On the first day of his visit to the North African country, the pontiff on Saturday issued a joint statement with the Moroccan leader. The two leaders said Jerusalem was "common patrimony of humanity and especially the followers of the three monotheistic religions". The Moroccan king chairs a committee created by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to safeguard and restore Jerusalem's religious, cultural and architectural heritage. The Sunni kingdom of 36 million people advocates for religious freedom and has made significant efforts to combat terrorism after bombings in Casablanca in 2003. He defended “freedom of conscience” and “religious freedom” as a fundamental right for human beings.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 31, 2019 06:22 UTC