Early this Sunday, June 27, Jeune Afrique published an article on the Moorish Emergence. It will prove to be, in fact, a politically slanted opinion piece, barely disguised as journalistic work. Nina Kozlowski, a journalist for Jeune Afrique, had contacted a member of the Moorish Organization ahead of the writing of this piece.
What was truly said during that exchange?
On May 18, 2021, a member of the Moorish Organization was approached by the journalist Nina KOZLOWSKI as part of a journalistic inquiry. The exchange revolved around basic questions. Yet this is not what comes through in the recent article published by Jeune Afrique. Perhaps one is to believe that the journalist was expecting controversial, clumsy, or even slanderous remarks. Nothing of the sort, of course, came to pass.
What was written amounts, in fact, to a hit piece that explicitly resembles the carbon-copy discourse of a few detractors of the Moorish Organization. The Moorish Organization does not grant the slightest consideration to the non-constructive or defamatory offenses uttered against it. It speaks out this time in view of the slanderous remarks addressed to it in the article published by Jeune Afrique.
Titled “Morocco — the Moorish, X-ray of a connected nationalism”, the article is, as it happens, only barely — if at all — connected to the reality of the Moorish emergence and its sociological complexity. The article essentially refers to assorted news items relating to current events in Morocco. Hardly any mention of the various communication channels of the Moorish Organization and of the content they publish.
This muddled article, which claims to deal specifically with the Moorish, touches upon: the Twittoma as a whole in relation to the recent Morocco/Spain diplomatic crisis; the Abdeslam Ouaddou case; the enthusiasm of Moroccans following Trump’s declaration last December; run-of-the-mill “fake accounts” singled out by name… In short, one cannot quite discern the connection between the aforementioned subjects and the content explicitly published by the various communication channels affiliated with the Moorish Organization.
This article is in reality a barely concealed partisan opinion piece, largely inspired by the journalist’s anti-establishment entourage. A piece of work, in the end, hardly objective & professional, and somewhat disappointing given what one has grown accustomed to reading from Jeune Afrique. An intellectual dishonesty that therefore deserves to be corrected. The lines that follow will constitute a reconstruction of the interview between the journalist and Carl Johnson, who is quoted in the article.
NINA: WHEN, HOW, AND UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES WAS THIS MOVEMENT BORN? WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU BELONG TO THE FIRST CIRCLE OF ITS FOUNDERS?
CARL JOHNSON: The Moorish concept originally emerged in order to counter the misappropriation of the name “Moorish”, essentially in the English-speaking sphere.
Moorish is, to this day, still clumsily used to define Black or African-American populations, whereas the “Moors” [les Maures] are historically the ancestors of Moroccans. The Moors were the inhabitants of the Maghreb Al Aqsa, the far west of North Africa. In other words, the populations of the preceding Moroccan dynasties, as well as those of the same region during Antiquity, were called “Moors”.
Likewise, the Moorish emergence was justified in part by the weak presence of Moroccan voices on social media. There was no Moroccan voice of reference to defend the interests of the Moroccan community and to promote Morocco in all its dimensions.
The succession of these observations prompted this Moorish emergence to diversify its horizons. The components of Moroccan identity [History & Culture] being attacked, defamed, or even appropriated; this Moorish emergence naturally took its position in the face of these problems and seized the Responsibility of confronting these offenses.
The Moorish emergence came together naturally. It is made up of Moroccan women & men driven by the love of their country, Morocco. They are committed to defending everything that concerns the Kingdom, from near or from far. The Moorish emergence holds only one constant at heart: love of the homeland. We would therefore define ourselves simply as patriots, nothing more, nothing less.
Our primary interest is to make Moroccans aware of their rich history and heritage, of their age-old values and their national identity. We also aim to defend the national interests of Morocco — interests which, in the view of the Moorish Organization, transcend political affiliations and which, consequently, we regard as a primordial and legal duty incumbent upon all Moroccans, as expressed in Article 38 of the Moroccan Constitution: “All citizens, women and men, contribute to the defense of the Homeland and of its territorial integrity against any aggression or threat”.
NINA: HERE WE GET INTO CONTROVERSIAL QUESTIONS, BUT I AM ALSO INTERESTED IN THE SUBSTANCE. DO NOT THINK THIS IS A TRAP, I AM JUST CURIOUS AND I LIKE TO BE EXHAUSTIVE.
CARL JOHNSON: Have no fear, the Moorish Organization is not hostile to this type of question. On the contrary, we appreciate being confronted with this kind of inquiry. It allows light to be shed on shadowy areas that often wrongly defame the Organization.
NINA: DOES THE MOORISH ORGANIZATION HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE COLOR BLACK? DO YOU DENY THAT BEFORE THE ROMAN COLONIZATION, THE MOORS (ACCORDING TO A GREAT MANY ACADEMIC WRITINGS) WERE A MAJORITY-BLACK POPULATION, MIXED WITH THE BERBERS, LIGHTER-SKINNED (STILL ACCORDING TO CERTAIN SOURCES), THE PALETTE OF COLORS HAVING CONSIDERABLY BROADENED.
CARL JOHNSON: The Moorish Organization has no problem whatsoever with the color black.
The Moorish Organization has mobilized a great many historical and biological sources, as well as the academic literature, in order to take a coherent and well-founded position on the question of the Moors. Our conclusions are unequivocal: the Moors have always been a population with a very large Berber majority.
There may have been, over the course of History, small movements of Sub-Saharan populations after the Almoravid Era [10th century]. That said, these influences in no way call into question the fact that the Moors have always been Berber.
We are not waging a fight specifically against Black populations who would identify with the Moors. We stand as a rampart against anyone who would harbor the ambition of rewriting the History of Morocco and of its original people: the Moors.
There is a genuine will to rewrite History, one articulated in part around the Afrocentrist current. The Moorish Organization firmly opposes the distortion of the History of Morocco. It is in this sense that it has been continuously committed for more than a year now.
Furthermore, we are willing to share with you all the elements of information relating to our position on the question of the Moors, an originally Berber people.
NINA: FINALLY, I UNDERSTAND YOUR DESIRE TO DEFEND THE INTERESTS OF THE MOROCCAN NATION, BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE SOMETIMES RADICAL REMARKS OF SOME OF YOUR SYMPATHIZERS? YOU SEEM TO BE AN EXTREMELY CULTIVATED AND EDUCATED PERSON, I IMAGINE YOU ARE ATTACHED TO THE IDEA OF DEBATE AND DISCUSSION.
CARL JOHNSON: As for the radical discourse of our [supposed] sympathizers: the Moorish Organization holds itself essentially responsible for what is disseminated through its official communication outlets.
Quite obviously, the Moorish Organization does not encourage the extremist outbursts of those who would identify with the Moorish emergence. That said, we have no control over what is said here and there.
The discourse disseminated through the various Moorish communication channels stands far removed from extremist discourse. Quite the contrary, we favor the pedagogical and constructive approach, and this in all circumstances.
To a certain extent, the Moorish Organization has no reason to be excessively alarmed over this question. Extremist outbursts, from one side or another, exist everywhere. The Organization is naturally no exception to this.
NINA: AND WHAT ABOUT THE ARABOCENTRIST WILL TO REWRITE HISTORY?
CARL JOHNSON: The Moorish Organization takes a stand against any unfounded and mendacious rewriting. This holds equally for Arabocentrist rewriting.
The Organization has no vocation to impose one precise way of thinking. It holds to the truth. We in no way deny the various Arab components of Moroccan identity, whether in its History or in its Culture.
The Organization strives to uphold the truth and to refute whatever stems from the imaginary or from discourse resting exclusively on ideology.
NINA: IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU TAKE UP THE EMBLEMS OF THE VARIOUS DYNASTIES THAT REIGNED OVER MOROCCO (AND BEYOND), AMONG ALL THESE DYNASTIES, IS THERE ONE FAVORED BY THE MOVEMENT FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE MOROCCAN HERITAGE?
CARL JOHNSON: The Moorish Organization does not aspire to define a preference for one part of its History to the detriment of another. Each dynasty will have brought its added value to the edifice. We hold to the promotion and the valorization of these different contributions.
By valorization, one should not understand “embellishing”. This valorization operates through intellectual & pedagogical means. The way knowledge is transmitted, the way sources are gathered and their reliability ascertained: it is in this sense that one must understand the valorization of History and of the Moroccan heritage more broadly.
The Organization is committed, however, to neglecting no chapter of its History. The Moorish philosophy aims to bring to light what is unknown [or only approximately known] to Moroccans.
NINA: EARLIER YOU SPOKE TO ME OF THE TERM "MOORISH ORGANIZATION". DOES THIS MEAN THAT YOUR MOVEMENT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE STRUCTURED, AND IF SO TO WHAT END? DO YOU WISH TO GO BEYOND AN INFLUENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
CARL JOHNSON: Indeed, the Moorish emergence is becoming more and more structured. The Moorish emergence is not understood by all. Our Organization is often associated with individuals or with communication channels that have no affiliation with our organization. Likewise, the paternity of certain hashtag initiatives is wrongly attributed to our Organization. Reference may notably be made to the hashtag insulting the Moroccan Minister of Culture. The Organization formally objects to being associated with such initiatives.
The structuring of the Organization is also taking place for practical reasons. The horizons of the Organization have diversified. The Organization intends to intervene wherever it could play a relevant role. This it has begun to do, notably through the humanitarian operations it has recently carried out.
NINA: IN MOROCCO, YOUR ADVERSARIES CLAIM THAT THE SECURITY SERVICES ARE BEHIND YOU, THAT THE DEEP STATE SUPPORTS YOU.
CARL JOHNSON: Concerning those who are described as our “adversaries”, a clarification might be in order.
The Moorish Organization encourages debate and has no vocation to impose a mode of thinking. Moroccan women and men who happen to disagree with the content disseminated through our communication channels could not be described as “adversaries”.
The Moorish Organization advocates dialogue among Moroccans and holds to the unity of its People, in spite of differences of ideas.
Criticizm and opposition are not bad things in themselves, quite the contrary. It is through criticizm and the existence of a constructive opposition that Morocco is brought to progress. That said, the Organization keeps its distance from nihilistic dynamics, unproductive by their very essence.
It may appear simplistic to be accused of being the fruit of a “deep state” on the pretext of defending the interests of one’s Country and one’s People with ardor. In reality, we attach little importance to these accusations.
To a certain extent, these accusations obstruct freedom of thought and of expression. We naturally prefer the confrontation of ideas to their disqualification by categorizing them as non-debatable.
NINA: WE CAN CLEARLY SEE THAT ANONYMITY IS WHAT FEEDS ALL THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND “OUTING” ATTEMPTS. SO WHY THIS CHOICE?
CARL JOHNSON: The anonymity of the Organization is of interest for several reasons. The Moorish Organization proceeds from the principle that what matters is less the messenger than the message conveyed. In this sense, revealing the identity of the contributors appears secondary.
Moreover, some contributors opt for anonymity for reasons of safety and security. There are legitimate concerns. Other contributors opt for anonymity out of strict respect for their private life.
More broadly, anonymity is not absolute within the Moorish Organization, insofar as the very fact of interacting and sharing thoughts steps outside the strictly anonymous frame.
NINA: FOR THE TIME BEING, HOW MANY FOUNDERS, LEADERS & ACCOUNT MANAGERS DOES THE ORGANIZATION COUNT? HOW MANY SYMPATHIZERS?
CARL JOHNSON: As for precise information concerning the Moorish Organization, it does not appear opportune to reveal it. The Organization is that of all Moroccans and does not claim a nominal paternity.
As for sympathizers, one would need to refer to the followers of the various Moorish communication channels:
@MoorishMovement, @MoorishTimes, @Moorskingdom, @MoorishFacts, @MoorishMovEN, @MoorishMovNL, @MoorishMovAR, @MoorishTmazight, @MoorishMovES, @WealthofMorocco, @LeMaureMalikite, @MoroccanArchive,@MocroSoccer, @MocroTeam.
Some of these pages are also present on other social networks such as InstaGram, FaceBook, or TikTok.
NINA: WE ALSO SEE THAT ARABIC SPEAKERS HAVE JOINED IN, WHEREAS BEFORE THE MOVEMENT WAS VERY FRANCOPHONE/ANGLOPHONE, HOW DID THE JUNCTION COME ABOUT?
CARL JOHNSON: Truth be told, Arabic-speaking Moorish groups already existed before the [Francophone] Moorish emergence on the Twitter space. That said, the Moorish Organization is independent, centered around the aforementioned communication channels.
NINA: AND IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT THE LEADING MINDS OF THE MOVEMENT ARE MREs?
CARL JOHNSON: As for MREs, they make up a notable part of the Moorish Organization. That said, there are also local Moroccans within the Organization.
NINA: I ALSO COME BACK TO THE "MRE" ASPECT OF THIS MOVEMENT, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS AN ARGUMENT USED BY YOUR DETRACTORS. MANY MOORISH ARE AGAINST THE ABOLITION OF ARTICLE 490 OF THE PENAL CODE, HONESTLY HOW IS THAT ANY CONCERN OF CITIZENS WHO LIVE IN EUROPE?
CARL JOHNSON: The question you raise is interesting, and it tends to raise another: should local Moroccans be the only ones concerned by the socio-legal dimension of Morocco? MREs nonetheless enjoy their civil and political rights with regard to Morocco: should they be excluded from the democratic process and from society’s debates on the pretext that they do not live on the national territory?
