Rabat – A delegation from the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan reportedly visited Morocco this week as part of an official trip aimed at strengthening cooperation in religious education and the training of imams and spiritual guides.
The delegation was led by Sanzisbay Kurbanuly, Deputy Grand Mufti, and Smayil Suerkuly, Advisor to the Grand Mufti and Head of the Department of Religious Education, acting on behalf of Nauryzbay Haj Taganuly, the Grand Mufti of Kazakhstan.
The delegation reportedly held official meetings in the capital, Rabat, with Abdelssalam Al-Azaar, Director of the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams Religious Preachers.
During the meetings, the Moroccan official provided detailed explanations about Morocco’s system of religious education, the structure of its imam training programs, and the efforts undertaken to enhance the scientific and intellectual level of trainees.
The Kazakh delegation proposed organizing short-term training courses, lasting between three and four months, for Kazakh imams in Morocco to help improve their professional qualifications.
According to a statement by the Kazakh administration, the visit aims to strengthen the exchange of expertise between Kazakhstan’s religious institutions and their Moroccan counterparts, and to establish effective partnerships in the field of imam training and international capacity-building.
This visit builds on a framework of growing religious cooperation between Morocco and Kazakhstan. In 2022, the two countries signed an Islamic cooperation agreement in Rabat, enabling exchanges in religious training, mosque management, Quranic competitions, and the teaching against extremist ideologies.
The agreement laid the groundwork for deeper institutional ties, particularly in the field of imam training—a central component of the current visit. Morocco’s experience in this field has become a reference in Africa and beyond, with Kazakhstan as part of the growing group of religious authorities that have shown increasing interest in adopting elements of this model.
Earlier this year, both countries signed a broader cooperation roadmap that reaffirmed their commitment to religious and cultural collaboration. The roadmap has mechanisms in place towards enhancing ties between Islamic institutions and promoting shared values rooted in a common religious heritage.
