Following the publication of the draft constitutional revision of the Moroccan monarchy, to be submitted to a referendum on 1 July 2011, the public opinion is divided especially concerning the introduction of Tamazight as an official language. Beyond the lack of clarity on the terms of the "formalization" of Tamazight, the text remains faithful to the constants that are so dear to the Arab-Muslim monarchy. We publish below the reaction of the Amazigh Observatory of Rights and Freedoms (Observatoire amazigh des droits et libértés, OADL), and the editor at Tamazgha.fr will certainly come back on this new trickery ... Editor Regarding the proposed new constitution submitted to referendum The draft of the new constitution examined by OADL (French acronym for Observatoire amazigh des droits et libertés, Amazigh Observatory of Rights and Freedoms) will be submitted on 1 July to a referendum. Based upon its contents and following the royal speech that followed the publication, all supporting bodies of the Amazigh movement and the national and international public opinion must be informed that: 1 - The anti-democratic method used for developing the draft document, written by the committee on the revision of the constitution followed by a team chaired by Mouatassim, resulted in something that was no surprise: a project put together in a sealed atmosphere, characterized by ambiguity, confusion and lack of transparency and visibility. At the end of this process, the relevant forces of the nation have been deliberately excluded. As for the Moroccan political parties, they were simply set aside and placed in a humiliating position of inferiority. The commission, which refused them access to the project during its development, gave them less than 24 hours to make their remarks. The final text of the constitution was drawn up secretly without any real consultation and strictly under the adviser to the king. The ultimate goal of the authorities is to scandalously rush the new constitution to a referendum and at the same time refuse the right to anyone to discuss its final content. Also, OADL strongly condemns the fact that some archaic conservative parties have been mobilized by the authorities, towards the end of the writing of the constitution, to counter the claims of the country’s democratic forces and undermine all new the articles of the constitution. 2 - The final constitutional text submitted to referendum is a revision that seems at first to provide a set of rights, but it is in fact a continuation of the principles that have always been the fertile crucible of the absolutist and arbitrary political traditions, with no change to the nature of the regime and the institutional architecture in which the king reigns and governs forever and gives himself excessive powers; as a result, no "gains" are real, because everything was done to hinder them. No business renewal has been made that could disrupt current practices and impact the governance of the country. As a Consequence, Morocco, while still in a serious situation and tense political climate, is about to miss its chance; a rendezvous with history. Parliamentary monarchy, as claimed, will not see the day. 3 - It goes without saying that the formalization of the Amazigh language is an asset and an important step forward. This is the fruit of the enormous sacrifices made by generations of activists in the Amazigh cause in Morocco, and their allies in civil and political national organizations. However, the configuration used lends itself to many interpretations. In fact, the fact that the formalization of Arabic and Tamazight appears in two separate paragraphs suggests that there is definitely a hierarchical relationship between a first official language, Arabic, and a second one, Tamazight. As a language is closely linked to the identity of its people, the unfortunate results of the new constitution divide Moroccans into two distinct categories: first-class citizens and second class citizens. 4 - The evocation of a constitutional law defining "the process of implementation of our language’s official character and the terms of its integration in the school system and of public daily life priorities" makes us wonder legitimately after decades of violation of our dignity and events of the past and present, which taught us to be careful. Will this new law reconsider everything and start all over from scratch? Or will it take into account the gains made in recent years, particularly in the teaching of Tamazight, despite all the obstacles due to lack of legal protection of this language? How long will the new process take, and with what budget? It seems that an inevitable and even harder struggle still awaits defenders of Amazigh language and culture. 5 - The constitutionality of all consultative bodies set up by the king before, and the exclusion of the official institution dedicated to the Amazigh (IRCAM) from this institutional list draws our attention and makes us question the real intent in the management of Tamazight. 6 - The constitutionality of the Moroccan identity dimensions as stipulated in the constitution, "its unity, forged by the convergence of its Arab-Islamic components, Amazigh and Sahraro-Hassani, was fed by its African, Andalusian, Hebrew and Mediterranean tributaries", has not met the specifics on the Amazigh language nor did it respect the chronological order in the statement, knowing that Tamazight is the first and native component. It also eclipses our African roots, which were mentioned as a mere tributary. 7 - The new constitution totally ignores Morocco‘s land ties to Africa; it reduces the connection with our African continent to the "relations of cooperation and solidarity with the peoples of Africa”. On the other hand, it claims our "belonging to the Arab-Islamic Ummah", thus denying the historical and geographical realities of our country. This makes us lose all ability to take advantage of far greater geographical and civilizational assets than those related to the Middle East. 8 – The removal from the final version of the constitution of the part dealing with the civil character of the State and the freedom of conscience, which are the very bases of any constitution of a democratic society, is in itself a real failure in this new constitution. Especially, the specific "Islamic character" of the State contradicts the commitment to respect and comply with international standards on domestic jurisdictions. No effort is made by the Muslim legal experts to understand and benefit from the important stakes of modern life. 9 - Although the new constitution contains some progress, including a number of rights and freedoms, it falls short of the aspirations of the public as they have been clearly expressed by the movement of 20 February. Our civil society and progressive political parties have a duty to continue their struggle to build a truly democratic and modern society based on the principles of freedom, equality, justice and dignity, and on a contract that is dedicated once and for all to popular sovereignty. Rabat, 17 Juine 2011 For an English traslation of the new constitution, visit the following link: http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/mo00000_.html The original French and Arabic versions can be dowloaded right here, Click on the Adobe Pdf icon below to download it. 
Add Comment We, Amazigh (Berber) organizations and associations which work for the protection of human rights in general and for Imazighen's (Berbers) cultural and linguistic rights in particular, are seriously preoccupied by mind-blowing rise of violence and terror of which Libyans keep being the victims. We are outraged by the international community's inertia in front of the tragic situation endured by the Libyan people. A tyrant from a bygone age is turning this country into a butcher's shop, using military weapons against people willing to get rid of a despotic and tyrannical regime which deprives them of any form of freedom. We call for the international community to take its responsibilities and act to limit the damage and put an end to the group massacres the Gadaffi regime is perpetrating against Libyan populations. An intervention is needed to protect civilians from the army of a regime which threatens them with extermination. Therefore, a no-fly zone is the least that could be done in the quickest possible manner to prevent Gadaffi's planes from attacking helpless populations. Nearly a month after the start of the horrors Gadaffi's regime is imposing on the Libyan people, the United Nations Security Council must stop beating around the bush and eventually decide to perform their duty, which is to protect civilians calling for help from the terror and barbarity of a man decided to cling to power whatever its price. Unless an emergency reaction happens very soon, History will remember that Libyan people were left defenseless to face the cruelty of a tyrant and the world ignored their numerous calls for help. March the 15, 2011. Signatory associations and organizations: - AFAFA – Roubaix - Amyaway Imazighen – Rabat - Association Mohamed Elkamel des Bidonvilles - Tiddas (Khemissat) - AZETTA – Rabat - Internationale Touarègue – Bordeaux - Libyan Working Group - Amsterdam - OADL - Rabat - Tamazgha – Paris - Tamunt n Imazighen n Libya – London - Tilelli - Goulmima - ZARI - Marseille We, Amazigh (Berber) organizations and associations which work for the protection of human rights in general and for Imazighen's (Berbers) cultural and linguistic rights in particular, are seriously preoccupied by mind-blowing rise of violence and terror of which Libyans keep being the victims. We are outraged by the international community's inertia in front of the tragic situation endured by the Libyan people. A tyrant from a bygone age is turning this country into a butcher's shop, using military weapons against people willing to get rid of a despotic and tyrannical regime which deprives them of any form of freedom. We call for the international community to take its responsibilities and act to limit the damage and put an end to the group massacres the Gadaffi regime is perpetrating against Libyan populations. An intervention is needed to protect civilians from the army of a regime which threatens them with extermination. Therefore, a no-fly zone is the least that could be done in the quickest possible manner to prevent Gadaffi's planes from attacking helpless populations. Nearly a month after the start of the horrors Gadaffi's regime is imposing on the Libyan people, the United Nations Security Council must stop beating around the bush and eventually decide to perform their duty, which is to protect civilians calling for help from the terror and barbarity of a man decided to cling to power whatever its price. Unless an emergency reaction happens very soon, History will remember that Libyan people were left defenseless to face the cruelty of a tyrant and the world ignored their numerous calls for help. March the 15, 2011. Signatory associations and organizations: - AFAFA – Roubaix - Amyaway Imazighen – Rabat - Association Mohamed Elkamel des Bidonvilles - Tiddas (Khemissat) - AZETTA – Rabat - Internationale Touarègue – Bordeaux - Libyan Working Group - Amsterdam - OADL - Rabat - Tamazgha – Paris - Tamunt n Imazighen n Libya – London - Tilelli - Goulmima - ZARI - Marseille This is a press release by Tamazgha and Afafa associations (France) On the night of 16 to 17 December 2010, Mazigh and Madghis Bouzakhar, two brothers and activists of the Amazigh cause were abducted from their home in Tripoli by individuals of the Libyan security forces. Two days later the police raided their home again to confiscate all the books and materials that were there. We want to denounce this arbitrary act and demand the release of Mazigh and Madghis Bouzakhar. After a few realtively calm years, the Tamazight eradication policy seems again a priority for the Libyan regime. Using methods from another era, The Libyan dictatorship singles out Amazigh activists and seeks to annihilate them. The Amazigh cause has seen worse and we will not stand silent in the face of what we can only be labeled as kidnappings. We call on all activists of the Amazigh movement worldwide, to rally to denounce the kidnapping and demand the immediate release of the two activists. Mazigh and Madghis Bouzakhar have our support and we remain mobilized until their release. We also call upon the human rights organizations, especially in North Africa, to intervene on behalf of the two activists and demand their release. Tamazgha & AFAFA Paris, December 20, 2010 Tamazgha 47, rue Benard - 75014 Paris Tel: 33.9.51.90.76.91. E-mail: tamazgha@wanadoo.fr http://www.tamazgha.fr Association AFAFA MDA - 24, Place de la Liberté - 59100 Roubaix Email: associationafafa@yahoo.fr http://www.afafa.eu Algeria is examined by the United Nations Committee for Economic Social and Cultural Rights 05/04/2010
You can download the full report (in French only for now) presented by Tamazgha at the bottom of this communique. Les versions françaises de ce communique et du rapport présenté par Tamazgha sont disponibles en bas du texte en anglais. The Algerian State before the United Nations’ Bodies on human rights 44th session of the Committee for the economic, social and cultural rights A Communiqué by Tamazgha Association (Paris) a non-governmental organization for the defense ofthe rights of Imazighen (Berbers) During the 44th session of the Committee for the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) which was held 3-21 May 2010 in Geneva, the Algerian State was called to provide a report on legislative, judiciary and administrative measures taken to be acquitted from their obligations in reference to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. To this effect, the Algerian State, as usual, presented a text with the scenario of an apparently formal institutional structure, which is high protective of the public’s freedoms and the rights granted by the Covenant, but in total contradiction with the reality of the citizens’ daily life. This upfront formality hides a huge systematic gap between the Algerian legality, which complies only on paper with international treaties on human rights, and the real application of these treaties and the effective protection of the very rights that are formally granted to the citizens. There is, here, an indisputably real disconnect between the assertions in the legal texts and the field reality. One of the main contradictions is concerned with the way the State dealt with the Amazigh issue and the Amazigh speaking populations. Tamazgha, an NGO that defends the rights of Imazighen (Berbers), presented at this occasion an alternative report titled “The Algerian State and the Amazigh Question”. In this report, Tamazgha outlined the hypocrisy and the incoherencies of the Algerian State, as well as the principal violations of the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. In the same report, Tamazgha presented propositions to the Committee on an informative basis for the formulation of recommendations for the Algerian State to end the discrimination against Imazighen (Berbers). Since 2002, the Algerian State has been boasting about declaring the Tamazight (the Berber language) in the Constitution as a national language. But, how can one believe the Algerian State, while the law on the generalization of the Arabic language is still maintained; a law that is still in effect and institutionalizes linguistic discrimination? What sense does the registering of Tamazight as a national language have while the Amazigh speakers still cannot make use of their language throughout the Algerian administrations, nor can they read official documents in their own language? On the cultural side, Tamazgha denounced the way the Algerian State wants to lead the teaching of Tamazight to failure. In fact, the marginalization of this teaching, made optional and with no resources, can but lead to a slow burial of this language. Besides, how can one believe in the sincerity of the Algerian State pretending to want to recognize and promote the Amazigh language, while the Arabization project is being revamped daily? Several years after being in charge of the teaching of this “national language”, only 2.15% of students have access to the teaching of Tamazight, of whom 88% are Kabyle. In Algiers, the Nation’s capital where at least 50% of its population is Amazigh speaking, there are only three Tamazight teachers in three schools with a total attendance of 63 students. Tamazgha also pointed out, in its report, the religious discrimination practice of the Algerian State. Tamazgha denounced the official politics wanting to make the Algerian State a Muslim state, where non-Muslims are excluded, marginalized and sometimes deprived of the most basic rights, such as adopting a child. In short, the Algerian State maintains one of its founding principles: the eradication of Amazighness from North Africa. The State’s hypocritical attitude before international authorities concerning the Amazigh issue only confirms its determination to achieve its anti-Amazigh goal. Tamazgha calls with all its wishes upon the members of the United Nations’ Committee on Economic, Social and cultural Rights to summon the Algerian State on its politics of Tamazight’s marginalization and exclusion, and to remind it of its obligations of respecting the provisions of the Covenant of which it is a member. And, in order to show its good will, the Algerian State must proceed promptly with the amendment of all the laws and the various legal instruments and legal acts, which contain discriminating provisions towards Tamazight. All laws, decrees, ordinances..., must be reviewed to comply with Article 3-b of the Constitution that establishes Tamazight as a National Language. The Algerian State must, of course, make Tamazight official as the Committee has already recommended in 2001. Tamazgha, Geneva, May 3, 2010
 For Immediate Release Civil Registrars Refuse to Record Newborns Whose Names Are ‘Not Moroccan’ (Washington, DC, September 3, 2009) – Morocco should stop interfering with the right of its citizens to give Amazigh names to their children, Human Rights Watch said today. Numerous Moroccans living in cities and villages around the kingdom and abroad who chose Amazigh first names for their newborns have been refused when they applied at local civil registrars to record those names. Human Rights Watch wrote a letter to the interior minister, Chekib Benmoussa on June 16, 2009 detailing five such cases and soliciting an explanation. There was no response. “Morocco has taken steps to recognize Amazigh cultural rights,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “It now needs to extend that recognition to the right of parents to choose the name of their child.” Morocco’s Law on the Civil Registry stipulates that a first name must have “a Moroccan character.” Local administrators apparently interpret that requirement to mean names that are Arabic-Islamic, even though the Amazigh people are native to Morocco. The law gives parents the right to appeal a refusal in court and to the High Commission of the Civil Registry. Over the years, the commission has ruled on dozens of Amazigh, European, and other non-Arabic-Islamic names, accepting some and rejecting others. The five cases documented in the Human Rights Watch letter, involving both residents of Morocco and émigrés living abroad, resulted ultimately in victories for the parents. But they succeeded only after bureaucratic delays and lengthy appeals, sometimes enduring hostile or humiliating questions from Moroccan civil servants and the insecurity of having a newborn who, for months, had no legal identity. “We are happy that these parents prevailed, but no couple should have to fight their government, at this special time in their life, to be able to name their baby,” Whitson said. On August 26, a first instance court in Tahla (province of Taza) court approved an Amazigh name in a sixth case, allowing Abdallah Bouchnaoui and Jamila Aarrach, to name their five-month-old daughter “Tiziri,” which means “moon” in Tamazight, the Amazigh language. The victory came only after the couple, who live in the commune of Zerarda in the Middle Atlas, had endured months of uncertainty. For a seventh couple, the uncertainty continues. On March 11, Rachid Mabrouky went to the civil registry in the Saâda district of Marrakesh to register his two-day-old daughter as “Gaïa.” Mabrouky told Human Rights Watch that the official on duty refused to accept the name, contending that it was “not Moroccan.” Mabrouky went to the civil registry at the city’s prefecture, only to be told the same thing. When he explained that the name “Gaïa” was Amazigh and therefore Moroccan, the agent on duty persisted in his refusal, exclaiming, “You Amazigh are all fanatics,” Mabrouky said. Mabrouky and his wife, Lucile Zerroust, who is French, filed a case in administrative court, where the case is still pending. “Gaïa” is the name of an ancient Berber prince. Parents of an infant who is not recorded by the civil registrar may face obstacles when applying for a passport for the child, reimbursement by state medical insurance, or other services. Parents who persist in demanding that the government record Amazigh names tend to be Amazighs who are politically active. They say that for every couple like themselves, there are others who avoid giving their children Amazigh names, fearing a humiliating refusal from local officials followed by administrative problems. The Amazigh are the indigenous people of North Africa and are overwhelmingly Muslim. Today, the two largest Amazigh populations are in Morocco and Algeria, where some are actively engaged in seeking cultural, linguistic, and political rights. In 2001, King Mohammed VI of Morocco created a Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture and began a program to teach the Tamazight language in schools. Several Moroccans who are Amazigh told Human Rights Watch that when civil registry agents are presented with uncommon first names, they consult lists prepared periodically by the High Commission of the Civil Registry. These lists include dozens of non-Arab-Islamic names, each one marked “accepted” or “refused.” Human Rights Watch has copies of some of these lists. According to the law, the commission is composed of representatives of the interior and justice ministries and the kingdom’s official historian. International jurisprudence supports the freedom to choose one’s name. The United Nations’ Human Rights Committee ruled in the 1994 case of Coeriel et al v. Netherlands, “Article 17 [of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights] provides, inter alia, that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence. The Committee considers that the notion of privacy refers to the sphere of a person’s life in which he or she can freely express his or her identity.... [This] includes the protection against arbitrary or unlawful interference with the right to choose and change one’s own name.” “Unless a first name is patently offensive or objectionable or harmful to the interests of the child, authorities have no business curbing the right of parents to make this very personal choice – especially not when the curb amounts to a form of ethnic discrimination,” said Whitson. Human Rights Watch’s letter to Minister of Interior Benmoussa, seeking information about the cases involving the naming of five Amazigh children – Ayyur Adam, Massine, Sifaw, Tara, and Tin-Ass – is online at: http://www.hrw.org/node/85427 (English); http://www.hrw.org/node/85429 (Arabic). For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Morocco and Western Sahara, please visit: http://www.hrw.org/en/middle-eastn-africa/morocco/western-sahara For more information, please contact: In Washington, DC, Eric Goldstein (English, French): +1-917-519-4736 (mobile) In Washington, DC, Abderrahim Sabir (Arabic, French, English): +1-202-612-4342; or +1-202-701-7654 (mobile)  The following (see attachment below in pdf) is the final French language version of the Amazigh Caucus Declaration as drafted by almost 13 Amazigh associations from around the world that took part at the 8th Session of the Permanent Forum of the Indigenous Issues at the United Nations. Tomorrow will be the last day of the session. The English version will be drafted soon. ACAA was among the Amazigh Associations that took part at this session and we will make it a tradition to attend every year. I personally was amazed and impressed by the level of info displayed at the forum and all the great people I met from all over the world. We will sure put that to good use in the future to serve our culture and our people. I encourage all Amazigh associations in America and elsewhere to get involved in the future. It is a great venue to expose to the world your culture and help in promoting it, interact and network with other indigenous cultures at various levels and build a better world by being a citizen of the world. The permanent forum was created by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) mainly to discuss Indigenous issues within the Council, including Economic and Social Development, Culture, Environment, Educations, Health and Human Rights. The Climate Change and its impact on the Indigenous populations were one of the main topics discussed at the Forum. The Amazigh Caucus was well represented and we will get more organized next year. We were glad to meet many leaders from the Morrocan and Touareg associations. Kamira Nat-Sid and Ferhat Mehenni were the ambassadors from Kabylia and made a great impact with their interventions by speaking up on the main issues currently happening in Algeria. This hopefully will help in expediting the resolution of the main issues and push the process of democracy forward. For more details, please refer to http://www.un. org/esa/socdev/ unpfii/en/ session_eighth. html. All pertinent info are published. Cheers to all and God Bless Aomar Bensilmane ACAA President New York, May 28, 2009 
Morocco is allergic to Amazigh names 04/02/2009
ACAA is pleased to present you the following article by Jillian York which appeared in The Huffington Post. AMUSSU ADELSAN AMAZIΓ N INELMADEN G TIZI N IMNAYEN     The Tuareg Fight for Justice 07/23/2008
 Al-Jazeera-English TV has recently (during this month of July) aired a series of reports on the Tuareg rebellion in northern Niger. | 
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