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GRASSROOTS
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 In the free market place of ideas, those with solid, sound, and painstakingly researched arguments not only manage to be most resonating, but also succeed in building salient and indispensible credibility and notoriety that one must have in order for his or her ideas to be taken seriously. Those who rise above the fray of personal attacks and refrain from the gratuitous acts of insulting others do make a lasting impression notwithstanding the strength or the weakness of the argument at hand.
What is really troubling is when one makes an egregious claim without feeling the obligation or the moral responsibility to substantiate and bolster their claim with strong evidence.
This is merely a transient thought was provoked by the negative attacks that a couple of disgruntled individuals have been waging against their compatriots in a dismal attempt to foil the plans of getting the Moroccan American Coalition (MAC) project off the ground.
I have to say that likening the choice of Denver to “an escape” is possibly one of the most ridiculous and absurd arguments I have heard in recent memory. I have heard worst but this one was most recent. It is mind boggling to try to figure out what is preventing these unhappy campers to fly to Denver and cast their pail. To even suggest that deciding on Colorado was aimed to isolate others is a claim that should not be dignified.
As a long time observer of the Moroccan community in the U.S.A, I find it odd and amusing that some people have become professional nay Sayers. They often have a thing or two to say about what NOT to do and where NOT to go. Rarely do they actually propose alternatives to what is it that they are not happy with?
I truly believe that all the allegations that I read so far are baseless and lack the substance that makes them even worthy of debate and argumentation. They are also a voice in the wilderness started by some rebels without a cause. I have had the opportunity to meet some of the members of MAC and those who are putting their time and money on the line so that this entity takes shape. The one thing that jumped at me and as a common tread among these individuals is that they are ALL very successful members of the Moroccan community who have managed to make it on their own. They are well established business owners, college professors, and company executives who sought to give back to the community. They are above and beyond any hand outs. As for the using MAC as a springboard to try to hook connections, I am actually amazed at the amount of connections that these individuals already have. The sheer number of acquaintances and relations they already have is exactly the kind of asset the community is in dire need of. These connections are supposed to be the operating capital that these individuals will most certainly use to further the overall mission of MAC.
We often do not debate is the legitimacy of criticism. I believe that criticism ought to be a privilege that one earns by demonstrating a track record of involvement in his or her community before one can point the finger and raise suspicions. Refuting something has to be grounded in intellectual merits not in mood swings. If you truly object to something or someone, do it according to the etiquette of respectful exchange. Otherwise, you just run the risk of compromising your name and tainting your reputation.
It is absurd and so premature to criticize and judge a project that is yet to be born in Denver. A group of caring Moroccans went through three years of conception and they are now experiencing massive labor pain. The critics have no right to any cravings.
Lastly, this is certainly going to be a marathon not a sprint; and those who are itching to lament and criticize will inevitably find better material to talk about as the caravan get on the road. Squabbling about Colorado as a venue is just too much of a lame issue to contend with.
Mohamed Brahimi
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'Let Gaza Live' Jan. 10 National March on Washington
