By Larbi Arbaoui
By Larbi Arbaoui
Morocco World News
Taroudant, Morocco, February 1, 2013
Moroccan Islamists along with Human Right and political bodies protested before the Hotel Chellah against The documentary “Tinghir- Jerusalem: Les Echos du Mellah” of Kamal Hachkar. The latter’s films is among the films in competition at the 14th session of the National Film Festival of Tangier held from 1st to 9th February.
The political and human rights activists belonging to both the left-wing and the Islamists participated in the sit in denouncing what they called “normalization” with the Israel.
The sit in called for a general mobilization of all the “active forces” to prevent the screening of the documentary.
Many slogans were voiced out during the sit in, and the most frequently raised was “the people want to stop normalization” in addition to the placards that read “No to Normalization, Yes for the Art.”
Mohamed Saroukh, the spokesman of the Moroccan Commission standing for the Causes of the Nation said that “the commission refuses the screening of this documentary, in particular, which is trying to obliterate the identity and the Palestinian cause.”
Saroukh went on to “call on the citizens living in Tangier to take to the street, on Tuesday Feb 5, 2013, if the documentary is not withdrawn from the Festival.”
Mohamed Khayyi, a member of the ruling party, (PJD) said “we are here to confirm our refusal to any form of normalization with the Zionists, be it through art, politics or commercial exchange.”
Mohamed Elwafi, the secretary general of the labor federation, considered “the participation of the documentary in the festival of Tangier, which is a city of martyrs and noble militants, an insult to the Moroccan people and their history.”
Most Moroccan political parties, including the Several including the Istiqlal party, the USFP, in addition to the banned group al Adl Wal Ihsan (Justice and Charity), took part in the sit in and denounced the normalization with Israel.
They and called on the people of Tangier to protest before Roxy Cinema on Tuesday, Feb 5 at 5 pm, in case the organizers of the festival insist on screening the documentary.
