Study: Extinction threatens the festival of women in the Amazigh tribes of SoussStudy: Extinction threatens the festival of women in the Amazigh tribes of Souss

Women’s Amazigh Festival[/caption] Thursday, October 8, 2015 – 08:45 After it was for centuries an expression of the special place of women in the Amazigh society of the tribes of Souss, the organization of the festival of women in this region is threatened with extinction, due to a number of factors, but the season’s festival virtually extinct, while others on the verge of extinction. According to a study prepared by the Center for Historical and Environmental Studies, presented preliminary results on Wednesday evening at the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture head office in Rabat, the festivals are still of the map seasons women in the region of sous, including the festival “Anezi” and “Wigan”, aspects of Tiznit city, but that was not confined to the festivals of women only, but also that the extinction of some of festival of men. While the study prepared by each of the researchers Mr. Al Mahfoud Asmahri and Moubarak Ait Aadi did not specify, the reasons for the extinction of the festival of women in Sous, but pointed to two main factors: first, shifts socio-cultural witnessed by the Moroccan society, and which is now growing at a rapid pace, especially with the early nineties of the last century . It is expressed what was motivated researchers who prepared the study of the statements made by women, such as: “Our society has become like the French society, where men and women became equal”, but Mr. Al Mahfoud Asmahri see that there is another reason contributed strongly in the extinction of some inherited habits in the Amazigh tribes centuries ago, due to the introduction of modern technology. And gave Mr.Al Mahfoud Asmahri the example of the extinction of some kind of ritual musical aspects in the City of Tata, after it became modern technology; filming portable phones with cameras machines, unable to extricate those women’s groups from the framework of your tribe, and put it in front of everyone’s attention, and said Mr. Al Mahfoud Asmahri: “Modern technology does not consistent with the mentalities prevailing in the Amazigh (Berber) tribes, and played a major role in the decline of these habits. ” The researcher Mubarak Ait Aadi confirms that the wishes of women in the Amazigh (Berber) tribes to keep secrets their festivals still exists, despite the openness, explaining that access to information about the festivals of women in Souss was not easy, the researchers who prepared the study were not only able to talk to older women, “The access to the younger girls in these areas and talk to them has been even more difficult, but it is a major catastrophe,” Says Ait Aadi. But that does not negate for a major shift in the direction of openness in the Amazigh (Berber) tribes during the last two decades in particular, demonstrates that the formula governing the festival of women in Souss for the time being, In the past festivals were women preserve of women, and did not allow entries for males, but the notables tribes were devoting guards to accompany women departing from their homes to reach the location of the festival, and with the early nineties, “Women’s privacy” began to fade, and mixing is prevalent, although women still make up the majority of visitors. The two researchers who prepared the study, have concludeed and divided their study into three stages through which the festivals of women in Souss; In the first stage of its inception these festivals characterized as “a feminist festivals by excellence”, admission allowed for women only, and then came the second phase, which allows the trader (male) entering the festival, But under strict conditions, such as to be married. Mr.Al Mahfoud Asmahri considered setting conditions for men entry into to the festivals of women is an expression of “local human genius”; The third phase marked by the “lifting of the ban” from male to enter the women’s festivals. In spite of the “refraction of women’s privacy” – according to Moubarak Ait Aadi expressing since the early nineties of the last century, and the collapse of the walls that were protecting the women in their annual festival, but there’s beliefs are still prevalent, to prevent the collapse of all barriers, males are still and consider that not of “manhood” to approach the shrines to be held next to the festivals and entering them, because this is “especialy” for women only. In the festivals that allows the young men and women to meet for long in order to marry, what meetings are still framed a number of beliefs that keep the respect barriers between the 2 parties to the meeting, and that the prevailing belief that the young men if he winks to the young women while talking to her he will become blind, and the young men who stretched out his hand to touch the young women his hand will be paralyzed. http://www.hespress.com/tamazight/279852.html]]>