Morocco 'exemplary country for dialog of civilizations and cultures,' French president

French President, Nicholas Sarkozy, said, 12 February, that Morocco is an exemplary country for dialog of cultures and civilizations, noting that Moroccan king, Mohammed VI, follows his ancestors, a tradition of openness to other confessions.
In a message addressed to the participants in the Moroccan Judaism Days, held in the period 3-17 February in Paris, Mr. Sarkozy said "it is a good symbol that the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, granted its patronage," adding that he had the opportunity to stress, during his visit to the north African country last October, that the presence of Jewish communities in the kingdom is "deep-rooted in history."
He noticed, in this regard, that Mohammed V (king Mohammed VI's grandfather) refused to apply anti-Semite laws of the Vichy regime, underlining that "through his commitment, Mohammed V placed himself as a guardian of the free world against barbarism," he said, insisting that "beyond history, respect toward the Moroccan Jewish community and the will for inter-religious dialog are deep-rooted in today's Morocco."