re. the Moroccan daughter

Submitted by Lina (United Kingdom), May 27, 2009 at 18:41

A very interesting extract, Margaret - and it can definitely serve as a reminder of the confusion that children of parents with drastically different cultures can experience. However, this should also be seen as an example of the very EXTREME turbulence. My parents are of rather different cultures, and although it has been difficult, I wouldn't call my life "purgatory". I also know of a lot of mixed muslim - non-muslim children, & they happy, carefree lives... as well as several others who have gone "off the rails" due to inability to cope with cultural differences.

The childhood experiences of "Berberella" are extremely sad, however the same could be said for any child of emotionally instable parents. So yes, it is relevant to this blog in that it shows that marriage and family should never be pursued based on "lust". And that involving yourself with someone with a troubled history - no matter what background - is always a cause for concern.

I was, however, rather confused when the author spoke of racism against Berber appearance. If anything, Berbers tend to be lighter-skinned than other Moroccans (who can mostly point out Amazigh ancestry in their bloodline anyway); and most of the racism that I've seen from Moroccans has been from extremist Berbers. Not to mention that the Moroccan royal family mostly consists of mixed Berber-Arab-africans. Strange...

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