After a long and arduous battle against illness, Soumia Benkhaldoun, former Minister Delegate to the Minister of Higher Education and eminent figure in the Justice and Development Party (PJD), left us this Wednesday morning.
Many members and leaders of the PJD expressed their sadness and sorrow following the death of Soumia Benkhaldoun, sharing moving messages on their Facebook accounts. Her disappearance leaves a huge void within the party, thus depriving the movement of a renowned female figure.
Born in 1963 in Marrakech, Soumia Benkhaldoun held the position of Minister Delegate to the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Executive Training in the government of Abdelilah Benkirane.
This late leader left her mark on the militant path of the Islamist party, occupying leadership positions within Islamist women’s organizations. Her decision to marry her party colleague, Habib Choubani, a minister in Benkirane’s government, had aroused intense media attention. The couple eventually left the government together in a subsequent cabinet reshuffle.
In recent days, Soumia Benkhaldoun’s state of health had deteriorated. PJD activists, as well as his relatives, launched a solidarity campaign praying for his recovery.