Casablanca — Al Ousboue Assahafi marked its 60th anniversary in Rabat on Saturday with the launch of the second volume of Al Hakika Addaïaa (The Lost Truth), a posthumous collection of writings by the newspaper’s founder, veteran journalist Moulay Mustapha Alaoui.
The event brought together journalists, writers, artists and public figures who reflected on Alaoui’s legacy and the influence he had on Moroccan media and public life.
Said Rihani, editor-in-chief of Al Ousboue Assahafi, described Alaoui as one of the leading figures of independent journalism in Morocco. He said the late publisher represented a form of journalism that was “neither partisan, nor subordinate, nor submissive,” but one that shaped public opinion through analysis, commentary and the interpretation of events. Rihani said the newly released volume covers the early 1990s, a period marked by major developments whose lessons remain relevant today.
Moroccan singer Abdelali El Ghaoui spoke emotionally about his friendship with Alaoui, saying he considered him a father figure. “Whenever doors were closed in our faces, we would always turn to Moulay Mustapha Alaoui,” he said. El Ghaoui also used the occasion to call for a return to meaningful Moroccan music, arguing that artists should not focus solely on creating “buzz” at the expense of social and cultural values.
Researcher and writer Driss Hani said Al Ousboue Assahafi remains one of the few newspapers that readers still enjoy reading in print nearly six decades after its founding. He credited Alaoui with practicing what he called “intellectual journalism,” built on reporting, investigation and analysis. Hani added that generations of Moroccans were shaped by Alaoui’s writings, which helped develop political awareness in the country.
Journalist Mourad Allioui, who also heads the Moroccan Center for Legal and Social Studies and Policy Analysis, said The Lost Truth documented Morocco’s political and social evolution under King Mohammed V, King Hassan II and King Mohammed VI. He argued that the title was misleading. “I do not call it The Lost Truth. I consider it the existing truth,” he said, describing the work as a record of political parties, trade unions, protest movements and changes in the media landscape.
Mustapha Alaoui, who died in 2019, was one of Morocco’s best-known journalists and the founder of Al Ousboue Assahafi, established in 1965. Born in Fez in 1936, he became known for his long-running column Al Hakika Addaïaa and for his reporting, political analysis and editorial independence. Over a career spanning more than six decades, he published several books and became one of the most recognizable figures in Moroccan journalism.
The second volume of The Lost Truth follows the first installment presented last year and continues Alaoui’s reflections on key moments in Morocco’s contemporary history.
Morocco World News is also on X — check out our latest posts now! Get MWN on iOS and Android for instant access to breaking news.
