By Tariq Abla from Holland
In a Ramadan atmosphere filled with warmth and tranquility, the Majestic Venues space in Amsterdam hosted a collective iftar on Friday evening, at the invitation of the Consul General of the Kingdom of Morocco in Amsterdam, Salim Lahmri, in the presence of a number of imams, heads of associations, Moroccan figures, and representatives of the various components of the Moroccan community residing in the Netherlands.
As the moment of sunset approached, the place was preparing to receive one of the Ramadan moments that carry a special symbolism for Moroccans in the diaspora, where the community members meet around one table, recalling some of the spirit of the family tables they were accustomed to in their homeland. Before minutes of the Maghrib prayer call, a fragrant recitation of verses from the Holy Quran echoed in the hall, and silence prevailed throughout the place in a spiritual scene that reflects the particularity of the holy month. The tables had been carefully prepared while the attendees exchanged greetings and quiet conversations awaiting the moment of iftar, in an atmosphere where the spiritual dimension mixes with the spirit of meeting and acquaintance between the members of the Moroccan community. In this Ramadan atmosphere, the Consul General of the Kingdom of Morocco in Amsterdam, Salim Lahmri, gave a speech in which he welcomed the attendees from imams, associative figures, consular staff, and community members, stressing that this meeting falls within the framework of the high royal care that Mohammed VI gives to the members of the Moroccan community residing abroad, and within the efforts to enhance permanent communication between the various components of the community and serve its interests and strengthen its ties with its homeland. The Consul General explained that the organization of this collective iftar also comes in the context of the consulate's keenness to consolidate the values of solidarity and brotherhood embodied by the blessed month of Ramadan, pointing out that such meetings are not limited to their social dimension only, but rather constitute a human and cultural space that enhances the spirit of dialogue and coexistence and strengthens social ties among members of the Moroccan community in the country of residence. In his speech, he also touched on the role played by the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs through sending missions of imams, readers, and guides to a number of European countries during the month of Ramadan, with the aim of contributing to the religious training of the Moroccan community members in accordance with the religious constants of the Kingdom based on the Maliki school and the Ash'ari creed, and spreading the values of moderate Islam based on moderation, moderation, and tolerance, in addition to preserving the religious and cultural component of the Moroccan community and strengthening its connection with its country, Morocco. After the Consul General's speech, Sheikh Al-Khammar Al-Baqali delivered a religious sermon in which he addressed the spiritual meanings of the blessed month of Ramadan, with a focus on the virtue of the last ten days of the holy month, where he reminded the attendees of the importance of taking advantage of these blessed days in acts of worship and drawing closer to God, pointing out what it carries of great faith breaths, and at the head of which is the Night of Power, which is better than a thousand months. In his speech, he also touched on the reality of Muslims in the diaspora, stressing the importance of preserving religious and cultural identity and consolidating the values of moderation and coexistence within European societies, which received a clear interaction from the attendees who followed his speech with great interest. This Ramadan evening also included a special cultural moment during which a new book was presented by Dr. Muhammad Baghdoud, the Deputy Consul General in charge of documentation, entitled "Legislative and Judicial Protection of the Environment," which is a scientific work that is the fruit of years of research and study in the field of environmental law, where it addresses the subject of the environment from a comprehensive legal perspective that combines the international dimension related to international agreements and the national dimension with a focus on Moroccan legislation and the various laws regulating the components of the environment and the institutions active in this field. This book also highlights the role played by the judiciary in protecting the environment by reviewing the competencies of the Public Prosecution and the rulings of the civil, criminal, and administrative judiciary, with the adoption of a comprehensive legal approach that seeks to modernize and modernize Moroccan environmental legislation and move away from partial and sectoral approaches. This work was presented by Professor Abd al-Salam Zwer, the documentation judge attached to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in The Hague, while the author was keen to translate this presentation into French, English, and Dutch so that Moroccans around the world and those interested from various linguistic backgrounds can view the content of this legal work. With the call to Maghrib prayer, the attendees gathered around the iftar table in a moment in which the spirituality of fasting mixes with the joy of the meeting, where the iftar was not just an occasion to break the fast, but rather turned into a space for communication and exchange of conversations between the community members who share ties of belonging to the homeland. Such Ramadan meetings, which the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Morocco in Amsterdam is keen to organize every year, reflect the spirit of solidarity and brotherhood among the members of the Moroccan community, and at the same time, confirm the strength of the connection of Moroccans around the world with their homeland and their keenness to preserve their cultural and religious values even when they are far from their homeland.
