Editorial: Arab Spring Could Mean New Linguistic Rights for Berbers

From http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/08/26/fragiskatos.berber.language/index.html?hpt=hp_bn9

Will Gadhafi defeat bring new freedom for Berbers in Libya?
By Peter Fragiskatos
August 26, 2011

Taking advantage of the uprising against Gadhafi, Libya's Berber minority, around 10% of the population, is engaged in a cultural revival. The teaching of Berber language courses and the airing of radio broadcasts, acts punishable by torture or even death only a few months ago, are now openly practiced and Berber activists are adamant about preserving their newfound freedom.

How this will play out is anybody's guess. What is clear is that language rights will be a key issue going forward not only in a post-Gadhafi Libya, but also in Morocco and Algeria, where much larger Berber communities live.

Numbering between 15 and 20 million, the Berbers are one of North Africa's largest ethnic groups. Most are Muslims (a legacy of the Arab-Islamic conquest of the seventh century) but differ from Arabs in that they speak a variety of dialects related to the language of Tamazight. They live predominantly in Morocco, Algeria and Libya, with much smaller populations found in Tunisia, Egypt, Mali and Niger.

Read the full editorial at http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/08/26/fragiskatos.berber.language/index.html?hpt=hp_bn9