The speech delivered by Morocco King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the celebration of the 63rd anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People is an eminently argumentative discourse that condemns religious fanaticism threatening free societies. In his speech, the King has called for the fight against religious extremism, and called on Moroccans of the world to remain committed to the values of their religion and their ancient traditions against the jihadist discourse, which is foreign to them.

"With its religious legitimacy as Commander of the Faithful, the Sovereign has strongly denounced the Machiavellian strategies and dangerous dogmas of those who claim to be owners of the truth and the guarantors of the Muslim orthodoxy”. In fact, they are enemies of Islam who interpret in their own way the concepts of Quran and Sunnah to justify their violent actions and expand their sphere of activity in diffusing a culture of hatred and terrorism. The King has defined the concept of jihad in Islam stating its meaning and conditions of its validity. Giving a rational vision and consistent with Islam, the Sovereign has lambasted certain abuses of managing migration issues in the Mediterranean region by highlighting the Moroccan model in the field of hospitality and integration of sub-Saharan immigrants, respecting their rights and dignity.

The King invites Moroccans to become advocates of a tolerant Islam

The Sovereign has prompted Moroccans settled mainly in Europe to play a vanguard role in the fight against extremism and to defend the noble values of Islam. The King questioned if it is "inconceivable that God, the Most-Merciful, may order an individual to explode or to murder innocents. Yet Islam, as we know, does not allow any form of suicide, for any reason whatsoever."

HM King Mohammed VI called on Moroccans living abroad to remain attached to the values of their religion and their ancient traditions to deal with extremist and terrorist phenomenon that is alien to them. The sovereign urged Moroccan immigrants to preserve the good reputation and to be patient in facing the difficult situation in host countries and to be always in the forefront among the defenders of peace, harmony and togetherness in their respective countries of residence. The King emphasized that terrorists acting in the name of Islam "are not Muslims and have no link with Islam as alibis which they rely on to justify their crimes and insanity." "These are misguided individuals condemned to hell forever," said the Sovereign.

The Sovereign said that "those who incite murder and aggression, which unduly excommunicate people who make the Qur'an and Sunnah, a reading consistent with their interests, merely peddling falsehood in the name of Allah and Prophet". Moreover, they instrumentalize some young Muslims, particularly in Europe, and exploit their ignorance of the Arabic language and the true Islam to relay their messages and erroneous misguided promises, those terrorists and radicals make every effort to get young people to join them and to tackle societies imbued with the values of freedom, openness and tolerance.

"In addition, many groups and Islamic institutions have a reference drawn from religion and represent, therefore, the true Islam, which means that this is not the case for others. But in reality they are far from Islam and its tolerance values, "noted the Sovereign. "We are all targeted. Anyone who thinks or believes in what I say is a potential target for terrorism, which has already hit Morocco and Europe and many parts of the world", warned Majesty the King. The Sovereign called for this purpose, Muslims, Christians and Jews to establish a common front in order to counter fanaticism, hatred and isolationism in all forms. For His Majesty the King, the history of humanity is the best evidence that progress cannot be achieved in any society in the grip of extremism and hatred, which together constitute the main factor of insecurity and instability.

EU, France and Belgium Hail Morocco’s "Commitment" against Radicalization & Fanaticism

The European Union (EU) hailed on Friday Morocco’s “firm resolve” against radicalization and fanaticism. “The European Union commends Morocco’s resolve, including King Mohammed statements, against radicalization and fanaticism,” European external service action spokesperson Nabila Massrali. “Morocco gained widespread recognition within the European Union for its efforts in the fight against terrorism,” she pointed out, expressing the EU’s willingness to further cooperate with the Kingdom in counter-terrorism.“We look forward to further cooperation in the framework of our partnership to cope with common challenges, including extremism and terrorism,” the EU spokesperson added.

France "hails Morocco’s strong commitment against fanaticism in all its forms and reiterates its commitment to work together within the framework of its special partnership, to prevent and fight against radicalization and terrorism," French Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Romain Nadal, said Monday at a press briefing. Referring to the speech addressed by HM King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People, the spokesman said that the Sovereign has sent "a message of peace and tolerance", and condemned the murder of priest Father Jacques Hamel on July 26. In his speech, the Sovereign has strongly condemned the killing of innocent people.

“I strongly condemn the killing of innocent people. Killing a priest is forbidden by religion; murdering him inside a church is an unforgivable madness, because he is a human being and a religious man – even if he is not a Muslim. Islam commands us to take good care of the people of the Book,” the sovereign said in his speech. From its side Belgium hailed the “courageous approach” of HM King Mohammed VI who strongly condemned all forms of terrorism. "The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders hails the speech addressed by HM King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the Revolution of the King and the People,” the spokesman of the Belgian Foreign Affairs Ministry Didier Vanderhasselt said. "Belgium praises the Sovereign’s courageous approach to condemning all forms of terrorism and jihadism as well as his defense of a tolerant Islam,” the spokesman added. Belgium "intends to continue to actively collaborate with Morocco in the fight against terrorism," he pointed out.