In the absence of notable achievements for the elected officials and the lack of real powers to compete for, the representatives of the Ben Makada district in Tangier found nothing but Middle Eastern issues to warm up for the elections.
Thus, during the district session on Monday, April 27, Councillor Jamal Al-Aouami of the Istiqlal Party called for refraining from insulting Israelis and disrespecting them, pointing to King Mohammed VI’s statement about being the “Commander of the Faithful” for all religions.
These statements particularly provoked the anger of the Justice and Development Party councillors, who rejected the councillor’s remarks and demanded a retraction, but Al-Aouami insisted on his statements, affirming his right to express himself.
A councillor from the Ben Makada district in Tangier rejected insulting Israelis and confirmed that the king is the Commander of the Faithful for all religions, angering Islamists and leftists pic.twitter.com/PTcnMBOLe6
— Tanja7 (@Tanja7com) April 27, 2026
Commander of the Faithful for All Religions
The councillor’s statements also sparked controversy on social media, especially the remarks attributed to King Mohammed VI regarding being the Commander of the Faithful for all religions.
The councillor did not actually lie; King Mohammed VI made this statement on multiple occasions, particularly during the Pope’s visit to the Kingdom.
In his speech before Pope Francis, the king said: “As the King of Morocco and Commander of the Faithful, I am entrusted with ensuring the freedom of religious practice. Thus, I am the Commander of all believers, regardless of their religions. In this capacity, I cannot speak of the land of Islam as if there are no non-Muslims here. I am the guarantor of the freedom to practice the revealed religions. I am entrusted with protecting Moroccan Jews and Christians coming from other countries living in Morocco.”
Earlier in Madagascar, the king said, “The King of Morocco is the Commander of the Faithful; of the faithful of all religions, and Morocco does not, in any way, conduct a missionary campaign nor does it seek to impose Islam at all,” emphasizing that “Islam in the Moroccan state is moderate and lenient.”
