Tuesday, February 19, 2008

A legion of 5th columns

Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey went to Germany to state that Turks in Germany and the rest of Europe ought to hold on to their Turkish identity. What goes for Germany, goes for The Netherlands as well. That clears something up for us Dutchies.

Now the Maroccan state made a similar statement regarding the Moroccan communities in Europe. Minister Mohammed Ameur stated (Dutch) that Maroccan children in Europe (Dutch) must be educated in Arabic and Maroccan culture.

It is often stated that Marocco has an economic or pecuniary motive to keep the Moroccans abroad in the orbit of the Moroccan state. The remittances to the home country by Moroccans is the third largest source of foreign currency for the country.

However, Minister Ameur is in charge of the Ministry of Maroccans abroad. Maroccans abroad number 3.2 million or 10 percent of the population. Minister Ameur called them "the 16 province of Marocco". So the state considers them to be integral to the nation.

This integrality to the body of the nation is expressed in:
1. the fact that the state has a Ministry for Maroccans abroad
2. the fact that it has set up a council of advisors of influentual moroccans in Europe which advises the King of Marocco.

Read also the informative article on KleinVerzet on the Maroccans in The Netherlands and Europe.

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