Morocco Extends Religious Cooperation and Training at Request of Tunisia, Guinea, Libya
Building on success of program with Mali, effort will share Moroccan model of moderation, help counter extremism in Africa
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ (MACP) -- The Moroccan Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs announced today that King Mohammed VI has agreed to requests from Tunisia, Guinea, and Libya for cooperation on religious matters, including providing training in Morocco for imams from the three African nations.
Morocco and Mali began a similar effort in September, when King Mohammed VI and Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita presided over the signing of an agreement to send 500 Malian imams to Morocco over the next two years for training in using Morocco's moderate and tolerant form of Islam to help fight the spread of extremism. The first 100 imams from Mali have already travelled to Morocco for the program.
"Morocco has long been a leader in advancing stability, cooperation, and economic development in Africa, and its steady path to democratic reform stands as a model for the region specifically, and Africa as a whole," said Ambassador Edward M. Gabriel, who served as US Ambassador to Morocco from 1997 to 2001. "Helping Mali, Tunisia, Guinea, and Libya promote moderate and tolerant Islam is yet another important part of Morocco's vital contribution to peace, security, and development in this part of the world."
According to a recent report by the Atlantic Council, Morocco has become a "significant force for development in Africa." In addition to providing religious training, Morocco's other initiatives in Africa include trade agreements and investment in a number of countries in sectors as varied as mining, energy, agriculture, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing. Morocco's assistance to Tunisia, Guinea, and Libya will also include sharing its expertise in building mosques and management of religious issues.
For more on Morocco and the region, visit http://www.moroccoonthemove.com/. Follow us on Twitter - @MorocOnTheMove. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MoroccoOnTheMove
The Moroccan American Center for Policy (MACP) is a non-profit organization whose principal mission is to inform opinion makers, government officials, and interested publics in the United States about political and social developments in Morocco and the role being played by the Kingdom of Morocco in broader strategic developments in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. For more, please visit www.moroccoonthemove.com
This material is distributed by the Moroccan American Center for Policy on behalf of the Government of Morocco. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC.
SOURCE Moroccan American Center for Policy
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