Moroccan Judaism festival enthuses about the past

A celebration of Moroccan Judaism - lectures, films, exhibitions - is underway in Paris. At the opening last Sunday reported enthusiastically by Maghreb Arabe Presse, the king's Jewish adviser, Andre Azoulay (pictured), said that Moroccan Jews "had resisted the temptation of amnesia" - meaning that Morocco's Jewish heritage was something to recall and be proud of. Cynics would say, however, when it comes to the dhimmitude of the pre-colonial past, amnesia seems to be the order of the day.

Paris, Feb. 4 - "Moroccan Jews were able to resist to the temptation of amnesia," said advisor to king Mohammed VI, André Azoulay, underlining that today, nearly a million of Jews in the world refer with force and conviction to their "deep Moroccan roots."

Speaking on Sunday at the opening of "Moroccan Judaism Days", held in Paris (February 3-17), Mr. Azoulay described the meeting as a "historic and exceptional moment". "We are celebrating Moroccan Judaism and the happiness and pride for many of us to have been able to resist the temptation of amnesia."

"Generally, we Jews, we have a painful memory. Inquisition, millions who perished in the Holocaust, pogroms (…). In Morocco, our memory tells us something else and our history has, fortunately, taught us another lesson", said Mr Azoulay of Jewish confession. "In Morocco, Muslims and Jews were able to triumph over adversity and together we managed to free ourselves gradually from our respective alienation."

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