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Rabat – Morocco launched on Thursday the 10th edition of the Moussalaha (reconciliation) program, an initiative that the North African country launched in 2017 to help terror convicts integrate into society.
A total of 222 convicts have so far benefited from Morocco’s Moussalaha (reconciliation) program.
General Delegate for Prison Administration and Reintegration Mohamed Salah Tamek has said that about 15 detainees benefited from Moussalaha in its ninth edition.
The ninth edition lasted for three and a half months.
The total number of detainees who benefited from the Moussalaha program included 156 people who were released. About 116 former convicts who benefited from the Moussala program were released thanks to a royal pardon.
Fifteen other detainees benefited from sentence reduction, meanwhile.
The Moroccan government also expanded the Moussalaha program to include women detained under the anti-terrorism law during its 5th edition.
About 10 women benefited from the program, with a participation rate of over 77%, Tamek said.
“All the beneficiaries of this special edition have been released, including eight [former convicts] thanks to a royal pardon,” he said.
DGAPR is conducting the Moussalaha program jointly with the Mohammedia League for Scholars (Rabita) and the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH).
The program seeks to psychologically and intellectually rehabilitate prisoners convicted for their links to terrorism and prepare them for social reintegration.
Read Also: State Department: US, Morocco Have Long History of Strong Counterterrorism Cooperation
The process for Moussalaha is carried out using a threefold approach: reconciliation with the self, with religious texts, and with society.
The program is based on the authentic precepts of Islam, as a religion of moderation, middle ground, openness, and tolerance,” the DGAPR chief said.
Detainees seeking to benefit from the program must have the willingness to correct their perceptions and ideas, he argued.
“This is a unique program at the global level, especially since it has been praised by many regional and international partners,” Tamek said.
Mahmed Abbadi, the general secretary of the Rabita Mohammadia des Oulemas also expressed satisfaction with the program, describing it as a “humanitarian initiative.”
He echoed Tamek’s remarks, saying that prisoners need to show will and determination to benefit from the program.
For her part, CNDH President Amina Bouayach condemned the scourge of terrorism, saying that it is against the “right to life.”
She said that terrorism causes damage to “innocent victims,” reaffirming CNDH’s commitment to continue to support the Moussalaha program.
Like many countries across the world, Morocco is not excluded from terror threats.
High-level security officials have been renewing their determination to continue to fight against terrorists and extremism.
The Head of Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), Habboub Cherkaoui warned earlier this month that terrorism continues to create regional and global threats.
Cherkaoui also called for a “shared responsibility” to tackle the scourge of terrorism, including the Sahel.
Cherkaoui as well as other top security officials have been renewing concerns regarding the Sahel, describing it as a breeding ground for terror organizations.
“The focus that bothers and worries Morocco the most, currently, is the Sahel area, which has become a safe and fertile refuge for terrorist networks,” warned the BCIJ chief.
Regarding returnees from conflict zones, BCIJ said that about 1,663 people from Morocco traveled to conflict zones in Syria and Iraq to join ISIS. About 747 of the total number died, while 254 were detained in Syrian and Iraqi prisons.
