In his Talks with Speaker of House of Representatives, Chairperson of Foreign Affairs Committee at French Senate, "France Respects Islam and its Prophet, and the Offense Against Them Does Not Represent the Opinion of the Majority of French People"

Speaker of the House of Representatives Habib El Malki received, Monday, November 9^th, 2020, at the House’s headquarters, a French parliamentary delegation formed of Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the French Senate and the France-Morocco Parliamentary Friendship Group Christian Cambon, and Mr. Mjid El Guerrab, representative of French expatriates at the French National Assembly.

At the start of the meeting, Mr. Christian Cambon explained that his ongoing visit coincides with the French Foreign Affairs Minister's visit to Morocco; "a visit of friendship and clarification of misunderstood statements relating to terrorist events that took place recently in France." In this respect, he stressed that France respects and esteems Islam and the Prophet and that any offense against them does not express the opinion of the majority of the French people who consider Islam an essential component of French society and respect the Prophet as he is the potent symbol of Islam,” noting the freedom to practice religion in France under the laws in force.

Mr. Christian Cambon also noted the strong ties linking Morocco to France. He said that “the relations between the two countries are very strong. Morocco has always been a crossroads of civilizations and a bridge between Europe and Africa, and we share the same values.” He also lauded the level of cooperation between the two legislative institutions of the two countries, expressing the desire to consolidate it further over the coming period.

For his part, Mr. Mjid El Guerrab commended the distinguished relations between the two countries, highlighting the richness and diversity of France-Morocco cooperation on the cultural, economic, military, and social levels, and emphasizing the human dimension in the relations between the two countries. He also noted the presence of more than two million Moroccans in France and one hundred thousand French citizens in Morocco.

For his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives stressed that Morocco-France friendship is built on very solid foundations and that “tough times are an occasion to explore new opportunities for cooperation.” He also stressed that Islam is a religion that rejects violence and extremism and that Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, consecrates the true image of Islam that calls for moderation, tolerance, and openness to others regardless of their race or religion.