The world of media and culture in Morocco is in mourning. Khalil Hachimi Idrissi, Director General of the Moroccan Press Agency (MAP), passed away on Saturday morning in Rabat at the age of 67, after a long illness.
Born on August 14, 1956, in Casablanca, Khalil Hachimi became involved in media development at an early age and was one of the actors in the creation and development of intercultural and community communication in France in the early 1980s, where he collaborated with several radio stations. He graduated from the 3rd cycle of the Institute of Geography at the University of Paris I-Pantheon-Sorbonne, and was a columnist, senior reporter, and editor-in-chief for many years of the weekly “Maroc Hebdo international” before creating the generalist French-language daily newspaper “Aujourd’hui Le Maroc” in the year 2000.
In 2011, he was appointed Director General of the MAP by His Majesty King Mohammed VI. During Khalil Hachimi’s tenure, the Moroccan Press Agency experienced significant growth, becoming a public information hub. The deceased never stopped initiating innovative and colossal projects that completely changed the face of the MAP and gave it the splendor and radiance it currently boasts in its Arab and African environment.
Khalil Hachimi Idrissi was also President of the jury of the National Press Grand Prize in 2007 and President of the FMEJ (Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers) in 2008. He published several works including “Billets Bleus” (Blue Tickets) Moroccan chronicles 1994-2000.
As a man of letters, renowned journalist, and staunch defender of the independence of opinion, integrity, and sovereignty of Morocco, Khalil Hachimi Idrissi undoubtedly contributed to forging this precious Moroccan exception with pride and dignity, never compromising on these values. His passing is a great loss to the national media landscape and the world of arts and culture.
The funeral of the writer-journalist Khalil Hachimi Idrissi took place on Sunday at the Chouhada cemetery in Rabat, in the presence of his family, members of the government, and several actors from the world of politics, media, arts, and culture. Today, Morocco mourns a great man and a great media professional.
Madiha Dakir
