The Drama of Saving Moroccan Ryan Goes Global
The story being talked about this week in Morocco is saving Ryan, and not the American Private, but the Moroccan kid with a Hollywoodian touch. The media were invited to cover the rescue efforts and turn it into a national emotional event to give people a break from the protests and constant complaints about the border closings that have negatively impacted the tourism sector, one of the Kingdom of the Sun's primary sources of revenue.
Of course, the Moroccan influencers and the local celebrities who jump on the first occasion to get the maximum amount of likes and comments on Instagram haven't missed out on this 5-year-old child's misery. They've created a buzz around it and linked themselves to it while the kid has been suffering for the third day in a row after falling into a 32-meter well that was kept open without safety barriers, in the village of Ighrane, in the commune of Tamorot (Chefchaouen province).
The mother explained to the media that the family members could not find the child. After several searches, they heard moaning coming from the well, which prompted them to tie a phone to a rope and lower it to the bottom, where they discovered the child who had spent his first night at the bottom of the well. He had been struggling with thirst and lack of oxygen but was comforted by the presence of his parents and relatives before local authorities began their rescue efforts.
Something else that I couldn't stand while watching the mother's interviews were some shameless journalists who asked Ryan's mother, "Do you love your son, Ryan?"! #WTF How unprofessional can someone be to ask this question while a mother is still in shock about losing her son?
Another journalist was interviewing and comforting Ryan's underage brother by holding him and giving him kisses. I know that it's culturally accepted there but doing it so many times in front of the camera?!
The emotion was such a big deal that the inhabitants of the region have flocked in large numbers to the scene of the tragedy. The first thing that the authorities should have done was to drive away the crowds. They have been gathering in front of the well and have been patiently sitting around it, which has hindered the rescue teams' work. They have caused delays in the rescue by filming every step of the recovery and posting it on their social media only to get views and likes from everyone following the rescue operation using the wave of solidarity with the child and his family that has been unleashed in Morocco with a single hashtag: #sauvezrayan
Many Moroccans know about the Moroccan civil protection forces' inability and apparent lack of training and experience. Still, many Moroccans are wondering why the authorities are still struggling for the third day in a row without saving the kid instead of asking a neighboring, more developed country to help.
While this kind of operation is very common here in the US, even when saving a dog, cat, or any other animal, Saving Ryan Moroccan propaganda is a first; it was about time. Hoping that it won't be the last one…Moroccan drama continues.
BY Simo Ben