The Council of the Moroccan Community living Abroad (CCME) and the editions “Diwan”, in partnership with the Cultural Association for Development and Cooperation “Xenia”, organized on Friday, May 25, 2018, a Moroccan-Spanish conference on ” the weight of literature in the cultural harmony between Morocco and Spain”, at the library Eugenio Trías at the Retiro Park in the Spanish capital.
Mr. Mohamed Haidour, member of the CCME, pointed out the missions of the Council in his opening speech. While Mr. Amine Chaoudri the Consul General of the Kingdom in Madrid, reiterated the value of culture in harmony and dialogue between Morocco and Spain.
Hassan Arabi, professor at the University Mohammed I of Nador, was grateful for the partnership between an official institution in Morocco and a Moroccan cultural institution in Spain who devoted themselves in the printing press to make Moroccan culture known in Spain, and give a different image of Moroccan migration in Spain through Moroccan literary creations in Spanish.
Mr. Abderrahmane Fathi, Director of the Spanish Studies Department at the Abdelmalek Essaadi University of Tetouan, presented, for his part, approaches, to strengthen cultural exchanges between Morocco and Spain. Among the proposals: strenghten the initiative “Path Cervantes” in Tetouan where quotes of the Spanish writer in the esplanades of towns and cities are written.
The author Mr. Abdelkader Chaoui spoke about Moroccan-Spanish cultural relations, whilst the Moroccan Spanish writer Mr. Ahmed Mghara, mentioned the literary experience, he addresses for his city, Tetouan, to the Spanish readers. He nevertheless blamed the atavism of Moroccan production in Spanish language.
In order to make known the culture and works of Moroccans living in Spain, the speaker invited to create Moroccan cultural centers in the most important Spanish cities and to support the literary productions of the Moroccans of Spain.
The Spanish poet Mr. Fernando De Agrida agreed that Moroccan cultural centers in Spain will diversify the creations of Spanish-speaking Moroccan writers and bring together Moroccan and Spanish young people.
Mr. Mohamed Chouirdi, a Moroccan translator living in Spain and member of the “Diwan” publishing house, presented for his part, the Spanish-speaking Moroccan literature since the first editorial published by the journalist Hassan Mimoun in the Spanish newspaper “Impartial” in 1877, until to the productions of a generation of pioneer writers who distinguished themselves in the 1980s.
This meeting was also attended by the Spanish writer Cristina López Barrio who recently published a novel titled “fog in Tangier”. She expressed the depth of her profound bond to Morocco, the cultural diversity and popular heritage. She also explained the spiritual reasons that led her to devote her novel to the city of Tangier
During the second part of the conference, the researcher Mr. Hicham Jamal presented his book on « Unaccompanied Moroccan minors » in Madrid while, the Moroccan writer living in Spain Najat Mezouri Chekrouni presented her new novel “Ghalia and the forbidden love”, a story of a young Moroccan girl born during the Spanish protectorate in a northern city of Morocco prior to installing in the city of Tangier where she faced the difficulties due to social stereotypes.
Mr. Mohamed Dahiri, professor of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Madrid, presented two works he has recently published, on Moroccan authors in Spanish language, namely Mr. Mohamed Chakour and Mr. Mohamed Sibari.
The meeting, introduced by the Spanish poet Victoria Caro Bernal, gathered Mr. Mohamed Bargach professor at the University of Agadir and Mr. Leonor Merino.
