Moroccan King expresses resolve to protect Morocco against fanaticism, decadence

King Mohammed VI of Morocco expressed, Friday, resolve to protect Morocco against fanaticism and decadence.

"I am determined to protect the Moroccan society against the perils of fanaticism and decadence which threaten the world," said the king in a speech addressed to the nation to mark the 51st anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People.

"I therefore urge all social institutions and NGOs to consolidate the value system and ethical principles which have always constituted the essence of the time-honoured Moroccan civilization, even before they became part of the universal value system," stressed the sovereign.

The Moroccan monarch noted that this goal can only be achieved if "we instil in our youth the principles of good citizenship, which imply that citizens must honour the trust placed in them, refrain from shirking their responsibilities, abide by the law, recognize the intrinsic link between rights and duties, and make a clear distinction between freedom and anarchy."

Good citizenship, the king underlined, also "means boldness and solidarity, rather than reliance on others, opportunism and selfishness; it also implies a duty to encourage creativity and fruitful initiatives, not frustration and despair."

"Good citizenship, he went on, means fostering moderation, tolerance, justice, good neighbourliness and peace, and rejecting extremism, hatred, division, terrorism and aggression."

The king also called in the speech for an effective participation in major development projects initiated in the country as well as mobilization to fight poverty, illiteracy and unemployment.