Rabat – The Amazigh World Assembly, an organization advocating for the recognition and preservation of the Amazigh language and culture, has addressed a letter to the Wali of Morocco’s central bank Bank Al-Maghrib (BAM) Abdellatif Jouahri, raising questions about the exclusion of the Amazigh language from Moroccan banknotes and coins.
In the letter, the assembly expressed disappointment over Bank Al-Maghrib’s “negligence and total exclusion of the Amazigh language, which is considered an official language of the country, alongside the Arabic language, according to the Moroccan constitution of July 1, 2011.”
BAM’s recent issuance of a commemorative silver coin of MAD 250 in celebration of the 24th anniversary of King Mohammed VI’s accession to the throne prompted the organization to raise its concerns.
The statement noted that Morocco adopted a regulatory law in 2019 mandating the inclusion of the Amazigh language on currency and stamps, but it has yet to be implemented.
Morocco’s House of Representatives adopted draft law 26.16 in June 2019, outlining the process of adopting Tamazight as an official language and its integration into the education system and into Moroccan public life.
The organization quoted Article 22 of the regulatory law as saying that “mentions on coins and banknotes, postage stamps, and seals of public administrations must be inscribed in the Amazigh language alongside Arabic.”
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With BAM yet to implement the legislation, the Amazigh World Assembly stressed that “continuing to ignore the integration of the Amazigh language on coins and banknotes constitutes a blatant violation of the Moroccan Constitution, as well as the regulatory law concerning the official recognition of this indigenous language.”
The organization reiterated its call for Jouahri to work toward the integration of the Amazigh language, written in Tifinagh script, on currency and on the signs and facades of Bank Al-Maghrib’s headquarters, particularly those in the capital city’s prominent areas.
The statement noted that King Mohammed has consistently shown support for the Amazigh community and highlighted its significance in Moroccan history. Recently in May 2023, the monarch recognized the Amazigh New Year as a national holiday with paid leave.
The decision to include Amazigh in Moroccan currency triggered a heated debate in the country, with some condemning the draft law when it was first introduced in 2019.
Well-known Muslim preacher Hassan Kettani was one of those who criticized the amendment. “Suddenly, we will find Tifinagh letters printed on our banknotes… further marginalization and restrictions of the language of Islam and Muslims,” he said on Facebook.
Meanwhile, advocates of the Amazigh language emphasized that the issue goes beyond symbolic representation and reflects the broader struggle for recognition and inclusion of the Amazigh language in various aspects of Moroccan society.
