Throughout my stay in Jordan, there is one question that people from various countries have been countlessly asking me. This is one of the most intriguing question that puzzles everybody. One specific question that is at the heart of our identity, as Moroccans. One question that arouses the same astonishment among the people who ask it:
“Wait... you come from Morocco and you don't speak... How come?”
Well, first of all, do not get me w
rong. I did go to French schools in Morocco and, thus, I do not master the Arabic language. However, the question deals with the perculiarities of the Moroccan dialect, rather than my ability to speak Arabic!
As an example, I went to buy vegetables at the market last week. While I was shopping, I forgot that I had to speak Jordanian and told the seller: “3afak, 3indek matecha?” (Please, do you have tomatoes,” in Moroccan). I swear to God that this man's answer was the following: “I don't speak English.” Since he did not understand me, he probably thought that this foreign language could only be English.
Also, it seems that Jordanian, Palestinian or any other Arab people consider Moroccans different from Arabs in their way of living, though we are Arabs. When I was at the hospital of the University of Jordan, in Amman, I could not understand the Arabic documents I had to fill before seeing a doctor, that is why the woman at the desk kindly (or desperately?) asked me to come behind the desk to help her fill the papers. “What are your names,” she first asked. I told her my first and last names. On the computer screen though, there was still some space for two more names. She and her colleague stared at me, puzzled. “You only have two names?” Now, I was the one looking at them, confused. “Well, yes, I come from Morocco and, in my country, we just have two names.” Obviously, it seems that in Jordan, and in other Arab countries, you have to write down the first names of your father and mother between your first and last names. Interesting... While the woman was printing the hospital document, people had gathered behind the window of the desk, and were whispering to each other, wondering why it was taking so long. Among the whispers, I caught a woman, who was observing the way I was dressed (meaning curly blonde hair without hijab, jean and and uncovered shoulders) telling the person next to her, “Oh, it's because she's Moroccan...”
I will always wonder why Arabs cannot understa
nd Moroccans. Or, let us put it this way: why do we have such a different language? To this question that people have been relentlessly asking me, I answer that the Moroccan dialect is made of French and Spanish words, due to our shared history and geography. However, is this a fair answer? Why do Lebanese and Syrian people understand Iraqis and Egyptians, knowing that the first ones have been colonized by the French and the second ones by the British?
I have also been striked by the Moroccans who are glad that we speak a specific Arabic dialect that cannot be understood by other Arabs. Are we so desperate to distance ourself from the Arab world and broaden our economic, political and diplomatic ties with Europe? Are we halucinating that much (like the Turks!) to the extent that we believe we have more legitimacy to belong to Europe or be a specific partner to Europe? Similarly, are we so special to Europe, as an Arab and Muslim country?
The truth is that, as far as Europe is concerned, we are just a bunch of noisy immigrants who make troubles wherever they settle, and deeply (negatively?) affect the societies which were generous enough to welcome our uneducated and uncivilized immigrants.
In France, even though the government is also to blame, our immigrants do not integrate to the society because they refuse to bind by the rules. In Spain, they impose their own religion despite the current jurisdiction. Even the Netherlands, which is one of the most open-minded and tolerant society, starts to have qualms about the rate of Moroccan immigrants on its soil.
One advice (that the Turks should also listen to): Go East
! We belong and we will always belong to the Arab world. Let us keep our liberal customs (compared to the ones of other Arab countries) and way of living, but let us think about the alternative that the East offers.
In the end, being Moroccan and not being able to be understood by other Arab countries is like sharing an identity that is not fully yours.
“Wait... you come from Morocco and you don't speak... How come?”
Well, first of all, do not get me w
rong. I did go to French schools in Morocco and, thus, I do not master the Arabic language. However, the question deals with the perculiarities of the Moroccan dialect, rather than my ability to speak Arabic!As an example, I went to buy vegetables at the market last week. While I was shopping, I forgot that I had to speak Jordanian and told the seller: “3afak, 3indek matecha?” (Please, do you have tomatoes,” in Moroccan). I swear to God that this man's answer was the following: “I don't speak English.” Since he did not understand me, he probably thought that this foreign language could only be English.
Also, it seems that Jordanian, Palestinian or any other Arab people consider Moroccans different from Arabs in their way of living, though we are Arabs. When I was at the hospital of the University of Jordan, in Amman, I could not understand the Arabic documents I had to fill before seeing a doctor, that is why the woman at the desk kindly (or desperately?) asked me to come behind the desk to help her fill the papers. “What are your names,” she first asked. I told her my first and last names. On the computer screen though, there was still some space for two more names. She and her colleague stared at me, puzzled. “You only have two names?” Now, I was the one looking at them, confused. “Well, yes, I come from Morocco and, in my country, we just have two names.” Obviously, it seems that in Jordan, and in other Arab countries, you have to write down the first names of your father and mother between your first and last names. Interesting... While the woman was printing the hospital document, people had gathered behind the window of the desk, and were whispering to each other, wondering why it was taking so long. Among the whispers, I caught a woman, who was observing the way I was dressed (meaning curly blonde hair without hijab, jean and and uncovered shoulders) telling the person next to her, “Oh, it's because she's Moroccan...”
I will always wonder why Arabs cannot understa
nd Moroccans. Or, let us put it this way: why do we have such a different language? To this question that people have been relentlessly asking me, I answer that the Moroccan dialect is made of French and Spanish words, due to our shared history and geography. However, is this a fair answer? Why do Lebanese and Syrian people understand Iraqis and Egyptians, knowing that the first ones have been colonized by the French and the second ones by the British?I have also been striked by the Moroccans who are glad that we speak a specific Arabic dialect that cannot be understood by other Arabs. Are we so desperate to distance ourself from the Arab world and broaden our economic, political and diplomatic ties with Europe? Are we halucinating that much (like the Turks!) to the extent that we believe we have more legitimacy to belong to Europe or be a specific partner to Europe? Similarly, are we so special to Europe, as an Arab and Muslim country?
The truth is that, as far as Europe is concerned, we are just a bunch of noisy immigrants who make troubles wherever they settle, and deeply (negatively?) affect the societies which were generous enough to welcome our uneducated and uncivilized immigrants.
In France, even though the government is also to blame, our immigrants do not integrate to the society because they refuse to bind by the rules. In Spain, they impose their own religion despite the current jurisdiction. Even the Netherlands, which is one of the most open-minded and tolerant society, starts to have qualms about the rate of Moroccan immigrants on its soil.
One advice (that the Turks should also listen to): Go East
! We belong and we will always belong to the Arab world. Let us keep our liberal customs (compared to the ones of other Arab countries) and way of living, but let us think about the alternative that the East offers.In the end, being Moroccan and not being able to be understood by other Arab countries is like sharing an identity that is not fully yours.
Reading this opened the same windows… The identity? The nationality? The Arab Nation or Arab Nations? And a long discussion goes on… but then maybe its simpler… we are even closer than what we are used to think we are! Somewhat it hurt to see we reached a point where we use foreign languages to understand each other! Some talked big about unconstitutional requisites, until they ignored the factors we already share (Classical Arabic, much of our system of values, much of the traditions… etc!). Liberals or conservatives (both among Muslim Arabs, Christian Arabs, Druze Arabs, Kurd Arabs, Jew Arabs… etc, various races and various dialects, various Arab regions), we are on a much closer distance than the road many falsely took! It is only the common Arab mentality that looks at the differences before the alike among us! And while few Arabs have the means to; it is most joyful to meet one who is taking the shorter road: East! It means much to know such beautiful minds… such a beautiful mind!
ReplyDeleteIts really interesting how human beings like to classify one another and make judgments. For instance a segment of the population in Sudan considers themselves Arab but because of their dark skintone people in sub-saharan Africa tend not to consider them Arab (it may of course have more to do with Darfur and the abuse suffered by the black population in Sudan). Another example of how people view themselves....Ethiopians do not consider themselves Arab or Black, they consider themselves Abysha (from the term Abyssinian....which of course is why they consider Eritrea theirs). I suspect that this is because of their history and close link to the middle east etc. but it still causes some problems.
ReplyDeleteWhat I've been talking about is racial perceptions but you were leaning more towards linguistic differences...in New York a friend of mine from UAE was telling me what he thinks about Moroccans and people from Libya, its wasn't very positive but I got the impression that he doesn't really know why he feels that way but is just mirroring what other people around have been saying to him since he was a kid.
The indigenous people of Morocco are berbers so you are obviously in denial. They are not fully Arab so why would they have to conform to Arab culture and society? Morocco is a melting pot of european, african, arab, and berber culture so thats why their language is the way it is. I love Morocco's uniqueness and diverse atmosphere. Most Moroccans who are not rich and attend French, American, or Spanish schools have mastered the Arabic language and can understand other Arabic dialects. Television in Morocco has channels from all other Arab countries and Moroccans understand and watch them daily. And yes maybe Moroccans go overseas and get a bad rep but if all of them were as wealthy as you they could just move to Jordan or somewhere else and be civil. But when you grow up in poverty, get an education and then have no where to work your mentality changes. Im speaking from personal experience.
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