?Morocco: has the journey of the Atlas Lions opened the discussion on Amazigh identity in the world
Moroccan players celebrate the end of the FIFA World Cup round of 16 match between Morocco and Spain, at the Education City stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar on Tuesday, December 6, 2022. One of the goalkeepers substitutes, Munir Mohamedi wears the Amazigh flag around his waist.
Sofyane Amrabat, Hakim Ziyech, Abdelhamid Sabiri, these names may be familiar to you now. These three players carried the Moroccan national team into the last four of the World Cup, a first for Africa. One of their particularities is their asserted Amazigh (Berber, editor's note ) identity. The Atlas Lions have, despite themselves, placed the question of Amazigh identity in the eyes of the whole world. Kawtar Bihya, doctoral student in sociology, specialist in the question of the transmission of Amazigh culture and living in Jaffa, an Arab city in Israel, tells us about it. Interview .
Sofyane Amrabat, Hakim Ziyech, Romain Saïss, Abdelhamid Sabiri, but also coach Walid Regragui share this Moroccan Amazigh identity, whether it comes from Souss or the Rif.
Declaring that his team played "above all for Morocco and for African football" , when he was told about the impact of the Atlas Lions victory in the Arab world, Walid Regragui, in a way , anchored his team in this identity so often erased, in North Africa itself, but also in the Middle East.
The Palestinian flag waved by the Atlas Lions has been widely talked about, but another has also caught the eye, the Amazigh flag carried by Munir Mohamedi, one of the Moroccan goalkeepers.
Morocco team players pose before the start of the World Cup quarter-final soccer match between Morocco and Portugal, at Al Thumama stadium in Doha, Qatar on Saturday December 10, 2022.
Kawtar Bihya is a doctoral student in sociology and works on the issue of the transmission and erasure of this Amazigh culture. Living in Jaffa, an Arab city in Israel and herself an Amazigh, she has carefully followed the development of this question, parallel to the course of the Moroccan team in this World Cup.
TV5MONDE: What is the Amazigh identity and why do we speak of Amazigh and not Berber?
Kawtar Bihya, doctoral student in sociology and specialist in the Amazigh question : It is a term that was chosen by the Imazighen themselves (plural of Amazigh, editor's note) to define themselves, in reaction to the term "Berber" , meaning "barbarian" and used by both European and pan-Arab colonial powers in general.
It was really thumbing its nose at both Eurocentrism and Arab-centrism. It is very important to stay on a correct assignment which is the one chosen by the Imazighen.
There are several possible definitions "Free men" , "free spirits" , "free people", but meaning is always linked to freedom. The Imazighen come from Tamazgha, which is called North Africa, or " Maghrib alarabiya" in Arabic (Arab West, editor's note ).
This group of indigenous inhabitants of this region experienced waves of Arabization and Islamization from the 7th century, which intensified at the beginning of the independence of the various states. They had to find an Arab, Muslim identity.
Of course, this Arabization was not done peacefully. It was very violent, and we are still paying the price today.
This has helped many people understand why we insist on calling ourselves "Amazigh" and not "Arab".
Kawtar Bihya, doctoral student in sociology and specialist in the Amazigh question
TV5MONDE: What does the Amazigh population represent in ?Morocco today
It is first of all an Amazigh, African pride, of children of immigrants too and then also Arab.
?TV5MONDE: Let's go back to this World Cup and the journey of the Atlas Lions. With their qualification, the Arab world was proud to see what they considered an "Arab team" qualify. There have been many reactions to correct this and highlight this Amazigh identity. You who are Amazigh and who live in Jaffa, how is this perception received
Kawtar Bihya : I have opinions which are a bit conflicting but in any case, generally, I always try to be very positive in the reception of this perception. These children of exiles in Europe have managed to do something unimaginable. They were able to bring this issue to the international level.
There, we are no longer in a uniquely local context, in the Moroccan or Algerian nation-state. And we are starting to get a foothold in geopolitics because it has helped a lot of people understand why we insist on calling ourselves "Amazigh " and not "Arab". It's a huge step, because usually, these are often conversations that take place between us, North Africans, or in Arab elitist circles. It usually takes some knowledge of history to know that.
Now it's much wider. I have already had many questions around me here in Jaffa about what " Amazigh" means , what it represents: " Why do you say that you are not Arabs?" . For the first time, the conversation is sincere.
In Ramallah, the Palestinians behind Morocco
The Palestinians around me really wonder why, when they show their love and support to the Moroccans, the latter reply that they are not Arabs. They are only beginning to understand that they are an indigenous people.
By explaining to them openly, starting from history, comparing it to their Palestinian history, explaining to them what happened in the 1960s, because they all know what pan-Arabism is , Arab nationalism, they understand the situation better.
Interestingly, most of the Palestinians I meet have welcomed these demands with open arms. They understood that it was not a desire to divide this famous " Arab world" . They understood that we could say "Amazigh" while being in solidarity with the oppressed Arab peoples living under colonization, living militarism and raids.
?TV5MONDE: In your opinion, is the perception of the Maghreb, or North Africa, really changing in this region
Kawtar Bihya : It's starting to change, yes. Some understand but it is not yet generalized. I think they understand that pride is first expressed. It is first of all an Amazigh, African pride, of children of immigrants too and then also Arab. They know that Moroccans appreciate their support.
The most fervent supporters in the Arab world are the Palestinians. They celebrated everywhere, both in Israeli territories and in West Bank territories, in Gaza defying military occupation.
These people who are in the process of suffocating have found a little joy, thanks to the victory of Morocco, a country which nevertheless signed the Abraham Accords. Seeing the Palestinian flag waved by these players, many of whom are Amazigh, touched them deeply, and accentuated the love between Morocco and Palestine. From there, they made an effort to understand this affirmed Amazigh identity.
People then understand that behind this flag, there is a whole people, a story.
?TV5MONDE: And precisely, beyond this Palestinian flag which caused a lot of talk, there was another which caught the eye, the Amazigh flag, carried by Munir Mohamedi (one of the goalkeepers substitute, editor's note), especially after Morocco's victory against Spain. Did seeing it worn by one of the players have an impact on this understanding, whether in the Middle East, in Europe, even in the Maghreb in your opinion
Kawtar Bihya : Of course, everyone was pleasantly shocked to see this flag carried by this goalkeeper. Seeing these three flags together (Morocco, Palestine and Amzigh) was a beautiful symbol. They make sense. The reaction of my friends and some members of my family was a real joy, because finally one cannot imagine a people without a flag.
People then understand that behind this flag, there is a whole people, a story. Beyond sport, it was a historic moment also for that. Especially since this team includes a good part of players who are children of immigrants who spoke only the Tamazigh language with their family and not Darija (Moroccan Arabic). This proves that there is always a will to protect, transmit and keep all the symbols of Amazighity, its beauty, through language, family ties, rituals and this flag.
World Cup: the Arab world is delighted with Morocco's qualification for the semi-finals
TV5MONDE: There is a large Jewish Amazigh population in Israel. Has there been any acknowledgment of this claim on their side?
Kawtar Bihya : What is interesting is that in Israel, it was mainly Palestinians who went to the public space to celebrate Morocco's victory. I haven't heard of jubilation on the part of Israelis of Imazighen Moroccan origin, at least from what I've seen personally. I saw an image in Tel Aviv of Israelis waving the Moroccan flag.
TV5MONDE: What about the place of Amazigh culture in Morocco and its diaspora today? We know that there have been improvements in the recognition of this culture, in particular the Tamazight language which has become one of the official languages of the kingdom. Official signs now include indications in the Tifinagh alphabet (alphabet of the Amazigh language). Did it go further, in ?your opinion
Kawtar Bihya : I've been working on this for several years and trying to follow what comes out of it, especially on social networks. There really is a cultural revival that is expressed in different ways in photography, music, dance, pottery, theater, jewelry making.
We also see many young women reclaiming the art of tattoos ( "ouchem" in Amazigh, editor's note ), which, 20 years ago, was unimaginable. Many young women take up this ritual, which has literally been erased in less than a generation. This shows the level of violence that Imazighen women have suffered!
But where it comes up the most is the music, with a lot of fusion with other styles. Young Imazighen perform jazz, electro, rap, folk rock in Amazigh. And then the classic stars of traditional Amazigh music are still there, we remain attached to them. This new generation is producing a lot of interesting things, also in the diasporas. In Morocco, this culture is recognized.
This is also beginning to be the case in Tunisia, where the erasure has been harsher. This question is very new there but it is taking hold, in particular thanks to the Amazigh World Congress which went to Tunisia to encourage the Imazighen to organize themselves, for example.
From a geopolitical point of view, the Amazigh question is also present. At the UN, Imazighen sit on commissions for negotiations between indigenous peoples.
Unfortunately, the situation is not always positive everywhere. Many people are in prison, including the co-president of the World Amazigh Congress Kamira Nait Sid (she was sentenced for "belonging to a terrorist organization" , "financing a terrorist organization by foreign powers " and "undermining the 'national unity' , editor's note ), in Algeria, for example.
Many people have done substantive work to organize themselves transnationally, to bring the issue back to the big institutions, like the UN. The question becomes central when you see more and more cases of cultural appropriation, like Madonna, or Myriam Fares (Lebanese singer, editor's note).
Today the world knows that we exist. Unfortunately it is still in a certain folklore in the eyes of some. With the World Cup, and the course of the Moroccan national team, ideological questions are beginning to arise: our relationship to plurality in religion, for example. The Imazighen are not only Muslims.
We are also Jews, Christians, pagans. I can't wait to see what will happen in the next few years. Even 10 years ago, an #Amazigh hashtag on social networks brought only a few dozen views and likes. Today on Instagram, for example, there are publications with nearly half a million people who have liked them. I have never seen that. We are really at a major turning point that I never expected to see in my lifetime. It's crazy !
Glossary of terms related to Amazigh culture:
Amazigh : the most commonly accepted meaning is “Free Man”. This is how this indigenous people living in what is present-day North Africa has chosen to define themselves, instead of the word “Berber”, a term coming from “barbarian”, and used by the different peoples having invaded the region, originally the Roman Empire.
Imazighen : plural of Amazigh.
Tamazgha : name of the territory where the Imazighen live.
Tamazight : name of the language spoken by the Imazighen peoples.
Soussi, Rifains, Zayân : names of main Imazighen groups in Morocco.
Ouchem : names of the ritual tattoos that Imazighen women mainly wore
Source: websites