Morocco's Spring Blows out its First Candle Noureddine Boutahar

Morocco's February 20th Movement (F20M) will blow out its first candle tomorrow. The movement is spearheaded by young people with no particular political allegiance and is inspired by other protests in the MENA region, and is triggered by social, economic, and political frustrations that have plagued the country for decades. It has been a year now that people are shouting out loud for real democracy, dignity, justice, and transparency, but their demands seem to fall on the deaf ears of a stubborn Makhzen (ruling elite) which has used every trick in the book to circumvent these demands, fight the movement, and muddy its image.
It has been a year now and Morocco is still at a point where two roads diverge in spite of much ado about change and reform. The centuries old Makhzen mentality still persists and there are no indications that it will change soon. The Makhzen has not made any concessions but only fidgeted in its seat to make itself more comfortable and tighten the grip. The decisions are still made behind the curtains by a mysterious Makhzen that has always hidden its face from the gaze of public accountability. The Moroccan soccer coach's salary case exemplifies the Makhzen institution's modus operandi. This refusal to disclose the coach's salary and all the tergiversations is a message from behind the scenes that the Makhzen has the final say in every nook and cranny and will not pander to all the wishes of the people lest they ask for more. Keeping things in the dark often serves the vested interest of that Makhzen either directly or indirectly.
It has been a year now and the Makhzen is loath to admit its mistakes and make amends. It has placed the country at a crossroad where it is neither a dictatorship nor a real democracy. The country still has opinion and pen prisoners and persecutees. The country still suffers from lack of transparency, embezzlement, nepotism, red tape bureaucracy, tax evasions, income divide, successive price rises, and rentier economy to mention only a few problems which need no more than strong will and determination to be solved or alleviated. The country is still at the mercy of a perversely unyielding Makhzen, lurking in the shadows and operating there. The country is still at the mercy of corruption which is “the real maestro in this country”, to use Abdellah Damoun’s words in today’s Almassae newspaper.
It has been a year now and I still have a misgiving that the Makhzen has its heart and soul in the reform. There are inside the Makhzen institution many who put spokes in the wheel of change because their interests conflict with the reform aspirations of the people. By so doing, however, they ironically fan the flames of anger and perpetuate frustration and instability. Frequent country-wide protests and self-immolations bear witness to the frustration and dissatisfaction of people with the pace, quality and quantity of change that is taking place. On the other side, F20M does not trust the Makhzen's intentions on tackling the pressing issues and does not seem to be leaving the scene anytime soon, which will keep both sides in a kind of "prisoner's dilemma" for a long time.
It might be argued, however, that the movement has not achieved any breakthrough of any significance, which calls the value of the movement into question. But looking at it from a larger perspective, one may find notable positive achievements: For example, the Movement's protests have pulled down the decades-long wall of fear of the Makhzen (one of the classic triads of fear in Morocco: Makhzen, floods, and fire). It has also exposed the magnitude of corruption in this illiteracy-stricken country as well as its main figures. Besides, the movement has precipitated the release of some 'opinion' prisoners and brought Islamists into power - a dream come true for a party with a religious reference. Last but not least, it has been able to "awaken the political consciousness of Moroccans" as Ahmed Benshemssi said.
It might be said, also, that Morocco has a new 'democratically' elected government, which strips F20M protests of their legitimacy and value. However, this can be countered that the current government has limited power to resolve the country's multiple and age-old issues. USFP is still there to confirm that the Makhzen is adept at burning political parties’ fingers, and at using them as shock absorbers in times of need to weather the storms and deflect pressure. Also, because democracy is taken and not given, F20M can act as the rightful custodian of the promised change that's dripping instead of moving normal speed.
The way the reforms are being carried out reminds me of a Moroccan bon mot which had its origin in the following anecdote:
Once, a knight led his men off to fight with a neighboring tribe. It was not long before news came that the knight had been the first to be killed. Upon hearing this, everyone in the tribe was surprised. Everyone, that is, except the town fool. "That guy was riding lopsided when they set out," he exclaimed. Ever since, this statement has been used to describe any endeavor that starts off on the wrong foot.
I sincerely hope to be wrong on this; that is, I hope the new government is not "riding lopsided". I also hope this new government will be given enough power, authority and jurisdiction to deal with the long-standing issues that rile the public most in order to restore people's trust and confidence in its institutions. I finally hope the government pushes the pedal to the metal because we have wasted too much time and because, in Ahmed Al Hafnaoui’s terms, “We have aged” waiting for Godot.

Good Bye and Good Riddance to Gaddafi Noureddine Boutahar

دولة الباطل ساعة ودولة الحق إلى قيام الساعة * Ali Bnu Abi Talib

Congrats to the Libyan people for getting rid of the tinpot dictator who had held tight rein on them for more than four decades. Their success is an undeniable proof that any authoritarian regime is “more vulnerable than a spider’s web”[1] when people resolutely stand up for freedom.

Good riddance to the ruthless brutal dictator who had been sitting on his people’s shoulders for almost half a century depriving them of all freedoms and feeding them long shallow and ridiculous self-congratulatory speeches. Good to see the back of a recklessly stubborn and stupid dictator who has always refused to concede fault or listen to the voice of reason and act accordingly. Adieu paranoid, megalomaniac dictator who used his country’s money to fund terrorist groups all over the world instead of promoting infrastructure and building a productive economy at home, or offering his people quality education, and improving the Libyan population’s welfare.

Gaddafi is a prototype of ruthless and cruel dictators who see their people only as slaves, subjects, and a herd of sheep who should be led as they see fit with no right to protest or demonstrate against anything. Instead of coming down to talk to them and listen to their demands when people took to the streets on Feb 15th, he adamantly got on his high horse and began to insult them calling his own people “rats”, “cockroaches”, “stray dogs”, "traitors" and “terrorists” and murdered hundreds of them in an attempt to mistakenly scare them and silence the voice of freedom. He threatened to hunt them down “from house to house and from alley to alley”. It’s these terms that added fuel to the fire and provoked freedom loving sons and daughters of Omar Al Mukhtar to stand up and take arms to fight the dictator.

Gaddafi is an example of ignorant dictators who wouldn't listen or leave or step aside at the propitious time. They insist on holding on to their thrones waiting to get the torch of defeat from their predecessors. They put on blinkers and cling to power to the last shred of imaginary hope, selfishly and cruelly murdering, imprisoning, and torturing their own people. They have no place for democracy, freedom, justice, and dignity in their dictionaries in their countries which they have turned into family estate.

Gaddafi is a sample of adamant dictators who never learn lessons from other arrogant dictators who end up living a horrible life in exile or prison or hiding hole. Because of their morbid attachment to power, they end up being mass murders and then fugitives from justice or prisoners struggling with diseases in cold lonely cells.

The fall of the world's most ridiculous buffoon-dictator, who called himself “desert messenger”, “king of African kings” and a whole slew of other names, is a warning to other dictators - in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere - that tomorrow is just a day away. "An alert and learned man will take advice from any event," said Ali Bnu Abi Talib

* A state built on falsehood is [for] an hour,
A state built on truth is until the coming of the hour [of Judgement].