Istiqlal offices in Casablanca

The Istiqlal or Independence Party (Arabic: حزب الإستقلال hizb al-istiqlāl, French: Parti de l'Istiqlal) is a political party in Morocco. The Independence Party ( Hizb al-Istiqlal) was a radical Arab nationalist party established on 13 August, 1932 in Palestine during the British mandate Casablanca (in Standard Arabic: الدار البيضاء ad-Dār al-Bayḍāʼ; Moroccan Arabic: dar beïda الدار البيضا Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa It is a conservative monarchist party and a member of the Centrist Democrat International. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment preservation or restoration of a Monarchy as a Form of government in a nation The Centrist Democrat International was until 2001 the Christian Democrat International (CDI and before that the Christian Democrat and People's Parties International

Originally founded in the 1940s, Istiqlal held strongly nationalist views and was the main political force struggling for the independence of Morocco. The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation For the party's leader Allal El Fassi, the independence would not be complete without the liberation of all the territories that once were part of Morocco, thus a proponent of "Greater Morocco". Muhammad Allal al-Fassi ( January 10, 1910 &ndash May 19, 1974) was a Moroccan politician writer poet and Islamic scholar Greater Morocco is a label used predominantly by critical sources largely in discussing the disputed Western Sahara to describe official and unofficial Moroccan He was often critical of the ruling monarchy, after being instrumental in liberating the country from French colonialism. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism Independence was achieved in 1956, and the party then moved into opposition against the monarchy, which had asserted itself as the country's main political actor. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising Together with the leftist UNFP, which split off from Istiqlal in 1959, and later the USFP, the Istiqlal would form the backbone of the opposition to King Hassan II in the years to come. The National Union of Popular Forces ( French language, Union Nationale des Forces Populaires, UNFP) was founded in 1959 in Morocco by Mehdi The Socialist Union of Popular Forces ( Arabic: الاتحاد الاشتراكي للقوات الشعبية French: Union Socialiste des Forces Populaires King Hassan II (صاحب الجلالة الملك الحسن الثاني class The Istiqlal party has taken part in many coalition governments from the late 1970s until the mid-'80s. In 1998, together with the USFP inside the Koutla and other smaller parties, the Istiqlal formed the Alternance, the first political experience in the Arab World where the opposition assumed power through the ballots. The Socialist Union of Popular Forces ( Arabic: الاتحاد الاشتراكي للقوات الشعبية French: Union Socialiste des Forces Populaires The Koutla (meaning Coalition in Arabic) is a political coalition between three Moroccan parties: The Istiqlal Party (Conservative and Nationalist The

In the parliamentary election held on 27 September 2002, the party won 48 out of 325 seats. Parliamentary elections were held in Morocco on September 27, 2002

In January 2006, Istiqlal criticized Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's visit to the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the north African coast, reflecting its nationalist heritage. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Prime Minister of Spain, (officially the President of the Government, Spanish: Presidente del Gobierno) is the Spanish Head of government José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (born 4 August 1960 better known by his maternal surname Zapatero (literally "shoemaker" in Spanish is the current Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain located on the Mediterranean, on the North African side of the Strait of Gibraltar, which Melilla is an autonomous city of Spain located on the Mediterranean, on the North African coast

Istiqlal won 52 out of 325 seats in the parliamentary election held on 7 September 2007, more than any other party,^[1] and subsequently the party's leader, Abbas El Fassi, was named Prime Minister by King Mohammed VI on 19 September 2007. Parliamentary elections were held in Morocco on 7 September 2007, the second of King Mohammed VI 's reign Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Abbas El Fassi ( Arabic: عباس الفاسي; born on September 18, 1940) has served as the Prime Minister of Morocco since King Mohammed VI (محمد السادس born in 1963 is the King of Morocco. Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[1][2]

References

External links

• Official site