Hicham Alaouí will give a lecture at Duke University in North Carolina on March 28. The title is “The Arab World Between Revolution and Counter-Revolution” . This lecture coincides with the return of the Arab Spring in countries like Sudan, Jordan and above all Algeria.
Hicham Alaoui was among the first intellectuals to describe the Arab Spring as a long process in time that requires sacrifices. In different articles in international newspapers such as Le Monde Diplomatique or Alquds Árabe, or conferences at universities such as Harvard, he stressed that the Counter Revolution is not going to triumph. It indicates that the will of the Arab peoples will prevail in the end.
Recently, he explained in an interview with BBC arabic (January 15, 2018) that the Arab peoples are determined to conquer democracy. Despite the attempts of countries like Saudi Arabia or UAE to sustain dictatorial regimes like Egypt.
Hicham Alaoui, the cousin of the King of Morocco Mohamed VI, from the mid-1990s began writing articles calling for democracy for Morocco and the Arab world. He is the only member of an Arab royal family who denounces the repression against freedom of expression. He was the only member of a royal family to denounce the murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In his book “Memories of an banished prince”, a personal biography, he offered a broad view of how traditional power works in Morocco called “The Makhjzen”. In an interview in France 24 (December 2018), he had requested from King Mohammed 6, 3 years ago, to be discharged from the title of prince.
Hicham Alaoui in BBC Arabic