MOROCCO: TERRORIST VICTIM NGOS

UNCLAS RABAT 000085 SIPDIS SENSITIVE, SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/MAG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER KAWC KPAO MO SUBJECT: MOROCCO: TERRORIST VICTIM NGOS REF: A: SECSTATE 218921 ¶1. (SBU) As requested reftel, Post offers the following information on Moroccan non-governmental organizations that provide support or services to the victims and families of the Casablanca terrorist attacks on May 16, 2003, or are engaged in activities designed to blunt the appeal of Islamic extremism. To our knowledge, there is no central office within the Moroccan government (GOM) that is charged with interaction with these groups, though we note that collaboration exists between them and the GOM. Post recommends that U.S.-based groups interested in working with these organizations contact them directly. ¶2. (SBU) Begin listing: --Name: Association of Families of May 16 Victims Leader: Souad Khammal Founded: October 2003 Telephone: 212 61 32 93 82 Composition: 25 families of May 16 victims constituting some 200 people. Mrs. Khammal's husband and son both died in the May 16 bombings. Objectives: To ensure that the lives of those lost in the May 16 attacks are never forgotten, the association commemorates the victims on the anniversary of the bombings and organizes protest marches in reaction to international terrorist attacks. It also fights for compensation (in the form of money, jobs, and scholarships) for the families of those who perished and provides psychological support to the children of victims. Type of Support: The association helped prepare May 16 commemoration ceremonies in 2004 and 2005. It also organized activities for school- and college-aged individuals aimed at sensitizing them to the dangers of fundamentalism and promoting the ideals of solidarity and mutual assistance in Islam. Government Interaction: By royal decree, the GOM disbursed 500,000 Dirhams (approximately $55,000) to each of the 25 families after the May 16 bombings. --Name: Association of May 16 Victims Leader: Cherif Zarouki Founded: November 2003 Telephone: Unknown. Composition: The victims of May 16, 2003 terrorist attacks in Casablanca. The association's vice president is Mohamed Mahboub, formerly head waiter at the Spanish Club bombing site in Casablanca. 45 founding members. Objectives: To defend the interests and serve as the official interlocutor of the May 16 victims. To seek compensation for those injured in the blasts. Type of Support: Unknown. Government Interaction: Unknown. --Name: The Moroccan Organization against the Culture of Hatred and Racism Leader: Jamal Berraoui Founded: May 2003 Telephone: 212 60 99 73 56 Composition: Founded by a group of civil society activists following the May 16 attacks, the group's executive board is led by journalist Jamal Berraoui and includes prominent Moroccan Jew Simon Levy, who is also secretary general of the Judeo-Moroccan Cultural Heritage Foundation, director of the Arab world's only museum devoted to Jewish culture (in Casablanca),and a leader of the Jewish community in Casablanca. Objectives: To develop a well-defined social action plan for combating the spread of hatred and extremism in Moroccan society. Type of Support: The group has established an observatory to denounce discourses that propagate hate in Morocco, set up a committee to assist the GOM in modernizing children's school books, and launched an awareness campaign for youth and women on the dangers of extremism. Government Interaction: Unknown. --Name: Reseau Maillage Maroc Leader: Ahmed Ghayet Founded: March 2003 Telephone: 212 63 42 54 25 Address: 246 Bd. Zerktouni - Maarif, Casablanca E-mail: R.maillage@gmail.com Composition: Reseau Maillage's national network groups together 52 different urban youth associations located in Morocco's largest cities, including Casablanca, Rabat, Sale, Mohammedia, Meknes, Temara, Beni Mellal, Laayoune (in the Western Sahara),among others. As of January 2006, Maillage's national network comprised some 6,000 Moroccan youths, according to Mr. Ghayet. Objectives: To help Moroccan youth become masters of their own destiny and to improve their social condition. Type of Support: The organization of civic, educational, cultural and sport activities in poor, urban neighborhoods as an alternative to youth involvement in delinquency, drugs, illegal immigration and Islamic extremism. Government Interaction: Reseau Maillage has received funding from the Regional Council of Casablanca (regionally elected government),the Municipal Council of Casablanca (locally elected government),and Rabat's National Assistance System, according to press sources. According to Mr. Ghayet, the organization will receive 25,000 Dirhams (approximately $2750) in public funding in 2006, which is a substantial decrease from the 100,000 Dirhams (approximately $11,000) it received in 2005. In addition, Mr. Ghayet receives a monthly salary from the Wali of Casablanca and the Wali of Rabat (Interior Ministry). End listing. RILEY