Middle East Online
King: Moroccan approach to Islam is based on moderation
RABAT – Moroccan King Mohammed VI called on government on Tuesday to make further progress on the path of political and economic reforms and give priority to the stimulation of growth and job creation.
The official news agency MAP quoted the Moroccan king as saying in a speech delivered on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of his enthronement, “I reaffirm my commitment to investment promotion and wish, once again, to call on the government to give priority to all measures that stimulate growth and create jobs.”
The King also called for the adoption of an advanced agriculture strategy, urging the creation of “a special agency that makes sure the agriculture strategy is suited to local environments, particularly in mountainous areas which are lagging behind in terms of land use.”
King Mohammed VI noted in this context that “the main goal of economic growth remains the achievement of social justice, which is the bedrock of social cohesion.”
Morocco’s government led by Justice and Development party (PJD) is currently seeking to reach a power-sharing deal with a liberal party after its previous conservative partners walked out in a row centred on cuts to fuel and food subsidies.
In his speech, King Mohammed VI also reaffirmed his country’s determination to develop a new approach for Arab joint action, in coordination with other countries in the region, noting that the visit he had recently paid to the Gulf Cooperation Council states aimed at “laying the foundations for a strategic partnership between the Kingdom and this coherent, promising regional grouping.”
The King hailed the international sympathy with issue of the Moroccan Sahara “thanks to a better understanding of the circumstances and considerations underpinning the issue of Morocco’s territorial integrity.”
He also notes that the international support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative was constantly growing.
“The latest Security Council resolution clearly confirms the criteria that must be observed to reach a realistic and consensual political settlement,” he said.
The king added that the resolution highlighted the regional dimension of the dispute, “as well as the responsibility of Algeria, which is involved at the political, legal and humanitarian levels, given the deteriorating situation in the Tindouf camps.”
The Moroccan government had earlier condemned Algeria’s ”unfounded and incomprehensible” conditions to normalising bilateral relations and reopening the land border between the two countries.
The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation considered that Algeria’s determination to link between its position on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara and the development of bilateral relations was “the most dangerous condition.”
Speaking about the Moroccan identity, King Mohammed VI called for its preservation and protection from the risks of reclusiveness and distortion, stressing that the Moroccan approach to the practice of Islam, “is based on the homogeneity of the Maliki rite, as well as on temperance and moderation.”
“I launched a strategy for the promotion of religious affairs, which was later reinforced by the adoption of an “Ulema charter”, whose foremost goals include the achievement of the Kingdom’s spiritual security and the preservation of the Moroccan Islamic identity,” he said.
The King stressed that the human rights issue should only be addressed through national mechanisms , namely the National Human Rights Council, “which enjoys international credibility and carries out significant action on its own initiative, positively interacting with the United Nations procedures.”
He added that Morocco would pursue the dynamic process initiated at the domestic level, noting that the “aim consists in achieving more economic and social good governance, through a regional development model that is being prepared by the Economic, Social and Environmental Council.”
The dynamic process, the King added, was “designed to enhance territorial and institutional governance, through the optimization of opportunities offered by advanced regionalization.”
“This process will seek to improve political and security governance, in order to protect the individual and collective freedoms of our citizens as well as their property, while fully respecting legal provisions and guarantees,” he explained.
