In a 13-minute interview published on the Marsoul YouTube channel, Rachid Najahi, who has lived in Canada for 35 years, looks back on his journey from Casablanca to Montreal, through football, business, IT and community journalism.
One thread runs through his story: help others without expecting anything in return. The value comes from his father, and everything else connects back to it.
Table of Contents
Rachid Najahi: A Childhood in Casablanca and a Father Who Refused Money
The interview opens with a few clips, including a moment of humour: “Let’s be honest, let’s not lie about Canada!” Then comes the introduction: a journalist, 35 years in Canada, and a journey that Rachid Najahi calls his success.
A Neighbourhood, a Mother, a Different Family Model
Born and raised in Casablanca, in the Hay Mohammadi neighbourhood, Rachid Najahi describes himself as a quiet child who stayed away from trouble and conflict.
His mother married very young. According to Rachid Najahi, she almost grew up at the same time as her children. Back then, the model was different: the man married, and the woman stayed home to look after the children.
A Military Father, Strict and Honest
His role model is his father, who died at 103. A military man deeply devoted to the monarchy, he would not tolerate any disrespect toward the royal family in front of him.
Tough with his children, he had six: five boys and one girl, with Rachid in the middle. His post in the army’s medical service put him in front of future conscripts, who went through their examination before military service.
Parents came to ask him for help. For a son who was doing well in school, the father gave advice to help him keep studying. For a young man who was doing nothing with his life, his answer fit in one sentence: military service would at least teach him something.
The Scene That Changed Everything
One day, an elderly man knocked at the door, bringing something to thank the father, probably money. The father lost his temper: he did not help people to make money. Young Rachid was there and saw everything.
From that scene, the journalist drew his rule: help people for free, for the sake of doing good, without expecting money or thanks. For him, it is a legacy from his father.
From Football in Kenitra to a Knee Injury
A Tough Crowd in Benslimane
Rachid Najahi says he played in the first division in Kenitra. The experience was unusual. In Benslimane, the crowd was so hostile that even the police officer posted at the edge of the field would start insulting the players.
The result: everyone was against you, not just the opposing team. In return, the club paid for housing and match allowances, while the young player also took IT classes.
The Casablancans and the Club President
Another young man from Casablanca shared his housing. They were nicknamed “the Casablancans,” and both loved to joke around and have fun.
Their performances eventually dropped, and the club president noticed. What happened next is hard to piece together, but the anecdote captures the atmosphere of a young players’ locker room.
A Career Cut Short
The ambition to continue in football was very real. A knee injury decided otherwise. Physiotherapy was prescribed, but Rachid went back to playing, got hurt again and made things worse. His career ended there.
The Hassan II Mosque Construction Site and a First Trip to Canada
The Italian Company and the Morning Newspaper
In 1989, he returned to Casablanca and got his first job at an Italian company. It was involved in the construction of the Hassan II Mosque, notably the aluminum work and air conditioning.
The boss came regularly from Italy, sometimes on a private plane, and Rachid picked him up at the airport. His brother, who spoke Italian, advised him to buy an Italian newspaper. The next day, the boss received his paper with great pleasure, and no longer wanted to part with his employee.
Hassan II and the Chandeliers
Among his memories is a visit by King Hassan II to the site. Looking at the copper chandeliers, the king reportedly asked whether someone would have to climb up regularly to polish them. The chandeliers were replaced.
1992: Two Weeks in Canada
In 1992, Rachid was still working on the site. His brother already lived in Canada, and their mother, who had come to visit him, fell ill and had surgery.
Two weeks of leave were enough to cross the Atlantic, see his mother and discover the country. Back in Morocco, Rachid asked a friend about the possibility of settling there. The rest of those steps is poorly transcribed.
Staying close to family across the ocean is part of every diaspora story, and it often has a financial side too. Read why Moroccans and Egyptians send more money home.
Settling in Montreal and the Years in the Bar Business
The Shock of the Cold
His arrival is told with humour. A coat that was supposed to be warm, ordinary clothes, then the walk out of the airport and the discovery of real Canadian cold.
Next came training: enrolment, studies and skills that developed little by little. For another newcomer’s view of the city, read this testimony on living in Montreal as an expat.
The Restaurant on Saint-Jacques Street
Later, Rachid Najahi turned to business. A Syrian friend who owned a restaurant in Montreal told him about a Moroccan who wanted to sell his restaurant on Saint-Jacques Street, tired of running it.
The two friends went to see the place. Other buyers were already interested. Rachid offered the owner a way to sell and rest, and began presenting the business to buyers.
When the other buyers came to negotiate, Rachid says he multiplied their first offer by four. They accepted. The owner received his share, with a small extra, and Rachid kept the difference.
Buy, Build Up, Resell, Then Walk Away
His principle came down to three steps: buy a business, add value to it, resell it, then start again. The cycle repeated several times, and capital built up.
If you are thinking about buying a business yourself, our financing and loans category lists brokers and advisors who can help you plan the funding.
But the trade was not for him. You work at night, until 3 or 4 a.m., and you have to be back the next day for purchasing and management. Personal life disappears.
These detours echo the path of many newcomers. For a broader look at these realities, read our article on the reality of Canada in 2025.
Back to IT and the Year 2001
Rachid decided to go back to IT and found a job at a multinational. Several colleagues surrounded him, including a man originally from Mali. The passage about the company’s organization is partly illegible.
A memory from 2001 comes up in the story. Arriving at work, a security guard told him bad news about the IT department. Some employees had reportedly been laid off, and Rachid notes that the people affected were Arab.
From First Reports to a Videotape Delivered to 2M
2002: Filming Morocco from Canada
In 2002, Rachid Najahi shot his first reports. They mostly covered events in Canada connected to Morocco. At the time, everything was recorded on big videotapes, which were then sent to Morocco.
A Press Conference and a Race Against the Clock
One anecdote says a lot about the era. A call came in around 11 a.m. to cover a press conference scheduled for 2 p.m., as part of a festival. Rachid accepted, filmed and prepared the report.
The challenge was getting the tape to Morocco as fast as possible, without today’s tools. By luck, a Moroccan was flying out that same day and agreed to carry it.
On the phone, Rachid asked his brother in Casablanca to pick it up at the airport and bring it to 2M. The next day, the director found it at his door.
The director could not believe it: a report from Skhirat sometimes takes several days to arrive, and this one came from Montreal. For Rachid Najahi, it was a feat for the time.
2003: Atlas Media, a Weekly Newspaper and a Meeting with the King
Atlas Media, a Print Paper Every Week
In 2003, the print newspaper Atlas Media was born, published every week. The adventure lasted many years, until COVID-19. If you work in journalism or video yourself, our Media, Photography and Video category lists professionals from the community.
A Tribute to Abdelghani Dades
Rachid Najahi pays tribute to his friend and collaborator Abdelghani Dades. To him, he is a big brother, a wonderful man who shares his ideas, has a great sense of humour and helps others enormously.
It is partly thanks to this friend that the adventure continued. Looking at him, Rachid felt he saw a bit of his own reflection, and the memory of his father came back to him.
Two Weeks in Morocco and 45 Minutes with the King
That same year, thanks to his contacts, Rachid travelled to Morocco for two weeks with a group. King Mohammed VI received them for about 45 minutes. It was a great honour.
A Québécois journalist asked the king a question. She asked, in essence, why he did not come, and whether he was afraid to. The destination mentioned and the end of the question are illegible in the transcript.
The group was then able to greet the king. When his turn came, Rachid spoke with him directly. That moment remains special in his journey.
An Unverified Claim and a Life Decision
When they got back to Montreal, on a Monday evening, the ambassador called him. According to his account, word had been passed along from the Royal Palace that Rachid had spent a month in prison in November. A document supposedly existed.
Rachid Najahi asked that someone be sent to the courthouse to find the original. In his view, this information had been passed along without any serious verification. The ambassador called back the next day at 10:15 a.m. The subtitles do not reveal the details of the verification.
What stands out most is what followed. In July 2003, an invitation arrived for the Throne Day celebrations and the allegiance ceremony, alongside ministers and members of the government. A stranger approached him and said it was an answer to what had happened in January.
From this episode, the journalist drew a decision: stop caring about what people say about him. Let those who want to talk, talk. Rachid lets his work speak for him, and never brags about it in the street.
Rallying the Moroccan Community in Montreal Like in 2010
An Initiative Born in a Park
Then came the year 2010. A woman connected to the consulate in Montreal, very close to the community, contacted Rachid Najahi and two other people. The subject mattered to her: criticism surrounding the invitations to the Throne Day celebrations.
The small group decided to get organized. Rachid suggested meeting in a park to discuss what they could do, and an initiative to rally Moroccans took shape from there.
Several 2010 participants are still active today. They organize events and bring people together. The rest, with its figures and quotes, cannot be reliably recovered.
Civic engagement in the city has other well-known stories, like the one of Soraya Martinez Ferrada, from refugee to mayor of Montreal.
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Work, Money and Life: Rachid Najahi’s Advice
This is where the interview turns to everyday life lessons, tied to the values of his father: honest work, money that serves a purpose rather than becoming one, and a life that is not swallowed by the job.
Couples and Divorce: Who Loses the Most?
Advice for Women
Rachid Najahi then turns to relationships between men and women. Today, a woman can have her children, work and be financially independent. She may then wonder why she would still need this man.
Advice for Men
The message then addresses men. The woman did not come into their life to work in the kitchen, prepare meals and serve them. The couple is there to live together, build something and raise a family. You have to move forward together.
The Answer to the Video’s Question
His conclusion, delivered with humour, answers the video’s title. When things go wrong and you end up in divorce, who loses the most? Rachid Najahi believes it is the man, who in leaving his wife often ends up losing his children too, and the whole family suffers the consequences.
What to Take Away from Rachid Najahi’s Journey
Three lessons emerge from this story, in our reading.
- Service before gain. The scene of the father refusing the money keeps coming back like a compass.
- The path is never straight. Football, IT, restaurants, journalism: each detour fed what came next.
- Let the work speak. It is better to show what you do than to talk about yourself.
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FAQ: Rachid Najahi
Who is Rachid Najahi?
A journalist and community figure in Montreal’s Moroccan community, Rachid Najahi says he has lived in Canada for 35 years. Born and raised in Casablanca, in the Hay Mohammadi neighbourhood, he tells his story in an interview on the Marsoul channel.
Where can I watch the Rachid Najahi interview?
It is published on the Marsoul YouTube channel. It runs about 13 minutes and can be watched on the video page.
Which newspaper did Rachid Najahi launch in 2003?
The weekly print newspaper Atlas Media, which ran every week until COVID-19, with his friend and collaborator Abdelghani Dades.
Conclusion
Rachid Najahi’s journey, from Casablanca to Montreal, comes down to a few words: help without expecting anything in return, and let your work speak. His story is a reminder that community involvement often starts with a simple gesture.
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Source: interview with Rachid Najahi on the Marsoul YouTube channel, at this link.