Lamalif

For the Arabic ligature of lām + alif (لا/ـلا), see Arabic alphabet § Ligatures.

Lamalif
Editor-in-chiefZakya Daoud
CategoriesPolitics and culture
FrequencyMonthly
PublisherLoghlam Presse
11, Rue Malherbe
Casablanca, Morocco
FounderZakya Daoud, Mohamed Loghlam
First issueMarch 1966
Final issue
Number		June 1988
200
CountryMorocco
LanguageFrench

Lamalif was a monthly Moroccan political and cultural magazine published in French.[1] The magazine was launched in March 1966 by Zakya Daoud and her husband Mohamed Loghlam.[1]

Name

The title comes from two Arabic letters "lam" and "alif" that form the word (لا), meaning "no".[2]

History and Profile

After independence in 1956, Morocco went through multiple governments, constitutional referendums, and civil uprisings, all during the early parts of the years of lead. Political press and news coverage was heavily controlled and dissenting voices were suppressed by authorities. A few weeks after the disappearance of Mehdi Ben Barka in late 1965, Daoud was offered to be the Moroccan correspondent at Jeune Afrique, covering Morocco from Paris to avoid media crackdown. She declined the offer and decided, along with Loghlam, to start an independent magazine[3].

TelQuel described Lamalif as "leftist enough to stay credible and on the right enough to be tolerated." As opposed to its Marxist-Leninist counterpart Souffles-Anfas, the magazine relied heavily on research on societal and political issues to legitimize its stances and avoid the explicit "linguistic guerilla warfare" that Souffles engaged in.[2] Covering social, cultural and economic issues[4], it was "a space for reflection and a force of significant challenge." The magazine featured ideological debates amongst journalists, economists, academics, and politicians. This diversity of perspectives helped Lamalif become an intellectual reference and is cited as an inspiration by many Moroccan intellectuals. The cover pages featured works by contemporary artists and editorials were dedicated to Moroccan cinema and Moroccan literature, providing cultural commentary during the years of lead.

Lamalif was initially tolerated, with the occasional seizure of issues throughout the decades due to certain sensitive political topics. Around the late 1980s, the Moroccan government began subsidizing the press and created competition to Lamalif which received none of the subsidies. Furthermore, issues that shed light on the political and sociological situations of Moroccan regions started attracting the ire of Moroccan minister of the interior Driss Basri, accompanied by threats of suspension[3]. The readership had grown to more than 12,000 readers a month and the magazine's public appearances began making authorities uncomfortable[3]. By June 1988, the magazine was financially unsustainable with the increasing competition and decrease in ad revenue. After political and financial pressure, Daoud decided to shutter the magazine that month for good.[3]

Arts and Culture

Notable Contributors

References

  1. ^ a b Valérie Orlando (23 June 2009). Francophone Voices of the "New" Morocco in Film and Print. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-230-62259-3.
  2. ^ a b Brahim El Gualbi, Ali Alalou (1 December 2022). Lamalif A Critical Anthology of Societal Debates in Morocco during the "Years of Lead" (1966-1988) Volume 1. Liverpool University Press. p. 3-5. ISBN 978-1-83624-449-3.
  3. ^ a b c d Zakya Daoud (February 2007). LES ANNÉES LAMALIF 1958-1988. 30 ANS DE JOURNALISME AU MAROC. Tarik Editions and Senso Unico Editions. ISBN 9954-419-44-6.
  4. ^ Marvine Howe (2 June 2005). Morocco: The Islamist Awakening and Other Challenges: The Islamist Awakening and Other Challenges. Oxford University Press. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-19-534698-5.
  • Zakya Daoud, Les Années Lamalif, Tarik Editions, 2007
  • Laila Lalami, "The Lamalif Years", 15 February 2007
  • Abdeslam Kadiri, "Portrait. Les mille vies de Zakya Daoud", TelQuel, 2005.
  • "An interview with Zakia Daoud", APN, 9 March 2007
  • "Rétrospective : Il était une fois la presse", TelQuel
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