Morocco for a merciless but with discernment fight against terrorism

Morocco on Tuesday said it backs a merciless fight against terrorism while calling for discernment and wisdom to avoid mixings especially with Islam, a religion of peace and coexistence.

Part of the merciless fight that we, as international community, intend to wage against terrorism, we have to show discernment, wisdom and caution, Moroccan foreign affairs and cooperation minister, Mohamed Benaissa, told the 9th ministerial conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), held in the Romanian capital city of Bucharest.

The struggle against terrorism should not, under any pretext, proceed from a mixing with Islam, a religion of peace, of compassion and of coexistence, he said.

This struggle, he added, should not harm collective and individual freedoms that the terrorist precisely seek to undermine.

Benaissa, who renewed Morocco's conviction that the military option is not the sole response to the terrorist challenge, said the eradication of the plague should target the blatant injustices that mar international relations.

Morocco fully adheres to the draft declaration that will crown the Bucharest meeting, he said.

Benaissa also dwelt on Morocco's human rights achievements and laid a special emphasis on the need to foster cooperation among Mediterranean countries.