King Mohammed VI : “SHOAH, A painful historic tragedy as part of the Universal Heritage”

His Majesty King Mohammed VI addressed a message to the participants of the conference on the launch of "Aladdin” project for dialogue between cultures, based on historical facts, knowledge and mutual respect. The conference opened on March 27 at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris.

Here follows the full text of the Royal message read out by Moroccan Minister of Habous and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Taoufik :

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

What a wonderful choice, what a responsibility that has driven those who pioneered this initiative to call upon the myth of Aladdin as a source of inspiration to call upon us to get together in order to ponder, from an unorthodox perspective, one of the most catastrophic and most indescribable sequels of modern history.

It is indeed a heavy responsibility and a unique choice. For none of us, ladies and gentlemen, can pretend to engage in a reading of the Holocaust unless in a comprehensive and logical manner that leaves no room for a behaviour founded on questioning the evidence or silencing the voice of conscience.

Such a behaviour might fall under the influence of today’s predominant concepts or the weaknesses marring this sinful memory which has an intentionally selective character.

My own reading of this tragedy, and that of My people, totally rebuff those approaches, which are none but a reflection of some kind of amnesia.

Our reading rather plunges into examining and digging up one of the injuries of our collective memory, which we have linked to this painful historic tragedy as part of the universal heritage.

People other than Myself would be right in insisting that those asserted facts do not constitute new facts for the Kingdom of Morocco, and would hence never appear as incidental rhetoric.

While recalling theses facts, I am confident that the “Aladdin” working group within the framework of which you are meeting here, is aiming at the very important objective of acquainting the world countries with the circumstances of the resistance of a number of Arab and Muslim states, including mine, to face up Nazism. These countries had the courage to speak up against the barbaric and unjust laws implemented by the Vichy government.

The international community has for long been lenient and conciliatory towards a selective reading of the historical facts relating to this dark period marked by setback and retreat.

This type of reading has given free reins to all forms of fictions and fantasies. Indeed, in which history and civics books currently used in the West do we read that Morocco had taken the lead since the thirties of the last century in opening its doors to receive the European Jewish communities which had seen, just in due time, the looming danger of Nazism ?

In what intellectual institutes and forums in Europe or the United States do we talk about the exemplary and historic stance of Our august grand-father, His Majesty King Mohammed V, May He rest in peace? His Majesty knew how to face up any attempt to implement the racial laws of the Vichy government, which were aimed against the Moroccans citizens of Jewish faith, despite the restrictions which He had been subjected to in the exercise of His powers in view of the drastic dictations of the French protectorate.

Therefore, all the participants of this meeting will be aware that I do not wish to merely limit Myself to equitably narrating the facts. I rather invite you to a careful and honest reading of the facts relating to this historical period.

Today we live in an era where the logic of neutrality is not a predominant feature, as the elements and factors of the collective imagination of our societies are inspired by the harbingers of exclusion and failure, which manifest themselves in the horizon, while the augurs of promise for the establishment of dialogue among our civilizations, cultures and religions are taking shape.

From this perspective, we are all called to prepare and proceed to take the lead, once again, through the power of logic and reason and to regain the values that lend legitimacy to the desire to create a space of coexistence and friendship. A space where the values of dignity, justice and freedom have the same meanings and connotations, and mix together according to the same requirements, and regardless of the difference of the roots that inspire us, and notwithstanding the differences of our cultures or spiritual beliefs.

These are, therefore, the elements that define our reading, in Morocco, of the obligation of memory dictated by the tragedy of the Holocaust.

Given the unique and tragic depth of the obligation of memory, it strongly directs us on how the moral, ethical and political features of the world of tomorrow should be.

All these elements will embody the real guarantee for the establishment of peace based on justice and dignity as common values to be equally shared. This is the kind of peace that the vast majority of Palestinians and Israelis aspire to.