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The United Nations have invited the Moroccan Association for Religious Rights and Freedoms to attend the 11th Session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues, to be held in Geneva on November the 26th, said Jaouad El Hamidi, the association’s spokesperson.
The delegation representing the NGO, which is not recognized by the Ministry of Interior, will be «composed to five Christian converts from Rabat, Fez and Kenitra», announced El Hamidi.
«The association has prepared for this forum by drafting a report highlighting the obstacles preventing Moroccans from freely embracing other religions apart from Islam», he added.
The Geneva meeting is of great importance for the religious minorities’ association. In fact, the United Nations Human Rights Council is expected to take note of the NGO’s recommendations and address them during the Universal Periodic Review, a mechanism that reviews the human rights situation of several countries, including Morocco.
Abdelouafi Laftit to meet two members of the association
Before flying to Geneva, the Moroccan Association for Religious Rights and Freedoms needs first to settle its statute here in the Kingdom.
«Tomorrow (Thursday) in Rabat, the Interior Minister will have to meet two members of our association», Jaouad El Hamidi told Yabiladi on Wednesday. The meeting was proceeded by a mediation process conducted for months by the National Human Rights Council.
«Diplomats from the European Union and the United States accredited by Morocco have also defended the case in front of officials from the Interior Ministry. Everyone wants the authorities to authorize our activities and accept the fact that we have rights just like other Muslim citizens in the country», he argued.
On November the 26th, the association is holding its second meeting. Without the recognition of the state, the NGO has managed to voice its demands. «It’s a first step for us but we still have a long way ahead of us. Laws must be reviewed so that religious minorities in the Kingdom can practice their beliefs without being restricted», concluded El Hamidi.
