“Perceptions and images of the Jew in literary, cinema and media production in Morocco” is the title of the last session scheduled this Wednesday, November 14, 2018 as part of the meeting on “Moroccan Judaism: a shared Moroccanity”.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Mohammed Hatimi, historian at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fez, Ms. Karima Yatribi, University Professor and Director of the Confucius Institute – Mohammed V University in Rabat, Ms. Khadija El Gour Sociologist and member of the High Authority of Audiovisual Communication and Boubker Hihi, professor and film critic. The meeting was moderated by Mr. Abdelghani Dades, journalist, publisher and member of the CCME.
Mr. Hatimi: Professor Mohamed Kenbib has produced an academic work on Moroccan Judaism
According to Mr. Hatimi, the intellectual works in Moroccan universities are a proof of the academic interest in history and what is related to Moroccan Judaism. Works on a subject that was once sensitive before it was broken down by the professor Mohamed Kenbib, who in 1994 made a doctoral thesis entitled “Jews and Muslims in Morocco, 1859-1948, Contribution to the history of inter-community relations in the land of Islam”.
“In his story, he traces how these communities, without being isolated, were at the verge,” said Hatimi adding that “the author has adopted a scholarly approach from all points of views in this work “.
Ms. Karima Yatribi: the literary work of Edmond Amran El Maleh
In her speech, Ms. Yatribi presented a work on the Moroccan writer of Jewish confession Edmond Amran El Maleh.
“I am a Moroccan Jew, not a Jewish Moroccan ” he used to say ” and we used to call him ” El Haj Amran, “remembered Mrs Yatribi.
“My work on Jewish-Moroccan writing has allowed us to think about issues that have led to the introduction of a course on jewish-Maghreb literature,” said the academic, stating that “it is necessary that young generations become aware of this part of our history.
She said the late Edmond Amran El Maleh works are dominated by the fear of seeing his community disappear and the pain of exile that “only literature can express ».
Khadija El Gour: the media bid must reflect the pluralism of the Moroccan society
Mrs. El Gour pointed out in her analysis the role of the Moroccan media and their “approach to the Moroccan community of Jewish confession”.
“If we can not assess how much the media are trying to highlight the pluralism of Moroccan identity, including its Hebrew tributary, the HACA noted however that there has never been any defamation or anti-Semitic remarks in Moroccan audiovisual media, “.
She invited the media to reflect the diversity of Moroccan society. “It will be an advantage that makes the Jewish-Moroccan experience in promoting it among young people to counter the messages of racism and discrimination in social networks.”
Mr. Yassine Sharif, who is in charge of diversity at HACA (High Authority for Audiovisual), said he wanted to work on the memorial material in the media and evaluate the contribution of audiovisual content in order to keep alive the memory of the Jewish community that is part of the national identity.
Mr. Boubker Hihi: image and perception in the cinema
Mr. Hihi, for his part, spoke about the treatment of the Jewish presence in Moroccan cinema.
He identified movies like “Yakout”, “Marock”, “Tinghir Jerusalem”, “Yema” and many other films by Moroccan filmmakers. Mr.Hihi, said “All the movies relate the peaceful life and the perfect harmony between Jews and Muslims,” . “From Kamal Hachkar’s film (Tinghir-Jerusalem) we remember that there were only 20 meters between the synagogue and the mosque in the city of Tinghir”
The movies also described the perception of romantic relationships and weddings between Jews and Muslims: “For Muslims, a Jew is not the right person to love, and for Jews, marrying a Muslim can be inconceivable”
CCME
