Minister Fatima Zahra Mansouri's Statement on Real Estate Investigations
Fatima Zahra Mansouri, the Mayor of Marrakech and Minister of National Land Planning and Urbanism, recently issued a statement regarding the investigation published by the website "barlamane.com" concerning real estate issues in the Tsalatant community. Following the publication of this report, the minister initiated a campaign exerting various pressures on individuals and entities to support her in confronting the claims made by "barlamane.com". However, she neither confirmed nor denied the authenticity of the documents unveiled by the site in its investigation.
In contrast, "barlamane.com" has exhibited an impressive level of composure and restraint in response to the uproar and the unmeasured accusations that have been disseminated by various political parties and governmental figures. These parties have gone so far as to label the contents of the investigation as "fake news" and to malign our site, suggesting that its journalistic efforts are merely a form of political extortion benefiting a particular faction.
This calmness serves as the most appropriate response that "barlamane.com" can offer against this illegal encroachment on freedom of expression and the practice of journalism, which has unfortunately been demonstrated by a party that is part of the governmental majority and is eager to engage in the upcoming elections, carrying with it reformist slogans that clearly appear to be nothing more than empty rhetoric.
Call for Accountability and Transparency
It would have been more prudent for Fatima Zahra Mansouri to refrain from involving her party and colleagues in the government in this unwarranted agitation. It would have also been wise for her to calm her deputies and aides within the community and party in Marrakech, as they are aware that the dissemination of facts will not cease with the community president but will extend to other officials in the city and region who contribute to shaping the unpleasant reality in Marrakech.
If Mansouri seeks to halt the truth from being spoken or to suppress it through this malicious campaign against our site, she has forgotten to mobilize the party leaders currently imprisoned who could publicly express their solidarity with her, including Abdel Nabi Baïoui, Said Nasiri, and Abdel Aziz El Baz. Their arrests have placed the urban planning system in Marrakech under scrutiny, and our site has revealed alarming truths regarding these questionable violations.
It is crucial to note that "barlamane.com" has been the subject of legal actions from individuals of higher standing and responsibility than Mansouri herself. She should recall that a lawsuit filed by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch was previously dismissed, and we have also faced legal challenges from former Minister of Justice Mustafa Ramid and others. However, the undeniable truth is that "barlamane.com" has consistently maintained its integrity and never published falsehoods.
Our country today faces significant challenges concerning our national cause, and thus, the eyes of the world are upon us. We must respond to the critical question: Are we genuinely a country of freedoms, or are we merely pretending to be? The substantial challenges and stakes that Morocco will confront in the coming years place us before daunting tests that we must successfully navigate.
The late journalist Khalid Al-Jamai once confronted the powerful minister of his time, Idriss Al-Basri, with a piercing question that has remained etched in the memory of the profession: "Who do you think you are?" In a spirit of cordiality, we urge Mansouri to reflect on this question, tracing the threads of her actions and comparing the era of recklessness with the time of freedom and openness. Only then will she have the opportunity to express her right to clarification to "barlamane.com" and address the lingering question: Are the documents published, and those yet to be published, genuine or not?
"Barlamane.com" reaffirms its commitment to the ethics of the profession and its role as the Fourth Estate, diligently striving to inform the public and provide all information related to this file and others concerning Marrakech and our other Moroccan cities. This is something that Mansouri's statement and her party have failed to clarify to the national public.
Furthermore, "barlamane.com" renews its unwavering commitment to professionalism, objectivity, and independence, expressing its readiness to publish any factual statement that includes a response supported by official documents.
Finally, while Mansouri may feel pleased to resort to the judiciary, which is her right, her premature anticipation of judicial outcomes is unacceptable and detrimental to the image of our institutions. It is concerning that the minister is already envisioning compensation that she expects to receive and distribute to charitable institutions, knowing that she could have allocated a portion of the substantial profits she gained from the Tsalatant operation to these institutions, funds that are currently in her possession, instead of awaiting judicial results that lie in the hands of the judiciary.
To our esteemed readers, we assure you that we will continue our investigation journey, revealing every detail. Stay tuned for further developments; isn’t dawn near?
As reported by barlamane.com.
