Brahim Akhiat (c. 1941 – 7 February 2018) was a Moroccan author and poet, and a

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

activist.

Early life

Brahim Akhiat was born in 1941 in Akhiaten, Morocco.

Career

Akhiat began his career as a mathematics teacher in

Kenitra Kenitra ( ar, القُنَيْطَرَة, , , ; ber, ⵇⵏⵉⵟⵔⴰ, Qniṭra; french: Kénitra) is a city in north western Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey from 1932 to 1956. It is a port on the Sebou River, Sebou river, has a popul ...

and

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...

. Meanwhile, he became an Amazigh, or Berber, activist. In Rabat in 1967 he co-founded the ''Association marocaine de recherches et d'échanges culturelles'', an Amazigh cultural organization which rose to prominence, alongside Abdellah Bounfour, Ahmed Akouaou, Omar El Khalfaoui and Ali El Jaoui. He served as its secretary general until his death. He joined the board of the

Royal Institute of the Amazigh Culture The Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (french: Institut royal de la culture amazighe (IRCAM); zgh, ⴰⵙⵉⵏⴰⴳ ⴰⴳⵍⴷⴰⵏ ⵏ ⵜⵓⵙⵙⵏⴰ ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ, Asinag Ageldan n Tussna Tamazight (SGSM); ar, المعه� ...

in 2002. Akhiat was the author of four books. He wrote both prose and poetry in Arabic and in French. His main theme was the relationship between Berber culture and Moroccan national identity. He was also the editor-in-chief of ''Amud'' and ''Tamunt''. A conference was held in his honor near

in 2009.

Death

Akhiat died on 7 February 2018.

Selected works

* * * *

References

1940s births 2018 deaths People from Souss-Massa 20th-century Moroccan writers 21st-century Moroccan writers Berber activists Berber poets Moroccan male writers 20th-century Moroccan poets Shilha people 21st-century Moroccan poets {{Morocco-bio-stub