Rabat – Baroness Suzanne Williams, the British Minister of State at the Home Office, has said that United Kingdom is “grateful” to Morocco for the security help it provided after the London terrorist attacks in June, according to the news agency Maghreb Arab Press(MAP).
Baroness Williams said Morocco provided quick and efficient assistance after the deadly attacks that left 11 people killed, including two Moroccan attackers.
On Sunday, Williams paid a visit to Centre Culturel Sidi Moumen, a cultural center offering language, sports, and cultural activities to children and young people from one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in Casablanca.
Sidi Moumen was home to the suicide bombers of the May 2003 deadly attacks in the city. The center and many other civil society- or state-led initiatives aiming at integrating youth into society are examples of Morocco’s multi-faceted approach to combat radicalization. This strategy is based on human development, reviewing education programs, and training religious preachers to spread a moderate religious discourse among the believers.
The minister stated that Centre Culturel Sidi Moumen is a “source of inspiration to people from the neighborhood,” pointing to the good work done by volunteers whose only aim, she said, was to help others.
Boubker Mazouz, the center’s founder and president, said that the institution aims to protect Sidi Moumen’s inhabitants, especially its youth, “from all forms of delinquency.”
Mazouz added that the center, along with the association Idmaj of which he is also president, aims to help children avoid dropping out from schools or falling prey to radicalism.
The president explained also that the NGO wants to promote values of leadership and citizenship among the youth.
Baroness Williams noted that fighting terrorism is one of the strong areas of cooperation between the two countries.
Along with sharing security information with its European partners such as France, Belgium, Spain, and Germany, Morocco is offering help to train local imams in Europe to counter extremist propaganda.
After France, Spain is also seeking Morocco’s help to train imams after the terrorist attacks in August.
