Morocco Reverses Ban on Amazigh Names in Civil Registry, Activists Celebrate Victory

The authorities of this commune had refused to register Berber names in the civil registry, sparking a heated controversy. The decision had been deemed unacceptable by a family, arguing that it violates the Moroccan constitution, which recognizes Amazigh as a fundamental element of Moroccan identity, as well as the international conventions on human rights and the child, ratified by Morocco.

Several Amazigh movement activists had also questioned the reasons for refusing to register certain Amazigh names in the civil registry, while "foreign" names to Moroccan civilization are accepted. By allowing the registration of these names in the civil registry, the municipal administration of Ait Sedrate Jbel Soufla is only following the directives of the Ministry of the Interior, which on several occasions had called for allowing the population to choose the name of their choice while respecting certain rules.