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Dr.Mourad Beni-ich is a Political, Intelligence & Strategic Analyst based in Washington, DC. Mr.Beni-ich holds a BA in Law, a BA in Political Sciences, a MA in Security and Intelligence Analyses, a MA in Global Terrorism and a PhD in International Politics. His studies were pursued in England and the U.S. Mr.Beni-ich began his career as a lawyer working for the British Home Office (The Ministry of Interior) as well as The British Foreign Office. Mr.Beni-ich gave many lectures in the United States regarding the current affairs in the MENA region, both in universities and organizations. Mr. Beni-ich is currently based in Washington, DC where he lobbies for the Moroccan affairs and coordinates with many U.S. officials and Think-Tanks to promote Morocco’s interests, both in the United States and Morocco. You can follow him on Twitter at: @MonarchKnight[/symple_box]
“The main hope of a nation lies in the proper education of its youth.”-Desiderius Erasmus
Vienna, Virginia—There is no shadow of doubt that youth is the backbone of any given society and the guardian of the heritage of any nation. Without it, the future will forever be gloomy and dusky, and there will be little to no hope. A wise nation is that which invests in its youth and ensures it receives the proper tools to carry the torch and take the charge of the society and lead it to prosperity.
I noticed in the recent years in Morocco that there is a disequilibrium within the youth. Many appear to be lost or in a very long and slow process of finding themselves. They seem to me that they are struggling to find their true identity. This does not only apply on Moroccan youth residing in the motherland, but the problem is expanded to those overseas, whether those who left the country in the recent years or those who were born in countries of residence.
Drugs, religious radicalism, robbery, gang culture, crimes against members of families, rape and many other unlawful and illegal activities are in the rise. Social ethics seem a thing of the past, and it appears very clear that there is a huge gap between generations, or shall I say a misunderstanding between all components of the society.
When I read that a young man in London killed his parents in a cold blood before committing suicide, I realized more than ever before, that the core of the problem is not poverty or lack of education, unemployment or political oppression, the problem is much bigger than many might think. What would drive a man living in a modern society to commit such a gruesome crime against his own parents? It takes more than being insane to kill any human being, needless to say, killing our own parents. Is the society responsible, or the government of the country of residence? Is Morocco responsible? Or maybe our parents have their own share of blame as well?
I must say that all the above have their fair share of the blame and responsibility. We all noticed a dramatic change in the Moroccan culture within the last two decades. Many social morals, values and ethics have vanished from our streets. We seem to be in hunt for our true identity as a nation. There are many alien and unfamiliar customs taking over the Moroccan streets, I can even say that those customs are outlandish and destructive.
Morocco was always a land of tolerance and peace; all lived in harmony throughout history. We have never heard that a group of men and women has fostered extreme and destructive beliefs, and if they ever existed, they would be an odd group and never had an impact on the society. However, what we are witnessing these days is very frightening and disturbing. The ratio of crime is on the rise, and no policy seems to be effective in tackling this phenomenon. Many might say that crime is a global trademark, I agree! However, do we all agree that growing up in the same country, we did not experience this level of criminal activities? I think we would.
I personally put a huge blame on the educational system implemented by the government, and due to it, the social virtues are on the decline. The government in early 1990s made educational programs so shallow and hollow, it kept experimenting many poor methods on citizens, and the results are worryingly disappointing. Again, anyone would mention certain success stories, I shall say that those cases are odd and do not reflect the results the government had set when implementing those methods.
As per those Moroccans who reside overseas, I still hold the government responsible for not following up on how they progress in their countries of residence. We cannot accept that these Moroccans are only good for bringing and wiring currencies back home, and investing in the motherland, and when it comes to ensuring the ties between them and the country of origin are always strong, there is a minimal official work. And in case of the a total absence of some community volunteers who took the initiative and the responsibility to educate and keep the upcoming generations tied to their roots, we would have more serious and complicated issues than we are experiencing nowadays. The growth of fanaticism and radicalism among Moroccan youth abroad is so frightening, and the recent statistics showed that the vast majority of Moroccans joining terrorist cells are from Europe, where they supposed to have a good educational system and a lavish life.
The government policies to reshuffle religious studies should be expanded to those who reside outside the country, or soon we will have to deal with terrorists of our own making.
Our youth seem lost. I spoke to many young men and women while visiting Morocco, and what the statements I heard back were all pointing at a great disappointment on how the government and the society at large are handling their issues. There is almost a total absence of youth activities in many cities and towns in Morocco. Many facilities, which used to host and organize activities and seminars for young Moroccans have shut down; in the meantime, nightclubs and places of obscenity are booming and our kids are seeking refuge in them. I personally spotted young kids, as young as fifteen and sixteen young girls wasted in those dodgy places. They become dark holes sucking in the most precious jewel of our society: Youth!
I am so sorry to say that the future does not look very promising. The government and the Moroccan civil societies have to join efforts and work together to salvage what we have left. We cannot live in denial anymore and claim that all is fine and it is just a temporary phenomenon or a period, it is more complicated than this, and urgent measures have to be taken before we bite our fingers in despair.
It is my responsibility.. Your responsibility.. Everybody’s responsibility to extend our hands to help the younger generation to be at the standards that will benefit our nation. We cannot stand still and be thankful that our kids are all right. Every kid out there is our kid, every girl out there is our sister and daughter, every elderly out there is our grandfather.. It is our country and we have to take it back, otherwise we will be losing it to few scums down the road.
The young people of today are the adults of tomorrow. The ones who will take charge of an entire nation and will decide its fate. Our ancestors entrusted us with the country to keep it always shining, it is our duty to carry the torch and pass it on in a perfect working order to our children.
This is the ultimate sacrifice we can make for our Morocco.
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Dr.Mourad Beni-ich is a Political, Intelligence & Strategic Analyst based in Washington, DC. Mr.Beni-ich holds a BA in Law, a BA in Political Sciences, a MA in Security and Intelligence Analyses, a MA in Global Terrorism and a PhD in International Politics. His studies were pursued in England and the U.S. Mr.Beni-ich began his career as a lawyer working for the British Home Office (The Ministry of Interior) as well as The British Foreign Office. Mr.Beni-ich gave many lectures in the United States regarding the current affairs in the MENA region, both in universities and organizations. Mr. Beni-ich is currently based in Washington, DC where he lobbies for the Moroccan affairs and coordinates with many U.S. officials and Think-Tanks to promote Morocco’s interests, both in the United States and Morocco. You can follow him on Twitter at: @MonarchKnight[/symple_box]
