The moroccan Regime is anti-Amazigh

Stop_Racism_Against_Imazighen[/caption] Interview with Meryam Demnati, the Amazigh Observatory for Rights and Freedoms (OADL) Tuesday, September 22, 2015 By Masin This is neither new nor surprising. It’s just normal. Our writing has always said to the Moroccan monarchy and the government but also for all States in place of Amazigh Land, all illegally installed in North Africa and act as true colonial states. What is striking, however, is how we, Amazigh, we behave with these regimes that despise us. Governments, meanwhile, are consistent and persevere in their efforts to achieve the eradication Amazigh project. The Moroccan government has never renounced its anti-Amazighisme, just released yet another provocation and attacks the Amazigh language pseudo-teaching of already established “thanks” to the decisions of the monarchy. Moroccan Minister of Education decided to reduce supply, already poor, teachers of the Amazigh language. The latter are called upon to ensure the teaching of the Arabic language, a language that would likely be in need. This decision was out of their gloves Amazigh actors (associations, teachers, etc.) and have publicly expressed to denounce this anti-Amazigh attitude of the Moroccan government. Among the voices that were raised against this latest provocation of the Moroccan State, there Meryam Demnati, Amazigh Observatory for Rights and Freedoms (OADL). She agreed to grant us an interview in which she draws us a picture of the situation of the Amazigh in West Tamazgha and shows us, through documented facts, how the Arab-Islamist who monopolize power work against Amazigh . The editorial. [caption id="attachment_3357" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Des acteurs amazighs lors d’une conférence de presse à Rabat en septembre 2015.[/caption] INTERVIEW. Tamazgha.fr: Some Amazigh actors have mobilized in recent days to denounce an initiative of the Moroccan Ministry of National Education. Can you tell us more? Meryam Demnatai: This is a flagrant contradiction with the broad guidelines of the state. The government of Benkirane [1] to Islamist majority and Rachid Belmokhtar, his Minister of Education, seeking to delete the language and culture of the Amazigh Moroccan education system, and to grant him a tiny place in the service of the Arabic language. The latter, upon his arrival has set up a new plan for 2030 where Tamazight is absent. He also works hand in hand with the Supreme Education Council, which, in turn, ignores all previous acquis (horizontal and vertical generalization). Thus from the beginning of September, the school year 2015-2016, Tamazight is once again covered by discrimination. Teachers of Amazigh language were invited to different delegations and academies where he was now ordered them to teach Arabic. The reason given is that of the lack of manpower in Arabic language teachers. The message is clear. The teaching of Amazigh language is not taken seriously and the formalization of this language in the constitution of 2011 even less. For now, several Amazigh associations whose national confederation of teacher associations (s) of Amazigh language, which act in a wide coordination network, held press conferences, regional and national meetings, have published releases, sent letters to the government and are preparing to retaliate by organizing rallies. How to explain this attitude of the minister while decisions Mecca of the Moroccan monarchy were taken on behalf of Amazigh language? The few gains achieved through the struggles of the Amazigh Movement after the advent of Mohamed VI are fragile: shy integration in the education system, the creation of the Tamazight TV and formalization of identity, culture and Amazigh language in the new constitution. The role of the monarchy has always been to play with the ratio of forces on the ground. Yesterday, facing the spectacular mobilization of the Amazigh movement and pressure of the progressive movement of the street, Amazigh language is registered as an official language in the constitution. Today the state to let “this government to Islamist and Arabist majority”, granting it the responsibility to apply the constitution therefore manage the Amazigh issue, absolutely familiar Amazighophobie of these. The monarchy is mostly concerned with its own security. Despite the formalization of Tamazight in the constitution, the supreme law of the land, things continue to hang in the parliament regarding the organic law stipulated in the constitution that will define “the implementation process of the official character of this language, and the terms of its integration in teaching and priority areas of public life, and to enable it to carry forward its official language function. ” This law is not forthcoming, no commission so far has been established, and discrimination against the Amazigh language and culture continues in all areas. We have never been fooled. We are and we will always be vigilant against conservative forces Amazighophobes housed in the halls of power, and in some political parties have always been hostile to the Amazigh, which are the cause of the blockage. Add to all this, the existence of multiple anti-Amazigh resistance, especially at the political and intellectual elites, some obsessed with the model of centralizing Arab nation-state and the other subservient to Islamist and Arabist ideology. Do you really think that official decisions in favor of Tamazight are sincere? Despite the gains torn by the Amazigh movement including the official recognition of the identity, culture and language of the Amazigh, the marginalization and the exclusion who persevere push us to question ourselves and ask ourselves again the following questions: are we So foreigners in our own territory? Or are we colonized? The source of this legitimate question is our feeling that policymakers attach no importance to bringing harm us and touches our dignity but more worryingly, does not respect the new Moroccan constitution or its national and international commitments. The political will is lacking, and dressing is still a practice used in all areas for basking in the blazon. Fourteen years after the establishment of the IRCAM and the launch of Tamazight teaching in schools, what is your assessment of this education and the integration of Amazigh language in the media? All the reasons given above, that are more than a decade after the initiation of the teaching of Amazigh [2] in public schools, this language is struggling to find its place in the Moroccan education system. This state of affairs was from the outset a politician strategic decision to absorb international criticism of Morocco’s performance in the field of human rights, criticism based on the annual reports published by the Amazigh movement and actions. After examination of the situation of the Amazigh language in education in light of the news of the school year 2015-2016, following several complaints from teachers and society actors of different regions of Morocco, it is clear that the procedures taken recently by the Ministry of Education and implemented by its local officials with regard to the teaching of Amazigh language are against political and institutional commitments of the Moroccan state. This is a clear realization of discrimination and racism and cultural and linguistic regression that threaten the gains achieved during more than a decade. This manifests itself more openly through concrete facts including the following examples. – The Ministry of Education in its official document “A new school for the citizen of tomorrow” presented to the next Board of Education has developed a strategic vision for 2030 while denying a constitutional and institutional data at the heart of our identity The official Amazigh language. It alludes instead of Arabic and foreign languages. Total silence on the Amazigh language. It is clear that the work and achievements of more than twelve years in the field of Amazigh as part of IRCAM-MEN Convention [3] are trampled and erased. Decisions taken by the Ministry of Education are irresponsible. It is indeed here a violation of the commitments relating to the teaching of Amazigh language and its generalization. The teaching of this language is not an initiative or a choice of any minister or an academy director or a delegate, it is a national identity in relation to the decision of the Moroccan state. – On the ground, the judgment of the provision of more teachers responsible for teaching the Amazigh language and orientation towards the teaching of Arabic, after years of practice and training is a decision discriminates against the Amazigh language. – When all interviews and meetings with the press, the current minister of education has never made the slightest allusion to the situation of the Amazigh language in the educational system, unlike Arabic and languages. He also ignored all requests for meetings addressed by delegations interested in the teaching of Amazigh language in which the Moroccan Confederation of Associations of Teachers of Amazigh language. – A total disregard for this issue, even to freeze the Joint Committee IRCAM-MEN. Which leads us to the following conclusions. State’s commitments are only simple operations left to the desires of the various managers at the mercy of time. No political will, but the mere transgression of the constitution. Politicians argue us to justify all these serious regressions pending the organic law that will stipulate the steps and terms. This is only an attempt to save time, given that the organic law should in no way involved in the regression of the situation of the Amazigh language in education but it should aim, on the contrary, the consolidation of achievements and success since the Amazigh is now an official language. Yet it is the State’s duty to establish better governance of the teaching of Amazigh language and better management with effective monitoring of all academies, the establishment of a clear strategy to improve the situation of the Amazigh language in education and its generalization to succeed on the basis of former achievements and its four pillars: the obligation, generalization, standardization, Tifinagh alphabet and the recruitment and initial training and continuous qualified human resources by booking new budget items while boosting jellies training sessions for years. This serious situation of the Amazigh language teaching can only participate to defeat the project of the so-called reconciliation initiated by the state for more than a decade and endanger social harmony and political stability of our country. The media launch of the Tamazight television is certainly an acquired but the claims of the Amazigh are not so far materialized. The budget that is granted it is outrageous. On the other hand also there has been a regression in other Moroccan channels such as A and 2M in terms of Amazigh language programs. The few who survived Amazigh emissions are released at impossible hours. As for radio, the National Amazigh radio still is not captured on the entire territory and other public or private radio stations does not take into account the cultural and linguistic diversity of our country. The written Amazigh press is doing about it with few resources it has, often falling back on the creation of national or regional electronic sites. All these significant data only reflect the undisputed cultural and linguistic discrimination of this Arab-Islamist government and its allies Amazighophobes in high places. And culturally, Amazigh culture, she really has a real recognition and support worthy of the name? Apart from a few small actions here and there, some circular or agreements signed by the Ministry of Culture concerning the Amazigh artist Amazigh Culture in its cradle, still often excluded. Forces in power and already well established networks Arabists monopolize all important cultural spaces and Tamazight to reserve some spaces, often marginalized. Amazigh Culture still does not have the rightful place of law and the support of the state is very small. In 2011 the Amazigh language was recognized official language and was included in the Moroccan Constitution. Does he really changed status in reality and everyday life? Our bitterness is profound when we take stock of the situation of the Amazigh in Morocco, despite the formalization of identity, culture and language Amazigh in the 2011 constitution, remains roughly the same before, very critical. No work of sensitization and information has been done to educate Moroccans respect for linguistic and cultural diversity and its appropriation. On the contrary, several makers or officials continue to be part of the Arab-Islamic optical former and despise totally new situation of the constitution. The situation of the Amazigh language and culture remains broadly the same as before, always marginalized, down in some areas (education system) and still absent in others (public institutions, parliament, health, justice …). The official status is supposed to protect the Amazigh language against any attempt markdown policy, legal and social as it should be, with Arabic, the language through which performs all public activities in administrative-type frames , political, cultural, social and educational clearly delineated. It is also the right of every citizen to contact the national institutions and policies in the Amazigh language, have the right to use in all dealings with the public authorities at any time of life and in all areas. But it is also the obligation for public authorities to use it at any time. The Amazigh movement through a very difficult stage. It is not as productive, speaks little and is far mobilized. How do you explain that? Unless you do not agree with this observation …. It is in a much more challenging environment today, the Moroccan Amazigh Movement was born in the 60s Arabism and Islamism were then the only reference standards. There will be severe repression by the authorities and the monarchy of police departments and will be fought by the different Islamist forces Arabist who had established a programmed linguicide institutionalized for a homogenization of the population with Arabization and Islamization excessive. Then, thereafter, the Amazigh associations then multiply throughout the country and coordination of regional and national associations will emerge, and the monarchy will be less repressive, opting for another strategy adapted to the new international context, soaked concept of human rights. Amazigh associations as a whole will continue to be guided in their actions, charters and international human rights. Joint actions are regularly conducted either within the regions (confederations) in a national or international level. The Amazigh movement now has nearly a thousand associations dispatched throughout Morocco. Big cities, small towns, countryside, mountains, all these associations, despite the limited financial resources, contribute to greater awareness and working with the means at hand, unlike other Arabist or Islamist movements financed by middle eastern countries. With the movement of the street on 20 February 2011, the Amazigh movement found itself in another moment in history. With all its components, it integrates this current revolt demanding a democratic constitution including the official Amazigh language. It is then at the forefront with other progressive forces in civil society, calling for the building of a just and egalitarian society, considering the Amazigh cause as part of the democratic project. Amazigh and will be present in all coordinations of 20 February and manifestations where Amazigh flags flown in all cities. A key battle will be won again, that the formalization of Amazigh language in which the Amazigh movement had one of its main demands. Given these new circumstances, the Moroccan Amazigh movement is going through a very different stage of the first. During the campaign for the formalization of the Amazigh in 2011, the first claim for all was “the identity, culture and official Amazigh language in the new constitution.” And the importance of unity to pull this claim was unanimous. Having a lot of weight and become more and more heterogeneous, the Moroccan Amazigh Movement then evolve like any identity movement. The strategies are diversified depending on the nature of the association, according to its priorities and especially according to the new situation and the new context. We assist then at the development of different strategies, favoring overall an observation increasingly focused work on regular written reports on the situation of the Amazigh, and the other, a working Nearby increasingly specialized, the less dramatic but effective action. Alongside the ancient cultural associations such as the AMREC, Tamaynut, Ilmas, Assid and other, more political nature Azetta and associations such as the Amazigh Observatory for Rights and Freedoms (OADL) to forge an inescapable place in the Amazigh landscape by their effective and continuous presence on the national and international political scene. On the other hand, specialized Amazigh associations activating mainly in specific areas will emerge, such as Tirra, Amazigh writers association, the National Confederation of Associations of Teachers of Amazigh language, Isni n ourgh Association in the field of cinema, National Association of Amazigh theater, Federation of Associations for the right to land, youth movements Amazigh as Tawada, the Association of Traditional poets, … Although all these components are fighting for the same objective, the effective recognition of the Amazigh, they do not always have the same assessments, strategies and vision. And this is also the same own an identity movement. Overall, the movement has understood that his commitment to the rehabilitation of Amazigh is part time, and outside the arenas politicians as they were delimited in the last half century . The common battle today, which is of another nature, takes place around the organic law stipulated in the constitution but postponed indefinitely by the state and the Arab-Islamic parties Amazighophobes far. Also, propore an identity movement is that as discrimination against their language and culture persists, it will have to be increasingly radicalized. A continuous and tenacious fight against these practices violating the most elementary rights and always invariably hostile to the Amazigh cause. Interview by Masin Ferkal. PS The notes are from the Editor. Notes [1] Abdellah Benkirane is the head of government of the Moroccan monarchy since 25 November 2011 when the Islamist party he leads, “Party of Justice and Development” (PJD), won the Moroccan legislative election . [2] “Amazigh” is one of the appellations of the Berber language. It is a practice particularly IRCAM, driven by Ahmed Boukous. Others prefer the term “Tamazight” more common elsewhere in the Amazigh community. There is also the use of the term “Amazigh language.” [3] IRCAM: Royal Institute of Amazigh culture. MEN: Ministry of National Education. http://www.tamazgha.fr/L-Etat-marocain-est-anti-amazigh.html]]>