(NAPSI)—Some may be surprised at the thought of the king of a North African country calling for the restoration of the country’s synagogues and acknowledging the country’s rich history of cultural diversity.
Yet that was exactly the case recently when Morocco’s King Mohammed VI highlighted Morocco’s Jewish heritage and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to religious freedom and diversity.
kAmw:D 4@>>6?ED 42>6 2E E96 C6DE@C2E:@? 46C6>@?J @7 $=2E 2= u2DD:J:?6 $J?28@8F6 :? u6K] qF:=E :? E96 `fkDFAmE9k^DFAm 46?EFCJ[ :E :D E96 @=56DE DJ?28@8F6 :? u6K[ H96C6 >F49 @7 E96 @=5 4:EJ[ @C >65:?2[ 92D 366? 56D:8?2E65 2 &}t$r~ (@C=5 w6C:E286 $:E6]k^Am
kAm%96 DJ?28@8F6 925 72==6? :?E@ 5:DC6A2:C 2?5 925 366? 4=@D65 D:?46 E96 `he_D] (:E9 7F?5:?8 7C@> |@C@44@’D y6H:D9 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 E96 u656C2= #6AF3=:4 @7 v6C>2?J[ $=2E 2= u2DD:J:?6 92D ?@H 366? C6DE@C65 2?5 2 46C6>@?J H2D 96=5 E@ 46=63C2E6 E96 4@>A=6E:@? @7 E96 EH@\J62C C6?@G2E:@? 677@CE]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8 DEJ=6lV>D@\3:5:\7@?E\H6:89Ei?@C>2=Vmp s:G6CD6 w6C:E286k@iAmk^@iAmk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmx? 9:D >6DD286[ z:?8 |@92>>65 'x 9:89=:89E65 |@C@44@’D 5:G6CD6 4F=EFC2= 96C:E286i “%96 |@C@442? A6@A=6’D 4F=EFC2= EC25:E:@?D[ H9:49 2C6 DE66A65 :? 9:DE@CJ[ 2C6 C@@E65 :? @FC 4:E:K6?D’ 23:5:?8 4@>>:E>6?E E@ E96 AC:?4:A=6D @7 4@6I:DE6?46[ E@=6C2?46 2?5 92C>@?J 36EH66? E96 G2C:@FD 4@>A@?6?ED @7 E96 ?2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“pD :D 6?D9C:?65 :? E96 z:?85@>’D ?6H r@?DE:EFE:@?[ E96 w63C6H 96C:E286 :D :?5665 @?6 @7 E96 E:>6\9@?@C65 4@>A@?6?ED @7 @FC ?2E:@?2= :56?E:EJ] u@C E9:D C62D@?[ x H:D9 E@ 42== 7@C E96 C6DE@C2E:@? @7 2== E96 DJ?28@8F6D :? E96 @E96C |@C@442? 4:E:6D D@ E92E E96J >2J D6CG6 ?@E @?=J 2D A=246D @7 H@CD9:A[ 3FE 2=D@ 2D 7@CF>D 7@C 4F=EFC2= 5:2=@8F6 2?5 7@C E96 AC@>@E:@? @7 @FC 4F=EFC2= G2=F6D]”k^Am
kAm%96 <:?8 2=D@ D2:5 E96 EH@\J62C C6DE@C2E:@? @7 E96 `fkDFAmE9k^DFAm 46?EFCJ DJ?28@8F6 3@C6 “6=@BF6?E E6DE:>@?J E@ E96 DA:C:EF2= H62=E9 2?5 5:G6CD:EJ @7 E96 z:?85@> @7 |@C@44@ 2?5 :ED 96C:E286]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8 DEJ=6lV>D@\3:5:\7@?E\H6:89Ei?@C>2=Vmp |6DD286 @7 %@=6C2?46k@iAmk^@iAmk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm$@>6 a__ A6@A=6 2EE6?565 E96 46C6>@?J[ :?4=F5:?8 |@C@442? !C:>6 |:?:DE6C p356=:=29 q6?<:C2?6[ C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D @7 E96 v6C>2? 8@G6C?>6?E[ 2?5 =6256CD @7 E96 |@C@442? y6H:D9 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAm$6C86 q6C5F8@[ AC6D:56?E @7 E96 yF56@\|@C@442? !2EC:>@?J u@F?52E:@?[ D2:5 E92E E96 C6DE@C2E:@? :D 2 “>6DD286 @7 A6246 2?5 E@=6C2?46]” “$=2E 2= u2DD:J:?6 E62496D FD 2 362FE:7F= =6DD@?[” 96 D2:5] “xE C6AC6D6?E65 E96 A2DE[ 3@F?5 E@ 5:D2AA62C] xED C6DE@C2E:@? AC@46DD 2?E:4:A2E65 E96 7FEFC6[ 2?5 E92E 7FEFC6 :D ?@H] |@C@442? yF52:D>’D E:>6 92D 4@>6] %9:D 4@>>F?:EJ :D A2CE @7 E96 |@C@442? C62=:EJ]”k^Am
kAmk6> DEJ=6lV>D@\3:5:\7@?E\DEJ=6i?@C>2=Vm%9:D :?7@C>2E:@? :D AC@G:565 3J q64<6C>2? @? 3692=7 @7 E96 8@G6C?>6?E @7 |@C@44@] uFCE96C :?7@C>2E:@? :D 2G2:=23=6 2E E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 yFDE:46]k@iAmk^@iAmk^6>mk^Am
kAmkDA2? DEJ=6lV7@?E\D:K6ig]_AEVmk@iAm k^@iAmk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDEC@?8 DEJ=6lV>D@\3:5:\7@?E\H6:89Ei?@C>2=VmkDA2? DEJ=6lV7@?E\D:K6i`_]_AEVmk@iAm k^@iAmk^DA2?mk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm~? E96 }6Eik2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]?2AD?6E]4@>Qm}@CE9 p>6C:42? !C64:D $J?5:42E6[ x?4]W}p!$xXk^2mk^Am