Casablanca residents stand up against terrorism, call for change
2007-03-22
One week after the failed terrorist attack in a Casablanca neighbourhood, a number of citizens and local businesses are examining the problems which caused such an attack and are identifying solutions.
By Hassan Benmehdi for Magharebia in Casablanca – 22/03/07
 [Hassan Benmehdi] Sidi Moumen residents gather near the site of the March 11th suicide attack to protest against linking their neighbourhood to terrorism. |
Hay Sidi Moumen, a working-class shanty-town district of Casablanca, was both the hometown of most of the perpetrators of the May 16th 2004 terrorist blasts in Casablanca, and the location of a failed suicide bombing attempt on March 11th of this year. The area now has a reputation as a terrorist stronghold. Many individuals and local businesses, however, are speaking out against blanket definitions and guilt by association. They are demanding that government and non-government organizations co-operate to undercut the causes of terrorism and to protect citizens against threats.
According to Driss Essetri, President of the Al Walaa Sidi Moumen Association, it is irrational and unfair to link Sidi Moumen with terrorism on the sole pretext that the suicide bombers of the 2003 and 2007 attacks were living there at the time. "Our neighbourhood and its residents are innocent. Hay Sidi Moumen is not a terrorist stronghold. The proof of this is Ahmed Faïz, the young internet café owner who was brave enough to stop the terrorists on March 11th," he said, adding that the young people of Hay Sidi Moumen play a key role in the development and prosperity of their neighbourhood.
Of the more than 50 local NGOs working to promote tolerance, human rights, democracy, modernity and progress in Sidi Moumen, 21 of them work with the neighbourhood's young people. According to Mohamed Mahfoudi, secretary of the Sidi Moumen NGO Network, 30m dirhams are currently being channelled into ongoing projects in the fields of sport, culture and social activity. However, in his estimation that is still not enough, considering the vast deficiencies evident in education and infrastructure.
Young people in Sidi Moumen echo Mahfoudi's sentiments. "We are suffering from a lack of engagement and support from NGOs as well as political parties," said a 20 year-old who explained that the provision of political, cultural and sporting activities is insufficient. Yahia, another young man who was very keen to share his views, thinks that exclusion and discrimination lie at the heart of society’s ills: "What we need in our shantytown, as in others beyond Casablanca, is first and foremost for leaders to take an interest in us."
Ahmed Ghayet, President of the Réseau Maillage, a networking organisation supporting youth projects in Morocco’s inner cities, asserted that the problem NGOs often face is that "the authorities do not understand that NGOs vitally need their support. With that public support, they can commit themselves fully to working in shanty-towns and remote neighbourhoods and to doing their advocacy work."
Ultimately, jobs and basic infrastructure matter most to the young people in Hay Sidi Moumen. Many young people are fed up with poverty, unemployment and a general lack of security. For a young man named Abdelhak, the real problem is purely socio-economic: "If certain extremist ideas have taken root easily in our neighbourhood, it is because disillusioned, very poor and pessimistic young people are to be found here."
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simo Posted 2007-03-23
Long live Morocco the "the friendly country and land of adventure", long live our king, long live the united Maghreb...Mohamed 24 France.
حسين الفرواتي Posted 2007-04-01
It is forbidden for any Muslim claiming to belong to Islam to take innocent lives; that is horrible.
الزاهي صدام Posted 2007-04-10
I'm Saddam, I'm 17, and from Sidi Moumen. I was near the catastrophic site. By God, what they did is a shame on them. They have distorted our reputation! By God, when someone asks me, 'where do you live?' we don't say Sidi Moumen- it's a shame. Shame, shame on them!
كمال Posted 2007-04-11
The real cause of terrorism is unemployment, which...
hicham Posted 2007-04-11
Hi, how are you? can you please give more information, this is my msn thanks so much
عبدو Posted 2007-04-14
Terrorism isn't linked to the religion of Islam no soul can be killed without right
leila Posted 2007-04-14
Terrorism has various causes. First, unemployment; Second, some misunderstanding of Islam, with several consequences; material, personal, reduction in national economy, loss of reputation. Our religion is tolerance. Terrorism has nothing to do with Islam....
Samir Posted 2007-04-16
You want the root cause!! well .... the fact is that Arabs invaded North Africa by means of “terror campaign”. This is not my personal puff rather it is a conclusive and factual assessment of the Islamic history; the truthful history (not the politicized one!). If a Christian knocked your door today with a bible in one hand and a gun in another limiting you with only two options either Christianize or face death .. What would you describe this? Of course it is intimidation and terror ..... to gain control ... gain power I encourage everyone to read and do research in the history of Islam in North Africa since the first invasion to date. This also reflected in the culture ... Even the way children are disciplined inside a Muslim family has the same characteristics! The temperament of dread and restrain
mouldi Posted 2007-04-17
I do not agree with samir about his point of viw about the muslim invasion of north africa.one of the four lords of the islamic conquests came from saudi arabia crossing all of the middle east and followers of ISLAM joined his army through syria lebanon palestine egypt lybia tunisia algeria morroco spain france .That is one leader pathand the same thing happened for india malesia indonesia and thephilipean and the same thing happened on the other way irak turkey parts of europe iran majar all russia all the turkkman kazakhistan and the silk road to china only few islands escaped the great islamic foutouhat The great muslims never endavoured to challenge jews or christians they only challenged or killed heathens who did not believe in god and who worshipped the moon the sun ,stones or others .as for islamic upbringing ther is no equal to the contribution of islam in our world today .
حنان Posted 2007-04-19
Everything is justifiable except for murder.
siham Bendaouya Posted 2007-04-21
The phenomenon of terrorism is very dangerous for humanity and it is discussed regularly in each country of the world, especially following the September 11 attacks in New York and May 16 attacks in Casablanca (and of course in other places of the world.) But what I would like to explain is that Islam is not he source or origin of all of this violence and this recent attack had no connection to islam. Any person who thinks that they are going to defend their ideas and fix their social condition with this sort of violence, I don’t think they are real Muslims.
رشيد طلدى Posted 2007-06-26
Terrorism is a serious phenomenon, and has many causes, and affects man in different aspects of his life. However, it's contradictory to Islam: God says 'Do not kill a soul wrongly'.
رشيد طلدى Posted 2007-06-26
Terrorism has no religion.
asifa Posted 2008-03-05
They distorted the image of Moroccans, by God this is a shame.
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