DR ‹ › After days of declining to comment on the incident in which a group of Haredi Jews performed prayers in front of Bab Doukkala in Marrakech last Tuesday, the Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party, Abdelilah Benkirane, has spoken out on the matter. Speaking during a meeting with residents of Sebt Gzoula, in Safi province, on Sunday, April 26, Benkirane described the prayers as a «provocation» to the feelings of Moroccans. «The issue is not whether they pray or not, but that what happened made Moroccans recall a type of prayer held in what is called Israel, in Al-Quds Al-Sharif, at the wall of the sanctuary. A comparison was therefore made between this prayer and that one, and what happened was considered a provocation», he explained. «The prayer itself is not the issue; the issue lies in the provocation, and we are against this provocation», he added, arguing that «it should not have been allowed, and the state should have made it clear that if they wished to pray, they were welcome to do so, but within their own places of worship.» He also called for identifying the party that authorized the gathering, warning that what happened «could constitute a provocation and lead to inciting discord.» «We do not accept this at all, and we consider it a provocation that reminds us of what is happening in Al-Quds Al-Sharif, which we regard as our city», he concluded.
