Marrakech to Host Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue

An aerial view of Jemaa el-Fna square and marketplace in Marrakech, Morocco November 8, 2021. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo
An aerial view of Jemaa el-Fna square and marketplace in Marrakech, Morocco November 8, 2021. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo
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Marrakech to Host Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue

An aerial view of Jemaa el-Fna square and marketplace in Marrakech, Morocco November 8, 2021. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo
An aerial view of Jemaa el-Fna square and marketplace in Marrakech, Morocco November 8, 2021. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Morocco’s legislature are organizing the three-day Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue: Working together for our common future on June 13 in Marrakech.

The conference will be held under the patronage of King Mohammed VI and will bring together Speakers and members of parliament, religious leaders, representatives of civil society and experts to engage in constructive dialogue and share good practices in addressing key issues standing in the way of sustainable coexistence, according to a joint statement by the organizers.

The meeting is being held in cooperation with Religions for Peace, and with the support of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the Mohammadia League of Scholars.

The conference will offer an opportunity for participants to jointly explore action points for building more peaceful and inclusive societies and to develop a roadmap for joint action, the statement said.

During three days of debate, dialogue and reflection, participants will identify avenues of collaboration in areas such as peace and the rule of law, building a common future, gender equality and youth participation, trust and mutual recognition, solidarity, and inclusion, the statement stressed.

The conference will conclude with the adoption of a declaration.



Sudan Accuses RSF of Looting Museums, Antiquities

A view of the entrance of the Sudan National Museum in the capital Khartoum. (AFP file photo)
A view of the entrance of the Sudan National Museum in the capital Khartoum. (AFP file photo)
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Sudan Accuses RSF of Looting Museums, Antiquities

A view of the entrance of the Sudan National Museum in the capital Khartoum. (AFP file photo)
A view of the entrance of the Sudan National Museum in the capital Khartoum. (AFP file photo)

Sudan's Foreign Ministry accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of looting and destroying museums, including the National Museum, when they were in control of Khartoum state.

The ministry said the damage included artifacts documenting Sudan's 7,000-year-old civilization, calling it a “war crime.” It vowed to hold those responsible accountable and to work with international organizations to recover the stolen antiquities.

Moreover, the ministry said on Tuesday that archaeological archives at the National Museum had been looted and smuggled into two neighboring countries, without naming them.

It accused the RSF of targeting the National Records House, public and private libraries, universities, laboratories, mosques, and churches of historical significance in both Khartoum and Wad Madani.

It described the attacks on museums and cultural institutions as part of a deliberate plan to erase Sudan's national identity.

It added that Sudan's historical and cultural heritage had also been targeted, saying the destruction and looting of the National Museum was intentional, aiming to obliterate artifacts that encapsulate the country's history.

The RSF were also accused of targeting all major museums in the greater Khartoum area, including the Khalifa House Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Republican Palace Museum, the Military Museum, the Natural History Museum at the University of Khartoum, and the Sultan Ali Dinar Museum in El Fasher.

The ministry described the looting and destruction of museums as part of a “criminal scheme” carried out by the RSF, calling it an attack on Sudan's people, state, cultural heritage, historical memory, and economic and scientific foundations.

The assault on Sudan's cultural history was an extension of atrocities committed against civilians, it added, citing mass graves, hostage-taking, torture centers, and the skeletal remains of those who had perished across Khartoum.