Mohammed VI of Morocco

Mohammed VI
King of Morocco
Reign 23 July 1999 – present (10 years)
Predecessor Hassan II
Spouse Princess Lalla Salma
Issue
Moulay Hassan
Lalla Khadija
Father Hassan II
Mother Lalla Latifa Hammou
Born 21 August 1963 (1963-08-21) (age 47)
Rabat, Morocco
Religion Muslim

Mohammed VI (Arabic: محمد السادس‎) is the present King of Morocco. He was born on 21 August 1963[1] and ascended to the Throne in July 1999.[2]

Contents

Education

His father, the late King Hassan II, was keen on giving him a religious and political education from an early age. At the age of four, he started attending the Qur'anic school at the Royal Palace[1] where he learned the Qur'an by heart, and received a religious and traditional education.

After primary and secondary studies at the Royal College and after he received his Baccalaureate in 1981, Mohammed obtained in 1985 a B.A in law at the College of law of the Mohammed V University in Rabat. His research paper dealt with "the Arab-African Union and the Strategy of the Kingdom of Morocco in matters of International Relations".[1]

In 1987 he obtained his first Certificat d'Études Supérieures (CES) in political sciences and in July 1988 he obtained a Diplôme d'Études Approfondies DEA in public law.[1]

In November 1988 he trained in Brussels with Jacques Delors, then President of the European Commission.[1]

He obtained his doctorate in law (PhD) with distinction on 29 October 1993 from the French University of Nice Sophia Antipolis for his thesis on "EEC-Maghreb Relations".[1]

He is the recipient of an honorary degree by American The George Washington University awarded in 22 June 2000 for his promotion of democracy in Morocco.

Mohammed was promoted to the rank of Major General on 12 July 1994.

Social reform and liberalization

George W. Bush talks with King Mohammed VI of Morocco in the Oval Office, Tuesday, 23 April 2002

Shortly after he took the Throne, he addressed his nation via television, promising to take on poverty and corruption, while creating jobs and improving Morocco's human rights record. Mohammed VI is generally opposed by Islamist conservatives, and some of his reforms have angered fundamentalists. He also created a new family code, or Mudawana, which granted women more power.[3] The law came into effect in February, 2004.

Royal Family of Morocco
Royal Flag of Morocco.svg
  • HM The King
    HRH The Princess Consort
    • HRH The Crown Prince
    • HRH Princess Lalla Khadija
  • HRH Princess Lalla Meryem
  • HRH Princess Lalla Asma
  • HRH Princess Lalla Hasna
  • HRH Prince Moulay Rachid

Mohammed VI also created the so-called Instance Equité et Réconciliation (IER), a commission, which was supposed to research human rights violations under Hassan II. The commission was however not allowed to report about human rights violations until 1999, when Mohammed was enthroned. This move was welcomed by many as a move towards democracy, but also criticized because reports of human rights violations could not name the perpetrators. According to human rights organisations abuses still exist in Morocco.[4][5][6]

Wealth

Mohammed and his family have stock in the ONA Group which is a Holding invested in several areas of activity (mining, food processing, retail and financial services,...) giving the Royal Family one of the largest fortunes in the world. Mohammed is estimated by Forbes to be worth $2 billion. His palace's daily operating budget is reported to be $960,000, owing much of it to the expense of clothes and car repair.[7]

Family

Mohammed has one brother, Prince Moulay Rachid, and three sisters, Princess Lalla Meryem, Princess Lalla Asma, and Princess Lalla Hasna. On 21 March 2002 he married Salma Bennani (now H.R.H. Princess Lalla Salma) in Rabat, giving her the title of Princess. Princess Lalla Salma has two children, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, who was born on 8 May 2003, and Princess Lalla Khadija, who was born on 28 February 2007.[3]

Prophetic ancestry

The Alaouite dynasty claims descent from the Prophet Muhammad by way of his daughter Fatimah, the only one of his children to survive into adulthood. Members of the Alaouite dynasty are thus considered to be ashraf.[8]

  1. Muhammad, Prophet of Islam (died 632)
  2. Fatimah
  3. Hasan ibn Ali (died 670)
  4. Hasan II
  5. Abdullah al-Kamal
  6. Muhammad al-Mahdi
  7. Hasan
  8. Muhammad
  9. Abdullah
  10. Qasim
  11. Ismail
  12. Ahmad
  13. Hasan
  14. Ali
  15. Abubakr
  16. Hasan
  17. Abu Muhammad Arafa
  18. Abdullah
  19. Hasan
  20. Muhammad
  21. Belqasim
  22. Muhammad
  23. Qasim
  24. Al Hassan Addakhil (came to the Tafilalt region in Morocco in 1266)[9]
  25. Muhammad
  26. Hasan
  27. Ali ash-Sharif
  28. Yusuf
  29. Ali
  30. Muhammad
  31. Ali
  32. Muhammad I ash-Sharif, King of Tafilalt (died 1659)
  33. Moulay Ismail, Sultan of Morocco (died 1727)
  34. Moulay Abdullah, Sultan of Morocco (died 1757)
  35. Sidi Muhammad III, Sultan of Morocco (died 1790)
  36. Moulay Hisham, Sultan of Morocco (died 1796)
  37. Moulay Abd ar-Rahman, Sultan of Morocco (died 1859)
  38. Moulay Muhammad IV, Sultan of Morocco (died 1873)
  39. Moulay al-Hasan I, Sultan of Morocco (died 1894)
  40. Moulay Yusuf, Sultan of Morocco (died 1927)
  41. Mohammed V, King of Morocco (died 1961)
  42. Hassan II, King of Morocco (died 1999)
  43. Mohammed VI, King of Morocco (born 1963)

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "His Majesty King Mohammed Ben Al-Hassan". Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco. http://dcusa.themoroccanembassy.com/moroccan_embassy_political_system_the_king.aspx. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 
  2. ↑ "World: Africa Mohammed VI takes Moroccan throne". BBC News. 24 July 1999. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/402712.stm. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Morocco country profile". BBC News. 16 December 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/791867.stm. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 
  4. ↑ MacFarquhar, Neil (1 October 2005). "In Morocco, a Rights Movement, at the King's Pace". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/01/international/africa/01morocco.html?pagewanted=print. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 
  5. ↑ "Facing up to Morocco's hidden fear". BBC News. 19 April 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4457267.stm. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 
  6. ↑ "Morocco/Western Sahara: Amnesty International welcomes public hearings into past violations". Amnesty International. http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?lang=e&id=80256DD400782B8480256F6A003CF643. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 
  7. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/2007/08/30/worlds-richest-royals-biz-royals07-cx_lk_0830royalintro_slide_8.html?thisSpeed=30000
  8. ↑ Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh, ed (1980). "Appendix C: Descendants of the Prophet". Burke's Royal Families of the World. Volume II: Africa & the Middle East. London: Burke's Peerage. pp. 281–282. ISBN 9780850110296. OCLC 18496936. 
  9. ↑ Auzias, Dominique; Labourdette, Jean-Paul (2009) (in French). Fès, Meknès. Petit Futé. Paris: Nouvelles éditions de l'Université. p. 47. ISBN 9782746924987. OCLC 470970264. http://books.google.com/books?id=pB4PR9tuKMEC&pg=PA47. Retrieved 2010-07-11. 

External links

Mohammed VI of Morocco
House of Alaoui
Born: 21 August 1963
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Hassan II		 King of Morocco
1999 – present		 Incumbent
Heir:
Moulay Hassan