The Amazigh Cultural Movement Under Attack

Violence recently erupted between so-called Arabist and Amazigh students at several universities in Morocco namely Taza, Meknes, Agadir, Marakesh and Tizi-n-Imnayen. This has led to many serious injuries and one death among the students. The Moroccan police intervened and arrested Amazigh students mainly. There are now about 50 of them in jail under various charges, most of them labeled “armed attack against another student” and “robbery”.

The violence coincided in many universities such as Taza (Arif) with the commemoration of Tafsut Imazighen (the Amazigh spring [1]). According to eyewitnesses in Taza, large numbers of individuals outside of the university entered the campus, took part in removing announcements by the Amazigh student organization and attacked violently the Amazigh students. According to the same eyewitnesses, the security forces provided cover for the fleeing attackers instead of arresting them.

At the University of Agadir it was reported that “Sahraoui” students started the violence when they tried to force Amazigh students to leave the classroom in order to support their protest against certain exam rulings. In other instances they burned Amazigh flags and forced students entering the university to walk over it. Later they organized themselves into mobs that attacked Amazigh students who had to defend themselves. Their dormitory rooms were raided and many of their belongings stolen. The police generally showed up only to arrest Amazigh students and never bothered anyone else.

The Amazigh Movement supported by many Amazigh associations is convinced that this was a setup executed by the security forces to draw them into a violent conflict, and then have them arrested. Some Amazigh activists claim it could not be anything but a conspiracy because the security forces brought in ambulances prior to any violence taking place and the police often watched when the Arabist students attacked. They also pointed to the coordinated aspect of the events as this happened at several universities nearly at the same time.

The Amazigh Movement formed a committee to support the imprisoned students and organized marches and protests throughout the country. High school students joined in by organizing protests and showing their discontent by burning the Moroccan flag.

These events bear a striking resemblance to attacks that occurred in the 80’s among Amazigh students and Islamist students in various universities in Algeria. At the time, the Algerian police stood by watching as the Islamists attacked many students. That is when they killed Kamal Amzal in Ben-Aknoun. It also brings flashbacks from the June 14th 2001 march by the Kabyl Citizen’s Movement (Aarch Movement) when the Algiers police hired local street gangs to attack the demonstrators (see photo). It is not at all surprising that similar events take place in Morocco a few years after they take place in Algeria. We know now that the Moroccan authorities observe the Algerian strategy against the Amazigh Movement and replicate it in all cases where it has born fruit.

More than ever, the Amazighs are not wanted in their own land. They are tolerated only if they accept to forget who they are. In the meantime, the demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people are funded and organized by the government itself, while Tamazgha’s own original people are trampled, jailed, and yes... eliminated. Because, the Amazigh movement has always been a peaceful one, the authorities resorted to manipulation to bring about the right circumstances and conduct massive arrests, and thus repress the Amazigh movement and silence it once and for all.

The Amazigh Cultural Association in America and the Tazzla Institute for Cultural Diversity warn Moroccan authorities of the danger this situation bears for the Amazigh community and Morocco in general. The Amazigh Movement has been a peaceful and democratic one since its very beginnings. In true democracies, such a movement is an asset and shows how civil society is part and parcel of the political process and contributes to strengthening the nation. The provocations and violence that the Amazigh students suffered recently, and their unfair arrests and trials, have the potential of alienating many more Imazighen and radicalizing the Amazigh movement. Perhaps this is what their detractors sought, but this is a clear danger for peace and democracy in Morocco. The Amazigh people are entitled to their culture in their own land. They are entitled to exercise their democratic rights, which include free speech, fighting for their social, economic and political rights, free of prosecution.

We call upon the Moroccan government to stop alienating the Amazigh people. Morocco is the land of the Amazigh people. In the past, they fought for its freedom and today they fight for its democratic future. The Moroccan government must reign in the local authorities and securities forces. These ought to protect the people and ensure order instead of creating conflict. It is the responsibility of the Moroccan justice system to conduct a full investigation of these events in order to determine where the failures occurred and judge the persons responsible for this violence. Students that are wrongly accused must be released immediately. Finally, Amazigh issues are real issues that the Moroccan government must deal with in all fairness for Morocco’s own good.
Our organizations stand behind the students and the Amazigh cultural movement in their fight for their culture, justice, freedom and democracy in Morocco.

Amazigh Cultural Association in America
Tazzla Institute for Cultural Diversity

Philadelphia, October 9, 2007