Mohamed Benaissa, Former Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Culture and Member of the BA BoT, Dies
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The Bibliotheca Alexandrina mourns former Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Culture and member of the Library's Board of Trustees, Mr. Mohamed Benaissa, who passed away today at the age of 88.
Benaissa began his career as a student of journalism in Egypt and, years later, he won a scholarship to pursue his studies at the University of Minnesota. He presided over the newspaper of one of the Moroccan parties, and represented his city of Asilah in Parliament. He also served as mayor of Asilah. He rose to political prominence when he served as Morocco's Minister of Culture, and was appointed Morocco's Ambassador to the United States for six years. He served as Foreign Minister from 1999 to 2007.
He was renowned for his constructive cultural vision, reflected in the Asilah Season, which turned the city into an Arab cultural destination that hosted a prominent cultural forum of activities and intellectual meetings for a whole month. The forum has won Al Owais Award for its cultural and enlightening role.
Benaissa received a number of honors and awards, most notably the Order of the Throne, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, the Boutros Ghali Award for Diplomacy and Peace, an honorary doctorate in law from the University of Minnesota, and the Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Best Cultural Figure in 2008.