Rabat: 31/03/2019

ISESCO Director General commends address of King Mohammed VI of Morocco at reception of His Holiness Pope Francis

The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, commended the address of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco at yesterday’s reception of His Holiness Pope Francis. He described the address as a true expression of the noble message of Islam that calls for mutual understanding, respect for religious and ethnic diversity and rejection of violence, and affirms that the best means to fight extremism consist of education and giving religion the place it deserves in the education field.

Dr Altwaijri also stated that the address of His Majesty, the Commander of the Faithful, to the youth in which he warns them against the threats of extremism and violence and stresses that what terrorists have in common is not religion, but rather ignorance of religion, is a judicious call that removes ambiguities and dispels misconceptions about religion which, as His Majesty said, should no longer be an alibi for ignorant people, for ignorance or for intolerance as it is light, knowledge and wisdom, and a call for peace and using energies in nobler battles.

Moreover, ISESCO Director General lauded the signing by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Holiness Pope Francis of Al-Quds Call document that stresses the importance of preserving the city of Al-Quds as a common human heritage and a symbol of peaceful coexistence of the three Abrahamic faiths, and reaffirms the protection of the special multi-faith character, spiritual dimension and cultural identity of the city.

Dr Altwaijri also expressed his great admiration for the prevailing cohesion and compassion between Moroccans despite their different beliefs, under the leadership of His Majesty. He also praised His Majesty’s status as the Commander of the Faithful of all citizens regardless of their religions and the warm welcome and generous hospitality of the Moroccan people, in a country renowned for its tolerance, generosity, science and knowledge which contributed to the human civilization, as testified by its millennia-old history.