Democracy, best means to eradicate terrorism, extremism, King mohammed says
Regional-Morocco, Politics, 3/18/2002

Morocco's King Mohammed VI has pointed out that democracy is the best means to eradicate terrorism, extremism and marginalisation, and called for seeking peaceful solutions to all tensions and disputes, everywhere in the world.

King Mohammed VI, who was delivering a speech Sunday before the inter-parliamentary union (IPU)-- which is holding its 107th conference in Marrakesh March 17-23-- recalled that Morocco has always held a leading position in seeking peacefully and democratically negotiated solutions in its regional environment and internationally.

The sovereign lauded the IPU efforts to disseminate democratic culture as an efficient means for managing disputes at the international level through dialogue, tolerance and respect for the right to differ, saying this "is the strongest indication that democracy is still the best means to eradicate terrorism, extremism and marginalisation, and also to devise peaceful solutions to all tensions and disputes, everywhere in the world."

He said "This is because you stand for democratic legitimacy and you voice in earnest the concerns and worries which preoccupy our peoples, as well as the hopes and expectations they pin on you, in securing coherent and democratic responses to these expectations and in catering for good governance."

Touching on the situation in the Middle East, King Mohammed VI said Morocco is voicing "concern and bitterness about the Israeli Government embarking on the logic of force and killing against the defenseless Palestinian people, along with the daily bloodshed of innocent people, instead of opting for a civilized approach to negotiate in the framework of international legitimacy."

He stated further that "the logical sequence of history confirms that the cycle of violence and counter-violence, is not an inescapable fate, because the will to build peace, justice and security is bound to prevail, especially in a region which is the cradle of religions and where the brotherly Palestinian people have the right to establish their independent state, with Al Quds Al-Shareef as its capital, and as a symbol of coexistence, integration and brotherhood among all the peoples and religions in the Middle East region."

King Mohammed VI, who lauded the IPU's leading and sustainable effort to instill the universal values of freedom, human rights and peace, and to disseminate the culture of dialogue, openness and tolerance between civilizations and between peoples, commended the Organization for its eagerness to encourage developing countries, particularly African nations, to achieve sustainable development and to curb the adverse effects of heavy indebtedness and of the logic of commercial globalization.

"Democracy shall remain fictitious or threatened unless it gets an economic and social content and so long as marginalization and mistreatment in all their manifestations are not stopped from harming the disadvantaged, particularly women who account for half the population of society, as well as children and the young who are the pillar and the source of hope for the future," the sovereign said, calling on world parliaments to play, through the IPU, an efficient role in humanizing globalization and in setting up a new international order, with more democracy, fairness and solidarity and expressing hope that the parliamentary dimension of diplomacy would be enhanced so that the Inter(Parliamentary Union becomes a major partner for UN institutions and international NGOs, working for the emergence of active citizens of the world and endeavoring to build universal democracy.

Previous Stories:
  Education, a shield against extremism, king Mohammed   (3/13/2002)
  Thirty women to sit in Moroccan Parliament   (2/22/2002)
  King Mohammed congratulates Bahrain's king over constitutional proclamation   (2/16/2002)

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