PJD memebr forces train operator to stop after she missed her destination

By Larbi Abaoui

Morocco World News

Taroudant, Morocco, January 06, 2013

As John Lennon puts it, “One thing you can’t hide – is when you’re crippled inside.” I would rather say one thing you can’t hide is when you are corrupted inside. Moroccans have long ago learned their golden lesson: appearances are deceiving and corruption has no name!

Moroccan famous journalist Rachid Nini reported on Friday that Mrs. Soumia Benkhaldoun, an engineer with a doctorate in computer systems, and one of six famous women of the Islamist “Justice and Development Party,” forced the operator of the express train coming from Kenitra to Casablanca, to stop in Skhirate station, 30 miles south of the capital.

Awakening from a nap, the Islamist MP found herself in Skhirate, having missed her stop in Rabat, where she was supposed to have gotten off. She didn’t blame herself for falling asleep and missing her destination. She rather ran to the operator and, having recourse to her political position, as an MP and member of the ruling party, forced him to stop the train at Skhirate station in order for her to be able, as she claimed, to attend a meeting with Mr. El Habib Elchoubani, the Minister for Relations with Parliament and civil society.

Traffic law is very clear in this matter. Forcing a rapid train to stop in a station that is not included in its schedule is considered a crime and the law severely punishes anyone who interfered in obstructing traffic. But, as Noam Chomsky said, “for the powerful, crimes are those that others commit.”

The act of the MP sparked outrage among commuters, who expressed their disgruntlement about this unlawful action.

At a time when Morocco has launched a campaign in various forms, including media, to sensitize people of the dangers of corruption, and the need to build a nepotistism and discrimination free society, Mrs. Benkhaldoune seems to dance to a different tune. She made it obvious to Moroccans that there are still people who are above the law. As George Orwell in his fable, Animal Farm, sarcastically puts it, “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

After this embarrassing act, here again, we are compelled to call into question the credibility of the PJD, which boasts an interior democracy “never seen in other parties.” Being the head of both the PJD and the government, Mr. Abdelilah Benkirane is required to explain to the people whether this inconsiderate act executed by his “sister” in the party is excusable (under the pretext “Allah has forgiven what is past”) or that she must be held responsible for her deeds.

Through their populist discourse framed within the scope of well-chosen religious values, the PJD members claim that they came to power to moralize the political scene. They are denouncing elites as undemocratic and of a corrupt class when they proved to indulge in acts and practices that destroy rather than build a society based on democratic values.

Common people are fed up with such immoral scenes that transgress their rights and kill their belief in the state of law and equal rights. Frankly, this incident, among many others, gives us the impression that Moroccan officials are still far removed from the principles of democracy. Once we learn to respect the law, and assume responsibility for our actions, then we can claim that we are on the right path and walking the first steps towards democracy.

As long as he head of the government, Mr. Benkirane will be on a quest for “Tamassih and L3afarit,” (crocodiles and demons) an expression he loves to use describing corrupt officials, not part of his party. However, true reform starts by cleansing one’s self, and “before you start pointing your fingers, make sure your hands are clean,” as Bob Marley wrote.

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zionistslayer

This article is what is known as a hack job. The goal of this article is simply to make the PJD look bad.

What this woman did was wrong. There is no question that she should not have forced the conductor to stop, but lets not be unfair…. how many mosques have been closed to the public when a certain famous person deigns to pray there. How many roads are lined with guards facing away from the street when motorcades are hours from coming that way? How many innocent demonstrators are beaten by police?

What this woman did was wrong, but it does not qualify as corruption by any stretch of the imagination. Neither does it qualify as nepotism. Let me explain Nepotism…. Royal Air Maroc abusing people with disabilities and stealing money from the RAM coffers yet keeping the same CEO/CFO – both of whom have the same last name!!! RAM being about the most ineptly run company that receives public funds in Morocco and still managing to lose money despite having a monopoly, that is what you call corruption!!!

How about CTM? How about the Post Office? How about any one of the thieves appointed to be heads of the ministries in Morocco despite having no qualifications? Remember the old minister of Health? She was not even a doctor!!! She simply happened to be married to another corrupt person….

Lets have an honest open discussion about Corruption, Nepotism, ineptitude… the list goes on…. Lets not simply attack PJD – I met Mr. Benkirane, and I happen to know that for all of his faults, UNLIKE heads of other parties, he is not a thief.
reda

I don’t think what she did was “corrupt”!!!!! You are over reacting a little bit, in my opinion! She is a Member of Parliament and she has important places to go and important people to meet!! So she made a mistake and slept and missed her stop!! whatever, nobody’s perfect and she had to be punctual with whatever minister she was meeting. Stop Over Reacting. Its probably unlawful because us regular people are not doing important things like meeting ministers and discussing important topics of the Kingdom.
- Mokhtar
  
  I agree with you mister Reda.because passengers on board had no engagements;no works to do;no work-interviews to attend in time,no appointments with doctors or with whatsoever . So The interests of hunderds of people on the train are nothing compare to that of PJD’ member of parliement That the poor woman slept and therefore the train had to stop so she could attend the meeting with whatsoever:.This meeting was very important that it was supposed to discuss the priorities and plans to have Morocco listed a long side with western countries as an economically and sociely newly competitive country.I just have a direct question to you mister Reda what if your wife or your sister or mother had been in pain at the moment and you should have been punctual to get to train station in time as the ambulance would’nt wait any longer for you as you had been told ,and this PJD suddenly ordered the train operator to stop delaying you by that.How would you have reacted towrads that???????????????????????
zionistslayer

Reda, with all due respect, the work that she does is no more important than the work that a shoeshine boy does at a corner cafe, in fact, I would say that the shoe shine boy actually accomplishes more on any given day than most Moroccan MPs. At the end of the Day, Moroccan MP’s – most (99% of all) politicians are a drain on society.

However, I share the sentiment that this is just the author deciding to bash anyone from the PJD.

Morocco needs to stop relying on Politicians to do anything constructive. We need entrepreneurs and captains of industry. We need to produce things, that is how we can employ people and that is how Morocco can one day become an industrialized nation.