|
|
H.M. the late King Hassan 11, 21st ruler of the Alawite Dynasty, which has reigned in Morocco since the mid 17th century, was born in Rabat on July 9, 1929. Under the rule of his late father, King Muhammad V, the young prince was given a traditional religious education, as well as a modern education, receiving a bachelor's degree and a doctorate in law from the University of Bordeaux in France.
Concurrent with his studies and alongside his father, H.R.H., Prince Moulay Hassan recevied political training, showing himself to be an ardent patriot and working towards the liberation of his country from the yoke of colonialism. Following the festive return of the royal family to Morocco, which put an end to the French Protectorate rule, Prince Moulay Hassan was appointed by King Muhammad V as the Royal Army Chief of Staff, in May 1956.
In July 1957, Moulay Hassan was officially assigned the authority and responsibilities of Crown Prince. On February 1961, following the death of his father King Muhammad V, Hassan II was proclaimed King of Morocco and was crowned ceremoniously on March 3, 1961. King Hassan II occupied the throne until his sudden death on Friday, July 23, 1999.
During the thirty-eight years of his reign, the
late King Hassan II proved to be a
distinguished ruler in the spirit of the Alawite tradition, an experienced statesman, highly knowledgeable, with great discriminative abilities and extraordinarily articulate. He devoted his life to transforming Morocco into a modern and stable country which would leave its mark on the world map.
King Hassan II is considered the architect of modern Morocco, due to his significant economic, social, cultural and architectual projects, all of which carry the mark of this unique sovereign.
King Hassan II is one of the prominent pioneers of the Middle East Peace Process. Within its framework he met with many Jewish and Israeli personages and assisted greatly in attaining peace between Israel and Egypt, and in the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. He was highly esteemed by both the Israelis and the Arabs for these efforts. He also invested great effort in promoting inter-religious dialog, showing respect and appreciation of the Jewish community in Morocco and its leaders. Under his rule, as under the rule of his father before, relationships between Jews and Moslems in Morocco flourished. He reiterrated his firm belief in the importance of peace for the flourishing of the Middle East, and repeated this vision once again less than three months before his death, at a reception he held for an Israeli delegation of ministers, Knesset members, rabbis and academics.
Yinon Beilin
Director Philatelic Service
