Morocco. The Amazigh New Year will now be a public holiday
In a press release from the royal cabinet published on Wednesday, we learn that " the Amazigh New Year will be a paid day off like the 1st Moharem or the Gregorian New Year's Day ".
The statement indicates that King Mohamed VI instructed the head of government to take the necessary measures to activate this decision.
The letter from the royal cabinet explains that this announcement devotes “ the benevolent attention that his HM the King has never ceased to pay to Amazighity as a main component of Moroccan identity. A decision which is also part of “the constitutional consecration of Amazigh as an official language alongside the Arabic language. This decision responds to a recurring request from activists of the Amazigh cause who gathered again this year in front of parliament to demand that Yennayer, the Amazigh New Year be officially recognized.
As a reminder, in Algeria a presidential decision announced on December 27, 2017 gave Yennayer a day off and paid which was celebrated for the first time on January 12, 2018.
Rally organized by Amazigh activists in front of parliament at the start of the year demanding the officialization of the Amazigh New Year.
Source : websites