Defend Libertarian Centre for Studies and Investigation in Morocco

An appeal from the Spanish anarcho-syndicalist union, the CGT, for solidarity with a group of Moroccan anarchists who have been trying to create a library and a meeting place for speaches and work for sociological investigation. The local authorities have completely refused the appeal for legalization.

For the background to the project see 'Project for the creation of a Libertarian Studies & Research Centre in Morocco' at http://www.anarkismo.net/newswire.php?story_id=1206

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What follows is an appeal from the Spanish CGT for solidarity with a group of Moroccan anarchists that they have been in contact with for some time. It includes a translation from the French of the original appeal from Fillial Brahim by myself and further translations fron the Spanish and French for English speaking readers. The text suggested by the CGT en francais is the proper one to send to the Moroccan authorities as few of them could read English, assuming they can read at all. I am sending a cc to the external relations director of the CGT in relation to this campaign. The translation of the CGT's header follows:

I have also sent copies of this to the CGT and to South African Comrades who are interested in the situation of anarchism on their continent and, of course to Fillial himself. For further information on the situation in Morocco please communicate en francais with Fillial at tafokt2001@yahoo.fr .

Pat the M.

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"Solidarity with the CLER (Libertarian Centre for Studies and Investigation) of Boumaalne-Dades"

The GCT has supported in solidarity a group of libertarian Moroccans who have been trying to create a Libertarian Centre of investigation and Studies in Boumaine Dades, in the province of Ouarzazate in the south of Morocco. The project is to create a library, a meeting place for speaches and work for sociological investigation, especially concerning the collectivist and federalist traditions of los imazighhem (untranslatable Spanish word for Berbers) (Berbers) with a non-racist and libertarian vision.

The local authorities have rejected a dossier enclosed and sent via registered mail for its legalization. They completely refused the appeal for legalization when there was already a headquarters prepared for the beginning of the project.

For all of this we (the CGT) ask from you a massive mailing of faxes with this text or a similar one to the governor of the province:

An English translation of the French original from the CGT follows. Please send any faxes in French.

Monsieur le Gouverneur de la province de Ourzazate:

In the face of the attitude of the governing circle (local authorities) of Boumaine Dades, province of Ouarzazate who have refused to receive the deposition of a dossier on the Centre of Libertarian Studies and Research in Boumaine without any explnation for this refusal.

We want to denounce:

The violation of legality and of citizens' rights to create a centre of accusation,research and defense of human rights in this marginalized region of the country.

We demand:

Respect for the law of authorization that permits the funcyioning of the Libertarian Centre of Studies and Research in Boulmane Dades.

The fax numbers for protests follow in the original text.

Cher Camarades,

Voici une traduction de l'email de Fillali Brahim a l'anglais. C'est possible que elle sera utile pour les camarades de l'Afrique du Sud.

Et aussi a Fillali:

Voulez-vous les actions de la solidarite avec votre lutte ? Qu'est-ce c'est pouvons-nous faire vous aider ?

From Fillali Brahim:

After the affair of the journal 'Ici et Maintenant' (Here and Now) we have tried to resume our work, this time by an enrichment of the journal's experience by developing a centre of libertarian studies and research in Boulmane Dades in Ouarzazate Province. This is independant of the periodical, but it is a continuation of the same logic of denunciation, research and defense of human rights in this marginalized region of the country. We have chosen this place in view of the huge problems that meet people, because the organizations (union or political) that are not revolutionary become reactionary. They facilitate the exploitation and domination of the dictatorial regime, a regime that wants a democratic facade to make the world believe that the people participate in the management of their everyday life through their representatives who are active in the bosum of their organizations, side by side with the State, "modern and democratic".

These illusions in which nobody can rightly believe, we want to unmask, to analyse, to criticize and, above all, to give a libertarian alternative of thought and action for the better way that we believe this people deserves.

The journal 'Ici et Maintenant' was a first step in this view, and the libertarian centre is the road marked out for our will and legitimate conviction that this Earth does not belong to thieves, and our will for the well being and joy of our people. We are touched daily by what we see of the evidence of the permanent crisis that we crash into.

For this reason we set up the dossier of the centre in accordance with the law of civil liberties of Morocco that permit us theoretical work (but in reality nothing that is not pro-State and not faithful to slavery), and we have given these to the president of the 'Boumaine Circle' ("authority"-PM). He definitely heard us explain to him what we had to say about the centre and we gave him all the necessary documents.

The presdient said to us that he could not give us the receipt of deposition of the file because,according to him, he didn't know what a research centre was. We responded that we weren't responsible for his ignorance and that the law was clear in this domain. We told him that we were going to send him the refused file by registered mail. He responded that if the file was sent in that way it swould be refused again.

In fact that is what happened. We sent it, and after 21 days the file was returned to us full of refused stamps, without any reason for this bizarre refusal.

That was how things happened. Now we are going to Rabat, to the headquarters of the National Press Union of Morocco, SNPM, in order to get permission to hold a press conference on May 6th to explain to everybody this contrdiction between the official slogans and the reality of human rights throughout the South of this country. It means that a citizen is withoiut any right of accomodation for freedom of expression.

I will present the demand to the union headquarters and await the response. I will send you the response of the SNPM on the subject.

Finally we continue to vigorously denounce the attitude of the local authorities of Boumaine Dades, Ourzazate.

We declare that have full rights to do our research, rights that were stolen from us.

We address this appeal to all who struggle for a better way. To help us be able to do our work in the face of everyday hardship and this desert that aims to depopulate the world.

We refuse to accept our poverty and our suffering. That would cause syptoms of a sick situation of accepting the situation made for us. We would end up fighting ourselves.

We declare that the citizenship card and the passport do not make the individual a citizen, and that citizenship depends on dignity and human rights.

here is the original French text from the CGT and the addresses to send faxes to" "M. Le Gouverneur de la Province de Ourrzazate: Devant l'attitude du president du cercle de Boumaine Dades, province de Ourzazate, qui a refuse meme recevoir le depot du dossier sur un Centre Libertaire d'Etudies et de Rechercheres a Boumaine sans aucene explication des motifs de ce fefus.

NOUS VOULONS DENCOUNCER:

La violation de la legalite et des droits a creer un centre d'etudes de denonciation, de recxherche et de la recherche et de la defense des droits humains dans cette region marginallee du pays..

Le respect de la legalite et l'authorisationn qui permet le fontionnement du Centre Libertaire d'Etudes et de Recherches a Boulmane Dades.

I apologize for the inability of my email program to transmit French accents on this board. The fax numbers to send protests to are as follows. None of them have accents. The following are in Spanish,as per the CGT;

Gobernador de la provincia de Ourzazate...
Fax # 00-212-44-88-25-68
Ministro de Justica Fax # 00-212-37-72-37-10
Ministro del Interior Fax # 00-212-37-76-74-04
Con copia a tiwiga@caramail.com (Please send copies to tiwaga@caramail.com).