Full text of the message sent to the conference on inter-civilization dialogue
Regional-Morocco, Politics, 12/12/2003

Here follows the full text of the message sent by King Mohammed VI to an international conference on "Is dialogue between cultures possible" held in Rabat this Dec.11-13, as part of activities marking "Rabat, Arab Capital of culture" events.

The royal message was read out at the opening session by advisor to the sovereign, Hassan Aourid.

"Excellencies,

Distinguished participants,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to commend your initiative to engage in a discussion on intercultural dialogue. I should also like to welcome the prominent scholars and politicians participating in this conference in Morocco, the land of coexistence, tolerance and continuous dialogue among states and peoples.

This conference is a particularly important one as it takes place at a special time in mankind's history, a time when many certainties are being challenged. There is, indeed, a great deal of scepticism because of a swelling wave of intolerance, which makes us wonder, with concern, whether the world is not facing an existentialist crisis of a cultural, rather than religious, nature.

Barely a decade ago, we were convinced we had put ideological antagonisms behind us once and for all, and that we were about to experience a new cultural order, where all borders are removed. As the world became a small village, we, perhaps too optimistically, thought this heralded the advent of a new era, in which we would share the ideals of progress, democracy and human rights. The budding information and communication society gave us the impression, for the first time ever, that the dawn of a truly universal civilization was about to break.

Unfortunately, hopes were soon dashed as a result of the moral decline which affected international stances after the end of the Cold War, leading to compromise on provisions of international law and legality, as if the latter had been designed for the sole purpose of regulating East-West relations. Once there was no longer such a need, customs from another age surfaced again.

Soon, ethnic identity was also affected with some going as far as calling for racial purification which entailed dastardly effects. The religious aspect was also exploited, not in its humanist and transcending dimension, but as an identity and argument for demarcation, not to say rejection. Letter prevailed over spirit or obstructed it. Those who shout louder, albeit being a minority, prevailed over the general tendency or the specific features of a religion. Those were, alas, the same ones who gave an unfortunate course to the march of humanity by perpetrating the most odious acts of September 11. If we had called for a ecumenical religious service in the wake of this horrible act, it was to recall that what is shared by the three monotheist religions should be stronger than the nihilistic impulses. It was likewise meant to convey the message that Morocco will remain as it has always been, a land of dialogue and communion.

Given this dangerous drift, which may well jeopardize mankind's aspiration for a better future, there is an urgent need for universalism to recover its original meaning, namely that all human beings are equal before the law. And in order for universalism to be constructive, the various cultural elements composing it must be recognized.

Universalism, one may add, does not mean blind standardization to suit a dominant model. Universalism makes no sense unless there is commitment to the values that can be shared by all peoples, regardless of their differences. In other words, universalism should not seek to wipe out differences or cast them in a dominant ideological mould. Instead, its aim is to improve the destiny of mankind by building on those differences in order to achieve unity in diversity. Difference, a value in itself, is a basic right and may therefore be legitimately claimed by any authentic nation. In fact, were it not for differences, there could be no interaction between human groups, nor any mutual enrichment. Each culture has its own set of values and may, quite naturally, have its own way of upholding these values. What really counts is for each culture to contribute, through its own genius, to improving the conditions of mankind, whatever the circumstances.

This is the meaning to be given to the culture stemming from the principles and teachings of Islam, which are among the universal foundations of culture. We therefore reject the deliberate confusion entertained by those who seek to distort the essence of this religion, which is a call for peace and an appeal for concord among people. We all know that fanaticism is not peculiar to a given religion, and that sectarians of all sorts, driven by opportunistic motives, are striving to widen the cultural gap. Our duty is to stand up against those who are yearning for bygone eras.

We were outraged by the barbaric face of international terrorism, cropping up through the tragedy of September 11, 2001 in the United States of America. The driving force behind international terrorism, from which Morocco has suffered as well, is precisely the intolerance of the sectarians I have mentioned. Terrorism is nothing more than the product of the wild delusions of sick minds. It feeds on ignorance and hatred; hatred of peace, of democracy, of solidarity between peoples. To be sure, terrorism must be combated by all legal means; but we must also examine its deep causes in order to uproot it. One of these causes is the moral decline to which I referred, and which is a direct consequence of the cultural deficit inherent in the dominant materialistic ideology.

It is this kind of cultural deficit that I have sought to tackle in Morocco by undertaking to implement my vision for a society which is open to modernity, through the exercise of democracy and respect of human rights. All currents of thought can therefore express themselves without restrictions or constraints and contribute to preserving the Moroccan national identity and its rich spiritual and cultural components, based on tolerance, coexistence and complementarity. Hence the decision I made to set up the Institute for Amazigh Culture, which reflects my desire to reassert Morocco's historical and multicultural dimension.

I am convinced that it is scholars and thinkers - who know better than any one else how cultures and civilizations have interacted with one another throughout history, and how the values advocated by the revealed religions and the guiding principles shared by mankind have developed - that will make lasting contributions to building bridges for dialogue, understanding and solidarity, in order to highlight complementarity between universalism and cultural specificity.

I wish you every success and a pleasant stay among us." (MAP)SH

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