Abidjan – HM King Mohammed VI has encouraged the union of African Ulema in order to promote peaceful and tolerant Islam in the world, said Youssouf Bakayoko, researcher at Abidjan’s Félix-Houphouët-Boigny University.
“Currently we are beginning to reap the fruits of this royal initiative and we would like to express our gratitude and sincere thanks to HM the King, Commander of the Faithful,” said Bakayoko, deputy secretary general of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema’s Côte d’Ivoire section, in a statement to MAP on the sidelines of the international symposium on interfaith dialogue held on February 23-25 in Abidjan.
Thanks to the Sovereign’s great initiative, “we begin to unify all Islamic trends (Tijani, Sunni …) in Côte d’Ivoire, and the results obtained are tangible,” he said.
Bakayoko also highlighted HM the King’s commitment to promoting peaceful inter-religious coexistence, highlighting the importance of the activities carried out by the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema at the level of the continent through a well-thought approach that is well-adapted to the needs on the ground.
For his part, El Hadj Daouda Berté, private secretary of the Khalif General of Côte d’Ivoire’s Tijani and member of the symposium’s scientific committee in Abidjan, welcomed the relevance of the theme chosen for this meeting, noting that this is a concern shared by all Ivorians, whether they are Christians or Muslims, because of “the violence that is at our doorstep” in West Africa.
Based on this observation, he said it would be very interesting to conduct a reflection that goes in the direction of the convergence and mutualization of efforts of all religions revealed to have a common reading and then a common response.
“The initiative of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema is to show Islam’s true values of peace and harmony,” he continued while expressing his gratitude to HM the King.
“For us in West Africa, this debate is topical and there is no doubt that the contributions and relevant recommendations that will be made would be a solution or the beginning of a solution for social peace and cohabitation between different peoples,” he concluded.
The international symposium on interfaith dialogue, organized by the Supreme Council of Imams, Mosques and Islamic Affairs of Côte d’Ivoire (COSIM) and the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema, brings together researchers and experts from all African Muslim and Christian backgrounds.
It is attended by more than 600 participants among whom are personalities, including the presidents and members of the 34 sections of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema.
Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse