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| U.N. Urges Morocco to Include Tamazight as an Official Language |
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| Friday, 03 September 2010 22:31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Washington / Morocco Board News Service - On August 27, 2010 , at its seventy-seventh session, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CRED) examined the reports submitted by Morocco in accordance with Article 9th of the UN Convention. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CRED) of the United Nations has issued the following requirements from Morocco. 1 – To provide information on the composition of its population, the use of mother tongues, languages commonly spoken, and other indicators of ethnic diversity, and any other information from targeted socio-economic studies, conducted on a voluntary basis, in full respect of privacy and anonymity, so that the committee can evaluate the situation of the Moroccan population economically, socially and culturally. 2 – To enshrine in Morocco’s constitution the principle of the primacy of international treaties over domestic legislation, to allow individuals to invoke in Moroccan courts the relevant provisions of the Convention. 3 – Add a provision in the Moroccan criminal code for those crimes committed with a racist motive to be considered as an aggravating circumstance of racial discrimination. 4 – To step up its efforts to promote the Amazigh language and culture and its teaching, and to take the necessary measures to ensure that the Amazigh people are not victims of any form of racial discrimination. 5 – To consider the inclusion in the Moroccan Constitution of the Amazigh language as an official language and also to ensure that the Moroccan government literacy efforts are done in the Amazigh language. 6 – To put special emphasis on the economic development of the areas inhabited by the Amazigh people. 7 – To clarify the meaning and the scope in its legislation regarding the concept of " the Moroccan character of given names " and to ensure full implementation by the local administrations of the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior March-2010-circular relating to the choice of first names, to ensure the inclusion of all names, especially the Amazigh ones. 8 – To revise the Moroccan Nationality Code to allow Moroccan women to transmit their nationality to their foreign spouses on equal terms with men of Moroccan nationality. 9 – To take necessary measures to ensure the full implementation of the Family Code uniformly throughout the national territory and to protect the most vulnerable categories of its population, especially women and children living in remote areas, who can be victims of double or multiple discriminations.
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Hicham_M
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... Mr. Observer, I'm glad you brought up the Kabylie issue. Well let's start from the beginning. Why do you think the Kabylie is asking for an autonomy? The answer to that question is Imazighen in Kabylie are simply fed up by the mere arrogance of the Arabophones in Algeria. They think Algeria is an Arabic country 'point final'. Even Boutefliqa claimed that "Algeria was an Amazigh country that was Arabized by Islam". Now reflect on that statement said by a president that supposedly represents all of his countrymen Amazighs and Arabophones. It sounds like the famous GWB saying: "you are either with us or against us". Arabophones in Algeria and Morocco think that tamazight is a threat to national unity... or at least they are using this excuse to keep arabizing the country... And yes the process of Arabization of North Africa is still going on... "Mouharabt l'oumiya" is done solely in Arabic for instance... children's programs in Tamazight TV are solely in Arabic. Historically, Imazighen in North Africa were the first ones to fight colonialism (facts that are well ignored by Moroccan and Algerian history books). It is sad and unfortunate that arabophones in Algeria and Morocco do not understand the "golden rule"... put yourself in "our shoes"... imagine if Tamazight was the only official language in Algeria and you have to learn tamazight to take care of administrative business, to defend yourself in a court of law, to explain your illness to a doctor in a public hospital... how would you feel?... would you ask for autonomy after exhausting all other means? Now let's turn the table and talk about Morocco (since I think we are still far from any region to request autonomy except of course "the Arabic" region of the Sahara)... Note that I used "still" in the last sentence because if, you, Arabophones in Morocco keep ignoring Imazighen's demands, you will have many regions asking for autonomy as well. My questions are why can't you "swallow" the FACT that Tamazight DOES exist in Morocco... well and alive! Why each time you hear imazighen requesting their legitimate linguistic and cultural demands, you automatically change the debate to idiotic accusations such as "this is against islam", "who sponsor you? is it the US, Israel or France?" "why do you want to divide the country?" "Why now" "Can't you understand this is a low priority"...etc It may be a low priority for you but not for us. The vast majority of Imazighen don't have a problem with Arabic. In fact each time, demands to make Tamazight official language of Morocco, this statement follows "along with Arabic". I really believe any threat to national unity will come from Arabophones not Imazighen. Imazighen politically and culturally always have been inclusive where Arabophones have not. I hope you can now understand. A proud Moroccan! Hicham |
observer
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Déjà vu Dear all- Back in 1987 while in France, I run in to a gentleman who looked and sounded very Algerian to me. When I asked him where he was from, he responded rather emphatically: Kbayle or that he was Kabyle. As you can imagine the rest of the conversation was very strange. I must admit the guy’s overall demeanor wasn’t very likable, but the thing that stuck in my mind is a feeling of utter disgust. Frankly, I couldn’t bear the thought that someone who is from a county that only recently earned its independence -- from France at the cost of at least a million soles from Algeria, Morocco and nearby countries – would be so naive and so quick to enough to be promoting the idea that the region of Kabyle is country under siege. The other detail I remember from that conversation is that the Mr Kabyle upstairs didn’t have many answers, except for a truck load of negative emotions. The parallel I see here with our current situation are: 1.Many of my fellow Moroccans are starting to adopt the idea that they are Amazigh and not Moroccans – you didn’t need to look beyond some of the comments posted here and then on several Moroccan websites for proof. Remember I am Kabyle not Algerian hymn. 2.Many of my fellow Moroccans with strong feelings for Tamazight speak never allow themselves to have a COMPLETE discussion about the overall issue of adopting a second official language and its overall socio/economic/political impact on Morocco and its indivisibility. Where is the plan and the studies? a.The discussions I see on these issues is mostly driven with emotions with little to no substance to provide. Other thoughts to consider (when discussing theses issues and their potential impact on Morocco) is that for reasons obvious and others not so obvious the sense of patriotism in Morocco isn’t very strong – this point requires a long pause to comprehend. If you doubt this, ask the young Moroccans who portray themselves as French, Italian and Spanish. Morocco, including all of its people and its Sahara &&&, is indivisible – there can never any compromise on this point. Let’s take lessons from our past and others and continue to evolve with caution. |
Proud Tamazight
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Hail UN: Let my people in Yes,yes and yes! It's high time someone spoke about the discrimination and the marginalization that the imazighen have been undergoing for so long and it's high time that UN asked Moroccan government to make an end to the cultural and linguistic genocide that killed the amazigh soul. I indentify so much with point number 7 in the recommendation list as I am myself a victim of the naming process. First, I am amazigh and I don't understand (or rather I do understand) why my name is arabic!!!Second, my US born kids are not registered as moroccans because I was told that their names are not in the allowed list of moroccan names. My kids names are Amazigh names from their grand parents...Where is freedom of choice?! |
Hicham_M
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... I hope these demands (which are Amazigh movement's demand way before the UN pick them up) get established sooner rather than later. Let's stay away from the annoying rhetoric of "We are all Moroccans", "We are all Muslims"... etc and get to action. Being Moroccan or Muslim is not part of the debate since we are Moroccans and muslims. Let's constitunalize Tamazight and move on. |
RedDogzRule
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... Better now than later. it was just a matter of time before it happened. this is not surprising met at all. Having this rather than the anger of the Amazigh people which had brought Morocco few steps back in history. It is also time to change the history books and teach the true history of Morocco. I believe it is time to let people know who Abdelkarim el khattabi was and what he has meant to Morocco and the whole world as we know it now. Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abd_el-Krim This is a small step to the right direction which Morocco is following the latest years and also to bring the justice to these people and to punish the ones who used the mustard gas against the Amazigh Rif population |
Ouariaghli Al Hoceima
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... when you look into the history and compare it to the changes which you can see since a couple of years, Morocco made really a progress in including the amazigh dialects into the public. We have got own nespapers and our own amazigh channel No8. Allah, Alwatan, Almalik |
dz
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We are ALL Moroccans No matter what: Chleuh, Laarab, ah Fes, Sahraoua, Rif, etc ... Nous sommes tous des Marocains! Un Seul Drapeau! |
truthTeller
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... this UN thingie must be written by someone by UK (refer to history) their rule of thumb is "Divide and rule" Morocco should never allow anyone to divide them by langague or anything |
Nassim
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Shame It's about time! The biggest shame of Morocco is not having Amazigh as an official language. The original inhabitants are not acknowledged in their OWN country. BIG SHAME! |
maruan
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we don't need another UN intervention in moroccan internal matter . it's good to have Tamazight as a second language . but honestly we have no confidence in UN decisions most of the time they cause internal issues , we don't want to be another Lebanon or Serbia . many Moroccans called for changing the constitution , so the UN is not smarter to figure out the gaps . leave us alone ! |
aksil
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why i cant choose names for my self and my own family? When you say im originaly from Morocco that mean you are Amazigh African for sure other language and relegions like wise to be sure and honest came from east all of it , to be proud like Moroccan prson to name your self and give your kid a name of your origine Amazigh cause you are proude of that , and you dont do something wrong to choose a name or a relegion you want right ? wonder to know whet else rights i have if even i can not choose my name ?? |
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