Comedian Jamel Debbouze’s Father, Ahmed Touzani, Dies in Morocco

Ahmed Touzani had been admitted to a clinic in Marrakech after being affected by a "sudden illness." His health did not improve until his death last Sunday. The same day, the funeral prayer (janaza) was organized at the Koutoubia mosque in the presence of Jamel Debbouze and his family. They then went to a cemetery in the ochre city where Ahmed Touzani’s funeral took place.

Ahmed Touzani had made appearances in documentaries about his son, like Jamel en vrai. "He loved us in his own way, in his own way. My father was born in a stable like Jesus, with straw and goats around him, so of course, it’s a world that separates us. He did with what he could, he was uprooted from his country of origin, his friends and his family. He made a sacrifice that I would not have made for mine..." Jamel Debbouze had said in November 2018 on the "Sept à Huit" program on the French channel TF1.

Ahmed Touzani had worked at the RATP. He had been forced to change his name on the civil status of his family for "administrative reasons." Hence, the surname Debbouze. This is actually the maiden name of Jamel Debbouze’s mother, Fatima. The deceased leaves behind five children.