How to interpret the Left MP’s demand of 2 billion DH for Arabic?
Three observations are warranted regarding the remarks of a member of parliament who demanded two billion dirhams to “support” the Arabic language, mirroring the budget allocated to implementing the official status of the Amazigh language.
First, the lawmaker did not see fit to welcome the funding designated for implementing the official status of the Amazigh language. Instead, he skipped straight to demanding an equivalent sum to “defend Arabic.” Had he first expressed his parliamentary group’s satisfaction with this progress before advocating for Arabic, his speech would have better reflected the spirit of national unity and social cohesion.
Second, the MP fundamentally mischaracterized the situation by labeling this budget as “support” for the Amazigh language. In reality, these funds are not aid; they are allocations designated to achieve the effective officialization of a language whose recognition process has stagnated for nearly fifteen years. This deliberate confusion clearly aims to create the illusion that both languages are in similar circumstances. In reality, however, any comparison is impossible.
The official status of Arabic is a concrete reality, whereas that of the Amazigh language remains hindered. Arabic teachers abound, while Amazigh teachers are vastly insufficient in number. Arabic is taught across all academic levels, whereas Amazigh is still not generalized and does not extend beyond secondary education. Numerous subjects are taught in Arabic, while none are offered in Amazigh. Arabic is ubiquitous in public administration and the media, where Amazigh is virtually absent. Finally, Arabic is the natural language of parliamentary debate, whereas the use of Amazigh faces systematic resistance under the pretext of translation requirements. One simply cannot compare such disparate situations.
Third, this MP has never displayed such enthusiasm or zeal for the Amazigh cause, despite fifteen lost years without any genuine implementation of its official status. Had we seen even the slightest concern on his part regarding this historic delay, we might believe in his patriotism and sincere devotion to every component of our national culture.
Ultimately, how can one explain a lawmaker committing a logical fallacy that even a schoolchild would avoid? The only convincing explanation lies in a form of “Amazighophobia,” which views any justice granted to the Amazigh language as a threat to Arabic. Yet the Constitution establishes both as official languages. Defending one should never come at the expense of the other. True patriotism lies in celebrating the restoration of every component of the nation, rather than attempting to foster illegitimate rivalry.
Arabic version | French version
