Francophone Morocco: Politics, Power, and Money

With the upcoming September 7th elections in Morocco, many young Moroccans are questioning if politics still make sense in their home country. They're also talking about the issues that matter – Palestine being a big one – and the changes the country is going through.

“If you don’t do politics, politics will do what it wants with you”
This a proverb a friend of Moroccan blogger le mythe (fr) used to tell him. This week, le mythe asks if politics make any sense in the Maghreb. He explains his point of view, saying:

Faire de la politique n’est pas pour devenir un électeur passif qui brandit systématiquement sa carte pour faire partie du contre-pouvoir.
Faire de la politique n’est pas devenir le maghrébin de service d’un parti politique lambda, ou le fou du Roi…

Faire de la politique c’est comme faire l’amour…
En effet la politique et les affaires d’amour ne diffèrent pas plus que deux gouttes d’eau.

Practicing politics doesn't mean being a passive voter who constantly holds up his card so he can be a part of the opposition.
Practicing politics doesn't mean being the “Maghrebian of service”* of some political party, or the fool of the King. Practicing politics is like making love…
In effect, politics and love affairs are no more different than two drops of water.

*An insulting term which implies that a working person of minority is the only one in his community.

He also refers to the famous book of Hannah Arendt, entitled La politique a-t-elle encore un sens?, in which she says:

La politique a-t-elle encore un sens? Le politique n’est nullement nécessaire, ni au sens impérieux d’un besoin de la nature humaine, tels la faim ou l’amour, ni au sens d’une institution indispensable pour la communauté humaine.
Au contraire, il commence même précisément là où le domaine des nécessités matérielles et celui de la force physique cessent.

Do politics still make sense? Politics are by no means necessary, not in the sense of a primary need of human nature, such as hunger and love, nor in the sense of an essential institution for the human community. On the contrary, it starts precisely where the domain of material necessities and physical force end.

dirhams.jpg

Politics means – to most people – power and money, and people who have power always want more power…because more power equals more money. Maroc Bourse (fr) made an announcement about a new pharmaceutical company entering the stock exchange:

La bourse de Casablanca s'apprète à accueillir une nouvelle société dans le secteur pharmaceutique après la société SOTHEMA à partir du 15 juin avec l'introduction de la société PROMOPHARM.

Following [the listing of] the SOTHEMA company, the Casablanca Stock Exchange is getting ready to welcome a new company in the pharmaceutical sector, PROMOPHARM, on June 15.

But to some people, money is just a means to an end. Citoyenhmida (fr) has put out a call to all Arabs to help Palestine because its people are in crisis:

Peu m’importent les responsables de cette situation : que ce soit les dirigeants palestiniens enfermés dans leurs contradictions ou le gouvernement israélien cadenassé dans sa politique intérieure.

Peu m’importe que les USA, qui détiennent les clés de ce problème, ne veuillent pas le résoudre !

…La Palestine est en voie de disparition, sous les bombes, sous les balles, sous le béton du mur de séparation, sous le silence, sous la honte de ses dirigeants, sous l’arrogance de ses adversaires, sous l’indifférence de ses frères!

It matters little to me who is responsible for this situation, be it the Palestinian leaders wrapped up in their contradictions or the Israeli government locked up in its domestic policy.It matters little to me that the USA, which holds the keys to this problem, doesn't take care to solve it!…Palestine is in the process of disappearing, under the bombs, the bullets, the concrete of the partition wall, under silence, the shame of its leaders, the arrogance of its adversaries, and the indifference of its brothers!

Naim (fr) commented, saying:

Je crois que pour résumer les avis passés et même qui seront postés ici même, je dirai que le peuple palestinien n'a pas besoin de “paix” mais de justice.

I believe that to summarize the opinions [mentioned here] and even those which will be posted, I will say that the Palestinian people do not need “peace” but justice.

Power and money aren't infinite, and neither is life. Naim (fr), a university professor, eulogizes Driss Benzekri, who recently passed away:

Un grand homme, digne et sincère, est décédé. Mes sincère condoléances a sa famille et a tous les épris de la liberté.

A great man, dignified and sincere, is deceased. My sincere condolences to his family and all who were passionate about freedom.

Moi, dans tous mes états (fr), whose name means “Me, in all my states” expresses his sadness at Benzekri's death:

C’est avec grande tristesse que j’ai appris le décès de Driss BENZEKRI. Militant de longue date, activiste au sein de l’UNEM et de la gauche radicale, il fut incarcéré en 1974 puis condamné à 30ans de réclusion.

Désigné par SM comme secrétaire général du Conseil Consultatif des Droits de l’Homme, président de l’Instance Equité et Réconciliation.

…BENZEKRI mérite d’être érigé en héros national. Que Dieu ait son âme dans sa sainte miséricorde. Nous sommes à Dieu et à lui nous retournons.

It is with great sadness that I heard of the death of Driss BENZEKRI. Militant for a long time, activist in UNEM and a left-wing radical, he was incarcerated in 1974 and condemned to 30 years in prison.Designated by His Majesty [the king of Morocco] as secretary general of The Advisory Council of Human Rights, and president of the Equity and Reconciliation commission….BENZEKRI deserves to be set up as national hero. That God has his soul in his holy mercy. ‘We belong to God and to him we will return.’

Photo by Daveyll

2 comments

  • Hi

    Thanks for the double mention. It’s great to see such good review of the moroccan blogosphere.

    Have a nice day.

  • SAMI

    I am not interested in politics, and I am wrong, I know. The truth is, my generation doesn’t have a clue on who’s who in Morocco. The moroccan system took from us an important tool to deal with our matters for years by making us just ignoring it. Politics! Boring, useless, and made for those who want to earn big money by taking a nap in the parliament, Yeah 5 – Naaay 0.
    Anyway, I like useless things, hopeless causes, and above all the Morocco I believe in (the one with the saturday’s corniche and busy Zerktouni on monday morning)

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