Bir Lehlou (liberated territories), March 10, 2013 (SPS) - The Minister of Culture Ms. Khadija Hamdi has called on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to assume responsibility towards the cultural heritage of Saharawi people, being blurred by Morocco since 1975, last of which was issuing a formal instruction prohibiting the erection of tents in Saharawi cities or suburbs or on beach, in a letter sent Saturday to the Director-General of the Organization Ms. Irina Bokova.
The Minster called the attention of UNESCO Director-General to the serious attempts by Moroccan occupation to blur all landmarks of Saharawi identity, including dress, rituals of family events, Al Khaima (the tent) and all the authentic lifestyles.
“Not only it did organized fabricated cultural festivities and constitutionalized the Hassania dialect, but more dangerous its Ministry of Interior issued during the first week of March 2013 an official instruction to all authorities in the occupied Saharawi cities and southern Morocco prohibiting the installation of tents in the cities, suburbs or on the beaches,” writes Mrs. Khadija Hamdi.
She confirmed that tents have been the title of Saharawi identity for years ago, adding that the prevention of erecting Saharawi tents is a part of the gross violations of human rights perpetuated by Moroccan state since its occupation of the Western Sahara.
The Minister also considered that such act is an “assault” on the national identity of Saharawi people, stressing that this act is incompatible with the freedom of peoples and their pride to excellence, adding that it is an unjust politicization to all meanings of innocence, tolerance and generosity, Al Khaimah (tent) have ever constituted in the conscience of the Saharawi people.
She noted that such racist practices bring to mind the ugliest colonialisms over the history, it also brings to mind the philosophy and racial discrimination policy the people of South Africa suffered during Apartheid regime.
All the lessons we already read from history of the struggle waged by peoples for freedom, sovereignty and dignity confirms that defending the identity was the spearhead of all these struggles and resistances, otherwise what is the meaning of Saharawi people’s revolution against Spanish colonialism in 1973? For one reason is that they did not want to be Spanish, and what is the meaning of their struggle today for more than three decades against Moroccan occupation? Simply because they do not want to be Moroccans,” added the letter. (SPS)
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