RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Politicians and activists in Morocco are questioning limitations imposed on preachers regarding what they may say about war in the Middle East during sermons.
During a meeting at the country's parliament this week, socialist lawmaker Nabila Mounib bemoaned the way that imams were curtailed in how they can speak about the plight of Palestinians and call for religious struggle to support their cause.
“No imam can speak about the Palestinian issue,” Mounib claimed on Tuesday. “Today no one is demanding jihad for our brothers in Palestine.”
In Morocco, imams are employed by the state and their sermons cannot be overtly political. Regardless of the extent to which they have focused on the Israel-Hamas war, Morocco’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs has said that such subject matter is permitted. Yet activists are still worried about de facto limits placed on preaching about Palestinians.
The question first arose in October 2023 after a document circulated on social media claiming to outline such limits. Morocco's Ministry of Islamic Affairs said in a statement that preaching about the suffering of Palestinians was authorized and that the document was faked.
In an interview with Moroccan news website Anfas Press on Friday, Mounib said she had intended to denounce efforts to prevent imams from preaching about Palestinians but had not said they should call for jihad from their pulpits.
“Jihad,” which means struggle or effort in Arabic, can denote striving to live in accordance with the path of God, either through internally finding one’s faith or externally fighting for Islamic principles like justice. However, it can be interpreted in more militant terms as “holy war” and has been used by some as a religious concept used to recruit volunteers to fight since the Soviet-Afghan war began in 1979.
The debate centers on whether it should be allowed to invoke jihad in regard to the war between Israel and Hamas.
Minister of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq later denied Mounib’s claim that preachers cannot broach the Israel-Hamas war but acknowledged and defended the prohibition on calls for jihad.
“Any imam who talks about barbarism and injustice and denounces them is welcome, but calling for jihad is something else,” he said.
Explaining the prohibition this week, Toufiq cautioned that there were different interpretations of jihad.
Yet to some pro-Palestinian activists in Morocco, the limitations are less about jihad and more about the tensions between state and society that have simmered since the war began.
“Imams have a right to take a stand and, in Islam, even have a duty,” Ahmed Wehman of the Moroccan Observatory for Anti-Normalization told The Associated Press. “The government has nothing to do with Moroccan public opinion. They do not represent Morocco and Moroccans.”
Morocco has one of the region’s most historically significant Jewish communities and was one of four Arab states to normalize ties with Israel in 2020. But tens of thousands of protesters have regularly taken to the streets of its major cities throughout the 14-month war, protesting Israel’s actions and demanding Morocco cut diplomatic ties.
Protests have united socialists like Mounib with Islamists, including those from the Justice and Development Party and Al Adl Wal Ihsane, a banned but tolerated Islamist movement that doesn’t participate in electoral politics. Some of its members have faced arrest and imprisonment for opining on social media about Morocco's ties with Israel amid the war.
Many governments dictate what preachers can say from the pulpit in Muslim-majority countries, including Morocco, which has long worked to describe its brand of Islam to the world as a moderating force. Doing so is among authorities’ strategies to curb extremism but can at times push believers to look for spiritual guidance outside the government-controlled religious sphere.
Francesco Cavatorta, a political science professor at Université Laval in Quebec, said countries like Morocco, Algeria, Egypt and Syria have historically exerted control over imams to control the narrative of religion and ensure sermons don't undermine national stability.
In Morocco, he said, the regulation is “part of an effort to be seen as a country that is a Muslim country but a tolerant country and a welcoming country.”
Morocco has this year suspended preachers who veer from directives. Its Ministry of Islamic Affairs publishes guidance for imams on Wednesdays, two days before Friday prayers.
The content of sermons has in the past pitted the government against activists. In 2017, when anti-government protests were sweeping Morocco’s north, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs directed preachers to reproach activists for promoting division among Muslims, the online news outlet Le Desk reported. Nasser Zefzafi, the country’s most famous political prisoner, was arrested later that year after interrupting a sermon about the protests, shouting a question about whether mosques served God or the monarchy.
Morocco's Ministry of Islamic Affairs did not respond to requests for comment.
Imams throughout the Middle East and North Africa have regularly referenced the war since October 2023, including in countries where the government oversees their sermons.
“The way to eliminate oppression and evil, no matter where it is in the world, is through the unity and solidarity of Muslims,” Ali Erbas, the head of the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs, said in a Friday sermon delivered in Azerbaijan. ”When Muslims act together with the consciousness of brotherhood and the spirit of solidarity, all people will find peace."
Associated Press writers Akram Oubachir in Casablanca, Morocco and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey contributed to this report.
FILE - Parliament member Nabila Mounib speaks to the press during a protest against the government enforcing of a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine pass to access public places and travel, in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)
FILE - Muslim worshippers observe social distancing inside a mosque during Friday prayers in Rabat, Morocco, Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. For the first time since the outbreak of coronavirus in March, Morocco has allowed mosques to reopen for Friday prayers. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)
FILE - Worshippers gather to perform night prayers on the eve of Laylat-al-Qadr or Night of Power marking the 27th and holiest night of Islamic fasting month of Ramadan in Hassan II mosque in Casablanca, Morocco, Thursday, April 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)
FILE - A member of security forces stands guard while Muslim worshippers queue to enter a mosque for Friday prayers in Rabat, Morocco, Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)
COLLEGE PARK, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 5, 2024--
IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), a leader in the quantum computing and networking industry, today announced the delivery of IonQ Forte Enterprise to its first European Innovation Center at the uptownBasel campus in Arlesheim, Switzerland. Achieved in partnership with QuantumBasel, this major milestone marks the first datacenter-ready quantum computer IonQ has delivered that will operate outside the United States and the first quantum system for commercial use in Switzerland.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241205805000/en/
Forte Enterprise is now online servicing compute jobs while performing at a record algorithmic qubit count of #AQ36, which is significantly more powerful than the promised #AQ35. With each additional #AQ, the useful computational space for running quantum algorithms doubles. A system with #AQ36 is capable of considering more than 68 billion different possibilities simultaneously. With this milestone, IonQ once again leads the industry in delivering production-ready systems to customers.
“The successful commissioning of Forte Enterprise in Europe – on schedule and at an even higher performance level than announced previously – demonstrates IonQ’s commitment to driving global quantum adoption through technological leadership and operational excellence,” said Peter Chapman, CEO and President of IonQ. “Achieving #AQ36 is a significant leap forward, opening new possibilities for applications including logistics, finance, pharmaceuticals, chemistry and artificial intelligence.”
“Offering the state-of-the-art Forte Enterprise quantum computing platform to our ecosystem will accelerate the development of quantum applications across a range of fields,” said Damir Bogdan, CEO of QuantumBasel. “By collaborating with IonQ, we’re positioning the uptownBasel campus as a leader in quantum innovation, fostering breakthroughs that address real-world challenges.”
IonQ’s next generation commercial quantum systems such as Forte Enterprise are optimized for data center environments, sporting a rack-mounted form factor, low energy profile, and minimal environmental isolation requirements.
Building on a History of Excellence
Today’s IonQ Forte Enterprise system commissioning represents the culmination of IonQ’s engineering innovation, operational excellence, and enterprise-grade production capabilities.
“This milestone reflects the hard work and ingenuity of teams across IonQ and QuantumBasel,” said Dr. Dave Mehuys, VP of Production Engineering. “We aligned our system build with on-site datacenter construction and IonQ’s manufacturing and production teams leveraged their decades of expertise to bring this groundbreaking system online faster than anticipated.”
Pioneering a New Era of Computing
IonQ’s record-breaking achievement of #AQ36 signals the company’s dedication and success in advancing quantum performance. Forte Enterprise expands the potential for driving groundbreaking research in areas such as quantum chemistry and machine learning.
“IonQ’s ability to deliver Forte Enterprise with #AQ36 reflects our growing capabilities to execute on our mission to drive significant quantum advancements globally,” said Dr. Dean Kassmann, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Technology at IonQ. “Each step we take demonstrates our commitment to bringing quantum computing from the lab to practical, impactful, and commercial uses.”
A Quantum Leap for Europe and Beyond
IonQ’s first European Innovation Center will allow the company to service its European customers out of its QuantumBasel location and to drive research and development of next generation quantum applications in Europe.
As part of its partnership with IonQ, QuantumBasel will offer its ecosystem– including enterprises, research institutes, startups, and universities – direct access to the #AQ36 Forte Enterprise system.
With datacenters now in the Washington, D.C., Seattle, and Basel, Switzerland areas, IonQ has firmly established a global data center footprint, reinforcing its position as a leader in quantum technology.
To learn more about IonQ’s latest innovations, visit www.ionq.com.
About IonQ
IonQ, Inc. is a leader in quantum computing that delivers high-performance systems capable of solving the world’s largest and most complex commercial and research use cases. IonQ’s current generation quantum computer, IonQ Forte, is the latest in a line of cutting-edge systems, boasting 36 algorithmic qubits. The company’s innovative technology and rapid growth were recognized in Fast Company’s 2023 Next Big Things in Tech List and Deloitte’s 2023 Technology Fast 500™ List, respectively. Available through all major cloud providers, IonQ is making quantum computing more accessible and impactful than ever before. Learn more at IonQ.com.
About QuantumBasel
QuantumBasel is a competence center for quantum computing and AI and drives access to commercial quantum computing to foster innovation. QuantumBasel places particular emphasis on technological neutrality and is Switzerland’s first commercial quantum computing hub, providing access to hardware from IBM, D-Wave and IonQ. QuantumBasel’s team of quantum and data scientists trains and supports companies, conducts projects in quantum computing and AI, and collaborates closely with universities and academic institutions. Through an internationally connected ecosystem, QuantumBasel provides access to advanced know-how and technologies, enabling companies in industrial production, logistics, finance, energy, life sciences, and start-ups to achieve innovations they cannot develop independently. www.quantumbasel.com
IonQ Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Some of the forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words. Statements that are not historical in nature, including the terms “adoption,” “advancing,” “advancements,” “collaborating,” “commitment,” “demonstrates,” “development,” “groundbreaking” “milestone,” “next generation,” “optimized,” “potential,” “significant leap forward,” “state-of-the-art,” “will,” and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include those related to the company’s technology driving commercial quantum advantage in the future, the timing of delivering to customers IonQ Forte Enterprise systems, the planned increase to the footprint of the uptownBasel campus in Arlesheim, Switzerland, the company’s ability to establish public-private partnerships, the ability for third parties to implement IonQ’s offerings to increase their quantum computing capabilities, access to IonQ’s quantum computers, the ability to test and execute quantum applications on IonQ’s quantum computers, the opportunity to test and optimize novel quantum-enhanced algorithms for computational challenges on IonQ’s quantum computers; the problems that can be solved by IonQ’s quantum computers, the advantages of IonQ's approach to the manufacturing of IonQ’s systems, IonQ’s quantum computing capabilities and plans, and the scalability and reliability of IonQ’s quantum computing offerings. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: changes in the competitive industries in which IonQ operates; the ability of IonQ to protect its intellectual property; changes in laws and regulations affecting IonQ’s business; IonQ’s ability to implement its business plans, technical roadmap, and other expectations, identify and realize partnerships and opportunities, and to engage new and existing customers; or market adoption of quantum computing solutions and IonQ’s products, services and solutions. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company’s filings, including but not limited to those described in the “Risk Factors” section of IonQ’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other documents filed by IonQ from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and IonQ assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. IonQ does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations. IonQ may or may not choose to practice or otherwise use the inventions described in the issued patents in the future.
(Graphic: Business Wire)
IonQ European Innovation Center - Arlesheim, Switzerland (Photo: Business Wire)
