50 children mark Jerusalem Day in Morocco

Fifty children from Jerusalem aged 11-14 spent two days in the Moroccan port city of Jadida as part of an annual summer camp. The sixth Jerusalem Day camp organised by Bayt Mal Al Quds Agency took place under the guidance of Moroccan King Mohamed VI, chairperson of the Al-Quds committee. On day one of the camp, participants reflected on King Mohamed V's visit to Jerusalem in 1960. A large number of Palestinian and Moroccan officials attended the event. In the Mohamed V garden, there was an exhibition of paintings, along with bookstalls documenting the history of the Palestine struggle against the Israeli occupation. Among the paintings was a sketch of King Mohamed V drawn by a Palestinian artist to mark the memory of Jerusalem Day. The camp's organisers explained the aims ans objectives of the 2-day event to a representative of the king. On the second day, the children learned more about Bayt Mal Al Quds Agency, which was established in 1998 upon an initiative submitted by the former king of Morocco Hassan II. The agency was described as an Arab, Islamic institution established by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The institution aims to preserve the identity of the holy city of Jerusalem and its religious, civilised and cultural heritage. It also seeks to protect the Aqsa Mosque, by financing social programmes which highlight the Arab and Islamic identity of the holy city.