The choice of the imperial city to host this leading international event is not fortuitous, but rather given its status as an ancient city and spiritual and scientific capital of the Kingdom of Morocco.
Moreover, Fez has always been a crossroads of cultures and civilizations and a place of meeting and dissemination of the values of dialogue, peace and understanding. The Idrisid city embodies this dimension par excellence, through its history, its spirituality and its various internationally renowned forums, including the World Sacred Music Festival, the Sufi Culture Festival, as well as other significant events which know the participation of internationally recognized personalities from various backgrounds.
The Kingdom’s hosting of this global event reaffirms its attachment to the values of dialogue between cultures and religions, as well as recognition of Morocco’s active role as a founding member of the Alliance of Civilizations.
This is evidenced by the second edition of the International Conference on the Dialogue of Cultures and Religions, organized in Fez in September 2018 under the theme “Otherness in Questions”.
At the opening of this international event, HM King Mohammed VI sent a message to the participants in which the Sovereign underlined that “Fez, a centuries-old city, has always constituted a land of dialogue, a symbol of tolerance and coexistence, a high place of spirituality.
The Sovereign noted that Moroccan hospitality, inscribed at the heart of the country’s customs, “also covers a form of generosity of spirit, where respect and acceptance of the Other develop, where diversity flourishes cultural This characteristic which makes Morocco a plural and diverse nation within the framework of national unity, We have expressed it in a series of national, regional and international actions.
And His Majesty the King added that “since Our Accession to the Throne, Our commitment to promoting these noble ideals has never wavered and We have tirelessly worked to consolidate the achievements made by Morocco over the ages.”
“In Morocco, there is no difference between Muslim citizens and Jewish citizens, who always celebrate their respective religious festivals together,” continued the Sovereign, affirming that “at all times, Christians passing through or residing in Morocco have always benefited from the right to exercise their worship in churches. Some of our ancestors, the Sultans, had even donated a lot of land for the construction of a church which, even today, welcomes the faithful.
For this ninth edition, whose central theme is the promotion of peace and coexistence, it will see the participation of an elite of activists of the values of peace, dialogue and coexistence, who will discuss avenues likely to establish peace, unity and solidarity of peoples.
Note that the Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations is being held in an extremely difficult global context marked by a multitude of challenges, ranging from the rise of violent extremism, terrorism, xenophobia, hate speech to racism, discrimination and radicalism.
2024-10-02 07:00:24