Berber Activists Push for Cultural Recognition in Morocco

There are more Berbers in Morocco than anywhere else in the Maghreb. According to a 2014 census, more than a quarter (26.7%) of Morocco’s 35 million people use one of the country’s three main Berber dialects (Tarifit, Tamazight and Tashelhiyt). They claim several rights, including making the Amazigh New Year (Yennayer) a public holiday on January 13th. Activists base their arguments on the 2011 Constitution’s recognition of their language as an official language alongside Arabic.

The activists’ struggle has partly paid off. In 2019, the organic law was adopted. This text specifies that the language will be used in administrative documents and its teaching will be gradually generalized within 15 years. In 2010, a Moroccan public television channel, Tamazight TV, was created. Its purpose is to promote Amazigh culture. The Amazigh flag is a strong marker during demonstrations in Berber-speaking regions, such as the Rif (north).

For now, activists are pursuing other demands, including the registration of Berber first names in civil status registers.