Lamalif
Lamalif was a monthly Moroccan political and cultural magazine published in French between 1966 and 1988.
Name
Lamalif was launched in 1966 by Zakya Daoud and her husband Mohamed Loghlam. The title comes from two Arabic letters that form the word "la", meaning "no", while -malif means "file" or "journal" in arabic in this context.History
After independence in 1956, Morocco went through multiple governments, constitutional referendums, and civil uprisings, all during the early parts of the years of lead. Political press and news coverage was heavily controlled and dissenting voices were suppressed by authorities. A few weeks after the disappearance of Mehdi Ben Barka in late 1965, Daoud was offered to be the Moroccan correspondent at Jeune Afrique, covering Morocco from Paris to avoid media crackdown. She declined the offer and decided, along with Loghlam, to start an independent magazine.Throughout its 22 years existence, Lamalif was characterised by intellectual essays and a leftist political stance. Covering social, cultural and economic issues, it was "a space for reflection and a force of significant challenge." The magazine featured ideological debates amongst journalists, economists, academics, and politicians. This diversity of perspectives helped Lamalif become an intellectual reference and is cited as an inspiration by many Moroccan intellectuals. The cover pages featured works by contemporary artists and editorials were dedicated to Moroccan cinema and Moroccan literature, providing cultural commentary during the years of lead.
After years of threats, censorship and seizures, Lamalif was finally forced to shut down in 1988.