A new book entitled "Unexpired Dreams…Describing Us" by Moroccan author and journalist Abdul Aziz Kokas includes a number of articles of political-journalistic analysis in the form of opinion pieces. Most of these articles were published as editorials in weekly publications.
"Unexpired Dreams…Describing Us" has been released by "Al Nawras Publications."
Kokas has dedicated it to his readers with whom he shared "the dream". In the first chapter of his new book, the author writes: "I was meant to write in the cursed newspapers instead of the blessed ones. These writings reflect this direction, which has never been a choice, but a moral journalistic commitment that embraces the dreams of an ambitious, motivated generation seeking freedom, justice, and democracy".
Kokas spoke about a "thread of organized positions and causes that preoccupy the public," stressing that publishing these articles today is not a heroic move that seeks praise".
Speaking about the book, Mohammad al-Sassy, a politician and researcher, said: "Kokas is a creative writer, not just a journalist. He has practiced journalism with a creative style. He is a good writer, smart journalist, funny, wise, enlightened, good listener, politically educated, always present in his writings and analyses that provid a great reference for politicians who want to understand the proceedings of the political life".
"When you read Kokas's writings, you notice a mix of creativity and critical observation of news, and fact analysis", al-Sassy said.
For his part, Writer Abdul Kader al-Shawi said: "Kokas doesn't rush events, but observes and analyzes them. His book is characterized with a quiet writing style that celebrates the meaning more than the appearance, and the content more than positions and conditions".
Critic Zahra al-A'sly saw that "Kokas has always been ornery. His journalistic writings have always reached a critical level because he has insisted on defending the values of freedom and democracy. His writings provide a mix of pleasure and utility".
"Unexpired Dreams…Describing Us" includes 50 articles and many titles to which Kokas added many popular proverbs, and quotes of politicians, authors, and intellects.
In one of his articles about the Moroccan people, he used a quote by William Shakespeare: "Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once".
He also used another quote by Mahmoud Darwish: "If we want to. We will become a people, if we want to, when we learn that we are not angels, and that evil is not the prerogative of others. We will become a people when we respect the right, and the wrong!"
According to Kokas, the texts featured in his new book were written between 1996 and 2002, and will be released in successive parts. The author said he didn't select them based on their chronology or topics, but chose what is still applicable among them, so the reader feels like "they were written today".
In an article entitled "Paper cats", Kokas connects the analysis to an unexpired dream, and writes: "We miss this decisive moment that needs noble statesmen. We miss the strategic spirit of Abdul Rahim Bou Abid, and the Sufi spirit of A'lal al-Fassi, the impulsiveness of Mahdi Bin Baraka, and the national spirit of al-Yusufi. With those names, we felt that politics is a mass identity. Those and many others like them prioritized the future and interests of Morocco far from the greediness of political groups. They headed parties and acted like statesmen with independent ideas, and a wise anticipative vision."