Touria Chaoui

Touria Chaoui (Arabic: ثريا الشاوي; December 14, 1936, Fez, Morocco – March 1, 1956) was the first female Moroccan and Maghrebi aviator at the age of fifteen.

Early life

Chaoui was born on December 14, 1936, in Fez. Her father, Abdelwahed Chaoui, was an avant-garde journalist and theatre director and her mother was named Zina. She was one of two children, her brother Salah Chaoui is a renowned artist who resides in Vichy, France. In 1948, Chaoui's family moved from Fez to Casablanca to start a new life.

Filmography In 1946, at the age of thirteen, Chaoui played the role of a young Leila in The Seventh Door, a film by French director Andre Zwobada made in Fez. alt=A black and white photo of the funeral of Touria Chaoui in Morocco.

Assassination Touria Chaoui was killed on March 1, 1956, at the age of 19, while driving her younger brother Salah from school. Her killer was identified as Ahmed Touil, the leader of a secret organisation who assassinated several Moroccan political personalities. She is buried in the Ahl Fas cemetery, in Casablanca.