Morocco backs Indonesia’s call to set up league of Islamic Senates & Consultative Councils

Morocco has expressed backing to Indonesia’s cal to set up the league of Senates and Shura Councils in Islamic Countries as an effective parliamentary framework to address adverse moves and propaganda that might undermine the image of Islam and Muslims worldwide.

The project was discussed at a meeting Tuesday in Rabat between visiting speaker of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly Bambang Soesatyo and Speaker of the Moroccan upper chamber Hakim Benchamach.

Bambang Soesatyo pleaded for the launch of the Islamic league to regroup parliamentary representatives from Islamic countries in defense of Islam and Muslims around the world.
Benchamach expressed Morocco’s willingness to take part in the project, and to work with Indonesia to build a league of Islamic countries’ senates and consultative councils that would promote a positive image of Islam and defend it against offences targeting Muslim people or the religion of Islam.

The two sides stressed the importance of the initiative as a tool to counter campaigns damaging the image of Islam and Muslims.

During the meeting, the two officials also discussed the longstanding relations existing between the two countries, which have, for many decades, been entertaining strong diplomatic relations, and vowed to improve the two states’ partnership and to contribute to their shared project.
In this connection, Bambang Soesatyo expressed his country’s wish to develop economic relations with Morocco, which is, he said, a strategic partner for Indonesia in the North African region.

The politician reiterated Indonesia’s support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and for the efforts made by Morocco and the United Nations to solve the Sahara conflict.

Benchamach voiced Morocco’s appreciation for Indonesia’s support on this issue and called for greater backing of the autonomy initiative as a just solution to end the artificial dispute over the Sahara in the framework of Morocco’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Benchamach also expressed Morocco’s interest in starting a new, promising, and fruitful era of bilateral cooperation.

Historical and diplomatic relations between Morocco and Indonesia are strong, said the Moroccan official, recalling the participation of a Moroccan delegation in the 1955 Bandung Conference in Indonesia.

The Bandung Conference was the first large-scale Afro-Asian conference that established the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries.

Talks between the two officials also touched on several regional and international issues of common concern.