Mohamed VI: "Morocco is a model of coexistence between Muslims and Jews"

King Mohamed VI highlighted this Friday that Morocco is “a successful model of coexistence where Moroccans, Muslims and Jews, cultivate cordial understanding and respect for other religions and cultures.”

In his annual speech before the two parliamentary chambers on the occasion of the inauguration of the legislative year, the monarch recalled that the foundations of the Sunni Malikite rite, the Muslim aspect that is professed in Morocco, is based on “the right middle, moderation and openness to the other, tolerance and interreligious and intercivilizational coexistence”.

The king did not expressly refer in his speech to the conflict between the Islamist group Hamas and Israel, a country with which Morocco resumed its relations three years ago within the framework of the Abraham Accords promoted by the United States to strengthen ties between the Israeli State and the Arab countries.

He did speak for the first time about the earthquake that affected the Moroccan High Atlas mountains on September 8, leaving almost 3,000 dead and damaging 54,000 homes.

In this sense, he thanked the “brother and friendly countries” of Morocco for the “solidarity and assistance” given to the Moroccan people on the occasion of the earthquake that hit the region of Marrakech, after which it is now time, he noted, to rebuild the affected areas and provide basic services to its inhabitants.

The monarch highlighted that “despite the magnitude and disaster, grief and pain gave way to consolation and pride when seeing the spontaneity with which all Moroccans, as well as civil society actors, demonstrated in a thousand ways “.

During her speech, which lasted eight minutes, she also referred to the reform of the Family Code underway in Morocco, in which feminist organizations are calling for progress in women's equality.

Mohamed VI said that this reform, which should be completed in six months, is inspired by national values “that place the family and family ties in the realm of the sacred.”

“A healthy society is built on the basis of a healthy and balanced family. “If the family disintegrates, society inevitably loses its direction,” he said.

Coincident events

His speech coincided with the celebration of the Annual Assembly of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) in Marrakech and included as guests in the plenary session the director of the first organization, Kristalina Georgieva, and the president of the second, Ajay Banga, who traveled from that city to the Moroccan capital to attend.

Mohamed VI arrived at the Parliament headquarters in Rabat accompanied by his son, Crown Prince Mulay Hasan, and the monarch's brother Mulay Rachid, all dressed in the traditional yellow djellaba.

After getting out of the car, listening to the national anthem and reviewing a detachment of the Royal Guard, the king entered the building and then greeted the citizens gathered on Mohamed V Avenue from his balcony, before proceeding to give his speech, one of the three that he addresses annually to Moroccans (after this year he canceled a fourth that he gave every August 20).