Islamic-leaning party unwanted in Casablanca anti-terrorism march
Morocco, Politics, 5/23/2003

The Unified Front against Terrorism and Extremism and for Peace, Tolerance and Democracy, set up after last Friday's terrorist attacks on Casablanca, on Thursday expressed its categorical refusal of the Islamists' participation in a popular march the Front is planning to stage here next Sunday.

The Front gathers 48 parties, trade unions, NGOs, women and cultural associations

"The Front rejects any compromise in this respect," said the Secretariat's spokeswoman, Najat Ikhich, referring to the Islamists' participation in the march it organizes with majority parties.

During a press conference held in Farah Hotel, one of the five targets hit by the bombings, Ikhich stressed that "accepting the Islamists' participation in the march would give them an undue credibility (..) while they are extremists abetting violence, discrimination and hatred."

The Front's Secretariat recalled that its components were the first to call for the staging of a march against terrorism that hit Casablanca and its population and insists that the victims' families be in the march's forefront, followed by women who are victims of the Islamists' violence and children to symbolize the right to live.

The Secretariat further said that the Islamist moderate opposition Justice and Development party (PJD/opposition) is lobbying via a majority party to ensure its participation in the upcoming march, while government parties of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP/government) and Progress and Socialism Party (PPS/government) are opposing it.

Previous Stories:
  Anti-terrorism bill was unanimously approved on Tuesday by commission   (5/22/2003)
  Moroccan journalist gets 4-year prison sentence for libel   (5/22/2003)
  Casablanca blasts: Jews 'feel more Moroccan than ever,' Royal Adviser   (5/22/2003)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search