Tags : Morocco, bereber, amazigh, Western Sahara,
BERBER (AMAZIGH) POLITICAL ACTIVISTS SPEAK OUT
Classified By: Political Counselor Craig Karp, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Summary: Moroccan Berber (Amazigh) activists are increasingly outspoken about their desire for political and constitutional change (reftels A and B). Eight Amazigh political activists gathered on May 11 to discuss their disagreement with the present political situation. Drawing on earlier conversations with poloff, they reiterated their desire for a democratic, federal system of governance without the identification of a state religion or language. The recent autonomy proposal for the Western Sahara has intensified Amazigh attitudes about autonomy for other regions in Morocco, as witnessed in the Rif at the beginning of May. A greater devolution of power to regional authorities and movement towards a federal system of government, if not an actual constitutional monarchy, would go far to alleviate fears that Sahrawi-Arabs take precedence over the Amazigh in Morocco. The activists were particularly outspoken about the USG non-recognition of the Amazigh as different from Arabs. The current terrorist threats are a result, according to the activists, of Arab-Islamic ideology which seeks to make everyone an « Arab, » and the Amazigh could easily be a bulwark against this threat. End Summary.
2. (C) On May 11, Poloff met with eight Berber (Amazigh) political activists: Ahmed Adghirni, the President of the Moroccan Democratic Amazigh Political Party (PDAM); Ahmed Assermouh, an architect; Mohamed El Ouazguitti from Marrakech; Ahmed Aremouch, a lawyer and president of the association Reseau Amazigh pour la Citoyente; Mohammed Himmich, a member of PDAM; Mohamed Boujid, a lawyer and a member of Royal Consultative Council on Saharan Affairs (CORCAS); Khadija Nerci a professor; and, Abdelwahad Driouche, a parliamentary staff member with whom poloff meets regularly (reftel A). The activists were from the three main Moroccan Amazigh regions: the Rif, the Shleuh, and the Soussi. (Note: The Rif area is to the northeast; the Shleuh area is Marrakech east to Agadir and to the north of the Atlas Mountains; the Soussi area is Agadir and south. End Note.) It is not clear how large a constituency they might represent. The discussion focused on political aspirations, Amazigh identity and reform in Morocco. ——————— Political Aspirations ———————
3. (C) Adghirni is the president of the PDAM, a political party not recognized by the Ministry of Interior (MOI), although it did attempt to register. As PDAM members, the activists all argued that they were denied MOI registration simply because they are secular and not Islamic. The PDAM describes itself as a secular party, yet, like the Popular Movement Union (UMP) party, it too seeks to organize the Amazigh. What differentiates the PDAM from the UMP is that it does not identify with Islam or any other religion. The activists view the UMP as following the Government of Morocco (GOM) as if it were a « sheep. » Arehmouch and El Ouazguitti forcefully spoke about the need for Amazigh to organize politically under the umbrella of the PDAM. Their position is that there must be constitutional change and political parties must represent the needs of the people within a diverse context. The constitution was last amended in 1996 when the bicameral legislature was established (reftel C.) 4. (C) The eight activists argued that for Morocco to ever become a democracy Islam cannot be identified as the state religion, nor can the king be « the commander of the faithful, » the constitution must recognize other languages, and the regional system must become a federal one. For Arehmouch, Amazigh history has little to do with his political concerns. What he wants is a politically engaged populace which separates the state from religion, ethnic groups, and language. ——————–
Who are the Amazigh? ——————–
RABAT 00000880 002 OF 003 5. (C) According to the eight activists, the Amazigh ARE North Africa — from Libya to Morocco, including the Western Sahara, and their rights as the indigenous people should be recognized. For Boujid, the Tuareg are merely a small off-shoot of the Amazigh tribes that controlled the desert region until the advent of the French (ca. 1912). The Tuareg are « nothing » and they are not part of Morocco, Boujid said.
6. (C) For these activists, as well as other Amazigh, language is the primary identity marker — without recognition of the language, Amazigh identity is denied (reftels A and B). (Note: There are several different Amazigh dialects, but no acceptable « modern standard » version of the language. End Note.) Arabic is viewed as the language of the Muslim « invaders » and the language of Islam. The way the activists reason is: Arabic is the language of Islam, not of the Amazigh; Islam is an Arab « nationalist movement »; « arabization » is totally unacceptable; and, Amazigh society is a « victim » of the original Islamic « jihad. »
7. (C) The activists describe Amazigh society as « peaceful, secular, » and diverse religiously, i.e., including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. They also define Amazigh society as « democratic » where there is equality between men and women. The colonial powers, they said, divided the Amazigh and the modern North African nation-states are afraid to recognize the unity. Arab Muslims, the European powers, and the modern states have made the Amazigh « people without a state, » according to the activists.
8. (C) Adghirni and Boujbid wanted to know why the annual human rights reports on North African countries did not recognize Amazigh as the indigenous people. Poloff pointed out that the Morocco report did cover aspects of Amazigh language and culture issues, noting that there has been an increase in television and radio stations broadcasting in Amazigh in the last three years. For the activists this increase is insufficient because universities do not teach in Amazigh. They said that Morocco is becoming a mono-lingual Arab culture, which eliminates the Amazigh and disallows any religion except Islam. Nerci emphasized the large number of non-literate Amazigh women throughout Morocco.
(Note: Rural women are predominately Amazigh; the non-literacy rate is as high as 80 percent in some areas. End Note.)
For the entire group, the problem is that the USG makes no distinction between the « Arabs » in the Middle East and Gulf and the « Amazigh » in North Africa.
——————————————— — « Sleeping with Palestine, Getting Up with Iraq »
——————————————— —
9. (C) Adghirni, Arehmouch and Drioche said that the USG is « Sleeping with Palestine, Getting Up with Iraq. » All three expressed their dismay at US foreign policy, as they have to poloff several times. It is unacceptable to them that Amazigh are understood as « Arabs. » All of the activists echoed Drioche’s comment that the terrorist problems emanate from Arabs, not Amazigh. According to Drioche, the Amazigh could easily be a bulwark for the US and other Western governments against what he and the others identified as « Arab-Islamic » terrorism, especially emanating from the Saharan area.
—————— The Western Sahara ——————
10. (C) For all of the activists, but for CORCAS member Boujid in particular, the Western Sahara belongs to Morocco because it is originally Amazigh. Boujid argued that one can discern this fact from toponymic studies and simply from history — all of North Africa, including the trans-Saharan trade routes, was and for him remains Amazigh. They claimed that the recent problems between students in Agadir and Casablanca are between Sahrawi-Arabs and Sahrawi-Amazighs (reftel D). Sahrawi-Arabs are all members of the Polisario, according to the activists, and support the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The SADR is totally illegitimate in their view as the territory is not Arab land. In fact, the activists described the Hassaniya tribal confederation which extends from the Western Sahara into Mauritania, Algeria and Chad as part of the « Arab invaders. »
11. (C) At the beginning of May, Amazigh in the Rif, historically a population which created problems for Mohammed V and Hassan II, marched in Nador reclaiming autonomy, as reported in the weekly Le Reporter (May 10). The recent autonomy proposal for the Western Sahara intensifies discussions on autonomy for other regions in Morocco, which would require constitutional change (reftel C). A greater devolution of power to the regional authorities and movement towards a federal system of government, if not an actual constitutional monarchy, would go far to alleviate fears that Sahrawi-Arabs take precedence over the Amazigh in Morocco.
——- Comment ——-
12. (C) In every discussion with Amazigh activists, the importance of language and cultural identity is at the forefront. While activists like Arehmouch and Drioche deny the importance of distant and recent historical events and advocate political power in conjunction with constitutional reform to make Morocco a democracy, they insist on their Amazigh ethnic identity. The 2005 Political Party Law disallows political parties based on ethnic or religious affiliation. They advocate, however, a bifurcated approach: on the one hand, they want an open society where religion and language are not defined; but, on the other hand, they want Amazigh language and culture at the forefront. They understand historical events only as these relate to the Amazigh and not to the Arabs. They support diversity and disavow the very foundation of the Moroccan monarchy which claims to be descended from the Prophet Mohammed; yet, the Amazigh activists do not speak about the elimination of the monarchy, only of Islam disestablishing the state religion. It remains to be seen whether the constitutional reform advocated by the Amazigh activists would lead to an actual constitutional monarchy. The Western Sahara autonomy plan/proposal may well inspire more bold actions or strident calls for recognition of Amazigh cultural or even national aspirations. ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat’s Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** RILEY
Source : Wikileaks
