Think Forward.

Morocco's immeasurable archaeological wealth and the rewriting of history... 8355

Aziz Daouda, 5 mon.
- Politics - History - Science -
3.3 min read.
Morocco has just decided to equip itself with a new archaeological museum, and it's thinking big. It will be the largest of its kind in Africa, covering an area of 25,000m2. It's both enormous and flattering. Some people will talk of excess, or simply fail to see the point. To this we must quickly retort: think again. If Morocco has always been considered to be of great archaeological interest, this interest has never been greater, except since the latest finds: the oldest homo sapiens fossil at Jbel Ighoud, not far from Safi; the oldest surgical procedures and treatments at Tafoghalt, near Berkane; the Bronze Age remains recently discovered near Wad Laou, on the prehistoric site known as KachKouch, not far from Tétouan; and the necropolis south of Tagounite near Zagora; those of the ornaments dated between 142 and 150 thousand years ago, uncovered in the Bizmoune cave near Essaouira; those of the 12-hectare farm near Oued Beht, a size never before known in North Africa, dating from the end of the Neolithic period, bearing witness to great wealth and highly evolved know-how. The list is extremely long. The clumsy notion that archaeological research and excavations are a luxury or the preserve of a few experts for their own pleasure is absolutely wrong. The importance of archaeological research to the writing of history is not debatable. It is fundamental. The remains and traces of the past help to complete, correct or confirm historical accounts. Fossils, structures and artefacts discovered on archaeological sites are all tangible evidence, providing an objective and nuanced view of vanished civilisations, particularly when they have left no written trace. Archaeology provides information about ways of life, culture, beliefs and human interaction, as well as the techniques used and the degree of evolution of vanished civilisations. It is essential for preserving and appropriating the national heritage, and hence that of humanity. It provides a milestone in human evolution and helps to explain what we are today. As the transmission of knowledge is crucial, archaeological research provides us and future generations with indisputable evidence of pride and identity. It is therefore essential for writing and rewriting history, which it cleans of the biases that some historians may have inserted here and there through ignorance or lack of evidence, and those that ideologists, for more or less laudable reasons, may have deliberately introduced as misleading orientations or aspects. The findings in Morocco call into question what successive generations have learned about their history and origins. Although it has been proven that the role of local populations in exchanges and in the construction of Mediterranean civilisation was extremely important, unfortunately we continue to peddle a biased history that ignores these contributions and archaeological evidence, which have now been proven beyond doubt. Since 1985, Morocco has had a National Institute of Archaeological and Heritage Sciences (INSAP). And it's not for nothing or by chance that archaeological research here is closely linked to heritage. Heritage means tangible evidence in the case of tangible heritage, and transmissible evidence in the case of intangible heritage. As it happens, Morocco is immensely rich in both. The researchers at INSAP are not going to contradict what has been said here, nor Ibn Khaldun, whom we venerate without respecting his doctrine. Today, it is essential to revisit the narrative that links the origins of Moroccan populations to any migration from elsewhere, and even less so from the east of the country; just as it is time to emphasise the evolution of these populations and their undeniable contributions to Mediterranean civilisation and therefore to the world. The people of this region have not been subjected to the civilisations of the region, they have made a great and important contribution, and this must be taught in our schools. Ignoring this truth creates deficiencies, particularly in the perception of identity. Nations need a historical frame of reference if they are to flourish. Some build it up out of nothing, whereas in Morocco it is there and self-evident. These truths could not be clearer. They must form the basis of our identity. The problems from which a certain fringe of the population suffers, particularly young people in search of an identity, and who unfortunately today are caught up in imported ideologies that can embrace dangerous extremism, can only be solved by rewriting history objectively, based on facts and historical evidence, from the most distant to the closest. Young people, particularly during adolescence and early adulthood, ask themselves profound questions about who they are, what they want to become and what place they occupy in the world. These questions are influenced by many factors, including of course family, culture, friends, personal experience and social environment, but they are also inevitably influenced by the history of the country in question. The further back in time this history goes, the more it is a source of pride and serenity. In this constantly changing world, where social networks and pressures of all kinds play a significant role, this quest for identity can be complex and sometimes a source of anxiety. Dismay can lead people to seek comfort elsewhere. Some may go so far as to think they are stepping back into an imaginary time and constructing a fictional world for themselves, watered down by ideologues serving obviously implausible causes. The investment in such a major archaeological museum has therefore come at just the right time to fill an extremely serious cultural gap, bringing together in a welcoming venue of respectable size a wealth of evidence of Morocco's rich history. Historians, for their part, should take up the question of identity in order to make up for the shortcomings and eliminate the biases. However, it is imperative that institutions take up the issue vigorously. First and foremost, the Ministry of Education must take the measure of the importance of revising the curricula and content of the history courses taught in our schools, without forgetting to train a significant number of specialists to improve research in such a cardinal field.
Aziz Daouda

Aziz Daouda

Directeur Technique et du Développement de la Confédération Africaine d'Athlétisme. Passionné du Maroc, passionné d'Afrique. Concerné par ce qui se passe, formulant mon point de vue quand j'en ai un. Humaniste, j'essaye de l'être, humain je veux l'être. Mon histoire est intimement liée à l'athlétisme marocain et mondial. J'ai eu le privilège de participer à la gloire de mon pays .


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Gematria 181

Tupan, 23 h.
Gematria is a system of alphanumeric substitution in which each letter of the Hebrew alphabet is assigned a numerical value. This allows words and phrases to be translated into numbers, and those numbers can then be compared, analyzed, and interpreted to reveal hidden meanings, symbolic relationships, or mystical insights. Gematria is a central technique in Kabbalistic thought, where it serves as a tool for uncovering the deeper structure of sacred texts, especially the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh). The term "gematria" is believed to derive from the Greek word geometria, or possibly from a conflation of gramma (letter) and metron (measure), reflecting the art of measuring letters through numerical equivalence. Although most closely associated with Jewish mysticism, gematria has parallels in other traditions, such as Greek isopsephy and Arabic abjad numerology. In the Hebrew system, the 22 letters of the alphabet are assigned values, and with them, any Hebrew word can be reduced to a numerical sum. The word for "life" (chai, חַי), for example, is composed of Chet (8) and Yod (10), totaling 18. This is why the number 18 holds special significance in Jewish tradition. Gematria becomes especially powerful when words or phrases share the same numerical value. For example, the words Elohim (אֱלֹהִים) and HaTevah (הַטֶּבַע, "the nature") both sum to 86, suggesting a mystical identity between God and the natural world. Such equivalences are not considered accidental; rather, they are believed to reveal the hidden architecture of divine creation encoded in scripture. There are several forms of gematria: Standard Gematria: Using the basic letter-to-number values. Mispar Gadol: Adds the value of final forms (so-called "final letters") as their own distinct higher values. Atbash and Albam: Ciphers that replace letters based on alphabetic inversion or shifting, creating additional layers of interpretation. Ordinal Gematria: Assigns numerical values by sequence (Aleph = 1, Bet = 2, etc., up to Tav = 22). Kabbalists use gematria not merely for intellectual exercise but as a form of theurgical meditation. By contemplating the numerical relationships between divine names, commandments, and sacred texts, they seek to elevate their consciousness, reveal veiled meanings, and harmonize with the divine structure of the universe. In modern esotericism and Hermetic traditions, gematria has been adopted into systems of Western occultism, especially within Hermetic Kabbalah, the Golden Dawn, and Thelema. Practitioners often compare Hebrew, Greek, and English gematria to examine words and magical formulae, aiming to unlock multidimensional significance in magical texts and ritual language. Gematria is both a science of sacred number and a spiritual art. It unifies language and number, matter and spirit, exegesis and revelation. Through its perspective, letters cease to be mere symbols—they become vessels of divine energy, revealing a universe where nothing is random, waiting to be uncovered.

Back to School: Economic Burden for Families and Multiple Uncertainties 568

Aziz Daouda, 4 d.
At the dawn of a new school year, an immutable reality haunts the many families concerned: the exorbitant cost of supplies and services related to education. They prepare to spend sometimes unreasonable amounts even before their children step through the school door, at all levels. The rising cost of back-to-school goes beyond just notebooks and textbooks: it extends to a set of essential or superfluous items that significantly increase the bill. There is a consensus around the financial burden of the school bag, a real headache. The average budget allocated per family for school supplies often exceeds 1500 dirhams. This figure rises even more when including uniforms, when required, transport costs, registration fees, and tuition for private schools. In some large cities, the total cost can exceed 3000 dirhams per child, a considerable economic weight for many families. But the problem is not only the high cost. The heaviness of the school bag, often cited, illustrates inflation not only financial but also material. Children’s backs and developing musculature are put under strain, raising many health concerns. Beyond the essentials—notebooks, pens, calculators, etc.—the supply lists frequently include superfluous items, often imposed by schools for unexplained reasons. These excessive demands weigh down the school bag and complicate students’ daily lives without real educational justification. In reality, we also face a system out of sync with parents' expectations and, by extension, the country’s. Some school content is outdated and problematic. Textbooks, another major expense, fail to evolve at the pace of the modernity that parents and children themselves aspire to. The modernization the country aims for is also undermined. Many families denounce persistent errors, mistakes, and content poorly adapted to modernity and their aspirations. Announced reforms, generally poorly conceived, have no impact and have always been ineffective. Criticism abounds both pedagogically and substantively: teaching materials struggle to engage students in stimulating and innovative learning. This is a major reason for the large dropout rates observed every year, and for a long time. Another recurring flaw is that, once again, the school start will be unequal: luxury for some, sacrifice for others. Officially, the school start often looks like an idyllic photo album where everything seems perfect. Yet, for the majority, it is far from a moment of excitement as it should be. Faced with an overly large educational budget, difficult choices must be made: pay rent or tuition, buy textbooks, or ensure family sustenance. These contradictions reflect a profound social divide. In short, Morocco at two speeds, denounced by His Majesty the King in the 26th Throne Speech. For many parents, school remains a theoretical right, sometimes without interest, especially in rural areas. In reality, it begins with debt that weighs heavily on daily life and sometimes jeopardizes the children's very future. This paradox, far from resolving, repeats every year, without significant measures from public authorities to lighten the burden, except for measures such as distributing school bags with a short lifespan and very meager financial aid. The quality of teachers has also increasingly raised concern for several years, especially since the so-called contract-based recruitment among unemployed degree holders was "invented," often struggling to find stable employment elsewhere. This situation has led to a qualitative decline in teaching, where many teachers are more occupied with union and social claims than with their primary mission: to instruct and transmit knowledge. The number of strike days is staggering. This contractual dynamic, far from improving the educational system, sometimes fosters instability and demotivation. Moreover, it is regrettable to note increased politicization among some teaching circles, with ideologies infiltrating beyond the pedagogical framework. These trends, often aimed at the systematic contestation of the established order, harm a serene school climate and compromise the necessary neutrality of any teaching. Children bear the cost. Thus, more than a simple issue of training or skills, the challenge posed by the quality of teachers in Morocco highlights the need for a global and courageous reform, combining improved recruitment conditions, serious academic and ongoing training, and a clear separation between politics and education. Without this, Moroccan schools risk losing even more effectiveness and credibility, to the detriment of students and the country's future. Education should not rely on the financial endurance, patience, or indifference of families, but on a coherent educational and social policy. A policy based on a clear projection of what the Moroccan citizen should be at a precise horizon. It is essential that the State and sector actors collaborate to limit costs imposed on families: reviewing supply lists to eliminate the superfluous, improving the quality and relevance of textbooks, further developing support for low-income families, deducting school-related expenses from taxes, without evading the issue of content and teacher competencies. The "price" of this school start is measured not only in dirhams but in the social divide it deepens, in the inequalities it maintains. The real obstacle to education lies in teacher competence, in curricula, and at the bookstore checkout where families must pay for their children to have even a chance to succeed. The school start is a serious matter requiring collective awareness and concrete actions to ensure that every child, regardless of family income, can access a dignified education. The time is for reform in practice, not just in speeches and postures. School is the only tool to reduce differences, guarantee social ascension, and ensure a bright future for the entire country, at a single speed.