فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
French sports journalist Anne-Laure Bonnet has become the target of a wave of criticism and insults on social media after posting photos of herself wearing a traditional Moroccan caftan during the 2024 CAF Awards ceremony in Marrakech.
Bonnet wore the blue velvet caftan embroidered with gold as a tribute to Morocco, the host country of the event. However, this gesture was met with violent reactions from some internet users, particularly from Algeria, who accused her of “provoking Algeria” and “participating in the cultural appropriation of an Algerian garment” by Morocco.
The journalist shared a screenshot of one of the offensive comments on her Instagram account, which read: “Algeria to you… Your mother… It seems it has become fashionable to provoke Algeria these days.” Bonnet responded to these hostile messages with sarcasm, saying: “You post a picture in a caftan and the crazies let loose. Have a drink, it will help you relax.”
She also posted a tweet on X (formerly Twitter) resharing her photo in the Moroccan caftan, asserting that wearing it “is not a political stance” but because she “never tires of her first Moroccan caftan.” This tweet garnered over 1.2 million views.
This controversy comes shortly after Morocco successfully thwarted another attempt by Algeria to appropriate the “N’taa” caftan during a meeting of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Paraguay. Algeria had tried to include an image of the Fez caftan embroidered with gold threads in a file related to an Algerian garment, but the Moroccan delegation countered this attempt by submitting an official objection supported by evidence.
This incident serves as another example of the ongoing cultural and political tensions between Morocco and Algeria, which extend even to the realm of traditional clothing and cultural heritage.
