Morocco is a funny country, the King is screwing up the country yet many view him as untouchable, because he claims to come from a great lineage. People kiss his hand and his leg seeking blessings form this Royal who seems to be doing a better job in warning his people of the dangers of the alternative.
While the King is generous and promoter of free speech. Among his guests on this summer music festivals are Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carey traveled to Marrakesh to perform at the popular music festival. They were kind and thanked King Mohammed VI for having them over. I am certain he used all those money from programs dedicated to the poor to make rich people even richer.
But if you are a local celebrity--you do not get to be invited. Such frustration has been expressed by a number of Morocco's finest talents including Hoda Saad who complained about this just last week. But not being invited is not a bad thing, being imprisoned and tortured is not cool.
WE have written many times about one local rapper who sang On Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death, the forthcoming album from dissident Moroccan rapper El Haqed “the Enraged”—one
Called “El Habs,” or “Prison,” the song features lyrics that are particularly poignant now that El Haqed—otherwise known as Mouad Belghouat, a 25-year-old Casablanca kid—is serving a one-year jail sentence for a music video and song, “Dogs of the State,” that allegedly insulted Morocco’s infamously corrupt police. The refrain is—like most of El Haqed’s lyrics—a challenge to the authorities.
Such a bogus charge that means so many things and thus, a talented young man is being put behind bars , but the world is taking notice of his struggle. He is not the only one to have it though as earlier this week, the United Nations issued a scathing report on human-rights abuses against dissidents in Morocco. It included accounts of sexual assault perpetrated on men involved in the democracy movement, and other horrific tortures.
A young lady whose name is Maria Karim, a 32-year-old Moroccan activist who co-produced El Haqed's album is also in legal trouble for having allegedly insulted the authorities, is working on borrowed time to get El Haqed’s message out to Moroccans and, she hopes, to the world and so far she seems to have done a good job of it. El Haqed is more Moroccan than his prisoners.
So please, if the King of Morocco gives you a call, skip that conversation! And tell them you will show up when they stop locking up people for singing.
"Bladi" - Nouveau Track de l'Artiste Marocain Détenu Mouad "El Haked" #FreeHaked #Feb20
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