Mohammed Ben Abdelkrim El Khattabi: the immortal legend of an exceptional Hero

Mohammed Ben Abdelkrim El Khattabi: the immortal legend of an exceptional Hero

 

A nation that does not preserve its history, celebrate it and bequeath it to the coming generations with its successes and failures will never find the way to the future. It’s like someone traveling on board a train without any specific destination or like a ship far off in the middle of the ocean but without a sail and a compass; stuck nowhere and bound to be stricken by the raging waves. History immunes us against the vicissitudes of life and strengthens our conception of our cultural “self.”

Today February 6^th is the fifteenth anniversary of the passing away of the legendary freedom fighter and liberationist Mohammed Ben Abdelkrim El Khattabi. Born in Ajdir in 1882 to a traditional family, Mohammed Ben Abdelkrim started his education at home and was taught the Quran by his father. Then he moved to Essaffarin and Cherratin Madrasas in Fez to pursue his studies to graduate later from the university of Al-Qarawiyyin in 1906. After his graduation and settlement in Melilla (a Spanish enclave in northern Morocco) he held several occupations and worked first as a teacher, then as a judge and finally as a journalist for the Spanish newspaper el Telegrama del Rif.

The legend of Mohammed Ben Abdelkrim El khattabi started when the Spanish colonizers set foot in the Rifian land after signing a treaty with the French to share the ‘cake’ of Moroccan territory; France occupying two-thirds and Spain one third. Mohammed Ben Abdelkrim El Khattabi discovered the conspiracy and opposed the rapacious desires of the colonizers. He managed to unite the conflicting tribes of the Rif (Beni Ouryaghel, Temsaman, Beni Touzine, Bquiwa, and other tribes) for the purpose of resisting and fighting colonialism.

Adopting the tactics of guerrilla fighters with very rudimentary means, and thanks to the spirit of bravery he implanted in each and every one of his fighters, Mohammed Ben Abdelkrim inflicted heavy casualties and damage on the Spanish organized army. One of the historic battles in the history of colonial resistance in the world is the battle of Anwal in July 1921 where about 13363 Spanish soldiers were killed and injured. The Spanish troops were under the command of General Manuel Fernandez Silvestre who was a close friend of the Spanish king Alfonso XIII. Before the battle of Anwal, General Manuel Fernandez Silvestre had promised his king and his troops to crush the Rifian resistance in a matter of hours and to drink tea in the house of Mohammed Ben Abdelkrim but the wind blew counter to his expectations. He had to force his troops to drink their urine to survive under the siege laid by the Rifian resistance.

Mohammed Ben Abdelkrim El Khattabi is said to be the first who aspired to unite the peoples of North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya) and he was the first to use the Maghreb as a designation for all these peoples. He also supported the liberation movements in these countries and founded The Committee for the Liberation of the Maghreb in 1947. The main purpose of this committee was to reunite all the forces and the national parties struggling for the independence of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and to lay the foundations of a Maghrebian unity. Mohammed Ben Abdlkrim El Khattanbi died on February 6^th, 1963 in Cairo.

Unfortunately, after a history of resistance and sacrifice for the independence of his country, Mohammed Ben Abdelkrim El Khattabi is a forgotten hero and his struggle has gone into oblivion. We barely see, if ever, any TV programs talking about him or mentioning his glorious history. The same neglect applies to cinema, as there has been so far no film about him. When shall we reconcile with our history and revive it for a true breakthrough towards the future? Why do our filmmakers spend considerable budgets of taxpayers on ‘zero’ films that are replete with erotic scenes and vulgar language and almost no aesthetic and cultural value? We need films that respect our intelligence, our history, our present and future. We need films that tell us who is Mohammed Ben Abdelkrim El Khattabi, who is Youssef Ibn Tachafin, Tarik Ibn Ziyad, Allal El-Fassi, Mohammed V, Mehdi Ben Barka… Our dear filmmakers, if you can’t do so you are a total FIASCO!!

Mali: France warmly thanks King Mohammed VI for his support

Mali: France warmly thanks King Mohammed VI for his support

 

 

PARIS, Feb 8, 2013

France warmly thanked King Mohammed VI for the stance expressed in a speech during the 12th summit of the Organization of Islamic cooperation regarding the rapid and efficient action of African and French troops in Mali.

“France warmly thanks King Mohammed VI who commended in his speech at the OIC the rapid and efficient intervention of African and French troops against the terrorist threat”, said spokesman of the French foreign minister, Philippe Lalliot at a press briefing.

“In response to the emergency appeal made by the Malian authorities, and given the armed terrorist groups’ progression in their bid to control the entire country and force its population into submission, French troops, supported by Malian and African forces, intervened quickly and effectively,” the sovereign said in a speech to the summit (Feb.6-7 in Cairo).

“It was this firm reaction which made it possible to check the invasion of Southern Mali and to put an end to it. This was later followed by the liberation of Northern Mali, with its cities steeped in history, its Muslim populations and its religious monuments which attest to the Malian people’s longstanding adherence to Islam, as represented by the city of Timbuktu – one of the most ancient seats of Islamic civilization. The intervention was carried out in accordance with the aims targeted by the relevant United Nations resolutions”, the sovereign state in the speech read out by head of the government, Abdelilah Benkirane.

The sovereign also recalled that Morocco “warned the international community, years ago, of the perils looming over the Sahel and Sahara region.”

France further hailed the “support” expressed by the pan-Islamic organization during the Cairo summit to the ongoing dialogue and political transition in Mali.

WAREHOUSEMAN

U.S. Mission in Morocco

 Human Resources Office 

 Vacancy Announcement

 WAREHOUSEMAN

 ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: 13-01

OPEN TO: All Interested Candidates
POSITION: WAREHOUSEMAN
OPENING DATE: Thursday, February 7, 2013
CLOSING DATE: Thursday, February 21, 2013
WORK HOURS: Full-time, 40 hours/week
SALARY: * Not-Ordinary Resident: US$20,017 p.a. (Starting Salary based on 40 hours)
(Position Grade: FP-CC following confirmation by Washington)
* Ordinarily Resident: Gross Salary DH 72,044 p.a. (Starting Salary based on 40 hours including allowances, competitive bonus and benefits package. U.S. Mission will withhold from your gross salary employee's portion of the CNSS and CIMR contributions, health/life/disability insurance contributions as well as all tax obligations as imposed by the US and/or host country governments)
(Position Grade: FSN-02)
The U.S. Embassy in Rabat is seeking an individual for the position of Warehouseman.
BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION: The incumbent safely moves, loads, unloads, stores and arranges household and office furniture, appliances, equipment, supplies, crates in all US Mission properties in a way which minimizes damage to the items moved, the transported vehicles, the work sites, and himself. The incumbent also drives the warehouse pickup truck in a safe manner to transport small loads.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
NOTE: All applicants must meet all qualifications and provide supporting documentation for each criterion below
Education: Completion of elementary school is required.
Experience: Six months as a mover or general warehouse work experience is required.
Language: Level 2 (limited knowledge) in Arabic and French is required.
Knowledge:
--Basic knowledge of pieces of household and office furniture is required.
--Must know and use safety procedures.
Abilities and Skills:
--Ability to lift a minimum of 30 kg is required.
--Ability to use handcarts, dollies is required.
--Ability to work on a team all the time is required.
--Ability to safely move wooden furniture, large electrical appliances, and fragile items is required.
--Driver License C is required.
SELECTION PROCESS
When equally qualified, US Citizen EFMs and US Veterans will be given preference. Therefore, it is essential that the candidate address the required qualifications above in the application.
ADDITIONAL SELECTION CRITERIA
1. Management will consider nepotism/conflict of interest, budget, and residency status in determining successful candidacy.
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2. Current Ordinarily Resident employees with an Overall Summary Rating of Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory on
their most recent Employee Performance Report are not eligible to apply.
3. Currently employed US Citizen EFMs who hold a Family Member Appointment (FMA) are ineligible to apply for
advertised positions within the first 90 calendar days of their employment.
4. Currently employed NORs hired under a Personal Services Agreement (PSA) are ineligible to apply for advertised
positions within the first 90 calendar days of their employment unless currently hired into a position with a When Actually
Employed (WAE) work schedule.
5. Current Ordinarily Resident employees must serve in the same position for a period of 52 weeks before being eligible
to apply for advertised positions.
TO APPLY
Interested applicants for this position must submit the following for consideration of the application:
1. Universal Application for Employment, DS-174 form.
2. Candidates who claim US Veterans preference must provide a copy of their Form DD-214 with their application.
Candidates who claim conditional US Veterans preference must submit documentation confirming eligibility for a
conditional preference in hiring with their application.
3. Any other documentation (e.g. education diplomas, essays, certificates, awards) that addresses the qualification
requirements of the position as listed above.
SUBMIT APPLICATION
a) By mail to: Human Resources Office
Attention: Vacancy Announcement 13-01
Address: 2 Avenue Mohamed El Fassi (ex-Marrakech), Rabat
b) By e-mail: RecruitmentRabat@state.gov
Important: If your application has been selected for further consideration, you will be contacted within 3-6 weeks
from the closing date of this vacancy announcement for further testing and/or interview.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
*DEFINITIONS
1. US Citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM) – For purposes of receiving a preference in hiring for a qualified
position, an EFM who meets the following criteria:
 US Citizen; and,
 EFM (see above) at least 18 years old; and,
 Listed on the travel orders of a direct-hire Foreign, Civil, or uniformed service member assigned to or stationed
abroad with a USG agency that is under COM authority, or at an office of the American Institute in Taiwan; and
either:
1. Resides at the sponsoring employee's or uniformed service member's post of assignment abroad or at an
office of the American Institute in Taiwan; or
2. Resides at an Involuntary Separate Maintenance Allowance (ISMA) location authorized under 3 FAM
3232.2.
2. EFM: An individual related to a US Government employee in one of the following ways:
 Spouse;
 Child, who is unmarried and under 21 years of age or, regardless of age, is incapable of self-support. The term
shall include, in addition to natural offspring, stepchildren and adopted children and those under legal
guardianship of the employee or the spouse when such children are expected to be under such legal guardianship
until they reach 21 years of age and when dependent upon and normally residing with the guardian;
 Parent (including stepparents and legally adoptive parents) of the employee or of the spouse, when such parent is
at least 51 percent dependent on the employee for support;
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 Sister or brother (including stepsisters and stepbrothers, or adoptive sisters or brothers) of the employee, or of the
spouse, when such sibling is at least 51 percent dependent on the employee for support, unmarried, and under 21
years of age, or regardless of age, incapable of self-support.
3. Member of Household (MOH) – An individual who accompanies a direct-hire Foreign, Civil, or uniformed service
member permanently assigned or stationed at a U.S. Foreign Service post or establishment abroad, or at an office of the
American Institute in Taiwan. An MOH is:
 Not an EFM; and,
 Not on the travel orders of the sponsoring employee; and,
 Has been officially declared by the sponsoring USG employee to the COM as part of his/her household.
A MOH is under COM authority and may include a parent, unmarried partner, other relative or adult child who falls
outside the Department’s current legal and statutory definition of family member. A MOH does not have to be a US
Citizen.
4. Not Ordinarily Resident (NOR) – An individual who:
 Is not a citizen of the host country; and,
 Does not ordinarily reside (OR, see below) in the host country; and,
 Is not subject to host country employment and tax laws; and,
 Has a US Social Security Number (SSN).
NOR employees are compensated under a GS or FS salary schedule, not under the LCP.
5. Ordinarily Resident (OR) – A Foreign National or US citizen who:
 Is locally resident; and,
 Has legal, permanent resident status within the host country; and,
 Is subject to host country employment and tax laws.
EFMs without US Social Security Numbers are also OR. All OR employees, including US citizens, are compensated in
accordance with the LCP.
The US Mission in Morocco provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all
people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital
status, or sexual orientation.
The department of State strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations through continuing
diversity enhancement programs.
The EEO complaint procedure is not available to individuals who believe they have been denied equal opportunity based
upon marital status or political affiliation. Individuals with such complaints should avail themselves of the appropriate
grievance procedures, remedies for prohibited personnel practices, and/or courts for relief.