Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
July 26, 2008

Moroccan government to work more closely with NGOs.
By Sarah Touahri 2008-07-24

The Moroccan government is developing closer ties to the country's NGO community, in a bid to help organisations fill gaps in the social sector. Social minister Nouzha Skelli announced last week that the Moroccan government plans to work closely with NGOs in order bolster their work in the social sector. Speaking on July 19th at the seventh in a series of workshops between NGOs and the Ministry of Social Development, Family and Solidarity, Skelli said that the main focus of her ministry's strategy is a programme to accredit the non-governmental organisations.

"To date, around 1,600 organisations have expressed interest in the accreditation process," she said, "with the aim for 2008 to bring the number up to 2,000. Participation in the accreditation process is voluntary and involves signing the charter of ethics and receiving the status of privileged partner." Skelli added that although the social work undertaken by NGOs is laudable, the sector is better known for the quantity of its organisations, rather than the quality of their services.

The accreditation process, she said, allows the government to better understand NGOs' activities, assess their strengths and weaknesses and contribute to their development as professional organisations. Abdelhamid Makloum, a member of the Association for Rural Development, welcomed the move.

"NGOs need accreditation ... to enable them to manage development projects properly," he commented. NGOs that successfully apply for and receive accreditation will be eligible to receive grant money, the social minister added, for use on government-designated social development projects. The financial support would be provided only after signing detailed agreements with the ministry. The agreements would set out conditions for aid payouts and the ways in which the money can be spent.

A number of NGO representatives, welcomed the initiative, showing no sign of concern that the financial aid offered by the government would affect their independence or integrity. "I don't think the government will exert any pressure on NGOs operating in the social sector," said Makloum. "Officials need robust, professional organisations to help them address gaps in the sector."

Skelli identified several other initiatives designed to bolster the NGO sector. She said that the government is developing training programmes in social work in order to provide the job market with staff familiar with social intervention and capable of steering development projects. She also said the government was working to create networks of NGOs based on their geographical location and areas of focus.

And finally, she added that civil-society leaders are considering plans to create a national-level authority to oversee all issues relating to the work of NGOs. Specifically, the authority would comment on draft laws and regulations affecting the sector and propose measures to support the organisations' development. "Everyone has agreed that this authority should be set up," Skelli noted."We're now having more in-depth discussions to arrive at a consensus on how to implement this plan."
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/07/24/feature-02
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Yasmina Badou's Anti-corruption Crusade to Revive Morocco's Ailing Health Sector .
by Nadia Gouy - Morocco

The results of the September 2007 elections were no landmark victory for female representation in the Moroccan legislature – apart from the 30 female lawmakers elected through a 2002-instituted quota system, only four women were able to squeak into the lower house. Yet, for a country that is determined to lead the Arab pack in gender equality, the executive is a good counterbalance. And the new government counts five female ministers along with two undersecretaries, accounting for 19.2 percent of the total ministerial posts – a percentage that earns Morocco the 39th rank, second to no other Arab country, in the 2008 Women in Politics Report jointly prepared by the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Anti-corruption crusader, Yasmina Badou has met with resistance by what many have referred to as her “inflexibility and refusal to negotiate” in her attempt to improve Morocco's health care system. Photograph by Houda Andaloussi.

And, if you are of the opinion that numbers matter little as long as women continue to be assigned ‘soft portfolios,’ an umbrella term that the report uses to refer to ministries of Culture, Youth, Sports, and the like, Morocco seems ready to set the bar high. Two out of the five women were appointed at the helm of two critical positions: the Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and the Environment was assigned to Ms. Amina Ben Khadra, and the Ministry of Health, a minefield portfolio as it is, to Ms. Yasmina Badou. Assigning the Ministry of Health to Ms. Badou – an enthusiastic reformist and ambitious politician, who, at the age of forty, was already appointed Undersecretary in charge of the Family, Children, and the Disabled in the 2002 government – might be quite sensible, but this same strong-willed character could just as well lead Badou to a pyrrhic victory, one that costs more than it gains.

Just like any Moroccan, I took a deep interest in Yasmina’s proclaimed crusade for reforming the health sector. Born to a family that could pay the doctor’s bill in a city that has the lion’s share of clinics and hospitals, I was under the delusion that high maternal and infant mortality rates were ancient history. Yet, pursuing a Master’s in international development showed me the bitter reality. An ever-ailing health sector, all the more blighted by the flagrant inequalities between the up-to-date private clinics and hospitals and their dilapidated public counterparts, is a good enough reason for Morocco to rank 126th out of 177 countries according to the UNDP-commissioned Human Development Report 2007-08 – this time behind most Arab countries. Among the disquieting facts and figures: the number of physicians per 100,000 people stands at 51 with an extremely disproportionate concentration in the urban areas; among the poorest 20 percent, only 30 percent of births are attended by skilled health personnel compared to 95 percent among the richest 20 percent; the infant mortality rate stands at 62 per 1,000 live births against 24 for the richest 20 percent; and the mortality rate for five years and under stands at 74 per 1,000 infants compared to 26.

The health sector saga does not end there, and Yasmina knows it perfectly well – a litany of ills she dares to name in public. Once sworn in, she decided to wage an unrelenting war against corruption in public hospitals. It is no secret that free medicine is smuggled out of hospitals, that patients must bribe to access basic services, and that doctors will also grease the government palm to be relocated to more prosperous metropolitan zones, much to the detriment of people’s health in remote and rural zones; 250 public clinics have closed in the past few years.

While an anti-corruption campaign was launched by the former minister in partnership with Transparency Maroc, the results were nominal – a slight scratch on the surface. This time, however, a holistic approach is in the making, one that aims to create transparent governance systems. Soon, lists of available free medicine in hospitals will be made public. A hotline for whistleblowers will also be operational shortly.

Mission accomplished? Not when we realize that Madame Minister Badou has a whole host of obstacles to iron out, particularly the resistance of the doctors, hospital employees, staff in the ministry and her own uncompromising character. Ms. Badou stresses in quite a few interviews and press conferences that her detractors are a minority with vested interests and that many stakeholders share her vision. Maybe so, but strikes, sit-ins, and trade union diatribes of Badou’s “inflexibility and refusal to negotiate” show the contrary. While it is true that some strikers’ demands are longstanding, and patients as well as the Ministry of Health are used to marking off some calendar days for possible strikes, it is also true that Ms. Badou’s reforms have their greater share in the tension buildup.

What the lawyer-turned minister fails to realize is that the minority can easily grow into a majority. The minister identifies human resource management as a major hindrance to effective and transparent hospital operations, but forgets that motivation is critical. Has she thought of any incentives for her strained human resources? She does not seem prepared to make any overtures in appreciation of the far-from-motivating conditions nurses, paramedics, interns and ancillary staff work in: poorly equipped and under-staffed facilities, meager salaries and often uncompensated overtime.

The minority can at the right time and under the right conditions galvanize the majority. Will Ms. Badou ignore the brewing storm and instead rely on the support of the unions affiliated with her own political party? Last April during a forum on the proposed health reforms, Ms. Badou called a spade a spade, much to the disbelief of the audience, saying, “Our women deliver like beasts in the public hospitals.” Her bluntness was probably meant to hammer home the inhumane conditions in which some women deliver, but the message backfired. The Public Sector Doctors’ Union (SMSP) demanded that the minister apologize – and did her statement help redress the inhumane conditions by any means?

When the minister paid a surprise visit (ahead of the king’s official visit) to the rundown hospital of Khenifra, a city on the foothill of the Middle Atlas Mountains, she at once discharged the director of the hospital among others. In reprisal, the unions called for a sit-in in front of the hospital to protest against the ministry’s marginalization of the region. A success it definitely was as the unions took advantage of a disgruntled public to flex their muscles.

It’s high time that Ms. Badou think of her partners – the strained human resources – if she hopes to create real change. Top-down management will not serve her cause.

About the Author
Nadia Gouy is a Moroccan Fulbright Scholar, currently interning at the United Nations Development Program in New York. Nadia came to the US to complete her Master’s in Public Administration in International Management at the Monterey Institute of International Studies – an invaluable learning experience that deepened her awareness of the challenges facing her country, and showed her the potential of both positive thinking and proactively searching for opportunities. Nadia holds a Master’s in Translation and a BA in the English Language and Literature from Morocco. Nadia’s dream is to matriculate into a PhD program in Higher Education and Institutional Change at one of California’s universities.
http://thewip.net/contributors/2008/07/yasmina_badous_anticorruption.html
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Moroccan universities criticised for being "purely theoretical".
By Sarah Touahri 2008-07-21

After focusing on public administration for many years, Moroccan universities have been slow to adapt to the needs of the business world. Moroccan universities have a poor reputation among young people and employers. Despite reforms introduced in 2003, companies and graduates alike question the ability of Moroccan universities to meet the demands of the labour market.

Business leaders and government officials seem to agree that professional training courses prepare students for jobs better than traditional university degrees. Minister of Employment and Professional Training Jamal Aghmani told Magharebia there is a glaring lack of skills in certain specialities. His solution: calling on universities to offer professional degree courses that meet companies' needs.

Business leader Mohamed Bardouzi agreed, saying that universities are still a long way from meeting business needs, particularly in key sectors such as off-shoring and engineering. Personally, I would rather recruit a young graduate from the Professional Training and Work Promotion Office," he said, "because they are able to perform, even though they may only have a bac+2. I feel that university degrees have no role to play in the private sector."

Entrepreneur Marouane Debbagh said that despite reforms designed to give universities more flexibility and control over the types of courses they offer, knowledge among university graduates remains rather academic. "I believe those running the higher education department need to think about measures which can be taken to give university graduates the skills we need," Debbagh said, suggesting that universities incorporate public and private sector internships into the degree programmes.

"For the most part, the training is purely theoretical," said Saâd Mohammadine, a third-year economic science student. "The courses are not compulsory. Once a graduate has his degree, he will struggle to find work, because people are always asking for people who have been through professional training schools."

Second-year law student Sara Joual cannot even imagine herself finding work in the private sector."To be honest, the reason I’m studying is to get a degree under my belt. I know the employment prospects are limited," she said. "Maybe I’ll change over later into hairdressing or beauty treatment so that I can make a living, even though these jobs have nothing to do with the law and political science that I'm studying at the moment," Sara concluded.

The Ministry of Higher Education stands by its reforms, however, insisting that universities are trying to adapt to current needs. A ministry spokesperson told Magharebia that Moroccan universities have moved beyond preparing students for government administration. According to the ministry, universities are now working with some of the greatest ventures in the kingdom and overseas.

Professor Jamal Badrane agrees that reforms introduced since 2003 have given universities the autonomy and internal structures they need to reform themselves. "The university is now apparently free to offer the training it feels is suitable, according to its human and material resources," he said.

For Badrane, the issue is one of self-assurance. Employers, he said, should show more confidence in Moroccan university graduates, and graduates themselves must have confidence in their own skills. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/07/21/feature-01
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Feminise the face of Islam.
Helen Wilkinsonguardian.co.uk, Wednesday July 23 2008

The king of Morocco knows women can lead the way in moderating the messages of Islam. Britain should adopt his approach The British government's announcement about tackling religious extremism by giving young Muslims "citizenship lessons" among other things is an interesting one. It's easy to sneer at initiatives in the face of the omnipresent threat of Islamic extremism worldwide, but Britain is not the only country pursuing such an approach. So too is Morocco, where I live some of the year. On the edge of Europe, Morocco stands proudly in the Arab Muslim world. Islam is the state religion but King Mohammed VI has placed Morocco firmly in alliance with the west.

His approach has provoked reaction. On May 16 2003, suicide bombers in Casablanca killed 45 people heralding a resurgence of Islamic fundamentalism and signalling a wake-up call for the king. Terrorism touched Moroccan citizens and also put at risk his strategy for foreign investment and tourism.

The parliamentary elections in Morocco last September had a record low turnout of only 37% especially among the young. The implications are not lost on Mohammed VI. Neighbouring Algeria casts its dark violent shadow over this small country. The king knows he must give Moroccans – especially young unemployed men – a reason to invest in his country's political and economic future. Otherwise, Islamist extremists will find new recruits just as they did in Algeria. Some will find their way to Europe and the west, just as others will stay in Morocco itself. That's why Mohammed VI needs to bring jobs and foreign investment if he is to curtail the threat.

But he is not content to rely on economic growth alone. The king understands that it is in civil society that the battle to contain Islamic extremists will be won. Education is therefore also essential. As Islam is the state religion, the kind of controversies that muddy the waters in Britain are less apparent. Not that his initiative is without controversy. For the king has gone beyond traditionalists and is feminising the face of Islam and embracing Islamic feminism. Women, he believes, can be the purveyors of a moderate humanitarian Islamic message.

At the heart of Mohammed VI's initiative is the recruitment and education of mourchidat ("female guides"). The mourchidat first made news in April 2006 when the Moroccan government announced that the first 50 had graduated. The second intake – another 50 – are currently being prepared for their role in the capital, Rabat. They will work in local communities helping women with religious questions and giving support in schools and prisons. By working face-to-face in the community, women (still the primary care givers and nurturers in Moroccan society in their role as mothers, sisters, aunts, friends and community guardians), will present a moderate face of Islam and curtail fundamentalist violent excesses.

September 11 2001 showed that in an increasingly global interconnected world, terrorism, like trade, knows no boundaries. Mohammed VI's initiatives are leading the way in understanding another implication – namely that cross-cultural understanding is vital, and that women can lead the way in moderating the messages of Islam.

The British government and leaders of the Muslim community should adopt his approach. In Britain, the paucity of women speaking on behalf of and for the Muslim community is striking, yet education starts inside homes and families, and continues in the informal spaces of civil society like voluntary groups, schools, and mosques.

To tackle the terrorist threat, and stop the subversion of Islam in its name, the face of Islam must be feminised in the public, and private sphere in Britain as well. And initiatives which promote inter-faith communication and cross cultural understanding must be supported. Without this, as Asim Siddique points out, in a culture where religion and the state are separate, Muslims and others will distrust initiatives which target one sector of the community without reaching out to others.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/23/islam.religion
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SMU master’s student receives Fulbright scholarship.
By Pegasus News wire Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Ali Asgar Alibhai will earn his master's degree in medieval studies from Southern Methodist University this August. He will also be traveling to Morocco in 2009, courtesy of the U.S. State Dept.'s Fulbright Scholarship program. (He's one of 39 SMU students that have earned a Fulbright in the last 35 years.)

Alibhai, who currently resides in DeSoto, has lived all over the place. He grew up in Abilene (after being born in New York) and earned his bachelor's degree in Arabic and Islamic studies in Karachi, Pakistan (at Al Jamea Tus Saifiyah academy). Following his study tour in Morocco, he plans to undertake a doctoral program at Harvard University in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.

While in Morocco, Alibhai intends to study religious lamps; he hopes to examine church bells captured by Muslims during the Middle Ages which were then transformed into lamps for use in mosques - some of which are still being used for this purpose today.
http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2008/jul/23/smu-masters-student-receives-fulbright-scholarship/
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Morocco bans tobacco smoking in public places.
Rabat, Morocco

Morocco's House of Representatives, the kingdom's lower House, Wednesday passed a bill banning smoking in public places, tobacco advertising and selling to minors, a statement by the legislative institution said Thursday. The bill, passed unanimously, is aimed at reinforcing the legal measures to prev ent tobacco smoking, filling the legal gap that the absence of sanctions represented, limiting the bad effects of tobacco smoking and generating additional financial resources.

According to the statement, the measure is also aimed at protecting citizens' health, particularly that of youths and minors, and intends to expand the ban of tobacco smoking in all enclosed public places, including public buildings and mean s of public transport.

Public authorities in charge of ensuring good health and education are to consis tently conduct awareness raising campaigns on the dangers of tobacco smoking in public and private teaching and training institutions. The new law allows the police to draw up reports on any breach, the statement said.
http://www.afriquenligne.fr/morocco-bans-tobacco-smoking-in-public-places-200807249522.html
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Morocco promotes rural tourism.
By Imane Belhaj  2008-07-25

Morocco is co-operating with France and the EU to enhance tourist access to rural villages in the Kingdom, as part of Morocco's "Vision 2010" tourism initiative. Morocco's tourism industry is undergoing significant change as part of its "Vision 2010" initiative to attract 10 million visitors by 2010. While the sector has traditionally focused on the beach vacation market, Morocco has begun targeting rural tourism in an effort to stimulate economic revival in remote areas and encourage expatriate Moroccans to both visit and invest in their homeland.

Every year, Morocco receives between 150,000 and 200,000 tourists who are attracted by this kind of tourism. They go to areas in the Atlas, desert and the countryside. In June 2003, Morocco launched an initiative to develop this sector by preparing a comprehensive work plan to develop "tourist reception avenues" in remote areas such as Chefchaouen, Ifrane, Imouzzer, and Ida ou Tanane, as well as places which already see tourist activities but which need rehabilitation and support, such as Great Atlas, Rachidia Desert, Ouarzazate and Zagora.

The rural tourism projects are focused on investing even in isolated douars (villages), with plans in place for 20 new inns. Nine such rustic accommodations located in Taroudant, Tiznit, Ouarzazate, Haouz, Tata, Chtouka ait Baha, Rachidia and Zagora have already started to receive visitors.

The rural tourism project is the fruit of co-operation between Morocco and the French Development Agency. The EU, along with several associations in the kingdom, provides financial support to enhance rural development and help revitalise the local economies. The goal is to boost opportunities for rural Moroccans so that they will be dissuaded from emigrating. The plan also aims at encouraging Moroccans living abroad to return and invest in their motherland.

Morocco's Social Development Agency provided training for the managers of the inns. However, the day-to-day operation is up to the owners, many of whom are people from the area who have either immigrated or retired.

Mohamed Lamine, a Moroccan living in France for more than 20 years, said, "It's about highlighting the features of Moroccan villages that enjoy significant qualifications and beautiful scenery. We are also sorry that only foreigners, who really appreciate such tourist treasures, benefit from them. Therefore, it has become our duty today to provide good reception conditions that would boost the importance of our legacy and our natural treasures."

The strategy to promote rural tourism includes providing douars with paved roads to the inns, electricity, drinking water and sanitary drainage canals.

"Naturally, this will not benefit tourists alone, but will also contribute to improving the social conditions of the residents of douars that host the inns; something that will boost the state's policy in curbing rural immigration," visitor Rachid Salah told Magharebia.

Agoudal Inn in Echmarin village is one of the rural tourism project's success stories. Owners Mohamed and Abderrahman Marir received help from the Social Development Agency and the French Development Agency to rebuild an old house while preserving its traditional design.

Like all restored inns, Agoudal offers guests classic Moroccan cuisine. One French tourist expressed his admiration for the Moroccan tagine, confirming that while its flavour may differ from region to region, the same taste and relish "makes you eat insatiably and forget about any diet."

"The natural environment and fresh air opens up your appetite all day long," he added.
Mohammed, a tourist from Casablanca, chose to spend his vacation among the valleys, hills and mountains of the south, of which he had long heard but had never seen.

"The tourist finds among these charming sights everything that relieves the soul after a whole year of work," he said. It's also a souvenir-hunter's paradise. "Tourists will not leave empty-handed, because the people there enjoy magnificent manual skills to make traditional local products," he added.

"These inns also help create job opportunities for the people of the area," Mohammed noted, pointing out that locals take visitors on camel rides or offer sightseeing tours of the historical landmarks which abound in the area.

Morocco is working to help the long-isolated and marginalised local population manage tourism revenue and re-distribute the profits generated by the new visitors.

The local economic boost "preserves the dignity of Moroccans, spares them the needs and the pains of immigration in search of another means of income away from family and home," said expatriate Mohamed Lamine, who has lived in France for more than 20 years.

"The project has rehabilitated a remote mountainous area and made the standard of living of the people improve," agreed Abdalah Bahamu, the owner of Sirwa Inn in Tagmoute douar.

The Amlen Inn is located 4 kilometers from the Taforalt tourist area. The owner says it sustains his family, helps them cling to the land where they were born and creates job opportunities for the people of Amlen.

Another old, traditional house in Asrarak douar is also helping its owner provide a stable source of income for his family – now that he has built an extension to the property in order to accommodate visitors. Lahcen is proud that his Noujoum Inn has been visited by several tourist groups since April.

Ibrahim, a resident of the douar, said, "We have realised our role in participating in our national economy, as a number of us are doing work for the inn or are producing some traditional products to sell to tourists."

"You can't imagine the happiness of a woman who is able to make some income from a product she made with her own hands, or the happiness of a man who can highlight the features of his region's natural products, such as saffron, olives, and almonds," he told Magharebia.

"We now feel our importance as active, productive people."
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Govt. unveils 2008-2012 strategy to face global economic situation.
Casablanca, July 23

Economy and Finance minister, Salaheddine Mezouar, unveiled, here Tuesday, the main aspects of the 2008-2012 strategy for socio-economic development to cope with the current global economic situation. Speaking at a conference on "the current economic situation and the 2008-2012 prospects," Mezouar said despite a gloomy global economy that is characterized by soaring prices of raw materials and energy, notably oil, Morocco continues to achieve major steps forward at all levels.

The North African country needs an innovator private sector to reduce the unemployment rate and poverty rate that currently stands at 21% of the total population, he said. Highlighting the economic prospects of Morocco in 2008, the minister assured the economic players that inflation will remain under control in a range of 2%, the budget deficit will be reduced to 3% of GDP, and global economic growth will reach 6 ,8%. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/govt._unveils_2008-2/view
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Moroccan economy thrives despite global downturn.
By Sarah Touahri,2008-07-25

With current economic indicators and forecasts strong for Morocco, business and industry leaders say that partnerships between the country's public and private sectors are paying off. Morocco’s economy is in good shape despite soaring oil prices and international financial instability, Economy and Finance Minister Salaheddine Mezouar told business leaders July 22nd in Casablanca.

Addressing a meeting of the General Confederation of Moroccan Businesses (CGEM), Mezouar supported his contention that the economy is thriving by noting the 6% year-on-year non-agricultural growth rate since 2001, the drop in unemployment from 14% to 10% and an overall increase in investment. "These macroeconomic developments attest to the national economy's resilience [and an] effective economic and financial policy realised through reforms, major projects and sectoral policies," Mezouar affirmed.

The minister was equally optimistic about the future outlook. Inflation will be kept below 2%, overall economic growth will be 6.8% as forecast in the budget, and the continued process of expanding the tax base and controlling government spending will maintain the budget deficit at a level not exceeding 3% of GDP, he assured CGEM members. Mezouar also called on the private sector to become involved in the growth process. "What the government wants to do is involve employers in all economic plans as they are finalised. This democratic approach is aimed at ensuring that businesses commit themselves unequivocally to playing their part."

"With lower VAT and duties on imported goods, entrepreneurs have an ethical and civic duty to take advantage of subsidies and lower taxes by channelling this extra money into recapitalisation and business growth," he added.

All regions of the country are seeing unprecedented growth, said Mustapha Bakoury, chief executive of government investment body Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion. He also noted that while Morocco’s economy already has a good reputation, even more can be achieved. "I think we can do even better, provided that all economic, government and social players move towards a future based on fair distribution of wealth," Bakoury maintained. "We’ve already begun reaping the rewards of this."

Employers have welcomed the success of the partnership between the public and private sectors. Speaking at Tuesday's meeting, CGEM president said the organisation is willing to play its part in encouraging economic players to invest more heavily in sectors driving socio-economic development. "The public-private partnership is working perfectly and forms one of the main pillars of the Moroccan economic model," said Moulay Hafid El Alamy.

One of the strongest sectors over the last five years has been real estate.
According to the head of the Federation of National Property Developers, Youssef Ben Mansour, private property investment has played a key role in Morocco's economic growth, thanks to heavy involvement from the private sector and state assistance with taxation and in freeing-up land.

Some say, however, that the state has focused heavily on big business and could do more to help small and medium-sized business and industry interests. "SMEs still face a number of constraints limiting their development, particularly in terms of land, training, financing and expertise," said the CGEM’s SME-SMI committee chairman Khalid Benjelloun. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/07/25/feature-02
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Pathways to Creation: Exploring Sacred Music in Fes, Morocco.
by Derek Beres 21 July 2008

“Fes, yes, that festival is for sacred music from all over the world. If you want Gnawa music, you must go to Essaouira. There you hear the best. But Fes is a very good festival.”

The bald-headed clerk at the Virgin Records in the Casablanca airport was more than helpful —he even tore off the plastic from albums to allow me to sample. In the middle of Fes’ famous medina —the largest car-free zone in the world, at 24 kilometers and 9,400 streets large —I was able to listen to Gnawa, malhoun, Sufi and diffusion (electronica) at the 14th Fes Festival of World Sacred Music in June. But first I stopped in that store, where all the albums were bootlegged and cost 20 dirIt surprised me that during ten days of programming at the Fes Sacred World Music Festival, no Gnawa bands appeared, especially considering that Gnawa is the epitome of ritualistic music in Morocco. Yet the schedule did not lack. It featured a dizzying array of genres including the indigenous sounds of Vietnam, Tunisia, Norway, Pakistan, Belgium, America, and many more, including Morocco. The idea behind Fes is to honor and share the world’s great spiritual music traditions. When they are all presented, fans can find common links between the sacred arts of varying cultures. Celebrating its 14th anniversary, and coinciding with the 1,200-year anniversary of the City of Fes, the festival has become a pivotal destination for fans of global music.

The city was founded in 808 by Idriss II, son of Morocco’s first sultan, when 800 Muslim families from Andalusia set up residence on the right bank of the Fes River. Since then it has remained a source of pride for Morocco and a disorienting mystery to the outsider. During the large part of the 20th century it underwent an identity reformation, due to its colonization by the French, and its subsequent freedom that saw both a tribal mentality cling to old rituals as well as a new fascination with Western architecture and lifestyles. It is, like most Muslim nations, steeped in religion, with the famed mosque el Qaraouiyyine in the middle; a local artisan told me there are 355 mosques in total. Surrounded by towering walls on all sides, with numerous gates (babs) serving as entry points, to descend into the medina —the word means “city”, and here refers to the older part of Fes —is to step not only back in time, but inside a cross-cultural exploration that defies much of what the Western world defines as urban.

Read more on this site:
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/60797/pathways-to-creation-exploring-sacred-music-in-fes-morocco/
Derek Beres is the author of three books, including Global Beat Fusion: The History of the Future of Music, an insightful gaze into the new world mythology being created by global electronica. His photojournalism has appeared in dozens of magazines, focused on the international music scene.

As part of GlobeSonic Sound System he has traveled the planet DJing with the top names in world music. He is also a Vinyasa yoga and Budokon instructor at Equinox Fitness in Manhattan. His next book, Sound Against Flame: The Process of Yoga and Atheism in America, will be published in June 2008.
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