HIBAPRESS
Abdellatif Nheila, the new director of the Cultural Center in Sidi Kacem, denied receiving any official decision revoking his appointment, affirming that his appointment was in accordance with applicable laws and administrative regulations.
Nheila explained in a clarifying statement to public opinion that he applied twice for the recruitment competition organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication. His name was placed on the waiting list during the first attempt, before he succeeded on the second. He pointed out that the resolution of his administrative status and related procedures remains the responsibility of the concerned administration.
Nheila added in the statement he published on his Facebook account that the concerned authorities at the regional and provincial levels, according to the information available to him, have also not received any decision in this regard. He called for verifying the circulated information with the competent authorities and distinguishing between reported news and official decisions and correspondence.
This clarification, according to its author, came in the wake of the circulation of information regarding his administrative status and his relationship with the new cultural center, and the comments and photos that accompanied it, which he said were used out of their original context. He considered that the discussion had moved beyond questioning the administrative decision to questioning his person and his professional career, in addition to abuses that affected his family and surroundings.
Regarding the circulated photos, Nheila confirmed that a number of them relate to initiatives and events he organized with licenses from the competent authorities, including the "Salam Forum for Contemporary Arts," which he said saw the participation of people from Islamic, Christian, and Jewish faiths in a cultural framework based on dialogue and coexistence. In this context, he refused to take the photos out of their contexts or exploit them to imply positions and affiliations that do not reflect the nature and objectives of the activities.
He also rejected reducing his professional career to a photo with a political official, or drawing conclusions about intervention or favoritism without documented evidence, considering that some of what accompanied the controversy took a political turn that went beyond discussing his administrative status, without having data proving the identity of the parties behind the abuses he said he was subjected to.
Nheila reviewed, in the same statement, his career in the cultural and artistic field, pointing to his studies at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Art and Cultural Animation in Rabat, his experience in acting, directing, production, artistic management, and project management, as well as his participation in activities of the International Festival for Children's Theater and the International Festival of Author's Cinema in Rabat.
He also indicated that he benefited from professional training in the management of cultural centers and theaters in Brussels in 2022, as part of the cooperation program between Morocco and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, in addition to launching associative initiatives for the benefit of youth and continuing his education in international studies and diplomatic professions at Mohammed V University in Rabat.
The speaker stressed that questioning administrative decisions and the criteria for assigning responsibilities is a legitimate right, but it does not justify, in his words, defamation or the dissemination of unsubstantiated allegations that harm reputation or the involvement of family in the controversy. He announced that he reserves the right to take appropriate measures to protect his dignity and rights.
Nheila concluded his statement by affirming his respect for press freedom and its role in informing, verifying, and holding accountable, calling on the media outlets that covered the issue to publish his clarification and grant him the right of reply and correction of information he considers inaccurate.
