Mohammed VI belongs to the dynasty of Alawis, which governs Morocco since 1666 and is supreme spiritual power.
He was born in Rabat on August 21, 1963.
Muhammad is considered one of the richest people in the world. His fortune is estimated in billions of dollars. He owns big companies and enterprises, has considerable share package of the German company “Siemens”.
There are more than two dozen palaces and estates in his possession scattered around the world especially in France, Switzerland and USA. He has never visited most of them. For example, an ancient castle near Paris located in woodland park, occupying an area of about 400 hectares, was bought long ago. None of the royal family has visited it.
Education
The monarch to be had studied the Koran in the school at the Royal Palace for four years, and he got his secondary education at The Royal College.
Mohammed VI graduated from the department of jurisprudence, economic and social sciences of Rabat University, become a lawyer.
At the university he studied the problems connected with the role of Arab countries of African continent, in the first place Morocco, in the system of modern international relations.
The King is fluent in French, English and Spanish, and knows them much better than native Arabic. This is common for all young Arab leaders.
Career
The King to be was appointed the coordinator of Offices and Services of The General Staff of Moroccan Armed Forces. He was given the rank of divisional general in 1994.
Hassan II, Mohammed’s father, died of a heart attack on July 23, 1999. Mohammed VI came to the throne on July 30. He inherited the kingdom with the population more than 30 million people. More than half of them are completely illiterate and one fifth of them don’t have a job. The number of Moroccan army is 200 000 people, there is an efficient police force in the country.
Achievements
After coming to the throne Mohammed VI appointed his people to the key positions. For example, his former classmate – lawyer Fouad Ali Al Himma – is the second person in the Department of the Interior. The King did a lot to strengthen the influence of the army to some extent opposed military structures to state security bodies.
Mohammed VI carried out a number of social reforms, including reforms in education. Difficult situation connected with high level of illiteracy and unemployment made him start reforming of social sphere. Unemployment was 20 percent through the country and 54 percent among the people with higher education in 2000. Thanks to his efforts more than 2000 schools were built in the countryside and The United States Agency for International Development equipped computer classes and organized teacher training in these schools.
The King also made changes in the law of marriage. This fact deserves attention as the reformation affects one of the most important spheres of Muslims’ life. On Mohammed’s VI initiative the principle of “complete subjection of the wife to her husband” was excluded from the law of marriage. Now both spouses are responsible for the family. Now to get a divorce a husband requires permission of the judiciary, but earlier according to Muslim customs a husband could get a divorce without any legal formalities. On the King’s initiative the amendment, limiting the number of wives, was introduced into the law. Now a husband isn’t able to marry without his wife’s consent. Otherwise, a wife has a right to get a divorce.
The King of Morocco at the regular session of Parliament defined the main directions of investment policy in autumn in 2000. He emphasized that they had to create Regional Investment Center in each administrative region, which would in every possible way assist investors in the creation of new enterprises, including giving the latter complete information and specialized assistance in the preparation of documents, necessary for project implementation. Local authorities were offered to create a unified investment dossier containing information on projects. The main attention focused on the implementation of projects of small and medium-sized businesses in the handicraft industry, tourism, housing and agriculture. Mohammed VI called industrial modernization, the development of new mineral deposits, one of the priorities for the country's economy.
The first political act of the new King was the amnesty, which affected 8,000 prisoners. Among them were lots of those who were accused of belonging to Islamist organizations. Terms of imprisonment were reduced for another 40 thousand prisoners.
Mohammed VI announced amnesty, without waiting for the 40-day mourning period, when he officially came to the throne. Before that, he addressed to the people with a speech and declared his commitment to “the principles of constitutional monarchy and political pluralism”.
Religion
The King of Morocco paid and pays special attention to the creation of positive image of Islam in the eyes of the world. At the same time he notes that a lot of tragic events happening in the world as, for example, terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 in USA media in many countries use for the purpose of slandering Islam. Moroccan monarch as consistent defender of Islam affirms that similar events and people behind them have nothing in common with Islam and its values. Mohammed VI dislike the fact, that most Western media set public opinion against Muslims, form negative attitude to everything connected with Islam, in spite of the Islamic solidarity with international community against terrorism and their huge contribution to consolidation of peace, international security, settlement of conflicts within the limits of international law.
The King of Morocco calls upon all Arab and Muslim states to do their best to prevent the Israel’s control over Arab part of Jerusalem. He also expresses his negative attitude to the fact that the government of Israel in violation of several UN resolutions, has started a campaign on judaization of Jerusalem. In particular, they are going to allow the Jews to enter one of the main Islamic sacred places - Al-Aqsa Mosque and this may lead to unfortunate results and “add fuel to the fire of conflict in the Palestinian territories”.
Mohammed VI reminded that Ariel Sharon’s visit to this mosque stimulated one of the Palestinian uprisings.
Moroccan monarch is deeply convinced, that it is necessary for Palestinians to restore their legal rights, to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital if they want to achieve peace and harmony.
Politics
Monarch does not always follow a strict protocol, striving to look democratic and accessible for ordinary people. Driving through the city, he sometimes stops his automobile and communicates with passersby without guard. However obvious sympathy for Western values alerts some people, who surround him, what, in their opinion, could adversely affects the stability of society.
