It is said no news is good news. But, it is all good news for the Moroccans in the month of November proving to be lucky. Mohammed Bennouna, an international jurist and a diplomat, was re-elected to a nine-year new term on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in New York starting on 6th February 2015. The Moroccan judge was re-elected after simultaneous rounds of voting in the UN General assembly and the Security Council. He secured 159 votes – the highest, though only 97 votes were required. He has been a judge of the ICJ since 2006. The legal luminary Bennouna is a recipient of the National Prize for Culture (Morocco), Medal for Culture (Yemen) and the Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour (France). He is the author of numerous books, essays and articles on international law.
Next, it was the turn of the Moroccan-American Nadine Hanafi to make Morocco proud. Nadine, a young entrepreneur was honoured at the United Nations in New York last week. She is among the most successful young entrepreneurs in the United States. She is the CEO of — We Are Visual Nadine, who is dedicated to doing away with mediocre presentations. She aims to empower people people through PowerPoint and use it as a tool to enhance their messages and points of view. About 75% of the neurons in the cerebral cortex are exclusively dedicated to processing visual information. In modern times, visual literacy is the new standard and medium of communication. Nadine’s company has changed the way people look at their visual presentations.
Then came the 20-something mellifluous singer Ibtissam from Fez who won the hearts of the Moroccans and became a new symbol of Moroccan patriotism with the fantastic performance of — Sawt El Hassan Yunadi at the Star Academy. The emblematic song was composed before the Green March in 1975. The song celebrates the identity of the “Moroccanness” of the Sahara. Ibtissam has rekindled patriotism among the Moroccans in a new style. She seems to be the new Umm Kalthoum born in Morocco this time.
To top it all, King Mohammed VI came out with a clear resolve and determination saying that Sahara will be a part of Morocco till the end of the time. The statement has endeared the King to his subjects like never before.
From the regal to the normal, the international horizon is lit up with the shining stars from Morocco. For now, every Moroccan heart seems to be beating at the soul-lifting patriotic melody – Sawt Al Hassan Yanadi and celebrating the highly successful milestones of the Moroccans.
By Ahmed Mohiuddin Siddiqui
[symple_box color=”blue” text_align=”left” width=”100%” float=”none”] Ahmed Mohiuddin Siddiqui is a reputed columnist and a political analyst on the international media scene. He writes for newspapers in Asia, Africa and Europe. He is quoted by noted authors in their books in Europe, particularly in Holland and Germany. He is considered an authority on the Middle East Affairs, diplomatic and international relations, Islamic Affairs and Awqaaf. He was quoted in the widely acclaimed book –Islam in South Asia: A Short History, published in Holland.
He started his journalistic career with The Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad, India and had the privilege of working with eminent journalists – P. N. V Nair, who gave him the break and then with A. T Jayanti, presently Editor of the Deccan Chronicle and the world renowned journalist and author M. J Akbar. He writes for The Moroccan Times, The Tunis Times, India Tomorrow, Bilkul, Etemaad, Urdu Daily and newspapers published from the Sultanate of Oman. His writings reflect the democratic and secular ideals necessary for peace and progress in a civilized world. [/symple_box]
