U.S. Secretary of State hails efforts of Morocco, Project Aladdin in fighting racism, fanaticism

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised, Friday in Tangier, the efforts of Morocco and Project Aladdin in building bridges between cultures and fighting racism and fanaticism.

In a video message broadcast during the inaugural session of the Tangier Dialogue, organized by the Aladdin project in partnership with the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Blinken praised the Moroccan government and Project Aladdin for their role in building bridges between cultures and in the fight against all forms of racism and fanaticism.

The U.S. Secretary of State stressed the importance of the Tangier Dialogue in strengthening understanding between the West, including the United States, and the countries of the Muslim world.

Building strong relations between the West and the Muslim world can serve as a “driving force” for positive change and a “solid foundation” for addressing several critical issues in the region, Blinken said.

These include maintaining peace in conflict zones and enhancing economic opportunities to consolidate freedoms for people of different faiths and address the consequences of climate change, including water and food insecurity, he added.

The U.S. Secretary of State also called for programs and policies to ensure development and contribute to a safer, more peaceful and more prosperous world for new generations.

Earlier this month, on the occasion of the release by the US Department of State of the report on religious freedom Antony Blinken commended Morocco’s efforts to boost religious freedoms, describing the country’s actions as “significant progress.”

Among the efforts outlined by the report, was Morocco’s initiative to “renovate Jewish heritage sites and include Jewish history” in Morocco’s public schools syllabi.

Morocco is one of the founding countries of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations in 2005 and Project Aladdin project which was launched in 2009.