US hails Morocco for 'religious tolerance'

Washington, Sep. 18 - US Department of State hailed Morocco's efforts aiming to promote the values of tolerance and dialogue between religions, highlighting the religious freedom and the friendly bonds between the various faiths in the Moroccan society.

Morocco continues to promote tolerance, respect and dialogue between the various faiths, said the US State Department in its annual International Religious Freedom Report, published on Friday.

The report, which notes that the Constitution provides for freedom of religion and that non-Muslim communities openly practice their faith, underlined that during the Holy month of Ramadan, King Mohammed VI chairs religious lectures that discuss, inter alia, "means to promote tolerance and mutual respect in Islam and between Islam and other religions."

For the third year in a row, a woman gave one of these religious lectures, pointed out the report, adding that a woman is member of the Higher Council of Ulemas (scholars) and that Morocco is the only Arab country where there is a Jewish museum (wow! ed).

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(Forgive my cynicism, but a Jewish community that has been allowed to dwindle from 350,000 to under 5,000 in 50 years is proof of anything but tolerance! And the Jewish Museum sounds more like a memorial to a dying community.)