In Morocco, a group of blind people are planning to stage a protest with a difference [1].
Blogger Dar Lakbira says that they have decided to wear shrouds when they march on February 7 to demand more rights and support from social services to draw attention to their plight, which includes not being able to secure jobs – despite a clear law which says that the disabled in Morocco should be given a priority in securing a job.
Dar Lakbira, which means the Big House in Arabic, doesn't hide his sympathy towards this sector of society, which he says suffer as much as other down-trodden sectors in his country.
كلما مررت في طرقي للعمل بشارع الأبطال بأكدال، أطأطئ رأسي امام جموع إخوتي المكفوفين الذين يرابطون أمام وزارة ياسمينة بادو…وضعية مأساوية تتقطع القلب إنسانيا وتتقطع القلب اجتماعيا لهذه الفئة المحرومة وسط فئات كثيرةمحرومة سواء بصحتها أو بدونها….
“Everytime I pass by this road on my way to work, I hang my head down in shame when I see all the blind people camping outside the Ministry of Yasmina Badu (who is Morocco's Secretary of State at the Ministry of Social Development)..It is a real humanitarian catastrophe which tears the heart apart. This is a social tragedy for this sector of the down-trodden community, which are denied their rights – whether they are able-bodied or not,” he writes.
Dar Lakbira then gives us an insight to the war the blind are planning to wage to get some of the rights guaranteed to them by the law.
المكفوفون و في تصعيد غير مسبوق قررت شراء الأكفان البيضاء وتنفيذ ما اسموه بالاستشهاد الجماعي في بلاغ وزعوه على ساكنة الرباط يوم 7 من فبراير المقبل احتجاجا – كما يقول البلاغ دائما -على سياسة التماطل و التهميش في التعاطي مع قضيتهم مما أدى إلى إحباطات نفسية عليهم و احتجاجا على سياسة التمييز اتجاه الكفيف المعطل رغم الأولوية المضمونة قانونيا، ثم احتجاجا على تسليط الآلةالقمعية على الحركات الاحتجاجيةالسلمية، و في آخر البلاغ يهيبون بكل مكونات المجتمع (يعني نحن) بالتضامن معهم ومساندتهم…ثم تذيل البلاغ بهاتف للتضامن : 012110131
هذه صرخة أخرى لمساندة إخوتنا المكفوفين ولو بالهاتف (أضعف الإيمان)..” …
هذه صرخة أخرى لمساندة إخوتنا المكفوفين ولو بالهاتف (أضعف الإيمان)..” …
“In an unprecedented escalation, the blind have decided to buy white shrouds to execute what they describe as a mass martyrdom. In a statement distributed in Rabat, they said they will protest on February 7 against the government's policy in marginalising their concerns and demands to the extent that it has affected their morale. The protest will be staged to express their refusal of this policy of discrimination against employing the blind, despite the priority given to them legally. They are also marching against the suppression peaceful demonstrations are being met with. They also urge the whole society (meaning us) of supporting their plight. They provide a support hotline which can be accessed on 012110131. This is another scream for helping our blind brothers, even with a phone call and this is the least we can do,” he wrote.