Comments on: What is the Moroccan Identity?

By: DHH

DHH — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 01:11:49 +0000

Hi, I am new to Talk Morocco. I wish I had found this site earlier.

I have been in Morocco now for 9 years. Though originally Dutch I have travelled the world for my work for years and lived in many countries but Morocco for me is the best place and now I know I will remain here to my last days.

What is a Moroccan, that is a tough one, I think it comes down not to passport or blood but to someone who loves, has pride and is willing to protect this land. That they identify with the country, its land, history and culture.

I say that for two reasons. The first it that Morocco by ethnicity is Arab, the various Berber communities, Andalous, Saharaoui, French, Spanish and a few others that have been born here.

The second reason, based on the above, I can add that there are Moroccans abroud, a huge expatriat commuity whom either love and support or have nothing to do with the hard work that people put in making this country grow and prosper. What about us that are devoted to this country? There are those Europeans, for example, like myself who have devoted ourselves, invested and done everything to protect both the economy and image of this country.

I might be tall, blue-eyed and obviously Euorpean ethnically, but I speak Arabic, some Amazigh (which most Arabs do not), I have been to every corner of this country, every souk almost, I must have my “a tay and bissara” every morning, why can I not say that I am also carrying a Moroccan identity as well? I certainly, when visiting Rotterdam, feel more Moroccan than Dutch and almost immediately end up at a Moroccan café by the end of each day….

Ma’asalama
DHH
Marrakech

By: Fatiha

Fatiha — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 23:27:48 +0000

Tamazight official in Morocco!! How about that guys??!

By: Asiyaa

Asiyaa — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:48:04 +0000

Simo, good for you. I am muslim too, I have all the respect for Arabs, but I am not one of them. Beacause God didn´t create me like that.

The final for me here.

The best to you all (Arab, berber or whatever:)

By: Manus McManus

Manus McManus — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:34:06 +0000

@ Simo
You need to accept that Morocco is not a homogenous nation. Morocco is a country of nations and only devolvement of power could create a climate of inclusiveness and self-determination. Morocco has a centralised autocratic political system where many components of its society feel marginalised. Denying this fact is not going to make these issues disappear but make them worst. Over half a century after independence, Morocco is the most illiterate country in the Arab world and Africa, making it the 162 in the literacy list out of 180 countries by the United Nations Development Programme. Arabisation was designed to create a nation of subjugated citizens deprived of any self-confidence. To put it bluntly the regime designed spineless docile subjects to rule with a free hand. The proof is in the pudding, if this education system was any good , the regime’s children would have use it instead of using foreign, mainly French, private schools and ship them to the best Universities abroad.

By: Simo

Simo — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:00:22 +0000

@Asiyaa: because of the arabization of morocco through the ceinturies I wouldn’t know if I am a real arab or not , maybe one of my grandfathers was just arabized. But still, I am very proud to belong to the arab race not because of it’s bad side and the politics we see nowadays but just to hve the honor belonging to the race of the prophet (saw) which was Arab.

By: Asiyaa

Asiyaa — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:11:28 +0000

Arabization is a curse. And yes Simo, you are right: berbers are its victims. But not only berbers. Egyptians aren’t arabs either, but they have invented arabization! It’s a struggle to get the truth out in the open again, the truth being that arabs belong to the middle east and that speaking arabic doesn’t make you arab (which refers to a race!).

By: Simo

Simo — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 23:31:12 +0000

I guess this all about complexes and victim role. The topic is talking about the moroccan identity nowdays in form of behaviour, civilisation, standaards, …etc and not about riffians, soussi or arabs. And what does our berber brothers and sisters does? attack as a form of selfdefence, man! it’s not about berberiy or arabism of morocco! get some selfconfidence, it s good for your health.

By: Asiyaa

Asiyaa — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:50:10 +0000

Dag Redact. Jij komt ook uit NL zo te zien? Ze hebben de betreffende berichten inmiddels weer geplaatst. Gaat niet helemaal lekker daar bij de mods… Anyway, aangenaam kennis te maken.

By: Manus McManus

Manus McManus — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:35:54 +0000

I really take offence when every Dick Tom and Harry assumes that every Moroccan is necessarily a Muslim. Firstly, there is a growing Humanist movement in Morocco that is making itself slowly but surely more assertive. Secondly our identities are complementary not exclusive. One can be many things at the same time and also relates more to one identity than another. Being Moroccan is accidental and I do not see why I should proud or not for being something that was totally out of my hand. My identity is based on universal human values not on orthodoxy and outdated dogma.

By: Manus McManus

Manus McManus — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:33:59 +0000

I really take offence when every Dick Tom and Harry assumes that every Moroccan is necessarily a Muslim. Firstly, there is a growing Humanist movement in Morocco that is making itself slowly but surely more assertive. Secondly our identities are complementary not exclusive. One can be many things at the same time and also relates more to one identity more than another. Being Moroccan is accidental and I do not see why I should be proud or not proud for being something that was totally out of my hand. My identity is based on universal human values not on orthodoxy and outdated dogma.

By: samira

samira — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:58:28 +0000

It’s very annoying that the mods decided to moderate all comments. Especially since they didn’t motivate the decision.

I don’t mean to sound paranoid but it happened right after I used the common darija word for penis in a comment (not as a curse word, mind you, but to refer to the sexual organ). Well…I did sound paranoid…

By: Redact

Redact — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 17:27:17 +0000

If messages are deleted on this site, I am gone too. And it must be denounced it to the public as well.

Asiya, could you please send me a copy of the message deleted? My e-mail is: redact@souss.nl

–

By: Asiyaa

Asiyaa — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 10:27:52 +0000

Too bad you deleted my message (and don’t understand why to be honest). Guess I’m done with this website. Have a nice day all.

By: Aasiya

Aasiya — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:48:38 +0000

To all the people here who make a stand for Amazigh. I am proud of you. It is because of people like you that Morocco will remember it is berber again. To Simov: the ‘tough’ berbermen who will are here on this site!

By: gallouj

gallouj — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 21:03:25 +0000

hi again

it seems that there is a hard talk and i was absent and busy with other things.
Mr Simo i seek you just to understand what the identity means ? that ’s it and do not mix things. because identity in Morocco is not chosen , i mean you do not have right to choose your own identity but you are obliged to say that my identity is an amazigh . and language has nothing to do with identity as i have already mentioned in the aforesaid article. there is only one identity in morocco. as there is only one identity and arab aljazeera Egypt, palestine, saaudia, and so on all these countries have only one identity which is an arab identity. i hope that you get the point. and asking for your identity and your rights does not mean that we do not like unity or we wanna destroy morocco or distinguish between people this is 3roubi or rifi or chel7i or …. you can only join the aforementioned article that i stated you will at least understand what we mean by identity.

By: wafae B

wafae B — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:33:37 +0000

to came to an and ,living in a diffrent socaity at all the levals is the secret behind the succed of and the devolepment of the mankind l maen bing deffrent is importent because it help as ingage with others in debats and formal dialougs that help in creat an universal values,attituds,opinions.whish maens that the irony of this age is to try to understant others opionins by not irritat them and disagree whith their opionins ,and go on whith this multculturlism under the name of tolerence and respect .

By: Asiyaa

Asiyaa — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 09:02:19 +0000

An Amazigh in an Arabized Morocco is always in a disadvantage, because he doesn’t speak the language or doesn’t speak it well. Yes, it can be learned but he begins with a disadvantage. Recognition of Tamazight is imperative for freedom for Imazighen in their own country. Furthermore, I knowfrom Riffi family how made it to universities in Oujda and other Arabized places that the mere mention of a Riffi-background is not beneficial to ones carreer; this is flat out racism.

By: Simov

Simov — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:16:16 +0000

Bad understood, Islam is absolutly not equal arabization. Arabic is leading in Islam, speaking arabic doesn’t make you an Arab. You can be Turk, Amazigh or indonesian but still be good in Arabic to understand your religion wel. Quran kan be translated, but the translation is no Koran.
By the way why all this hate for arabic nation. If we love an artist like Bob Marley we all want to have Rasta, Rap wel all dress like the artist bovenall we all want to feel American or Jamaican. We all want to feel french just because french is sexy. And when the prophet is still Arab we don’t want to be associated with Arabs. As a muslim we can be proud of our origin and Identity (Arab, Imazighen, Turk, european revert russian..etc ) and at the same time proud of the arabity of The prophet (sws). There is nothing bad with being proud of own identity, bad and dangerious is secte feeling and extremism.

By: Asiyaa

Asiyaa — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:19:14 +0000

If islam equals arabization, we have a problem; since we are muslims but certainly not sish to be Arab.

By: Simov

Simov — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:07:50 +0000

Who is goeing to do that? tough Berber Men are barried under the ground. Instead I would say the islamization of Morocco is coming back, and islam comes together with arabic language. I notice in my neighbourhoud that eventhough the Ataturk revolution in Turkey most of turks are lerning Arabic tot understand Islam better, right because of globalisation. The berber identity must get above strongly and that ’s a good thing also in islam, but it doesn’t mean the Amazighation of the land. Do you really think that freedom of word is due to berberevival? I don’t think so. There is a small minority who thinks in that way. Most of berbers not. The fact that we have more freedom of word is due to globalisation (Satelite, Internet, ..etc), international facts and of course the young king of morocco who wants changes.
P.S.: Let us don’t get blind with some berber courses of an unknown alphabet (which none of the berbers kan read) on TV. A Riffian freind of mine one said” some berbers are dumb, instead of asking for infrastructure, universitys, strong economy in their region, they are glad with a berbers course in Rabat……., meanwhile high educated ones of them go work in Casablanca and forget their roots”. (This is actually very moroccan, abroad is men worring about science, environement en economics and in we beat the world with somes singers…and folklor revival (the analytical study of “darbouga”…..