The Real Barbarians

THE REAL BARBARIANS By Lawrence J. Fabian Spring 2018 Long before Arabs resided on its mountains and shores, Morocco was known as Tamazgha. This was several millennia before Mohammad’s earth-transforming Revelation arrived in the Maghreb in the 7th century. Phoenician trading posts were already well networked around the whole Mediterranean basin. Jews, Greeks and Romans settled in extensive parts of the strategically located Maghreb – the Land of the West. Before all that. the indigenous people of northwest Africa called their home Tamazgha. Tamazgha simply means land of the Amazigh. The root of this word is “proud raider” or “noble” or “free man”. Whatever its root, the its plural is Imazighen. This kind of a plural indicates that it is African, related to ancient Egyptian and other Hamitic languages. Today, it is spoken in Morocco as three major dialects. As shown below, other versions of Berber – Amazigh are found in Algeria, Tunisia, Niger and Mali. Figure 1 A European map of Berber geography today. Note that Tangier is not designated as a Berber speaking region. It is, however, a large city of trade that draws people from all over Morocco and beyond. During my four months there, I often found positive answers when I asked people whether they were of Berber background. A grocer where I lived was very proud and vocal about his background, insisting that I learn a word of two of his language. Arab-oriented Moroccans seemed to hold themselves above the Berbers, seeing them as their social inferiors. One of the Sultan’s points of political legitimacy is that he is a descendant of the Prophet, may peace be upon Him! Suffice it to ay that Morocco is a well-stirred mix of these two main groups. Their histories are intertwined through over twelve centuries of impressive accomplishments. Berbers are Berbers, not necessarily Barbarian To Europeans, these indigenous, pre-Islamic people are known as Berbers, a word which comes from Greek, or perhaps later through Arabic. Through centuries of history, it was normal for countries to be at constant war with each other. Berbers throughout the Maghreb took on pretty wild reputations among Europeans, countered by ugly reputations of Europeans even before they killed and pillaged during the Crusades. One finds an abundance of atrocities and horrors in both European and African sides of the Mediterranean. To the north, the word barbarian evolved to mean uncivilized, primitive, violent, insensitive. Figure 2 Is this juicer in Larrache Arab or Berber? If asked, he would probably answer 'yes'. Looking through the mists of pre-historic peoples in the region, Berbers seem much like the secretive, inward-looking Basques of northern Spain and southwest France. To the east in Asia, the Kurds in and around southeast Turkey also have mountains to maintain their cultural if not political independence. Even farther west is Afghanistan Mountains make it difficult for outside forces – no matter how strong militarily or culturally -- to truly subdue indigenous peoples. Like all parts of the world, Morocco’s history truly is littered with conflicts and bloodshed between Arabs and Berbers. But there is no logic to singling them out. Conflicts occurred among most groups at one point or another. Considering the horrors of two world wars during the 20th century, Europe is not exempt for its own sort of barbarity. Human life all over the world is similarly scarred. Modern Morocco On the whole, to me. a foreigner who spoke neither Amazigh nor Arabic, Moroccans seemed to be a deep and happy mixture of Berber and Arab. Into the blend, are others from many different cultures and nations. Because the French (and other colonizers) tried to “Divide and Rule” by encouraging conflicts, people are often uncomfortable with Berber-Arab issues. Figure 3 Morocco has three official languages -- Arabic on top, Berber Amazigh in the middle and French below. It is true that most Moroccans speak some French, more so south of Tangier, which never was a French colony. Rabat, Casablanca. Fez, Meknes, Agadir and most of the country all were part of the vast French colonial administration. People there are more prone to speak French well. Several years ago, the Morocco government -- in a move with deep cultural meanings -- reembraced its Berber roots by adding Amazigh to Arabic and French, creating a triad of national languages. Berber script appears in the middle section of the sign in Figure 3. At first glance, it looks a bit like Greek, but it is not. It may derive from scratchings on the stone walls of a cave. On top is Arabic. Below is French. In English, it reads Office of Customs and Indirect Taxes. During my winter in Tangier, I met several Americans who had served in the US Peace Corps in Morocco and could converse in Amazigh. One is married to a quite beautiful Moroccan woman, who told me that her background is indeed Berber, but that she did not speak the language. Most Americans cannot speak a second language. Moroccans and most Africans are quite fluent in several languages. Last year, the Moroccan government decided to transition into teaching English in its schools as the primary European language. No one seemed overly concerned by this. Few expected a quick embrace of anglophonia. English is already coming to many in Morocco, especially the youth, who learn to speak and understand quite well through television, movies and youtube! Figure 4 These three Tangier students may have Berber blood, but they all speak excellent American English. .

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