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Viewing cable 06RABAT908, AMAZIGH (BERBER) CONFERENCE DEMANDS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06RABAT908 2006-05-10 08:32 2011-08-24 16:30 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Rabat
VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #0908/01 1300832
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100832Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3684
INFO RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 3970
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2931
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 3163
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4186
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 8858
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 1662
UNCLAS RABAT 000908 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR MO
SUBJECT: AMAZIGH (BERBER) CONFERENCE DEMANDS 
 
REF: A. RABAT 00321 
 
     B. RABAT 00676 
 
1.  This cable is sensitive but unclassified.  Please treat 
accordingly. 
 
2.  (U)  Le Reporter (April 20), a weekly French-language 
magazine format journal, reported the results of the April 7 
and 8 Amazigh (Berber) conference held in Meknes.  (Note: 
Meknes is located east of Rabat in the Meknes-Tafilalt 
region, and, it is a traditional Amazigh and Jewish city, as 
well as a former imperial city, reftel A).  Seventy 
associations met to discuss the position of the Amazigh in 
modern Morocco.  Le Reporter discussed the history of various 
Amazigh associations, including the Royal Institute for 
Amazigh Culture (RIAC), and the development of Amazigh 
political parties (reftel B). 
 
3.  (U)  Conference participants produced eleven demands for 
the GOM.  These demands are: 
 
--The abrogation of the constitutional article that 
identifies Islam as the state religion.  The article supports 
exclusion.  Moreover, on the one hand, not everyone is 
looking for a protector of their faith and on the other hand 
not everyone is necessarily Muslim. 
 
--The Amazigh language and the principle of secularism in the 
constitution must be made official so that the state is open 
to the outside world and reconciled with its history. 
 
--Amending the decree relating to the generalization, 
unification and "arabization."   (Note:  "Decree" refers to a 
royal edict.  End Note.) It is a coercive decree that 
penalizes Moroccans who are educated and taught in another 
language.  (Comment:  This statement means that Amazigh are 
at a disadvantage because they are educated in Arabic.  End 
Comment.) 
 
--The Amazigh language must be an official language in order 
to ensure its continuance.  Making Amazigh official allows 
its native speakers to benefit from material and symbolic 
advantages. 
 
--The (official) language status forces the state to do its 
best to develop, promote and spread Amazigh language and 
culture.  The Amazigh activists have the right to struggle to 
force the state to work to that end, resorting to the courts 
if necessary. 
 
--The teaching of the Amazigh language must be proposed to 
all Moroccans and must benefit from any right granted to the 
Arab language.  Any other status for the Amazigh language is 
demeaning. 
 
--Public institutions and institutes, administratively and 
financially autonomous and mandated to manage public affairs 
in the Amazigh areas must be created.  There must be a 
standard Amazigh language. 
 
--The associations movement must be fostered.  (Note: 
"Associations" are nongovernmental organizations, reftel B) 
They form an ideal "breeding ground" for the emergence of a 
nation's elite.  The development of a nation is measured 
through the importance of its associations. 
 
--The development of audiovisual media for each geographical 
area (radio, TV, newspapers) must be promoted.  These are 
effective instruments and mechanisms for socialization and 
expanding the country's languages and cultures. 
 
--Rethink the educational system.  The Moroccan educational 
system has been led astray from its formative mission, 
serving an ideology.  Only a surgical procedure can alleviate 
the prejudices caused by a more than poor educational system. 
 A simple reform cannot be the appropriate answer, thus the 
Amazigh movement recommends a complete rethinking of the 
education system with the perspective of modernizing it and 
adapting it to the employment market. 
 
--The teaching of foreign languages.  The current 
mono-lingualism is synonymous with illiteracy in a changing 
and diversifying world.  Multi-lingualism must be, of course, 
mandatory, if we want to take part in globalization.  To that 
end, the teaching of foreign languages must be offered to all 
citizens. 
 
4.  (SBU)  Comment:   Central to the eleven demands is the 
establishment and recognition of the Amazigh language. 
Language appears to be the essential identity marker for the 
associations represented at the conference.  The elimination 
of Islam as the state religion and demanding the cessation of 
the "arabization" of the Amazigh population are forthright 
political changes, which require constitutional changes, as 
does the demand for autonomous regions.  The fact that 
seventy associations agreed on these focused demands 
demonstrates that there is a "grassroots" effort by at least 
part of the Moroccan population to steer the country's reform 
efforts.  It remains to be seen, however, whether or not the 
demands will lead to constitutional change (reftel B).  End 
Comment. 
****************************************** 
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat 
****************************************** 
 
Riley