In Meknes, a family's choice to name their newborn son Massinissa, after the historic Amazigh king, sparked administrative hurdles this week. A civil registry officer at the 8th district office in the Marjane 2 neighborhood refused to register the name, despite clear legal and judicial rulings granting parents the freedom to choose names, and official instructions requiring officers to register them or refer disputes to the High Commission within 24 hours, the family's lawyer, Sabri Lhou, denounced in a post on Facebook. Lhou said the officer «placed obstacles in the way, creating unnecessary difficulties to block my client's legal right to register his son under the name Massinissa, and demanded another name be chosen». The dispute ended after the intervention of the Governor of Meknes Province. In a follow-up post on August 12, the lawyer said the governor upheld the law and «restored the prestige, status, and authority of the name Massinissa». The father was contacted by the Marjane 2 office and informed that the earlier refusal had been overturned. The incident brings the issue of civil registry officers refusing Amazigh names back into the spotlight. In the past, many parents have seen their Amazigh name choices rejected, but the Moroccan government had made its position clear on the matter. In 2023, Morocco's High Commission of the Civil Registry reaffirmed that Moroccans are free to choose Arabic, Amazigh, Hassani, or Hebrew names, provided they respect morality and public order. Since then, and under decree No. 2.22.04 implementing Law 36.21, civil registry officers must accept all declared names, even if they raise concerns, and refer them to a higher committee for a decision. This committee must provide a justification, with results communicated digitally to both the officer and the applicant.
