Father of the Nation: Morocco Honors King Mohammed V 65 Years Since Passing

Doha – In an atmosphere of piety and reflection, Moroccans commemorate today the 65th anniversary of the passing of King Mohammed V. This occasion serves as a tribute to the “Father of the Nation,” the architect of Morocco’s independence from France and a symbol of the Moroccan people’s struggle for freedom and emancipation.

This moment of recognition and respect honors the memory of the late Sovereign, who made countless sacrifices, including the exile to which he was forced alongside the Royal Family by the colonial authorities, to recover the full independence of his country.

The late monarch passed away on the 10th day of Ramadan in the year 1380 AH (February 26, 1961), leaving Moroccans with the memory of a patriotic, committed, and courageous King who dedicated his life to the just cause of his country, braving numerous difficulties without losing his faith or determination.

In his relentless fight for independence, King Mohammed V was adamant about consultation and coordination with the National Movement. He was convinced that the recovery of sovereignty could not be the work of a single person or institution, but rather the result of collective action based on the faith and efforts to raise awareness and mobilize the Moroccan people.

The highlight of this collective patriotic action was the presentation of the Manifesto of Independence on January 11, 1944, a bold step that reflected the perfect symbiosis between the Throne, the National Movement, and the people, and constituted the first step towards liberation from the yoke of the protectorate.

On April 10, 1947, Sultan Mohammed Ben Youssef traveled to Tangier, accompanied by the late King Hassan II, then Crown Prince, and the Late Princess Lalla Aicha, to deliver a resounding speech that would mark history and minds.

In this speech, the Sovereign solemnly and explicitly formulated, for the first time, the demand for Morocco’s independence. This sent shivers down the spines of the colonial authorities, who were pushed to their limits and would stop at nothing to regain control of the situation.

After the failure of all their devious maneuvers, blackmail, and threats designed to pressure the late King to abandon the national struggle, the colonizer hatched a sordid plot against that forced the Sultan and the royal family into exile in 1953, first to Corsica and then to Madagascar.

But the French occupier’s sinister stratagem backfired. Aimed at cutting ties between the late King and his faithful people, the exile of Sultan Mohammed Ben Youssef further united the people and the national movement behind him.

Indeed, the Sovereign’s forced exile triggered a wave of popular riots and armed actions against the colonial forces, making independence the cause not just of an elite group of nationalist politicians and intellectuals, but of an entire people mobilized behind their Sovereign.

This beautiful epic of patriotism, bravery, and loyalty was crowned by the triumphant return of the Father of the Nation and the royal family to Morocco on November 16, 1955, and the announcement, a year later, of independence and the beginning of the “Great Jihad” – that of building a new and modern Morocco.