Biography

Ahmed Abdessalam Bakkali

-Ancestry

Ahmed Abdessalam Bakkali descendant are from the noble lineage of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

His paternal grandfather led the Ahmed Abdessalam Bakkali Mujahideen in The Battle of Alcácer Quibir (also known as "Battle of Three Kings" (Arabic: معركة الملوك الثلاثة) or "Battle of Wadi al-Makhazin" (Arabic: معركة وادي المخازن) in Morocco) was fought in northern Morocco, near the town of Ksar-el-Kebir and Larache, on 4 August 1578. Wadi Al- Makhazen, which stopped the Portuguese Crusader’s invasion.

As for his maternal grandfather, Sidi Al-Khader Ghailan, he was a great military commander who the king of Morocco entrusted with the task of liberating the shores of Morocco from the Portuguese occupation. He liberated the city of Asilah where a large Mausoleums was built to commemorate his legacy.

- Education

He received his primary education in Asilah, where he memorized the Holy Qur’an at the hands of his father, the distinguished jurist, Abdessalam Bakkali, who was the director of the primary school. His father had multiple responsibilities as the imam of the Great Mosque, its preacher, the time keeper of the city, and its mufti, may God bless his soul.

During his early years, Ahmed Abdessalam Bakkali had access to his father’s private library where he learned about history, traditions and legacy. He also had access to international literature in his uncle Al-Hadi Ghailan’s library.

- Poetic Talent

In small, beautiful Asilah, surrounded by the old Portuguese wall, his poetic talent blossomed before he knew what poetry was. There was neither a poet nor a writer in the city! He loved the sea and nature, and absorbed popular Moroccan tales in its markets at the hands of tellers of ancient Arabic legends and , such as the tales of King Saif bin Dhi Yazan, Abu Zaid al-Hilali, Antara Ibn Shaddad, and others. He also explored to Western culture through his readings in Spanish and Arabic.

- Wonderful Tetouan

In late 1949, he moved to Tetouan to complete high school. Tetouan was the capital of the region under Spanish protectorate. In Tetouan he published his first poems in the magazine “Al-Anis” which was published by Professor Muhammad Al-Jahra and in the magazine “Al-Anwar” published by Pr. Ahmed Medina, the nephew of Abdelkhalek Torres, leader of the National Reform Party. He received the first award for a literary work published by Al-Anwar from Pr. Ahmed Medina amounting to one hundred pesetas. Which was quite significant at that time. It was a reward for his historical poetic play “The Death of Al-Khalkhali” about Pasha Al-Khalkhali, who poisoned the people of Asilah. ُThey revolted against him and besieged him in the “Saqqala” building, so he was forced to throw himself on the rocks of the sea and died! The patriots in the north saw the meaning behind the play at a time when tension was prevailing between them and the Spanish colonialists.

- Recognition And Awards

In Tetouan, he won several literary awards for his patriotic poetry in three competitions organized by the “News, Advertising and Travel Agency” affiliated with the Istiqlal (“independence”)Party, in Casablanca, in defiance of French colonialism! He also won several prizes in story competitions organized by the Moulay Hassan Ben Mahdi Institute in Tetouan. Many City notables came to visit him at the institute.

- Lifelong Friends

The starter point of a strong bond with lifelong friends was after a particular event during his time in Tetouan. He said : “People came to pay us a visit, my childhood friend Mohamed Bouanani and I at the institute in Tetouan. They wanted to hear directly from Bouanani about his reaction to the detrimental article that was published about him in one of the popular magazines “Afkar Al-Shabab,”. The article was from the head of an opponent organization about Bouanani’s inappropriate use of words during a meeting.

From there a coalition of Bouanani’s supporters gathered the next day in the house of Hassan Daoud, the son of the professor and historian, Sheikh Muhammad Daoud, to plan a counterattack! Among those present were Muhammad Molato, the poet Abdel Wahid Akhrif, and Al Mahdi Delero. A friendship was formed between us that lasted a lifetime!”

- In Egypt

In 1953, after the exile of King Mohammed V, Ahmed Abdessalam Bakkali traveled to Cairo,Egypt to continue his education where he joined the Faculty of Arts at Cairo University to study sociology. In parallel with his studies, he engaged in political activity with Moroccan, Algerian and Palestinian students against the two occupations, the French and the Zionist. He sent his poetry to Sawt al-Arab radio and to the Egyptian press. In Cairo, he published the first collection of short stories entitled “Tales from Morocco.”

- In America

In the summer of 1959, he traveled to the United States of America to pursue his graduate education in sociology at Columbia University in New York. He was exposed to the American literature and the model of free, democratic American life which was open to the world and to all cultures and people. In the summer of 1960, he took a long trip to the American West that left a lasting mark on his life, and made him understand the poetry of Walt Whitman, America’s greatest poet, more deeply, and during it he read a large number of Western classics.

- Return to Morocco

Feeling very nostalgic, he decided to return to Morocco in 1961, hoping to join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and be appointed to Washington. In Rabat, he joined the Ministry of Information instead, and became acquainted with a number of young writers. He was very active in in enriching the literary environment with his poetry, stories, and articles. The leading newspaper “Al-Alam” opened its doors to him thanks to its editor-in-chief, professor Abdel Karim Ghallab and to the talented journalist Abdul Jabbar Al-Suhimi. He published extensively under his name and under the pseudonym “Hassan Al-Sharif.” He gained fame and recognition during that time.

- Return to America

In 1962, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was appointed cultural attaché at the Moroccan embassy in Washington. There, he contributed, with his lectures in a number of states, to educating the American people, who were exposed to the largest brainwashing operation in history regarding the issues of Arab nations, most notably the issues of Algeria and Palestine’s colonization. He had many confrontations with a number of staunch Zionists, in a number of conferences and university meetings.

- In London

In 1965, he was appointed cultural attaché and consul general at the Moroccan embassy in London for two years, when Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Aisha ( the king’s sister) was appointed. He then returned to Washington as a cultural advisor during the time Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Nozha (the king’s sister) and Ambassador Ahmed Osman were appointed there.