Moroccan Amazigh Party not legitimate, government says
2007-12-03
The Moroccan Interior Ministry claims the ethnocentric Moroccan Amazigh Democratic Party is illegal. The party counters that the move compelling it to go to court this month is part of an Arabisation policy to destroy the Amazigh identity.
By Naoufel Cherkaoui for Magharebia in Rabat – 03/12/07
 [Naoufel Cherkaoui] Secretary-General Ahmed Dgherni (centre) called for "real plurality, so that all voices in the country may find an expression". |
A Moroccan Amazigh political party faces a court hearing December 17th to decide its legitimacy. Citing Moroccan law which voids any political party based on ethnic or linguistic grounds, the Interior Ministry issued a communiqué November 25th stating that the Moroccan Amazigh Democratic Party (PDA) is illegal.
Arguing that Amazigh culture is considered an essential component of Moroccan identity and is owned by all Moroccans, the ministry said that it cannot be politicised in any way. The kingdom's judicial authority subsequently filed an initiatory pleading before the Administrative Court in Rabat for the purpose of voiding of the PDA.
PDA Secretary-General Ahmed Dgherni told Magharebia the Party Law helps preserve only Arab ethnicity.
Calling for a defence of "real plurality, so that all voices in the country may find an expression", Dgherni said, "We aren't working on the framework of Amazigh culture only, but on all components of Moroccan identity."
He added, "We call for the preservation of all our grandfathers' heritage and the features of patriotism, as well as the removal of the consequences of the policy of Arabisation, which destroyed our Amazigh culture." According to Dgherni, there is a political movement to remove Amazigh identity.
Communications Minister and government spokesman Khalid Naciri countered that in every detail, the party is in violation of the law. "Parties founded on religious or ethnic bases are legally prohibited because they constitute a starting point for sedition," Naciri said.
"Morocco, as a civilised, organised society in the process of building its democracy, gives room for all party and political expression without exception, except for the things that touch upon the integrity of its national entity. The parliament has unanimously voted for a law in this regard. Consequently, this party can't exist because it is in violation of the law."
Naciri pointed out that even with 33 parties in Morocco, "there has been no debate at all over their right to exist."
One Moroccan non-governmental organisation, however, sees the call to dissolve the party as an excessive use of power and a stark violation of international human rights treaties and conventions ratified by Morocco. The Amazigh League of Human Rights League says dissolving the party would create an imbalance in Moroccan social structure, weaken the opportunities of political and cultural plurality and disrupt Amazigh Moroccans' legitimate right to political parties and organisations of their choice.
The legitimacy of the government’s action is another point of contention as the hearing date nears. "The legal action was filed beyond the legally prescribed period for the challenge," Dgherni said.
Under the Party Law, the period for challenging the legitimacy of parties is two months. According to Dgherni, the Moroccan Amazigh Democratic Party was established on July 31st, 2005 and "made the necessary adaptation to the new law on February 2nd, 2007".
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amsoud Posted 2007-12-03
Ahmed Dgherni is a racist person. He doesn't honour me as an Amazigh, I'm disgusted by his excessive chauvinism.
kenza Posted 2007-12-04
In this article one can read that the Minister of the Interior has declares that Amazigh culture is an essential component of Moroccan identity and is therefore the property of all Moroccans. The property of all Moroccans, he says? If this is the case, how is it that this country’s ancient history is not taught in schools? How is it that in school our children learn the history of Arabia and the Qurayshi people by heart, but know nothing about Massinissa and even less about Chéchong and Ptolemy I? Why is it our grand children learn to speak to Saudis and know nothing of the language of their ancestors? How is it that this Minister of the Interior is also allowed to ban Amazigh first names and does not even tolerate names of Qurayshi origin? Also, how is it that this Minister of the Interior has created 6 television stations in Arabic and not a single one in the Amazigh language? No, Mr. Interior Minister, alas, Amazighness does not belong to everyone, as you have obscured it.
عبد السلام البقالي Posted 2007-12-04
For over thirteen centuries, Moroccan people, both Arabs and Berbers, have been living in harmony and solidarity. No racial or ethnic claims have blurred their tranquility. We have witnessed these extremist and ethnic calls only in the last decade, after the failure of the colonial policy in the forties to stir up discriminatory spirit between the Moroccan Berber and the Moroccan Arab. Arab blood has mixed with Amazigh blood for centuries, to the point that we almost can’t find a Moroccan citizen with Berber parents or Arab parents. There are Berber families with Amazigh origins that speak the Arabic dialect and don’t speak Berber and vice versa… Have mercy on this nation, let’s preserve the democratic achievements we have realised without excess or negligence…
lahcen Posted 2007-12-07
Greetings to you, please excuse me because I am illiterate. I have the spirit of the Amazigh, long live the democratic Amazigh party. Ait Baghanja Lahcen, from the south east of Morocco, Boghafer Saghro.
BEN Posted 2007-12-08
Isn’t there already an Amazigh party, i.e. the Popular Movement of Mahjoubi Aherdane? This party has a history in the fight against colonialism, but it did not link the Berber dialects and local traditions as criterion for the political combat. We are ready for anything over here: to preach racism, intolerance and suspicion about what makes up the Moroccan identity. And, this, just the same, is bad. If an education program does not work and a majority of citizens call for it, we need to simply change it. This is not the case. Watch out for incendiary and irresponsible call-outs. I prefer the Party for the Promotion and Protection of Moroccan Berber Culture.
Rachid Amazigh Posted 2007-12-10
to abdsellam bakali >> i am sorry to say you are either ignorant of the events that marked the arab colonisation to north africa or you try to lie to the readers worldwide. It is common knowledge that arabs had fights with the native bebers of north Africa. I do need to remind you of war of the nobles that was faught between the arab colonisers and the berbers in the east of what is nowdays algeria. The berbers are the legitimate owners of north africa and what concerns blood ...there is a rule that all democratically minded people agree on .. the minority should integreate with the majority and this case those who claim to be pure arabs in north africa need to learn at least the language of the majority,.. The facts on the ground show just the opposite the berbers are forced to learn arabic while the chauvinistic minority uses islam and lies so that berbers forget about their language or orgigin.. lastly , Mr. Bakkali, I am berber and my parents are and my grandparents all down the line.. i was forced to learn arabic at school ... do you speak any tamazight , i doubt it . who is the racists now ?? With regard to the party , why did not the government ban parties that promulgated arabisation ( culturalgenocide) since 1956 is not isstqllal party a one language( arabic)one religion party why that party was not banned on the ground that forces arabisation on berber majority in berber land ???
amazig Posted 2007-12-11
Long live the Amazigh Democratic Party. The decision of the minister of the interior is illegal. All Amazigh people support Ahmed Deghrini and I call you my brothers to participate on December 13th, 2007 in a march organised by the Amazigh movement in the Sahara and the South in front of the court of appeal in Rabat from 9 in the morning in front of Assuna mosque under the slogan 'To be or not to be', repeating the scenario of 1959, stop the government of Abbas El Fassi against Amazighs. We're all Amazighs and don't accept a constitution that acknowledges Arabic as the official language in Morocco.
tyfawt Posted 2007-12-13
1.) In Morocco, the indigenous people, the Amazigh, despite being in the majority, suffer from a Bathist Government’s segregation. 2.) In Morocco, despite a population which is for the majority Amazigh speaking, the state created six Arabic television stations and refused to create even one in Amazigh. 3.) In Morocco, Arabic is the official language, whereas Amazigh is disowned and contemptuously rejected by the different levels of administration. 4.) In Morocco, it is strictly prohibited to use Tifinagh writing in public space, commercial shops and otherwise. 5.) In Morocco, the Arabs back racism to the point of preventing inhabitants of Morocco from giving Amazigh names to their own children. 6.) In Morocco, the Arabs tolerate only Saudi names and even a large number of cities and regions have already been arbitrarily Arabicised. 7.) In Morocco, the history of its inhabitants is occulted in preference of that of Saudi Arabian history. Even a young Moroccan will know the life of Mohammed and the different Saudi dynasties by heart and yet know nothing about his own ancient history. 8.) In Morocco, the Arabs have been erasing Amazigh culture decade after decade. 9.) In North Africa, the Amazigh people, despite the prevalence of racism, refuse to disappear.
عمر سوسي Posted 2007-12-13
Greetings to you Amazigh people wherever you are. We cannot accept an Arab language instead of the Amazigh, because it's our language and our origin. We're Amazighs and we'll remain Amazighs. whether the government wants or not.
BEN Posted 2007-12-18
You speak about a Morocco that does not exist except for in your imagination. There are people here who have lost their local origins due to the affliction of immigration. They want to return to the time of independent tribal authority. Those who you are calling Arabs are above all else the Andalous who pacified and civilised Morocco and who have allowed you to study and to freely express yourselves as you do now. Presently, our blood is mixed (to propagate a slogan coming from outside.) After integration, there is terrorism, and intrinsically racism. But, despite everything, we will overcome.
محمود البوعبيدي/ صحفي Posted 2007-12-26
Ahmed Idgherni "from Israel". I have previously warned against the sleeping resources of Zionism and imperialism. These resources which are waiting for adequate conditions and instructions to implement colonial, imperial and Zionist schemes and strategies according to the principle of "divide and conquer". As all Moroccans know, the leader of the 'Amazigh Democratic Party' Ahmed Idgherni attended a seminar organized by the Organization of European Security and Cooperation in Tel Aviv, Israel, the Zionist entity, on 17-19 December 2007. What's coming is even more horrible.
انير Posted 2007-12-27
We the Amazighs are with Idgherni.
العروبة أبقى Posted 2008-01-04
Idghireni himself belongs to the Arab policy leadership in Morocco. But in the seventies, he refused flatly to call Tamazight a language, but he used to call it the barbaric voices. He acknowledges only Arabic. Wasn’t he forbidding speaking Tamazight in his and her house. Have Idgherni, the Zionist agent, apologized for his disgraceful past against Tamazight and radical past against Amazighs. And for the interest of Arabic and Arabism? To whom are you lying eh…? Then ask. An Idgherni own up the names of his sons who were born in his Arabian phase? To see with your eyes the leprous radicalism of the man to Arabism. You go to Israel which is the State founded on a religious Jewish basis, where’s your secularism Moussailama the liar. Israel is a religious state which represents in my opinion the faithful Jews, the worst in the Jewish religion, someone described them as the sour fruit of Judaism. How do you allow yourself to support a state which sent away a whole nation from its land then occupied it. Where are the principles Moussailama the liar. You are insulting Islam in Morocco and you describe Islamists as terror while you’re defending the true and biggest terrorism the Jewish Zionist. As to the moral and woman scandals of Idgherni, it’s another story, we can go back to it in detail.
amazigh Posted 2008-01-05
Long live the Amazigh Democratic party. The decision of the ministry of the interior is illegal. All Amazigh people support Ahmed Idgherni. I ask you brothers to join on December 13, 2007 a march organized by the Amazigh movement in the Sahara and South in front of the court of Rabat from 9 a.m., near the mosque of Assuna under the slogan of ‘To be or not to be’, repeating the scenario of 1959, stop the government of Abbas Al Fassi against Amazigh people. We’re all Amazighs. We don’t accept a constitution which doesn’t acknowledge Arabic in Morocco as an official language.
كومغار بوبكر Posted 2008-01-09
I'm a Moroccan Amazigh citizen. I acknowledge only two people Idgherni and Sheikh Yassine. Others are just servants of the Arab regime namely the Istiqlal party and the Socialist Union. They're all racial parties, Arab parties who deserve death this very day. Long live the owners of the Amazigh people and death to hypocrites, long live Idgherni and the Amazigh party.
كوتر من الريف Posted 2008-02-24
We will stand firmly before Abbas El Fassi and his government, we will all stand against the traitors for the sake of our heritage and language. Let all Amazigh people of Morocco be united, God grant success.
ouaatirou abderrahmane Posted 2008-03-02
hi how are you? warm greeting for everyone; this comment is for who said that Ahmed Idgherni "from Israel". as i'm one of amazghs i don't agree with in this point because we don't care about anyone who dosen't respect us and i'm with whoever stand we us in our struggling and i don't think there is defernce between humman beings but nowdays i don't believe in humanty look around you and then you can understand me very well. here is my skyblog if there is some comment and whatever you like thanks dear
RealBerber Posted 2008-03-09
Support Mr Ahmed Adgherni of the Amazigh Moroccan Democratic Party to dismantle those corrupt Arab-Islamist. All Amazigh around the world support Idgherni.
Donatus Posted 2008-03-19
We are all Dgherni //// arabs try to learn from history...imazighen drove romans , imazighen drove colonial powers while u were seeking peace with your masters...if you do not learn the lesson ..one day you may find yourself back to saudi arabia...for those who integrate with amazigh culure are welcome. just like any democratic nation.
Amgoune Posted 2008-04-19
Hi Everybody, it appears that this is an important meeting in the cycle of liberating peoples. How many people are on the list for this fundamental human right in the world? Are we ready to accept this new development? The strength of our ancestors was in their opposition to invaders and it was thanks to the Berber men on the Atlas ridges. We need to prepare our future and our legacy for our children. Since the racist Arabs make fun of the future of our culture, let us counter them. They are weak enough that it should be easy to force them to recognise the truth. My God, how they are so little with their mundane gestures, wardrobes, ties and lies in the face of the Amazigh Muslims of the Maghreb. It is up to us to take stock of our Amazigh civilisation. How can we criticise our opposition with out having taken stock of our state of affairs in the real and serious places in Morocco. This requires urgent action unless we want to find ourselves in the same situation as the people of Tibet. We hope that the fachists of Yemen and Saudi Arabia or the Hachemites will recognise our minorities and our interests to have our status as a country of the Maghreb returned. Be strong and fair. Amir El Mouminine, His Royal Highness Mohammed VI’s orders, which govern the hypocrites, have unleashed this ancient problem on us for several hundred years. Nothing—not language, culture, healthcare, education, territorial governance, transport, justice, international human rights, economy, employment, training, agricultural, nor anything else—can govern them in this scenario. All budgets have been arabised or are destined for an Arab or foreign populations, leaving only crumbs for us, as if that is what we needed to be further weakened.
READ Posted 2008-04-21
“Divide and conquer” is the motto of the West. So why don’t the Corsicans and Bretons force the same thing upon the French state so that the French learn their dialects? So, stop this [expletive].
master Posted 2008-04-21
Algeria is the heart of the Maghreb!? Are you sick or something? Algeria is the shame of the Maghreb. Indeed, it is even the hemoroids of the Maghreb. It has no political weight, no allies, no friends and it spends its time admiring itself all alone, having convinced no one else to do so. All the Arab and Western chancelleries know that it is completely insane and needs to be watched over. They have turned away from it. Algeria needs a good shrink, but, for the time being, its neighbours are trying to exorcise it. That is why the Algerian are screaming loudly—and ever more loudly. Now the craziness is taking on Libya, which is catching up with giant steps.
Marocain Posted 2008-04-23
Master; Do not forget to sign your messages of hate with “~ ~ ~ ~”. But, this is not your fault; it is the fault of your family and your entourage. Here in Morocco, there are a lot of people like you, may God protect us from you. I also think that your entourage promotes this predisposition of yours in order to make your share of the light (good) seem bigger or make our share of the shadow (cruelty) seem exacerbated. In this entourage—I, of course, am speaking about family, to which parents have a very large share of responsibility—these values are instilled into their very hearts. I think that this begins even from the time of pregnancy. Mothers should be careful with what they say, what they do, and what they hear, as should those around them, because all that she feels will have an impact on her unborn child. But, this is not only in the family; there is also the influence of their acquaintances and the media. If a child is left watching violent movies or playing violent games from a young age, s/he will most certainly imitate that behaviour. And, there is the influence of society as a whole. Goodbye, A Moroccan Teacher
attentio Posted 2008-04-24
I think that some Berbers are beginning to be toppled over by the integrationists. I am an Amazigh and I have a good head on my shoulders. We should not let ourselves be influenced by certain demagogues.
DJAMEL-16 Posted 2008-04-24
Mr. “Master”; Try to be a little more polite towards the Algerians. You Moroccans are jealous of us because of the Western Sahara. We can understand this. But, not all Algerians are responsible for this; it is just a handful of generals who bear this responsibility. Moreover, they never took Algerians' point of view into consideration before screwing us into this mess. Believe me, this is a burden that most Algerians want to rid themselves of. We have our own problems with our government and they are trying to make us forget them through conflicts with our neighbours.
sifaw Posted 2008-07-17
It's amazing! I visited many amazigh cities and I've never seen a street called Juba, or Massinissa or or,,,, or !!! instead arabic names such as alkhawarizmi, ibnu roshd, 3antara bnu shaddad .....Even in the smallest towns, you can notice that arabic names are the dominant!!! CAN anyone plz explain why???? Also, why many cities in the south or the north of morocco have Arabic names and the original names are kicked off; errachidiya(imtghern),essaouira(tassourt) Guelmim(Agulmin)sidi ifni(ifni), Titouan(tittawin)?? As long as Tamazight is not an official language and that Berber names are rejected, Arabized moroccan has 2 choices:1) accept the fact that we are the native inhabitants of Tamzgha and that they themselves were berbers who were arabized during the last centuries. OR, 2) expect the worst; if Mr Dgherni's party is prohibited, more Amazigh parties would try to be organized and even adopt extrimist views! Imazighen are no longer quiet as before, and Arabized moroccans should take into consideration that what we see and hear from some Amazigh activists such as; Arabs should go back to Qabilat Qureish, can be attract many Imazighen especially when Amazigh identity is still considered by many politicians as alien and tourism entertainment! Be careful, until now, Imazighen are calling for their identity and history to be protected! ''ARABS OUT'' or ''ARABS GO HOME'' or ''ARABS GO back TO Qabilat Qureish'' can be the next slogans that can be heard in the coming years!!! Inna ghadan li nadirihi qarib!!! We don't wanna another IRAQ, We want a new Morocco of Plurality (Imazighen, Arabs, jews...Africans,etc, in a Morocco that has the right to have the rights!!! ) Azul and wa ssalam
cherkaoui Posted 2008-07-25
When Arabs came to Morocco, there were only a few Berbers living in Morocco. Morocco has 34 millions people now and if you go back in time hundreds of years, you will find that Morocco had only a few Berbers living in it at the time when the Arabs came in. The Arabs got mixed with the Berbers. Morocco is now mixed. There are only a few pure Berbers and Arabs left. My ancestors came from Saudi Arabia and we settled in Tadla near Boojaad. My family is from Rabat but my grand parents came from Tadla and Boujaad. There are still a few pure Arab families living in Morocco, such as the cherkaoui family, Berrada, Bennani, Alaoui, etc. I am Arab and I love my people the Berbers. We grew up together; we share history, culture, food. keep it the same. Morocco is Arab and Berber. Morocco belongs to both of us. We both love Morocco the same. I love my country, Morocco. Amazighs can never take Morocco from Arab Moroccans, because we have been in Morocco for hundred years. Native Americans cannot take America from White Europeans. The same here in Morocco.
امازغي Posted 2008-08-02
The Moroccan government's decision is not recognized.
rationalmind Posted 2008-08-11
I think first of all that people in this site speak more emotionally rather than rationally. I believe that when discussing such problematic issue, one should always go beyond the simplistic question are you with or against tamazight or the amazigh identity? the question of tamazaghit in Morocco is and should not confined to the cultural or linguistic struggle with the state to impose their language as an official language. the question is more than that. it goes around politics, islam and economic interests. i was depressed when I read some comments which deny completely the existence of anything called tamazight using the mekhzen language that we are all Moroccans and we have been mixed with each other for centuries. but immediately after this sentence we see the person writes that he or she is proud of being arab from tadla or that his tribe came from mekkah. hence, there is a contradictory discourse which prevents the amazigh from their right to avow their belonging to their origins whilst it gives the person to be so honored because he descends from the prophete family or one of the Najd tribes. however, I am extremely disappointed when reading some comments which depict Morocco as place where apartheid regime is practiced on the amazigh whereas this is not the truth. surely some of the state's plicies breed two moroccos and the most marginalized regions are the amazigh ones like Atlas and rif but this is not because of their race. this is for their historical hostility to the regime the same as the arabic tribes of bni Znassan which suffer from marginalization for centuries. it is about power and interests not ethinicity, race or religion.
Manek shergill Posted 2008-12-02
Sorry I am an outsider, an Indian. I find this debate very strange. Let me tell you about my country India. We have something like 25 official languages along with thousands of dialects. the languages are not only totally different but the alphabets are also different. We are usually taught 3 languages in school. I was taught Hindi which is the national language, Punjabi which is the regional language and English which is the link language. We in India are of several races,(colours vary from white to black), have so many religions that you may not even have heard of many of them like Jainism, parsees, sikhism. The third division is the language which we speak, the regional language. However even though our nation is very young, we believe in "Unity through diversity". I may be of Punjabi race speaking the Punjabi language of sikh religion. But most important of all is that I am first and foremost an Indian. Variety is the spice of life and I think that the Berber culture belongs not only to the berbers but also to mankind. So I am sad that it is being hindered. In india we can give whatever names we want to our children, and we can marry anyone from any religion. It is not the governments right to interfere in these matters.
Amazigh n Cheuh Posted 2009-02-08
Since This So Called Amazigh Democratic Party Is Cooperating With Israel It Can Never Represent The Imazighen For We Wil Never Let Down Our Islamic Roots. Like Many of These Traders (And Zionist Instigators) & Followers Of The Party Have Done... I Don't See Them As My Brothers Or Sisters Iskemmen Ijoudain, Ighoual
amazeghi Posted 2009-03-09
Amazighs are the native people of Morocco. However we are subject to repression and oppression by them and they call us Berbers. This is because they strengthened their control over us. Long live the Amazigh movement of Ahmed Dgherni.
Rifo Posted 2009-03-10
And what about the whole morrocan goverment who works with Israel, mister amaigh n Cleuh. Don't be a stupid fool, use your brains instead of your......
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