Latest news with #Berbers
Ya Biladi
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Morocco honors first-generation immigrants in France for their enduring legacy
The Embassy of Morocco in Paris hosted a ceremony Thursday evening to honor the pioneers of Moroccan immigration in France, recognizing their remarkable journeys and lasting contributions to strengthening ties between their homeland and host country. Thirty Moroccans who immigrated to France between 1952 and 1962 and now reside in or around Paris were each awarded a personalized medal of merit in tribute to their legacy. «We are very pleased to welcome our elders and receive them here in their home, so we can once again acknowledge their life paths, honor them, and remind them how important they are to Morocco, their country of originas, well as to France, their host country, and to the relationship between the two», said Samira Sitaïl, Morocco's Ambassador to Paris, in a speech delivered at the event. As members of the first generation of immigrants who played a decisive role in France's economic growth and Morocco's development, those honored embody the Kingdom's diverse and layered identity, the ambassador emphasized. «This diversity, part of our identity, our history, and a source of pride, is fully represented here. We are Hassanis, Muslims, Berbers, Jews, Arabs, Andalusians, and Africans, all at once», she said, highlighting the many elements that shape Moroccan national identity. The ceremony, held in coordination with similar events organized by Morocco's Consulates General throughout France, was attended by Ambassador Sitaïl, Morocco's Permanent Delegate to UNESCO Samir Addahre, President of the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME) Driss El Yazami, Royal Air Maroc's Director for Europe and the Americas Amine El Farissi, and several figures from civil society, community organizations, and the Moroccan diaspora.
Arab News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Algeria jails historian who questioned Amazigh culture
He was arrested on May 3 for 'the crime of undermining national unity'Belghit's lawyer Toufik Hichour said on Facebook that a court sentenced him to five yearsALGIERS: An Algerian court on Thursday sentenced historian Mohamed Amine Belghit to five years in prison for offending national symbols, his lawyer said, after remarks questioning the existence of the native Amazigh sparked outrage in the North African country when he said in a recent interview that 'the Amazigh language is an ideological project of Franco-Zionist origin,' and that 'there's no such thing as Amazigh culture.'He was arrested on May 3 for 'the crime of undermining national unity' by targeting 'symbols of the nation and the republic' as well as 'disseminating hate speech,' the prosecution said at the Thursday, Belghit's lawyer Toufik Hichour said on Facebook that a court outside the capital Algiers sentenced him to five years behind prosecutor had requested seven years jailtime and a fine of 700,000 dinars ($5,400).Algeria in 2016 granted official status to Tamazight, the language of the Amazigh people, who are also known as Berber new year celebration, Yennayer, was added in 2017 to the list of national a university professor, is no stranger to remarks often cause uproar, with critics accusing him of historical revisionism and hostility toward the Amazigh people.
Morocco World
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Algeria Unleashes Venom Against UAE in Latest Diplomatic Meltdown
Doha – Algeria's state television launched a vicious assault on the United Arab Emirates Friday, hurling insults and threats that shattered diplomatic norms in an extraordinary display of hostility from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's regime. The five-minute tirade, broadcast on national television, branded the UAE as an 'artificial statelet,' 'hybrid entity,' and repeatedly called Emirati leaders 'dwarves.' This verbal barrage marked the latest episode in Algeria's pattern of lashing out at neighboring countries. The trigger was an interview on Sky News Arabia, where Algerian historian Mohamed Amine Belghith claimed Amazigh identity was merely a 'Zionist-French ideological fabrication' and that Berbers were actually 'ancient Arabs of Phoenician origin.' The interview, conducted by an Algerian journalist with an Algerian academic, somehow became grounds for attacking the UAE – simply because the channel receives Emirati funding. Algeria's state broadcaster declared the interview constituted 'dangerous media escalation from the artificial Emirati state that crossed all red lines regarding the unity and identity of the Algerian people.' The statement, reportedly crafted by the presidency's communications directorate under Tebboune's influential advisor Kamal Sidi Said, accused the UAE of lacking 'roots and genuine sovereignty.' The regime's mouthpiece warned that 'media incitement affecting Algerian identity will not pass without moral and popular accountability.' Algeria would 'return the insult a hundredfold,' it added, using language more suited to street brawls than international relations. This outburst reflects a deepening crisis in Algeria's foreign relations. The regime has already severed ties with Morocco, expelled Spain's ambassador over the Western Sahara dispute, and seen relations with France plummet to unprecedented lows. Read also: The Farce in Algiers: Tebboune's Desperate Embrace of Polisario Chief The attack on the UAE follows months of deteriorating relations. In January 2024, Algeria's High Security Council condemned 'hostile acts by a brotherly Arab state' – a thinly veiled reference to the Emirates. By April, Tebboune explicitly accused the UAE of 'igniting fires of sedition' in Mali, Libya, and Sudan, claiming 'wherever there's conflict, that state's money is present.' The broadcaster's presenter delivered these denunciations with such vehemence that observers compared it to 'screaming in a public bath or a drunkards' gathering,' according to Moroccan press reports. Sacrificing diplomatic decorum on the altar of imagined victories The statement described the UAE nine times as an 'artificial statelet' and referred to its leaders twice as 'dwarves.' The Algerian regime exploited public anger over Belghith's comments about Amazigh identity – recognized alongside Islam and Arabism in Algeria's constitution – to position itself as defender of national unity. Yet this same regime previously banned Amazigh flags during the Hirak protests and imprisoned activists who displayed them. Several Amazigh activists denounced the government's maneuver as an attempt to deflect internal tensions by blaming external enemies. 'It's not Sky News Arabia denying our history, it's the Algerian state giving voice to those who falsify our origins,' one Kabyle activist posted on X. The unhinged nature of this latest attack raises serious questions about Tebboune's mental state. Between declaring Algeria the 'world's third superpower,' claiming the country desalinates 1.3 billion cubic meters of seawater daily, and now this diplomatic meltdown, the Algerian president's behavior grows increasingly erratic. As one Moroccan commentator noted, 'This level of degraded insults is unworthy of a state and can only come from the Algerian president, known for his hysterical reactions and violent outbursts.' With each passing crisis, concerns mount that Tebboune's instability could ignite broader regional tensions. The incident reveals a regime desperately seeking external enemies to mask internal failures, willing to torch diplomatic relations and abandon basic decorum in pursuit of imaginary victories. For Algeria's neighbors, Tebboune's government represents not just a diplomatic challenge, but a genuine threat to regional stability. Tags: AlgeriaAlgerian MediaUnited Arab Emirates
CairoScene
09-02-2025
- CairoScene
Dar Darma: Maximalism in Marrakech
This riad really did leave minimalism in the dust… Marrakech is a city that's 953 years old. Its labyrinthine alleyways have borne testament to the rise and fall of dynasties and the ebb and flow of trade. It has been home to Berbers, Arabs, Jews, and Europeans, each leaving their mark on the city's architecture, cuisine, and customs. The city has served as a centre of Islamic scholarship, a hub of caravan trade, and a site of pilgrimage, attracting visitors from across the Islamic world and beyond. More importantly, it has served as a backdrop to innumerable stories of intrigue, romance, and adventure, some famous enough the whole world remembers them vividly and others lost to time, now mere whispers forever entrapped in the grains of the Sahara. In a hidden alleyway off a sidestreet in the Medina - barely big enough for two people to walk through - an ornate door, not unlike all the other doors, beckons travellers from far and wide, because it's the entrance to what is, arguably, Marrakech's most maximalist riad, Dar Darma. The six-room riad is a haven that leaves minimalism in the dust. Its interior is a work of art, an entanglement of rococo carved doors, painstakingly-crafted zellij, and soaring ceilings that serve to spotlight Marrakech's often-chaotic and seemingly contradicting personality in one space. Upon arrival, you are greeted with a refreshing mint tea and Moroccan leather babouches, setting the tone for the stay. Squishy fauteuils covered in plush velvet are scattered around while handcrafted monolithic chandeliers - expertly handwrought with brilliant crystals - cast their kaleidoscopic shadow, captivating wanderers. One of the standout features of Dar Darma is its rooftop, which boasts panoramic views of the surrounding Medina, with the Atlas Mountains peaking beyond the horizon. There, you can laze in the beautiful solarium or take a dip in the glistening pool, surrounded by the hotel's lush gardens and enchanting décor. It also serves as the perfect setting for indulging in a steaming traditional breakfast, enjoying a candlelit dinner beneath the shimmering stars, or simply unwinding with a refreshing cocktail. However, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served at the time and in the place of your choosing, with the hotel's La Table Dar Darma restaurant offering a range of Moroccan delicacies that tantalise the taste buds. You can also participate in cooking classes or themed happy hours, if you feel that a touch of adventure - without leaving the decadence of your stay - is necessary. The hotel's hammam, fireplace room, and library all provide a variety of options for both relaxation and entertainment. Dar Darma also offers a range of extras upon request, including a laundry and ironing service, shoeshine service, English and French-speaking babysitters, beauty and wellness treatments, private car with chauffeur, and personal shopper. The hotel's concierge is always available to assist you in planning trips and transfers, offering a less stressful experience.
Observer
05-02-2025
- General
- Observer
Centuries-old Algerian indigenous tradition champions sharing
In a village nestled in the mountains of northeastern Algeria, locals and visitors gathered under a cold winter sky to celebrate Tamechrit, a centuries-old Berber tradition rooted in sharing. Seeking to preserve a practice that faded during the Algerian civil war of the 1990s, villagers marked Tamechrit with Berber music and food on the occasion coinciding in January with the Amazigh new year. The minority community of Berbers refer to themselves as the Amazigh, meaning "free people". They have long fought for recognition for their ancient culture and language in modern states across North Africa. Berbers are descendants of pre-Arab North Africans, whose historic homelands stretched from the Canary Isles and Morocco to the deserts of western Egypt. "We hope to perpetuate this tradition during cultural or religious festivals," bringing together different people from the village and even those who have left, Dahmane Barbacha, a 41-year-old from Ath Atig village, told AFP. Children wore temporary Amazigh face tattoos at the event that dates back to the 13th century, according to historian Saleh Ahmed Baroudi. People attend a Tamechrit gathering, part of Algeria's Amazigh New Year's traditions, in Bajaia, on January 11, 2025. Algerian villages are perpetuating, particularly in Kabylia, the centuries-old tradition of Tamechrit, based on mutual aid and suspended during the civil war of the 1990s. (Photo by AFP) Tamechrit means "offering" in Tamazight, the community's language recognised as an official language alongside Arabic in Algeria. It represents "an occasion for gathering, fraternity, and reconciliation between families" across Amazigh villages, said Baroudi, who teaches contemporary Algerian history. Different regions of the country use other names for the custom, he added. The merrymaking is also held to observe major Islamic events such as the fasting month of Ramadan, Prophet Mohammed's birthday, and Ashura. It is often held in Zawiyas, small places for worship and religious teaching, usually where a local saint or holy figure lived and was buried. Baroudi said most of those sites are in mountainous regions, adding to the "spiritual dimension" of Tamechrit. - Reconciliation - The festival begins days in advance, when men from the village collect donations to purchase cattle whose meat is later distributed equally among families. During the event a communal meal -- usually couscous prepared by village women -- is served to everyone, regardless of social standing. Ammar Benkherouf, a 36-year-old living in France, said he has been taking annual leaves in recent years to attend the ceremony. "I can't describe the happiness it brings me to help keep this heritage alive," he told AFP. By midday, the communal couscous is served to villagers and visitors while volunteers distribute the portioned meat around the village's households. Men prepare portions of meat as part of Algeria's Tamechrit, based on the Amazigh New Year's traditions, in Bajaia, on January 11, 2025. Algerian villages are perpetuating, particularly in Kabylia, the centuries-old tradition of Tamechrit, based on mutual aid and suspended during the civil war of the 1990s. (Photo by AFP) Tamechrit had also been a tool for fostering solidarity during Algeria's Independence War against French colonial rule from 1954-1962, according to Baroudi. The ritual then faded during the country's civil war between 1992 and 2002, a conflict between authorities and Islamist groups that claimed the lives of around 200,000 after the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) party won municipal and legislative elections. Tamechrit then "made a comeback in the early 2000s" with the end of the civil war, said Baroudi. Today, Tamechrit continues to bring together villagers and resolve conflicts between them. Farhat Medhous, a 31-year-old who heads a cultural association in Ath Atig, said his group now looks to "restore women's participation in these traditions inherited from their ancestors". He said that, traditionally, women held their own gatherings in a separate area from the men's, but their involvement diminished even after the civil war. In addition, he added, the association aims at teaching the younger generations Tamechrit values, meaning sharing and reconciliation. He said this year's festivity was organised by villagers aged 18 to 40. "We have held activities for children to teach them the values of volunteerism and community," said Medhous. "This prepares them to preserve these traditions as they grow older." —AFP
