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http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/080215-morocco-mc

by Michel Hoebink*

15-02-2008

Moroccan Minister for Moroccan Communities Abroad Mohammed Ameur says that Moroccan migrants in Europe need to work harder to preserve their language and culture. But his statement has rubbed Dutch politicians the wrong way.

It's beginning to take on the appearance of a trend. While European immigration ministers emphasise the need for migrants to integrate - and preferably even assimilate - politicians from their countries of origin underline the need for migrants to preserve their cultural identity. Last week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdoğan sparked an outcry when he said that assimilation was no less than a crime against humanity. The Moroccan minister appears to have taken a page from his book.

Moroccan women

Classes
In the French language magazine Aujourd'hui le Maroc, Minister Ameur recently revealed Morocco's new migrants policy. "The Moroccan community abroad", he argued, should be regarded as our country's 17th province." The spearhead of the new policy is to ensure that more children of Moroccan descent take classes in Moroccan culture and in Arabic.

The minister said that the number of children following such classes should over the next few years double from 60,000 to 150,000. The government will also earmark funds to enable young people to travel to Morocco so they can reinforce their bonds with their country of origin.

Irritation
Minister Ameur's statements have caused considerable irritation among Dutch politicians. Conservative MP Henk Kamp says the Moroccan policy is diametrically opposed to Dutch government attempts to further the integration of Moroccans in Dutch society.

Labour MP Khadija Arib, herself of Moroccan descent, argues that: "Moroccans in the Netherlands should focus on their lives here, so they can get ahead". She calls the Moroccan minister's policy old-fashioned. Ms Arib argues that the Moroccan government should understand that the new generations have less of a strong tie with Morocco.

Berber language
In addition to sparking widespread irritation about the Moroccan government's interference, the plans have raised serious concerns among many Moroccan migrants. Said bin Azouz from the Voice of Democratic Moroccans in the Netherlands says that "In principle, there is nothing wrong with preserving your own language and culture, but the question is which culture"?

Mr Bin Azouz argues that an open democratic Moroccan culture is not at odds with integration, but the traditional, static culture that the Moroccan government is promoting, is. Also, the Moroccan government seems to have forgotten that 80 percent of Moroccans in the Netherlands speak one of the Berber languages. To them Arabic is a second language, just like Dutch is.

Money
Attempts by the Moroccan government to retain its hold over its migrant communities are nothing new, and have repeatedly led to irritation. The Moroccan government refuses to allow its migrants to give up their Moroccan nationality and tries to force migrants to choose the names for their children from an officially approved list. A recently created Advisory Board to the Moroccan Community Abroad is also being regarded with suspicion.

There is a reason why the Moroccan government wants to retain strong ties with its migrant communities. There are more than three million Moroccans in Europe, more than 10 percent of the total Moroccan population. In addition to tourism and phosphate mining, the money sent home by these migrants is the country's main source of foreign exchange.

*RNW translation (gsh)

Tags: assimilation, Berber, Dutch politics, immigration, integration, language, migrants, Morocco, Turkey