Fez - The Spiritual paths and Trade Routes Forum of the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music provided vivid examples of events linking Morocco with other sub-Saharan countries and Andalucía.
Highly intellectual figures attended the first forum of the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music, interacting with five academics that created a great ambiance despite the cold and rainy weather,
In the Morning, at the Batha Museum, Ali Ben Makhlouf directed a forum about spiritual paths and trade routes with the participation of Romain Simenel, an anthropologist, Bachir Souleymane Diagne, a professor in the University of Columbia, Mme Jocelyne Dakhlia, a historian, Mme Leili Anvar, a professor in l’INALCO, and the French-Algerian Bariza Khiari, a member of the French Senate.
The speakers were given 20 minutes each for their presentations and an hour and a half to answer any questions that the audience had.
The forum was an opportunity for the invited academics to give examples and clarify their arguments about the strong ties between Africa, Andalucía, and Fez.
They highlighted the complex relationship between the spiritual paths and trade routes and their fundamental roles in strengthening relations between this generation and sub-Saharan African countries.
Professor Souleymane Diagne clarified the role which the zigzag history of philosophy played to further cement relations between nations, especially those in sub Saharan Africa, calling for cancellation of the dichotomy that juxtaposes good Muslims and bad Muslims in order to achieve tolerance.
French senate member Khiari took another perspective in explaining spiritual and business relations between continents by explaining the roles that different Islamic groups played in propagating Islam after the death of the prophet. They left sub Saharan countries to practice their new Islamic philosophies freely, spreading Islam and developing businesses. Khiari also mentioned the effect of petrodollars for spreading Wahabism.
Finally, the Algerian French national alluded to the role of women in commercial and spiritual paths, citing the work of Fatima el Fihriya who founded the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez after her family emigrated from Tunisia to Morocco.
Khirai lauded the continuous ties that Morocco has with Africa and the role of the king in welcoming sub-Saharan immigrants.
Edited by Sara Gomes.
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