FOM Monthly Electronic Rolling Newsletter
January 2004

    Events Calendar for Friends of Morocco in the USA

   1/31 Week in Review:  News clips from Morocco
   1/24 Week in Review:  News clips from Morocco
   1/17 Week in Review:  News clips from Morocco
   1/03 Week in Review:  News clips from Morocco
   12/27 Week in Review:  News clips from Morocco

Compiled weekly by Mhamed El Kadi in Morocco and posted each Saturday on this site

 Morocco eyes better human rights
by Pascale Harter in Casablanca Saturday 10 January 2004 7:58 PM GMT Aljazeera.net
Ali L'Mrabit was jailed for insulting the king. Moroccan magazine editor Ali L'Mrabit looked pale but jubilant as he walked out of Sale prison a free man. A member of the new Justice and Reconciliation Committee called it "an historic day for Morocco" and "a turning point in the history of human rights in the country". Supporters queued up to kiss L'Mrabit and congratulate him on the Royal Pardon, which saw his threeyear prison sentence cut short after just eight months. Since his conviction in May 2003, the case of the satirical journalist imprisoned for "insulting the King" with cartoons and articles lampooning the royal family, has become a cause celebre for critics of Morocco's human rights record.
While US Secretary of State Colin Powell publicly praised King Muhammad VI for his "bold" democratic reforms, in private the United States, neighbouring Spain, and Morocco's closest ally France, were all expressing concern over the jailing of the journalist.

 Morocco's magical movie houses
By Juan Goytisolo Published: January 9 2004 Financial Times
There exists an almost extinct species of cinema whose auditorium, dense atmosphere and original settings stand out more strongly, more glowingly in the memory than the meandering plot of their films. Over the past 30 years, in cities throughout the world, I have come across cinemas like those I knew as a child: the Luxor and Palais Rochechouart in Paris, the Belkis in Aden. In Morocco, there is the Vox in Tangier, the Caruso in Essaouira, and, above all, in Marrakech: the Rif, the Mabrouka, the Mauritania, the Eden. Numerous legends circulate about the Mabrouka, situated close to the main square of the Djemaa el Fna. Such a mass of youths jostles outside to get into its doublebill of Wild West and kungfu films that the nimblest and sharpest wits can "swim" the crawl over the heads of their companions en route to the boxoffice. MORE

 Theatre of war: Andrew Hussey meets the boy boxers of Marrakesh and finds that street fighting in the city's main square is not just popular it might also be Morocco's best way to stop the spreading influence of alQaeda.
Andrew Hussey Wednesday November 26 2003 The Guardian
It doesn't take long for the fight to catch fire. Within seconds of the opening exchange of insults, the younger lad, Ijaz, who is tall, rangy and has a dangerous reach, catches the jaw of the older youth with a penetrating jab. His opponent, a year or two older but still barely a teenager, winces and, fighting back tears of humiliation, launches himself in a flurry of wheeling punches. A charge crackles through the crowd of men and boys who are gathered tightly around the makeshift ring in the late afternoon sun (there are women here but their presence is, for now, discreet). ...MORE

 MOROCCO PUSHES WOMEN'S RIGHTS
By Delphine Soulas THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The thorough reform of Moroccan law bearing on the status of women announced last month by King Mohammed VI, which would recognize them as adults, is expected to put that country's women on a par with Tunisia's. This would leave only Algeria among North African former colonies of France where the traditional family code continues to significantly limit women's civil rights. "How can society achieve progress while women, who represent half the nation, see their rights violated and suffer as a result of injustice, violence and marginalization?" asked the king in his address to the opening session of Morocco's parliament last month. Since the promulgation of a series of family laws in 1957 and 1958, the status of Moroccan women in civil law has been governed by the Code of Personal Status, known as the Mudawwana and based on the Malikite school of Islamic law. Under the code, women are treated as legal minors, have no say in their marriage contracts, have very limited access to divorce and are required to obey their husbands in all matters. "The personal status code, part of Morocco's civil law, establishes a system of inequality based on sex and relegates women to a subordinate status in society," said Human Rights Watch in urging the Moroccan government to change its legal code. "Women face governmentsponsored discrimination that renders them unequal before the law ... and restricts women's participation in public life," the group said. MORE

 Marrakech Berbers sing to survive
Berber tribes in the Moroccan city of Marrakech are using musical talents once developed as a means of identity to get together money to live.
The bands, which include boys as young as six, perform in Marrakech's most popular areas in the hope of attracting cash. In particular they are present in the Jamaa El Fna Square, which has a longstanding reputation as a carnival centre in an increasingly conservative country. "They do it for survival," Moroccan travel writer Yusuf Elalamy told BBC World Service's Masterpiece programme. "It's performance, it's openair, it's spontaneous, but they expect you to give something in return....

   Homegrown change in Morocco
Frederick Vreeland IHT Thursday, October 30, 2003

A monarch's vision MARRAKECH, Morocco While the Defense Department is dreaming of how its Iraq policies will transform Arab states into democracies, one Arab country is quietly working a democratic revolution without any apparent outside influence. King Muhammad VI of Morocco opened this autumn's session of Parliament by laying before the legislators a sweeping reform that effectively grants women equality with men. Since the early 1990's, civil rights groups have clamored for reform of the 1957 decrees that institutionalize the secondrate status of Moroccan women, but no one had predicted that Morocco's centuriesold discrimination against women could be reversed in one fell swoop.

   Try some exotic styles from Morocco
Posted on Sat, Nov. 01, 2003

Morocco, the northwest African country set between desert and sea and bordered by the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, is a true melting pot of civilizations, populated by diverse ethnic and religious groups with 11 official languages. The very word Morocco conjures exoticism. Being at the coastal crossroads of Europe and Africa, it represents many cultures, traditions and styles, and has long provided inspiration for artists and designers captivated by its multitude of flavors.

I've never been to Morocco, but that hasn't hampered my enthusiasm and appreciation for the artifacts, colors and designs from that country. In the U.S., Moroccan influences can be seen in many design styles in looks both ancient and modern. What makes Moroccan style so exotic and distinctive is its singular use of color, pattern, and texture, and how these ingredients are blended to produce their incredible architecture and furnishings.

   Low prices lure directors to Morocco
ANGELA DOLAND Associated Press MARRAKECH, Morocco

Take a warrior king or a crusading knight. Throw in lots of sandy desert, some grisly battle scenes and an army of extras. The swordandsandals flick is getting a Hollywood revival, thanks to "Gladiator." There's only one problem: Many upcoming movies are set in the Middle East, where "shooting a movie" could take on a whole different meaning right now.

   In Morocco, medieval meets modern
By G.G. LaBelle The Associated Press FEZ, Morocco

It's impossible not to get jostled in the narrow alleys in the old city of Fez. Coming toward you, or trying to squeeze past, are formidable Moroccan ladies in black, grizzled men pulling hand carts and boys tugging donkeys.

   The Languishing Language of Morocco's Northern Coast A Story of Stews, Siestas, Social Clubs, Spanish Exiles and a 1,300Page Jaquetia Dictionary The Food Maven

By MATTHEW GOODMAN Like an archaeologist painstakingly mapping the contours of a ruined city, Alegria Bendelac spent 10 years of her life creating a dictionary for a language that is no longer spoken. Ms. Bendelac, a petite, energetic woman who looks much younger than her years, was born and raised in Tangier, Morocco. Her family was among the last few hundred Jews in a city in which some 10,000 once resided. As André Aciman wrote about his own family living in Egypt, they were "at the very tail end of those whom history shrugs aside when it changes its mind.".................

   Reimagining a World of Bittersweet Splendor Poignant Morocco Exhibit Portrays a Lost Realm of Intermingled Cultures
By MARC MICHAEL EPSTEIN

Rabat, Fez, Mogador, Tangier the very names of these cities evoke the play of light and shadow on white stucco in narrow alleyways, ancient wooden doors opening on exquisitely tiled courtyards. Merely allude to Morocco and the imagination conjures up a host of associations romantic and orientalist, literary and musical, sensory and culinary. If one could only bottle the rich essence of the setting and its cultures! Many have, in fact, tried and failed, but The Jewish Museum's exhibition "Morocco: Jews and Art in a Muslim Land," on view through February 11, 2001, succeeds brilliantly, allowing more than 180 spectacular objects their own space to breathe. Each artifact, be it sumptuous or humble, stands on its own as an art object, an ethnographic document or a relic of a culture, yet all come together to form a coherent picture of a larger society.

   Go with the grain: Vegetarian discovers beauty of couscous in exotic Morocco
By Lee Zucker October 23, 2003 Vegetarian Kitchen The RegisterGuard, Eugene, Oregon

I have eaten couscous in North African homes and restaurants on four continents during the past 30 years usually to the point of gluttony. I've loved it in almost all its infinite variety: No two cooks season the crowning stew with the same hand there's always a little more of this, a little less of that. A succulent adventure. The rare occasions when couscous has been underwhelming or even truly awful have been on our continent, where it's common to play fast and loose with tradition to save time and effort, even on great classics.

   A King's Appeal By Jim Hoagland Washington Post Thursday, October 16, 2003; Page A25

Western democracies won the Cold War by shaking open closed societies and exposing their failures and crimes to citizens who then refused to go on living that way. The great political challenge of today is to induce similar change in Arab nations and other Islamic countries that do not respect the rights and dignity of their own citizens.

Think of it as collateral repair: The coming wave of epochal change must also be driven by internal forces, with restrained but committed support from abroad. The ultimate goal is reform within Islam conceived and carried out by Muslim leaders, scholars and civic groups, substantively welcomed by the West.

And that reform must begin with the role and rights of women in the Islamic world. A question posed last week in as important a speech as I have read recently makes that unblinkingly clear: "How can society achieve progress while women, who represent half the nation, see their rights violated and suffer as a result of injustice, violence and marginalization, notwithstanding the dignity and justice granted them by our glorious religion?"

The irrefutable logic about the high cost of institutionalized gender discrimination was voiced by Morocco's King Mohammed VI last Friday at the opening of Parliament in Rabat. He then outlined farreaching changes in family and divorce laws for the kingdom that would effectively lessen the intrusive reach of religious authorities into gender issues. ..... MORE

jimhoagland@washpost.com © 2003 The Washington Post Company

   Morocco torn between security and democracy
By Issandr AlAmrani Middle East Times

Four months after the May 16 Casablanca bombings that took more than 40 lives – the first Islamist terror attacks in the country Moroccans find themselves at a critical juncture on the road to democratization. On the one hand, many are eager to continue the democratization process started toward the end of the reign of King Hassan II, which was given a boost by King Muhammad VI when he ascended the throne. Opposition newspapers and new political parties flourished. But the transition period was shortlived. Soon after the September 11 attacks on America, security forces started to regain their influence as the kingdom's traditional elite – the makhzen began to worry that Al Qaeda's ideas might spread to Morocco. By the time the May 16 attacks took place, democratization was put on hold.

    Movies in Morocco, The 3rd Marrakech International Film Festival by Howard Feinstein

"I'm a real bitch when it comes to my rights," says brash singer/belly dancer/hooker Sahar in the Egyptian film "Lace." Sahar is played by the great icon of Arab cinema, Yousra. This fiveyearold film, which belongs to the catfight genre, was part of a homage to the legendary thesp at the third edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival (October 38)

    Hidden Agendas in the Sand
Ian Williams and Stephen Zunes, September 24, 2003 Guerrilla News Network

After much wrangling from the French, the UN Security Council unanimously passed resolution 1495 right on the July 31st deadline for the rollover of the MINURSO peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara. In the best diplomatic tradition, the resolution affirmed the commitment to provide for the selfdetermination of the people of Western Sahara, even while it seriously compromised on it by supporting a peace plan that would allow the Moroccan settlers in the territory to vote on independence in five years. As with Israeli settlers on the West Bank, these Moroccan colonists are there in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits countries from transfering their civilian population onto territories seized by military force. The Security Council had fought off a similar plan last year, but this time former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's special representative, adjusted the plan to provide for a genuine Sahrawi autonomy in the five years before the proposed referendum. This was an ominous sign for the increasingly autocratic rule of King Mohammed in Morocco itself, not to mention leading to uncertainty about the result of the referendum: one fixed principle of Rabat's policy has been never to allow a vote that its principals cannot control.

    A Couscous of Cultures, Simmered for Centuries in Morocco
September 22, 2003 By ANNE MIDGETTE New York Times

It is a sign of Western cultural bias that the term "classical music" is commonly understood to apply to only the music of North America and Europe, although "world music" (an equally catchall term) includes many traditions that are even older. The Orchestra of Fès, which played at Zankel Hall on Saturday night, was founded in Morocco in 1946, but the ArabAndalusian music it plays goes back to the ninth century. For Western audiences the word orchestra conjures up visions of vast ensembles, but here it was six male instrumentalists joined by a singer, Françoise Atlan. Since the Middle Ages the instrumentation of ensembles devoted to this repertory notable for its blend of Spanish, Muslim and Jewish influences has changed considerably. The original diminutive lute morphed into the sixstringed oud of Egypt; the traditional tar, a small tambourine that sets and accents the tempo, was joined by a gobletshaped drum called a darbuka; and in the 19thcentury Western violins and violas were added, here held upright on the players' knees and bowed like violas da gamba. But there was nothing the least bit antiquated about the performance: this group could teach classical music a lot about keeping traditions alive. The Andalusian repertory was codified in the 18th century into 11 lengthy cycles called nubat; because the shortest of these extends over five CD's when performed in its entirety, the usual practice is to play individual movements from a cycle, and a more recent trend is, as this orchestra did, to combine parts of several nubat in new sets, allowing the ensemble to put its stamp on the music. Texts range from SpanishJewish folk songs to songs about the prophet Muhammad. The components of each set are separated by vocal or instrumental solos: musings on the oud, or cascades of minorkey runs descending on the violin over a sustained drone from the viola; or the silvery singing of Ms. Atlan, delicate as filigree, drawing the strings behind her in echo. At other times the instruments joined in rousing ensembles, and Ms. Atlan's slender voice was swallowed up by the rougher sandpaper burr of the voices of the men in chorus, dominated by a cracking countertenor. The virtuosity was as undeniable as the appeal. At the end of this nearly twohour concert the ensemble was joined for its encore by the rhythmic clapping of the audience in raucous accompaniment.

    Washington Times has featured a special report on Morocco on its summer issue. The articles cover the economy, USMorocco relations, culture, FTA with US, interviews, and may other issues of interest:

Politics
The United States and the Kingdom of Morocco Negotiate Free Trade Agreement as Old Friends with New Priorities
America’s FTA Initiative: Stealth Weapon in the War on Terror
Interview with Former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco, Edward Gabriel
Historical Background on United States Morocco Relations
Casablanca Terror Attacks a Moment of Truth for the Kingdom
His Majesty King Mohammed VI's Address to the Nation on the Casablanca Bombings
A Discussion with Andre Azoulay, Chief Advisor to HM King Mohammed VI
Morocco’s Minister of Habous and Islamic Affairs Comments on Kingdom’s Religious Legacy
Morocco Continues its Democratic Evolution
U.S. Ambassador highlights Kingdom’s progressive history
Business
ONAREP is the Repository of Morocco’s Dreams
Domaines Agricole Benzit a Model of U.S.Moroccan Cooperation
BMCE Bank Group Committed to Morocco’s Economic Development
The American Chamber of Commerce in Morocco and its Member Companies are Confident in Potential of U.S.Morocco Free Trade Agreement
CRI takes an innovative approach to tackling development issues
Minister of Foreign Trade confident in potential of FTA
Hilton Rabat Makes Transition to a New General Manager and to the New Morocco
Crowne Plaza Casablanca Makes its Mark Through Customer Service
Culture/Tourism
United States Morocco relations: 227 years of friendship
Be Warned: A FirstTime Visit to Morocco will Likely Lead to Many More
Rural Tourism: “Lifeseeing” Travel in Morocco
Latifa sets sights on Olympic Gold
So Many Cabs, So Many Colors
Donkeys Rule the Road in Fez
Play it again, Sam . . . Play it again in Casablanca

    Under the Sheltering Sky Writer Paul Bowles helped establish Tangier as a world center of cool and mysticism. Nearly 50 years later, how much of that spirit remains?
Washington Post By Bill Donahue Sunday, September 21, 2003; Page W10

The coolest people in the world do not wear their baseball caps backwards or pierce their navels with diamond studs. They are old and their cool is subtle, carrying hints of wisdom and poise. Johnny Cash, Marlon Brando, Georgia O'Keeffe: We behold their weathered sangfroid and we are ineluctably intrigued. As I was, years ago, watching the 1990 film "The Sheltering Sky." Based on a 1949 novel of the same name by the American expat Paul Bowles (19101999), the movie follows three aimless Americans who land in Bowles's adopted home, Tangier, Morocco, and wander south, only to be destroyed by primal Third World realities: thieves, mystical religion and illness. Bowles makes a cameo appearance as narrator, and, in the end, we see him watch one of the stars drift into an ancient Tangier cafe. He just stands there, motionless, an old man with white hair and rheumy gray eyes. All he says to the woman before him is, "Are you lost?" And yet somehow he embodies existential grace, and a link to a bygone era.

Post Magazine: The Allure of Tangier Bill Donahue Special to The Washington Post Monday, September 22, 2003; 1:00 PM Author Paul Bowles helped to establish Tangier as a world center of cool and mysticism. Nearly 50 years later, how much of that spirit remains in the Moroccan city? Bill Donahue, who explored that question yesterday in his article "Under the Sheltering Sky" in The Washington Post Magazine's Fall Travel Issue, was online Monday, Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. ET to field questions and comments about the article, Tangier and Bowles. Donahue is a contributing editor for Outside magazine. The transcript follows.

   Road to Morocco Belltown's new couscouserie offers authentic culinary romance.
September 10 16, 2003 RESTAURANT REVIEW by Hasan Jafri on Seattle Weekly

WHEN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE finally fell apart in the 1920s, three European powers agreed to carve up the Maghreb (Muslim North Africa). Britain got Egypt, Italy took Libya, and Morocco went to France. The highlevel landgrab left its cultural mark, as Arabs will be the first to tell you. Respectable Egyptians suffer from the stigma of being stuffy and unexciting, the big bores of the Middle East, while the lowerclass Egyptian, like your average English yob, is a soccer hooligan. And Egyptian food, while we're on the subject, is nothing to write your mummy about. So there. Libyans, like Italians, became enamored with the cult of the charismatic and deranged dictator. Mussolini is long gone, but Libya is still stuck with Col. Muammar Qaddafi. But Morocco! Morocco got lucky and inherited the French flair for food . So while the rest of the Maghreb is busy coming to terms with its colonial past, Moroccans have conquered the world with a secret weapon: couscous. If you, gentle Seattleite, haven't been won over yet by this classic Berber banquet dish, it's likely because until recently there was no real Moroccan restaurant or couscouserie hereabouts. But Marrakesh has arrived in Belltown. So line up to be won over............................

    FACTBOXWhat to watch for in Moroccan local elections
RABAT, Sept 12 (Reuters)

Morocco's 14.6 million voters are being asked to elect 23,689 local councillors on Friday. These are the first local elections since King Mohammed came to the throne in 1999, pledging to continue democratic reform in the North African country. Polling stations are open from 8 a.m. (0800 GMT) to 7 p.m. (1900 GMT) Following are key points:

THE ISLAMISTS The Justice and Development Party (PJD) emerged in parliamentary elections a year ago as the main opposition force. Emphasising conservative family values and ethics in public life, it was successful in lowerincome suburbs of large cities. The PJD condemned the Casablanca suicide bombings in May, which were carried out by a fringe radical Islamist group. But after opponents accused the party of having sown the seeds of extremism, it toned down its rhetoric. It fields candidates for only 20 percent of seats and has made it clear it is not aiming for an electoral breakthrough.

GOVERNMENT PARTIES AND ALTERNATIVES The Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) and the centreright Istiqlal (Independence) party head the coalition government. With 23 smaller parties also presenting candidates, the political landscape remains highly fragmented. VOTER APATHY,

FRAUD After decades of political repression until the early 1990s, with a tame parliament and local government still perceived as riven with corruption, Moroccans need convincing their vote counts. Only 52 percent of registered voters turned out for last year's parliamentary polls, despite heavy government publicity. The authorities say they want a fair vote, but irregularities have been reported, including promises of jobs or free pharmaceuticals in some cases.

WESTERN SAHARA High turnout in disputed Western Sahara would be seen by Rabat as boosting its territorial claim, at a time when it has been backed into a corner by its rejection of the latest version of a U.N. peace plan. Western Sahara has been largely controlled by Morocco since 1976 but the Algerianbacked Polisario Front wants independence. In last year's elections to the Rabat parliament, Morocco said turnout there was 70 percent of 140,000 registered voters. In Laayoune, the territory's main city, candidates from various parties said there had been fraud.

WHAT ELSE IS NEW? The minimum voting age was lowered to 18 from 20 this year. For the first time, voters will elect city councils for the country's largest cities: Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh, Rabat, Sale and Tangiers. They will each have a mayor, elected by the new council.

    Slaying of Jewish merchant shocks Muslim Morocco's small Jewish community
CASABLANCA, Morocco September 11, 2003

Two masked men killed a Jewish wood merchant Thursday at point blank range, the first time in memory that a Jewish citizen of this Muslim kingdom in North Africa has been gunned down, the official MAP news agency said. The motive for the killing of 55yearold Albert Rebibo was not known. However, it came as a blow to Jewish leaders here. Morocco's small but ancient Jewish community some 3,500 members was targeted in five nearly simultaneous suicide bombings on May 16 that killed 33 bystanders and a dozen bombers. No Jews were killed in the attacks. However, a Jewish social club, a restaurant run by a Jew and a Jewish cemetery were among the targets. "The Moroccan Jewish community has been hit on this anniversary date of Sept. 11," said Serge Berdugo, head of the Council of Israelite Communities of Morocco. He was referring to Thursday's second anniversary of the terror attacks in the United States. "I hope our community will have the needed wherewithal to overcome this challenge," Berdugo said. Police were searching for the two masked men who fired with a pistol at Rebibo as he was closing his shop about midday. The men were then surrounded by a crowd, but dispersed the gathering with shots in the air, police said. The suspects were then reported to have stolen a car to flee via the highway. Morocco and Israel have begun a process of normalization, marked by the Sept. 2 visit of Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom. Copyright 2003 Associated Press Associated Press

   Douglas High grad who was in Morocco during bombings decides to go back

By Karl Horeis Article published August 25, 2003 on Nevada Appeal.

Douglas High School class of '93 graduate Natellie Yurtinus was far from home when several nearly simultaneous bomb attacks struck the Moroccan coastal city of Casablanca. But she wasn't far from the blasts. "A few of my friends and I were at a Spanish restaurant (in Casablanca)," she said. "A maitre d' at the restaurant told us what happened he said there were two bombs." Over the next 24 hours, they learned there were actually five bombs, which killed 31 bystanders and 12 suicide attackers and injured more than 100 people...... "I decided to do another year. I just figure my friends are there so I'll go back and finish my contract."..............

   From the Fire of Morocco
By KORRY KEEKER JUNEAU EMPIRE © 2003

As a 12yearold in Morocco, Mostapha Beya was called Picasso because everyone thought he was crazy and no one understood his art................

   Morocco: Blasts fail to shake trade confidence
July 2003

In the months preceding the Casablanca bombings, Morocco had made considerable progress on trade agreements with both the EU and US. Although shaken by the terror attacks, the country is busy forging stronger economic links with the West. James Badcock reports.

The terrorist bombings in Casablanca in May were a terrible shock to Morocco, especially given the government's recent course towards greater political freedom within the country and the extension of trade links with Western nations.

At least 43 people were killed. Ominously the suicide bombers themselves and all those so far detained in connection with the attacks against foreign targets are Moroccans.

Prime Minister Driss Jettou's government has since stressed the extraordinary nature of the attack, pointing out that Morocco has always been tolerant towards foreign residents and the country's remaining Jewish population. However, the Prime Minister also criticised the PJD, the leading Islamist party, for the "systematic manner" in which they condemn security measures against suspected terrorist organisations.

In other words, Morocco is not another Algeria, and the authorities will not allow fundamentalism to threaten the process of opening the country up to increased partnership with Europe and Washington.

The general economic picture, however, continues to be one of a country hamstrung by debt and the need to generate growth in the economy to provide work for the many unemployed, particularly amongst the young. Officially last year's unemployment rate was estimated at 11.6%, against 12.5% the previous year, but it is commonly considered to be far higher, perhaps as high as 40%. News of a good 2002 for tourism with travel receipts of $2.3bn, up 18.8% on 2001, was welcome, as were the winter rains which mean the cereal harvest for 2002/2003 will be 59% greater than the previous season.

According to the annual IMF report, published in May, the country's economic conditions improved in 2002. Real GDP growth reached 4.5% thanks to a rise in agricultural output and somewhat higher growth than before in the nonagricultural sectors.

Despite the good news in the vital sectors of agriculture and tourism, the truth is that in international trade, Moroccan exports are slipping in comparison with imports. Figures released by Morocco's Exchange Office in May showed a 68.8% increase in the national trade deficit in the first quarter of 2003, following a 9.6% drop in exports and a 9.3% rise in imports. Excluding Morocco's staple export commodity, phosphates and derived products, exports fell by 10.6% compared to the same period last year.

Morocc US trade accords on the way

Undaunted by the fragility of domestic industry, Prime Minister Jettou vowed in April to press on with the liberalisation of the economy to prepare the way for a future of freeflowing international trade and competition.

He made special reference to privatisation, one of the keystones of international trade agreements, announcing the onset of a fresh round of deregulation. Public industrial and trade services, water distribution networks, electricity, waste collection and public transport will all be gradually "transferred to the private sector whenever this will draw profit in terms of investments, job opportunities and quality".

Negotiations with the US over a free trade accord have been moving apace with three rounds concluded before the halfway point of 2003 and talk of the agreement being finalised before the end of the year. Morocco would become only the fifth country to have reached such terms with the US, alongside Canada, Mexico, Israel and Jordan.

The first talks took place in Washington in January, while the second round was held in Geneva in March during a sensitive period in relations between the Arab world and the US as the buildup to war in Iraq got underway.

The Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and cooperation told the upper house of parliament that the agreement aims to integrate the Moroccan economy in the regional and international environment, upgrade Moroccan enterprises by sharpening their competitive edge, attract more foreign investment and generate more jobs.

The head of the Moroccan delegation, Khalid Sayah, stressed the importance of freedom of movement for individuals between the two countries, seeking "an easier and greater accessibility to the US market for qualified personnel, technicians and professionals; be they craftsmen, doctors, lawyers, engineers, or accountants."

The eleven thematic groups involved in the negotiations deal with market access, textile, services, agriculture, customs, environment, copyright, investments, legal, social issues and public appropriations. Encouragingly, in March the US congress lowered import duties on Moroccan carpets.

Trade with the US, however, constitutes at present a very small part of Morocco's foreign exchanges. According to recent figures, France is the kingdom's dominant trade partner with 23.7% of exchanges, followed by Spain (12.7%), The United Kingdom (5.9%), Italy (5.5%) and Germany (4.2%) all ahead of the US. Relations with Morocco's closest neighbour, Spain, have recovered this year, after the breakingoff of all diplomatic contact in 2002 over a disputed island in the Strait of Gibraltar. Ambassadors for the two countries returned to their posts in early February and there have been several talks at governmental level since then.

Fisheries, agric will be sticking points

The rapprochement was sealed by the joint presentation of a document by France and Morocco to the 5x5 forum of Maghreb nations and their five nearest European neighbours. The paper broached the prickly topic of migration under three headings: the contribution of migration flows to the emergence of a feeling of belonging to a common EuroMediterranean space; gradual standardisation of legal migrants' statutes; free movement of people favouring the dynamism of NorthSouth relations.

Despite past accusations that the Moroccan government was not doing enough to stem the flow of migrants northwards, the Spanish Foreign Minister, Ana Palacio commented that Spain "share[d] the three axes of reflection proposed by the document".

Portugal has also been courting the Moroccan government, perhaps motivated by the proximity of fishing waters at present offlimits to European fishermen with the exception of those from the oilslick affected region of Spain invited to compensate for their lost business since December last year. In May, the two countries wound up, in Rabat, the 7th session of their high jointcommission with the adoption of a package of agreements meant to upgrade bilateral cooperation, including plans for a financial accord worth E100m to fund Portuguese projects in Morocco.

Indeed, fisheries and agriculture are likely to be the two biggest sticking points in Morocco's discussions with the EU over the eventual implementation of the EuroMediterranean Partnership Agreement for a free commercial zone.

Originally signed in February 1996, the agreement is set to come into force in 2012 after a process of gradual liberalisation of markets in the meantime. Morocco and the EU had a fisheries agreement, allowing European ships to operate in Moroccan waters between 1995 and 2000, but despite incessant wrangling since then, it has not been renewed. Morocco wishes to build up the industry, which employs over 400,000 people with an annual turnover of $1.6bn, before being forced to allow a return to competition for stocks.

Similarly in the case of agriculture, Morocco argued in negotiations in January that the total openness of competition demanded by the EU is inappropriate between the hitech European agrifood industry and Morocco's poorer farmers.

They insist that the level of development in rural areas, where over half of the kingdom's population lives, be taken into account in the final terms of the accord. Morocco has received over $1bn from the EU under the current agreement, about half in direct aid and half in the form of loans from the European Investment Bank.

Another reason for the stalling of the EuroMediterranean Partnership Agreement is the lack of cohesion between the Maghreb states concerned.

The Maghreb Union (UMA), which also includes Libya, Tunisia and Mauritania, has been frozen since 1995 as a result of tension between Algeria and Morocco due to the former's support for the Polisario in their fight for an independent Western Sahara. Despite some recent lowlevel contacts between the two largest nations in the Maghreb, there are still no plans for a meeting between the Heads of State. Likewise, a resolution of the disputed status of Western Sahara could still be a way off.

The Moroccan authorities' dream of becoming a Muslim nation with highlydeveloped commercial links with the West is still alive, albeit a little shaken by the violence in Casablanca. Clearly, increased prosperity and employment are almost certainly the best weapons against unrest and extremism, and it is essential to restore international confidence in Morocco as an economic partner of the future © African Business 2003 17Jul03 Article originally published by African Business 17Jul03

    The United States and the Kingdom of Morocco negotiate free trade agreement as old friends with new priorities

The United States and the Kingdom of Morocco Negotiate Free Trade Agreement as Old Friends with New Priorities In an April 23, 2002, White House ceremony, President George W. Bush and His Majesty (HM) King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco jointly announced the intention of the two historically close nations to secure a Free Trade Agreement. A U.S.Morocco Free Trade Agreement will be the culmination of a long history of economic cooperation that includes the 1991 U.S.Morocco Bilateral Investment Treaty and the 1995 Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). ...

Pickled lemons are sold in jars in Middle Eastern grocery stores. You could substitute the juice of half a lemon ........

Read this recipe carefully to draw up your plan of action, and count on having a stylish, robustly seasoned dish on the table, to serve four people, in under half an hour.  The seasoning used for both meat and couscous is influenced by the spicy flair of Moroccan cuisine. Olives, raisins and yogurt are other Mediterranean ingredients rounding out the taste spectrum, with the yogurt serving as a cool garnish.

The government's long term project to bring 10m tourists annually to the country by 2010 came under scrutiny recently, as recent cyclical and political events raised concerns. However, many tourism professionals remain confident of reaching the target, as OBG found out at a recent debate hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce. There, Tourism Minister Adil Douiri presented the strategies envisaged for Moroccan tourism after September 11. The 2010 plan envisages an increase from an estimated 4.5m tourists a year presently to 10m, with the ultimate aim being to make tourism the primary

The story "AlHamam" ("The Baths"), is one of the most beautiful stories in the Moroccan writer AlTahar Ben Jelloun's new collection, "Amours Sorcieres." "What most great writers do is to draw from the reality a background on which they draw everything incredible, from ecstasy of the world to the craziness of people. What writers see is difficult for others to see. Or they refuse to see ...............

CASABLANCA, Morocco When suicide bombers shattered the calm of the night here on May 16, they did more than take 43 lives they also endangered Morocco's future as a democracy. Morocco had long been considered a haven of tolerance and peace, and any troubles we had we attributed to foreign agitators. We can't pretend that is the case any more. This time, all the attackers were Moroccans. All grew up in poverty; none had been outside the country. Instead, the ideology of radical Islam came here and found ready recruits..........

    Morocco: Fending off pesky 'mosquitoes' in Tangier requires lots of effort .

By Jackie Spinner The Washington Post Sunday, June 22, 2003 Page updated at 12:00 A.M.

Richard had an explanation for everything. "I hear English voices," he said by way of introduction, when he found my friend and me wandering through a residential neighborhood in the Moroccan port city of Tangier.

First, this paper describes the Amazigh people of North Africa and threats to their language and culture from schooling and the domination of AraboIslamic ideology...........

Chapter 10 of Revitalizing Indigenous Languages, edited by Jon Reyhner, Gina Cantoni, Robert N. St. Clair, and Evangeline Parsons Yazzie (pp. 117128). Flagstaff, AZ: Northern Arizona University. Copyright 1999 by Northern Arizona University.

(Washington D.C., June 18, 2003) The affirmation Tuesday of a 3year prison term for journalist Ali Mrabet is a grave blow to press freedom in Morocco, Human Rights Watch said today. A Rabat appeals court upheld a lower court verdict that also banned the independent weeklies that Mrabet directs, Demain and its Arabic sister Douman.

    THE GNAWA AND THEIR LILA:

The term "Gnawa" refers firstly to a North African ethnic minority that traces its origins to West African slaves and soldiers. Gnawa communities in the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) trace their origins to the Sudan, not meaning the presentday nation of Sudan, but rather subSaharan African in general. (The word "Sudan," after all, is merely the Arabic word for "the Blacks.") Thus, like the term "AfricanAmerican," Gnawa refers to a group of people whose ancestors came from diverse regions of Africa but took on a collective identity in exile. .........

"The most important single element of Morocco's folk culture is its music... the entire history and mythology of the people is clothed in song." [1]Paul Bowles Musically, Morocco is heterogeneous, and this heterogeneity reflects the variety of Moroccan culture. From secular urban professionals and religious singers to rural and nomadic singers. From historic and traditional to modern to Raï music. We find the classical Andalusian style, reflecting Morocco's historic relationship with Spain. We find Sephardic music and other folksongs from the historic Jewish communities in Essaouira and Fez. We also find Gnawa; the music originally derived from West Africa that demonstrates the influence of migrations and cultural interchanges across the Sahara.......

    A postcard from Agadir

By Chris Mugan, Evening Standard
Morocco's number one beach destination may well suffer a fall in popularity following the Casablanca bombings, but Agadir will survive. After all, the town we see today was born out of disaster. When an earthquake flattened the Atlantic port in 1960, Agadir was rebuilt from scratch. Le Corbusier was selected to design lowrise, tremorproof buildings. His functional constructions are rarely beautiful, but Agadir's skyline is dominated by the Atlas foothills rather than hotel blocks. Two hundred miles from Casablanca, the town shares a similar latitude to the Canary Islands. Yearround sun attracted 70,000 Brits last year, mainly couples or families. 

Due to fly out two days after the 16 May bombings, Sadie Turner and Matt Lewery, from Brighton, couldn't change their destination. 'Our travel agents said the Foreign Office only warned of 'higher risk' so we couldn't cancel, and at such short notice everything they offered as an alternative was too dear.' When the couple arrived, though, they found the locals welcoming and enjoyed a Berber feast in the desert. 

Matt Lowe and Rebecca Fox, from Highbury, said: 'We decided to risk lightning not striking twice: Casablanca was a commercial centre this is a resort.'  Chantel Ostler, from Portsmouth, and boyfriend Chris Wilson, from Winchester, had no hesitation. 'We don't think twice about going to London, and that's just as dangerous.'  They had found an unmissable deal: one week halfboard at a threestar hotel for £160 through Panorama on Teletext four weeks ago. 
Exchange rate is 14dm = £1.

    Morocco: When the Spirit Moves By Satellite
By David Kithcart 
For CWNews 
June 6, 2003
The Muslim world may restrict the Gospel, yet the Christian message is still getting through to hungry people. Many testify of having dreams and visions about Jesus, while others hear His message in more conventional ways. Morocco is a country of exotic people and culture. It's an Islamic country that is home to one of the largest mosques in the world, Mohammed IV, where people come and go often. 

Trying to please Europe by persuading farmers to grow avocados is not succeeding

Giles Tremlett in Chaouen, Morocco Tuesday May 27, 2003 The Guardian

Dealers off the colourful Outa el Hammam square in the medina were at their most solicitous. "Hello my friend. You want kif? I have very good stuff, 10 euros, come and smoke some." ...........

Between one and two million Moroccans came out on Sunday to give a lesson to the world. They walkedmen and women, Muslims and Jews, atheists and Christians, Berbers and Arabs, children and the elderly to show how national pride and coexistence are experienced in daily life. They carried flags and pictures of the king; they displayed slogans condemning terror; and they chanted Allah Akbar and la ilalha illa allah. It was, in my opinion, the most momentous act of courage Moroccans have displayed in modern history. Just like anticolonial nationalists and Green March volunteers were willing to give their lives to liberate their country from foreign occupation, those who marched in Casablanca did so to reclaim their rich heritage from the reign of terror. They are our heroes, entitled to the same accolades and wisams. They are torch bearers in a region out of focus and a world without compass. 

Those marchers were also the best messengers for Islam that I have seen in my lifetime. They were patriotic without being chauvinistic, proud without being arrogant, peaceful without being weak, and Muslim without being prejudiced. One veiled woman carried the picture of the victims and showed her utter contempt for the socalled Muslim perpetrators of the act. Our Jewish brothers and sisters (who, as we all know, lived in Morocco way before Islam) came out in huge numbers to reaffirm their unshakable commitment to their homeland and join ranks with their Muslim compatriots. A 17yearold Jewish woman marched to defend the land of her ancestors. When did anyone witness such a scene before? 

The march was, by far, the best concrete demonstration that Islam has nothing to do with terror. All the declarations and disclaimers by Muslim officials before this momentous day were not taken too seriously by many skeptics and Islamophobes. But this event is different. Now the nations of the world could see for themselves. Here was a shining example of "moral clarity," a perfect illustration of conviction without hatred, national solidarity without scapegoats. It's as if the marchers were marking a new day of independence, forging a new charter for the 21st century and the rest of the millennium. They were affirming that human oneness is more important than ideological purity; that human beings, regardless of faith, are more precious than theologies. God's creation, in whatever color or idiom it appears, is always sacred. To destroy the beautiful but fragile fabric of life in such a reckless manner is nothing short of satanic. 

No event has vindicated Islam more powerfully since 9/11 than this historic march. What misguided Muslims have destroyed the brave marchers in Casablanca have begun to mend. Raised in a melting pot at the crossroads of civilizations, Moroccans know how to live with difference. Only last week, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a resolution expressing solidarity with Morocco because, among other things, it "has chosen the path of diversity and tolerance." The march in Casablanca will not only confirm this tradition, but it may also become a textbook model in the struggle for peace and justice in the Islamic world. 

The long and painful road to global coexistence begins in Casablanca. May 26, 2003.

Reassuringly, in these postconflict days, Moroccans are as welcoming as ever to British tourists. Lewis Jones reports

    News about US/Morocco free trade on Marketplace Radio (heard on select public radio stations)

  Kick up a little gold dust

When the rich and famous visit Marrakesh, they head for an exclusive group of villas and hotels, writes Tessa Boase 'See that villa? It's outdated," scoffed Mohammed, our guide, as we zoomed along the sand track. "It is nine years old. Everything here must be new!"

  Tajeen Mediterranean Restaurant Tiny Tajeen Cafe Is Big On Flavor

By Mary D. Scourtes of The Tampa Tribune Published: April 30, 2003

ST. PETERSBURG If you can't coerce your date to meet you at the Casbah, maybe Tajeen Mediterranean Restaurant will do. Abraham Hamdaoui, a native of Rabat, Morocco, opened this tiny cafe (it has about seven tables) four months ago. The name is an altered spelling of tagine, the earthy stews so popular in Morocco

  Spain to Morocco's child migrants: Go homeHuman rights groups urge compassion toward minors crossing illegally from Africa to Europe

CEUTA, SPAIN, May 02, 2003 (The Christian Science Monitor via COMTEX) The homes in northern Morocco's impoverished villages are roofed with metal sheets held down with rocks or broken appliances. Parents send their children to unpaid jobs, instead of school, hoping that at least they will learn a trade.

  Morocco In the Fullness of Time

Morocco is a rich storehouse of architecture, decorative art, fabulous food, colorful markets, everpresent history and dramatic scenery.................

Moroccan rugs invite a particularly wide range of reactions from those seeing the material for the first time. But whether the reaction is positive or negative, coming from the perspective of the homeowner, designer, or artist, there is one quality that all seem to agree upon.

   Trade and Exchange of North African textiles according to Early Documentary Evidence.

In the classical period of Islamic civilisation (which roughly corresponds to the European Middle Ages) textiles were highly valued objects. Textiles had an economic value were durable and easily portable, which made them ideal items for trade.

SOME people do sponsored walks for charity, while others organize a fundraising dance but not supermarket manager Martin Hammond. The 31yearold, from March, ran in the toughest footrace on earth to raise up to £4,000 to help children stricken with liver disease. Rachael Gordon caught up with him to find out about his 150mile journey across the Sahara Desert.

   New generation of Arab filmmakers probes crosscultural tensions

By Stacey Freed Special to The Washington Post  Wednesday, April 16, 2003; Page F01

A tradition of Moroccan Jews, Mimouna, held on the last night of Passover, is a celebration of liberty and friendship as well as a way to greet the spring........

Matthew Collin discovers much more than sand dunes in Valley of the Casbahs by Jeffrey Tayler and Sahara by Marq de Villiers and Sheila Hirtle 
Saturday April 12, 2003  The Guardian 

Valley of the Casbahs: A Journey Across the Moroccan Sahara by Jeffrey Tayler
352pp, Little, Brown, £16.99

Jeffrey Tayler succumbed to the mystique of the Sahara long before he ever visited it. As a young student of Arabic, he dreamed of shimmering dunes and inscrutable Bedouin, and of following the caravan route of the postwar British explorer and writer Wilfred Thesiger. But his first sight of the desert was less idyllic than he had imagined he got lost and almost died of thirst. Nevertheless, he returned, beguiled by accounts of the Dra Valley, an ancient trading path stretching hundreds of miles across the Moroccan Sahara to the Atlantic

Hakim Belabbes used to go home every year or so to visit his family in Bejjaad, Morocco during the autumn feast of Moussem Sidi M'hamed Echerqui. He left home for graduate study in literature and film, first to France, and then to the U.S. Now he is an independent filmmaker in Chicago. In 1992, he traveled to Morocco to shoot one of his first films. He and his cameraman, Don Smith, stayed at his home in Bejjaad, filming Belabbes' family as they went about their daily activities, such as preparing meals and cleaning................

    Morocco: Medieval and modern juxtaposed

FEZ, Morocco (AP 02/26) It's impossible not to get jostled in the narrow alleys in the old city of Fez. Coming toward you, or trying to squeeze past, are formidable Moroccan ladies in black, grizzled men pulling hand carts and boys tugging donkeys.  "Balak!" look out! the cart pullers call out as they press forward .....

    Peace Corps Suspends Program in Morocco

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 3, 2003 Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez today announced the temporary suspension of the Peace Corps program in Morocco.

Peace Corps volunteers in Morocco were consolidated on March 20 to allow Peace Corps staff in country and at headquarters in Washington, D.C. to evaluate the political and public climate in Morocco as a result of the events in Iraq. Peace Corps also offered volunteers the option of Interrupted Service for those who preferred not to continue their service.

“After a thorough assessment of safety and security issues it was determined that it would be in the best interest of the Peace Corps volunteers to temporarily suspend the program in Morocco. Moreover, the uncertainty of a date or time for the volunteers to return to their job sites has proven to be a disruption to the continuity of their work,” stated Director Vasquez.

The Moroccan government has been extremely supportive of Peace Corps volunteers and programs in their country and very attentive to the needs of the volunteers during these difficult times. The Peace Corps values the relationship that has been established for more than 40 years and looks forward to returning volunteers to Morocco in the near future. Peace Corps staff will continue to operate the Peace Corps office in Morocco.

Family members may make inquiries about Peace Corps/Morocco by contacting the Peace Corps’ Office of Special Services, which maintains a 24hour a day, 7 days a week duty system. The telephone number during normal business hours is 18004248580, extension 1470. The after hours number is 2026382574. Special Services can also be reached via email at ossdutyofficer@peacecorps.gov.

Well, there goes the neighborhood. Last week, the moving van pulls up to the Petersens' old house andyup, you guessed ita bunch of Moroccans move in. I haven't even met the Aatabous yet, but already I can't stand them: All night long, they won't stop with their damn ululating...........

    Homegrown cannabis outstrips imports from Morocco

 Alan Travis, home affairs editor Monday March 17, 2003

 The Guardian

The majority of cannabis now consumed in England and Wales has not been smuggled in but is actually grown here, according to a study to be published next month.  The research for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation reveals that there has been a sharp rise in recent years in domestic ultivation, particularly in homegrown cannabis for personal us......

    Taste of morocco is no belly flop

Liam Rudden  

MOROCCO, boasts the introduction to Walima’s menu,"has some of the most fragrant and sensual food in them world. They appeal directly to the senses of smell, sight, and taste in a way no other cuisine does"........

    MOROCCO 

SUNDAY February 23, 2003

FEZ, Morocco It's impossible not to get jostled in the narrow alleys in the old city of Fez. Coming toward you, or trying to squeeze past, are formidable Moroccan women in black, grizzled men pulling hand carts and boys tugging donkeys. "Balak!" look out! the cart pullers call out as they press forward, forcing ....................

LONDON "It is one law for the Moroccans and another for the Gibraltarians," says Amin Benhamoun. After 26 years of work on the Rock and around 57,000 pounds in tax and national insurance payments, Amin does not receive child benefit for his schoolage son, Elias. If he loses his job, he could be deported.

In March of 1999, the then Moroccan State Secretary for Family Affairs Saïd Saadi, introduced a bill known as the "National Action Plan for Integrating Women in Development" to change some classic notions of gender in Morocco. ......

    How to go on the lamb Sweet and spicy blend of meat, fruit and nuts makes a Moroccan stew

The exotic atmosphere alone is enough to make an evening spent under the tented ceiling at the Village Crown Moroccan worth a trip to the East Village. Ellen and Eli Vaknine make periodic soujourns to Morocco, where Eli was born, to find just the right mosaic tiled tables, ceramic vases, patterned rugs, sconces and mirrors to set the mood in their restaurant. But it's the food that keeps bringing people back................

    The secret of the Moroccan diet

The interest in the Mediterranean diet stems from the growing evidence that it is beneficial to health. The evidence is stronger for coronary heart disease, but it applies also to some forms of cancer. The populations around the Mediterranean basin have different cultures, religions, educational profiles and economic prosperity. Furthermore, in spite of sharing the Mediterranean seashore, several microclimates may exist depending on the country, and therefore can influence the diet. Therefore, the term "Mediterranean diet" can be misleading, since there is not one uniform "Mediterranean......

This take is mainly from a Moroccanmale point of view, but it does reflect to a great extent female Moroccans' situation as well, in the sense that they also have dealt & experienced ( & still do as their male counterparts) with the same problem which is the search for oueld lebled/bint lebled..............

The issue of Moroccans living abroad & being torn as a community is a serious one. A Serious issue demands real attention & study to delve into its whys, whats, hows & ifs to do it justice. A simple article/take like this one would never claim to be conclusive in terms of finding answers to all the above questions & to the intricacies surrounding this phenomenon that is eroding the Moroccans psyche. I'm sure the answers would have to do with many levels : psychological, sociological, historical, individual & finally with the most important one of these levels, which is the Identity level that could encompass all of the above in sublevels.

Young girls from poor backgrounds are often entrusted to middle or upper middle class families to work as maids and servants. They work hard, sleep very little, eat leftovers, and practically have no days off. One would think that our radical intellectuals would be up in arms about this lamentable situation, yetnotwithstanding the growing attention to the problemeveryone seems to downplay this form of child labor...............

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. When cooking m'semen pancakes, Hajja Aicha's hands aren't out of the frying pan, but they do stay clear of the fire. Decorated by a deepbrown pattern of henna dye, Ms. Aicha's nimble fingers prod, adjust, and flip the flaky Moroccan pancakes that are cooking perfectly before her eyes in the kitchen at Argana, a popular Moroccan restaurant in Cambridge, Mass. To observers, it seems to be the culinary equivalent of walking on a bed of hot coals. But despite the ample availability of spatulas, it's the only way Argana's baker will make them

Max Hastings reviews An Army At Dawn: The War in North Africa, 19421943 by Rick Atkinson The torch landings on the coasts of Algeria and Morocco in November 1942 brought American armies to grips with the Germans for the first time in the Second World War. Six months later, almost 300,000 Axis troops surrendered to the Allies in Tunisia. The British have always been inclined to regard the NorthWest African campaign as a sideshow, an afterthought to the Eighth Army's desert drive from El Alamein.

    Books: The lie of the sand Sahara: The life of the great desert

By Marq De Villiers and Sheila Hirtle (HarperCollins, £16.99) Reviewed by George Rosie

Shedding light on that great historical/ geographical mystery is what this new book by Marq De Villiers and Sheila Hirtle is all about. If nothing else, it's a reminder of the sheer size of the Sahara region. It stretches from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. It touches no fewer than 10 countries: Western Sahara, Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Mali, Niger, Tunisia, Libya, Chad, Egypt and Sudan. And far from being an ocean of undulating sand it contains some of the most spectacularly shaped mountains on earth, one of which reaches more than 9500ft (almost twice the height of Ben Nevis)....

    Rapping from the Heart Raymzter's DutchMoroccan rap is challenging racial stereotypes and the music is pretty good, too

The big, bad reputation of DutchMoroccan rapper Raymzter is dented within minutes of meeting him. He shakes hands politely, is softspoken, and offers a cup of coffee. Reclining on a floral couch he displays none of the rebel attitude that makes his stage performances such a hit. Raymzter (pronounced rhymster) is the sort of rapper you could take home to meet the parents. In fact, it's the parents of Raymzter's.....................

A Moroccan widow and her 14yearold mule have become unlikely celebrities after the animal gave birth to a foal. Local superstition around the village of Oulmes, 50 miles south of Fez, equates an animal that should be sterile giving birth with the end of the world.

Tuesday, 14 January, 2003, By Stephanie Irvine/ BBC Focus on Africa Magazine

There are a few jokes going around Morocco at the moment about the new female members of parliament. For example: when the women get together in committees, instead of discussing policy, they will be exchanging recipes and the names of their dressmakers...............

When I think of Morocco, I think of busy cranesbig cranes busy building homes, apartment houses, and other living quarters. Wherever I went in that extraordinary country, I was rarely out of sight of some kind of construction. Thus, if Morocco is .....................

    We'll always have MOROCCO:  We're off on the road to the land of casbahs, desert and Imperial Cities

CASABLANCA, Morocco Mention Morocco and two words that spring to mind are "Casablanca" and "casbah." Both words invoke romantic fantasies and images of intrigue. Unfortunately, neither is a particularly accurate representation of this fascinating country.

An Amazigh customary legal system has been set up over thousands of years in North Africa covering all aspects of life. In fact, there were customary laws regulating the individual, collective, cultural and political life, and the system of ownership of lands, forests, water and minerals. The Amazigh tribes were organized in confederations according to lands owned jointly, to the geographic space or natural boundaries that allow mutual defense

Thursday, March 8, 2001 By WINDA BENEDETTI  SEATTLE POSTINTELLIGENCER REPORTER

OUARZAZATE, Morocco Ungchigga, ungchigga, ungchigga, ungchigga, ungchigga. The sound is so loud that, although we're nearly a mile from the source, I can feel the vibrations tickle the soft place where my spine meets my bum. Ungchigga. It thumps all night long. Ungchigga. All day long. Ungchigga. It shanghais the body's rhythms and demands they step up to the tempo. Ungchigga! Did I mention LOUD?

Wednesday, January 3, 2001 By JOAN BRUNSKILL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK The 30plus years since Claudia Roden wrote her landmark "A Book of Middle Eastern Cooking" have been full of further discovery and change, she said. What this book is all about," she said, "is that during the years I've gone on following up, finding out more and better ways people can do these dishes

James Buchan is enthralled by Tim MackintoshSmith's edition of The Travels of Ibn Battutah, a Moroccan view of the 14thcentury world

Saturday December 21, 2002 The Guardian

The Travels of Ibn Battutah edited by Tim MackintoshSmith 325pp, Picador, £20

With only 20 kilometers separating Casablanca from Spain, Morocco is the closest Arab country to the European Union. Nor is the proximity only geographical. More than 200,000 Moroccans work in Spain alone, with even greater numbers living elsewhere in Europe. The majority of Morocco's foreign trade is with the EU. Generally peaceful relations between Morocco and the EU as a whole, and Spain in particular, have characterized this closeness, but the last few

Tuesday, 10 December, 2002, 08:57 GMT By Stephanie Irvine BBC, Rabat

The trial in Morocco of three Saudis and seven Moroccans accused of being part of an alQaeda plot has shaken the image many Moroccans hold of their country as a peaceful, tolerant Muslim state.....

    More Alike Than Different: GW's Muslim and Jewish Students Share A Ceremonial Meal at Sundown

As the floortoceiling windows of the Marvin Center Ballroom framed a magnificent dusk slowly blanketing Foggy Bottom, a warm feeling of brotherhood and understanding emerged inside. Muslim and Jewish students filled the room to capacity to share in an Iftar, the ceremonial meal at sundown, breaking the daily Ramadan fast.

They had traveled to Morocco last month to visit development projects, old haunts and longlost friends and to revive ties to a land they can never forget. They are "Friends of Morocco."....................

Dry: we think we know dry. It's when your lawn needs watering, or when you're thirsty and resent spending £2.50 on a bottle of water. No, that's not dry. Dry is when every drop of water is a struggle in a land strewn with rocks and sand, where river beds haven't seen the flow of water for months.  Travel beyond the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, along the valley where the Dra runs (when it does run

Traveling in Morocco for two weeks, my partner and I decided that the Medina or the ancient, walled city in Fez was our best chance to shop for traditional Berber handicrafts.

Edina Butler was searching for a "drastic, dramatic change in my life" when she signed up for a twoyear stint with the Peace Corps teaching health education in the west African nation of Mauritania......

Annapolis FourthGraders Travel Depth and Breadth of Islamic Culture in the Footsteps of a 14thCentury Moroccan Man

First came the exotic locales, the distant geographies: Tangier. Alexandria. Damascus. Baghdad. Then came mention of luxurious goods: Ripe tangerines. Green cardamom. Burntorange turmeric. Next, these fourthgraders at Annapolis's Key School were stepping into the dusty shoes of 21yearold Ibn Battuta as the 14thcentury Moroccan man made his hajj across North Africa, to Mecca, and then kept going. By the time he returned home, he was a 64yearold man............

A Muslim country on the fringes of Europe gives the former gangster the scope to wander with uncharted past or future, and the peace to work on his new novel, finds JEAN WEST

IT'S a romantic notion: the tortured scribe poring over his novel beneath a starry African sky. Somewhere in Marrakesh, hidden in the maze of souks in the heart of the medina, the former Gorbals gangster turned sculptor, Jimmy Boyle, has been fashioning his future as a writer.

U.S. officials directing the latest drive to sell America's image to the Muslim world might learn something from students at a youth center in rural Morocco.  While I was a Peace Corps volunteer teaching English to teenagers and young adults in Morocco from 1998 to 2000, I decorated my makeshift classroom with the only pictures around: posters of life in the United States designed by the U.S. Information Service

Peggy Markel fell in love with North African cuisine on a visit to Morocco two years ago. Today her Marrakesh cookery courses explore the country's spices and ingredients. Lori Zimring de Mori joined her to sample everything from sweet mint tea to saffronscented seafood tagine.

    Grand tours: Paul Bowles travels back in time in Morocco Out in the desert, armed to the teeth

Sex, drugs, fantasies and the machinery of derangement" the preoccupations of the writer Paul Bowles are well known, as is his connection to Morocco and the Sahara. Indeed, Bowles is to north Africa what Byron was to Greece: he lived in Tangier for most of his life,

Numerous evidence suggests that Moroccans arrived to the Americas at least five centuries before Columbus:..........................

Steve Keenan takes on the mighty Atlas Mountains THE final, steep climb over snowcovered rocks to an icy ridge 1,800m (6,000ft) up the Atlas Mountains was no problem for Gruff. A Super Furry Animal presumably doesn't feel the cold

Paul Mansfield steels himself for the toughest but most rewarding drive in southern Morocco  The TizinTest is simultaneously the most demanding and most spectacular drive in Morocco. An irresistible challenge and a bit of a nightmare..................

Not content with an ordinary marathon, Tarquin Cooper took part in a punishing 150mile ultrarace in the sweltering heat of the desert Running a marathon is supposed to be the challenge of a lifetime. It requires months of training, and to succeed you have to push yourself to the limit and overcome great obstacles usually agonizing seizures at about mile 20.

Our regular look at countries which rarely feature prominently in the international news. This week: The appointment of Morocco's new government was overshadowed by a fatal prison fire and P Diddy's big birthday bash

Away from Marrakech's hustle and bustle, Carla Grossetti finds tea, tagine and tranquility in the sleepy Moroccan fishing village of Taghazoute Tuesday November 12, 2002

Tourists may be scarce, but north Africa is still the wild, kaleidoscopic, beautiful maelstrom it always was. Andrew Gilchrist gets happily lost Holidays in the Muslim world

A drive across the Sahara desert in a convoy of Land Rovers gave Anthony Browne access to a Morocco normally off the tourist trail. But this is no trip for the faint hearted

Shades of history fall theatrically across Essaouira's pink walls, from Othello the Moor to Sixties hippies, as Euan Ferguson discovered

Cool and stylish, these Moroccan palaces of peace are the perfect antidote to the noise, crowds and clamour of the city's streets. Jill Crawshaw visits eight of the best

One day Morocco was top of the tourism charts. The next it wasn't. Liz Bird went last week to find out if fears of travelling in a Muslim country are well founded

Its mix of the exotic and the downright bizarre make Marrakech the perfect weekend escape. Katharine Viner tries its top hotel

Tangier has always attracted an eclectic artistic community, from William S.Burroughs to Joe Orton. Novelist Jake Arnott gets a taste for its languid friendliness

It's close, but about as different from Europe as you can get. Lisa Sykes walks through the High Atlas with Berbers and soaks up the atmosphereMarrakech's souks

Rory Bremner settles in at an Aman resort, the holy grail of luxury hip hotels, where he's given a naked scrub down with olive soap in the steam room followed by a fourhand massage.But another hour's flying takes you to Morocco, and another world. While the Moors played away in Andalucia, home was Marrakesh, Fez or Tangier. Forget Casablanca: its romance faded with the departure of the last DC3. The airport no longer bears the name Casablanca.............

DNA tests have confirmed that a Moroccan mule did give birth to a foal. Veterinary experts say the foal's father was a donkey and its mother a true mule...............Monday, 4 November, 2002,

I had spent two days at another Peace Corps volunteer's site in the High Atlas, Morocco. He lived in a oneroom house without electricity or running water. We collected water from a nearby natural spring. Isn't it strange that I should have to categorize the stream as "natural?" Perhaps that is a reflection of just how "urbanized" I was: down in the provincial capital, where I was living, I could access the internet and listen to the BBC before going to bed every night. The people in this village were farmers, growing wheat, corn, apples, and walnuts............................

King Mohammed of Morocco has announced the lineup of the new coalition government, but there are no posts for the Islamic party that trebled its vote in September elections.................

Looking for an exotic sofa? You've come to the right place. Bring cunning, thoughand cash. The lowest dregs of today's popular "North African look"crude iron lamps and sconces, jewelry with plastic stones, hamhandedly hewn tablescan be had cheaply and easily enough....................

    Adventures in the sands In Morocco: Mending a broken heart at the world's tallest dunes

MERZOUGA, Morocco There are things that awe us to rapturegrand canyons, wild cascades, the immense rolling ocean. And there are other thingscool-rooted flowers, sunrise .............

    MELTING POT One student experiences the sights, sounds and smells of a traditional Moroccan dinner

After tea in the cafe overlooking the Atlantic, I felt keyed up. It probably had something to do with all the sugar in the tea; or maybe my own nervousness in a conversation that kept switching from French to Arabic and back again that caused me to drink more tea than I needed.........................

Human rights groups in Morocco have condemned conditions in the country's overcrowded prisons after a fire killed at least 50 inmates and injured dozens more at a jail in El Jadida.......

    Morocco: democracy denied: THE GAP BETWEEN IMAGE AND REALITY.

Democratic reforms in Morocco were among the few positive findings in a recent United Nations report on development in the Arab world. But the country's most popular Islamist party, Justice and Charity, was banned from September's elections.

UNLIKE other North African nations, Morocco has been consistently occupied by one group of people for as long as recorded history can recall. The Berbers settled the area thousands of years ago and at one time controlled all of the land between Morocco and Egypt. Today Berbers still make up 80 percent of the population....

After over 24 hours of travel, I finally arrived in Casablanca, tired but anxious with anticipation to see two of my closest friends, Janet and Tiina. We were all converging upon Morocco, invited by our friend, Antoine, who was working on the film set of Black Hawk Down, a new film directed by Ridley Scott......

We awoke that morning to find ourselves in the middle of the Sahara Desert. How we had come to arrive there is still a bit of a mystery. I remember something about myself, my girlfriend Johanna and our friend Regan being accosted at a bus terminal, taken to a hostel and being convinced to climb on to the Meanest, most Uncomfortable, Gas infested, Stank-ass animal in the world. I believe they call this animal.....

Let me begin this story with a little bit of advice - no matter what anyone tells you, do not, I repeat, DO NOT, do the Toubkal trek in the Moroccan High Atlas mountains!!! My guidebook says all you need are some good hiking shoes. Let me tell you, that is a load......

In November 2000, the Dublin Simon Community  organized a "Hike For The Homeless" of100km across the Sahara Desert. Nearly a hundred people signed up for this incredible experience and most of them, or rather most of us met for the first time in Dublin airport on the day of ....

The day started well, what with the Alien Registration (Yes, that is the actual name of the department) people's timely stamping of my passport, validating my right to live/work in Eire "til the following May (thus avoiding Immigration hassle en route), followed by another prac test with X Advertising, thereby landing me a new job (despite instilling mammoth fear in having to return to work to resign just hours before I leave)...............

Travel through Morocco for any length of time and you'll uncover a land fiercely traditional and full of daily change, a land of harsh desolation shadowed by lush oasis, and a land where earnest well wishers stand toe to toe with the desperate, impoverished, and outright swindlers. In short, Morocco is a world of contrasts both..............

In Morocco, up in the Atlas Mountains we were heading from Marrakech to Ceuta, and it was very hot and dusty! Down below was a gorgeous blue lake about an hour's drive away. We couldn't wait to hit that water......................

It was on a brief four-day stopover in Istanbul in the late eighties that I first experienced the pleasure of the ancient Islamic 'hammam'. Hammam is derived from the Arabic for "spreader of warmth" and is the ritual Turkish hot-steam room that is combination cleansing spot; social gathering and gossip place; and a relaxing brief getaway from the modern world. Hammams go back to the 7th century and ...............

DEWHIRST workers have lost their jobs to foreign workers paid just 50p an hour, it was revealed last night. The news is the final insult to more than 500 staff at the company's last remaining factories in Wales who will lose their jobs next month.......

MADRID, Oct. 6 (JTA) - Growing anti-Semitism and poor economic prospects are threatening to extinguish two Jewish communities on the North African coast......

Blending two worlds - Europe and Africa - and bathed by two seas, the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Morocco is a cultural melting pot which promises the holiday traveller a truly original vacation......

RABAT, Morocco (AP) - As afternoon heads into evening, a haunting call to prayer echoes from the mosque. Women covered with headscarves and veils shop for supper. Here, amid the spice shops and backstreets of the Moroccan capital, one thinks it would be easy to find Muslims furious at the prospect of a U.S. attack on Iraq.

    NEW HOPE, OLD FRUSTRATIONS Morocco: the point of change

"In Morocco, government is all about rain", Maréchal Lyautey is claimed to have said. The truth of his aphorism is dramatically clear this year as a persistent drought grips the land, worrying city-dwellers and obsessing the government. Morocco remains an agricultural country.......

Friday's balloting for Morocco's House of Representatives (the lower house of its parliament) may have seen less fraud and less money thrown about to buy votes than was the case in former.......

Wednesday, 2 October, By the BBC's Katty Kay

A mule has given birth to a male foal in a hamlet deep in rural Morocco. No big deal, you may think, but in fact the birth was a minor scientific miracle.A mule is the hybrid of a horse and a donkey and should be sterile -except in this instance.

Spain's Muslim converts reach out to Moroccan immigrant women and children. By Sara B. Miller | Special to The Christian Science Monitor

MADRID - As a teenager, Elena Rodriguez Arteaga visited the Alhambra, Granada's great Moorish citadel, and became intrigued with Spain's Muslim past. She studied its role in her overwhelmingly Catholic country, and the more she learned, the more she wanted to know.

Moroccan dishes with their spicy exotic flavours are perfect for autumn, says Jennifer Joyce - and they can be made in advance

(Filed: 24/04/2001) Edited by Elfreda Pownall

You can taste the calories in amlou - its three ingredients are Moroccan almonds, argan oil and honey - but that didn't stop Omnivore spooning it from the jar with gay abandon..........................

Moroccan or Corsican, apple or ginger? Edited by Elfreda Pownall. There are more than 100 varieties of mint, but only some are suitable for cooking. 'The best mints to grow are spearmint - chefs use it as a garnish for its neat, flat leaves - and Moroccan mint, which is good and strong for rubbing around a salad bowl to perfume it,.....

Rowley Leigh takes a cook's tour of Moroccan food I SHOULD have gone to Morocco in the Sixties, in my hippie days, but although Crosby Stills & Nash sang entrancingly about the Marrakech Express, they were never my favourite band, so I took the hippie trail to India instead.

In the first of a four-part series Diana Henry embarks on a cook's tour of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and north Africa Places, as well as tastes, are locked up in food. The clear perfumed stillness of a bottle of rosewater, the velvety skin of a fig, the sunburnt colour of cayenne... Our love of foods has as much to do with what they represent as with their taste. Nearly all the ingredients and dishes that, for me, have this other-worldly quality are from Spain, Portugal, the southern regions of France and Italy, the Middle East and north Africa........

Morocco's second film festival took place last week, attracting Hollywood stars and its share of controversy. David Gritten reports ........

    Local female leaders aid effort to elect women in Morocco.

Kathy Kreiter will climb aboard a plane Tuesday to embark on a trip that will take about 24 hours to deliver her to her final destination Morocco. It's the culmination of nearly two years of work by a group of female political advisers from Washington who have traveled to the country in North Africa to advise and train female candidates on the ins and outs of running for elected office and joining government service.....................

Moroccan voters go to the polls on 27 September to vote in general elections. They are the first since King Mohammed VI came to the throne in 1999 amid local media coverage that spoke of hope for a new era of openness and democracy......

A dizzying array of 26 parties are standing, ranging from former Marxist revolutionaries to the one legal Islamist party...........

Morocco's reforms are paying off but the country needs step up the pace of economic growth to deal with poverty and unemployment, according to the International Monetary Fund......

Mohammed Khatiri looks every inch a Euro-Moroccan yuppie as he sits in a stylish Casablanca café. Five months ago he returned to the country he left as a child in 1970, to run a local building renovation business he had acquired with his brother........................

The second Marrakesh international film festival opens on Wednesday in Morocco's southern city. Leading Hollywood film directors Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola....

Morocco or Tunisia? Suddenly it has become a tough choice, but visitors who love one have always assumed that they would loathe the other. They're in for a surprise, says Sophie Roberts

September 02, 2002  From David Sharrock in Madrid

THE latest wave of illegal African immigrants to arrive on the shores of Spanish territory is threatening to overwhelm the authorities and aid agencies in the Canary Islands......

Stimulating, mystical and steeped in ancient history and Islamic culture, the North African nation of Morocco tantalizes all who visit its wonders...................

By Michale Carr October 4, 2000

"Psss!" the men hissed conspiratorially, or, "Excuse me! Excuse me!" and "Come see. Only today!" I threaded my way through alleys clogged with hundreds of tiny markets. Canvas tents like those of Berber nomads shielded them from the sun.......

Joe Kuhl, a former Peace Corp volunteer in Morocco, teaches English and linguistics at the University of Georgia............... The old man across the aisle, a shamali from the north, he figured, by the brown-and-white-striped djelleba and the yellow rizah...............

August 1992 by Robert D. Kaplan

For Jack McCreary, it was a moment of sweet satisfaction. A self-described "child of the sixties," who had spent nearly two decades of his life in the Arab world, McCreary was the U.S. embassy's press and culture officer...............

By Mary D. Scourtes of The Tampa Tribune Published: September 4, 2002

TREASURE ISLAND - Whether there's a radiant sunset or the pyrotechnics of a summer storm outside, Karim's Bistro, with its Gulf-side vista, offers a cozy environment................

    Spellbound by Morocco: Dan Neil immerses himself in the fantasia of Marrakech and Fès."

Khalid the herbalist stumps in a circle, pivoting on his withered leg, lecturing. "Cumin, good for stomachaike; sweet curry, for headaike..." We are in his herboristerie on the Derb Zaouia, a narrow stone alley in the medina, the old city of Fès (also spelled Fez), where the ancient buildings lean on one another like.............................

    The Restaurant Owner: He has no taste for hate, even when he's a target of it.

By Laura Coleman Noeth  noeth@gomemphis.com 

When you have the kind of outlook that Aimer Shtaya has, hatred's venom loses some of its sting. Even when it's directed at your religion and spray-painted on your restaurant wall, as it was Shtaya's Morocco Cafe shortly after terrorists attacked the United States a year ago today....

By Geoffrey Moorhouse August 25, 2002, 

Sunday BOOK REVIEW DESK  TRAVELS WITH A TANGERINE: A Journey in the Footnotes of Ibn Battutah.

By Tim Mackintosh-Smith.  Illustrated by Martin Yeoman.  351 pp. New York:  Welcome Rain Publishers. $30.

THERE'S little doubt that Ibn Battutah was, and remains, the greatest traveler of all time. He left his home in Tangier (whose inhabitants are, as the title of Tim Mackintosh-Smith's new book reminds us, called Tangerines) in 1325, at the age of 21, and over the next 29 years journeyed some.......

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast President Bush has proposed doubling the size of the Peace Corps to help, he says, "spread the good story" of American values and ideas to the Muslim world. From my perspective as a Peace Corps volunteer in a Muslim village in Africa, the plan seems whimsical at best.......

From the fiery brick-red of Marrakech to the lemon tints of Meknes, Morocco's older cities seem almost to be colour-coded.. The sleepy Atlantic port of Essaouira is a huddle of whitewashed cubes, trimmed in Mediterranean blue, an arresting yet restful combination and reward enough for the two-hour journey from bustling Marrakech.

According to local lore the name "Marrakesh" comes from two ancient Berber words meaning "Get out of here fast!" But in the thousand or so years that desert caravans, warriors, tourists and international diplomats and leaders have been coming here to find an excuse to linger in cool gardens and pleasant, earth-red edifices that sprawl inside and outside the ancient walls, they have found no need to worry about ambuscades of brigands that once made the oasis notorious in forgotten history.

Friday, August 02, 2002 - Jean Godden / Seattle Times staff columnist

CASABLANCA, Morocco - I flew into the Casablanca airport two weeks ago with Jessie Israel of the University........Jessie, fluent in French after her Peace Corps years in Ghana, explained about the T-shirts and mugs....

Moroccans are bewildered by the decision of their new king, Mohammed VI, to choose the night before his wedding to prove his manhood on the battlefield. A few hours before the long-delayed nuptial ceremony last Friday, Rabat dispatched its troops to plant Morocco's Star of Solomon flag on the barren island of Parsley........

    Speech of HE The Ambassador to the “FRIENDS OF MOROCCO” at residence in Celebration of 40+1 years of Peace Corps on June 21, 2002

In Morocco's first public celebration of a royal wedding, thousands of well-wishers from all over the kingdom thronged the streets to congratulate King Mohammed VI on his marriage to 24-year-old

Marrakesh: What do Lawrence of Arabia, Othello, Star Wars, Tea in the Sahara, Hideous Kinky, Spy Game and Gladiator have in common? The answer is that they were all shot in Morocco.......

The festivities to mark the king's marriage began with the Royal Guard, mounted on horseback and in white robes and turbans. They led a procession from one of the old gates in the city walls, past the crowds lining the central streets, and into the grounds of the Royal Palace. .....

    The Evolution of Food Patterns of a Migratory Moroccan Population is the study of an Anthropology student who is seeking Moroccan informants

John Mortimer, writer  Interview by Tim Wapshott Saturday June 29, 2002  The Guardian

Why? It is the most incredibly beautiful town. It has white walls, bright blue doors, a huge, sandy beach, and the little coloured fishing boats look just like a Van Gogh painting......

It sounded too good to be true.  When Saed, 25, heard on the grapevine that Gulf-based Al-Najat Marine Shipping wanted to hire 30,000 Moroccans to work on cruise ships, it was a chance not to be missed.............

 RABAT, Morocco - Morocco has dismantled a group that has been linked to al Qaeda and suspected of preparing suicide attacks on U.S. and allied warships in the Strait of Gibraltar, government and security service sources said yesterday........

RABAT: It took the lady in veil and djellaba exactly three minutes before she began swaying to the sound of the band's drums. She wasn't the only one. Her four trailing youngsters and husband shook their hips as they tried to imitate the frantic movements of the bare-bellied dancer on stage.....

Among the many reflections on the events related to September 11, two of the most profound insights come from Christian thinkers who have focused their analyses essentially on the cultural aspect of the crisis.......

    Rekindling the magic of marriage.

Sarah Sands gets into the rhythm of Marrakesh.  Marrakesh in May is about 77F (25C). It is also the month when the roses are in bloom, outside the mosque, in the gardens and floating in stone troughs in hotel courtyards. The riad concept suits the hidden glories of Morocco. ......

I am in Morocco to see, and perhaps cross, the Western Sahara. Throughout history, there have been but a handful of land routes connecting the Mediterranean coast to western Africa.  In the east, there is the Route du Hoggar,

    Bush Gets Moroccan View of the Middle East

Nora Boustany  Washington Post Wednesday April 24, 2002 A18

After postponing his wedding and planned public festivities this month as a gesture of sympathy for the recent loss of life in the West Bank, Morocco's King Mohammed VI arrived Sunday on a state visit to Washington without his intended bride.

He lunched at the White House yesterday with President Bush, who sounded out the 39-year-old monarch on an Israeli-proposed Middle East peace conference. Bush plans to hear the views of other U .S. allies when Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah visits Crawford, Tex., this week and when Jordan's King Abdullah arrives in early May, Moroccan sources disclosed.     MORE

    President Calls for Free Trade Agreement with Morocco.

Office of the Press Secretary April 23, 2002

Nick Trend returns to Marrakesh and is surprised to find courses that are not only beautiful but empty.

When Morocco's King Mohammed VI arrives in Washington this weekend, he will not be received as the dashing "king of hearts".....

    Hardworking Upper Darby senior living his American dream with football honors.

Rachid Stoury, an immigrant from Morocco, said his family taught him how to succeed.

By Shannon Ryan, Inquirer Suburban Staff, The Philadelphia Inquirer

After running six marathons in costume to raise money for Save the Rhino - three in New York, three in London - this seemed like a natural progression..........

NEW YORK, Feb. 26 (JTA) "When most Americans think of Morocco, they envision Casablanca," says Dani Moyal, discussing the mix of Muslim and French cultures among Jews in her homeland.....

WHEN Moroccans opened their newspapers last Thursday, they could hardly believe their eyes. Across their front pages were large photographs of the striking young redhead who that afternoon would become the bride of their monarch, King Mohamed VI, at a low-key family ceremony behind closed doors in the Royal Palace in Rabat.....

Tourism chiefs in the Moroccan city of Fez are seeking to win back lost trade from holidaymakers who were put off travelling by the events of 11 September........

The Kingdom of Morocco is the most westerly of the North African countries known as the Maghreb........

Tyour Gnaoua is not a person it is a performance collective based in Morocco. Like all gnaoua (or gnawa) groups, it consists of musicians, dancers, fortunetellers, and their students all the descendants of former slaves from all over the sub-Saharan region........

    Memories of Morocco: For Sephardic Jews, Passover means luscious scents and flavors.

In spring, the breezes that blow through Morocco are warm and dry and laden with heavy perfume from the many Seville orange trees that are in bloom.........

Roasted Lamb Shoulder, Passover Fava Bean Soup, Danielle's Roasted Bell Peppers etc.....

MOROCCO'S King Mohammed VI is more celebrity than monarch. Young, good-looking and fashion conscious, he prefers sharp suits and wrap-around sunglasses to flowing robes and a fez.

TASTING the excitement of a Moroccan bazaar has been made easier with the opening of a new shop in Wellingborough..........

I have to admit even I was nervous about visiting Morocco earlier this month. I wondered whether it was safe to visit a Muslim country just now, not to mention getting on a plane heading hassle of visiting a place where everyone was going to hate me. I'm here to say I not only survived the trip, but was absolutely astonished by what I found......

A traveler finds beauty in the desert of Morocco, from the changing light on its sands to the kindness and curiosity of its people. ..

11 FEB 2002  AAP

Incentives for investors highlight the constraints placed upon the democratically elected government, writes James Drummond

MONTREAL, Jan. 28 /CNW/ - CDP Capital has partnered with the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion du Maroc (CDG) and other major Moroccan institutions to create a US$30 million fund for Morocco. This venture capital fund, known as Accès Capital Atlantique SA (ACASA), will invest in Moroccan manufacturing- sector SMEs involved mainly in telecommunications, information technologies, agri-business, fishing and tourism.

The Moroccan authorities have stepped in to block a conference being organised by a campaign group which alleges that the Spanish army used toxic gas to quell a Berber uprising in the 1920s.

    A strong, strange scent of history: The alleys of Fez - the most complete medieval city in the world - leave Paul Mansfield both enchanted and exhausted.

On my way to see the herbalist about a miracle cure, I popped into Khayar's for a shave. In his tiny shop, under magazine photographs of chubby Moroccan starlets, Khayar lathered my face and shaved it with a cut-throat razor .....

    Morocco welcomes Polisario's release of POWs

 RABAT, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Morocco welcomed on Friday the imminent release of 115 of its soldiers by an Algerian-backed movement seeking independence in the Western Sahara and asked for the freedom of about 1,400 others.  The 115 men were captured by the Polisario Front 25 years ago at the start of its guerrilla war.

The Polisario said on Wednesday it would hand over the soldiers in a goodwill gesture, but did not give a date. The handover has been arranged in collaboration with the Spanish Red Cross and the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The Moroccan Foreign Ministry said it had been following with great interest European Union efforts to free all Moroccans "held on Algerian soil in Polisario's prison cells." But in a statement carried by the official MAP news agency it added: "Moroccan authorities deeply regret that only 115 prisoners of 1,477 still held in Algeria benefit from this recent announcement despite the positions clearly expressed on this issue by the international community." The ministry said 1,028 Moroccan soldiers had been held by the Polisario for more than 20 years, including some now in poor health.

"Morocco calls on the international community, mainly the U.N. Security Council and all concerned bodies, to exert all relevant prerogatives to ensure their release, without precondition and further delay," the  ministry said.  The Polisario said the latest handover would bring to 900 the number of Moroccan prisoners it has released since 1997.  A 10-year-old U.N.-brokered plan to give the population of the Western Sahara the choice between independence or integration with Morocco has reached deadlock.

A new solution aimed at regional autonomy for the territory under Moroccan sovereignty has been proposed instead, but has not been finalized Morocco claims and controls most of the Western Sahara, a sparsely populated area which has a 1,500-km (945-mile) Atlantic coastline with accompanying fishing rights, and a wealth of phosphates and other minerals.

We had been in Morocco for three days and I had made every mistake there is to make. I had fallen for the "I'm a starving student, let me be your guide" scam. I had been lured into a carpet shop and came away with a $250 woven memory (retail value: $50 on a good day). And I had persuaded my two companions to board a 10-hour train to Fes, ....

    Wives of Arab diplomats 'Mosaic' society in Washington for defending the Arab image.

The name " mosaic" is derived from a Middle Eastern Arab art in which huge number of fine stone are used to create one homogenous and elegant design. The official objective of this non- political society is to raise money and funds for serving women issues. However, it non- official objective is fighting passive monotonous concepts concerning Arab culture, the Islamic religious values and matters relating to the Arab women.

The Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice announced the publication of the Federal Protections Against National Origin Discrimination brochure in an additional ten languages including Arabic.

    The Future of the Medina: Rethinking the Lessons of the Past

By Tom O'brien  Saturday, August 23, 2003

I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Missour in the TEFL program from 1986 to 1989. In September 1995, after completing a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning, I returned to Morocco as a Fulbright Scholar. The aim of my six-month research was to build upon an architectural and urban design study begun in the spring of 1995 by the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  This study sought to develop a reconstruction plan for the Essaouira medina, in particular the mellah.  I was interested in determining how plans for its reconstruction might consider the importance of traditional urban form to the life of the city's inhabitants. I also wanted to obtain responses to initial reconstruction plans from City residents, addressing such issues as the appropriateness of designs for the region's climate and the needs of the resident work force.  MORE

    Morocco acts on human rights.
Monday, 10 December, 2001, 
King Mohammad of Morocco has announced the creation of a human rights ombudsman.   The announcement was delivered in a message read by his brother,  Prince Moulay Rachid, to mark international human rights day.  The prince said the new post was part of efforts to offer support to  other bodies working to redress injustice and protect liberties.  On Saturday, the Moroccan Human Rights Association published the names of more than 40 senior officials and officers whom it accused of  responsibility for the disappearance of political activists during the1960's and 1970's. 

    Sweet Spot: If there's a problem with the menu, it's that nearly everything on it looks great.
 BY GREG HUGUNIN 
 sfweekly.com | originally published: December 12, 2001
To dine at Aziza is to experience a rare brand of luxury that leaves no sense untouched.  Step inside and you'll encounter dusky cobalt walls, dramatic arches painted with blue and white stripes, and the soft, twangy lilt of  Moroccan music.

    Morocco may change its telecoms rules.
By James Drummond in Cairo
Published: December 12 2001 
Planned legal changes to Morocco's telecommunications administration threaten to end the independence of the telecoms regulator and may hamper future investment in the sector, senior Moroccan political officials said on Wednesday. 

    Going without at Ramadan.
-At the beginning of the Muslim fast, a traveler decides to do as the Marrakeshans do. 
 BY EMILY ZUZIK
I am not a pious woman. I didn't go into Ramadan with a long history of restraint. In fact, the most I  knew about fasting was from my Catholic childhood during Lent, where you went without some chosen item for 40 days. There were also meatless Fridays, but you still got a good fish sandwich from the church that night. 

In the continuing examination of Ramadan traditions around the Islamic world, The Star spoke with Raja' Alawi, the wife of the Moroccan Ambassador in Amman, about the different traditions found her in native country.

MARRAKESH, Morocco, Nov 12, 2001 (Inter Press Service via COMTEX) After two weeks of hard bargaining, representatives from 167 countries hammered out an accord that paves the way for the ratification of a treaty aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but activists dismissed the deal as "meager".

    No Time to Be Shortchanging Foreign Aid  Judy Mann Washington Post  Nov 14, 2001

Susana de la Torre was a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco from 1987 to 1989. On the evening of Sept. 11, the first e-mail she received was from her Moroccan "family." They knew that her husband worked for the Department of the Army and that the family lived near the Pentagon.  "They had tried for several hours to call me by phone," de la Torre told me, "but had been unsuccessful and then resorted to e-mailing. I simply cried when I got their e-mail, and I was moved though not surprised at the depth of their caring for me and my family. They contacted us way before many family members ever did to inquire about our safety."  MORE

  Morocco sets up Berber cultural heritage body
 
RABAT, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Morocco's King Mohammed set up a Berber cultural heritage body on Wednesday, meeting one of the long-standing demands for the preservation of the language and history of the North African nation's ethnic Berbers.

Berbers, who also are known as Imazighen (free men) and whose language is Tamazight, represent the majority of Morocco's 30 million people, according to independent sources.

Berbers lived in North Africa before the Arab invasion of the seventh century but the Moroccan constitution recognises only Arabic as the official language.

"By establishing the Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture, we want...to recognise the whole of our common history and our national cultural identity," the king told a ceremony attended by government officials in the northern village of Ajdir, in the Berber province of Khenifra, 300 km (190 miles) from Rabat.

The Amazigh culture "which is deeply rooted in the Moroccan peoples' history belongs to all Moroccans without exception and cannot be used for political purposes," the king added, according to the text of his speech carried by the MAP official news agency and broadcast live on state-run television.

The king's mother, Lalla Latifa, is a Berber and daughter of a well-known nationalist Berber tribesman in Khenifra province.

"This is a good decision," said Ilyas Omari, a leading Berber activist, "but what we want to see next is Tamazight recognised by the constitution as official language."

Staying in the Marrakesh medina is no longer hideous or kinky, says Jeremy Seal. The renovated riads are oases of comfort and calm

Hidden in the High Atlas are some of Morocco's most tempting hotels, where guests seeking a retreat from the cities are entertained in style, says Barnaby Rogerson

THE SEA WAS a calm black sheet that summer night when Ghali Hacen and his two comrades stood on a Moroccan beach, stripped down to their underwear and began a three-hour swim toward their dream.

Deadly Journeys: One in a continuing series. Illegal migrants risk death to cross from Africa to Europe. Hidden under trucks and aboard ferries, clinging to rickety boats or detouring through a former penal colony in North Africa, thousands of border-crashers set off from Morocco in search of better lives in Spain and beyond.

The bodies of 13 illegal immigrants who drowned while attempting a clandestine trip across the Straits of Gibraltar to Spain were washed up on a Moroccan beach yesterday, as the search began for 46 others believedto have died after their boat overturned.

The king of Morocco, Mohammed VI, has responded vigorously to criticism by Spain that his country is not doing enough to control the hundreds of migrants entering Europe illegally from Morocco.

   The Ode to Morocco: A Globe-Trotting Couple's Color-Drenched Apartment Inspired by Exotic Locales.

By Annie Groer, Washington Post Staff Writer. Thursday, September 6, 2001; Page H01

They wanted color. They wanted drama. And they wanted their Dupont Circle co-op to evoke Casablanca. So it was that after a dozen years spent overseas in the exotic precincts of Tehran, Istanbul, Cairo and Moscow, foreign correspondents Geneive Abdo, 41, and Jonathan Lyons, 43, came to Washington and went wild with paint.

   Local man to race across the Sahara: Runner trains in city's late-summer heat.

With the sun high over his head, Edward Dramberger is in training for a marathon unlike any other he's raced in before. This time, his object isn't to win. "It's to finish the race," the 37-year-old said. "I live for goals." With temperatures in the high 90s, Corpus Christi is the perfect place to get ready for a150-mile race across the Sahara Desert. Race organizers say runners may experience 110 to 125 degree temperatures.

Morocco's King Mohammed VI has ordered his government to tackle worsening poverty in an attempt to curb the growing shanty towns around the country's main cities.

What everybody's doing here revolves around the throb and rattle of Gnaoua music. Gnaoua is an old sound, with a history that parallels that of Western Hemisphere blues, jazz and reggae, so the idea of reuniting the continents isn't that artificial. The ancestors of the modern Gnaoua brotherhood came to North Africa as sub-Saharan slaves in the 1500s, around the same time that African tribespeople were first kidnapped and shipped to NewWorld auction blocks.

Fez is the most daunting city in Morocco, its French-induced schizophrenia marked to an extreme degree. The old and new cities are two separate and contradictory worlds, each a riposte to the other. The new, French-built town is notable for its enormous tree-lined avenues, grand colonial statements that could only have been built with parades in mind. As an individual, you feel inadequate; you'd have to be part of an army to really feel at ease there.

Some henna tattoos could cause a lifelong allergy to a common chemical found in dyes, warn scientists.

They call themselves Amazigh, the proud raiders. But most people know them as Berbers.  For millennia, the Berbers of North Africa fought against Roman, Arab and French invaders. And, despite a history of colonisation, they have managed to preserve their language and culture, and have defended their land.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco has promised to set up a body to preserve the language and culture of the country's Berbers, who make up a majority of the population.

   King launches charm offensive: Desire for change could turn into overt political opposition.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco has launched an apparent charm offensive to win over critics to mark the second anniversary this month of his accession to the throne.

By David Bamford in Rabat  Wednesday, 25 July, 2001 on the BBC

Mohamed Azzaoui wants to get more citizens involved in Morocco. The founder of a non-governmental organization that supports local development efforts in Morocco came to the heartland on Thursday to see how volunteers and the government work in harmony.

Published Friday, August 3, 2001 By Mike Bockoven. mbockoven@theindependent.com

On the taxi ride from Marrakesh airport to La Palmeraie, Morocco is as I remembered it. Drunk with fatigue, prickling uncomfortably in the humid night air, we drift through an eerie, biblical landscape that reeks of rotting garbage, bonfires and abject poverty.

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