الاثنين، 4 يونيو 2012


 

 
What is a Moroccan? Oftentimes, such an easy-hard-to-answer question crosses the mind and no specific answer can be provided; for it deals with the mind, that abstract and complex entity which embodies layers and layers of variables. Worse than that is the adding of the culture “Moroccan” which is, in its turn, that whole range of traditions, religion, language, food, clothing... etc. So, how can we define such a complex concept?
 
More than two centuries ago, specifically in 1782, Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecoeur, a French-born American fiction writer and novelist, published Letters from an American Farmer. It was in the third letter of this book that Crèvecoeur asked his unforgettable question: “what is an American?”.  Crèvecoeur did in fact answer this question in an attempt to gratify the curiosity of a friend; he provided his English friend with a wide range of information about this new world and its setllers.

Not to follow the lead of Crèvecoeur to the letter, and to try to gratify the curiosity of the readership, we shall briefly sweep over some idiosyncratic facts about the Moroccan mind.
 
Looking swiftly at Morocco as a geographical spot, any casual observer can obviously notice that it is strategically located: the European Union northernly, US Westernly, Middle East easternly, and Africa southernly-- and of course, Morocco being as the extreme northern part of Africa. Having another look at the Morrocan map, one is to see that the more or less rectangular shape of Morocco is really diverse and varied:  northern Morocco, “middle” Morocco, and southern Morocco—Moroccan sahara. This is what superficially appears on the map. But what about the deep structure, or maybe better put, the mind of Moroccans? Does the Moroccan mind display and reflect such richness and diversity as shown on both surface structures—the world as well as the national map?
 
 
Certainly, the “mind” as a philosophical term stands for not only what is formally intellectual but all the cultural accumulations: traditions, behaviours, customs, religion, language, food, clothing... etc. And that is culture. We do have Rifis, Berbers, Fassis, Marrakshis, Hassanis, to name but a few. In Morocco, as you move from one city to another, your mind tends to shift. Everyone tries to impose their “culture” on the other either consciously or unconsciously. Some Moroccan sects consider their “culture” as the right one and fight for that. Others deem it so but cannot stand the fight of prioritisation. So, who is wrong and who is right? No one could tell!  
 
So again, what is a Moroccan?
 
 
Undubitably, all Moroccans are aware of what has been mentioned above; but doubtedly enough, not all of them are conscious of what it takes and means to be as such inside the mind. For what appears on maps is valueless and useless unless it is reflected in people’s attitudes and behaviours. How many of us consider this plurality of Morocco and tries his/her best to live within its framework?
 
 
We are Moroccans, not just Berbers, Fassis, Rifis, Marrakshis or whatever. We are plural, not singular. We are culturally pluralistic, not blindly singular. Such pluralism is what makes us far from vicious conflicts and never-to-end clashes. If we continue perceiving the Moroccan identity and particularity in their narrow meaning, we will never come to understand  that a wider meaning is there. Both meanings complete one another; each is incumbent upon the other. They are like a coin with two sides. And a coin is not a coin if it is not two-sided! Thus, we are Berber-Moroccans and Moroccan Berbers; Fassi Moroocans and Moroccan Fassis; Hassani Moroccans and Moroccan Hassanis; Rifi Moroccans and Moroccan Riffis; and so forth.
 
All in all, we are first and foremost Moroccans—which melts all of our differences and makes us one entity and unity. For that is the Moroccan mind—the Moroccan identity.

 
from left to right: Anas Nmari, Mohamed Erraji and the Moroccan young poet Fayssal Chafaki

The International Book and Publishing Fair of Casablanca began Friday February 12th, under the theme "Reading, keystone of the society of knowledge". This sixteenth edition is marked by celebrating Moroccan intellectuals and writers residing abroad, under the slogan "Moroccans of the World". In fact, the book fair of Casablanca has always been a meeting-place for a number of book lovers from all over the world. Writers, thinkers, poets, philosophers, artists, students, professors, publishers and even the layman; all come together honoring the book.
 
Among the changes that the International Book and Publishing Fair of Casablanca witnessed this year with the newly appointed minister of culture, Bensalem Himmich, is the abolition of the task of the General Commissariat of the International Book and Publishing Fair, and entrust the Directorate of the Book and Public Reading of the Ministry of Culture, to organize this sixteenth edition, in partnership with the Office of Exhibitions of Casablanca.
 
           This edition of the International Book and Publishing Fair of Casablanca is also marked, according to the Ministry of Culture, by the participations of 45 states; represented by publishers, cultural centers or embassies; 246 exhibitors participating directly, and about 380 publishers participating indirectly.
 
For Mr. Fayssal Chafaki, a Moroccan young poet, this is an occasion to look for a publishing house in order to be able to publish what he writes. “My writings, especially in Arabic, are limited to Arabic Prosodic Poetry, what is known as Al 'Arudd Poetry. They are on the same basis of Old Arabic Poetry, rhythm and rhyme, but they tackle updated and recent issues,” Chafaki explained.
 
Chafaki has, in fact, been able to print some of his writings, but of course not being published, and that was in 2007 in a selection of poems called "Muqtataf min Diwan Fayssal Bno Muhammed Chafaki". Other poems have not yet been printed, waiting for a second chance.
 
In a question to Chafaki whether he was welcomed by Moroccan publishers in the Book Fair, he said: “This is one stumbling-block difficult to remove for poets and writers in Morocco. Our Moroccan publishing houses exclude most of Arabic "classical" writings or any content that runs counter to their whims. Other Arab publishing houses from Lebanon, Surya, Egypt, Kuwait, Libya, Saudi Arabia and many others, unlike Moroccan ones, for what is appendant to my own experience, showed quite different kind of welcomings to me. Apart from their guidance, I received their mutual comfort. A number of hardcover gifted books, cheerful and friendly expressions, Moroccan publishers seldom behave this way, which is but a tiny example of how publishers react towards writers. I was left with one impression: our Arab brethren in the East do still give intense value to Arabic Poetry or any other kind of writings that shape itself in the form of creative art. Moroccan publishing houses, and bear few who would be blind about this fact, have market prior to art and literature in the minds of their owners. No Moroccan publishing house has ever proved the opposite to me or to any other hidden Moroccan writer or poet.”
 
The conclusion drawn by Chafaki and his friends, when their visit to the Book Fair came to end, is that the purchase price of books which respond to their interest is still beyond their purchasing power as students. “Apart from the yellow books about cooking and how-to, books of high intellectual value which may help students in their academic career are very expensive for the Moroccan university student,” said Anass N’mari.


The very essence of literature is war between emotion and intellect” Isaac Bashevis Singer.
 
 Feelings, thoughts, temperament, sensitivity, disposition, backgrounds (…) are some elements of a long list of factors that combine in a differently-coloured mosaic making up the constantly-changeable spirit and personality of human beings. Regardless of all scientific definitions, suffering, either physical or mental, remains strongly related to personal past experiences, emotions and personality. This incomplete set of scientific elements governs the way human mind works and then the mechanism of humans’ feelings, psychological state and behaviours.
 
Human beings are endowed with mind and can never control their emotions. They are tempted to love, hate, and suffer. They may go through affective experiences, unpleasantness, failure, aversion and harm. Thus suffering is part and parcel of humans’ lives. To obtain the go-ahead and continue living, humans found refuge in all fields of artistic productions (literature, sculpture, painting, music…).These fields were and still an escape through which humans express their minds and run away, whenever overwhelmed, from their changeable feelings.
 
A number of artists, authors, poets, musicians (…), who wrote their names in history, have been inspired by their suffering, either physical or mental. From Mozart, Taha Hussein and their suffering with blindness, Nietzsche and his suffering with depression and paralysis, Ernest Hemingway and suicide, to Gibran Khalil Gibran, Badr Chakir E-ssayab and their suffering with illness and failed love affairs. The list is very long and makes the one think that suffering is the mother of invention. 
 
PICASSO, one of the most important artists of the twentieth century, has a long impressive story with deep depression. Recent studies have revealed that his Cubist paintings express his deeply agitated and troubled spirit. When exploring his past, failure comes up as his intimate and faithful accompanier. His early failed love affairs affected his psychological development; particularly, his story with Marcelle Humbert, whom he called Eva Gouel. He included declarations of his love for her in many Cubist works. But, unfortunately, was devastated by her premature death from illness at the age of 30. This, let alone his declared sympathy for the Poor, stigmatized his life and covered it with black clouds of despair and deep depression that was interpreted as the reason for his repeatedly failed marriages. Yet, suffering was the source of his fame. It made of him an internationally famous star in the field of ARTS.
 
 
BADR SHAKIR AL-SAYYAB, an Iraqi poet, has another story with suffering. Beyond being known as one of the greatest poets in Arabic literature, whose experiments helped to change the course of modern literature lies a heart-breaking story. His mothers’ early death, when he was 6, left deep unhealed psychological injuries. Time was never a healer for him. He developed a troubled spirit to the extent that the event of his mothers’ death is cited as a major influence on his heartfelt and nostalgic poetry later in his life. Let alone his failed love affaires and his suffering with illness which contributed to his death at an early age of 38. However, suffering was the source of his extremely sensitive poetic production (onchodat al matar collection). It made of him a famous faint-hearted poet.
 
If all sufferers were defeated by times’ destructiveness which nothing on earth can escape, they still defy oblivion and live in their immortal productions. “There is suffering in life, and there are defeats. No one can avoid them. But it's better to lose some of the battles in the struggles for your dreams than to be defeated without ever knowing what you're fighting for” Paulo Coelho.