Moroccan poets lived with great pain, as did all
the lovers of peace, friendship, and freedom, the
terrible moments of the terrorist raid on New-York
and Washington. They shared the tragedy, horror,
and mourning of the families of the innocent victims
as well as the feelings of the American people as
a whole. The profound effect of this catastrophe
on all of us stems from our belief that terrorism
goes against the spirit of humanity and the values
of civilization which peoples and cultures throughout
the ages tried to improve and establish in defence
of freedom and dignity. We think that this catastrophe
reminds us once again of the importance of poetry
as a supreme language shared by all of mankind.
A language of peace, friendship, and freedom which,
as Moroccans, we inherited from our great poet ancestors
in the orient, Andalusia, and the Maghreb. A language
we still observe in the poetry we write, and through
which we relate to the modern world, and participate
in revealing the clarity of meaning.
Unfortunately
our world nowadays is threatened with what opposes
and subverts this supreme language of peace. We
think the menace is absolute and does not spare
any part from possible destruction, brought about
by unscrupulous terrorist action, that goes as for
as shedding the blood of thousands of innocent people,
and setting apocalyptic fire to memories and cultures.
And all this in an attempt to destroy that which
is beautiful and creative in human cross-cultural
relations. Therefore we, as Moroccan poets, Arab
and Muslim, stand by and encourage the defence of
the values of peace, friendship, and freedom which
allow us to participate in the writing the human
song alongside poets from other languages and civilizations.
Our
attitude derives from our continual opposition to
whatever threatens to deprive us of our humanity,
or distort and spoil significance, regardless of
the source of this threat. We also think that it
is time for poets all over the world, as well as
poetic institutions, to bring back to the foreground
the question of supreme human values and transparency.
We believe that in the last analysis there in no
difference between people, languages, religions,
and civilizations. Poets share the same profound
identity that gives them the legacy to watch over
the sacred glow of language, and the right to express
the eternal human values without which life becomes
a burial pit.
For
these reasons we also invite the poets of the world,
poetic institutions, writers, thinkers, artists,
and international cultural organizations to express
a non- discriminational solidarity with all the
victims of terrorism, and launch a collective inter-cultural
dialogue which aims at developing a new approach
in standing up against whatever prevents mankind
to live a life of peace. This new approach requires,
first all, condemnation of the mass-media campaign
which deliberately confuses the rights of oppressed
people to lead a decent existence, with the criminal
acts committed by international networks of professional
terrorism. And it is the duty of poets to lay bare
this confusion, and promote awareness of the danger
of mixing up the tragic reality of oppressed people
striving to defend their rights in existence and
auto-determination, like the Palestinian people,
with the mass-media campaign which does not observe
truth and justice.
Morocco
is also part and parcel of the Arab and Islamic
countries which participated in the making of human
civilization, and left an indelible impact on other
cultures. Unfortunately these very Arab and Islamic
countries are at present excluded from international
decision-making, as well as suffering from the negative
of aftermath of unequal international relations.
Nevertheless these people keep struggling both to
establish consistent democracy in their home countries,
and promote relations of reciprocity and cooperation
with the rest of the world. But they above all reject
all forms of terrorism, having themselves been for
decades victims of acts of terrorism.
We
are thus faithful to our culture which teaches us
tolerance, justice, and dignity, and shows genuine
love for poetry and poets from all over the world.
In this way the great pain which befell all the
lovers of peace on that black day can reveal a luminous
turning path instead of changing into a wall of
darkness. A turning path of reflection over international
relations on the basis of equity, and also over
the question of justice which should not be manipulated
into an excuse to use violence against other innocent
people in any other part of the world. We also believe
in poetry as a journey towards clarity.
Finally,
while we address this call to our fellow poets,
as well as to institutions that consider poetry
a basic human right, we warmly greet every attempt
to promote a new awareness of our present-day world.
It is nowadays a fact that destruction of any part
of the world affects inevitably the rest of the
world. But poetry remains for us the supreme code
with which to decipher the underworld ruins, and
protect the bodies of victims from cold and silence:
the code which allows us to keep alive, united,
pure, and worthy of our residence on earth.
Casablanca
September 28th, 2001. |
