Tolerance, solidarity, generosity, and opening onto the others are the major qualities of Islam in Morocco. The King, Commander of the Faithful, attends to the preservation of these dimensions, which distinguish an old-age nation who once welcomed the Andalousis, the Muslims, and the Jews who had fled the inquisition of the Catholic Queen Elisabeth, and who expressed their solidarity with the victims of the 11th September attacks in the United States in 2001, in a unique ecumenical. In order to contribute to the radiance of these values, the supreme religious authority, King Mohammed VI, has spared no effort, since his accession to the Throne, to call for dialogue among cultures and civilizations.

Given that Islam is the religion of the State, the King assumes the role of the Commander of the Faithful, a magisterium which distinguishes him in the Muslim World, resulting in a religious and constitutional prerogative entitling the sovereign to be the guarantor for the spiritual security. In this respect, he initiated the restructuring of the religious authorities, calling for the Ministry of Islamic Affairs to interpret religious texts according to a tolerant and progressive vision.

A form of Islam tuned to the requirements of our times

Building on a strong tolerant past and an open present, Morocco has become the best place for dialogue. By inviting, for example, a wide spectrum of prominent religious personalities to participate in the religious lectures held in Ramadan, Morocco intends to contribute to an Islamic cohesion that evolves around a religious vision extolling a form of Islam that is tuned to the requirements of our times.

To preserve the Moroccan nation from the dangers of religious discord, inspired by the upholders of fanaticism, Morocco is intent to fight all forms of malicious use of Islam as a tool, and its vacating from its peaceful and tolerant essence. The attacks of May 16th in Casablanca have left an indelible mark on minds. Moroccans fail to understand what happened to them, nor were they able to distinguish which form of Islam those killers of democracy proclaimed, through attacking their coreligionists as well as the Jews who practice their faith peacefully in Morocco, thanks to the ancestral tradition cherished by the Moroccan Monarchs, ensuring that the Christians and Jews benefit of an unfailing protection.

The Supreme Council of the Oulema (Scholars)

Morocco has chosen the restructuring of the religious field in its different components, with a view to upgrading and adapting it to the requirements of modernity.This restructuring action focuses on:

• The administrative organization of the Department of the Islamic Affairs and Habous, and endowing it with a new organization chart.
• The reorganization of the Supreme Council of Oulema (Scholars), which includes for the first time a woman among its members.
• Regional Councils (with 35 women in office)
• The institution of the Zakat, and the edifices of Muslim worship. The Nadhirs of waqf (mortmain estate) continue to run these properties.

As to the Supreme Council of Oulema (Scholars), the King is working in such a way as to provide an appropriate space which will make for the accomplishment of the religious and patriotic mission, through the provision of training to each and every citizen, in order to tone up their faith, protect their doctrine, and enlighten their minds and hearts, and thus making of them the faithful attached to their religion and their sacred values, safe from the currents advocating denaturation and deviation.

The Supreme Council of Oulema is also required to play a crucial role in the fight against illiteracy, through the organization of training cycles by imams and preachers, bearing in mind the utmost importance that women should be granted in order to involve them in the vital sectors of development.

The Council should serve as a model and reference that incarnate a moderate Islam based on tolerance and openness, compassion and mercy. This requires the adoption of an approach based on dialogue, persuasion, and the dissemination of the precepts of tolerance, and the true values of Islam, while preserving the unity of the Malekite rite. Further, the Council should assume the responsibility of Fatwa, and contribute to the promotion of the renaissance of religious sciences.