France-born Moroccan Nadia Tomane is devoted to defending Moroccan heritage through an association she founded in 2021 with a group of fellow Moroccans. Nadia Tomane's love for Morocco and its cultural heritage inspired her to establish an association in France dedicated to its preservation. Born in France to Moroccan parents from Taounate, Nadia majored in high technology studies in Nancy and later moved to Paris, where she spent eight years. With her husband and children, she then moved to Lorraine, and she currently works as head of web and data in a digital agency. Despite growing up in France, Nadia was always fascinated with Moroccan traditions and cultural diversity and spent her youth learning about them. «I'd constantly search blogs for Moroccan recipes», Nadia, 46, told Yabiladi. «But in the comments, people from neighboring Maghreb countries would claim these dishes as their own. I knew better, having grown up in a diverse neighborhood where I learned about the culinary specialties of Tunisia and Algeria», she recalled. Defending Moroccan heritage These online misconceptions fueled Nadia's determination to act. A particular incident involving a televised cooking show where an Algerian woman presented the Moroccan pastilla as Algerian, despite a guest's correction, became a turning point. «I felt a responsibility to clarify things», she said. «I connected with other Moroccans in Europe who shared my concerns, and together we formed a social media group». Realizing the need for a more concrete approach, Nadia and her fellows established a formal association named «Moroccan Heritage» in 2021. Their efforts, however, were faced with many challenges. The group aimed to prevent people from other countries from appropriating Moroccan culture, by taking advantage of the unfamiliarity of many French and European people with the traditions and heritage of Moroccans. The group's initial focus was to combat the online appropriation of Moroccan heritage, from dishes like pastilla to clothing like the caftan and the amlou spread. «Little by little, we began to discover, through social media, that there was a great deal of propaganda affecting our heritage», she signaled. «We felt our identity was being undermined», Nadia explained. «Unsure of the best course of action, we considered contacting the Moroccan Ministry of Culture». «I've received threats, even attempts to contact my employer», Nadia shared. «But my love for Morocco outweighs these risks. I'm not targeting anyone; I simply want to defend our heritage». The association, which includes dozens of active and silent members, strives to promote Moroccan culture in various ways. In 2023, when henna was inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list, they intervened upon noticing an unflattering image representing the Moroccan ritual. «We contacted the Ministry of Culture, and a more fitting image was used». The association recently launched a petition addressed to UNESCO. It expresses concern about a misleading video and image depicting the Fez Caftan included in Algeria's application for UNESCO recognition. The petition, signed by over 39,000 people, calls on UNESCO to «carefully study this issue and take the necessary measures to correct the file submitted by Algeria». It was also sent to relevant Moroccan officials, namely to Royal advisor André Azoulay, Fatima Zahra Amor, Minister of Tourism and Traditional Industry, and Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth and Culture, the Brussels-based Timendotes association, and the Center for Moroccan Jewish Culture, headed by Paul Dahan. «We know that there will be more interaction with this file if it is adopted by Moroccan officials», Nadia said, while emphasizing the importance of collaboration with other organizations and Moroccan researchers to further their mission.
