Hay Mohammadi

Hay Mohammadi or Hay Mohammedi (Arabic: الحي المحمدي) is a neighbourhood in eastern Casablanca, in the Aïn Sebaâ - Hay Mohammadi district of the Casablanca-Settat region of Morocco. As of 2004 it had 156,501 inhabitants.[1]

Hay Mohammadi
الحي المحمدي
Arrondissement of Casablanca
Hay Mohammadi is located in Greater Casablanca
Hay Mohammadi
Hay Mohammadi
Location in Greater Casablanca
Coordinates: 33°35′13″N 7°32′39″W
Country Morocco
RegionCasablanca-Settat
PrefectureCasablanca
Population
 (2004)
 • Total156,501
Time zoneUTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (WEST)

The district was once home to North Africa's oldest and largest slum, formerly known as Carrières Centrales, which was largely demolished throughout the 2010s within the framework of the Moroccan government's 'Cities without Slums' (French: Villes sans bidonvilles; Arabic: مدن بلا أحياء فقيرة).[2] The project has been criticized for its forced relocation into unsustainable debts and relocating citydwellers away from their work and social sphere.[3][4]

This neighbourhood has been historically referred to as a 'mythical place', and locals talk about it with pride and affection. [5]

History

During the colonial era, the neighbourhood became a space for industrial and housing innovation. It was also famous for playing a crucial role in the anti-colonial struggle. In 1952, protests against the assassination of popular Tunisian labour leader Farhat Hached by French extremists were violently surpressed. Hundreds were killed by French troops.[6]

After the colonial period, during the reign of Hassan II of Morocco, the neighbourhood was the scene of protests and contestations of the monarch's power. As a response, the neighbourhood saw violent repression and the creation of an underground detention centre. As such, human rights abuses and violent state power were common during this period.[7]

During the 1980s, the neighbourhood saw a period of economic decline, as the removal of food subsidies and trade reforms led to massive job losses in the area.[2]

In the 2010s, through the relocation policies of the 'cities without slums' project many of the former inhabitants of Hay Mohammadi were resettled to Lahraouiyine, 10 kilometers outside of Casablanca's boundaries. [8]

Since 2019, the neighbourhood is served by line T2 of the Casablanca tramway.[2]

Population

The population of Hay Mohammedi consist by almost two-thirds of people between the ages of fifteen and twenty-nine. This causes tension and issues within the society. A large number of this youth is unemployed and does not have a meaningful way to fill their day. The male youth of Hay Mohammadi as an aftermath of streetraids in 2014 was heavily targeted as criminals, 'Tcharmil'. In the course of these events many NGOs were founded, with the aim of pacifying this group.[2]

Notable residents

See Also

References
  1. "Recensement général de la population et de l'habitat de 2004" (PDF). Haut-commissariat au Plan, Lavieeco.com. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  2. Strava, Cristiana (2022). Precarious modernities : assembling state, space and society on the urban margins in Morocco. London, UK. ISBN 978-1-350-23257-0. OCLC 1256588608.
  3. Bogaert, Koenraad (2013-09-02). "Contextualizing the Arab Revolts: The Politics behind Three Decades of Neoliberalism in the Arab World". Middle East Critique. 22 (3): 213–234. doi:10.1080/19436149.2013.814945. ISSN 1943-6149.
  4. Strava, Cristiana (2022). Precarious modernities : assembling state, space and society on the urban margins in Morocco. London, UK. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-350-23257-0. OCLC 1256588608.
  5. Strava, Cristiana (2022). Precarious Modernities: Assembling State, Space and Society on the Urban Margins in Morocco. Zed Books. doi:10.5040/9781350232570. ISBN 978-1-350-23254-9.
  6. Stenner, David (2019). Globalizing Morocco : transnational activism and the post-colonial state. Stanford, California. pp. 85–86. ISBN 978-1-5036-0900-6. OCLC 1082294927.
  7. Strava, Cristiana (2022). Precarious Modernities. London: Zed Books. pp. 1–27.
  8. Strava, Cristiana (2022). Precarious Modernities: Assembling State, Space and Society on the Urban Margins in Morocco. Zed Books. p. 127. doi:10.5040/9781350232570.0010. ISBN 978-1-350-23254-9.


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