HM King Mohammed VI is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad  and his family has ruled Morocco for close to 400 years. He is also constitu­tionally the Amir Al-Mu’minin, or Commander of the Faithful, thereby combining religious and polit­ical authority. King Mohammed VI is lauded for his domestic reform policies and pioneering efforts in modernizing Morocco and countering terrorism. He tackles issues of poverty, vulnerability and social ex­clusion at home, and has improved foreign relations. King Mohammed VI influences the network of Mus­lims following the Maliki school of Islamic jurispru­dence and is a leading monarch in Africa.

Four-Hundred-Year Alaouite Dynasty: The 400-year-old Alaouite dynasty traces its lineage back to the Prophet Muhammad . It takes its name from Moulay Ali Cherif, who became Prince of Tafilalt in 1631. It sees itself as a continuation of the Andalu­sian Golden Age of Islam, which was characterized by peaceful co-existence, intellectual and cultural ex­change and development.

Influence on Maliki Network: Morocco is home to the oldest university in the world, Al-Karaouine. This university is the centre of the Maliki school of juris­prudence. Since early in his reign, King Mohammed VI has implemented the Mudawana family law code that gives rights to women in divorce and property ownership, as well as citizenship to children born from non-Moroccan fathers. He has also commis­sioned the Islamic Affairs Ministry to train women preachers, or morchidat, who are now active chap­lains to Moroccans across the globe.

Huge Influence over Muslims in Africa: King Mo­hammed VI leads the largest African monarchy, with a population of 37.8 million. Besides political links, Morocco maintains strong spiritual ties with Mus­lims all over Africa. Morocco is the site of the tomb of a highly revered Sufi sheikh, Mawlana Ahmed ibn Mohammed Tijani Al-Hassani-Maghribi (1735-1815 CE), the founder of the Tijaniyya Sufi order, whose shrine attracts millions from across the conti­nent. Morocco is also recognized as a source for the spread of Islam through West Africa.

The Marrakesh Declaration: The King invited hun­dreds of the Islamic world’s leading scholars to gath­er for a three-day summit in Marrakesh in January 2016 to address the question of the treatment of religious minorities in Muslim-majority communities. Basing themselves on the Charter of Medina, also known as the Constitution of Medina, which was drawn up by the Prophet Muhammad himself, they issued calls for Muslim-majority communities to respect minor­ities’ “freedom of movement, property ownership, mutual solidarity and defence”. HM King Moham­med VI of Morocco delivered the inaugural address and pointed to the history of Islam’s co-existence with other religions. This showed how Islam has enshrined the rights of religious minorities and promoted reli­gious tolerance and diversity.

Support for Jerusalem (Al-Quds): The King and indeed all Moroccans show strong support for Pal­estinians and for Jerusalem. The Moroccan link with Jerusalem has been strong since Salah Al-Din’s son endowed the Magharbeh Quarter, next to the Buraq Wall of the Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif, to North African pilgrims in 1193. This 800-year-old quarter was demolished by the Israeli au­thorities in 1967 after they captured East Jerusalem.

Reform: King Mohammed VI has implemented ma­jor reforms in response to the Arab Spring protests. These have included a new constitution which has transferred many powers to a freely and fairly elected government. The King’s gradual reforms have been hailed as a model for other Arab countries to follow.

“The Kingdom of Morocco is keen to remain a model state, in which the followers of the monotheistic religions coexist in an environment of fraternity and security.”

4th Moroccan football team position in the 2022 World Cup

Over 8 thousand scholarships awarded to Africans