News Right Now: Correcting Demands

In Morocco, Gen Z, the tech-savvy generation, has created a movement called ‘Gen Z 212’ -- 212 being the Moroccan dialing code. This movement aims at calling out the corrupt government’s shortcomings. It was created on a social media platform called discord and has nearly 180,000 members. Through discord the members organize protests by expressing their discontent with their government digitally. Then they bring these issues into the real world, taking action through protests. This movement goes back to 2023, when Morocco suffered an earthquake and Gen Z 212 called out its government for its shortcomings. Recently, when eight women died during caesareans at a public hospital in the city of Agadir due to the poor healthcare provided, news about new arenas being built was brought to light. This caused outrage within the youth. Protests erupted, demanding the government change their priorities. Calling out their government who, instead of fixing the issues that are crippling Morocco, decided to spend their wealth on creating stadiums for the 2030 Fifa world cup. Pouring billions into tourism and infrastructure. Protesters chant, “Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?”

Gen Z 212 published a letter addressing the King, Mohammed VI, calling for him to dismiss the government and corrupt political parties, to release detainees, and to hold officials accountable. Many chanted “The people want the King to intervene” during protests. When the king officially addressed the people, he offered empty statements and didn’t directly address Gen Z 212.

These issues and along with the protests against the government are unknown to the rest of the world. This is due to the media putting this issue in the dark, away from the public eye. A whole movement has broken out but crickets within the media, not paying attention to the true struggle the people are enduring and have been enduring through decades of shortcoming from their government.

Morocco is the most visited country in Africa, the conditions of its people are grim. The rate for unemployment for Moroccans aged 15-24 has reached 36% with living costs sky rocketing. Many of those who have jobs are faced with the reality of stagnating wage, with the minimum wage of around $300. While all these people are struggling to make ends meet, their government is showing up by investing in seven new stadiums and renovating seven others to prepare for the world cup.

The regime’s effort to please those who visit the country has shook this generation. They see unpaved roads and classrooms are underfunded, overflowed with students- reaching 50 students per-classroom. Even paying for pre-school is expensive, having many kid’s first days at school be at the age of seven, leaving a huge educational gap between those who were able to pay for pre-school and those who couldn’t afford it.

Hospitals are in desperate need of doctors with 7.7 medical professionals per 10,000 patients, putting it generously. With that, the health care system only covers 80% of the medical bills, while accounting for only 40% of spending, leaving those already having a hard time to put food on the table having to pay the rest out of their own pocket. Even when tragedy strikes, like the earthquake in 2023, the government still lacks in providing the basic necessity for the people who lost everything. It has been two years since the earthquake and till this day people are still living in tents.

This generation is unlike the ones before them. They are wanting to call out the truth even if it costs them their lives. They want justice to be served and will strive for it. At the same time, these demands that they are demanding are just as if they are giving pain killers to an infection instead of curing the actual infection and what's causing it. These are patches on top of a broken system, a system that is originally corrupt.

The only way the economic, social, educational, and medical circumstances will flourish is by uprooting the corrupt system from its roots, curing the infection completely. Then, in its place, a system that Allah (swt) ordains for us and one that pleases Him (swt) would be implemented: the Khilafah (Caliphate). This system is the system that Allah (swt) has given us to be able to live in the land without injustice and greed from those in power- following their whims and desires. The Khilafah when implemented will focus on the wellbeing of the people living under its shade. Providing a life of free education from the top scholars, free healthcare with the best doctors, and won’t try to please the world with setting up a “world cup arena”- instead he, the Caliph, will work to please Allah (swt) by setting up the system to serve the people under his rule, even to the small details of paved-safe roads. He will be one who knows that the Lord of the Worlds will ask him what he did to serve the Ummah and those living under his shade.

Gen Z 212,

We know you have pure intentions to fix the circumstances you are placed under. With that, the path to true victory and change can only be through the path that pleases Allah (swt). That is by calling for the complete and radical change of the whole system, for it to be uprooted for the sake of Allah (swt). The system implemented should be the one Allah (swt) ordered us to implement, fixing all our matters without allowing the whims and desires of the failing regime to dictate each and every one of your lives. Call for the Khilafah, the true solution to all your struggles. Strive and work to revive the path of justice and prosperity, which is only found through Islam.

May Allah (swt) bless our Ummah and our youth, guiding them to be the light the world needs to remove the darkness placed by these corrupt regimes. Ameen.

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