Morocco World News
Morocco World News
New York, Nov 1, 2012
Moroccans living in the US are disgruntled at the negligence shown by the Moroccan Ministry of Moroccans Living Abroad and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs towards the distress of Moroccans living on the East Cost, which was hard hit by an unprecedented storm.
Moroccans in the US are asking where are those Ministries and what is their role if they don’t bother to check on Moroccan expatriates when they are going through tough times. While Moroccans from every corner of the world were concerned about their countrymen living on the East Cost of the US and checking in on them, our Ministries chose to look away.
Throughout the unfolding Sandy super storm, there was an outpouring of messages and emails sent through social media such as Facebook and Twiteer by Moroccans from all over the world to check on their compatriots living in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, which bore the brunt of this deadly natural disaster.
While Moroccans living in this area of the United States felt warmhearted to witness these testimonies of solidarity and thoughtfulness towards them, they are conversely disgruntled at the absence of solidarity shown by Moroccan officials, namely those from the Ministry of Moroccans Living Abroad and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The members of the community contacted by Morocco World News expressed how they were saddened to see that their government does not care about them, in spite of the new constitution, which put Moroccans living abroad at center of the government’s concerns.
But as many of them pointed out, there is a far cry between the provisions of the constitution, the slogans of the newly elected government and the practice on the ground.
“We were expecting the Moroccan Embassy in Washington D.C., and the consulate in New York to issue a press release and put in place a toll free number in case any fatality or serious damage happens to a member of the community, but it was just wishful thinking,” a Moroccan living in New York told MWN.
“We are not asking for the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that of Moroccans Living Abroad to give us money or help us through this, but at least to show us that they care about our well-being and they hold us in their thoughts”, said, with an overtone of disappointment, another Moroccan living in New Jersey, which suffered the most damage as a result of the storm.
Many pointed out that they’re tired with the unfulfilled promises of the new government and called on it to give an explanation as to why its competent Ministries did not move a finger to look after the Moroccan community living on the East Cost of the United States.
“We are tired of seeing the Minister of Moroccans Living Abroad touring the world, and when something happens to our countrymen, he does not move a finger,” noted a Moroccan resident of Washington D.C.
“Where is our embassy? More than a third of Moroccan-Americans live on the east coast? Lots of questions need to be answered by both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Council of the Moroccan community Living Abroad (CCME),” he added.
