Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
May 26 , 2007

High Atlas Foundation Plants 77,500 Trees This Planting Season . March 2007

This planting season HAF worked with rural Moroccan communities and its partners to plant 77,500 fruit saplings and trees – this represents the most trees we have planted in any planting season to date! As part of the Kate Jeans-Gail Memorial Tree Nursery we planted 60,000 saplings with community members in the Tifnoute Valley of southern Morocco. We funded the planting of 3,500 apple trees in the Eastern High Atlas National Park in coordination with Peace Corps Volunteer Michael Toomey. In partnership with the Global Diversity Fund, the Imlil Development Association, and Amis de CHU (Friends of the University Hospital) we planted 14,000 apple and cherry trees with villages in the Imenane Valley in the High Atlas Mountains.

Thank you to our supporters for helping to make this planting season such a success. Special thanks to: The Gail Family, GlobalGiving, Charles and Sheryl Gushee, Heritage Tours, Trees for Life, and Andre Vagliano.

We are happy to announce that plans are already underway to work with community members in the village of Tassa Ouirgane, in Toubkal National Park, to plant 40,000 fruit saplings during the next planting season (beginning in November 2007). In June 2006 the High Atlas Foundation launched its One Million Tree Initiative to plant one million fruit tree saplings in community nurseries throughout rural Morocco.
http://www.highatlasfoundation.org/activities.php?id_prj=9

HAF Plants 60,000 Saplings.    By Kate McLetchie - Project Coordinator
Thanks to our GlobalGiving supporters the High Atlas Foundation planted a nursery of 60,000 fruit tree saplings with community members in the Tifnoute Valley in February. With your continued support we will raise the remaining funds for this project and plant a second nursery of 40,000 saplings in the Azzadene Valley of the High Atlas Mountains in November (when the next planting season begins).

These two nurseries are part of High Atlas Foundation's committment to plant one million fruit trees and saplings with rural Moroccan communities.
http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/1600/proj1563d.html#1
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OCP, Bunge Limited to set up Joint Venture Fertilizer Company in Morocco.
Washington, May 25

The global agribusiness and food company, Bunge Limited, and the state-owned Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP), have set up a 50/50 fertilizers producing joint venture in Morocco, according to a press release of the American company. The "Bunge Maroc Phosphore"', to be based in the industrial complex of Jorf Lasfar (southwest of El Jadida, 190 km south of Rabat), is due to be operational by 2010, and is expected to produce a total of 375,000 tons per year, destined to manufacture phosphoric acid, triple superphosphate, and monoammonium and diammonium phosphate.

The phosphate-based raw materials and intermediate products will be shipped to Bunge's fertilizer businesses in Brazil and Argentina and other markets in Latin America to meet Bunge's growing demand. The companies will finance the venture with an estimated USD 350Mn in debt and equity over the next three years. Bunge's equity investment will total an estimated USD 54Mn.

Bunge limited is a leading global agribusiness and food company founded in 1818 and based in White Plains, New York. It employs over 22,000 employees in over 30 countries. The company supplies fertilizer to farmers in South America, originates, transports and processes oilseeds, grains and other agricultural commodities worldwide. It also produces food products for commercial customers and consumers and supplies raw materials and services to the biofuels industry.

The Moroccan company produces over 25 million tons of phosphate rock per year and owns a significant portion of the world’s phosphate reserves. It has recently revealed that it had held 33.3% of world phosphate market in the first half of 2006 and expects a 4.3% increase of its exports due to a 4.6% increase of its phosphate ore exports and 4% of derivate products.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_economy/ocp_bunge_limited_t/view
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King of Morocco pays tribute to late Patti Birch .
New York, May 24

King Mohammed VI of Morocco paid tribute to the late collector and connoisseur of fine arts, Patti Cadby Birch, deeming that she was among the figures who "managed to enrich the longstanding friendship" between Morocco and the United States "through proximity which only Art and culture can instill in our hearts." In a message read out on his behalf by his Advisor, Andre Azoulay, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art during a ceremony organized on Wednesday in homage to Patti Birch, who passed away last February in New York at the age of 84, the monarch underlined that Ms Birch's "will to ignore all kinds of ostracism to bring together our cultures, identities and spiritualities casted an unprecedented depth on the Moroccan-American social and cultural space."

The sovereign, who underlined that the ties between the two countries have been exceptional since the very outset, also noted Ms Birch's decision to undertake the revamping of the one-thousand-old Minbar (pulpit) of the Koutoubia (the largest mosque in Marrakech). He also recalled that she decided in her late days to revamp the historical site of “Dar El Bacha” in the same city to render it a museum which will receive an exceptional collection of canvasses of renowned names, which she donated to Morocco “in token of her love of the North African country.”

The personalities attending this ceremony pointed to the particular friendship the late had always entertained for Morocco which she considered as a “bridge between civilizations, between the East and the West.” They underlined that she was convinced that art is a vector of rapprochement, of friendship and fraternity between the nations.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_culture/king_of_morocco_pays/view
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Craft industry to provide 115k jobs by 2015, Minister .
Rabat, May 24

Morocco's strategy in the craft industry eyeing to create 115,000 jobs and to raise the sector's cultural production volume to MAD 24Bn (about USD 3Bn) up from MAD 10Bn today. Speaking at a House of Representatives' question time on Wednesday, Tourism and Craft Industry Ministry, Adil Douiri said this strategy, dubbed Vision 2015, is based on a scientific study and on contract-based measures. According to the Minister, 50,000 jobs would be created by structured businesses, while the rest is to be created by small enterprises and craftsmen.

M. Douiri pointed out that one of the problems hampering the sector is raw materials, namely unwrought silver, recalling that a convention signed on April 7 between his department and several operators in the field ensures the regular supplying of craftsmen with this material. The accord, he said, would block the way to black-marketing in unwrought silver, and contribute to organizing this material market and to setting up a network, which is organized and structured in the cities where the craft industry and the silver jewellery flourish. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/craft_industry_to_pr/view
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Morocco, UNIDO ink USD-17.5Mn Integrated Program for Morocco .
Rabat, May 24

Morocco and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) signed, here Wednesday, the second phase of the USD 17.5Mn. Integrated and Modular Program for Morocco. The program covers the period 2007-2011 and aims to help achieving the objectives set in the large-scale poverty eradication National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), as well as the Emergence Plan, which is a ten-year program that provides for creating 440,000 jobs, increasing the GDP 1.6%, and halving the trade deficit.

The Integrated Program is due to provide support to the efforts of the government, the private sector and the civil society to ensure a sustainable development in Morocco. It also aims to reproduce and generalize the experiences acquired in phase I. To do so, the program breaks down in three components, namely rural development and reinforcing production capacities; modernizing the industrial sector and improving competitiveness; and the energy and environment performance.

Speaking to the press, Industry, Trade and Economy Upgrading Minster, Salah Eddine Mezouar underlined the importance of South-South cooperation and partnership with developing countries, especially in Africa. South-South cooperation, growth and modernizing the public sector is a field where Morocco can be a “reference,” according to visiting UNIDO Director General, Kandeh K. Yumkella. M. Yumkella, who is on an official visit to Morocco on May 23-28, also called for the other African countries to “follow the example of Morocco.”
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/morocco_unido_ink_u/view
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Social medical insurance to cost USD 312Mn in 2007.
Rabat, May 23

The social medical insurance program, targeting the low income people, known as the "Medical Assistance Regime" (RAMED) is to cost USD 312.3Mn in 2007. The program, which provides for the medical expenses of about 8 million people, i.e. 20% of Moroccans, will cost an average of USD 39.37 per beneficiary a year. It covers hospital, surgery and child delivery expenses, part of Morocco's resolve to extend medical insurance to all Moroccans and improve access to quality care. Thanks to the RAMED and to the Mandatory Health Insurance (AMO) that touches about 5 million employees, the overall number of the population benefiting from medical insurance in Morocco will reach 50%.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/social_medical_insur/view
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Morocco to promote civic culture in schools.
24/05/2007 By Sarah Touahri

Continuing its struggle against extremism, the Moroccan government announced a new programme in Rabat on Wednesday (May 23rd) to promote a culture of civic behaviour in the nation’s schools. The Moroccan Council for Higher Education, set up last September to energise the educational reform process and to ensure ongoing development, held its first event on Wednesday (May 23rd) in Rabat, a national symposium on the theme of "School and Civic Conduct". In his opening remarks, King Mohammed VI stressed that "promoting civic conduct is a pressing demand in today’s world."

According to the king, "the ultimate goal sought from the promotion of civic behaviour is to bring up citizens who are committed to the immutable religious and national values of their country, who respect its fundamental symbols and open cultural principles, who are deeply attached to their varied, yet cohesive identity, who are proud of who they are, and who have a deep awareness of their rights and obligations." King Mohammed VI went on to encourage education reform, to equip Moroccans to fight "all forms of violence, deceit, corruption, improper conduct and immoral practices."

According to event chairman Abdelali Mastour, the initiative arrives at a time in Morocco characterised by historic developments and countless reforms. Councilmember Salim Redouane suggested that promoting civic values should be handled primarily in schools, as they are among society’s most important and formative institutions. "School establishments have a major role to play in encouraging healthy relations among individuals and between these individuals and social and state institutions. It is all about managing and organising social affairs and promoting relational and communicational aspects between the various components of society," he says.

According to the Ministry of National Education’s communications department, considerable efforts have already been made to promote human rights and citizenship education. One example is Morocco’s adherence to the UN declaration of the "international decade of human rights education" (1995-2004). Morocco adopted a national programme of human rights education in collaboration with the national education ministry and the human rights ministry. Based on teaching methodology, this programme was aimed at reinforcing concepts of human rights in existing course curricula.

The resulting reports, documents and teaching guides created to promote the initiative and summarize its progress gave rise to an open debate among teaching specialists and non-governmental organisations working in the human rights field. The strategy has had a direct effect on school syllabuses. Redouane indicated that the emphasis on human rights education has added a new dimension to education, although changes have sometimes been seen as redundant.

Amina Baaji, a teacher who took part in the event, said that while schools have certainly aimed to encourage a civic culture, efforts thus far have been insufficient. She feels that citizenship must also be taught through counselling groups and cultural clubs. "Unfortunately, you can count these sorts of centres on the fingers of one hand in Morocco. The state must invest more in building clubs within schools," she says.

To target needs effectively, the national symposium organised a series of workshops to develop educators’ knowledge of the democratic principles of citizenship and human rights and to promote scientific research in the field.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2007/05/24/feature-02
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Merzouga dunes to host 4th Desert Music Festival on May 24-26.
Errachidia, (South) May 21

The desert village of Merzouga (500km south-east of Rabat), will host, May 24-25, the fourth edition of Desert Music Festival. The international event will feature exceptional musical performances, including Moroccan artists who will share the stage with Spanish, Brazilian, French and Malian musicians. The event's organizers are scheduling a harmonious program allying music and emotions to allow large public to discover musical rhythms, delve into a cultural mosaic and enjoy this festival which vows to be an exceptional musical meeting.

A round table on desert tourism and oasis and a camel race will be organized in the area on May 25-26.
Renown for its 22 km long and 5 km wide beautiful sand dunes that reach a maximum of 150 meters height, Merzouga hosted, on December 16, a mega concert of the French musician Jean Michel Jarre.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_culture/merzouga_dunes_to_ho/view
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Arab Reform and Foreign Aid: Lessons from Morocco.
By Mauro De Lorenzo  Wednesday, May 23, 2007 BOOK REVIEWS Middle East Quarterly (Summer 2007) Publication Date: June 1, 2007
Mauro De Lorenzo reviews Arab Reform and Foreign Aid: Lessons from Morocco, by Haim Malka and Jon B. Alterman.

Morocco has emerged in recent years as the most reform-minded Arab country, as King Mohammed VI accelerated the political liberalization initiated under his father, Hassan II. He modernized family law in women's favor, allowed past human rights abuses to be publicly investigated, and granted more freedom to the press--all while ensuring that royal authority in Morocco remained undiminished. Indeed, because the king controlled the pace of reform, the authority of the established order was enhanced.

Malka and Alterman's study offers a serviceable, if unoriginal, potted history of foreign aid trends and of Morocco's internal changes. Nowhere, however, does Arab Reform and Foreign Aid live up to the promise of its title, which implies a relationship between the two. The authors proceed in parallel, as if the money the West spends to reform Morocco had no connection to the reforms that actually took place. The chapter on reforms does not even refer to any related aid programs, while the chapter outlining aid programs does not suggest that they had a measurable impact on reform, just that they are "potential contributors to the process." In fact it is hard to find descriptions of specific aid projects anywhere in the book.

The study's main lesson is, strangely, undeclared. What if Morocco's reforms have nothing to do with the aid programs? But Malka and Alterman venture nothing so bold or risky, but rather remain content to urge that donors "seek coordination more than cooperation."

The volume's most useful element is its account of the philosophical differences between the European and U.S. aid programs. In the 1990s, the Clinton administration's vain pursuit of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians precluded putting pressure on Arab regimes to reform. Nor did the Europeans ever exercise pressure, believing that political reform would follow from economic reform and increased trade. But in the aftermath of 9-11, Western governments seemed to absorb the lesson that the democratization of Arab countries is an essential part of a global anti-terrorism strategy.

In this spirit, the State Department's Middle East Partnership Initiative added to the U.S. Agency for International Development's paltry programs, with US$300 million between 2002 and 2005 in new funding for bottom-up democracy promotion and education among civil society groups. Europe's financially even more substantial aid programs targeted infrastructure. Where Washington tried to "energize the grassroots," Europe preferred "government-to-government dialogue."

The authors clearly consider the Europeans to have more "nuance," and to be wiser and better. "Europe values constructing things one can see while the United States prefers to promote more intangible outcomes." But their study does not provide specifics by which to judge this assessment.
Mauro De Lorenzo is a resident fellow at AEI.
http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.26233/pub_detail.asp
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Government seeks to promote private education.
By Sarah Touahri – 20/05/2007

The Moroccan government has undertaken a programme to promote private education, with the hope that up to 20% of the country's children will be enrolled in private schools by 2015. The Moroccan government intends to boost private primary, secondary and higher education, with the aim of educating one in five students in the private sector. Morocco currently has 6.8 million students, of whom 6% are educated in the private sector.

After two years of negotiations, private teachers signed an agreement with the government allowing for the upgrading of private-sector schools, to improve their organisation and teaching skills, and to promote private education. To reach these goals, management and teaching staff in private schools will receive training enabling them to provide higher-quality education that responds to the social and economic needs of the country. The agreement also encourages the expansion of the national network of private schools and the implementation of school quality standards.

The private sector will take pupils and students from the public sector to reduce over-enrolment. There are plans to reduce tuition fees for schoolchildren and students so that a broad cross-section of society will be able to send children to private schools. Loans will also be granted to students to help cover their expenses.

The government is also applying new measures to real estate and taxation to promote private-sector education. It intends to write off debts totalling less than 200,000 dirhams for nearly 900 small schools, and to cancel interest on debts or restructure them for the remainder of schools. It is estimated that last year a total of nearly 3,000 schools owed the government a combined 370 million dirhams. Following efforts by the tax department to recover this money, the number of schools in debt has fallen to 1,187.

Private-sector schools will be able to receive grants from existing investment promotion funds including the Hassan II Fund for Economic and Social Development. There are also plans to create a financing mechanism operated jointly by banks and the state to fund projects to build or expand private-sector schools and training centres, and to encourage private-sector institutions to get involved in employment promotion schemes like Moukawalati, Idmaje and Taahil. Investors will be able to build new private schools on available state-owned land, including plots owned by state-owned companies.

Ahmed Brzel, chairman of the Association of Private Higher Education Institutions for Business expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the talks. "I think there’s now a light at the end of the tunnel and we can only applaud this process, which is the outcome of dialogue and mutual trust." He said, adding that the investment incentives have set a new trend in motion, breaking the deadlock in the sector.

A number of school complexes have been built in Morocco since the 1990s. At present, the majority of private schools are located in urban areas. 47% are situated along the Atlantic coast between Kenitra and Casablanca, while the remaining 53% are spread out across major cities in other regions. Chairman of the HEM group, Abdelali Benamor, says that workers in the sector are insisting upon the creation of a follow-up committee to oversee the implementation of the framework agreement. A special committee accountable to the prime minister will be responsible for ensuring adherence to the terms of the agreement.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2007/05/20/feature-02
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Morocco To Become A Top Med Destination By 2010.
Matthew Peters -Mon 21 May, 2007

In 2001 the Moroccan government launched Vision 2010, an ambitious plan to increase the number of overseas tourists from 2m pa to 10m pa by 2010 and make the country attractive for second home buyers, in particular from the UK, Germany and Switzerland. The plan, if successful, will diversify away Moroccos reliance on France for tourists and replace it with a reliance on Western Europe. Morocco has a lot to offer, it is considered a good value family destination with plenty of historical and cultural heritage, near and convenient for European travellers, but maintaining its unique charm...

Humphrey Bogart’s parting shot to Ingrid Bergman in the epic “Casablanca” was “here’s looking at you kid”. The film shot in the former French protectorate (1912-1956) depicted a romantic, peaceful enclave away from the nightmare of World War II. In some respects the same is true today Morocco remains a scenic place, with varied landscapes, a mix of old world charm and luxury amidst a rapidly modernising economy. Best of all its less than three hours flying time from Heathrow!

The Kingdom of Morocco is double the size of the UK but with a population of 33m, relatively large by African standards. Following the death of King Hassan in 1999 his son King Mohammed VI was crowned in July 1999 with a view to maintaining the emphasis on modernisation. His father had once remarked “Morocco is like a tree with its roots planted firmly in North Africa, but whose branches extend over Europe”. King Mohammed VI wants to boost Morocco’s international profile, encourage foreign direct investment in particular the tourist industry, mining and infrastructure development. This will involve the building of roads and upgrading regional airports, in particular in the Northern Mediterranean coastal areas, Saida and the Golden Mile and other large scale long-term projects such as the Morocco Film City, a huge €1.3bn development near Marrakech, “the red city” that will house film production studios, theatres, condominiums, hotels and conference centres. The modernisation of Morocco is underway and it might not be long, 2010-2012 by some estimates before significant areas start to resemble Dubai.

The local currency the Moroccan dirham (MAD) has traded at 11/€ for some considerable time. It is pegged to a basket of currencies (heavily weighted by the € but also including the Yen and US$). The central bank, the Bank al Maghrib held reserves of US$16bn by end 2005 and has a core mandate of achieving price stability. Interest rates have held steady at 4.5%. Apart from a single 5% devaluation during the early Nineties the dirham has been stable. An investor approaching Morocco should consider it to be an investment in a currency closely tied to the Euro.
The climate is tropical; a rainy season from January to April is followed by very hot weather during the dry season from June to September. Most Moroccans live west of the Atlas Mountains, a range that insulates the country from the Sahara Desert. Casablanca is the centre of commerce and industry and the leading port; Rabat is the seat of government; Tangier is the gateway to Morocco from Spain and also a major port; Fez is the cultural and religious center; and Marrakech is a major tourist centre. However the coastal area in the North, “The Golden Mile” on the Mediterranean and Saida are seeing the benefits of large scale infrastructure projects aimed at created a North African Riviera.
Morocco has an ambitious government eager to “up its game”

In 2001 the Moroccan government launched Vision 2010, an ambitious plan to increase the number of overseas tourists from 2m pa to 10m pa by 2010 and make the country attractive for second home buyers, in particular from the UK, Germany and Switzerland. During 2006, around 6.5m tourists visited Morocco. The plan, if successful, will diversify away Morocco’s reliance on France for tourists and replace it with a reliance on Western Europe. Morocco has a lot to offer, it is considered a good value family destination with plenty of historical and cultural heritage, near and convenient for European travellers, but maintaining its unique charm.

To encourage tourism by facilitating its “Open Skies” policy of deregulating international flights, “Atlas Blue” a budget airline subsidiary of Royal Air Maroc, the national carrier currently flies to 11 major EU cities from Marrakech. In July 2006 Easyjet started flights from Gatwick to Marrakech. Air France, British Airways, Ryanair, Easyjet and Atlas Blue are all operating weekly flights to Morocco. Ryanair is planning to expand the number of Moroccan routes from five to 20 by 2010, it expects to carry 1m passengers pa on these routes by 2010.

Tourist numbers are rising steadily in the nine month period to end September 2006 the number of visitors to Morocco was 9% ahead of 2005 with the average spend per tourist up 26%. The government appears to be reaching its target audience in the EU at least, notwithstanding the Casablanca bomb attacks in 2003.

In our view, Morocco is coping well with the challenge of being proximate to, yet outside the EU, the world’s largest trading zone. It concluded a free trade treaty with the United States which came into force in January 2006. A free trade agreement with the EU will come into force in 2010. However Morocco is still a relative unknown in international financial circles, excluding France and Spain whose commercial banks own controlling stakes in Moroccan banks. According to the Casablanca stock exchange only 10% of shares are held by foreigners.

The main advantage for investors who take a positive view on the country’s economic development is the fact that real estate can be acquired for around one third of the cost of similar properties in Spain and Portugal, yet due to the similarity of climate between the Spanish Med and the Morrocan Med (which at its narrowest point the Straits of Gibraltar is just 14 kms in terms of distance) the “lifestyle” difference in ten years time is likely to be negligible. At some point Moroccan prices may converge with those of southern Spain as the new developments arrive.

Favourable legislation aimed at attracting “second home” Europeans . Anyone can buy Moroccan property whether as a holiday home or an investment. To discourage short-term speculation the government levies a 20% capital gains tax on properties sold within five years of purchase, this tapers down to 10% within ten years and 0% thereafter. There is a 0% inheritance tax if your property is left to members of your family. There is 0% tax on rental income for the first five years. Post the tax holiday there is a 10% levy on rental income. A dual tax treaty between the UK and Morocco means the taxpayer can elect in which jurisdiction tax is paid.

The Moroccan government is also tidying up the land registry issues, ensuring that older properties that may not have title deeds are listed. This process will ease the problem of establishing title that some investors have experienced.

Flash new developments are underway, the Sama Dubai company is building the Amwaj project, a $2bn community development near Rabat that is likely to complete in mid 2009. Emaar Properties Dubai is building coastal developments near Saida. The off plan apartments at Saida start at around €140,000 for delivery in 2009, but these are at significant premiums compared to properties elsewhere.

Saida deserves special mention, and is to be recommended for those seeking a Mediterranean environment. It has over 20kms of white sandy beaches, 17 beach clubs, a bird reserve and eucalyptus forest. The Oasis Beach & Golf Resort will be marketed by Insight-Morocco will feature a complex with penthouses, apartments, townhouses, a clubhouse set in the midst of three 290sq km golf courses, a marina and spa centre. Further detailed documentation on the development and a wealth of information on Morocco is available free on www.insight-morocco.co.uk.

The government by attracting the multi-nationals, Dell Computer, IBM, Nokia, Marks & Spencer has helped encourage expectations of rapid property price appreciation. With the multi-nationals come high paid expatriates and a more affluent middle class. It is no wonder the property sector received the largest share of the FDI (foreign direct investment) in 2004 according to the European University Institute. The potential for prices to rise by 15%-30% pa is very real given the fact they are starting at such a low base.

There is no shortage of Moroccan property according to the websites; www.propertymartoverseas.com ; <http://www.headlands.co.uk >. It is its worth deciding on your budget first. It is worth visiting Morocco and obtaining a selection of properties at different price levels. For Morocco having two price levels; €70,000 and €120,000 casts the net relatively wide for Casablanca, Marrakech and Tangier properties. However to get something decent in Saidia, that means buying into a new development which is likely to cost around €140,000 upwards. For these new builds typically payment instalments are 10% payable on contract, 20% on the start of building works (expected end 2007) with the balance 70% on completion in Q2 2009. Morocco is clearly worth investigating, if only for a long weekend away. Its proximity to Europe will make it a favourite destination in years to come.
Mathew Peters For The Daily Reckoning
http://www.dailyreckoning.co.uk/article/moroccotobecomeatopmeddestinationby20100220.html
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Moroccan scholars refute terrorist doctrines.
By Mawassi Lahcen – 23/05/2007

Religious scholars from throughout Morocco gathered to deconstruct terrorist thought in a seminar held May 19th by the Supreme Council of Scholars in Casablanca. A group of Moroccan religious scholars gathered in Casablanca on Saturday (May 19th) for a seminar intended to challenge the validity of terrorist ideology. According to Mohammed Yasif, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Scholars, the aim of the seminar was to question the principles upon which terrorist thought is founded and to identify their "deviant and erroneous" aspects, in light of the provisions of Sharia law.

Participants gave twelve different lectures during the seminar, each offering analysis of a particular idea in terrorist thinking, as well as religious and intellectual arguments against them. Yasif began his remarks by describing Islamic terrorism as a diseased belief system which threatens the integrity and security of the Muslim community, as the result of a flawed understanding of the religion and an aberrant interpretation of Sharia. Yasif pointed out that religious scholars, such as imams, khatibs, spiritual guides and preachers, are the people most capable of treating this dangerous malady, given their command of Sharia sciences, their knowledge of the innovations and requirements of the modern age and the community’s respect for them.

Dr. Mostapha Benhamza, President of the Local Council of Scholars in Oujda, attacked the common assumption that terrorism results from poor social conditions, pointing out that terrorist leaders attempt to establish religious legitimacy for their movements on the basis of thinking which dates back to the beginning of Islamic history, with the emergence of the Kharijites, and which tends towards takfir (the practice of declaring people to be non-believers). According to Benhamza, this inclination to takfir indicates a lack of one the pillars of the faith, which is "belief and speech and action".

Benhamza stated that the question of faith is a matter of heart. He added that Islamic jurisprudence contests the legitimacy of terrorist movements that call on Muslims to commit acts that threaten the security and stability of any country to which they are connected by treaties of peace and security, which they are duty-bound to protect.

Taoufiq Al-Ghalbazouri, lecturer at the College of Religious Studies at the University of Karaouiyeen in Fez, questioned the legitimacy of withholding the benefits of democracy from Muslims. Al-Ghalbazouri stated that contemporary democracy serves to protect human freedom and preserve dignity and is not incompatible with Islamic Shura (consultation). Rather, it is an evolved version of Shura developed by man. He said democracy and Shura both aim to guarantee the freedom of the people and to liberate them from oppression and tyranny.

Al-Ghalbazouri explained that the essence of democracy is "that people choose who manages their affairs." He said that people "have the right to hold their governments responsible if they err or deviate," and that people have the right to ensure "that they do not have to follow economic, social, and political programmes they disapprove of".

Morocco relies upon its imams, khatibs, preachers and spiritual guides to confront Islamic extremism and to combat terrorist ideology. Morocco has organized a number of these specialised training programmes to educate imams and khatibs on how to effectively marginalise this radical school of thought.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2007/05/23/feature-01
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