Zawaya

Jemal Mohamed Oumar

Jemal Ould Mohamed Oumar is a Mauritanian journalist and the producer and anchor of television news programmes. Mohamed Oumar also writes for daily newspaper Sahara Media, El-Wahdawi and other newspapers. He is a member of the Mauritanian Literary and Writer’s Union, and is active in other literary groups. Mohamed Oumar is also a published writer of short stories.

Opinions by this panelist

Building a nation of institutions could contribute to democracy in Mauritania

Tackling this issue requires taking a look at the current scene in Mauritania, since the latter impacts the situation of the country in the future, including the factors that may affect the functioning of the democratic process, either positively or… more

Maghreb countries need to work together in fighting terrorism

There is no doubt that Algeria's initiative to get a resolution from the summit of the African Union Heads of State - that took place in the city of Sirte in Libya - was very important. The resolution is about… more

A return to the spirit of Ramadan is in order

The concept of fasting has undoubtedly changed considerably in recent years in the life of Muslims. After being a solemn occasion for worshiping and getting closer to God with good deeds, Ramadan has become today an occasion for celebration and… more

Maghreb channels neglect their viewers' interests

Local television channels are enduring intense competition with satellite channels that resulted from the huge media boom that the world has witnessed during the first decade of the twenty-first century. The media industry attracted many businessmen who rushed to invest… more

Maghreb countries continue to preserve their culture despite being open to foreign languages

There is no doubt that learning foreign languages, especially the languages that are known as the "living languages", has become more than necessary for the peoples of the developing world, or, according to the commonly recognized economic classification today, the… more

Morocco's nomination will have little effect on human rights in the region

The Kingdom of Morocco has made noticeable progress in terms of commitment to human rights, especially during the past fifteen years. This commitment is materialized by a greater respect for fundamental civil and political rights, such as freedom of expression… more

Clean renewable energy as one answer to strong rural communities

Environment and sustainable development issues have become the main preoccupation of various countries in the world, especially for the South countries including the Great Arab Maghreb. It has become necessary, therefore, to develop possible ways to ensure that development, and… more

Schools and universities need to be proactive to encourage reading

The low number of readers is probably one of the biggest dilemmas that hinder progress in general in the Maghreb countries, especially now that the progress level is measured by the annual book production. This figure reflects the extent of… more

Reluctant consumers are feeling more confident to shop online

The pattern of financial transactions in the Maghreb countries has indeed been slowly developing towards the modern methods used in economically and technically developed countries. These patterns are probably imposed by the nature of financial and commercial transactions between the… more

The National Initiative for Human Development in Morocco offers positive lessons

Based on the circumstances and facts that led the Kingdom of Morocco to adopt the National Initiative for Human Development, the rest of the Arab Maghreb countries are bound to learn from this ambitious step announced by King Mohammed VI… more

Agricultural development is a must for food independence

The Arab Maghreb countries are experiencing a state close to food deficit. This situation has been worsening day after day, given that the volume of their food production is not sufficient to cover their consumption needs. This makes imports necessary… more

Cooperation between countries is the only way to fight terrorism

The attack that killed 74 people in a cafe in the Ugandan capital of Kampala, is an unprecedented armed action compared to the kind of operations usually carried out by the Somali al-Shabab militant groups outside Somalia's borders. However, this… more

A focus on religious duties

The occurrence of Ramadan this year in the summer holidays makes the latter special. Fasters will have extra free time, given that what they usually spend on preparing and eating the daily three meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner -… more

Empowering families is vital to preserving childhood

The phenomenon of immigration in general has become one of the most worrisome issues on the international scene. It is one of the most unsettling questions for politicians in international relations, especially on the two sides of the Mediterranean. The… more

The hijab in the Maghreb: a symbol of fashion and identity

To answer this question, we ought to take into account the various motives that incite women to wear hijab within the different social environments in each Maghreb country. We must also consider the reasons that vary based on the distinctive… more

Violence against children versus family ties

The issues raised by the above question are violence against children, and defending family ties in general, between children and parents or between children and their social environment. Regarding violence against children, I think that all customs and laws should… more

Civil society as new partner for sustainable development

Civil society bodies play a pivotal role in the social construction of Arab Maghreb countries. This role grew even bigger during the last decades of the 20th century as a result of the political, economic and social changes that occurred… more

Victims of rape as offenders

The issue of rape has been widely discussed in Maghreb societies recently due to its alarming spread. Mauritanian human rights activist Amina Mint Al-Mokhtar distinguishes between several forms of rape, namely: rape inside shops and taxis, rape of minors by… more

Reporting suspicious behaviour: A national duty

The current top priority of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is to set up dormant cells in Morocco and the rest of the Maghreb, especially given the suitable circumstances of these societies at the moment, according to observers of and… more

Listen to the people's demands

In the aftermath of the revolution that overthrew the dictator's regime in Tunisia, the new government ought to fully understand how special its historical context is. After the revolutionary flood that swept everything in Tunisia, the circumstances, information and mechanisms… more

Political participation as a way to preserve rights

The political reforms demanded by the youth aim to expand the rights from which they have been deprived for a long time, which led them to lose hope in their ability to contribute to the economic and social development of… more

Military cooperation in the Maghreb a must

I can answer this question with a straight yes, because enhancing cooperation between Maghreb armies has become crucial to ensure stability in the region. Security vigilance and caution are required in the Maghreb given the recent developments there, as terrorist… more

Gaddafi applies a carrot-and-stick policy with the Sahel

Sahelian governments and peoples are closely following the unrest in Libya with much concern, caution and attention, as most of them maintain non-trusting relations with the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, and are likely to be directly impacted by the… more

Culture for development

The 10th edition of the Mawazine festival sparked controversy over its discontinuation, following the Arab uprisings and the ensuing social mobility. Governments that haven't been rooted out yet by revolutions, are seriously rethinking their management policies, including cultural strategies that… more

Al-Qaeda adopts new tactics in a changing Maghreb

The outbreak of popular revolutions across the Arab world, and the success of some of them in undermining solid and strong regimes, changed the prevailing concepts on how to effectively carry out change. As a matter of fact, for decades,… more

A positive step for the Maghreb

Morocco's resolution seeks to harmonize the country's legislative structure with the universal principles of human rights, and to criminalize torture in the Moroccan Constitution announced by King Mohamed VI in his recent speech, in an effort to ensure basic human… more

Tunisians put to the test with the first revolutionary elections

Monday, July 12, marked the beginning of voter registration in Tunisia, in preparation for October's elections aimed to choose the members of the Tunisian National Council. These elections are the first of their kind since the overthrowing of President Zin… more

Malian economic development to counter al-Qaeda

The Malian government is very late in realizing the importance of developing its northern regions, as AQIM's threat has already proliferated in the area, which has become home to terrorist attacks against the Sahel and the interests of Western countries… more

Bahanga is dead, and Tuareg insurgency continues

The death of the Tuareg rebel leader, who had been the head of rebel military operations for decades, has a significant impact on the Sahel countries. Mali, in particular, had suffered mightily from this feisty leader who had always disregarded… more

Raising awareness and rational dialogue, an immunization against jihadist websites

In this era of modern technology, it has become difficult to develop precise mechanisms to monitor internet users, and the websites that corrupt Maghreb youth. These young people are suffering from unemployment, deprivation, social repression and lack of experience; and… more

Politicized Islam is devoid of sanctity

Tunisia's latest democratic developments, and the ensuing rise of the Islamic party Ennahda, raised the concerns of many citizens and worldwide observers about the future of governance in the country after Ben Ali. Tunisia was the most moderately religious country… more

Global cooperation a must for Sahel security

During the last decade, the Sahel region was not immune from international tensions, even though its events were relatively less intense compared to the Middle East, Afghanistan and Iraq that witnessed wars, murders, fights, terrorist bombings, and drug trafficking. However,… more

Morocco's efforts and experience useful in current security and political circumstances

There is much talk these days about Morocco's potential role in furthering the stability and security of the Sahel, following the occurrence of several local and regional changes that gave rise to global changes. Generally, this requires a lot of… more

The Tuareg insurgency likely to destabilize the region

A new crisis started to emerge in the Sahel, especially in Azawad - which includes northern Mali, southwestern Algeria and southern Mauritania -, as the Libyan revolution approached victory. The signs of the crisis became evident after the dramatic fall… more

Islamists face a real test in the elections

The elections slated for May 10th in Algeria are raising people's fears across the Maghreb. This is due to the possibility of an Islamist victory, twenty years after legislative elections were cancelled to prevent a sweeping victory for the Islamic… more

Terrorism is an act that goes beyond the individual affecting society as a whole.

There is no doubt that any terrorist thinks about the harm that the attack will cause, whether to the individual person or the group of people that is being targeted. The same harm also affects the victim's immediate family members;… more

Morocco inclusion improves AU security

In 1984, Morocco withdrew from the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), known today as the African Union (AU). This had a remarkable impact on Africa on the economic and social levels, and also affected security. With the increase in terrorism… more

Respect for every population

Defining the Maghreb has become even more important since the Arab Spring. Characterising this new socio-cultural space is a matter of urgency in light of the social, political and national activities witnessed in the region. It is no longer possible… more

The internet a more powerful force than television

Television networks are able to influence the political and social fields in Maghreb countries to differing degrees, despite the existence of dominant forces in each country. There are few Maghreb satellites channels promoting radical speech to influence the orientation of… more

The holder of authority is the only one entitled to impose discipline

Random acts of violence seeking to impose a different order get negative reactions, especially from nations with revealed religions such as Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. When considering Islamic history beginning from the Shia-Sunni split to the emergence of the Kharijites… more

New media outlets talk to the young

The launch of new media channels in Mauritania neither aimed to oppose extremist ideologies nor create a parallel discourse. Islamist militancy has no direct and effective media impact at the level of Maghreb youth. Militants are unable to access broad… more

Algerian 'patriot' recounts small town victory

The fight against terrorism cannot be undertaken by Maghreb governments alone. All stakeholders – civil society bodies, social activists and local officials in even the most remote villages – must join the battle. Terrorists try to exploit the ignorance of… more

Extremism divides lifelong friends

Young, moderate Mauritanians often say that religious extremism and militancy have deprived them from childhood friends, classmates and colleagues. This phenomenon has spread in recent years in Mauritania. The imported Wahhabi ideology shifted many Mauritanian teenagers from moderation to radicalism.… more

Regional co-operation to strengthen Greater Maghreb

The Great Maghreb and the Sahel are facing increased insecurity. The Arab Spring and the ensuing fall of the Moamer Kadhafi regime opened up new horizons for Maghreb communities and increased ambitions for freedom, emancipation and freedom of speech. It… more

Sexual anarchy under guise of religion

Religion controls the psyche of Maghreb citizens. It defines their relations with others, as well as many of their actions. This is why religious edicts direct people's general behaviour more than law or even social customs and traditions. The last… more