Mohammed V of Morocco

For those of a similar name, see Mohamed V (disambiguation).

Mohammed V of Morocco
Sultan of Morocco (1927–57) King of Morocco (1957–61)
Reign	17 November 1927 – 26 February 1961
Predecessor	Yusef
Successor	Hassan II
Born	(1909-08-10)10 August 1909 Fes, Morocco
Died	Rabat, Morocco
Burial	Royal Mausoleum, Rabat, Morocco
Spouse	Lalla Hanila bint Mamoun Lalla Abla bint Tahar Lalla Bahia bint Antar
Issue	Princess Fatima Zohra Hassan II Princess Aicha Princess Malika Prince Abdallah Princess Nuzha Princess Amina
House	Alaouite dynasty
Father	Yusef
Mother	Lalla Yaqut
Religion	Sunni Islam

Mohammed V's tomb inside his mausoleum at Rabat, with Hassan II's tomb in the background

Sultan Mohammed V of Morocco visiting Lawrence Livermore Lab, United States, in 1957.

Mohammed V (10 August 1909 – 26 February 1961) (Arabic: محمد الخامس‎‎) was Sultan of Morocco from 1927–53, exiled from 1953–55, where he was again recognized as Sultan upon his return, and King from 1957 to 1961. His full name was Sidi Mohammed ben Yusef, or Son of (Sultan) Yusef, upon whose death he succeeded to the throne. He was a member of the Alaouite Dynasty.

On 20 August 1953, the French who were occupying Morocco at the time forced Mohammed V and his family into exile on Corsica. His uncle, Mohammed Ben Aarafa, was placed on the throne. Mohammed V and his family were then transferred to Madagascar in January 1954. Mohammed V returned from exile on 16 November 1955, and was again recognized as Sultan after active opposition to the French protectorate. In February 1956 he successfully negotiated with France for the independence of Morocco, and in 1957 took the title of King.

Holocaust

During the holocaust, the pro-Nazi Vichy Government of France controlled Morocco. In 1941, they attempted to enact laws that would discriminate against Moroccan Jews, setting quotas on the number of Jewish doctors and lawyers, ejecting students from French schools and forcing many Jews living in the European quarters to move to “Jewish areas”.

Mohammed V told Jewish leaders that in his opinion Vichy laws singling out the Jews were inconsistent with Moroccan law. He believed that Jews should be treated equally with Muslims. He emphasized that the property and lives of the Moroccan Jews remained under his protection. “There are no Jews in Morocco. There are only subjects,” the King was reported to have said. In a blatant show of defiance the King insisted on inviting all the rabbis of Morocco to the 1941 throne celebrations. Due to his strong stance, Vichy administrators were unable to implement their discriminatory laws and the Jewish community was saved.

Later on, in response to anti-Jewish rhetoric in the wake of the creation of the State of Israel, Mohammed V warned Muslims not to hurt Moroccan Jews, reminding them that Jews had always been protected in Morocco.

Personal life

Mohammed V with his family in Madagascar, 1954.

Mohammed V was one of the sons of Sultan Yusef, who was enthroned by the French in September 1912 and his wife Lalla Yaqut, who was of Turkish origin.

His first wife was Lalla Hanila bint Mamoun. She was the mother of his first daughter Lalla Fatima Zohra.

His second wife was his first cousin Lalla Abla bint Tahar (Arabic: لالا عبلة بنت طهار‎‎) (born 5 September 1909 – died 1 March 1992). She was the daughter of Moulay Mohammed Tahar bin Hassan, son of Hassan I of Morocco. She married Mohammed V in 1929 and died in Rabat on 1 March 1992. She gave birth to five children: the future King Hassan II, Lalla Aicha, Lalla Malika, Moulay Abdallah and Lalla Nuzha.

His third wife was Lalla Bahia bint Antar, mother of his last daughter Lalla Amina.

Death

He died on 26 February 1961 following complications of a surgery he received.

Legacy

The Mohammed V International Airport and Stade Mohamed V of Casablanca are named after him, as well as numerous universities and various public spaces across Morocco. There is an Avenue Mohammed V in nearly every Moroccan city and a major one in Tunis, Tunisia.

In December 2007, The Jewish Daily Forward reported on a secret diplomatic initiative by the Moroccan government to have Mohammed V admitted to the Righteous Among the Nations.

Honours

• Order of Blood of the Tunisian Republic
• Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour of the French Republic-1927
• Companion of the Order of Liberation of the French Republic-1945
• Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit of the United States-1945
• Grand Collar of the Order of the Yoke and Arrows of Francoist Spain-03/04/1956
• Grand Collar of the Order of Idris I of the Kingdom of Libya-1956
• Collar of the Order of the Hashemites of the Kingdom of Iraq-1956
• Grand Cordon of the Order of Umayyad of Syria-1960
• Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of Lebanon, special class-1960
• Collar of the Order of the Nile of the Republic of Egypt-1960
• Collar of the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali of Jordan-1960
• Grand Cordon of the King Abdulaziz Decoration of Saudi Arabia-1960

See also

• History of Morocco
• List of Kings of Morocco
• Mausoleum of Mohammed V
• Mohamed V Dam
• Mohammed V University

References

• David Bensoussan, Il était une fois le Maroc : témoignages du passé judéo-marocain, éd. du Lys, www.editionsdulys.com, Montréal, 2010 (ISBN 2-922505-14-6); Second edition : www.iuniverse.com, Bloomington, IN, 2012, ISBN 978-1-4759-2608-8, 620p. ISBN 978-1-4759-2609-5 (ebook);

External links

• History of Morocco (French)

Regnal titles
Preceded by Yusef	Sultan of Morocco 1927–1953	Succeeded by Mohammed Ben Aarafa
Preceded by Mohammed Ben Aarafa	Sultan of Morocco 1955–1957	Succeeded by Himself as King
Preceded by Himself as Sultan	King of Morocco 1957–1961	Succeeded by Hassan II