Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
November 17, 2007

New budget focuses on Morocco's social welfare.
12/11/2007 By Sarah Touahri

Morocco's proposed 2008 budget includes ambitious measures to improve education, housing and health care while enhancing the country's economic competitiveness. Morocco's government announced on Wednesday (November 7th) that fully half of the proposed 2008 budget is dedicated to social welfare programmes. While presenting the draft budget, Minister of Finance and the Economy Salaheddine Mezouar said the bill is "part of a new vision placing human development and the struggle against poverty and marginalisation at the heart of our efforts."

In 2008, 1.2 billion dirhams will be earmarked to the National Human Development Initiative. The government plans to improve the quality of teaching through a 9.7% funding increase, and intends to complete a programme designed to make education available throughout the country, encourage private sector involvement, cut school drop-out rates and step up the implementation of vocational training and literacy programmes.

The new budget earmarks a total of 1.7 billion dirhams for the housing sector. The pace of subsidized housing construction will be accelerated by freeing up government-owned property and reducing red tape. Additionally, a new type of tax-free housing for families with limited means will be rolled out next year.

The health budget is to increase 10.4% over that of 2007, and the government will continue promoting compulsory medical insurance for citizens with limited income and for those working in the private sector. Regarding employment, the government has pledged to carry on its initiative to train 15,000 new engineers per year by 2010, 3,300 new doctors per year by 2020 and 10,000 new social service workers per year by 2012.

In order to maintain purchasing power and reduce the cost of living, the government aims to hold inflation at 2% and to allocate funds to subsidise essential consumer goods. The budget for the Caisse de Compensation, which handles the subsidies, will increase from 15 billion dirhams in 2007 to 20 billion dirhams next year.

According to the finance minister, the government has forecast growth of 6.8% in 2008 and a reduction in the budget deficit from 3.4% of GDP to 2.4%. The government has also announced a raft of measures to overhaul the fiscal sector. One of the key changes will be a reduction of the corporate tax from 35% to 30%. In addition, the maximum rate for customs duty on imported industrial products will be reduced from 45% to 40%.

The finance committee of the Chamber of Representatives began debating the bill as soon as it was presented to Parliament. Committee chairman Cheikh Amar gave a positive assessment of the draft budget, particularly with regard to the growth forecasts, tax reforms and plans for the Caisse de Compensation.

Some ministers have expressed concerns with the new budget. Fatima Mustaghfir, a deputy representing the Popular Movemet, said that the bill "has, as usual, tried to spread itself over numerous sectors when it should have concentrated on three or four to achieve significant results."

The Moroccan public is also sceptical about the new budget. Said Belmkhoter, a nurse, told Magharebia the figures and measures which were announced for the health sector are nothing new and are merely a continuation of strategies already in place. He also said the measures will have to translate into real action if a broad swath of the population is to benefit.

Teacher Mourad Madani said it will be impossible to achieve 6.8% growth as the current farming season has gone poorly so far and the prices of oil and raw materials are rising steadily. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2007/11/12/feature-01
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Unemployed Moroccan graduates demand public sector jobs.
 15/11/2007 By Sarah Touahri 

Possessing diplomas but disillusioned by private sector job options, unemployed Moroccan graduates staged a protest at Istiqlal party offices on Monday. Jobless Moroccan graduates blocked the entrance to Istiqlal party offices in Rabat on Monday (November 12th) to demand work in the public sector.

Members of three different protest groups representing the graduates argued that since the state trained them, it also has a duty to provide them with professional work commensurate with their level of education. Protestors said the location of the sit-in – outside the offices of Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi's Istiqlal Party – was chosen after El Fassi vowed to provide 16,000 public sector jobs in 2008.

The unemployed graduates said an agreement signed with the previous government in August has not yet been implemented. Under the agreement, graduates are to receive priority in taking recruitment examinations to join the civil service, and a special commission is to be formed to oversee the process and inform candidates of their priority status.

Protestors complained that the commission has not been formed, and demanded the abolition of written tests as a condition of employment in state posts. "We want the written tests to be abolished, because the law does not mention them. This strategy allows only those who are connected with officials to get into the available posts," said Ahmed Gandou, a member of the Hiwar protest group. He said the sit-in was a reaction to a recent education ministry decision to recruit 1,000 unemployed white-collar workers, but only once they have taken written and oral tests.

According to the government, the time when all unemployed graduates could be recruited into the civil service is past. The government said the August agreement is clear. It advocates a preferential approach to facilitate unemployed graduates’ access to the civil service by giving them priority in taking the competitive recruitment examinations. It also provides for the re-training of approximately 1,000 unemployed degree-holders to facilitate their integration into the most promising sectors of the national economy.

In its statement before parliament, the new government promised it would create some 250,000 jobs per year, based on the rising rate of growth. The protestors, however, have turned their backs on the private sector in which they have no confidence. They are threatening further sit-ins until their demands are met and they are recruited unconditionally into the public sector. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2007/11/15/feature-01
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Morocco expands construction of low-income housing.
15/11/2007 By Imane Belhaj

To tackle the problem of shantytowns and a general housing shortage, Morocco has announced the construction of new affordable apartments for low-income families. Moroccan Minister of Finance and Economy Salaheddine Mezouar announced at a press conference in Rabat on November 9th that a new form of housing will be provided for the nation's poorer families, with a target price of not more than 140,000 dirhams. Upon submitting the draft finance law on November 7th to the House of Representatives, Mezouar said developers interested in participating in the project will benefit from a complete tax exemption. Qualifying developers will have to build 500 units in urban areas and 100 in rural areas. The unit sales will be strictly at cost.

Reaction to the announcement ranged from relief to apprehension among families eager to own a home that conforms to minimum quality standards. Some families, especially those residing in shantytowns, expressed their happiness. Ibrahim, a resident of one such neighbourhood in Casablanca, supports his family of six on his income as a casual electrician. He said 140,000 dirhams is a reasonable price, in line with the nation's policy to eliminate shantytowns. He added that the price is feasible for people with very low income or who are self-employed and thus ineligible for bank loans.

Fatima, whose house is nearing collapse, said she has long held the dream of owning a home that would bring her dignity and a decent life but could not afford the market price of 200,000 dirhams for such an apartment. Loan conditions were impossible for her to meet, as she had no collateral or guarantor to offer a lender. "I hope there won't be any manipulation," she said, "and that the apartments will not be given to people not in need."

Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi declared late last month that 150,000 housing units will be completed in Morocco by early 2008 to begin addressing a critical urban housing shortage estimated at 750,000 residential units. The project will be executed on a regional basis, in tandem with the "Cities without Shantytowns" initiative.

Loans for the apartments will be provided by the Guarantee Fund for Irregular and Modest Incomes (FOGARIM) for periods of up to 50 years, with no down payment and monthly instalments of 500 dirhams. The loans could reach as many as 15 million people, according to current statistics. FOGARIM was founded by the government in 2003, to assist first-time home buyers with modest financial means and who lack documentation of their monthly income - such as craftsmen, traditional artisans, peddlers, and taxi drivers.

In an attempt to diversify the housing market, and in response to demand for housing among the middle class, a national programme has also been announced for the construction of 50,000 homes in 2008, ranging in price from 800,000 to 1,000,000 dirhams.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2007/11/15/feature-02
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'Major oportunities' as trade and technology links evolve with Morocco.
Monday, November 12 - 2007

Enhanced links between countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and North Africa will have a major economic and technological impact, according to experts set to gather in Dubai in December. In particular, a rise in the number of outsourcing agreements with Morocco - built upon strong Arabic resources and a highly trained workforce - could produce significant business benefits.

Morocco's strength as an ICT outsourcing center stems from the rapid expansion of its ICT industry and its use of advanced global networks. The Moroccan IT market expanded from $403.88m in 2001 to $638.69m in 2006, representing an average annual growth rate of 9.6%. With more than 1,500 ICT firms employing over 41,000 people, the country is now firmly established as one of the leading suppliers of IT services in the Middle East.

IDC's major meeting - Agenda for a Shrinking Globe: Seizing Opportunities in a Connected World - will draw representatives from government, telecommunications, utility and transport companies to meet with senior representatives from Apebi, the Moroccan Federation of Information Technologies, Telecommunications and Offshoring.

'In order to capitalize on such investment and promote its progress, Apebi took the initiative in 2004 of developing a strategic vision, throughout a Public Private Partnership voluntary Policy, under the umbrella of our Prime Minister, that it has presented as a Progress Contract to all operators and decision makers,' said M. Bachir Rachdi, Chairman of Apebi. 'We will be present at this event to share our experiences due of contribution of the Moroccan ICT core competencies, and allow companies in the region to benefit from their economic and social impact,' he added.

Agenda for a Shrinking Globe will be part of a major government initiative to encourage Gulf companies to take advantage of Morocco's rapidly developing base of services. said Jyoti Lalchandani, Vice President and Regional Managing Director of IDC Middle East and Africa.

'The side effect has been rising costs, with both office buildings and IT services providers charging premium prices as demand has soared. Until recently, there were few options for outsourcing IT at low-cost to providers that truly understand the Middle East. Morocco has emerged as a viable location for offshore IT investment and services,' he added.

The Moroccan government is taking steps to ensure this growth continues. The Kingdom has committed to a public-private agreement and strategy for expanding the country's ICT sector to $9bn by 2012, which will help solidify Morocco's position as a premiere center for outsourcing.
The private sector is represented by Apebi whose members use global networks to supply a wide range of services to clients, both regionally and globally.
http://www.ameinfo.com/137983.html
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The spice of life.
Lynne Mullins November 13, 2007

In the medina, or old town, of Marrakech in Morocco, the narrow streets are clogged with a river of pedestrians sharing the space with donkeys, tiny taxis, pushbikes, scooters and merchants peddling their wares from barrows. All roads lead to the heart of the city and its famous square, Djemaa el-Fna, which at sunset morphs into a pulsating theatre of musicians and snake charmers, storytellers, acrobats and food stalls aplenty.

Boiled sheep's heads are not for the faint-hearted but mechoui, the Berber version of roasted lamb, is tender and succulent and there are many variations of the famous Moroccan chicken.

Radiating from the square, the archaic souks unfold and many vendors offer a cup of steaming sweet mint tea as they entice people to buy. Towering erect cones of colourful coriander, turmeric, paprika, cumin, saffron and chilli catch the eye and veiled women roll delicate, tender grains of couscous from wheat flour.

A selection of salads is usually served as a first course in Morocco. Sometimes up to 14 small plates are provided and an aromatic carrot salad will always be one of the stars along with potato, cucumber and tomato. A sophisticated and elaborate dish often made with pigeon, b'stilla, is a tasty savoury pie made with layers of tissue paper-thin pastry dusted with a waft of cinnamon and icing sugar. Crescent-shaped pastries (gazelle's horns) and lavish sweet macaroons have a taste and texture that remains a vivid memory from their heavenly scent of orange blossom water.

Chicken tagine with fresh dates and lemons
Dates have been an essential ingredient in Morocco for thousands of years in savoury and sweet recipes alike.
4 chicken marylands, halved
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
Salt and cracked black pepper
1/2 finely sliced lemon
2 onions, finely chopped
150g green olives
6 large fresh medjool dates, halved and pitted
1/2 preserved lemon, rinsed and sliced
1/4 cup coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 200C.
Place chicken pieces in a large bowl and drizzle with 3 tbsp of oil. Combine garlic, paprika, cumin, tumeric and ginger and sprinkle over chicken. Season with salt and pepper and turn chicken to coat. Add lemon slices, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Heat a large ovenproof dish or tagine with remaining olive oil and when hot add onions and stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and stir well. Place chicken on top of onions, turn to coat, cover and bake for 30 minutes. Add olives and dates and bake a further 10-15 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Serve chicken with juices, olives and dates spooned over and top with preserved lemon and coriander.
Serve with couscous or mash.
Serves 4.

Red capsicum, tomato and sumac salad
2 red capsicums
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 very ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp sumac
4 sprigs coriander, leaves torn
Preheat oven to 200C.
Place capsicums in an ovenproof dish and drizzle with half the olive oil. Turn to coat and roast for 10 minutes then turn capsicums and roast for a further 10 minutes or until soft and blistered.

Remove from the oven and place in a plastic bag for 15-20 minutes. Remove skins, core and seeds, then slice. Place capsicums in a salad bowl with the tomatoes.

In a small bowl combine garlic, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, salt, pepper and sumac and whisk well. Pour dressing over vegetables, toss gently and scatter with coriander leaves.
Serves 6

Warm salad of carrots with herbs and orange-blossom water
600g carrots
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp orange-blossom water
Ground black pepper, to taste
2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs coriander, coarsely chopped
Peel carrots, halve lengthways then slice diagonally. Combine in a saucepan with garlic, sugar and salt and just cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat until tender. Drain and place in a serving bowl, reserving garlic. Mash garlic with olive oil, pepper and orange-blossom water and add to carrots while still warm. Toss gently and scatter with parsley and coriander.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/recipes/the-spice-of-life/2007/11/12/1194766558499.html
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Over 30k new cancer cases every year in Morocco.
Casablanca, Nov. 16

Some 30,500 new cancer cases are documented every year in Morocco thanks to a Cancer Registry of the Grand Casablanca Region (RCRC) whose results were unveiled, Thursday, by Princess Lala Salma, Chairwoman of the "Lalla Salma Association Against Cancer." According to this registery, global cancer incidence rate among males and females is 101.7 new cases per 100,000 people, said Professor Abdellatif Benider, Chief Physician of Cancerology at the Casablanca Ibn Roshd Hospital.

Breast cancer tops the list with 662 cases, he added, followed by lung cancer (389 cases), cervical cancer (235 cases), and prostate cancer (124 cases). Mr. Benider stressed the need to set up a national program to fight cancer, including early diagnosis and screening programs.

The RCRC, due to be a model for other pathologies, aims to gather substantial data on cancer, mainly to define cancerous indicators, incidence rates, morbidity, and mortality for a better allocation of medical care. Fruit of national and international cooperation, RCRC is the first registery documenting cancer diseases in Morocco, and whose results are to extend to the whole population of Morocco.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box3/over_30k_new_cancer/view
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King lays foundation stones for association and women projects in Fès.
Fès, Nov. 15

King Mohammed VI laid, here Thursday, the foundation stones for two projects intended to improve living standards for women and working conditions for associations in the city of Fès (200 km east of Rabat). The first project, which required a budget of about USD 361,000, consists of a training and qualification center for women, and is meant to provide them with training in income-generating professions such as cooking, hairdressing, IT, broidery and weaving...

The project, to be built on an area of 950 square meters, will also provide orientation and awareness raising, with an ultimate goal of tamping down poverty and exclusion of rural populations since the project is erected in the rural area of Ouled Tayeb. Thanks to the project, these populations will have access to infrastructures and basic social facilities.

The second project, a space for training and support to associations, will be constructed in the same region on an area of 1,500 square meters for an amount of USD 515,000. The project will provide support to local initiatives especially youth's with the aim of rehabilitating them through reinforcing capacities, capitalizing experiences, and creating a synergy among local associations.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box1/king_lays_foundation_1/view
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Some USD 2Bn allocated to micro-credit projects in Morocco in 2006.
Istanbul, Nov.16

Morocco allocated nearly USD 2Bn to fund micro-credit projects in 2006, which benefited some 4.5 million people, 66% of whom are women, said, here on Thursday, Minister of Foreign Trade, Abdellatif Maâzouz. Speaking before the 23rd session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Mr. Maâzouz underlined that the North African country has a leading experience in the Mediterranean region in this field.

He added that the interest attached by the kingdom to developing micro credits is part of the actions aimed at fighting poverty and social exclusion notably following the launch, in mid-2005, of the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH).

The Moroccan official called for revitalizing the role of the Federation of Contractors from Islamic Countries, pointing out that Trade Preferential System agreement between the OIC countries provides the appropriate framework for economic developers and paves the way for reinforcing trade exchanges among the OIC Member states.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/some_usd_2bn_allocat/view
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IEB grants over USD 8 Mn to Morocco's 'CapMezzanine' investment fund .
Brussels, Nov.16

The European investment Bank (EIB) has granted some USD 8.7Mn to a new investment fund in Morocco dubbed "CapMezzanine", a press release of the bank announced on Friday. Initiated by Morocco's state-run "Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion" and the Facility for Euro Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), the USD 64.4 Mn-worth fund aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Morocco. The fund will also take shares in SMEs' capital and grant them Mezzanine loans to make equity and quasi-equity investments in these companies, the same source added.

Mezzanine loans are relatively large ones, typically unsecured or with a deeply subordinated security structure. Maturities usually exceed five years with the principal being payable at the end of the loan term. The loans can be used in financing start-up companies or leveraged buyouts, and are usually part of a larger financing package. The Bank has recently granted the North African country a loan amounting to some USD 260Mn to finance the construction of a 126km-motorway linking Fez (center) to Taza (east).

According to the head of the European Commission delegation in Morocco, Mr.Bruno Dethomas, the EIB finances up to 20-25% of the global costs of economic projects undertaken in Morocco. It is present in the kingdom since 1978 and has financed projects amounting to some USD 5Bn.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/ieb_grants_over_usd/view
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INDH Project progress: three million benefited from 12.000 projects.
Rabat, Nov.16

The number of projects already implemented or under way as part of Morocco's National Initiative for Human Development (INDH) reached, between September 2005 and September 2007, some 12,137 projects that benefited three million people, said the national INDH coordinator, governor Aziz Dadès. In a report on the progress of the projects, presented during a meeting on "Follow-up Assessment: Reality and Prospects", Mr. Dadès noted that the global cost of these projects stood at MAD 6.4Bn (USD 824Mn), in which INDH chipped in USD 489Mn.

Some 5,000 projects, which benefited a total of 1.3 million people, were programmed in 2007, he added, noting that these projects touch mainly rural area (1,570 projects). The rest of the programs break down as follows: urban program (850 projects); anti-precariousness program (405 projects); and the transversal program (1,959 projects).

In 2006, some 6,100 projects were launched for 1.4 million beneficiaries, he went on to say, while 2005 saw the launch of 1,104 projects that benefited 300,000 people, for a global sum of USD 32.167Mn. Announced by king Mohammed VI in May 18, 2005, the large-scale social initiative is designed to alleviate poverty, vulnerability, marginalization and social exclusion by providing basic infrastructure to millions from adequate housing and drinking water to health care and education.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/indh_project_progres/view
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Over a million diabetics in Morocco.
Rabat, Nov. 14

Over one million people suffer from diabetes in Morocco, between 10,000 and 150,000 of whom are insulin-dependents, according to figures released recently on the occasion of the World Diabetes Day. No less than 10,000 of these diabetics are children, which makes child diabetes one of the most frequent chronic diseases. According to the estimates of the child diabetology in the children's hospital in Rabat, the number of new cases among the under-five children per year has tripled since 1990.

The World Diabetes Day, observed for the first time today, under the aegis of the United Nations on the theme "Diabetes in Children and Adolescents", aims at raising awareness of the seriousness of the disease and promoting prevention. According to the Association Badil, child diabetes is the most widespread disease in the world, noting that 70,000 children develop type 1 diabetes annually, and 440,000 live with this type today. This type is growing 3% per year in children and adolescents, and at an alarming 5% per year among pre-school children. In Morocco, however, child diabetes is relatively rare according to the association SOS-Diabète.

A diabetes-stricken child might develop, if not sufficiently treated, debilitating and life-threatening complications, namely retina problems conducive to blindness, renal failure and problems in peripheral nerves. Some 30 million cases of diabetes were documented in 1985 worldwide. Today, more than 240 million people across the world are living with diabetes. Within 20 years, this number is expected to grow to 380 million.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/over_a_million_diabe/view
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Over half a million attend private education, professional schools.
Casablanca, Nov. 13

Once their high school degree in their hands, students in Morocco seem to increasingly turn towards private schools to pursue their academic studies or to shape a professional career. From Para-medicine to transport jobs, through nursing or yet flight attendant trainings, private schools are mushrooming just about everywhere across the north African country to the great satisfaction of the hundreds of thousands of baccalaureate holders, TV program, EchoEco, aired Monday night on the TVM channel revealed.

Students are increasingly looking for a short, pointed, and, most importantly, promising training, which would get them a job shortly after graduation in flourishing sectors in Morocco or elsewhere. As a result, 1,800 private schools exist on the education market, an up-and-coming investment field that counts over half a million customers.

The specialized TV program “EchoEco” interviewed a number of the sectors' professionals, who said the investment can absorb up to a million dollars, but could yield handsome money, as a 15-month long training in a flight attendants school, for example, can cost the student no less than MAD 30,000 (almost USD 4,000). The success of these schools might be attributed to the fields these schools chose. Many of the interviewees stressed the link between professional training, the job market and the value of the degrees.

EchoEco is the first TV program that broadcasts on the net in Morocco. It is achieved through partnerships with a number of press institutions, including the Maghreb Arab Press. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/over_half_a_million_1/view
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Morocco's ways and customs.
Nov 9, 2007

Moroccan historian and member of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, Abdelhadi Tazi, called, here Wednesday, for creating a national observatory of Morocco's ways and customs. The observatory is meant to safeguard Morocco's ways and customs in the prospect of listing them in a glossary, said Mr. Tazi at a colloquium themed "Ways and Customs in Moroccan Society," underlining that this observatory will be interested in the ways and customs of all Moroccan cities and regions.

In his exposé, Mr. Tazi underlined that there are more common points between the peoples of the region than differences, noting that the Mediterranean does not constitute a geographical obstacle separating civilizations, but, rather, an element in favor of their rapprochement.

In this respect, he said that Moroccan ways and customs have been significantly enriched thanks to their openness to other civilizations of the Mediterranean notably the Andalou civilization, adding that the Moroccans living abroad live currently with “confusing” traditions, some of which are marked with distant civilizations, but close thanks to globalization.

Mr. Tazi also wondered on the means to safeguard the ways and customs of our ancestors, notably in the light of a galloping globalization of the various aspects of our daily life, hence the importance of creating a national observatory of Morocco’s ways and customs.
http://www.morocconewsline.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=216
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Morocco directors tackle new subjects: Religion, sex, crime unthinkable topics in past
By KAELEN WILSON-GOLDIE BEIRUT

In the movie business, Morocco is most often thought of as a location for Hollywood blockbusters, a place to film Middle Eastern-flavored locations in relative safety. Morocco is also encouraging local directors, though, and many are tackling subjects that would have been unthinkable in years past: religion, sex, crime and the desire to leave the country by any means possible.

"My ambition is to penetrate appearances, to denounce taboos and outmoded social norms that do great damage," said seasoned director Latif Lahlou, whose feature "Samira's Garden" is the sole Moroccan film competing in this year's Marrakech Intl. Film Festival.

The film's portrayal of an urbane young woman forced to wed an aged, brutal farmer is sure to touch raw nerves in a country suffering the growing pains of modernization and the deepening class cleavages of economic liberalization, both processes in which Morocco's movie industry is playing a major part.

"Arranged marriage certainly exists in societies grappling with traditional mores," says Lahlou. "For me, it was a pretext to reflect on problematic social conventions, and on how the observance of them can generate inexplicable situations and engender grave misfortunes."

Back in the 1960s, Lahlou pioneered Morocco's film culture at a time when the country's politicians deemed movies superfluous to the national interest. The situation has changed dramatically since then. Morocco turned out only 100 films between 1969 and 1998, but since the late 1990s the rate has grown to a dozen a year. The authorities now consider cinema a vital economic sector and their goal is 40 local films a year by 2020. To do so, they are creating funds to finance productions with budgets of around $6 million per film.

But there are risks. From newcomer Laila Marrakchi, whose first feature, the controversial "Marock," was a box-office smash, to Faouzi Bensaidi, Nabil Ayouch and Narjiss Nejjar, the current crop of Moroccan filmmakers is bent on shattering limits on what can be portrayed on screen. " 'Marock' was a big controversy in Morocco," says Marrakchi. The story traced a Muslim-Jewish romance against a backdrop of mounting religious conservatism.

"Even though this happens in real life, it's more difficult to show it in films. Some people didn't accept it but I wanted to show the reality of this country. These stories are real, they exist and they are a part of this country ... I didn't just want to be provocative ... The most important thing is to defend our ideas about the world and our freedom. Film is important because it's a mirror of society. It's a good way for us to accept what we are."

The reception of Nejjar's "Wake Up Morocco," about faith, freedom and football, was equally heated.
"This is my way of seeing and feeling Morocco," said Nejjar. "It is my Morocco ... I just want to feel free in my country. It is the experience of knowing what is waiting for us in this country if we are not aware. There are many moralists among us. I'm not talking about politics. I am talking about citizenship. I don't have arms. I just have images."
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117976195.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562
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A clubber’s guide to Marrakech.
Nov 15, 2007

Jack Doyle leaves the camels and carpets behind as he discovers a new Morocco.

TRY to imagine Morocco and you think deserts, camels and fezzes. Your mind might drift to exciting markets, tasty spices and ornate rugs. What you don’t think is glow sticks, strobe lighting and thumping techno. But there it is, and here we are. Welcome to Pacha, Marrakech, the nightclub in the desert.

Since the UK’s super-club scene fell over, clubbing back home has splintered into niche nights, often conducted in dank, dark and cramped basement clubs. Vast, salubrious venues with giant stages, podia and lighting rigs to rival opening night on the Jean Michelle Jarre world tour, exist only in the world of advertising, and the dreams of club promoters.

In Morocco, they’ve got plenty of space. So on the outskirts of Marrakech, they’ve sunk a palatial monument to dance culture in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. It’s gob-smackingly impressive. From miles away, light beams fired into the night sky draw the eye. At the entrance, towering columns lead to tree-lined arcades and landscaped courtyards.

Walk up and enter, and a passage opens up on to a giant swimming pool, with loungers littering the poolsides and scattered palm trees. To one side, a top-class restaurant, at the back, a smaller live music venue replete with huge black sofas. Behind it the club lurks invitingly. The building is pure pimped up bombast.

Our guide takes us through to a restaurant – one of two in the complex – where the service is excellent, the food international and first class and the setting as gentle and comforting as the fine array of drinks on offer. The clientele appears to be the great and good of the city – Pacha Marrakech seems to be carving itself a significant slice of whatever high-end entertainment business there is around.

On the evidence of our visit, that’s more than you might expect.

Men in Armani suits recline while admiring the slinky dresses of bejewelled Arabian princesses. Inside the club, the Moroccans party with great gusto and there is a more relaxed attitude to men and women mixing than you’d find anywhere else in this, a predominantly Muslim, Arabist country.

But the crowd does not live up to the expectations the venue raised. It’s young, drunk and excitable, but it’s lacking the full, communal, atmospheric feel of a big club. The Pacha brand, however, means the club won’t struggle to get big-name DJs.

Covering the full range of musical styles, from hip-hop to house, Pacha Marrakech can create its own style.

The vibe, slightly more chilled out than those on offer in Ibiza and elsewhere, could appeal to older, experienced British and French clubbers more than the teenage tribes. With the increase in budget flights, the country and the city are going to attract a wider range of people.

Thomsonfly gets you here so quickly that it’s worth a weekend, and cheaply enough to rival the cost of a night out in town, leaving you with enough cash to emerge, trinket-laden, from the local markets. Clearly, there are sharks on many of the market stalls, but barter hard and there are some real deals to be had.

Down a quiet alleyway near the Medina is the unassuming entrance to a boutique hotel called La Maison Arabe. Formerly a restaurant to the rich and famous, it was bought by an Italian businessman a few years ago and has been completely renovated.

Inside it’s a wonderful place – small enough to be charming, big enough that you don’t feel crowded, with attentive staff and a delicate, happy atmosphere. Rooms are large, sumptuous, and supremely well kept. A short journey from the main site is an impressive outdoor pool, perfect for working off hangovers after a night in Pacha.

If clubbing exertions really knock you for six, I can strongly recommend the masseuse in the basement. The full workout involves a mud rub, rinse, cool bath and then a massage. Marrakech has the feel of a place where the tourist trade is really changing.  IC Wales
http://www.morocconewsline.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=230
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A Voyage of Two Continents: Morocco.
by Brother Leo V. Ryan, CSV Saturday, November 17, 2007

(Editor's Note: In anticipation of his 80th birthday in April of 2007, Brother Leo V. Ryan, CSV was gifted with a Fall 2006 cruise from Lisbon, Portugal to Capetown, South Africa. He visited two countries in Europe and made 12 visits to nine West African countries.)

My first trip to Morocco was almost twenty years ago. It was a one-day trip to Tangier from Gibraltar
I was on a short holiday in Gibraltar from my duties as a Fellow, St. Edmund's College, Cambridge. In clear weather, you can see the lights of Tangier from Gibraltar or conversely you can see both the lights of Gibraltar and Spain from Tangier. Tangier became an international free city when Morocco was divided in two zones: French Zone and Spanish Zone.

My memories of Tangier are vivid even after nearly twenty years. The memory of Tangier is one of the Rampant and the Gate to the Sea, the Kasbah, our lamb lunches, and the variety of goods in the souks, the insistent and persistent vendors, and an adventurous camel ride in the countryside.

This 2006 visit was a return to Morocco and my second visit to both Casablanca and Agadir. Who has not heard of, or seen, the Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman 1943 film, Casablanca. That film introduced Casablanca and "The Kasbah" to our vocabulary. Kasbah is the term describing a fortified house with either a single tower or four towers, one at each corner. In January 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met in Casablanca. A small group of my St. Pat's High School classmates were gathered that evening for dancing and late supper at the (then) East Main residence of the A. E. Sheridan family. Our classmate, Dorothy Ann Sheridan (Mrs. John Terhune) was the host. There was a sudden break in the radio music for a news bulletin which announced the surprise meeting. Back in those days, it never occurred to me that I would ever visit Casablanca! At that same meeting, President Roosevelt pledged his support to Sultan Mohammed V for independence for Morocco.

Supported by a following of young nationalists Mohammed V took office in 1947. His Independence Party was deposed by the French in 1953 but he returned from exile in 1955. While Mohammed V was authoritarian, he possessed a progressive viewpoint and inaugurated the modern era in Morocco. When he died in 1961 his son succeeded him and ruled as Hassan II. He further advanced the plans and programs of his father. When he died in 1999, his son succeeded him and took the name of his grandfather, thus becoming today's Mohammed VI.

Mohammed VI, who is 43, is married to a Berber woman who is a computer specialist. The Berbers and the Arabs are the dominant tribes in Morocco. The royal couple has a young, three-year old son, Prince Moulay Hassan. The King has stressed human rights, continuing the cultural reforms of his father and grandfather. He has allowed exiles to return. He travels constantly throughout Morocco, especially to provinces generally neglected by his father who, more or less, limited himself to Robat, the capital, and to the middle and southern Atlantic coastal area.

Morocco is an ancient Berber Kingdom - originally under the influence of Carthage (800 BC; Tunisia today) and Rome. Morocco's origins are Berber, Arab and African (especially after the Punic Wars, 207 BC).

Last November 2005, I was privileged to join a group of 14 Americans to study the archeology of Tunisia and Libya. We explored the successive waves of civilization across North Africa. First were the Phoecians (1000 BC), then the Roman Conquests (46 BC) followed by the Vandals (430 - 533), the Byzantine domination (6th Century) and finally in the 7th Century when Islam swept across North Africa.

From the 7th Century until today, Morocco is an Islamic state, albeit a "liberal" one. There is a tension between the lure of modernity and Islamic reforms. Morocco is the Westernmost of the Islamic countries. The word "western" applies both to geography and open culture. The Western aspects can be attributed to the influence of Sub-Sahara Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean countries and especially the French and Spanish presence over centuries.

Morocco has nearly 30 million people; almost 40 percent are under 15 years old. The country is large in land mass (274,388 sq. miles) but the population is primarily concentrated along the Atlantic coast and in the Rif and the Atlas Mountains. Five years ago an estimate indicated about five million people were living in poverty - many of whom migrated to the cities seeking employment and a better life. Like in most African countries, these migrants to the city come without defined skills and often find it difficult to adjust to urban living.

Casablanca was our first destination in Morocco. Agadir, regional capital of the South and beyond the Atlas Mountains, would be our second port of call.

Casablanca ("White House") is Morocco's largest city (population 3.5 million), its major port and the second largest and busiest port in all of Africa. Durban, South Africa is the largest port. Casablanca has the largest artificial harbors in the world.

Most of the foreign trade passes through this harbor. Cerial, leather, wool and phosphates are chief exports. Local industries include fishing, fish canning, saw milling, manufacturing of furniture, glass, construction materials and tobacco products. Multinational companies have introduced telecommunications. Cell phones have begun to appear everywhere.

Casablanca was destroyed by the Portuguese (1468), rebuilt (1515), destroyed by earthquake (1755), and immediately rebuilt. The French arrived in 1907 and occupied Casablanca. They immediately determined to build a French city around the old Moorish city. During World War II, Casablanca was one of three major landing places in the Allied invasion of North Africa. Col. Austin Douglas Higgins, for whom I served as Administrative Assistant during the 1946 Bikini Atom Bomb tests in the Pacific, was Port Director at Oran for the Allied Invasion.

I had been to Casablanca as recently as 2000 while enroute from Genoa, Italy, to the Canary Islands. So, I decided to spend my day in port with a visit to Imperial Rabat. Rabat is the political, administrative and financial capital of Morocco, residence of Mohammed VI, and the burial monument and tomb of Mohammed V. Rabat is also the university town with unique souks.

Alas, it was not to be! The Prinsendam wake-up call system failed for me and for others. On our second night sail we also experienced rolling seas and I was lulled into an eleven-hour deep sleep. By the time I awoke the Rabat tour group had already left for their all-day trip. Since it was ship's failure, I was refunded the Rabat excursion fee and offered an afternoon visit in Casablanca. I took the offer because a revisit is always a reintroduction.

Khill was our knowledgeable guide. For a Muslim country, it was interesting to me that our first destination was to the Catholic Church of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes. This Cathedral-size French Catholic Church is famous for ceiling to floor level stain glass windows depicting the life of Christ. Cathedral construction began in 1926 and was completed in 1988. We spent a half hour at the Cathedral. A second Catholic church Sacre-Coeur, was built by the Spanish, but it has since been converted to serve as a cultural center.

We visited (by passing in the bus) new government buildings for the Prefecture, Justice and the Post Office all at Palace Mohammed V. Our destination was the City Hall and the Administrative Center for Casablanca. There we were introduced to portraits and brief biographies of the present King, Mohammed VI, and his grandfather, Mohammed V. The City Hall consists of a series of buildings around an open court in exquisite Moorish architecture and symbolic designs.

The Morocco flag is a five-pointed green star on a field of red. Red represents the blood shed over the centuries which contributed to the eventual emergence of Morocco as a nation. The green star symbolizes peace. The five points of the star represent the five pillars of Islam.

The five pillars of Islam are: (1) Faith, (2) Prayer (five times a day), (3) Almsgiving, (4) Ramadan Fasting and (5) the Hadj (pilgrimage to Mecca). The Kings bear the title: "Leader of the Faithful." Our visit coincided with the last days of Ramadan in which the faithful were still fasting from food and water from sun-up until sunset.

We walked several short blocks. Upon arrival at the Royal Palace, we were admitted to the grounds. Since the government is in Rabat, this palace is reserved primarily for ceremonial events and meetings convoked by the King. Again the architecture was spectacular. Three ceremonial guards stood before the main door: one representing the army, another navy and the third a special Palace Honor Guard each in colorful traditional garb.

We returned to our bus and traveled along Boulevard Mohammed V. Many of the buildings were noted for their mixture of Art Deco with white simple designs, facades, friezes and balconies combined with intricate and decorative Moorish designs.

We crossed both Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy Boulevards enroute to the Mosque of Hassan II. This mosque is the second largest religious building in the world. It is second only to the mosque in Mecca. To give you an idea, the mosque holds 25,000 persons inside and the courtyard can accommodate 100,000 pilgrims. The mosque covers almost one million square feet (968,774 sq. ft. to be precise). Another marvel is that two-thirds of this complex is built over water. The minaret is 656 feet high with two laser beams that shine over 30 miles toward Mecca.

On my last visit, I was privileged to be able to visit the Prayer Hall with its movable roof and its carved cedar paneled and painted interior white. This time we were not able to visit the Prayer Hill because of Ramadan. It is said that 35,000 workmen labored to construct this mosque - 30,000 workers by day and 5,000 at night. It is a wonder of the world proportions. It is, of course, a monument to Hassan II but also a monument to Arab-Islamic architecture which combines Moroccan imagination and ingenuity.

No city bus tour is complete unless there is time to shop. That last thirty minutes included a visit to a three-level bazaar including a wide assortment of high quality Moroccan carpets, furniture and furnishings and general souvenirs items. Since dollars and credit cards were the medium of exchange most of us, including myself, rejoined the bus with packages of purchases for family, friends and ourselves.

We returned to the Prinsendam for an 8 p.m. departure. Overnight and for a half day we sailed southward along the Atlantic coast to Agadir, the capital of South Morocco, which lies beyond the Atlas Mountains. Agadir is the mining region of Morocco. Lead, zinc, and manganese are exported through the excellent natural harbor of Agadir. Local industry includes fishing, fish canning and the manufacture of light medal products. Thousands of filled, sealed containers were gathered at the port waiting forwarding.

The Portuguese first settled Agadir about 1500 but lost control to local rulers by 1536. In 1911 Germany, as a challenge to the French role in Morocco, sent a warship to Agadir. That incident almost precipitated a war in Europe. The event consolidated rather than inhibited the French influence and by 1912 Morocco became a French Protectorate. Neither World War I nor II destroyed Agadir, but two earthquakes, both in 1960, almost did so. Over 15,000 people perished. The surviving residents rebuilt the city.

This was my second visit to Agadir. I chose this time not to leave the ship. I left the traditional visit to the old Kasbar, (1540) to the market, the Souk and the Fort to first time visitors. The Kasbar and the Fort were visible from the ship. Otherwise, Agadir is modern, nondescript, industrial port city of 110,000, more or less, near the desert landscape of the Anti-Atlas area of the Morocco Sahara. We arrived at 1:30 p.m. and departed as the sun was beginning a glorious sunset. It was a farewell salute to bid us an adieu for our two-day sail to Dakar, Senegal.
http://www.waukonstandard.com/main.asp?SectionID=24&SubSectionID=103&ArticleID=42584&TM=34978.13
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