By Abdul Hafez Al-Seretti, IOL Correspondent

RABAT, October 11 (IslamOnline.net) – In view of conspicuous absence and widespread apathy of Arab and Muslim help, western non-governmental organizations are mushrooming in northern Morocco, playing on the area’s sluggish economy and the people’s poor living standards.

There are no ill intentions if one sees through the eyes of lay people, who appreciate the effort to improve health and education conditions.

But analysts and even local activists believe that there is more to this than meets the public eye.

“Of course there is a hidden agenda for these NGOs when they finance social micro and medium-scale projects,” Abdul Salam Akrio, a chairman of a local NGO, told IslamOnline.net.

“Spreading foreign languages and western values are at least the obvious agenda.”

New Colonization

But Faeza Al-Shibly, the head of another NGO, is confident that the mind-boggling money lavished upon some local organizations is a new shape of colonization.

“A new phenomenon is gaining momentum here in the north is that Spaniards are buying homes and old buildings,” Al-Shibly told IOL.

She added that the western NGOs operating in the impoverished north were focusing on women’s rights, literacy and foreign language classes.

“They are setting up sanctuaries for battered wives,” she said.

Nagiub Boulif, an economic analyst, said the north used to be a Spanish colony, which made the job easier for such NGOs to reach out to the community.

Arab Apathy

Nadia Salami could have not published her 24-book children series had it not been for the French Embassy’s support.

“I pinned high hopes on help from the Ministry of Culture but to no avail,” Salami told IOL.

She, however, says she has no doubt that the French support is basically motivated by the desire to spread the French language.

“I’m in no way against learning foreign languages, but priority should be given to Arabic.”

Amina, head of a NGO in southern Morocco, does not mind cooperating with Arab or Islamic NGOs, but if they proffered a hand in the first place.

“I really don’t know who shall take the blame. Is it because of a weak civil society or economic reasons?”

But Boulif blames stringent security measures for the passivity, especially in the wake of the deadly Casablanca blasts May 16, 2003.

“Even the small organizations were not allowed to pursue their activities due to security crackdowns.”

The people of the north, however, still stand a glimpse of hope to put a stop to drug trafficking and illegal immigration.

The government is establishing a new harbor 35 kilometers east of Tangier, which will generate thousands of job opportunities.

Expected to complete in 2007, the one-billion-dollar project will play a key role in developing the north and putting them back in the national spotlight.