Letter of protest concerning the refusal of authorising the publication of a cultural review
To His Excellency Mr Ponceau, General Resident of the French Republic in Morocco
I have the honor to bring to your attention that I presented in June 1935 to His Excellency the Grand Vizir, c/o the Director of the Indigenous Affairs in Rabat, a request for an authorization to publish a weekly newspaper in arabic under the title "Marrakech." The object of this publication is limited to studies and researches in the literary and scientific fields. But I have just been informed that the Government refused my request and decided not to grant me the authorization I am asking for. For this reason, I thought of my duty to address this complaint to the General Resident of the French Republic in Morocco to raise his awareness of a point which appears significant enough to be judged in its right value in the future and engages at present the prestige of the country of which you are the representative.
It is not in my intentions to tackle the question on the political level. The newspaper that I would like to issue is by no means intending to operate in this direction as it aims to be exclusively limited to the literary and cultural subjects. The years will succeed to one another; the present situation will change and the Administration itself will have to reexamine its methods of management of the public affairs. Only the verdict which the history will pronounce over this period that the Moroccan nation is living since a quarter century will remain immutable. This judgement which does not know any falsification will restore the events in their intrinsic truth.
What a severe judgement will be consigned in the registers of this period of the history of our country! The young generation is already seized by the terrible impact it may have on our future relations. The researcher interested by our last cultural life will be deafened by the hard verdict of history over this period of time. We live in an era of a considerable decrease of the Moroccan people's intellectual faculties. and its total isolation from the cultural life where it ceased producing in the fields of knowledge and stopped all kinds of its spirit activities.
Who bears full responsibility for the consequences of such a situation of immobilism, Excellency? Allow me, Mister Representative of the French Republik in our country, to say openly that a considerable share of this responsibility is to be put on the account of a country considered for a long time as a source of light by the nationals of all european countries, individually as well as collectively. Also, it would displease us to see such a country assuming this share of responsibility by preventing the Moroccan people from having access to education and culture.
The history will retain in the registers of its judgements that the Moroccan people counted in its rows a certain niumber of men who kept working to found the conditions of a cultural and journalistic infrastructure and develop a process of literary and scientific productions. But its hopes were completely annihilated by a power, and not the least one, since it represents a nation whose past and present are carried to the highest level of admiration by the Moroccan youth, thanks to its fruitfulness in all the fields, and in particular in those of the human sciences.
It is precisely this nation which endorses such a heavy responsibility, with the agreement of the Representative of the French Republik in Morocco, who knows perfectly well that the Moroccans are resolved to launch a vast campaign of denunciation of this policy at the international level as well in the so-called civilized world as in the countries which are still in the process of development. It is therefore in the interest of the functionaries who represent this power to be weightier in their decisions in order to spare the future, and also to become clearly aware of the responsibility which weighs, beyond the actors of the current political life, on the shoulders of their nation.
For my part, I estimate that the Representative of France, who is the highest authority of the protective power in this country, foresees the future with much sagacity and carries out a right evaluation of the present situation. It is consequently difficult for me to admit that he would tolerate the launch of a campaign stigmatizing all over the world the French policy of preventing the Moroccan people to have access to education and culture, in spite of the fact that the Protectorate Authority is supposed to protect it and integrate it in the current of the modern civilization, on the one hand, and denouncing the refusal of the requests tending to obtain the authorization to publish a periodic newspaper limited to the literary and scientific studies on the other hand.
This idea occupied my mind since I received the decision of refusal of the authorisation to publish the cultural newspaper "Marrakech", and I am hastening to expose my grievance against such an unjustified decision, that I submit to your appreciation, being persuaded that a man known for his wisdom and spirit of moderation as Your Excellency will grant to the above mentioned observations all the interest they deserve.
Please receive, Mr General Resident, the insurance of my high consideration.
Saïd Hajji
"Request by a suspect for renewal of his passport"
The Civil Controller head of the Region of Rabat to the Director of the Indigenous Affairs
January 8, 1936
In the pursuance of the regulations of your circular No 190 DAI I/3 of August 31, 1934, whose object is recalled in margin, I have the honor to inform you that I just have been seized by a request for renewal of passport for London via France, Spain and Tangier, introduced by Saïd Hajji, one of the active heads of the National Movement in Salé, whose name is inscribed in "Carnet A." I would be obliged to you to let me know the decision that appears to you convenient to take regarding the request presented by the interested party.
The Director of the Indigenous Affairs to the Civil Controller head of the Region of Rabat
c/o the Director of the Civil Cabinet in charge of the Direction of Civil Control - General Residency
With reference to your letter No 14 P.I.R. of January 6, 1936, I have the honor to bring to your knowledge that I have no objection for the renewal of the passport of Saïd Hajji. I would be grateful to you to hold me informed as far as possible of the date of his departure.
Signed: Bénazet
"Passport extension requested by Saïd Hajji"
The Civil Controller head of the Region of Rabat to the Director of Political Affairs
I have the honor to give you an account for having delivered today to Saïd Hajji, Director of the newspaper "Almaghrib", on instructions of Mr the Resident General to Mr Sicot, a passport No 1166, valid 3 months, for France and Switzerland. Saïd Hajji intends to leave about April 20, 1938 by Oujda. It would be interesting to keep discreetly a watchful eye on him during his stay in France.
Herewith the declaration signed by the interested party
Rabat, April 14, 1938
The Civil Controller head of the District of Salé to the Civil Controller head of the Region of Rabat
April 30, 1938
Activities of Saïd Hajji
With reference to your Note No 314 of April 14, relating to the delivery of a passport to Saïd Hajji, Director of the mewspaper "Almaghrib" in order to allow him to go to France and Switzerland, I have the honor to give you an account for the fact that the interested party is still in Morocco and attended yesterday evening the burial of a notability of Salé, the Sherif sidi Omar Touhami.
A particular activity was noted lately on his part. Thus, he went recently to Fès with european clothes and returned from there with a bag.
His comings and goings between Salé and Rabat are very frequent. Their purpose is the monitoring of the Guessous Institute of which he is with the assistance of his father an officious director during the absence of Balafrej. He replaced recently one of the teachers, O. ben Abour, by Omar ben Ahmed Aouad, a former pupil of the College Moulay Youssef, originating from Salé where he is known for his nationalist tendencies.
One says that the frequent visits of Saïd Hajji to Fès is to collect informations about the last incidents which occured during the demonstrations of sympathy and solidarity with the the Destour Party and to establish a connection for the purpose of causing similar movements in the other cities of Morocco.
It is also reported that his voyage in France was assigned two goals:
The first goal was to organize with the assistance of the Association of the North African Students in Paris a vast campaign in the political and parliamentary milieus in order to obtain the release of the detainees who were condemned in october;
The second one was to pay a visit to Balafrej who was looked after in a hospital in Switzerland in order to account to him the details of the functioning of Guessous Institute.
The weekly literary supplement of "Almaghrib" is remained, so far, in the line.No symptom of any threat of effervescence or a particular move is announced for the moment.
Signed: Abbadie
The Civil Controller head of the Region of Rabat to the Director of Political Affairs
In reference to my letter No 314 P.I.R. of past April 14, I have the honor to inform you that Saïd Hajji, who seemed in a hurry to go to France, did not leave yet Morocco. Attached hierby is a copy of a letter of the Civil Controller of the district of Salé accounting for the recent activity of this suspect person.
The visa delivered to Saïd Hajji on April 14 was, in accordance with the residential instructions, valid 15 days only, so that this indigenous person can no longer travel abroad unless he obtains a new visa. Shall we deliver it to him? That is the question I am asking you.
As for me, taking into account the fact that the interested party did not want to profit, within the delay prescribed, from the first urgent authorization which was granted to him, my opinion is to refuse the renewal of the visa.
Hand written in the margin: Letter to be cancelled. Mr Communaux informed me that Saïd Hajji actually used his passport to go to Switzerland where he went on a very fast journey and met with Balafrej.
May 4, 1938 - Illegible signature
