HIBAPRESS – Rabat
Abdelilah Benkirane, the Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party, expressed his deep sorrow over the recent events that accompanied football matches, and the reactions that followed, which he described as "unfortunate", especially on social media, warning of the danger of discussions and behaviors sliding towards what could threaten the fraternal relations between peoples.
Benkirane said, in a video clip broadcast today, Wednesday, on his official page on "Facebook", that he initially thought that what happened was "light and under control", before he received disturbing news about the development of the issue and its expansion in the digital space, "who we do not know who is behind it", as he put it. The Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party stopped at a video he described as "influential", for a Senegalese man named Malik Sall, in which he expressed his sadness and his decision to stop watching football matches, considering that this game has spoiled fraternal and historical relations known between the Moroccan and Senegalese peoples. Benkirane affirmed that this speech reflects the size of the pain left by some actions from both sides, adding that he later received a letter from a journalist in which he called on him to intervene and warn of the need for prudence to avoid sedition. Benkirane pointed out that he had received video clips that were "dishonorable and painful", stressing that football "is just a game", which should not, under any circumstances, be turned into a justification for abuse, assault, or infringement of the dignity of others, highlighting that winning and losing are possible, and that there are continental and international football institutions authorized to make decisions in the event of any violations. In this context, Benkirane stressed that Morocco organized the sports event well, and received global praise for its infrastructure and its good reception of guests, adding that, despite not following football, he wished that the cup would remain in Morocco, "but God did not decree it, and this is not the end of the world." Benkirane described some behaviors that appeared in video clips as "shameful", denouncing the way a Moroccan dealt with a Senegalese vegetable seller, and said: "I was ashamed that a Moroccan would speak in this way with his brother," stressing that such actions are not befitting for Moroccans, especially towards Africans. Benkirane called for recalling the special status of Africa in the conscience of Morocco, reminding that many African leaders have great appreciation for the Kingdom and for King Mohammed VI, and that the African peoples receive him with great warmth "as if he were the king of the hearts of Africans". Benkirane stressed the depth of Moroccan-Senegalese relations, considering that they are not only diplomatic or economic relations, but "very large spiritual relations", recalling the historical and religious ties, especially through the Tijaniyya way, asking in a disapproving tone: "How did you accept for yourselves to behave in this way?", and renewing his call for prudence, self-control, and the preservation of the image of Morocco and its values.
