November 11, 2008. Copyright 2008, Graphic News. All rights reserved

A modern monarch steeped in tradition
By Joanna Griffin

LONDON, November 11, Graphic News:  As the 18th monarch in the Alaouite dynasty, King Mohammed VI is steeped in the traditions of generations of royals. But the young ruler is spearheading reforms that some say could turn mainly Muslim Morocco into a model Islamic democracy.

During his reign King Mohammed has introduced laws aimed at improving civil liberties and spreading a moderate interpretation of the Koran. But initiatives such as the "Mudawana", or family code, which enshrine the rights of women, have put him on a collision course with conservatives, as well as would-be Islamic terrorists.

Born in Rabat in August 1963, King Mohammed spent much of his childhood preparing for the role of his life. He later studied in Brussels with Jacques Delors, then president of the European Commission, and gained a PhD in law. He was enthroned in July 1999, shortly before the death of his father King Hassan II. 

One of his first acts was to launch a commission to look into human rights violations under Hassan II. He pledged to combat endemic poverty, and scaled down royal expenses. "The king of the poor" is credited with opening up Morocco to foreign investment and improving services in the slums, but sceptics say little has changed.

After bomb attacks in Casablanca in 2003, the king was criticized for tough new anti-terrorism laws but he insists that the main tenet of his campaign against extremism is to improve opportunities for young unemployed men, and to promote a tolerant interpretation of the Koran.

Some things, however, remain taboo. In March 2008 the king finally bowed to pressure from around the world and granted a royal pardon to a jailed prankster who had pretended to be his brother on the social networking site Facebook.

He is married to computer engineer Salma Bennani and the couple have two children.
/ENDS