Cadi Ayyad University English Department

Faculty of Letters and Humans Sciences English Studies course

Marrakech Research Project Module

On Moroccan identity
Language and ethnicity

By: Khalid Bossette

A term paper submitted to the department of English in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree of Licence in English Studies

Supervisor: Prof.Binebine Laila

UniversityAcademic Year: 2016/2017

 On Moroccan Identity language and Ethnicity Spring
2017

Cadi Ayyad University Academic year: 2017/2018

Faculty of Letters and Human sciences Date: 09/06/2017

English Department

English Studies Filiere

Marrakech

Semester 6 Term paper Module

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Student’s Name: Khalid Boussetta

Registration Number 01322291

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Supervisor Prof. Laila Binebine

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Declaration

Student Name: Khalid Boussetta

Student Number: 01322291

I declare that I am fully aware that plagiarism is not only morally wrong, but is legally
penalized. Therefore, I declare that this research paper entitled:

On Moroccan Identity Language and Ethnicity

is the product of my work, that it has not been submitted before for any degree or
examination in any other university, and that all the sources I have used or quoted have been
indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references.

Signed:
Date: 09-06-2017

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Title: On Moroccan Identity language and Ethnicity

Author: Khaled Boussetta

Supervisor: Laila BineBine

Abstract:
Sociologists, philosophers, and scholars, in general, are trying to give us
as true a picture of identity as possible, works of culture and cultural studies are
the reflecting mirror of societies, and the question of identity is among the
important questions that sociology, philosophy, and all concerned disciplines
must find answers . This essay, however, is based on the problematic question
of the Moroccan identity in relation to language and ethnicity, in a way of
gaining a better understanding of the Moroccan identity. The focus of the essay
is to analyze and discuss the Moroccan identity, in the aspects of the African
belonging and language approach, the Amazigh origins and The Arab
hegemony, with reference to the external influence brought by other parties.

Keywords: Identity, ethnicity, language, Morocco, Amazigh, Arab, African,

culture.

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Contents:
1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………… 6

2. Part One: Definition of personal identity………………………………………………… 7

3. Part Two: Morocco between the African, the Amazigh, and the Arab

identity………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 9

 Chapter 1: The African Belonging and language approach….……….. 11

 Chapter 2: The Amazigh origins and The Arab Hegemony…..………...14

4. Part Three: Morocco, a crossroads of cultures…………………………….……….. 18

5. Part Four: Ethnicity and identity…………………………………………………………….22

6. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………… 26

7. Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………………… 28

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1. Introduction:
Many scholars have been trying to answer the question of identity which
is one of the most intriguing questions nowadays. the notion of identity is
complex, and deep seated as one of the notions scholars themselves differ in its
definition. in this essay I will try to put the Moroccan identity into question in
virtue of language and ethnic groups that are important elements of our
identity as Moroccans. The topic and its importance, and the way sociologists
saw identity or wanted us as readers to see it; the world is still very much the
subject of study at universities around the world today.

We learned about the crisis experienced in many societies facing the

problem of identity and conflicts caused by this phenomenon.

I have found myself asking: who we are ? And what make us different
from each other in terms of identity? Why are we so diverse? What do we share
as Moroccans? And what makes us different from one person to another and in
the meantime alike?

In the light of these questions I will discuss and analyze the topic of
Moroccan identity from different angles, firstly I will define personal identity
Then I will explain the reason behind our diversity and the historical facts that
contribute in establishing the diversity in our country. In addition to that I will
spot the light on the multicultural identity of Morocco, and the various
components shaping multiculturalism in the Moroccan identity such as ethnic
Minorities who lived in Morocco in certain times and their collaboration in
infecting the Moroccan identity.

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Part One:
Definition of personal identity

The term identity is defined according to what the term is referring to in

different fields of study, that is to say that a person’s identity from a
psychological point of view is not the same as a person’s identity from a
philosophical point of view.

Philosophy sees that identity deals with such questions as what makes it
true that a person at one time is the same person at another time. Philosophy is
concerned with the fundamental question of who we are.

John Locke distinguishes between the person and the person’s identity, he
argued that what make a person himself is the faculty of thinking, and a
container containing the mind which is practically the body, while identity is
determined by two virtues; consciousness and memory, which is an extension of
consciousness in the past. According to John Locke, a person’s appearances may
change, and he may lose a part of his body, but he would remain the same as
long as he still conscious, identical to himself. Locke argued that a person is a
thinking object which is capable of perceiving himself as a self-matching. In
spite of the changes occurring in time and space. Consciousness literally means
that a person perceives what’s happening inside of his mind, in other words, the
continuity of a person’s consciousness is what define his identity. Consciousness
links the person’s existence and his past deeds with his actual ones which make
the person remain the same, and simultaneously differ from others. In
conclusion, I can only say that consciousness and memory are both responsible
for shaping the personal identity by virtue of spatiotemporal continuity..

Generally, identity in personal identity refers to “numerical identity”

where saying that X and Y are identical to each other. it is the unique numerical
identity of a person in the course of time, that is necessary and sufficient

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conditions under which a person at one time and a person at another

time, can said to be the same person persisting through time.

Definitions are different as identity is different from one person to

another and from one field of study to another, what philosophers argued to be
their definition of personal identity differs from what psychologists argued to be
their ideal of personal identity. Sydney Shoemaker went far more in his
definition of personal identity by distinguishing between two definitions of
personal identity, first; the eternal return of a dead person’s identity to a living
person, that is to say, that a person who existed in the past can be identical to
another person existing now. and this seems far beyond reality, we cannot
prove it as well as we cannot objectively investigate its correctness. Second; the
psychological view held the same idea of the eternal return of the consciousness
of one dead person to a living one with the difference of the consciousness
container (the body); or the physical existence of the person.

To conclude defining personal identity, it is not that easy work that can
be done by a single thinker or a single field of study, it is a whole process of
different definitions and interpretations, as a result it can be just enough to say
that personal identity means many things to many people.

Source: An Essay Concerning Human Understanding John Locke chapter 27

http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/locke1690book2.pdf

Personal Identity [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]

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Part Two:
Morocco between the African, the Amazigh,
and the Arab identity

Often many ask whether the Kingdom of Morocco is an Arab or

Imazighen State especially that in the past decade or so, many voices from
Amazigh speakers began a quest to “re-establish” their heritage and gain
recognition both nationally and internationally.

Morocco has always been a multi-layered society throughout its rich and
vast history, and by looking back thousands of years ago, we can conclude that
there is no specific ethnic group that can claim the sovereignty over the land.
Even the Amazigh have migrated at some point in history from the Arabic
Peninsula, Yemen more specifically, wherein Arabic language is vastly spoken.
There is no Abrahamic religion that can claim its threshold in Morocco; Jews,
Christians and Muslims all lodged safely in the oldest monarchy in the world.
Even Pagans used to live in Morocco, and many archeological studies proved
this theory.

Amazighs in Morocco have become vocal in demanding recognition of

their rights and resort to diverse strategies to voice them. While the monarchy
has taken progressive initiatives in support of their rights, and has come to be
seen as a pioneer among regional states with an Amazigh community, public
authorities continue to perceive cultural and ethnic differences as a security
concern and pursue practices of deliberate discrimination and persecution.
These contradictory attitudes contribute to a growing sense of cultural and
linguistic alienation and exacerbate feelings of exclusion among Amazigh,
thereby complicating national integration.

Amazigh groups themselves have been tempted lately by a more radical

line. Some have sought to internationalize their cause, and a few have forged
alliances with outside parties, including with Kurds and with some Israeli
organizations, thus attracting harsh accusations from political and civil society
actors.

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After the death of the late King Hassan II in 1999, his successor King
Mohammed VI decided to implement unprecedented policies in the country,
including measures to recognize Tamazight as a preserved language and
recognize Amazighi culture and heritage. That is great, although Moroccans
from all backgrounds never denied this reality, and no one ever questioned why
many speak their own dialect in the streets. But the question that comes to
mind is why some radical Amaizigh want to push aside the Arabic language and
substitute it with a dialect only spoken in certain areas and by only a few, while
Arabic is widely spoken nationwide.

Moreover, there are three different Amazighi dialects, so which one

should be picked as an official language of the country? The missing ingredient
in the policies implemented by the monarch was the readiness of many
Moroccans to comprehend the true meaning of democracy and the real concept
of civil liberties.

Morocco has always been a land wherein every faith and ethnic group
melted together in a perfect harmony to create at some point in history one of
the strongest superpowers in the world, and many dynasties ruled the land and
never in the Moroccan history we have learned that a specific ethnic group was
targeting another to prevail ethnically, except in political situations. Quite the
contrary, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Arabs, Amzigh, Sahraouis have all lived in
total peace and harmony.

Source: Morocco World News -

https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/09/104142/morocco-and-the-
dialectic-between-arab-and-amazigh-identities/

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Chapter 1: The African Belonging and language

approach
In this paragraph, I will answer the question of who are the Moroccans in
terms of belonging and language approach?

The first thing that comes to mind is that Moroccans are Africans. In
reality, Moroccans are Africans but most of them have forgotten their
belongings to Africa, no matter what language they speak, and no matter their
skin color. Because of the powerful influence of the European culture and
languages, in different parts of Morocco. We as Moroccans have forgotten our
African identity and think of ourselves as Europeans because we think that
Africans are only those with dark skin color. I am not trying to be rude or racist,
but all I am trying to do is to convey the reality of this matter as I see it. Our
African belonging is what defines us in the first place as Moroccans and we
don’t have to forget about it because Spain is nearer to us rather than South
Africa. It is not a question of distance, but it is a question of origin and
belonging. What do we share with our neighboring countries Tunisia, Algeria,
Libya and Mauritania in terms of language, religion, culture, and ethnicity,
even though our nuances is what determine our African identity as Moroccans.

Morocco politically and economically is focusing on Africa in the recent

years, as many projects have been implemented so to foster the global
economic of Africa. This shows how important Africa is for Morocco.

I believe that diversity is richness. I have always felt fortunate for the
diversity in my country. I admire the fact that everything is different and yet so
much alike. What I don’t like are the divisions that are based on such
differences that should not minimize who we are.

From a sociolinguistics point of view, Morocco as a whole entity from the

south to the north is a continuum of dialects that changes throughout the
kingdom by virtue of place and particularity in terms of the spoken dialect of
the region and the impact of external factors on it. For example let’s take
Tetouan city as a study case, if you are wandering in the streets of the “Paloma
Blanca “ you don’t have to be surprised by the use of many Spanish words in the
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inhabitants daily vocabulary, and this is due to the Spanish colonization of the
city and the influence of the Spanish language and culture on the people of
Tetouan. This is just one example, there are more, but let’s go down a little bit
toward Rabat. The spoken dialect in the region of Rabat is much more different
than the one spoken in Tetouan, with the French influence on the dialect. The
Rabati dialect is a pure Moroccan “Darija” with a mixture of French language
which gives it an esthetical dimension in terms of style, and in terms of
communication, it fills the gap of the spoken dialect of the region. Casablanca
doesn’t differ from Rabat, but in Marrakech, the spoken dialect is a Moroccan
“Darija“ like the one spoken in Rabat, and Casablanca but with a heavy
different pronunciation.

The other cities located in the middle of Morocco are no exception, except
for those regions which speak Tamazight as their Mother tongue. That is the
case for Agadir and its regions, Ouarzazate, Taroudant, and others.The south of
Morocco is an exception, it differs a lot. The spoken dialect is “Elhassania” it is a
combination of Moroccan “darija” and Saharan dialect which is identical to our
Mauritanian fellows.

Every region in Morocco has its own traits of the spoken dialect, which
makes the Moroccan “Darija” rich and one of the basic affiliations that we
share as Moroccans from north to south.

Morocco is very diverse in all aspects of culture and identity as Amine

Maalouf argued in his essay on identity about himself: ”what makes me myself
rather than anyone else is the very fact that I am poised between two countries,
two or three languages, and several cultural backgrounds.” In brief, I would
rather say that Amin Maalouf is a meeting ground for many different
allegiances and affiliations that shaped who he is. and it is the same thing for
Morocco as one entity of different ingredients of identity.

The Moroccan identity had been through a historical determinism which

makes of Morocco and Moroccans diverse and colorful.

Source: Amin Maalouf, In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to
Belong

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Chapter 2: The Amazigh origins and the Arab hegemony

Nobody can deny the fact of the Amazigh origins of Morocco as a country
of North Africa that is known for the land of the setting sun or the land of “
Tamzgha” as those defenders of the Amazigh identity call it. The Amazigh
identity has been one of the important and sensitive issues in the circles of
Amazigh intellectuals, since the last past decades.

With the arrival of Arabs to North Africa or what is called the Islamic
conquest, these new comers established their land and their rules and started
their expansion at the expense of the indigenous people of the land. Their
powerful impact and the dominance in the name of Religion have cost the
native people their land, their culture, and their identity as well.

As a matter of fact the only concrete remaining factor showing that the
Amazigh were there and not genocide by the colonizer is the fact that they keep
their language and a small part of their culture thanks to community work
which gave them the power of the union to hold tight to their allegiances and
affiliations.

The native language of the Amazigh people is Tamazight and their

alphabet is called “Tifinagh” composed of 33 letters which is inherited from one
generation to another and it is as old as the Amazigh existence. This
hardworking race have built a civilization once upon a time in North Africa,
unfortunately for long years ago it was politically marginalized and ignored by
the people in power.

Micheal brett stated that the predominance of written Arabic had ended
the writing of Tamazight (berber) language in both the old Libyan and the new
Arabic script, reducing it to folks language, at the same time, an influx from the
east of worrior Arab nomads the 11th century onward was driving the Amazigh
off the plains, and into the mountains, and overrunning the desert, together
those factors were turning the population from Tamazight speakers into Arabic

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speakers, with a consequent loss of original identities. From the 16th century
onward the process continued in the absence of the Amazigh dynasties, which
were replaced in Morocco by Arabs claiming descent from the prophet
Mohammed (PBUH).

From about 2000 BCE, Amazigh languages spread westward from the
Nile valley across the Northern Sahara into the Maghreb by the 1st millennium
BCE, their speakers were the native inhabitants of the vast region encountered
by the Greeks, Carthaginians, and Romans, a series of Amazigh peoples, Mauri,
Masaesyli, Masulami, Getuli, Garamantes, then give rise to Amazigh kingdoms
such as Numidia, and Mauretania.

While many of those features of Berber society have survived, they have
been greatly modified by the economic and political pressures and opportunities
that have built up since the early years of the 20th century. Beginning with
the Kabyle of Algeria, emigration from the mountains in search of employment
created permanent Berber communities in the cities of the Maghrib as well as
in France and the rest of western Europe. That emigration in turn has conveyed
modern material and popular culture back into the homelands. The
independence of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Mali, and Niger
meanwhile created a new political situation in which Berber nationalism made
its appearance. That circumstance was largely a reaction to the policies of the
new governments, which have frowned on a separate Berber identity as a relic
of colonialism incompatible with national unity. In Morocco the monarchy felt
threatened, first by the French use of Berbers to dethrone the sultan in 1953
and second by the role of Berber officers in the attempted assassinations of the
king in 1971–72. In Algeria the rebellion in Kabylie in 1963–64 was further
justification for a policy of Arabization, resented by Berbers not least because
many had been educated in French. Berber studies were forbidden or repressed
in both Morocco and Algeria, but in Algeria in 1980–81 the cancellation of a
lecture on Berber poetry touched off a “Berber Spring” of demonstrations in
Kabylie that were energized by popular Berber songs and singers.
Berberism under the name of Imazighenity (from the Berber Amazigh,
plural Imazighen, adopted as the proper term for the people) was meanwhile
formulated academically by Berbers in Paris who founded the journal Awal in
1985. Berber languages have been revived as a written language called
Tamazight (the name of one of the three Moroccan Berber languages) with a
modified Latin script as well as Tifinagh, and the people and their culture have

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been fleshed out in print through UNESCO’s ongoing publication of the French-
language Encyclopédie Berbère.

Growing demands for the recognition of Berbers—in theory as the

original inhabitants of North Africa and in practice as distinct components of its
society—have met with some success. Tamazight is studied in Algeria and since
2002 has been recognized as a national, but not official, language; despite
popular unrest in Kabylie, Berbers have yet to achieve a strong political identity
in an Algerian democracy. Berberism in Morocco has led to the creation of a
Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture, to schoolteaching in Tamazight, and finally,
since 2011, to the recognition of Tamazight as an official language, all in the
interest of national unity under the monarchy. Meanwhile, Berber culture
provides the invaluable tourist industry with much of its cachet: its distinctive
architecture, crafts, and costumes set in a romantic landscape that is
specifically Moroccan. In Libya the overthrow of Muammar al-Qaddafi opened
the way for the Berbers of the Nefūsah Plateau to demand a recognized
position in the new order, but the Tuareg from abroad whom Qaddafi had
recruited into his army were driven out of the country. The Algerian Tuareg of
the Ahaggar were turned into cultivators, their nomadism surviving only as a
tourist attraction. But the Tuareg soldiers returned to the southern Sahara to
reignite, in concert with Islamic militants, a long-standing conflict of their
people with the governments of Mali and Niger over Berber minority status
and to make yet another demand for separate status. Although the outcomes
of contemporary conflicts remain uncertain, Berberism is sufficiently
established as an ideology and as a cultural and political program to provide
the scattered communities of Berbers with a new national identity in place of
the old anthropological one.

Source: Sydney Shoemaker : https://www.britannica.com/topic/personal-

identity

Last apdates:3-3-2017

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Part Three:
Morocco, a crossroads of culture

Morocco throughout the past centuries was a melting pot of cultures and
civilizations, that contributes to shaping the diverse Moroccan identity of today.
Considering Morocco the bridge that links Europe to Africa, the mediator, the
in-between medium linking the west with the east. This geographical proximity
makes of Morocco a meeting ground for many cultures and ethnicities.
Morocco has long been a crossroads between Europe, sub-Saharan and the
middle east, and diverse cultural and ethnic groups have migrated through the
region and left their mark on it, beginning in the 8th century, indigenous
Amazigh culture was met with waves of Arab conquerors and travelers who
brought with them the Islamic faith and the powerful influence of the Arabic
language. The arrival of numerous Jewish and Muslims refugees from the
Spanish Reconquista beginning in the 16th century left Moroccan culture with a
lasting Andalusian quality and starting in the 19th century. The influence of
French culture began to grow alongside French political power in all parts of
North Africa.

The Phoenicians arrived in ancient Morocco during the 12th century BC,
motivated by the search for gold and ivory, being a commercial people.
Therefore, the Phoenicians established several commercial cities on the African
coasts from the 12th century BC, such as Carthage, Tengis and Lixos. The entry
of Morocco into history is associated with Phoenicians who invented writing The
alphabet, and entered many items such as pottery and glass ..., in addition to
the influences of the Mediterranean culture.

The Carthaginians arrived in ancient Morocco during the 6th century BC.
Although the city of Carthage was founded during the 9th century BC, the
Carthaginians did not control commercial activity with the Amazigh tribes until

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after the Roman conquest of Phenicia (6th century BC) and established many
centers The Carthaginian interest in ancient Morocco is linked to the mediation
role played by the Amazigh tribes with the sub-Saharan region. Thus, the
Moroccans were influenced by the Carthaginians in the social, economic and
political fields, but the trade was done through barter.

The social life of the Amazigh population was influenced by the

Carthaginian culture, where they learned their language and were influenced by
their customs and traditions such as henna, kohl, dress and jewelery, and the
use of pottery. Some of these customs still prevail in Morocco today.

After the collapse of the Carthaginians, the Roman took over the
Northern parts of Morocco and as any other powerful civilization that settled
for years in Morocco, they left their mark on the country and on the people. and
by the end of their term, the Arab conquest took place bringing a new hurricane
to Morocco with all the changes and flux brought by Arabs who turned the
native Amazigh into Muslims officially sharing a huge part of the Arab identity.
and since then Amazigh and Arabs coexisted together with other ethnicities
such as Jews and Christians in the land of the setting sun, and made the history
of Morocco with all its aspects, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Those ethnic
groups lived side by side. they had their trace stressed directly or indirectly on
our Moroccan identity.

Last but not least, is the European influence on Morocco, for so long
Morocco was colonized and exploited by its Europeans neighbors who left their
mark as well as their scars on all life aspects of the Moroccan people, culturally
our ancestors were marginalized by the colonizer and this is obvious today, they
cannot write or read, they left Moroccans ignorant and illiterate, economically
they were trying valiantly to survive, and because Most of the Moroccans their
lives back then was dependent on agriculture, the colonizer exploited the
farmers and their cattle, and even after independence. as a matter of fact the
Europeans contribute in distorting our identity, and make of it subordinate
identity of their identity. They exploit the land and the people to serve their
greedy goals. The Moroccan identity before the French protectorate is not the
same after independence. We have been through harsh conditions set by the
colonizer to weigh us down and their desires were successfully fulfilled. It is

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really horrible to feel strange in your country of birth that should speak your
mother language, because sometimes I find myself wondering are we really
independent?

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Part Four:
Ethnicity and identity

Nowadays ethnicity is much-discussed issue in the contemporary world ,

especially in the third world, the underdeveloped countries. Ethnic identity
always materializes in relation with someone else. Identity is contextual and
can be changeable and manipulated in terms of both the derivation and
expression, that is now well spread and is certainly expectable, for it shares
these traits with all that is cultural. It is almost impossible to delineate the
boundaries of one cultural identity and the beginning of another.”Berrman
1983”

Another way in which social groups are similarly distinguished is through

ethnicity, a shared heritage defined by common characteristics such as
language, religion, cultural practices and nationality t hat differentiate one
group from other groups. Have you ever wondered why foods with similar
ingredients taste different? The comparison illustrates cultural practices that
distinguish ethnic groups. Sometimes we have an assumption about an ethnic
group that is not true for all members. For example, Arabs are an ethnic group
but differ on religion. They adhere to Christianity, Islam or atheism, Even
though the story of ethnic groups as immigrants is widely accepted, immigrants
’roles and place in society are still debated. Some think that once a person
resides in another country, that person needs to shed his or her cultural traits
and adopt the cultural traits of the members of the dominant group. This is
called assimilation. Another way to view immigrants’ place in the country as a
union, a collection of various ethnic groups that make up society. In this
manner, societal culture evolves in some ways while other aspects remain
unchanged.

Source: Race and Ethnicity Sergio Romero What is Ethnicity page 4

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In his Essay “on the Amazigh Identity of Morocco” written in Arabic, the
author Mohammed boudahnane explains that ethnicity is not an important
element of identity, and further explains that this contradicts the prevailing
cultural understanding of the notion identity in the dominant culture in
Morocco which is obviously the Arabic culture, In which ethnicity and kinship
have an important role of determining identity. In the reality of this identity if it
is not separable in the way the most Moroccan intellectuals perceive the notion
of identity in its frequent and general definition from ethnic origin and
belonging. Therefore the dominant culture in Morocco is the Arabic culture that
considers ethnicity the one and the only element of identity, says Boudahnane.

On the other hand, we have to admit that ethnicity has an important role
in explaining the events and history course, and that is perceived in many
countries that made history thanks to ethnicity, and the best example
illustrating this case is the Nazis in Germany. Many modern Kingdoms are
inherited, based on ethnic affiliation; the crown passes to the male line of the
royal family by virtue of blood and kinship, then the question that arises, how is
it possible to exclude ethnicity in determining the person’s identity if it has such
importance and influence on both politics and history?

Because there is no pure race that has extension through decades and
even if we suppose it exists we cannot objectively prove it. Is Morocco 100
percent Arabic or Amazigh or something else? to answer this question of ethnic
identity Budahnane argued that ethnic identity is different and various because
of mixed marriage between different ethnic groups, and if a couple get married,
and each one of them belongs to a different ethnic group consequently they
will give birth to a new ethnic identity which has both genes of the parent, for
example if an Amazigh male married to an Arab female, what would be their
children identity Amazigh or Arab? To solve the dilemma posed by the ethnic
perception of identity, the holders of such attitude say that the identity of the
children of such mixed marriage would be multiple i.e Amazigh and Arab, and
this is the impasse the ethnic concept of identity leads to, ethnicity is a diverse
combination resulting from mating and intermarriage. Consequently, the
number of identities resulting of this mating would be equal to the number of
ethnic groups forming these new identities. Historically, this plural ethnic
understanding of identity exclude the terminology of identity itself. since the
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number of identities of ethnic origin would be equal to the number of the

families and the tribes and dynasties that will be estimated of thousands, which
denies the existence of one identity and one land of the people concerned.
Moreover the country should objectively reflect in its cultural identity
“pluralism” of ethnic identities, so it can represent all the ethnic groups
belonging to it Amazigh, Arabs, Andalusian, Jews, sub Saharan… and maintain
symbolism for all components. and also French, Spanish, Portuguese, German,
Italian … because there are Moroccans who married foreigners from these
countries, and the identity of their children bear in part of it the identity of these
countries. Thus we eliminate identity it is related to race, which is inherently
diverse, variable and multi-ethnic due to the intermingling of genealogy
imposed by mating, migration and cross-border movement. So if there is no
pure ethnicity, on what basis do we say that Morocco and Moroccans are of
Amazigh Identity?

The Moroccan soil has been, and will be always Amazigh argued
Boudahnane regardless of its ethnic components, as it is the case for all
countries of the world where the identity of their peoples is determined by their
territorial and non ethnic affiliation, therefore Morocco is of Amazigh identity.
For example the former French president Nikolas Sarkozy is of Hungarian
origins, and he was elected as president of the French Republic and he shares
the French identity with the French people because of his belonging to the
French soil which has nothing to do with his ethnic origin, the same is true for
the US former president Barack Obama, of Kenyan ethnic origin which has
nothing to do with his US land based identity, which is the basis of his American
identity on which he was elected by the American people in 2008 and reelected
in 2012 as president of the United States of America.

Ethnic identity is formed by both tangible and intangible characteristics.

Tangible characteristics, such as shared culture or common visible physical
traits, are important because they contribute to the group’s feeling of identity,
solidarity, and uniqueness. As a result, the group considers perceived and real
threats to its tangible characteristics as risks to its identity. If the group takes
steps to confront the threats, its ethnicity becomes politicized, and the group
becomes a political actor by virtue of its shared identity. On the other
side, ethnicity is just as much based on intangible factors, namely, on what
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2017

people believe, or are made to believe, to create a sense of solidarity among

members of a particular ethnic group and to exclude those who are not
members.

Source: Mohammed Boudhane: on the Amazigh Identity of Morocco

Page 20-25

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2017

6-Conclusion:

the question of identity is complicated and deep-seated as I have been

arguing in this essay, therefore dealing with such as notion will teach you how
to be aware of it. you may find yourself dealing with an acquainted term, but it
is treacherous, since identity can take many forms and shapes; it is flexible, and
it fits to all, it is tasty and colorful like candy, and it could be as chilly as
peppers, it could be your enemy, or it might be your ally generally it is a recipe
made up of allegiances, affiliations, affinities, tastes and so on. Everyone has his
own understanding of the notion identity. To some people it is nationality, and
to others it is a religion; if you pose the question who are you? They would
simply answer; I am a Muslim, a Christian or a Jewish. The reality is that
identifying, describing an understanding of one’s identity is never
straightforward. the notion of identity is a complex one and perhaps cannot be
viewed as a single and unified self, instead we operate using multiple shifting
identities, and this notion of self identity becomes increasingly complicated the
more we interact with the external world.

Sociologists attempts to answer the question of identity is not an easy

work that can be done by anyone. It is as difficult and complicated as the
question of what make people humans in terms of philosophy.

The variety of the Moroccan culture is reflected on the identity of

Moroccans. Still, the generalization of this statement is strongly not
recommended because the identity of each person depends on many factors
where foreign influences are not the priority. The charm of Morocco is due to
the mixture of the cultures that crossed its land and let a touch on its traditions
and a flavor on its culture.

Morocco is Moroccan in its identity; it is identical to itself, because it is

aware of itself. Being Moroccan is in fact being diverse and different in all
aspects of identity, language, and ethnicity, being different is actually
something positive for identity’s hybridity which represent coexistence through
giving up the desire for a pure origin. Hybridity suggests reconceptualisation of

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2017

home (identity) and introduces comfort in homelessness where one has no

identity of origin.

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7-Bibliography:

―Michael Brett : https://www.britannica.com/topic/Berber

― Personal Identity [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]

― Personal Identity (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

―Sydney Shoemaker : https://www.britannica.com/topic/personal-identity

Last apdates:3-3-2017

―Mohammed Boudhane: on the Amazigh Identity of Morocco

Page 20-25

― Amin Maalouf, In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong

―History of Morocco: The Free Encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Morocco

―Rishikeshav Regmi, Ph.D : Ethnicity and identity

―Mourad Beni-ich :

https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/09/104142/morocco-and-the-
dialectic-between-arab-and-amazigh-identities/

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