Iconic Brutalist Mosque Demolition in Casablanca Sparks Controversy

According to the protesters, this building is one of the singular witnesses of the "brutalist" style in Morocco.

In a statement, the Casamémoire association stressed that this mosque, built in 1968 by Emile Duhon, the French architect of the late King Mohammed V, is "far beyond the urban landmark it constitutes for all Casablancans and its intrinsic architectural qualities, a symbol of modernity, cultural diversity and tolerance established at the time as fundamental values of modern Morocco".

Expressing its outrage, the association indicated that "the Assuna Mosque is one of the cornerstones of the argument for the inscription of Casablanca on the UNESCO Tentative List, the request presented by Morocco for the city of Casablanca, as a 20th century city, a crossroads of influences".

On the same occasion, the association called on the competent authorities to take their responsibilities in the face of the deterioration of this place of worship and memory, and to act urgently to stop the construction site and to open an investigation to identify those responsible.