Culture, Islam, publications of works on migration in Europe in all its aspects, meetings with youths in host countries and in Morocco, conferences in Europe but also in Morocco involving academics and Moroccan universities on Moroccan migratory questions, but also  the African ones, followed by proposals and books. This has been the year 2017 for the Council of  the Moroccan Community Living Abroad (CCME).

The culture and religion of our fellow citizens living abroad has become a key issue since more than a decade in their host countries. Particularly, considering  the birth of the gruesome  beast of terrorism which trivializes racist and xenophobic speeches designing  Muslims as the scapegoats in the western world.  With the rise of nationalisms in a part of European countries emphasized  since the so-called crisis of refugees  mainly from Muslim countries devastated by civil wars, settled immigrants  in Europe for decades have suffered the consequences of policies of religious, identity and cultural exclusion.

Terrorist attacks in Europe by individuals claiming perpetrating their  appalling acts in the name of their vision of islam during the last decade,  have all of a sudden  been labeled "Muslim immigrants" by the most extreme movements in Europe. But also the all-news channels and virtual media, which by their lack of hindsight and enslaved by a a disastrous policy of urgency » commit errors from which there is no coming back.

There are moments in History where hesitancy is not allowed. And HM the King's speech at the 2016 Throne Day was  historic and courageous in a world where words seem to have lost their sense. In his address to the Nation HM the King deconstructed the speeches and the foolishness of these criminal gangs claiming themselves muslims. The King called the Moroccans living abroad not to forget the essence of their identity and their religion which is an Islam of peace and openness..

The CCME has since, this Royal speech, which  will last in History, made of the  issues identity-religion-culture one of its main axes of engagement  through including fundamental meetings in Morocco and Europe and partnerships for the indispensable training of Ulema in Europe. A vital didactic work for our fellow citizens abroad living mainly in Europe.

« Islam, identity, culture » this is the triptych to which the CCME « devoted itself » in 2017. Especially in Spain, France, Belgium and Germany, where one of the most important meetings of nearly 150 Ulema has been held. Active  in European countries  but as well in  Morocco particularly through cultural events that tell the story of Migrant Travelers; Leila Alaoui, a young photographer who traveled the world seizing moments of humanity killed in a terrorist attack in Ouagadougou; the pioneers settled in Europe since the post-war period; students from all over the world, for their part, were able to travel to Morocco to better understand their European comrads of Moroccan origin; groups from Europe and Africa also came to the Council to share their experiences on the migration issue.

CCME

By Mr. Abdellah Boussouf, Secretary General of the Council of the Moroccan Community Living Abroad (CCME)

 Beyond figures and legal articles, the Moroccans living abroad are an immense part of the essential capital of Morocco in every part of the world.

Moroccans of the third and fourth generation have given in several European countries  rise to a highly qualified and supervised elite. An elite which commands the languages ​​of the host countries, is anchored in the traditions and civilizations of these countries and has been able to occupy fields of influence in politics, economics and finance, society and in scientific and academic training.

Every step made and success achieved by the Moroccans of the world in their host country is positive for Morocco’s image in the world. It is our duty to imagine the added value of all these achievements realized every day by the Moroccans living abroad.

Scientists in research centers ; professors in the most prestigious universities in the world ; physicians with diverse professions ; eminent lawyers, writer ; filmmakers, musicians, artists, sportsmen ; Journalists, Facebook influencers…

It is on this elite of Moroccans living abroad, that Morocco needs to strengthen its image in the world. This is the reason for which sociology researchers claim that Moroccans living away from their homeland, are the blueprint of their country abroad ; in the capacity to represent the history, geography and an exceptional country named Morocco.

The stars of the Kingdom shine in the heavens of tourism and investment ; the names of young Moroccans working in the centers and agencies of aeronautics and space in the United States, Japan and France : such as Kamal Oudrhiri at the NASA, Rachid Amrousse at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Jaxa, Ahmed Bachar at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France, Nacer Ben Abdeljalil who carried the Moroccan flag at the top of the " Everest in the mountains of the Himalayas, or Merieme Chadid, astronomer and first woman from the arab world to set foot on the Antarctic during a scientific mission and exploration, Asmae Boujibar, the first Arab woman to integrate NASA ... And of course, the leader of the Moroccan scientists of the world, researcher Rachid Yazami, founder of the graphite anode for lithium-ion batteries.

As well of course, Khalid Rahilou, Badr Hari, Mustapha Lakhsem and many other martial arts champions, have all printed their names on an international level. Their victories were followed by the moroccan national anthem. As for Abdeslam Radi, race champion, and, Larbi Ben Barek, the outstanding footballer nicknamed « the black pearl ».

Moroccan names in various sports that gave victory to European, American and Asian teams, like Abdellatif Benazzi, captain of the national Rugby team of France.

Gad El Maleh, Jamel Debbouze, Said Taghmaoui and Red One are shining stars in the heavens of the seventh art, music and humor.

Rachida Dati, Najat Vallaud Belkacem, Myriam El Khomri, Ahmed Boutaleb, Samira El Aouni, Fatima Houda-Pépin, Mounir El Mahjoubi and all these deputies, advisers to ministers, mayors of European cities, international institutions, think tanks and survey institutes…

All these skills, these Moroccan numerous brains in the world are the vivid image of Morocco abroad. We must also pay tribute to two children of Moroccan origin : two brilliant skills victims of terrorism and hatred. The architect Mohamed Amine Benmbarek, who died in the Paris bombings in 2015 and the artist-photographer Leila Alaoui, killed in Ouagadougou in 2016.

An huge and major wealth that Morocco has, through media figures and distinguished writers who contribute to the development and evolution of the world and spread the values ​​of living together. They are emblematic figures who speak for Morocco abroad and its image in the world.

In the case of defending "complicated national issues" such as the national sovereignty within the framework of "parallel diplomacy", they are able to claim territorial unity and a new vision of Morocco's associative network, since many of them are activists in non-governmental organizations and bodies.

This makes of the Moroccan diaspora "the strong and winning link" to the modus operandi of promoting the image of the Kingdom abroad.

« Racism is not an opinion, it’s an offense». However, there is not a single election campaign in the world’s most prosperous countries where speeches are not openly racist against a portion of their population. Immigration, and more particularly Muslim immigration has become a matter of « political survival ».  

The vast majority of candidates who have a good chance of coming into power in Europe are pointing a finger towards these Muslim migrants whose presence could constitute a real danger to « Western culture ».

The US have already taken a clear position by electing a President who is at war against migrants and more specifically Muslims. 

In 2017, numerous countries in the EU zone have once again liberated racist speech, in spite of having gone through a hideous war fed by fascism and Nazism which caused irreparable damage.  This targets millions of Muslims, often Europeans, who are suddenly considered as the main cause for a wide array of failures: political, economic, social, cultural, educational and security. The lack of an insightful thought process or political reason, causes them to « cry wolf », which is now defined as the Muslim migrant and refugee.

These speeches constitute a flagrant Human Rights infringement in a part of the world where the latter are society fundamentals. This just illustrates the failure of political thinking, which choses the easy way out and deflects its inability to rule upon a minority whose only crime is being Muslim.  Condemned of being “guilty” for all the terror crimes commitment in the name of this religion whilst in fact they are the ones predominantly impacted by these crimes.  

Post-war, Europe has lived through very tough times linked to religiously motivated terrorism Ireland with the IRA or political in Germany with the Baader-Meinhof gang without trampling the core values of Human Rights.

The political demagogy we are witnessing in Europe and the US are the turning-point in political History. With racism, which seems a better term than islamophobia (fear of Islam), against Muslims, part of the western world is pulling the world into a very risky adventure. 

CCME