Statute Of Amazigh Language

It can be achieved by the means of patronage and sponsoring.

Until now, only the political field is invested, and that, by several generations of militants. History of the amazigh cultural Movement, since the group of Mohand Amokrane Khelifati, Mohand Heroui, Mohand Amokrane Haddag, Ouali Bennaï and Ali Laïmeche until the children of the school boycott, while passing by Mohamed Haroun, Mustapha Bacha and Lounès Matoub, militants of the amazigh cultural cause, paid heavy tributes. Bludgeoning, arrests, tortures, arbitrary lawsuits, exclusions, imprisonments… and even the supreme sacrifice, were the paid price by these militants. Result: the amazigh cultural Movement in deliquescence, exhausted by the internal fights, a random teaching for a amazigh language without statute, a claim ” for a amazigh national and official language “, relegated to the oubliettes. That is the overview of the political struggle field.

It is necessary to release our amazigh culture and our language from the political yoke, ” political monopoly “. The militants, those who have in their hearts the promotion and valorisation of the amazigh culture and language , must approach the grocer of the corner as well as the industrialist: i.e. the power of money. The economic field was completely ignored. Consequence: the economic company, from the small shopkeeper to the industrialist, remains in margin, even in the quasi-total ignorance of this cultural claim. In the current context of economic liberalism, competition is the central engine.

This context us – us: producers and consumers – is favorable and invites us to take part in the stakes. As in a war – and well it is a war, without mercy, of extinction of our language -, it is initially a question of identifying our friends, our allies, i.e., the friends of our language, those who give their support for our language and our culture. This support can be done by means of patronage or sponsoring, through the support for the edition of amazigh books or of production of films of amazigh expression ( ex. Tawrirt ittwattun).

All forms of public expression in amazigh (commercial signs, posters, labels, etc.) constitute an adhesion to the promotion of the amazigh language and culture and must, consequently, draw our attention and be used by us as reference in our privileged trade.

On the basis of the noble concept which says that ” the customer is a king “, the consumer-militant will make use of his ” royal ” prerogatives. Advisedly: any purchase made on the basis of cultural reason is an encouragement, even an investment for safeguarding and the development of this same culture. That goes by the introduction of new reflexes: ” amazigh at school, yes; but also amazigh in the trade.” It is a need impossible to circumvent.

From trades or equal products, choose that which displays its adhesion, its love of the language and culture amazigh: in the same spirit, the consumer-militant could, if necessary, boycott every product or any place of trade expressing an unspecified denier of the amazigh language and culture. ” Whom who is not with me is against me “: there is no neutrality in the trade, it is only interest. Thus, it will be established a kind of mutual social contract between the producer-militants and the consumer-militants. It is at this price that our amazigh language and our culture will become the bread language and culture.

This mutual recognition or this exchange of good and faithful services little by little will produce a snowball effect, other industrialists and tradesmen will adhere to it inevitably until the amazighity takes a honourable place in the national economic environment. The economy, industry, the trade in general and the culture are the two feet of the same body. To sell its cheese merges with selling a tale. Who says economy says money and… the money is the nerve of the war which is political, economic or cultural.

After having been a bad standard, the amazighity – threatened at present of sclerosis – must become a good standard by which we will recognise our friends and by which we will develop our language and our culture.

In all legitimacy, Thanks to this dynamics, the amazigh language will gain a social status. Thanks to that, the amazigh language and culture could be direct crenels of investment (private teaching, graphics editions, audio-visual, private televisions and radios, tourism, revalorisation of historic sites, revalorisation and development of the craft industry…) and indirect (use of the amazigh language in labelling and the advertising communication…) ” Akken tasga attilli i tassa”: i.e. so that those who have the means support those who have the ideas, the artists, the poets, the writers, the researchers, the producers of the amazigh language and culture. In any good, all honours, the amazighity will be only proud and grateful to its generous militants.

So that the amazighity is not anymore the eternal orphan, the eternal cause only of humble citizens who do not hesitate to offer even their dearest possession: their lives.

M.O. MEDJEBER

Article from Liberté 22/03/2001
Translated by Amazigh.com