The Amazigh: Returning from the Ashes of Neglect I

Part I - An American Introduction of a Native Civilization
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Although some know them as ‘Berbers’, the native people of North Africa would rather be called by the name once chosen by their ancestors, a name that has come to symbolize their spirit and define their struggle. Amazigh (sing.) or Imazighen (plur.) in the native language of North Africa means 'freemen' and it is in defense of their freedom that the Amazigh people have fought countless invasions and campaigns of repression by some of history’s most powerful armies (i.e., Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Turkish, European).

Their cause and struggle continues to be ignored by many around the world. In fact many who are familiar with the word ‘Berber’ associate it with some kind of carpet when it refers to an entire civilization. So, let us cover some basics about who the Amazigh people are. They are people of no particular race who are considered to be the native people of North Africa. Their presence in that part of the world dates back to some 5,000 years B.C. Their biggest and strongest asset is their language and their common value system. Although they were largely forgotten by modern history, the Amazigh people are now awakening to the sounds of democracy and freedom in one of the most troubled regions of the world.

The task of introducing the Amazigh people to the world is not an easy one and would certainly require an exhaustive essay that covers a healthy dose of historical and cultural information. Nonetheless, although somewhat simplistic, my approach is to describe the Amazigh people within the societal context of the intended audience. Here I try to introduce the Amazigh people to the American reader. As such, I find it useful to engage in a what-if exercise that implants the Amazigh people in America and defines their likely political affiliation given their present values and practices. This is an easy way for American readers to relate to the information thus presented about a civilization that is foreign to them.

The Amazigh people would likely vote for the GOP if they were in America. They are largely pro-business and pro-free trade. Indeed, throughout their history, the Amazigh people have always been known for their entrepreneurial savvy and their penchant for commerce. In Morocco, they are often envied for their business sense and their successful know-how of wealth creation despite limited opportunities and discrimination. At the center of their value system are trust and honor. Trust is always on deposit and honor is an inviolable virtue. Any breach of trust can condemn a relationship to eternal oblivion and any breach of honor can give rise to fierce resistance.

In business, they are enterpreneurial in that they seek to mitigate risks all while increasing the likelihood of success, but they still rely on trust as a gold standard. It is not at all unusual for an Amazigh shopkeeper, for instance, to trust a fellow citizen with the differed payment of purchases without any binding legal instruments. Simply put, to the Imazighen, deferred payment is preferable to deferred business. However, far from being naïve, Amazigh entrepreneurs engage in such conduct only when they perceive a state of shared values and personal integrity. It is, hence, no surprise that they are more inclined, at least initially, to trust their brethren rather than outsiders.

The Amazigh people would likely vote for the GOP if they were in America. They are conservative in that they are people of deep faith and wield a strong code of ethics. The Amazigh people of Morocco are mainly followers of a mystical form of Islam. The shrines of their local saints are revered and frequently visited. They heed calls for moral revival with great enthusiasm. On God, Gays, and Family, the Amazigh people would give Karl Rove a standing ovation. They do not, however, wear their faith on their sleeves and do not proselytize. This is again due to their belief in personal responsibility. They largely believe religion to be a personal relationship between God and his creation. Once I asked a respected Amazigh religious leader what he thought about jihadists. In a direct reference to UBL, he calmly replied: “Since when has the length of one’s beard reflect the depth of one’s faith”.

The Amazigh people are by in large individualists but they are also extremely loyal to their community. This sounds in itself like a contradiction, but it is not. Their individualism stems mainly from their economic orientation and their belief in personal responsibility. However, they are staunchly attached to their homeland and can rapidly coalesce into a unified block if their heritage and survival as a community is threatened. In the remote villages of North Africa, Imazighen are, by virtue of their environment, more communitarian than their urban brethren. They celebrate and mourn as a community, but often pursue life as individuals.

The Amazigh people would likely vote for the GOP if they were in America. They would argue for smaller government, less taxes and free trade. What is fascinating about the Amazigh is that they developed an elaborate legal system that provided for strong protections of private property and human life, as well as equitable distribution of property following death or divorce, centuries before the West advocated and adopted such principles. They banned the death penalty and adopted an economic/financial approach to judicial punishment. This leads to believe that in contemporary international politics, they would likely advocate for economic sanctions in place of military conflict. This also signals that, if they were in America, the Amazigh would likely break with the GOP on unilateral and preemptive war. They would also break with many Republican politicians on the death penalty.

The Amazigh are extraordinarily hospitable People. They genuinely enjoy receiving visitors and see it as a moral responsibility to provide for them while under their care. Every outsider that came to visit the Amazigh homeland would unequivocally tell you that hospitality is a major currency for these people. In the past, it was a virtue that cost them their freedom when their foreign guests turned against them. But, still, they never gave up such a noble quality, because as an Amazigh once told me: "We surely would lose our way as a people if we were to let our most cherished values decay over time.” The Amazigh people are and will always be some of the most optimistic and humble people around. Even in some of the most impoverished and neglected areas of their historical homeland, they never fail to remind you that they are well and need nothing but God’s blessings. There surely is a lot of pride in that as well.

See Also:

• A First Chance to Make Good on the New American Promise
• When Greed Defeats Human Decency
• Something Does Not Add Up in Lebanon
• 1979: A Year to Remember in the Struggle against Militant Islam