Said Hajji Explained

Said Hajji
سعيد حجي
Birth Date:29 February 1912
Birth Place:Salé, Morocco
Nationality:Moroccan
Occupation:Journalist
Known For:Journalism
Political Activism

Said Hajji (in Arabic: سعيد حجي) (Salé, 29 February 1912 – 2 March 1942) was a Moroccan journalist and thinker. He was known as the founder of the "Moroccan Nationalist Press".[1] and was one of the first Moroccan journalists during the French Protectorate in Morocco.

His life

Said Hajji was born on 29 February 1912, in the old town of Salé, in Morocco, one month before the signing of the Treaty of Fes, marking the start of the French Protectorate in Morocco.

Said started to be interested in politics since a very young age, where he engaged with his brothers and friends in different initiatives, both in politics and journalism. Said was an active member of the Istiqlal Party, asking for the independence of Morocco. In 1937, he founded the Arabic-language newspaper Al-Maghrib (Morocco), criticizing French colonialism.[2] His newspaper was censored several times by the colonial authorities.[3]

Said Hajji died young at the age of 30, due to a chronic condition.[4] His legacy is still present in Morocco, especially in his hometown Salé, where a neighborhood is named after him, as well as a school and a cultural center.

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://said.hajji.org/en/appendices/said-hajji-founder-of-the-moroccan-national-press-in-arabic Said Hajji: Founder of the Moroccan National Press in Arabic.
  2. News: تاريخ الصحافة العربية – المغرب. 11 May 2016. الجزيرة الوثائقية. ar.
  3. https://zamane.ma/fr/la-saga-de-la-presse-marocaine-24/ Said Hajji – The Early Genius of the Press – Zamane (2019) – In French.
  4. https://said.hajji.org/fr/retombees-de-presse/telquel-no-360-14-25-fevrier-2009-samir-achehbar His Majesty the Press – Telquel (2009) – In French.