Royal Activities
Friday 17 May 2019

HM the King, Commander of the Faithful, Authorizes Opening of 20 Newly Built, Restored or Reconstructed Mosques

HM the King, Commander of the Faithful, Authorizes Opening of 20 Newly Built, Restored or Reconstructed Mosques

On the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan 1440, HM King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, has authorized the opening of 20 mosques newly built, restored or undergoing reconstruction work by the ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, said, Friday in Casablanca, minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq.

Speaking before the Sovereign, after the Friday prayer at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Toufiq said that his department had mobilized a budget of nearly 253 million dirhams for the building of 7 new mosques, the reconstruction of 9 others and the restoration of four large historic mosques, with a total capacity of 27,000 faithful.

In this regard, the minister stressed that HM King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, has named after himself two of the mosques that were opened, namely "Al Masjid Al Aadham" in Tamesna and the Great Mosque of Nador, noting that in accordance with the High Royal Guidelines, an action plan based on a national mapping of the needs for places of worship has been prepared.

This action plan, Toufiq went on, takes into consideration urban development near the old medinas, the extension of the new urban poles, the phenomenon of dispersal of populations in the countryside, in addition to compliance with legal provisions, economic needs and technical standards required for the approval of plans and building permits in order to preserve the functional and aesthetic characteristics of the Moroccan mosque.

These requirements had to be respected in projects to build new mosques both by the ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs and by benefactors, he said, adding that new mosques are included each year in a strategic plan to promote places of worship at the national, regional and local levels.

According to Toufiq, this plan has made it possible to support the dynamics of the Kingdom, under the enlightened guidance of HM the King. It also testifies to the High solicitude of the Sovereign for mosques and his continuous action so that they can play their role, contribute to strengthening the spiritual security of the faithful and preserve the values of moderation and tolerance characterizing Moroccan society.

The minister added that 2,173 mosques have been opened over the past 20 years, noting that many of them, particularly small and medium-sized ones, have been built by benefactors.

The ministry provided assistance to some of these benefactors, who also benefited from tax exemptions under the High Royal Instructions, he said.

On this occasion, Toufiq recalled that in parallel with the construction sites, a Dahir organizing the control of the condition of mosque buildings was published, stressing that the results of the census and control operations carried out on the basis of this Dahir have led to the rehabilitation of 1,000 mosques.

Within the same strategic plan, a program for the preservation of historic mosques was also developed, Toufiq noted, adding that 70 mosques have been renovated, with a budget of 650 million dirhams.

The legislation on places of worship had also been reviewed, he went on to say, noting that the new legislation required benefactors wishing to build mosques to organize themselves within associations created by the law, as it regulated the way in which States subsidies are granted to these associations and the control of fundraising.

 

MAP 17 mai 2019