Moroccan-Jewish stand-up comedian Gad El Maleh made sure to correct the host and guests of the Saturday program “C l’hebdo”, aired by France 5 TV channel, who addressed him as a French-Moroccan national. “I am not a Franco-Moroccan, I love France, but I am a Moroccan immigrant living in France.”
Things were heating up inside the studio as the predominantly French speakers were indirectly questioning Morocco’s decision not to accept France’s relief offer. Many French news outlets have been recently very critical of the way Morocco is handling the massive earthquake that rocked the country a week ago, insinuating that what the kingdom is doing is too little, too late.
Morocco had thanked all countries offering help, however, it had explained that it is accepting assistance depending on the needs that were identified after careful assessment. The Kingdom had initially accepted help from the UK, Qatar, the UAE and Spain. “Randomly approving relief offers would definitely backfire, as coordination would become harder,” the Interior Ministry had clarified.
El Maleh explained, in an unusual serious tone, that no country should embrace a holier-than-thou attitude and start teaching lessons on the organization of relief efforts. “When we extend a helping hand, we do not do it to get credit. The French politicians who have been striving to achieve social cohesion should get inspiration from the Moroccan model of solidarity.”
Solidarity-based gestures taking place in Morocco are organic and are carved in the Moroccan DNA; this is no circumstantial posture but a genuine Moroccan crisis management example, he stressed.
Gad El Maleh is raising funds for earthquake victims and proceeds of his show “Solidarité Maroc” will go to fund N. 126 opened by the Moroccan central bank to receive donations.