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Yassine Arakia left Morocco in the 1980s to start a career in Norway. In Oslo, he pursued his studies, joined a political party and became one of the city's most engaged citizens in promoting the situation of the Moroccan diaspora.
The Casablanca-native arrived in Oslo in 1988, after graduating high school. Once in the Scandinavian country, Arakia found himself a job, starting a journey that led him to the Storting, the Norwegian parliament.
«I was 22 years old when I immigrated to Norway», Yassine Arakia told Yabiladi on Friday.
«Just like other Moroccan youngsters who came to the country in the 80s and the beginning of the 90s, I was a jack-of-all-trades (...) I did all sorts of small jobs, I worked at a restaurant and for the post office», recalled the 52-year-old father.
Years later, Yassine Arakia decided to join the ranks of Norwegian students and re-enrolled at high school in Oslo. The Moroccan man then studied electricity for two years and worked in the field for four years.
An electricity teacher
His thirst for knowledge led him to the university where he pursued his electricity studies and obtained a bachelor's degree. With a degree in hand, the young man was hired as an electricity teacher at a high school in Oslo but his ambitions did not stop there.
«While working as a teacher I applied for a master's degree in the same field and graduated four years later», recalled Arakia.
In addition to his nine-to-five job and studies, Yassine Arakia was an committed activist and joined an association that dealt with the problems of the Moroccan diaspora and the Muslim community in Oslo.
«We used to organize activities for young people and host Islamic festivities and events», he told Yabiladi. However, working for such an association pushed Arakia towards politics.
Politics and the Moroccan community
«I loved what I was doing at the association but I felt that I could do more than that and that politics were part of my plan», said the Moroccan national. Indeed, in 2010 Yassine Arakia joined the Conservative Party (Hoyre), a liberal-conservative political party in Norway.
One year later, Arakia was asked by his party to run for municipal elections in Oslo. «I won the elections which allowed me to later join the city's local council, Oslo's local parliament», he proudly declared. Four years later, Arakia was endorsed by his party and was ranked 6th among the top ten politicians to run for the 2015 elections, chosen among a list of 65 potential nominees.
«In 2017, I run for Norway's parliamentary elections and my party chose again to endorse my candidacy», recalled Yassine Arakia who is planning to run for the 2019 municipal elections.
As a deputy in Oslo, Yassine Arakia worked on several projects that was aimed at the city's youth. One of his recent plans was to provide better facilities for youngsters in Oslo. «We want these facilities to welcome young people all week long», he argued.
«I worked on other projects linked to the educational system, given the fact that I am operating in the field», he told Yabiladi.
In addition to his activities as a deputy, Yassine Araki has been determined to defend the rights of the Moroccan diaspora and the Muslim community in the country, as well as communities of other faiths. One of his recent initiatives was a bill that he submitted to allow Muslim people, among other faiths, to have access to cemeteries during the weekends and be able to perform burials during said periods.
Meanwhile, Yassine Arakia believes that Moroccans living in Norway must consider joining politics. To him, having a voice can change a lot of things and can highlight problems inside the Moroccan community. «I encourage young people to vote and get involved in the political scene because that can make their voices heard», he concluded.
