What If You Are Moroccan Citizen?
- NEWS
- 09/17/12
Said Aati
Wayne, Pa / Morocco News Board--- Imagine you find yourself stuck in the midst of a war in another country, what would you do? The answer would probably depend on where you are from or, to be more specific, which country considers you its citizen.
Let’s imagine two scenarios. If you are an American citizen, you could turn to a television channel or website and find instructions on how to proceed. Even better, if you have registered with the US State Department and left a forwarding address or a telephone number, you would be automatically contacted by a staff member of the American embassy or Consulate.
But what if you are Moroccan citizen? You may call the Moroccan Embassy or Consulate. From my own and other Moroccan colleagues experience, this does not work and it is a waste of time. I even remembered in 2006 meeting a Moroccan immigrant who had to commute for 7 hours to get to the Moroccan Consulate in New York after trying without success to talk to anyone, which brings me to the notion of citizenship.
On September 10, 2012, I took my Moroccan wife to the Homeland Security Office in Philadelphia to be sworn in as a United States citizen. During the ceremony, we were invited to watch the welcoming address of President Obama. The President, despite facing enormous domestic and international challenges said, “I am honored to congratulate you on becoming a citizen of the United States of America. You represent the promise of the American Dream, and because of your determination, this great Nation is now your Nation.” I guess I don’t need to comment on how a fellow citizen would feel toward a country whose president expresses his feeling toward his new fellow citizens.
A few minutes later, my wife was called to receive her citizenship certificate and was also congratulated by the Homeland Security officer. While she was receiving the certificate, I saw my two- and- a -half year old son in her arms waiving a small American flag. This prompted me to think about the notion of citizenship, a subject I had studied in law school in Morocco. Many legal scholars and philosophers have attempted to define it, rejecting a simplistic interpretation of citizenship. Their argument is that citizenship is more complex than a set of requirements, duties and obligations formulated in a statute or code. That takes me back to the Moroccan scenario.
Morocco has consulates and embassies in many countries with websites and direct phone numbers for public access. The Moroccan Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the Moroccan Consulate in New York. Both list phone numbers with extensions to each department to serve the needs of Moroccan immigrants in the United States. For example, one department deals with the National ID services, another with passports services. I wondered why the Moroccan government is spending important resources on a dysfunctional administration that does not serve its purpose. I have tried to reach the Moroccan Consulate in New York on a daily basis for more than two weeks without success. Not because I am in the midst of a war, but because I attempted to exercise one of the minimum rights of citizenship, that is to renew of my Moroccan national ID. I was trying to be a good “citizen” helping Moroccan Consulate staff to do its job efficiently, and more importantly to have completed all the necessary documents before driving three hours to the Consulate in New York. Every time I called, I heard a welcoming message addressed to all Moroccans immigrants in the United States. However, I tried the extension of the ID department. No one answered the phone. I was always directed to voice mail. Not surprisingly, the mail box was always full. I tried all other extensions, but their mails boxes were also full. I felt like an abandoned child trying to reunite with his parents after a long separation. Suddenly, the kid wakes up and faces the reality of a bureaucratic maze which makes his wounds deeper and more painful. Finally, one day I was lucky and found one extension free. I left three messages but have never heard back. Offended, I felt like someone who was trying to resuscitate a dead soul, or beat a dead horse.
I am an American citizen and Moroccan by birth. I left Morocco more than ten years ago. I have always struggled with the question asked by friends whether I feel more American or Moroccan. I always talk about Morocco in glowing terms, about its beauty, its rich culture and history. Although I sometimes thought that I had left Morocco forever, I have not. More often I feel disillusioned about my Moroccan identity and grateful for being an American citizen; a country that gives true meaning to citizenship and the opportunity to promote freedom and justice
Finally, I hope that none of the Moroccans in the United States, especially those without American citizenships, find themselves in an urgent situation where they have to call the Moroccan Consulate or Embassy for assistance. The current Embassy and Consulate staff is incompetent and contemptful of its mission and the Moroccan community in the US. It’s a situation that can not be swept under the rug anymore. Something has to be done....
Said Aati
Wayne, PA
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Comments (13)
The first thing i decided to do when I had my kids is:
to Never Naturalize them Moroccans
Never get them carnet de famille or any useless Moroccan document.
Never renew my Moroccan passport.
My decision was not based because I do not love Morocco, if you are born and lived in Morocco, I think that would be IMPOSSIBLE to hate it or even dislike it. I think Morocco is the best country on earth, I am sure that many many of my fellow Moroccans, US citizens or not share the same feeling.
My decision is very simple, I do not want to expose my children to mediocrity, I do not want someone mediocre and we have many in Morocco to make a decision for them, (i.e. not to name their children a Tamazight name )
I also think that if you live in the US or in any civilized country, you are not doing Morocco a favor when you still entertain their extreme low lever of service. If you boycott them, they'll improve to have you back.
Very good post: I felt the same sort of frustrations. It seems to me though that there is no need to renew your id card. Have you ever been in a situation where you need the Moroccan id card?
Four of years ago, i needed to renew my CIN, Someone bribed the system to get it done a bit faster. Every time, I showed up at someone's desk, they seemed to know the reason of my visit. Everyone was connected to someone, I was very amazed how the system works so well when you are not doing the right thing . I must admit that everyone was super nice and very polite as if I were in the US. The last thing was to get me fingerprinted, I was called twice in 2 days to get fingerprinted. After that, I was told that i should receive the new digital Carte d'identite' Nationale (CIN) in a couple of weeks. I came back to the US and my brother was supposed to express mail it to me.
After couple of weeks, I called my brother to ask him about where he is at, he said " Oh I forgot to tell you, they did not take your fingerprints right, they need to take another set of fingerprints"
The reason I needed the CIN was to open a bank account, Wafabank needed more than "just" an American passport as a valid acceptable ID.
I ended opening no account as you might have figured and Wafabank lost thanks to their bureaucracy.
I am sure thousands of Moroccans in the United States feel the same frustration. This is the reason I decided to write about this. I could have gotten my ID in a fast way without any hassle,yet as I told the vice consul in 2006 when I went to see him and complained about those stupid man-oeuvres at the consulate, he tried to give me his own business card; and I refused. I requested to be treated as every Moroccan. I never liked the short cut, and that's why I left the country. If we all give up because of corruption, nothing will change. There is always a beginning to everything.
I have not renewed my Moroccan passport or Id card since 1995. also I have not registered my children with the moroccan embassy nor have I got 'alhala almadania'.
I made this decision in the early 1990 when I went to Moroccan embassy in London to renew my passport and I had an awful exprience. Like Morcelli,I love Morocco but I hate the culture of makhzane and the bureaucracy that comes with it.
have you never been in mokad3a au bled ,so it's the same in europe!!!!
Keep up the good work
Duty is Honor and these incompetent clowns who work in the circus of a consulate an embassy don't care because the show must go on.
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