Morocco's discriminatory Arabization policies

Human rights organizations in Morocco lashed out at the government for refusing to issue birth certificates with Berber names under the pretext that they contradict Moroccan identity.

The Moroccan civil registry recently rejected 13 Berber names after receiving a list from the Ministry of Interior with specific Berber names considered in violation of law 99-37 that determines names fit for males and females. "The same list was distributed in Moroccan embassies and consulates abroad," said administrative authority officer Idris Bajdi. "The names on the list contradict the Moroccan identity and it opens the door for the random spread of meaningless names," he told AlArabiya.net.

According to law 99-37, names of new born babies should be Moroccan in essence. Names that the law rejects include those made up of more than two parts, named after a city or a village or a tribe, or having an indecent meaning. More HERE on al-Arabiya.