Rabat: Installation of the Members of the Scientific Committee for the Moroccan Studies Chair at Al-Quds University
The Bayt Mal al-Quds Ash-Sharif Agency announced the installation of the members of the Scientific Committee for the Moroccan Studies Chair at Al-Quds University, which took place yesterday, Friday, in Rabat.
According to a statement from the agency, the event was attended by the Ambassador of Palestine to the Kingdom of Morocco, Jamal Al-Shobki, the director responsible for managing the Bayt Mal al-Quds Ash-Sharif Agency, Muhammad Salim Al-Sharqawi, and the Chair’s president, Safaa Nasser Al-Din, following a discussion session organized by the agency at its headquarters on the topic “The Role of the Moroccan Studies Chair at Al-Quds University in Strengthening Cultural Ties Between Morocco and Palestine.”
The source indicated that the committee members were appointed, including Safaa Nasser Al-Din, a Palestinian academic who previously held the position of Minister of Communications and Information Technology in Palestine, alongside Mu’tasim Al-Nasser, a history professor at Al-Quds University, Walid Al-Sharfa, a Palestinian novelist and academic specializing in critical theories, Bashir Barakat, a historian with several specialized works including “The History of Moroccans in Jerusalem” published in 2021, as well as Saeed Khalid Al-Hassan, a Palestinian academic and political thinker specializing in political theory and comparative cultural perspectives.
The committee also includes Moroccan members: Muhammad Al-Samar, a specialist in Islamic history and archaeology, and the valorization of Moroccan cultural heritage; Muhammad Bou Salah, director of the Restoration and Utilization Center for architectural heritage in the Atlas regions in Ouarzazate; and Muhammad Al-Shikar, an expert in aesthetics, philosophy, and discourse interpretation.
Additionally, Al-Sharqawi highlighted at the beginning of the discussion session that the agency is keen to highlight elements of Moroccan culture in Palestine and the Levant, with all their values and knowledge across literature, arts, architecture, culture, and history, based on the significant impact left by pilgrims, travelers, and students of knowledge who passed through or settled in Jerusalem.
Al-Sharqawi emphasized that the agency and its partners in Morocco and Palestine are committed to contributing to building a knowledge project that draws from the rich Moroccan culture and its sources, relying on the virtues and values of the Noble Jerusalem, connecting Morocco to the Levant through research and studies that invoke the glories of the past, address the challenges of the present, and anticipate the future’s stakes.
On another note, Palestine’s Ambassador to Morocco, Jamal Al-Shobki, stated that culture and thought form a safety net to bolster the resilience of Palestinians on their land, expressing his belief that the Moroccan Studies Chair at Al-Quds University has important roles in strengthening the historical relationship between Morocco and Palestine, as both are essential partners in making Jerusalem the capital of the independent Palestinian state in accordance with international law.
The President of the Moroccan Studies Chair at Al-Quds University expressed her confidence that the chair will serve as “a bright window for Moroccan presence in the Jerusalem fabric,” enhancing the roles of knowledge in countering attempts to erase and reduce cultural significance through rigorous scientific research that produces contemporary understanding of the impact of Moroccan culture in its Levantine context.
Contributions from participants, including representatives from various universities, institutes, and research centers, emphasized the importance of having a Moroccan Studies Chair at Al-Quds University, as it serves as a unique platform for introducing Moroccan scholars and knowledge, and as an appropriate tool for showcasing the country’s history, culture, and arts, stressing the necessity of adhering to a methodical approach that capitalizes on the opportunities presented by modern communication means to achieve the desired goals.
In addition to calling for greater emphasis on the rich history of the Moroccan presence in Jerusalem and Palestine, as well as the Levant in general, the speakers urged highlighting the efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco, under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, as the chairman of the Jerusalem Committee, in supporting the cultural identity of the Noble City of Jerusalem and keeping pace with the various dynamics currently unfolding in the Kingdom’s developmental and cultural journey, considering the major challenges ahead for the country.
At the conclusion of the discussion session, an agreement was signed to fund a study entitled “The Kingdom of Morocco Through Eastern Eyes,” for the benefit of the Moroccan Studies Chair at Al-Quds University, conducted by a team of Moroccan and Palestinian researchers, under the supervision of the former dean of the Faculty of Arts at Al-Quds University, Mashhoor Habazi, a specialist in Islamic history and civilization.
