Lahcen El Hasnaoui, a parliamentary advisor for the Authenticity and Modernity Party, affirmed that traditional schools have received special attention from His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, who has made them a key priority for the Kingdom since the adoption of the restructuring of the religious sector. His Majesty has been keen to promote this sector in general and the traditional schools in particular, as reflected in several royal speeches and messages.
In this regard, Al-Hasnawi, in a statement during the oral question session held today, Tuesday, December 20, 2022, at the House of Councillors, highlighted the progress made in renovating a number of traditional schools in several cities across the Kingdom of Morocco, including Zagora, Safrou, Taroudant, Taounate, Marrakech, Essaouira, and Chefchaouen, explaining that traditional schools are primarily spaces for education, learning, training, and guidance, and at the same time are precious architectural treasures that must be preserved and maintained, without compromising their aesthetic integrity. However, a number of these schools suffer from dilapidated buildings, delayed maintenance schedules, and a lack of financial resources for renovation, which hinders the educational process and poses a danger to students.
The parliamentary advisor said, “It is the dual mission of the traditional schools—namely, spiritual upbringing and academic instruction—entrusted to the teachers that has made the students and graduates of these schools moderate religious leaders and tolerant preachers, neither hardliners nor extremists nor fanatics, because they were steeped in Islamic sciences, making these traditional schools sources of knowledge, tolerance, moderation, and balance,” adding, “Thanks to the wise policy of the Commander of the Faithful toward these schools, Morocco has remained immune to extremism, radicalism, and isolationism, and the values of moderation, balance, and tolerance spread not only in Morocco but also throughout various Islamic and African countries and beyond, driven by the demand for Moroccan expertise and experience. This is thanks to Sunni scientific Sufism—a cornerstone of Moroccan identity for centuries—Maliki jurisprudence, Ash’ari theology, and spiritual education in the Junaid tradition.”
Sarah Al-Ramshi/Yassin Al-Zahrawi
