Hommam Al Nassim 
The Ministry of Cultural Affairs in Tunisia issued an official decision to refuse the participation of Moroccan artist Asma Lazraq in commemorating the death of Tunisian artist Dhikra Mohamed, with the justification that she is a foreigner.
The decision of the Tunisian Ministry of Culture sparked a sensation on social media, as the Moroccan artist was described as a “foreigner,” which sparked the dissatisfaction of many Moroccan bloggers who considered that this description should not be used to describe an Arab artist participating in an artistic demonstration in another Arab country.
Asmaa Lazreq published a picture of the letter signed by the Acting Director of Music and Dance in the Tunisian Ministry of Culture, Lilia Al-Werfalli, accompanied by a question in which she said: “What is the opinion of the Ministry of Culture and the artistic unions in Morocco?” The Tunisian Ministry of Culture prevents me from singing at a memorial ceremony, claiming that I am a foreigner.”
The Moroccan Professional Syndicate of Song Creators responded quickly to Lazraq’s question, as its president, Tawfiq Ammor, published a blog post containing a picture of a letter he addressed to his counterpart, Maher Hammami, head of the Tunisian Syndicate of Musical and Related Professions, regarding the subject.
In the letter, the Moroccan union called on the Tunisian Ministry of Culture to apologize to Moroccan artist Asmaa Lazreq, expressing its astonishment and denunciation at the decision to suspend her participation in the ceremony.
Ammor pointed out in the letter that Arabs usually apply the term “foreigner” only to non-Arabs, while Lazraq is an artist from a neighboring Maghreb country that shares Arabism, religion, history, geography, and civilization with Tunisia.
The head of the Tunisian Syndicate of Musical and Related Professions contacted Ammor after publishing the message. Ammor did not reveal the content of the communication, but he confirmed that he had received a voice message from the Tunisian artist Lotfi Bouchnak, who indicated that the matter was the result of procedures and procedures that had not been met by the organizing body. There is no intention to exclude the Moroccan artist.
The “Artists Club” in Morocco joined the group of people in solidarity with Asmaa Lazreq, expressing, in a brief statement published by the artist on her Instagram account, his astonishment at the unjustified position and considering it a clear exclusion that is not based on objective foundations.
The club called for the enactment of a law regulating the influx of foreign artists to Morocco as a matter of reciprocity.
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