Morocco, Model for Preserving Traditions, Especially Jewish Ones (Head of ICESCO)

The Kingdom of Morocco is a model in terms of preserving customs and traditions, especially those of the Jewish community” said on Monday director general of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Salem Ben Mohamed El Malek.

Any development program must take into account memory, which is of great importance, said El Malek who was speaking at the opening session of an international webinar under the theme “Preserving and transmitting memory to anchor Otherness”.

For his part, André Azoulay, Advisor to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, focused on the coexistence between Islam and Judaism in Morocco, a “space of exceptional proximity and privacy”.

For his part, the Secretary General of the Council of the Israelite Community of Morocco and Roving Ambassador, Serge Berdugo, stressed that in Morocco, these two different religions have managed to coexist in respect and tolerance, adding that they ended up “harmonizing without losing their authenticity”.

This webinar is organized by Rabita Mohammadia des Oulémas, through its Ta’aruf Center (Center for Research and Training on Inter-convictional Issues and Peace-building), in partnership with the United States Embassy in Morocco, the Fondation Mémoires pour l’Avenir (FMA) and the Archives of Morocco (ADM).

Held from January 25 to 28, this webinar follows the 1st Regional Conference for the Preservation of the Cultural Heritage of Religious Communities (Rabat, October 3-4, 2019), organized by the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, in partnership with the Rabita Mohammadia des Ulémas and the US Embassy in Morocco.