Morocco's efforts to combat Islamophobia highlighted in Cairo

Morocco’s efforts to combat Islamophobia were highlighted on Tuesday in Cairo at an international conference organized by the League of Arab States and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO).

Speaking at the event, Mouhcine Roussi, Head of the Religious Awareness Division of the Islamic Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, reviewed some of the measures undertaken by the Kingdom of Morocco, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, to tackle Islamophobic discourse.

In this respect, he stressed that Islamophobia has gone from being a mere marginal phenomenon to an institutionalized discourse, which has prompted Morocco, in application of the High Royal Instructions, to counter it through adopting a counter discourse based on knowledge and presence in various realms of science, education and culture.

The Kingdom’s efforts in this effect, he continued, include instilling values of coexistence, dialogue and understanding into the younger generation, as well as strengthening cooperation with regional and international institutions to promote the true image of Islam.

He also pointed out that the Kingdom strives to inform and promote the model of a balanced Islam, based on coexistence and dialogue, adding that Imams and preachers are also sent abroad to raise awareness, educate and inform members of the Moroccan community about the true teachings of Islam.

For his part, Ahmed Rachid Khattabi, Assistant Secretary General of the Arab League, in charge of the Media and Communication Department, recalled, at the closing session of the conference, the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly on June 30 of a resolution on the “Promotion of inter-religious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in the face of hate speech”, at the initiative of the Kingdom of Morocco.

Under the theme “Islamophobia: concept and practice in the current global context”, the conference was held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in Cairo, with the participation of representatives of Arab and Islamic countries, bodies and organizations.

The gathering discussed several themes, including “Islamophobia: Definition, spread, manifestations and impact on societal security”, “Dialogue with the other, acceptance, coexistence and world peace in Islam”, the role of official and educational institutions, civil society and international cooperation in fighting Islamophobia, possible means of combating Islamophobia and hate speech, and an examination of models and strategies for promoting dialogue and tolerance.