Morocco strengthens ties with the outside world through religious diplomacy

In recent years, Morocco has sent hundreds of imams to European countries to guide Moroccan immigrants living in these nations. This measure is also aimed at tackling extremist movements and improving the spiritual security of Moroccans abroad.  

Now, on the occasion of Ramadan, Moroccan imams are preparing to travel to several European countries and Canada to guide the faithful and give religious lectures in mosques and places of worship. 

All these trips are made possible by the Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans Living Abroad, an organisation that has been providing religious support to expatriate Moroccans throughout the month of Ramadan since 1992. 

"As in previous years, the Foundation sent a delegation composed of 274 scholars, preachers and reciters to give lectures and practice religious activities throughout the month of Ramadan," the foundation said in a statement.   

These delegations have been sent to France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Canada, the United States, Sweden, Denmark, Great Britain, Hungary, Norway and Iceland, the statement said.  

Since its foundation in 1990, the Foundation has overseen the management of numerous issues related to Moroccans abroad in the religious, cultural, legal, economic and social fields. 

This mission is related to the religious framework in particular, as well as to the needs of the Moroccan community abroad.    

In addition to sending delegations to Western countries, Morocco also wishes to strengthen its religious ties with Africa. In this regard, the Kingdom hosts the Foundation of African Scholars, which brings together 32 countries and is chaired by King Mohammed VI. 

Giving religious lectures in mosques and places of worship, in countries such as France, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy and Belgium, will not be the only objective, but goes further "to strengthen ties between Moroccan immigrants and the moderate style of Moroccan religiosity, in the framework of the efforts made by the Kingdom to promote the centrist and moderate religious approach", reports Al-Arab.  

According to Abdallah Boussouf, secretary general of the Council of the Moroccan Community Residing Abroad, sending imams to Europe "enhances the image of the Moroccan model of religiosity and stands firm against extremism, hatred and terrorism". To this end, Morocco has created the Mohammed VI Institute for the training of imams and guides, a measure that is part of the religious diplomacy promoted by Rabat.

"Morocco is about to crystallise the Moroccan model of religiosity into a model of religiosity that can be applied externally, so that it is compatible in the 21st century with human rights, equality between men and women, freedoms in general, pluralism and diversity," Boussouf told Al-Arab. 

Boussouf also stresses the need to equip imams with "cultural and linguistic tools to perform their tasks in the best way possible, especially by training young people in moderate Islam, according to the Moroccan model, and also providing them with the skills to work with society and communicate with religions, building bridges of trust and fostering fruitful dialogue". 

For his part, Hussein Ait Ola, head of the Islamic Federation of the Veneto region in Italy, stressed to the media that "Moroccans living in Italy are attached to Moroccan identity and religious constants". "These missions, by their great role in consolidating the Moroccan community's relations with its religion and homeland, preserve the original constants that characterise Moroccan moderate religiosity," he adds.