Rabat – The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, said on Monday that Morocco, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty the King, is committed to numerous initiatives aimed at contributing efficiently to the consecration of the fundamentals of cohabitation and dialogue between civilizations.

”The Kingdom of Morocco, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty the King, has for many years been involved in a number of initiatives aimed at contributing efficiently to the consecration of the fundamentals of cohabitation and dialogue between civilizations, including the Sovereign’s initiative at the 11th Islamic Summit held in Dakar in March 2008, calling for an international charter setting out the criteria and rules governing freedom of expression and opinion, as well as respect for religious symbols and sacredness, he stressed in an address to the extraordinary ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held via video-conferencing, on the subject of the growing number of acts of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark.

In his speech, read on his behalf by Fouad Akhrif, Director of the Orient, Gulf, Arab and Islamic Organizations Division, he also referred to the launch in 2013 of the Rabat Action Plan on the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, before adding that the United Nations General Assembly recently adopted a Moroccan resolution on “the promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance to counter hate speech,” unanimously adopted by its 193 member countries on July 25.

The Minister also referred to the Kingdom’s hosting of numerous conferences and forums in this area, most recently the 9th World Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations held in Fez on November 22 and 23, and the parliamentary conference on interfaith dialogue held on June 13 in Marrakech, as evidence of Morocco’s unwavering commitment to fostering dialogue between cultures and civilizations.

While calling for the promotion of the values of cohabitation and dialogue between societies, as well as the culture of peace, the Kingdom of Morocco denounces provocative attacks on the sacredness of the Muslim religion, denouncing all obscurantist and barbaric violence committed in the name of Islam, he said, adding that freedom of expression can in no way justify provocation and attacks on the Muslim religion, which has more than two billion adherents.

Following the widespread burning of Holy Quran copies, Morocco immediately condemned these heinous acts and then urged the Danish government to strictly enforce the law, deal with these mindless acts of incitement, and make sure they never happen again. This was done in March.

Bourita emphasized the need to suppress all manifestations of religious hatred and assaults on the rights of believers, recalling that Morocco had stated after the repetition of this heinous act on June 28 in Stockholm that “it is inadmissible to denigrate the faith of Muslims in this way, regardless of the political positions and differences that may exist between States, while stressing that the principle of tolerance and universal values are not limited to apprehending the perpetrators.

The Swedish chargé d’affaires in Rabat was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the orders of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God help Him, to inform him of the Kingdom of Morocco’s condemnation and rejection of this unacceptable act, and the Kingdom’s ambassador was recalled sine die for consultations, he continued.

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The State Department stated on Thursday that the burning of a Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm has “deeply concerned” the United States.

A representative for the State Department told MAP that such protests “could foster a climate of fear that affects the ability of Muslims and members of other religious minority groups to freely exercise their right to freedom of religion or belief in Sweden.”

The source emphasized that while the US “supports the right to free speech and the right to peaceful assembly as fundamental components of any democracy,” Washington “also supports the right to freedom of religion or belief for everyone.”

“More work to foster an inclusive environment for members of religious minority groups is needed”, said the same source, who underlined the importance of “a peaceful and open dialogue on this issue”.

The burning of Quran by an extremist outside a mosque in Stockholm under the protection of Swedish authorities sparked outrage in the Muslim world.

Following the very High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, the Ambassador of His Majesty the King to Sweden was called back to the Kingdom for indefinite consultations on Wednesday, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Kingdom of Sweden in Rabat was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates.

“This new offensive and irresponsible act disregards the feelings of more than a billion Muslims during this sacred period of the great pilgrimage to Mecca and the blessed feast of Eid Al-Adha,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates stated in a statement.

Read also: Swedish Ambassador to Morocco Claims Government Does Not Support Islamophobia

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Jorgen Karlsson, the Swedish ambassador to Morocco, stated on Thursday that while the Swedish government “does not support Islamophobia,” there is “a constitutional right to freedom of expression.”

In a tweet, Karlsson stated that the Swedish government “in no way supports the Islamophobic opinions that were expressed by individuals during yesterday’s demonstration in Stockholm.” The government “completely understands if these Islamophobic views have offended Muslims.”

“In Sweden, there is a constitutional right to freedom of expression, but this does not imply that the government supports the opinions expressed,” he continued.

Morocco’s envoy to Scandinavia was recalled on Thursday due to anti-Muslim demonstrations in which a small group of individuals gathered to burn the Quran, the holy book of Islam, in Stockholm.

Increasing numbers of nations and regional organizations have condemned the incident, arguing that it is consistent with trends in Islamophobia and the rise of neo-Nazi and far-right attitudes in Europe.

A Swedish court authorized the protest, citing “freedom of expression” as its justification.

Morocco called the protest “offensive” and “irresponsible,” saying it disregarded the views of more than a billion Muslims. It further noted that it occurred during Eid Al Adha, one of the most important Muslim holidays.

According to a statement from Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “the Kingdom considers it unacceptable that the faith of Muslims should be disrespected in this way, and the principles of tolerance and the values of universalism cannot be reduced to accommodating the views of a few while showing such little regard for the beliefs of more than a billion Muslims.” This is regardless of political positions or differences that may exist between nations.

Read also: Burning a Quran Copy Has Nothing to Do with Freedom of Expression (INSIGHT)

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“Freedom of expression” has nothing to do with burning a copy of the Quran. The Kingdom of Morocco, whose Sovereign is an Amir Al Mu’minin (Commander of the Faithful), has always taken offense at irreverent acts that violate Islam and hurt Muslims around the world, wherever they may originate.

The burning of the Holy Quran on Wednesday in Stockholm has been strongly condemned by Moro because it not only violates human rights but also represents an unacceptable return to crime, which was committed in front of the complacent and tolerant eyes of Swedish authorities who were under pressure from the contentious decision of the Supreme Court, which upheld the ban on demonstrations to burn the Quran.

But to classify the savagery of the Qur’an as “freedom of expression” or “demonstration” is absurd and has more to do with injustice than justice. Burning the Quran is the height of disrespect, bigotry, and prejudice against all Muslims, especially during these holy days when the Muslim world is celebrating Eid Al-Adha.

Burning the Quran is neither an act of freedom of speech or insult, defamation, or threat. In order to appease some, even if it means insulting others, these fundamental liberties are being hijacked and diverted from their original purpose, how can we explain this to Muslims in Sweden and the rest of the world?

Both the facts and the times are grave. The Quran being burned is a despicable crime, especially in light of the rise of Islamophobia, racism, and incitement to hatred of Muslims in Europe.

The expressions are numerous: the rise of xenophobic sentiments; the dissemination of Islamophobic narratives; political and populist recoveries; the stigmatization of Islam and Muslims; the creation of scapegoats; and the instrumentalization of the migration issue, which essentializes Muslims and devolves into conspiracy theories that foster an imagined threat and demonization of the “Other”.

A copy of the Quran was burned on Wednesday in Stockholm, while a day earlier in Nanterre, a 17-year-old fled into the arms of a police officer. Under a system of law, such violence—whether it be physical, psychological, or symbolic—must be outlawed. Between communitarianism and Islamophobia, there is only one step, and that step may be disastrous. When it does not directly cause death, Islamophobia is a call to violence as well as a violation of human rights. Anywhere must not allow it.

His Majesty the King emphasized that “we should realize that fearing a given religion – or, to put it more accurately, prompting feelings of fear of that religion – leads to hatred for the manifestations of that faith and for the civilized people who practice that faith” in His Royal Message to the participants in the Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue, held in Marrakech on June 13. He recalled that our world is confronted with ideologies of “extremism, self-centred Incitement against that faith, prejudice, and violent acts follow from this.

These royal counsel’s words are more relevant than ever right now.

Read Also: Burning of the Holy Quran: On Very High Instructions from HM the King, Commander of the Faithful, Sweden’s Chargé d’Affaires in Rabat Summoned, HM the King’s Ambassador in Stockholm Recalled for Consultations

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After the Swedish government once again approved a protest that day during the middle of the day, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, may God assist Him, summoned the Kingdom of Sweden’s charge d’affaires in Rabat to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates on Wednesday. The ambassador of His Majesty the King to Sweden was also called back to the Kingdom for consultations.

The Swedish envoy was told of the Kingdom of Morocco’s “most vehement condemnation of this offense and rejection of this unacceptable act,” according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates.

The statement emphasized that “this new offensive and irresponsible act disregards the feelings of over a billion Muslims during this sacred period of the great pilgrimage to Mecca and the blessed feast of Eid Al-Adha.”

“Regardless of the political positions or differences that may exist between countries, the Kingdom considers it unacceptable that the faith of Muslims should be disrespected in this way, nor can the principles of tolerance and the values of universalism be reduced to accommodating the views of a few while showing so little regard for the beliefs of more than a billion Muslims,” the statement added.

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Karim Medrek, the Moroccan ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden and the Republic of Latvia, organized a ceremony honoring the network of Moroccan expatriates with expertise in Sweden on Friday in Stockholm. This network includes businessmen, executives, and managers working for Swedish-based companies and institutions.

At the Eid Al-Fitr gathering, which was held at the Moroccan Ambassador’s residence, there were also imams, doctors, engineers, and business owners.

This ceremony provided an opportunity for a wide exchange and contact with and between members of the Moroccan community established in Sweden. More than 60 people, including representatives from various sectors including banking, information technology, construction and public works, renewable energy, and offshoring, were invited to the event.

Speaking on this occasion, Medrek emphasized HM King Mohammed VI’s deep care for Moroccans around the world and emphasized that the goal of this gathering is to better enhance interactions between Moroccan community members.

He emphasized the Moroccan community’s members’ commitment to serving as “the best ambassadors” for their nation and their strong sense of patriotism.

The diplomat expressed appreciation for the expertise of Moroccans living abroad who represent “the embodiment of the relationship we aspire to have with this country,” adding that these individuals can play a significant part in advancing the political and diplomatic establishment of bilateral ties in line with the goals of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

“We are therefore all called upon, each in his/her own particular area, to make our contribution to the strengthening of our relations”, a role that does not only fall within the competence of the Embassy, but of all, insisted the Moroccan diplomat.

Medrek also emphasized that the services of the embassy remain open to the ideas and initiatives of all Moroccans living in Sweden.

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