Myrtus

The King of Cool - #Feb20

First off, I am in no position to tell anyone what to do, but I can't allow myself to sit back and relax without stating the obvious. The current state of the February 20 movement.....after taking a serious beating at the hands of the Makhzen in the last couple of weeks, the situation has become alarming and confused, to say the least. Just when everyone cautiously started believing that perhaps Morocco really is that exception in the region that everyone is talking about, the authorities declare that the movement is no longer legitimate. They say now that leftist extremists along with Islamic extremists have hijacked the movement, everyone needs to stay home, no more public protests allowed.

Of course I can only go by what's reaching my eyes and ears through the grapevines, the latest of which has drastically reversed the process towards progress in the following sequence:

1 Just before the nationwide protests that were scheduled to take place on May 22, authorities issued a ban on the protests in major cities, without explaining as to why this ban all of a sudden.

2 Protesters took to the streets en masse anyway and received a brutal beating at the hands of the Makhzen for disregarding the ban, followed by a sequence of press releases by authorities justifying the use of excessive force against peaceful civilians. Now the natives are restless and increasingly leaning towards revolution instead of reform as a result.

I think Morocco does a very poor job with its PR apparatus btw. If I were king and supreme leader of my country, I would grab the mic and go on screen myself instead of using that annoying communications minister and what have you.

If I were king and I do really care...

I would for once ignore official protocol and do something outrageous to get in touch with my people and explain the status quo.

I would definitely NOT give a stuffy televised speech that would be understood by less than half the population as usual.

I would make a casual recording instead, from the comfort of my home, speaking in plain Darija and then upload it to YouTube like every Moroccan seems to be doing these days.

I would start out by saying, dear folks, dear boys and girls, let's not waste time and get right down to business. First I would like to apologize for the heavy-handedness with which we've dealt with the latest developments in our country and I sincerely ask for your forgiveness. Let's talk about the state of our union and discuss openly how we can all work together to avoid a mess, which evil forces are working hard to impose on us....

I would use clear and concise language, identifying those evil forces by their proper name so that everyone who wants to help the situation, can be on the lookout and do what's right.

I would reach out to our youth especially, not only because they ARE the driving force behind this change movement, but also because historically it's the youth who tend to drive popular trends, whether it's political, cultural, fashion or otherwise.

I would do everything I can by the power vested in me, to reverse the violent trend we are currently facing and empower our youth to be equal partners in bringing meaningful lasting reform towards real democracy.

Sighhh...but I'm not king.

Just a concerned citizen dreaming out loud.

PS ~ If I were king, I wouldn't want to be known as the "cool king", I'd want to be known as "the king of cool" instead, because it's kings of cool who give power to trends that often go viral and become unstoppable, while the youth drive it home. And we all know that trends are $erious business. Bottom line, in the end I would still be king. Let's face it, he who understands youth has the future in the bag. Just ask the extremists, they know this all too well.

PPS ~ Moroccans are perfectly capable of reasoning if you give them a chance. They don't need to be beat up senseless to be reasoned with, so please give it a try sometime.

A prayer for the Makhzen

I'm not the religious type, but God and I are on good terms and we stay in touch frequently, so I have full faith that he is listening.

I was going to say a prayer for the Makhzen this morning to ask God to forgive them for their sins and the horrible crimes they committed against their fellow citizens yesterday. I also wanted to pledge a donation to a good cause on their behalf, because God knows they will need it, to help counteract the collective bad karma they got coming their way for all the senseless bloodshed they have unleashed against innocent defenseless civilians. But then I decided against it, because my stomach is still in knots from being angry.

So I'd like to use this opportunity to ask everyone to continue praying for the Feb20's success instead and keep spreading the positive vibes.

God speed my fellow citizens!  May peace, love and common sense prevail!

Talk to me when I'm over this rage.

Love & regards,

A concerned citizen

Selma Maarouf: “I can say without fear of self deception that we will win"

Shameless self-promotion is something Moroccans typically shy away from, not only because bragging is not cool, but also because we're traditionally raised to be humble, and shyness is almost regarded as a noble virtue.  We're taught to let others brag about us if there is indeed something worth bragging about.  Kind of ridiculous if you're in a field that requires branding and Marketing to drum up business, no?  And not a good thing if you're part of a cause that needs exposure to connect with the people, communicate, and reach far and wide.  But this is probably why it took this long for us to finally get to know a little bit more about at least one of the leading members of Morocco's February 20 Youth Movement.  Sure it's all about the cause, as it should be.  We know all that from the slogans, the flyers, the ongoing public debates, the lists of demands, etc., but sometimes it's necessary to give a cause a human face to make it go the distance. More often than not, people are more inclined to support a cause if they're able to connect with those behind it and identify with them closely.

So with that said, if you haven't already heard of Selma Maarouf in the last couple of days, allow me to brag about her. 

I seriously admire this girl!  She is so incredibly courageous and smart, and so adorable too!  I look forward to getting to know all the others on the team too.

A brave Feb20 young woman: Featuring Selma Maarouf via Moroccans For Change

Selma Maarouf: “I can say without fear of self deception that we will win; not only because truth and reason are on our side, but because we are ready to do whatever is necessary to get our rights back.”

On Sunday May 15th, Selma took part in a protest in Rabat where she was beaten, brutalized and harassed by security officers, leaving her badly bruised yet still fearless and determined as ever: Here is her account of the situation.

Many of us have seen Selma Maarouf on the first video calling for change in Morocco. She looked us straight in the eyes with her big brown eyes, as she declared: “I am Moroccan and I will go out on February 20 to demand that education is accessible to everyone and not a privilege of the wealthy.”

In just one video, she and her fellow feb20 youth had reached out to the world and rallied generations of Moroccans. Selma planted the seeds of hope in our hearts.

Selma stood at the forefront of every protest that took place in Rabat. With her brother Ghassane, they have been consistently spotted at every protest, nose to nose with security forces at times, but always undeterred and resolved: Selma raising a Facebook sign, handing a flower to a security officer, or defiantly standing up to the baltagui trying to intimidate her. A real ball of fire, hope, and courage! One might rightly say that where there is a will, there is Selma!

Read interview with Selma here

Don't trust the mainstream news media

And only trust half of what you're about to see in this video.