Vandals Desecrate Memorial of Abderrahmane Youssoufi in Tangier

Rabat – After the tragic death of Morocco’s former Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi on May 29, vandals have dishonored his memory by desecrating his memorial in Tangier.

On July 30, 2019, King Mohammed VI inaugurated Abderrahmane Youssoufi Avenue in downtown Tangier as a tribute to the socialist icon and extraordinary symbol of Moroccan patriotism. The avenue marker now stands as a memorial after Youssoufi’s passing.

Upon the official news of his death on Friday, mourners in Tangier paid tribute to the beloved Moroccan politician with flowers, candles, and notes of remembrance at the avenue marker.

Sunday morning, however, photos appeared on social media networks showing the memorial desecrated with mud.

The abhorrent affront to his memory has outraged Moroccans, who responded harshly to the vandalism.

“The act and its timing help guess who committed that. They are capable of doing more than that. Did not they the same with the grave of Mr. Abderrahim Bouabid?” wrote Youssef El Kaidi on Facebook.

“[The vandals] are the enemies of civilization,” another user commented.

A legacy unmarred by cowardice and hatred

Despite the cowardly act, Youssoufi remains one of the country’s most revered figures, both nationally and internationally.

Born in Tangier on March 8, 1924, Youssoufi became prime minister of Morocco in 1998 and served until 2004. Prior to his appointment, Youssoufi was a human rights lawyer, activist, and advocate for immigrant workers’ rights in France.

Under Youssoufi’s premiership, Morocco underwent reform in the fields of human rights and freedom of speech. After the death of King Hassan II in 1999, Samuel Berger, the national security advisor to former US President Bill Clinton, told the American president that Youssoufi had made tangible progress in the “decentralization of authority, judicial reform, and the protection of human rights.”

“You represent hope not only in Morocco but throughout the Arab world for democratization and respect for human rights. [I] hope you will be able to work well with the new King,” read Clinton’s script for his 1999 meeting with Youssoufi.

Youssoufi worked closely with King Mohammed VI on forming the transitional government and sparked initiatives to implement change in Morocco, and the two forged a bond that endured long after the prime minister’s retirement.

King Mohammed VI paid tribute to Youssoufi and the strength of their relationship in August 2019, naming him a 2019 cohort of graduating military recruits.

“I have decided to name this year’s Group of Graduates after Mr. Abderrahmane Youssoufi, who shares with my late father, His Majesty King Hassan II, and with me the same unwavering principles: love for the homeland and a strong commitment to the nation’s sacred values, to the Kingdom’s territorial integrity and to the defense of its best interests,” King Mohammed VI announced on the 20th anniversary of his coronation.

“I am proud of the solid ties and the special, mutual affection between myself and Mr. Youssoufi,” he said, calling on the Moroccan people to forever honor Youssoufi’s legacy.

“Live up to all this name stands for, namely integrity, commitment, adherence to principles, and genuine patriotism.”