Riffians

According to Irina Casado i Aijon, Riffians have historically organized themselves under "patrilineality and patrilocality principles."^[6] The oldest man in the household commands authority and responsibility for decisions, while women jointly care for the young and sick without discrimination. Like other Berber groups, temporary migration is a traditional practice.^[7] The Riffians have been a significant source of Moroccan emigrants to European countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Germany.^[8][9][10]

Riffians speak Tarifit, which belongs to the Zenati group of Berber languages.^[3] Many Riffians additionally speak Moroccan Arabic and Spanish. Nineteen Riffian social units are known: five in the west along the Mediterranean coast which speak Riffian and Moroccan Arabic; in the central area, seven groups exist, of which one speaks mainly Moroccan Arabic and the rest speak Riffian; five in the east and two in the southeastern desert area also speak Riffian.^{[2][clarification needed]}

The Riffians have lived a largely settled, agricultural lifestyle, using hand tools, oxen and cattle to plow the steeply terraced land in their valleys. Horticultural produce, along with sheep and goat meat, cheese, and milk have provided their traditional sustenance.^[11] Some Riffians have practiced sardine seining along the Mediterranean coast.^[2]

Riffians have experienced numerous wars over their history. Some of their cultural traditions reflect and remember this history, such as the singing and dancing of Ayara Liyara, Ayara Labuya ("Oh Lady oh Lady, oh Lady Buya"), accompanied by izran (couplets) and addjun (tambourine tapping).^[12] According to Hsain Ilahiane, this tradition traces back to the 11th century, when Riffian fathers were killed during a raid by the Almoravid leader Yusuf ibn Tashfin.^[12] In the modern era, the Rif War (1921–1926) resulted in heavy casualties among Riffians, as well as among Spanish and French forces. During the War, the Spanish army used chemical weapons, marking one of the first such uses in modern warfare.^[13][14]

According to a study published in 1980 by Terri Joseph, poverty rates and infant mortality rates among Riffians were high.^[11] This was largely a consequence of the 1958 Rif riots, which led to the region being subjected to military rule for several years, as well as its official neglect and marginalization by Moroccan authorities for decades, pressuring its population to emigrate to Europe.^[15] The Rif remains one of the poorest areas in Morocco.^[16]

In the decades following the 1958 riots, the Rif region has witnessed popular demonstrations demanding better education, healthcare and job opportunities. A resurgent Riffian popular movement in 2010, protests in 2013 and protests in 2017 against hogra – a humiliating treatment by an abusive state – have drawn public attention, as well as claims of brutal suppression by Moroccan authorities.^[3][17][18]

The Riffians are divided into the following tribes and tribal groups:^{[19][better source needed]}

• Abd el-Krim, Moroccan political and military leader.
• Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, French politician.
• Mohamed Choukri, Moroccan author.
• Ilyas El Omari, Moroccan author.
• Hakim Benchamach, Moroccan politician.
• Ibrahim Afellay, Dutch Former footballer of Moroccan origins.
• Sofyan Amrabat, Moroccan footballer.
• Munir El Haddadi, Moroccan footballer.
• Jamal Ben Saddik, Belgian-Moroccan kickboxer.
• Namika, German singer.
• Nordin Amrabat, Moroccan footballer.

• Ghomara language
• Senhaja de Srair language
• Senhaja de Srair in the Central Rif
• Ghomara in the Western Rif
• Jbala in the Western Rif
• Beni Iznasen in the Eastern Rif
• Beni Snous Tlemcen, Western Algeria