In Morocco, No Surprise
Mohammad el Ashab Al-Hayat - 04/08/05//
Between the prince and the minister, there are a lot of memories kept by the Moroccan delegate minister of Interior, Fouad Ali el Himma. Among these memories, he recalls watching with Prince Hashem, the cousin of King Mohammad VI, the film: “the Good, the Bad and the Ugly”. Had the movie not been a police thriller, it would have been understood that the film is about the two men’s lives. Yet, it is the first time that more than one barrier is broken vis-à-vis the prince, who is neither in opposition nor a partner in the regime. The door has neither been shut, nor open in his face.
However, saying that his activities are not a threat reflects a positive development in dealing with him. From a democratic perspective, he is free in expressing his opinion regarding the regimes and the choices, even if he considers the cost of reform in the Arab world too high, especially in case time is mishandled. Even though he avoids discussing the situation of Morocco and he concentrates on the repercussions of the occupation in Iraq and Palestine - from the standpoint of the contradictions of democracy and occupation - the Moroccan minister puts a greater distance between the versions of imposed reform and the Moroccan experience. Indeed, the path began from within during the term of King Hassan II and culminated in the plan of incorporating the former opposition into governance. Perhaps it is the first time that a Moroccan official, who is close to King Mohammad VI recognizes the trend of the continuation in ruling but in different means and paces. Nevertheless, opening up to democracy is not a magic solution that works from the first instance since it may be accompanied by a democratic alarm if not supported by a historic and democratic legitimacy and a social, political and ideological project that is based on real pluralism. It also should follow the principle of expanding the amount of participation, which is not limited to voting ballots, but includes societal relations like commitment within the one family, in the realms of labor and administration, the division of responsibilities and the empowerment of a productive and viable political culture.
The notion of continuation almost disappeared from the era’s language due to many factors, primarily the way Hassan II regime put its opposition on trial, which paved the way to certain voices’, although limited, doubting the legitimacy of the regime. Furthermore, the use of freedom of expression as a justification to support the “Polisario Front” ignited a controversy over the limits of freedom and the red lines that should not be crossed. Democracy is an authority that can be hidden behind but still cannot protect from the rays of the sun, which on a sunny day could be fatal. However, the minister, who refused to be given a ranking on a scale from one to ten regarding the hierarchy of power, considers that people who share different ideas could form a political party. Despite the party laws that forbid religious, ethnic or tribal figures from forming parties, the Moroccan experience in allowing an Islamic party was not a risk. Yet, the harsh treatment of Islamic movements after the suicide attacks of Casablanca was not appropriate since intellectual and material deprivation can lead to explosion. In the context of democratic rules, there is no reason that prevents whoever gets the trust of the voters to come o power as long as he adheres to the democratic system.
I do not know why the minister Fouad Ali el Himma recalled the movie “the Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, especially in describing his relation with Prince Hisham. However, it is certain that the phase of transfer of power in Morocco has concluded the reality that there are economic and social problems greater than the will of political change. Despite the fact that democracy is not a product that could be bought from a supermarket to indicate knowledge, experience has shown that restructuring the Moroccan house always occurs in a phase of reconciliation with oneself and with the other. As the Moroccan communists were amongst the first in line to head to the pilgrimage in Mecca and as Moroccan weddings and funerals entail all contradictions, the old saying goes: “In Morocco, no Surprise”.
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