"Gen Z"!
News:
The Moroccan youth movement "Gen Z" avoided organizing any peaceful protest vigils or marches on Friday, due to the association of the day itself with the opening of Parliament and the speech given by the Moroccan monarch, Mohammed VI, before the parliamentarians. The movement announced that it would not carry out any strike or protest, out of respect for the royal institution and the aforementioned speech, and said in a statement, "We put the interest of the nation above all consideration."
It explained that not organizing any form of peaceful protest on Friday "does not mean a retreat from its legitimate demands, but rather an expression of the conscious discipline and national responsibility that our youth possess."
In a new statement, it announced that demonstrations will not be organized on Saturday and Sunday, noting that this decision came after long hours of discussion and consultation with field experts and activists from various cities, and based on an accurate reading of the field situation and the current circumstances. (Al-Quds Al-Arabi)
Comment:
Western media and demographic studies call those born between approximately 1997-2012 (after the millennial generation) Generation Z, a definition that the Pew Research Center has established since 2019 for the purposes of comparative analysis between generations.
The choice of the letter “Z” is due to the alphabetical continuation after “X” and then “Y”. This generation is distinguished as the first "born-connected" generation whose eyes opened in the era of smartphones and social networks, then TikTok came to consolidate the culture of short videos and instant content creation, and the platforms became the primary source of news, cultural identity, and societal roles.
Regarding the Moroccan Gen Z 212 movement, it is a movement that does not reveal the identity of those in charge. It appeared in an international context and distances itself from violence through its first slogans since taking to the streets, and emphasizing "love of the homeland and the king" as mentioned in a Deutsche Welle report, confirming that the protests of these young people focus on the health and education sectors and the fight against corruption.
According to data from the High Commission for Planning (an official institution), the number of Moroccans between the ages of 13 and 28 is close to 10 million, which is more than a quarter of the population of Morocco, with more than 35% of them unemployed.
Returning to the Moroccan King's speech and its content, on the one hand, it is noted that it is detached from the bitter reality that Muslims in Morocco are going through, in addition to repeating empty phrases that do not satisfy hunger or enrich, with no radical solutions to the country's problems, and no tangible practical steps to save the country and its people.
But how can one expect anything from a rotten system based on the capitalist system, which only bequeaths injustice, enslavement, and corruption upon corruption?
However, what is noticeable in the slogans and speeches of this movement (so far) is flirting with the king and keenness on the survival of the regime, such as emphasizing "love of the homeland and the king," and then in stopping the protests on Saturday and Sunday as well under the pretext that it is "a strategic step, aimed at strengthening organization and coordination, and ensuring that the next stage is more effective and impactful, away from any improvisation or external exploitation."
The demand to hold the corrupt accountable, to hold the government responsible for the deteriorating humanitarian and economic conditions, and the demand for the resignation of the head of government indicate that this movement is intended to move within a specific fence that it does not cross.
The question is, does this movement really express the pulse of the Muslim street in Morocco and its aspirations? And will responding to these demands make a difference as long as the root of corruption is at the head of the regime?
And can good or a glimmer of hope for reform be expected from a regime that fights God and His Messenger, allies with disbelief and disbelievers, and inflicts the Muslims with the worst torment for decades above poverty, need, unemployment, and the squandering of wealth and public money on sports?
Let everyone know that patching here or there will not work with what these regimes have reached, and that the legitimate demands of the youth of Morocco (as is the case with the rest of the Muslim youth) will never be achieved as long as these regimes are squatting on the hearts of Muslims, so it is necessary for sincere men who are aware of the painful reality and understand the reason for this reality to take the lead of the masses of young people and see beyond that what is behind the wall and the new life that is to be reached so that justice and prosperity prevail and the Muslims enjoy dignity and honor. And this can only be achieved through Islam and its system.
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut-Tahrir
Hossam El-Din Mustafa
