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Franco Era infulence on Spain’s Policy toward Morocco PDF Print
Tuesday, 14 February 2012 11:38

Washington  / Morocco Board News--The old saying that goes “If your house is made of glass don't throw stones on others” applies to some of Spain’s politicians and political groups. As some segments of the Spanish’s political establishment, on the right and the left, continue their biased and misplaced campaign against Morocco, Spain’s dirty laundry was in display for the world to watch during the perplexing trial of the  human rights crusader judge Baltasar Garzon.

 

 Spain is not in position to give Morocco, or any country for that matter, lessons in human rights protection or the right to self-determinations. In more than one instance, Spanish local governments refused to dig up the dozens of “dormant” mass grave containing remains of victims, including women and children, executed by the Franco’s militia during the Spanish civil war. A Spain that cannot face its dark and brutal past should not interfere in Morocco’s internal affairs.
 
Moroccan independent human rights groups and activists are capable of handling their own affairs. The Moroccan public is well aware of recent cases of potential abuses and violation by Moroccan police against pro-democracy activists. Moroccan groups and advocates should address human rights abuses committed by the Moroccan state.
 
Spain that persecutes its lawyers and judges for trying to give a voice to the thousands of civil war victims who were slaughters by the brutal Franco regime, needs to amend its domestic laws to meet international norms before going after foreign governments. Judge Baltasar Garzon, who used international law in his successful effort to secure the arrest in London of Chile’s former dictator Augusto Pinochet, is facing trail for attempting to apply the same principles at home.
 
 Members of the ruling Partido Popular (PP) who yearn for the Spanish Government to pressure Morocco to “face its human rights abuses in the Western Sahara” are the same PP politicians persecuting a Spanish judge for attempting to uncover and judge Spanish Fascists responsible for the killings of thousands of their own citizens.
 
Several former members of the Franco regime, who joined the PP after the death of the dictator, are alive and hold local and regional positions throughout the country. Post-Franco Spain, unlike its European partners, rewarded Fascist officials thus encouraging impunity. Such behavior is lost on the Spanish groups that are today interfering in Morocco’s internal affairs while ignoring their past domestic abuses that continue to go unpunished.
 
Instead of criticizing Morocco for recovering the Western Sahara, a land that was colonized by Spain, Spanish activists should focus on unearthing their civil war era mass graves, unmasking members of Franco Phalange units behind the murders of innocent Spanish civilians and restoring the dignity to an unknown number of Spaniards victims of a traumatic  Civil War.
 
It is time for Spain to revisit the 1977 law pardoning the crimes of the Franco regime as The U.N. human rights office requested last week. In fact, the U.N considers the Franco era killings “crimes against humanity with no statute of limitations shielding perpetrators from prosecution”.
 
 For several Moroccans, It is ironic to watch members of Spanish Non-governmental organization coordinating campaigns to support West Saharan separatists while thousands of their compatriots are unaccounted for. As a Moroccan observer noticed, it is hard to understand how Spanish activists are more sympathetic to the grievances of foreigners while cold to the demands of fellow Spaniards wanting to give their dead loved ones a proper Christian burial.
 
P.S. : In a different devolvement, Spain’s Supreme Court disbarred Judge Baltasar Garzon for 11 years for allegedly “illegally recording defense lawyers' conversations with clients”.
 

 

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Morcelli said:

...
Meknassi,
You cannot compare Barca and Real Madrid with Itihad twarga or rachad lbarnousi, nothing against twareg or barnousi team.

It is not fair for them to be compared with Barca when their resources are not the same. Barca is worth Billions of dollars and twarga few 1000's of dollars at most. you got my drift?

Let me just ask you this question regarding human rights in both countries.

Do you think Spain will jail some Spanish kid for Photoshopping Juan Carlos?

In this board no one required to stick to one subject and that's what makes it interesting. i remember my CM2 teacher asking us to not takhroj 3la lmawdou3 smilies/smiley.gif. Good Day!



02/14/12

Meknessi said:

Spain should look inside first
Mr.Morcelli, I do not think you following the article. Nobody is comparing the records of Moroco and Spain. but this does not mean that Moroccans can not criticize Spain just becuase they are Moroccans. Make no sense.
Morocco has problems so do spain-
02/14/12

S Hassi said:

We need more facts
Spanish media & civil organisations have always had the upper hand whenever a Moroccan matter came to light . the roots of this go back to the end of the 19 century when The moroccan Sultan signed away the lands which today we are asking to have back ( this is why Morocco never rise up the Cueta and co problem in the UN ) cos Spain does have the right land registry signed by then the sultan ( who was so desperate for power he signed away anything !!!) this matter is still Morocco best kept secret ( and Did you know that the local gov in Mlellia owns the water sources which lays within Morocco proper , 10 Kms from the city signed away by the then Sultan!!!) . For me anyone who is trying to help the had pressed Moroccans to voice their free well is much welcomed and what ever we think of Spain is at least today a free country , just remember our own mass graves in the Riff region done by the then great Hassan II
02/14/12

Morcelli said:

...
At least no one can accuse Morocco of being slow. They swiftly convicted the kid for Photoshopping the picture of the king and gave him 3 years to master Photoshop in a Moroccan Jail.

Mr. Hassan we are nowhere near criticizing Spanish human right records. We may do that when speaking about Algeria, Syria, or Iran but you put Spain there, you start to sound silly. Are you serious or are you running out things to write to keep us entertained?

02/14/12

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