[Image]The King was in Fez for the Prophet's Birthday (Id Al-mawlid) and the celebrations and security brought parts of the Medina to a standstill. With Mohammed VI going to the Kerouyine Mosque for evening prayers, people lined the streets as far back as Bab R'Cif. The genuine love of the people for their king was evident as crowds were gathering and the excitement building hours in advance. Trying to get from one end of the vegetable souq to the other, a stroll that usually takes about ten minutes - took almost an hour. Visitors to Morocco must have been counting themselves lucky to see the festivities and witness the streams of people, all in the best outfits, making their way into the Medina. Troops of singers in fine cream djellabas, businessmen in smart Parisian suits, soldiers and police all dressed in their finest.

Yesterday the King also sent congratulation messages to Muslim heads of state on the occasion of Id Al-mawlid in which he wished them health, happiness, progress and prosperity.

The King said "Such a happy commemoration inspires us through the exemplary conduct of our venerable prophet (PBUH) who embodied most beautifully the lofty and tolerant values of Islam, which call for honoring Mankind."

"By preaching fraternity, justice, and moderation, these ideals favor pacific paths and highlight dialogue, tolerance, co-existence, and interaction among religions and civilizations. They reject, however, extremism, ostracism, violence, and all forms of aggression."

"Brilliantly illustrated by the prophet's conduct," the sovereign went on, "these ideals should remain the beacon that enlightens and unites our Umma. They should also pave the way for strengthened cooperation among the peoples of the Umma (Muslim nations) so that they would substantially contribute to civilization."

As is usual on these occasions, some 566 people were granted royal pardon on Wednesday on the occasion of Id Al-mawlid , including the commutating of the death penalty to life imprisonment for four convicts. The King granted total pardon to four convicts, while 466 inmates had their sentenced reduced. Another 30 convicts had the remaining of their imprisonment terms annulled or reduced and 10 people had their prison terms annulled, with the maintenance of the fine.

The pardon on the imprisonment term and the fine sentences benefited two people, while 50 people had their fine sentences cancelled.

High profile prankster released.

Among those pardoned by King Mohammed VI is Fouad Mourtada, the 27-year-old engineer who spent 43 days in jail for creating a fake Facebook profile of the king’s brother, Crown Prince Moulay Rachid. His release had been expected as Moroccan blogosphere has spearheaded an international campaign against his imprisonment. News of Fouad's release flashed around the world - the story being picked up and run on mainstream news services from CNN to the BBC. "This is a great relief," Reporters Without Borders said in a statement.
And the man himself? "I'm going to continue my life normally. I'm going to rest a bit, and think about my future," Mourtada said. "Above all, I am a computer engineer. It's my career — I like my field."



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