ministers also welcomed the Kingdom’s success in organizing the 9th World Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, held on November 22 and 23, 2022 in Fez. They were pleased, thus, with the content of its final declaration issued under the theme “Towards an alliance of peace: living together as one humanity”.

Morocco was represented at this session, organized under the theme “Moderation: The Key to Security and Stability”., by a delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita.

The Moroccan delegation to this session also includes Hamid Chabar, Morocco’s Ambassador to Mauritania, Fouad Akhrif, Director of Mashrek, Gulf and Arab and Islamic Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Abdelali Al-Jahed and El Hassan Badri, respectively Head of Division of Arab and Islamic Organizations and Head of OIC Department at the Ministry, as well as Othman Rehhou, Deputy of the Kingdom’s permanent delegate to the OIC.

This two-day session, which was attended by the Director in charge of the management of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Acharif Agency, Mohamed Salem Echarkaoui, focused on other issues including the Palestinian issue, developments in Afghanistan and the Sahel region.