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Moroccan King Cancels Annual Official Birthday Celebration Starting 2019

Moroccan King Cancels Annual Official Birthday Celebration Starting 2019
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Moroccan King Cancels Annual Official Birthday Celebration Starting 2019

Moroccan King Cancels Annual Official Birthday Celebration Starting 2019

The Ministry of the Royal Household has announced that King Mohammed VI will no longer celebrate his birthday with the official annual ceremony at the royal palace.

The celebration is traditionally held every August 21, which also marks the celebration of Youth Day, commemorating the youths’ contribution to Morocco’s liberation.

It also follows the celebration of the king and the people’s revolution on August 20, which commemorates the resistance of Moroccans to French colonialism and their uprising led by late King Mohammed V.

The decision comes a few months after the Ministry of the Royal Household called on institutions across Morocco to commemorate the Throne Day without undue extravagance on July 30, which marked this year two decades since King Mohammed VI’s reign.

Morocco first celebrated Youth Day in July 1956, four months after liberating the Kingdom. Crown Prince Moulay Hassan’s first birthday was chosen to mark this day.

“When Morocco first celebrated the Youth Day in the independence era in 1956, it was a great celebration that has become historic,” said Ahmad Bensouda, minister of youth in the Moroccan government of 1956.

“For the first time in Morocco’s freedom and independence, young people met from all over the Kingdom to celebrate their icon Prince Moulay Hassan’s birthday,” he added, noting that it marked a beginning to their determination and will to build their country and fight the greatest battle.

“I was then minister of youth, and the slogan chosen by late King Mohammed V for that day was (Youth Day).”

“The King gave the celebration of Morocco’s youth a symbol and content embodied in what the Crown Prince represented, including the ambition and will.”

He further noted that the celebration was a way to express creativity and the amount of production young people are capable of achieving.

When King Mohammed VI of Morocco took office in 1999, he maintained the tradition of celebrating Youth Day and changed its date from July 9 (King Hassan II’s birthday) to August 21, King Mohammed VI’s birthday.

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Iraqi Foreign Minister: We Have Received Explicit Israeli Threats

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
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Iraqi Foreign Minister: We Have Received Explicit Israeli Threats

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated on Friday that Iraq has received explicit threats from Israel, adding that the country’s armed forces have been instructed by the prime minister to prevent any attacks originating from Iraqi territory.

According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed the armed forces to take action against anyone launching attacks from the country. The foreign minister emphasized that Iraq does not seek war and aims to avoid its dangers, noting that the region is “on fire” and facing “clear threats from Israel.”

The agency also reported that the Iraqi government has requested an emergency meeting of the Arab League Council to address Israeli threats. Iraq’s permanent representative to the Arab League submitted a request for a session at the level of permanent representatives of member states to confront what was described as menaces from the “Zionist entity.”

Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that he had sent a message to the president of the UN Security Council urging immediate action against activities of Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Sa’ar asserted that the Iraqi government bears responsibility for any actions occurring within or emanating from its territory.

Meanwhile, Iraqi officials have expressed pessimism about the outcome of the ongoing war in the Middle East. Nevertheless, they emphasized Baghdad’s commitment to supporting efforts to achieve lasting peace and security.

Speaking at the American University Forum in Duhok on Friday, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani highlighted that the challenges facing Iraq have fundamentally changed since October 7.

He described the current situation in the Middle East as a “second Nakba”, stressing that the challenges stem from the failure of the international system, which he described as “ambiguous.”

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid stated that Iraq would play its role in promoting peace in the Middle East and expressed his full support for efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue in Türkiye.

Speaking at the Duhok Forum, Rashid said that Iraq and the region are facing circumstances that require all parties to closely monitor the situation and find appropriate solutions to ongoing problems, emphasizing the need for lasting peace and security.

Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, called for Iraq to remain neutral in the conflict, saying: “The crises in the region and the scenes of war in Lebanon and Gaza are tragic. We hope this suffering will come to an end.”

“We are all awaiting changes following the US presidential election. All indications suggest that a Trump administration will adopt a different approach compared to President Biden’s policies,” he added.

The Iraqi government has stated that under the Strategic Framework Agreement and security pact with the United States, Washington is responsible for “deterring and responding to any external attacks that threaten Iraq’s internal security.”

According to media reports, the US has informed Baghdad that Israeli military strikes on Iraq are “imminent” unless Baghdad prevents Iran-backed factions from launching attacks against Israel.