This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
HIBAPRESS-RABAT-MJCC
Morocco, at the crossroads of languages, identity imaginations and continents, is distinguished by the vitality, the richness and diversity of its culture in all its facets, which make it a plural nation at the service of the dialogue of cultures, said, in Paris, the Minister of Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid. “The strength of Morocco, at the crossroads of languages, identity imaginary and continents, it is also this opening, this ability to make several cultural identities coexist in the same national space,” he said in an interview with the French TV5 World Information Channel, on the fringes of the Paris Book Fair, where Morocco is the guest of honor.
Linguistic diversity (Arabic, Amazigh, Hassani, French, Spanish and now English) is fully integrated into the cultural policy of the Kingdom, the objective being to guarantee equitable access to culture, regardless of the language of expression of the authors, he explained.
Faced with global identity tensions, Morocco positions itself as a cultural crossroads between Europe and Africa, continued the Minister, stressing that from Andalusian inheritance to the Gnawa tradition, the kingdom weaves bridges between cultures, focusing on culture as a lever for rapprochement and peace.
In this regard, the Minister affirmed that Morocco adopts a maximum opening posture to the cultures and languages of the world, noting that the kingdom also inscribes its cultural action in a logic of decentralization, in a desire to enhance the regional specificities.
Referring to the strength presence of Morocco at the Paris Book Fair, the Minister indicated that this exceptional presence is an extension of the recent state visit of the French president Emmanuel Macron in Morocco, marked by the signing of several bilateral cultural agreements.
“It is an opportunity to share an end of Moroccan cultural history with the French, French-speaking and Moroccan public of the diaspora, capable of further consolidating the links between the two countries through a deep cultural dialogue,” he said.
Mr. Bensaid stressed, moreover, that this fair is a precious platform for promoting Moroccan cultures, emphasizing the central role of the book in the development of Cultural and Creative Industries (ICC), ranging from cinema to theater, via gaming and plastic arts.
He also highlighted Morocco’s cultural strategy, in the age of digital changes, aimed at offering young people professional alternatives in a context of accelerated technological transition.
Through this distinguished presence, he continued, Morocco wishes to promote the richness of its literary voices, in all their linguistic and geographic plurality, noting that the vitality of the Moroccan cultural scene is distinguished today in the growing influence of its authors, but also in the emergence of contemporary artistic forms such as video games or gaming.
Regarding the priorities of cultural cooperation between Rabat and Paris, the minister insisted on the growing role of cultural and creative industries, a booming sector, which offers new professional prospects for young generations.
Furthermore, the Minister stressed that Morocco claims a role of cultural crossroads between Africa and Europe, welcoming this cultural pluralism which constitutes a diplomatic wealth allowing to forge ties of peace between peoples.
