The Loss of Amazigh Identity

Amzigh identity

Nowadays, the fact that the world becomes like a small village, people lose their identities without being aware of it. These people are affected either internally or externally. They lose their language, customs, religionÃ¢â‚¬Â¦ However, the Amazigh people are one of those peoples which are victims of certain factors. Imazighen are pushed to fall in such trap.

Imazighen established for their history in North Africa many centuries before the arrival of any one of Arabs who are domineering Tamazgha. In fact they own their culture which takes its part in the human civilizations. Moreover Imazighen are known for their pursuing freedom and reject submission whatever the cost would be.

In fact the most dangerous influence which touches Imazighen is the Arabs . We, Imazighen, are affected by the Arabs every time and in everywhere in Tamazgha. The deceptive media is a sword which eradicates the roots of Imazighen. Furthermore, mass media, in Morocco or any part of Tamazgha, aim to make Imazighen forget about their identity; they give no chance to Imazighen to express themselves. Although there is a small number of official media, they are dominated by the governing elites.

Arabization is a tool in the hands of the Arabs. They try to arabize Imazighen and erase their identity. In Morocco, eradicating Amazigh identity is well established since the Ã¢â‚¬Å“IndependenceÃ¢â‚¬?. An impotent institution, Ã¢â‚¬Å“IRCAMÃ¢â‚¬?, is created in Morocco to Ã¢â‚¬Å“protectÃ¢â‚¬? the Amazigh culture, as they pretend, but in fact it is the opposite. Furthermore, the Arab countries excluded Imazighen from the right of existence in term of identity. To emphasise this destination, they founded the Ã¢â‚¬Å“Arab LeagueÃ¢â‚¬? in which they show their conformity to the external powers from which they are scared, like USA which secures the leaders to govern– but according to the white house point of view.

Concerning education, Tamazight has never been taken by the Arabs seriously as a language which should be preserved. For example in Morocco there is a policy claiming that Tamazight is being taught at schools. However, these are just lies to deceive people and make them submissive. As far as I m concerned, there is no teaching of Tamazight in official schools. So how can a non Amazighophone teach Tamazight? Of course it is like a joke! A non Tamazight-speaker teacher said that he is teaching Tamazight to Imazighen, but he does not know what he is saying to his student. Thus there would be no mutual communication. Nevertheless, I do not express my negative feelings towards the Arabs but the fact that a teacher of language doesn t know the language he teaches to a native speakers of that language is a big question. It is good that Tamazight is to become learned in the world. A language is supposed to be learned by all people who are interested in it. But when it comes to teaching, the teacher is to master the language he teaches better than the ones he teaches– not the opposite.

Moreover, migration of the Amazigh people either internally or externally causes Imazighen the loss of their identity. When Imazighen leave their home land, they are supposed to face up a strange language and culture. Thus, they should be immune and aware of that danger.

Amazigh identity is going through its hard times and Imazighen have to make their best to foster it; otherwise, we would unjust the coming Amazigh generations. It is better for the young Imazighen to defend Tamazight– even intellectually.

Written By Radouane HADDADI E-mail:

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