Mohamed Basri
Encyclopedia
Mohamed Basri widely known as Fqih Basri (born in Demnate
, Morocco
in 1920, was a lifelong political activist and Moroccan regime opponent; he died October 14, 2003 in Chefchaouen
, Morocco
.
He was buried the 15 October 2003 in Casablanca
, Morocco
).
Mohamed Basri was nicknamed 'Fqih Basri', since he had begun his studies at a Quranic school before entering, in 1944, Marrakech
's Ben Youcef University, where he first joined the armed struggle against the French colonizers of Morocco.
In 1954, he was arrested by the authorities of the French Protectorate and imprisoned at Kenitra
; the next year, he succeeded in escaping from the prison along with 37 other insurgents.
After independence, while commanding the National Liberation Army of the South, he helped found the UNFP, a socialist party that split from the Istiqlal party in 1959, and headed its daily newspaper, Al-Tahrir.
He was arrested and tortured for supposedly taking part in the so-called 'July 1960 Plot' against the monarchy, and again in 1963.
In 1966, he chose voluntary exile, not returning to Morocco until June, 1995. After his exile he was repeatedly implicated by the regime in various real and imagined plots against the monarchy, and repeatedly sentenced to death in absentia.
Victim of a heart attack, Basri died soon after a Paris surgical operation.
Demnate
Demnate is a town in central Morocco, in the Atlas Mountains. It is located at around . Demnate is a mid-sized city, of 40 thousand and is larger than Azilal. Located at the foot of the high Atlas Mountains roughly 110 km east of Marrakech. The majority of the Demnate population speaks...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in 1920, was a lifelong political activist and Moroccan regime opponent; he died October 14, 2003 in Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen or Chaouen is a city in northwest Morocco. It is the chief town of the province of the same name, and is noted for its buildings in shades of blue....
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
He was buried the 15 October 2003 in Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
).
Mohamed Basri was nicknamed 'Fqih Basri', since he had begun his studies at a Quranic school before entering, in 1944, Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
's Ben Youcef University, where he first joined the armed struggle against the French colonizers of Morocco.
In 1954, he was arrested by the authorities of the French Protectorate and imprisoned at Kenitra
Kenitra
Kenitra is a city in Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey. It is a port on the Sebou River, has a population in 2004 of 359,142 and is the capital of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region. During the Cold War Kenitra's U.S...
; the next year, he succeeded in escaping from the prison along with 37 other insurgents.
After independence, while commanding the National Liberation Army of the South, he helped found the UNFP, a socialist party that split from the Istiqlal party in 1959, and headed its daily newspaper, Al-Tahrir.
He was arrested and tortured for supposedly taking part in the so-called 'July 1960 Plot' against the monarchy, and again in 1963.
In 1966, he chose voluntary exile, not returning to Morocco until June, 1995. After his exile he was repeatedly implicated by the regime in various real and imagined plots against the monarchy, and repeatedly sentenced to death in absentia.
Victim of a heart attack, Basri died soon after a Paris surgical operation.