Educational reforms, women empowerment: Morocco's weapons against terrorism

Reforms in the traditional education system and empowering women are the two major agendas Morocco is following in its efforts to counter terrorism and radicalisation, a top diplomat of the North African nation has said.

"We still have the problem of dealing with the traditional education system," Assia Ben Salah Alaoui, Ambassador at large for Moroccan King Mohammed VI said in a speech on "Morocco's Security Strategy: Preventing Terrorism and Countering Extremism" organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) think tank here on Wednesday.

"We are trying to reform the system," Alaoui said, adding that education is very important to shape young minds.

She said that families were being engaged to ensure that children were not radicalised at a young age.

She also pointed to her country's empowering of women to engage in business.

Alaoui said that the idea that women and Islam are incompatible, just as democracy and Islam are incompatible, should be revoked.

"Women business organisations are being helped in our country," she stated.

According to Aaloui, religion today has become a very minor factor in the radicalisation of people for terrorism.

She said that those being targeted were from poor and malnourished backgrounds and were being paid on a monthly basis by the terrorist organisations like the Islamic State.

She said that religion still retains a role in this global menace because of people in Europe.

"These people have lost touch with their culture. They do not know religion, they don't know the origin of their culture," the Ambassador stated. "The terrorists are promising them dreams of going to paradise."

Aaloui said that in her country imams are being trained to propagate moderate Islam.

"In Morocco, we have created the Foundation of African Ulema that is working hard to spread moderate Islam."

--IANS

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