Morocco: Where Some People are More Equal than Others  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

All Moroccans are equal, but some Moroccans are more equal than others, writes Moroccan blogger Jamal Elabiad.
He comes to this conclusion following a corruption case allegedly involving a high ranking official in the cabinet and his son's arrest.
Here's what the blogger writes about the incident:
The scandal, in brief, broke out when a policeman arrested the week before last Khalid Naciri’s son for assaulting and stabbing a motorist in front of the parliament building in Rabat. Soon after learning of his son’s arrest, the communication minister showed up personally at the scene. “Are you going to let the boy go, or should I do my work?” is the threat, according to eye witnesses, the minister used to force the policeman to release his son. As a result, the policeman had no choice but to set Naciri’s son free in disapproval of the citizens who observed the incident. For more details, watch the video.
The video link, which has had more than 24,000 hits so far, shows a commotion, many people shouting “democracy” and many angry comments:
One of the comments reads:
Another comment reads:
Back to Elabiad, who shares his thoughts on the incident in a series of sharp observations:
What the communication minister has done shows beyond doubt that all Moroccans are equal, but some Moroccans are more equal than others.
What the communication minister has done means that Moroccans whose family members are ministers or senior officials are above the law.
What the communication minister has done is a clear sign of the fact that something is rotten in the kingdom of Morocco.
He continues:
What the communication minister has done deals another blow to the image of Morocco abroad.
What the communication minister has done means that those who pass laws are still the first to break them. The communication minister is an example in point.
What the communication minister has done is the kind of news some Algerian and Spanish newspapers are looking for.
What the communication minister has done means that he’s among those whose interests and privileges will be in danger if the North African monarchy becomes a place of democracy, freedom of expression, human rights, and equality before the law.
He adds:
What the communication minister has done is what Amnesty International and Transparency International focus on to write their reports on human rights abuses and corruption in many countries around the world, including Morocco.
What the communication minister has done shows that Moroccan ministers throw stones at others though their houses are made of glass. Think of Khalid Naciri’s sharp criticism of Transparency International reports.
What the communication minister has done is an example of what happens behind closed doors.
What the communication minister has done shows that human rights abuses are among the trivialities Khalid Naciri has no time to waste on.
What the communication minister has done is what made the majority of Moroccans lose faith in the elections.
What the communication minister has done means that Comrades in Morocco turn their coats soon after they become VIPs.
What the communication minister has done is among the means some terrorist networks employ to sow the seeds of terrorism.
In conclusion, Elabiad writes:
Lastly, what the communication minister has done shows beyond doubt that today’s Morocco is no different than the Morocco of yesteryear. In other words, reforms in Morocco are only a varnish. Underneath it lies the same old Morocco!
On Istablogs, Mohammed Taha notes:
In his defence, the minister said he acted like any father who was trying to protect his son. if it was just a father trying to protect his son then we’d understand but Mr. Naciri is not just a father, he represents the Moroccan government so he should be Just, he should be the father of all Moroccans, he should be an example, he should be an honest man and makes sure law is applied on his son the same way it is applied on the rest of the Moroccan citizens. Using his position as a minister to threaten a policeman questions his credibility as an honest minister. How can we trust him now?
Taha adds:
If he wants to be just a father he should go stay home and teach his son how to respect others or rather teach him how to stab people without being caught by the police BUT if he wants to be a minister then the minister and his son should learn how to respect the law.
Last but not least, Maghrebi, on Maghreb Blog, observes:
This is the latest in a long series of similar events that showcases how Morocco's officials treat the corpus of the laws in the kingdom. Instead of being a role model for all Moroccans by respecting law enforcement, Mr. Naciri's message is loud and clear: there are two sets of laws in the country, one for those that wield any form of state authority, who abuses their power with impunity. Another set of laws is duly implemented when downtrodden Moroccans are concerned.
And on Facebook, more than 3,700 people have joined a group in protest against the minister's intervention in his son's incident. The group is called: Khalid Naciri Go Home.