Since late november, i had been working away at malika oufkir s freedom. Malika was taken away from her family and remained confined within the palace at rabat for 14 years. Malika oufkir was born into a proud berber family in 1953, the eldest daughter of. With an introduction by amy wilentz, malika oufkir, 1953. Shes elegant, slender, and quite beautiful, but, as she says, i am not normal. Survivor and story teller malika oufkir, 48, in her paris apartment. Washington report on middle east affairs, april 1991, page 38 maghreb mirror morocco frees family of former minister after 18 years in prison by jamal amiar one of the longest sagas of captivity in this century ended on feb. King hassan ll, princess amina and right her companion, malika, at the age of eight in 1961.
Malika oufkir s first book, stolen lives, told the horrific story of her 20year imprisonment in morocco. A heartrending account in the face of extreme deprivation and the courage with which one family faced its fate, stolen lives is an unforgettable story of one womans journey to freedom. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. But when malika was eighteen, in 1972, her father was arrested after an attempt to. Malika oufkir is the eldest daughter of mohamed oufkir. I just finished reading stolen lives by malika oufkir. Jun 01, 2001 in stolen lives, malika recounts the long years that she, her five siblings, and her mother spent trying to survive in the worst of conditions. Her gums were white, her earth complexion, she ran out of nails on her toes.
Born in 1953, malika oufkir was the eldest daughter of general oufkir, the king of moroccos closest aide. Poor mimi also had so many and so big that she lost litres of blood every day by the cracked wounds. Princess lalla amina 8 april 1954 16 august 2012 was a member of the moroccan royal. The story of my second life, a brief but almost entirely unsatisfactory book.
What a great book, the story is so interesting and true, the lady lives in paris. Adopted by the king at the age of five, malika spent most of her childhood and adolescence in the seclusion of the court harem, one of the most eligible heiresses in the kingdom, surrounded by luxury and extraordinary privilege. The eldest of six children of the closest aide and friend of king hassan ii, oufkir spent most of her childhood and adolescence in the seclusion of the court harem, surrounded by luxury. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Nov 07, 2000 malika oufkir was born into a proud berber family in 1953, the eldest daughter of the king of moroccos closest aide. Recaptured after five days, malika was finally able to leave morocco and begin a new life in exile in 1996.
I came to know about her book quite inadvertently as i was sharing some memories of morocco with a friend. Malika oufkir was born into a wellconnected moroccan family and when she was five years old she was chosen to be the special companion of lalla mina, king muhammad vs daughter. She fought all odds and mounted a daring escape that eventually brought their. Watch the cspan collection of videos, access clips including recent appearances by malika oufkir. Leser interviews malika oufkir, the woman who has retold their story in an amazing book. Even in the safety of her austere flat in pariss dull th arrondissement, malika oufkir finds it difficult to talk about her terrifying 24 years as a prisoner of moroccos king hassan ii. Twenty years in a desert jail audio cd abridged, audiobook. A gripping memoir that reads like a political thrillerthe story of malika oufkir s turbulent and remarkable life.
Malika oufikir, aided by writer michele fitoussi, recounts the plunge from the heights of an extremely privileged, if secluded, life, mostly lived at the royal moroccan court, and a life which later landed herself and her family into gaol, in 1972. In february of 1961, when oufkir was 7, the king died and was. Malika oufkir was born on april 2, 1953 in marrakech, morocco. Malika oufkir was born into a proud berber family in 1953, the eldest daughter of the king of moroccos closest aide. Malika oufkir thumbs through her frenchenglish pocket dictionary, searching for the. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Original french language edition of oprahs book pick stolen lives. Malika says that even though her siblings are middle age or close to it, after spending 20 years in prison they are still being exposed to things which most of us take for granted. Malika oufkir was born on april 02, 1953 66 years old. Malika oufkir and her family spent more than twenty years in prison at the hands of the moroccan government. Lalla amina was married to the doctor sharif moulay idris alwazani and had one. Three years later, in 1961, king muhammad died and his son, hassan ii, ascended the throne.
She is the daughter of general mohamed oufkir and a cousin of fellow. Freedom by moroccan writer malika oufkir is such a book. She is the daughter of general mohamed oufki r and a cousin of fellow moroccan writer and actress leila shenn a. However, malika s extraordinary story starts long before this took place. She is the daughter of general mohamed oufkir and a cousin of fellow moroccan writer and actress leila shenna. Malika oufkirs mother, fatima, also wrote a book about that.
Escaped princess fears fury of hassan world news the guardian. And lalla amina, daughter of the late king mohamed 5 and sister of late king. In the introduction of malika oufkirs book stolen lives, the coauthor michele. This is the printed condensation of their amazing survival.
Born in 1953, malika oufkir was the eldest daughter. Stolen lives, malika oufkir s intensely moving account of her twenty years imprisoned in a desert jail in morocco, was a surprise international best seller and the second nonfiction title ever selected for oprahs book club. Stolen lives, by malika oufkir and michele fitoussi. Aug 16, 2019 born in 1953, malika oufkir was the eldest daughter of general oufkir, the king of moroccos closest aide. Impossible in these conditions to go to the bathroom. Perhaps i would have appreciated it more had i read her previous book about her familys twentyyear imprisonment by the moroccan government, but she leaves out key details and a coherent. Escaped princess fears fury of hassan world news the. She has been the chairwoman of the moroccan red crescent since 1967.
For more than 11 years, malika oufkir lived in the royal palace of rabat. Malika oufkir was born into a wellconnected moroccan family and when she was five years old she was chosen to be the special companion of lalla mina, king. The young king lent heavily on general oufkir when he came to the. She was dying in front of us and we couldnt do anything. It is only two years since malika, her mother and her five brothers and sisters. Upon the royal familys return to morocco, malika oufkir, daughter of a favored general, was informally adopted into the royal family to be a companion to the princess. From palace to prison a year ago, when moroccos crown prince sidi mohammed announced the death of his father king hassan ii, malika oufkir had more reason than most to reflect. She was adopted by the king to be a companion to his little daughter, and at the royal court of rabat, malika grew up locked away in a golden cage, among the royal wives and concubines. Malika oufkir finds it difficult to talk about her terrifying 24 years as a prisoner of moroccos king hassan ii. Princess lalla malika born 14 march 1933 is a sister of the late king hassan ii of morocco, and daughter of king mohammed v of morocco and his second wife, lalla abla bint tahar.
About the book malika oufkir and her family spent more than twenty years in prison at the hands of the. In truth, there is almost nothing normal about oufkir. Filled with honesty, emotion, and humor, stolen lives is a gripping and heartrending account of one familys unbreakable bond and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Muhammad v as a companion for his favorite daughter, little princess lalla mina. The voice in freedom is different than that in stolen lives because only oufkir wrote this book, whereas two other authors contributed to stolen lives. Subscribe to the oprahs book club newsletter sign up for the oprahs book. Clint willis, clint willis, malika oufkir, malika oufkir, client willis, williseditorclint, clint edited by willis, edited by clint willis, malika oufkir, 1953. Malika, who spent many years living at the palace as a companion to princess amina, suddenly found. Considering the volatile and vulnerable era in which we now live, oufkirs story of her years during. Everything name meaning, origin, pronunciation, numerology, popularity and more information about malika at wikiname. Malika is the eldest daughter of ganeral oufkir, who, in 1972, was the head of the attempted murder of hassan ii, father of the current king of morocco. Jun 17, 2001 in 1987, malika and three of her siblings briefly escaped and alerted the world to their plight, forcing hassan ii eventually to free the whole family from their medieval detention. Adopted by the king at the age of five, malika spent most of her childhood and adolescence in the seclusion of the court harem, one of the most eligible heiresses in the. Lalla amina lived in a separate villa to be raised more normally and away from court intrigue and jealousy.
Malika oufkir is a moroccan writer and former disappeared. The story of my second life a sequel to stolen lives author malika oufkir describes relearning how to live as a free person. Oufkir was killed and his wife and six children were kept in prison for 20 years for his crime. A gripping memoir that reads like a political thrillerthe story of malika oufkirs turbulent and remarkable life. Join facebook to connect with malika oufkir and others you may know. The story of my second life a sequel to stolen lives author malika oufkir. Upon the royal familys return to morocco, malika oufkir, daughter of a favored general. Stolen lives, by malika oufkir and michele fitoussi bccls. They are the wife, six children, and a cousin of general mohammed oufkir, once. In 1972, her father, the king of moroccos highest aide, was arrested and executed for his alleged part in a plot to assassinate the king. She is an actress, known for mektoub 1997, the rosie odonnell show 1996 and vol. On the gilded surface it looked like a childhood fairytale.
To write her book, she relived almost 20 years of horrifying captivity. Morocco frees family of former minister after 18 years in. In her highly anticipated followup, malika reflects on the life she lived before and during incarceration and how dramatically the world had changed. Upon the failure of general oufkir s coup detat against king hassan ii of morocco in 1972, this later decided to send all oufkir members, including his elder daughter, malika, who was an. Twenty years in a desert jail oprah edition malika oufkir tosses her fur coat onto the bed in her midtown manhattan hotel room.