For 20 years, king Mohammed of Morocco ruled and brought the country greater political freedoms. Socially, he launched a modernization process. Critics say: The king was no other choice.
When the king died, the state – owned radio and television stations broke your program. The minutes before the actual news of death, filled them in on that 23. July 1999, with the Quran verses, the population on the death of Hassan II. in the mood. Thousands lined the Moroccans soon, the streets to give the king in his coffin, covered by a black, with Koranic verses embroidered cloth, the last passage. With the population also numerous heads of state, adopted by the king, among them former US President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
A few days later, on 30. July, took over Hassan’s would be the eldest son officially the king. In a gilded Carriage, drawn by four horses, drove the young king Mohammed VI, to the Great mosque of FEZ, to perform Friday prayer there. In his first speech, he went on a distance to the political legacy of his father.
At least aesthetically, he added, in the Tradition of the Moroccan monarchy. For important occasions, ceremonies seem venerable. In fact, according to the Moroccan historian Nabil Mouline, the present-day rituals are by no means traditional, but it came from the 1930s. They had at that time been introduced, in order to maintain the appearance of historical continuity.
Authoritarian ruler of the former Moroccan king, Hassan II (1929-1999)
Politically, however, the monarchy relies entirely on the needs of the present. The Moroccan kings have always been, the changing times to adapt, says the Moroccan Journalist Ali Anouzla in an interview with DW. “In all the topics that are moving the public opinion in Morocco, they were to bring the traditional and the Modern in harmony, without, however, serious political set. You is mainly because, to maintain the Status Quo.”
Farewell to the policy of the hard Hand
King Mohammed VI to this Maxim as follows? In the twenty years of its term of office, the king has modernized the country in many areas. He presented Morocco as a world-open state. “Today the country is ruled long with such a heavy Hand like in the 60s, 70s and 80s,” said the Islamic scholar Sonja Hegasy, Vice-Director of the Berlin “Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient”, in the DW-interview. Also human rights violations no longer existed to the same extent as at the time of the predecessor of the king. “Nevertheless, we observe this also under Mohammed VI, for example, to journalists, for not a form acceptable to expressions of opinion to the prison. The judicial arbitrariness, has no longer the same extent as under Hassan II But, the progress on the first set, failed to materialize.”
So, too, the of Mohammed, in 2004, established the truth Commission, which should inform the during the reign of his father, committed human rights violations have disappointed many hopes. Although the uncovered vulnerabilities in those institutions. However, for the human rights violations those responsible were not held accountable. “King Mohammed VI, may be in his mind, although more liberal than his father,” says Ali Anouzla. “But he ruled as a traditional Monarch who holds, like his father, to the rituals.”
Representative of his country, Mohammed VI, in a ceremony of commemoration for the First world war in Paris in the year 2018
The king on the course of Reform
This does not prevent the king, the modernization of his country to advance. So, he brought since the 2004 new family law on the way. This strengthened the role of women: Both sexes are formally on an equal footing. So could now decide, the women on the dissolution of the marriage. Until then, this step was reserved solely for men. Instead of Muslim clerics state judge judgments now about a divorce request.
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The sun king of Morocco
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The sun king of Morocco
Also for the cultural diversity of the king is. In the preamble to its Constitution from the year 2011, the national identity is defined as a merger of several regional identities. Since then, dasmarokkanische Tamazightals the official and standard language is used.
With reforms like these, the king secured the sympathy and the support of the liberal bourgeoisie. This is considered to be, not least as a bulwark against the Islamist Opposition, as well as their influence on young people, who feel economically and politically excluded from society.
A divided society
Disappointed there are not a few in the country. Morocco is a divided society, as Sonja Hegasy. “In the last ten years, the purchasing power of the poor has decreased extremely. In addition, other abuses. So a study of the Friedrich-Ebert criticize the Foundation, according to many young people, the corruption, such as in the health sector. The results of this is that the people are provided with medical treatment are quite different.” The education policy is often in the criticism. “In this respect, the country is divided. For one, it has a strongly urban population, and on the other, there is still little developed in rural areas, where young people sometimes have a five-hour walk to school.”
The social ills are addressed openly. The country and his institutions are under strong pressure to Reform. The is not immune to the king. “The Moroccan society is young,” said Ali Anouzla. “They modernized just. And it also pulls the king simply.”
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