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Rabat – Morocco’s King Mohammed VI said on Saturday that Ulema (Islamic scholars) need to have a “beneficial presence” in people’s lives by stressing the values of moderation and negating the sway of extremists on young minds.
The King’s message came during a symposium held in Marrakech under the theme of “The rules of Fatwa in the African context” between July 8-10.
He said that Ulema have a “noble mission” which is becoming more sensitive and complex as extremists present their views as Fatwas and influence young minds.
“In order to protect the faith willed for us by the Almighty, I took measures to create an institutional framework for the issuing of fatwas in the Kingdom of Morocco, making it a collective endeavor falling within the remit of the Higher Ulema Council,” he said.
He affirmed that the best course of action for countries is to entrust Fatwas to institutions of trustworthy and moderate scholars, adding that Africa’s Ulema should regularly convene to collaborate and consult to stay ahead of new fatwa formulations.
“They should also record the findings of their research work through all electronic means available in order to benefit more people and contribute to better qualification of religious leaders,” he added.
In recent years, Morocco has launched several programs to combat extremism and terrorism, including at the African level by promoting more moderate Islamic fatwas and interpretations.
The Moroccan monarch pointed to the Mohammed VI Foundation for African Ulema in his message, whose main mission is to coordinate the joint efforts of Ulemas in Morocco and other African Muslim countries to promote more tolerant Islamic values.
Recent years have seen a proliferation of extremist speech through organizations like ISIS, which have established a foothold in several African regions.
Due to these developments, some regions in West Africa have become a hotbed for terrorism, leading to considerable human losses among civilians.
