A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Monday, April 8, 2013

Morocco: Rumors About the King's Health

In Morocco, the monarch's heath is a taboo subject for the media: lèse majesté is still very much an offense. But here's an article (in French), from a French-language (and I gather, Paris-based) online site for Moroccan news, that goes ahead and repeats rumors that King Muhammad VI may be ailing.

Some may recall that back in 2009, the government shut down a publication and jailed its editor for publishing speculation on the King's health. Ironically, my post about that was my only previous post speculating about the King's health, but it clearly showed it's a sensitive subject.
     
For those who don't read French, a lot of the article is wispy and speculative: that the King has put on weight and doesn't look as vigorous as he once did; Spanish reports claiming he'd had surgery secretly in Europe: speculation about lung or kidney or liver ailments, all seemingly without much to back them up. For all I know the King is perfectly healthy, but it's a reminder that when any subject is absolutely taboo, rumors will be circulated.

1 comment:

xoussef said...

Speculations about Kings'health, state of mind, court intrigues and private affairs of all royals are a staple of Moroccan culture, but since nothing is ever official, it's very hard to print. Verifiable sources, pesky things like that. Luckily Demainonline rarely bother with such things :)