Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation Abdellatif Miraoui has responded to the recent controversy at an awards ceremony where the dean of the Faculty of Science of Ben Msik in Casablanca refused to award an outstanding student for wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh. Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, the minister described the incident as a «personal opinion» and suggested that the dean might have made a mistake. The National Syndicate for Higher Education and Scientific Research condemned the action as «serious», noting that professors, staff, and students protested, leading to the dean's departure from the ceremony. The student office also strongly condemned the dean's behavior, calling it «unacceptable».