King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, who is visiting Tanzania since Sunday, has launched construction works for a new mosque in Dar es Salaam.
The religious institution, dubbed the Mohammed VI Mosque, will be built over a 7,400 m2 plot and will accommodate more than 5,000 worshipers. The mosque will also include a library, a conference room, a cultural center and other facilities.
The Royal initiative came in response to the request made by Mufti Abubakr Zubair Ben Ali, Head of the Muslims’ National Council of Tanzania, who expressed need for this mosque in the city of Dar es Salaam.
King Mohammed VI donated 10,000 copies of the Holy Quran to Tanzania Muslims’ Council, which signed on this occasion with the Moroccan ministry of Islamic Affairs a cooperation agreement in religious education, based on an “Islam of the middle path doctrine,” a vision of religion based on tolerance, intercultural dialogue and respect of other faiths.
The Mufti Abubakr Ben Zubair Ben Ali of Tanzania is member of the newly set up Mohammed VI Foundation for African Ulemas. This Moroccan academic institution, based in the city of Fez, seeks to enhance further the special religious and cultural ties existing between the Kingdom and African countries.
This new Foundation has been set up within the frame of Morocco’s religious training program for imams and sustained efforts to counter Islamic radicalization. Sound religious training is the best tool to fight ISIS and other dangerous lunatics preaching extremist ideas.
Part of these efforts, King Mohammed VI had also dedicated in March 2015 a leading Institute that provides training to hundreds of imams of various nationalities, including some from Africa and Europe.
The center educates Imams to the precepts of a tolerant and non-violent form of Islam based on the Maliki rite and teaches them how to fight extremism and religious radicalization.
On Monday, King Mohammed VI and his host President Pombe Magufuli co-chaired the signing ceremony of 22 accords, meant to open a new chapter in the two countries’ relations in the realms of economy, finance, renewable energy, agriculture, fisheries, air transport, hydrocarbons, mines as well as science and culture.
Under one of the deals, Morocco will set up a high-quality tea packaging plant. The Kingdom will also help develop railways and logistics corridors between Tanzania’s harbors and industrial clusters.
Morocco thus shows willingness to share its expertise with Tanzania particularly in the fields covered by the sealed agreements.
The Royal visit to Tanzania, the second leg of the Sovereign tour in East Africa, adds substance to Morocco’s foreign policy towards Africa, which is underpinned by the principles of co-development and solidarity that is in line with the King’s vision.
Before Tanzania, King Mohammed VI visited Rwanda. He is also expected in Ethiopia, last stop in this tour.