AFRICA/MAURITANIA - Enhancing the Islam Maghreb to reject violence and intolerance

Nouakchott (Agenzia Fides) - Facing violence and extremism by appealing to one’s cultural and religious values, based on dialogue and tolerance. This is what the Ministers of Religious Affairs of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) propose, gathered in Nouakchott (capital of Mauritania) for their first assembly, entitled "moderate Sunni Islam and its role in the cultural immunity of Maghreb societies."
This assembly, said the Minister of Islamic Affairs of Mauritania, Ahmed Ould Neini, aims to "work to bring a unique vision that in perspective allows one to create a strategy to immunize Maghreb societies from destructive ideologies alien to the cultural values and moral tolerance of these societies."
Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania are part of the AMU. In some of these Countries extremist groups that refer to a "fighting" vision of Islam operate. It is mainly young to be attracted by the lure of these ideologies. Minister Ould Neini praised the dialogue initiated by some Ulema (Islamic scholars) with different radical exponents in prison that allowed " several young people to reason, allowing them to benefit from the freedom and integration in the economic life." (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 25/09/2012)