Solidarity sit-in in Rabat, Morocco for two detained union leaders

A sit-in was held in Rabat in front of the Parlement out of solidarity with the political prisoners Seddik Kabbouri and Abderrahim Chenou members of the CDT (Democratic Confederation of Labour) and the AMDH (Moroccan Association for Human Rights) .

 The protesters demanded their immediate and unconditional release, and expressed their total solidarity with the people of Bouarfa fighting peacefully for their legitimate rights.

Seddik Kabbouri and Abderrahim Chenou were arrested following protests on May 26th, 2011 in Bouarfa approximatly 300km South from the city Oujda. They are being held in the prison in Oujda.

The two millitants have been on  hunger strike since the 8th of September.

Source: lakome.com

Video of the Sit-in In Rabat, Morocco on Thursday 24th of August 2011

Video from Mamfakinch!

http://24.mamfakinch.com/

A poem for the #Arabspring

By Mariam El Maslouhi:
So he waited
So he waited,
Consciously and unconsciously,
Waited for a butterfly to greet him and for his mothers kiss,

So he sat and waited some more,
Nervous and calm,
He waited for a dariwshian poem maybe a beauty to smile upon his face,

So he sat and waited some more, maybe nights who shall say,
He waited for Qais laila’s diagnose, he waited for Laila herself to grant him madness

He sat homeless, eyeless and songless,
Waited with all his patience held tight between his arms and he would cradle it,
He waited with his ignorance held in both hands

He waited and read, he read about waiting and was delighted,
He read about love and felt his aching heart,

So he waited and sang some more
The songs the beetle learned him once,
Sang the song that the ants sang at dawn, and when the sun would reach her highest point he would sing the song of the wingless swans.

So yes he waited,
Maybe for Aphrodite or Isis and her son
Or God? Allah?

He waited as if the messiah would never return and as if the world had forgotten about the twelfth imam

He waited, maybe for his empty veins to fill up once again,

Chocking in his solitude,
Bathing in his memory without remembrance
Soaked in his own poison

So he waited they said

But when I saw him I knew
Why he was and still is waiting.

He waited for his country to come home.

The King's Speech: A Double NO

The King's Speech: A Double NO

by: Abdoulmouthalib Bouzerda

First I want to make a positive remark about the speech of His Royal Highness Mohammed VI to the Moroccan nation. In contrary to the the rest of the Arab leaders he acted more reasonable and relatively swift to the mass protests. I'm not a supporter of a radical approach that can potentially lead to total anarchy. We should realise that the Royal House institution is embedded in our history and is part of the unifying forces. Politics is not about what you desire or what is practically possible in the light of the current power relations. In my opinion politics is what we desire in the context of practical implications. The Royal House can be a potential unifying actor in the transformation that will lead to a true democracy. If this is what the King aspires than I am loyalist. The answer to this question is not clearly given in the 17th June speech.

A true democratic constitution can only be initiated with the will of the people, by the people and through the people. The King refers to the planned reform as a "ambitious project.....in close conjunction with the nation's stakeholders." From the perspective of the King it is ambitious to transfer some of the crucial powers to representatives of the people. From his perspective it is also in conjunction with the nation's stakeholders. From a democratic view of point his opinion doesn't matter. In order to have true democratic reforms we should vote for representatives who prepare a constitution and that draft should be the subject of true open and fair elections. So first we should vote for representatives who can be legitimised as nation's stakeholders and they should prepare a draft that needs the approval of the people.

There is a huge gap between true democratic reform and what the King proposed. What he proposed is the outcome of his own appointments, assessment of his own interests and under his own leadership. So it is not surprising the reforms are nothing more than window dressing. If we use objective measures to test whether there is a proposed constitutional monarchy the answer is NO with explicit caps. In every genuine constitutional monarchy the government is accountable for the political position of the King. His majesty addressed the following words:

,, Specify that the person of the King shall be inviolable...."

For example the Dutch constitution provides inviolability to the King, but the ministers are accountable. The "King" and his political statements are extracted from the democratic checks and balances and from the public debate. It is technically true that the constitutional draft talks about the "Head of Government" to be the prime-minister, but the King addressed explicit that he will head the" Council of Ministers." In combination with "inviolability" and the distinction made by two kind of "Governing Councils" it is not a democratic outcome.

"...Governing Council shall have extensive, specific executive powers, some of which will be of a decision-making nature, and others of a deliberative character; the latter will be referred to the Council of Ministers for decision, as part of the powers retained by the latter in terms of strategy, arbitration and general policy, including the preservation of macro-economic and financial balance, which has now became a constitutional norm."

It is true that the "House of Representatives" will have " the final say in the ratification of legislative texts,"but there is also a distinction made by the King between two kind of "governing councils." In His Majesty's proposals it is not clear whether all decisions are subject to the legislative process where " the final say in the ratification of legislative texts." has the final say.

Secondly His Majesty's claims to national security and religious affairs with no clear boundaries make a real democracy unbalanced.Religious decrees and national security policy can undermine the democratic legislative process and then enjoy precedence under the principle of priority. For example international affairs, but also freedom of speech can be frustrated by His Majesty to use a carte blanche. It is theoretically possible to delegate a head of state " undemocratic" powers" in a democracy as long these powers are limited by the rule of law in a democratic process and can be changed through a democratic process.

Those who argue that splitting up article 19 of the constitution guarantees the separation of powers in the context of rule of law should rethink this :

,,A separate article concerns the exclusive religious powers of the King, Commander of the Faithful and President of the Higher Ulema Council, an institution which has been elevated to the constitutional rank."

Exclusivity is not because the powers are restricted to religious affairs. Everything can be religion and is a subject of theological dispute. The exclusivity concerns the extraction of a democratic check on the exercise of His Majesty's powers in this undefined field of religion.

Thirdly the King can announce state of emergency which gives him more powers and dissolve the parliament. Everyone who has studied the history of the Arab Homeland understands the dangers.

Fourthly " "Higher Council of the Judicial Branch", as a constitutional institution headed by the King" will strengthen the powers of the King. As head he can appoint a certain number of judges and determine the constitutional interpretation of the rules. We will not have separation of powers and due to that we will have not checks and balances.

Last but not least: Constitutional changes cannot change the position of the King or be initiated without the King!.

These five elements mentioned in the speech show that there is a reposition of the current power structures rather than a reform. His majesty has the opportunity to lead our nation into a more democratic future. A reposition of the powers will only delay the development of Morocco.

His Royal Highness urged us to vote "yes." By doing so he dismisses himself from his role as arbiter. I don't want to be an opponent of an arbiter. I want to vote "NO." I urge the Commander of the Faithful to vote "NO." His position will be on the longer term subject of discussion for more democracy or should I say democracy at all.That will endanger the role of the institution as a unifying force.

A short note on the Amazigh language

The project of the revival of the Amazigh language is an artificial construction of a new language similar to Esperanto. No one can deny the existence of the diffferent languages of the Rif, the Atlas and the Sous. Those people have the right to speak their language, to be educated in their languages and to have their own languages as their own official language in their regions. This is an elementary right according international law and an expression of the various aspects of our nation.

But a common Amazigh language that is developed in a language laboratory has nothing to do with the languages which are spoken by the various ethnic groups. This artificial language next to the Arabic language as an official language does not reflect the identity and history of Morocco. An organic law such as proposed by the King that will actually force all Moroccans to adopt a new language is technically also forbidden in the context of international law. At least the people should have the opportunity to vote on this issue separately.

When it comes to the referendum I would recommend to the Moroccan people to vote NO and anotherNO. This recommendation does not exclude the pride people of the Rif , Atlas and Sous . I am in favour of official languages which reflect your true identities.

Moroccan protester Kamal Aamari (30) dies.

Around 2:00 PM this afternoon in Safi, Morocco, Kamal Aamari died. Kamal was one of the protesters on Black Sunday, May 29th. On that day of protests security forces were relentless. Women, children, no one was safe. Lots of injured all over the country and one of them was Kamal.

Kamal, a 30 year old man, with a Physics degree and unemployed joined the protests. He went to the street for a brighter future for his family, friends but most important he went for his country. A country he saw torn apart by a few wealthy people. The country that raised him, the country he holds dear.

Kamal sympathized with the February 20th movement and belonged to no political party. A Moroccan citizen who loved his country and cared for it.

On that Black Sunday security forces used excessive force against protesters. The minute the protesters tried to gather to hold peaceful protests the security forces cracked it down immediately. Even before there even was a march they dispersed the protester and threatened them. In Safi the same thing happened. Police pursued the protesters into small alleys and beat them with sticks.

Lots of injured men and women, protesters were also arrested and quickly released. On that Sunday night Kamal was kidnapped and tortured by security men and dumped next to a public highway.
Doctors said he suffered from internal bleeding and a concussion. He also was severely inured to his eyes and the rest of his body was covered with bruises.

He walked around with his injuries until Tuesday when he went to the hospital. Out of fear that he would be prosecuted he waited to go to the hospital. On this Black Thursday he died.

When family and members of the February 20th movement heard of his death they gathered around the hospital.

The February 20th movement called for protest on June 5th. For dignity, justice, equality and for Kamal.



Source: Hespress.com

Doctors, professors, medical students held sit in at Ministry of Health in Rabat

Today (May 25th) over 8000 doctors held a sit in in front of the Ministry of Health in Rabat.  They were all dressed in white blouses and wore a black armband around their left arm. The doctors were joined by medical students and hundreds of citizens who sympathize with their cause.

From the beginning the group was surrounded by police forces. When the group began a peaceful march to the parliament the police prevented the demonstrators from moving forward and attacked the first line of marchers.

The rumor is that the health minister would meet with representatives of the protesters, but after the police assault, they refused to meet the minister and demand a public apology before any negotiations.

Teachers and researchers of medicine did also strike today in solidarity with the doctors gathered outside the Ministry of Health.

Some pictures of the protest today:

Magical Morocco and the Arab spring

The Moroccan police violently cracked down the Sunday May 22nd protests that took place despite the ban on the demonstration. In Rabat, the demonstrators tried to gather in the square outside the parliament. The Moroccan regime - fearful of a Tahrir-scenario - did everything to avoid that.
By: Yassine ChannoufTransl by: Mariam El Maslouhi
That Morocco is associated with blackmagic in the other Arab countries is no secret. But now there are  really strange things happening in that kingdom. On April 26th five members of the February 20th movement  died in Guercif while they were on their way to attend a meeting of the revolutionary movement in Rabat. An accident?
And On April 28th 'stangers' blew up a cafe in Marrakech on one of the most touristic places of Morocco.  16 killed, almost all of them Western tourists. "The work of the Secret Service!" Whisper many Moroccans. The question is: what interest to they have in an "terrorists" attack on Morocco?
The only ones interested in a destabilized Morocco is the Moroccan state itself and foreign counter-revolutionary elements. They could blame the February 20th movement because it would have destabilized the country with their demonstrations.
On Sunday, May 15, Oussama El Khlifi was brutally attacked by 'strangers'. He was left unconscious on the floor and pictures of his bloody face went around the world. El Khlifi is one of the faces of the February 20th movement. He frequently acted as a voice for the democratic revolution in Morocco.
Another magical phenomenon is the invitation by the six Gulf monarchies to Morocco to become a member of the GCC (Gulf Coorperation Council), a club of corrupt pro-US monarchies who are obsessed with the Iranian threat. These kings and emirs suffering from chronic amnesia because they seem to have forgotten how they supported the war of Saddam Hussein against Iran  financially and diplomatically for eight long years.
Two months ago the same Gulf countries aborted the revolution in Bahrain and occupied the island.
It is strange that Morocco is invited by a select club ultra rich monarchies that is thousands of miles from Rabat. Morocco is was honored, but it shows how well the relationship with the Gulf countries actually is. The fact that Qatar, where the headquarters of the Arabic channel Al Jazeera is based, is one of the GCC countries, will undoubtedly affect the coverage of Al-Jazeera.
Towards a Moroccan Tahrir Square
At previous events in Morocco the security forces were absent. This was to show how much Morocco is different from other Arab countries and that the Moroccan regime is anything but oppressive. This did not work. The previous demonstrations were banned and everytime people were injured. But this time the police came and tried violently, in all major cities, to prevent the protesters from gathering.
In Rabat, the democratic demonstrators tried several times to reach the square outside the parliament. The neighborhoods were surrounded and the police used violence against the demonstrators to prevent the creating of another 'Tahrir Square'.
Hunted demonstrators took refuge in the building of the UMT, the leading Moroccan trade union. They tried their utmost best to bring people together to create a sit-in, but the siege of the police was too tight, an eyewitness told us. The police tried to invade the building, but that failed.
And other demonstrations were disbanded following the traditional script. About a quarter to six PM local time, the demonstrators attacked security forces in the Sebata district of Casablanca. And in Tangier the security forces occupied the square to prevent the planned march that would take off from that Mkaada square.
In other cities such as Tetouan, Fez, Oujda, Mohamadiyya and Agadir demonstrations were violently suppressed.
Bans on demonstrations
That the Moroccan government harshly tackled these demonstrations was no surprise. Prime Minister Abbas el Fessi had not given permission for these demonstrations. Before the  February 20th the same el Fessi claimed that Morocco was a democracy. He added that even the right to demonstrate was one of the achievements of a democracy.
The patience of the Makhzen (the Moroccan elite) is wearing thin. They hoped that with a passive, almost indifferent attitude, the February 20th motion would die a quiet death. This did not happen and the message of the revolutionary youth is becoming increasingly popular.
Then they tried to show us how merciful the Moroccan monarch is. He would reform the constitution and ordered dozens of political prisoners to be freed including the known Salafist preacher Mohamed al-Fizazi. He was one of the thousands of Moroccans who were arrested after the attacks in Casablanca in 2003 and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
After his release he immediately thanked the king. Not much later he advised the Moroccans to stand behind Benkirane - yea, yea, all of a sudden democracy is not something for infidels! -. Benkirane is the demagogic leader of the pro-monarchy tolerated Islamist party in Morocco, the PDJ.
The largest Islamic party, Adl wal Ihsan, is against the monarchy and is therefore suppressed. Other Islamist prisoners could upload a video on YouTube that made it clear that they still existed. Unlike al-Fizazi they had no kind words for Mohamed VI. Is it surprising that they are not released?
Which direction?
It is clear that the Moroccan revolution is growing. The holiday season is approaching, and with the exception of Lebanon, summer tourism is to no other Arab country as important as to Morocco. The Moroccan government is terrified millions of Moroccans - who often hold a Western passport - could interfere in the revolution.
That's why the February 20th movement has to be silenced at all costs and the reforms made by the king must be completed as soon as possible. In any case, the protests on Sunday the 22th of May eliminated the  cliché that Morocco is a unique country.
The response of the February 20th movement will now be crucial. Will they allow themselfs to be intimidated by the many police and secret services? Or will they continue to fight for a democratic Morocco? It seems that the movement is going for the second option. According to the democratic movement, repression is oil on the fire.
"Despite the harassment citizens are opening their doors for fleeing demonstrators. The police, however,  passed by the to ask them not to come out during the demonstration" one eyewitness told us.
The February 20th movement hopes the recent events will get even more movements and parties on their side and are planning more demonstrations.
Link of original article in Dutch:

http://www.dewereldmorgen.be/artikels/2011/05/23/magisch-marokko-en-de-arabische-lente

Leading figure of #morocco protests Oussama El Khlifi severely beaten by police!

Osama El Khlifi, savagely attacked by police during the march in El Massira Temara.He is in serious condition (unable to speak), and was taken to hospital SidiEl Hassan, Temara.