King Mohammed VI is consistently endeavouring to uphold the conciliatory, tolerant message of Islam, said, here Monday, Minister of Justice, Abdelwahed Radi.
 
     Speaking at a high-level debate, organized within the framework of the UN Anti-Racism Conference, Radi said that this message is based on dialogue, mutual respect and moderation as virtues to strengthen the friendly ties among nations and, hence, promote peace, stability, good neighborliness and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

    Morocco's foreign policy is fundamentally based on the values of tolerance, freedom, coexistence and dialogue between different cultures, religions and civilizations, he added.

    Radi recalled the considerable progress made by Morocco in its fight against racism, racial discrimination and religious intolerance, particularly through the process of institutional and legislative reforms undertaken in order to bring its legislation in line with the provisions of relevant international instruments.

   The reforms include the criminalisation of discrimination in the Moroccan Penal Code, the prohibition of discrimination-based hiring or dismissal, and the prohibition of setting up associations or institutions based on discrimination, he said.

    He added that racism embodies extreme violation of human rights and human dignity.

    Radi urged the international community to strengthen the international and national legal instruments and promote the intergovernmental cooperation to counter the rise of racism and racial discrimination.

    The minister, who is leading the Moroccan delegation to the conference, recalled that King Mohammed VI, in his capacity as Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, continues to draw the international community’s attention to the dangers threatening the holy city.

     In this regard, he recalled that king Mohammed VI had sent, last March, messages to the permanent member states of the UN Security Council, to UN Secretary General and to Pope Benedict XVI, calling upon them to intercede with the Israeli occupation authorities to “preserve the special character of that holy city, to safeguard its spiritual features, which are a testimony to coexistence between the followers of the revealed religions, and to cancel all schemes designed to change the architectural and demographic realities.”