Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
February 16, 2013

Anou Set to Paint a Future Beyond Fair Trade

Anou's Founder, Dan Driscoll, teaches Anou's platform and computer basicsto a group of Moroccan weavers at a village's internet cafe.

"Imagine the challenges artists face in order to sell their art from a rural African village: illiteracy, lack of computer skills, and minimal Internet access. Anou is designed to support artists to overcome these challenges and thrive."

Ait Bougamez, Morocco (PRWEB) June 11, 2012

Anou, an online platform designed to empower artists in the developing world to independently sell their handmade art abroad, is set to launch in Morocco this summer.

Crippled with low literacy and isolation in rural areas, artists in the developing world have long depended on middlemen and fair trade organizations to sell their art for them. Because of this, artists gained little practical business skills and only a fraction of the final selling price – frequently as low as 4% – for the hand made art they created.

“The classic artist-middleman dilemma can only be solved if artists in the developing world are able to sell their art on their own,” says Anou’s founder Dan Driscoll. “But imagine the challenges artists face in order to sell their art from a rural African village: illiteracy, lack of computer skills, and minimal Internet access. Anou is designed to support artists to overcome these challenges and thrive.”

Anou’s platform accomplishes this by creating a visual-based portal that is unique to each artist. This enables artists to post their art with minimal training and computer skills, without the use of any language. The portal is also equipped with mobile technology so artists are informed of time sensitive events, such as sales, even when Internet access is long hike away from their village. Most important, through Anou’s visual rating system, customers can interact directly with artists and provide feedback as artists create their next handmade piece of art.

Socially conscious buyers interested in learning more about Anou’s vision beyond fair trade can visit http://www.theanou.com or follow Anou on Facebook for updates as it prepares to launch this summer.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/anou/fairtrade/prweb9579474.htm
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President Bill Clinton to headline education conference in Casablanca on February 24

The International University of Casablanca (IUC) announced today that former President Bill Clinton will speak at their upcoming conference “Challenges of Emerging Markets in the Global Economy” on February 24 in Casablanca. Clinton, 42nd President of the United States and the founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation, has been named Honorary Chancellor of the Laureate International Universities network (http://www.uic.ac.ma/president-bill-clinton), the world’s largest provider of private universities (Article in French).

The announcement was made ​​ by IUC, a member of the network, which noted that former President Clinton will advise the students regarding social responsibility, promotion of youth leadership, and increasing access to higher education.

“I have had the opportunity to visit several Laureate universities and to speak to students, faculty, and the communities that they serve,” said President Clinton. “These private universities exemplify the same principles of innovation and social responsibility in education that we worked to advance during my Presidency and now through my Foundation, and I am pleased to support their mission to expand access to higher education, particularly in the developing world.”
http://moroccoonthemove.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/president-bill-clinton-to-headline-education-conference-in-casablanca-on-february-24/
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Many writings that address the issue of sexual harassment, sadly, try to associate the act to men as if it is only a man’s activity. This, erroneously, may lead us to place all the blame on men while, in fact, sexual harassment is a behavior exercised by males and females and targets both of them. According to the legal dictionary, sexual harassment is “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that tends to create a hostile or offensive work environment.” This definition is clear that sexual harassment is not limited to a specific gender or sex as many people claim. Yet, the act can take many shapes and be manifested through many ways.

I am not going to delve into the question of who is to blame for such disrespectful behavior because, simply, it is a shared responsibility between men and women. Sexual harassment is a social phenomenon that is fed and empowered by our corrupted manners and the lack of respect to one another. The word is more or less associated with a decline in morals of a society and the absence of honesty and mutual respect among the individuals of a certain community. To put it in the right sense, men as well as women help in one way or another to make sexual harassment a “normal” daily practice.

Sexual harassment may take many forms and shapes and may not necessarily target just one gender. It is manifested through the most primitive means like sexual grafitti on the walls of our neighborhoods to the more sophisticated formats like in social media. The harassers may use technology to sexually offend someone such as by sending inappropriate text messages, emails, pictures or videos; as they may write hideous and offensive messages about people on bathroom stalls or in other public places.

Another form of sexual harassment is one that is exercised on all of us. What is worse is that we can’t do anything to stop it. Whether we like it or not, we are subject to visual sexual harassment from the time we step out into public places. Many provocative advertisement posters on the walls of big buildings or on the placards along the main roads are placed in our sights. Some girls may argue that a wink, a whistle or even a flirtatious expression on the part of a stranger is more harassing than a picture of a woman with next to nothing on a big poster. The former may be an honest expression on the part of that stranger while the latter is done seductively to make us passive consumers. For me, it remains the worst manifestation of harassment, which, unlike the former, reach the vast majority.

Even if you are stark blind, you can’t definitely avoid being harassed. The so-called music you can hear on your way to work, from your neighbors’ stereo, or on public transport can be the worse form of harassment one receives in his/her life. Sadly, some Moroccan so-called singers choose their lyrics from the gutter. With no respect to the passengers, some drivers turn on such songs, aiming to entertain their clients while, in fact, they are torturing them. Out of respect to others’ tastes, I can’t give examples of such songs, but anyone who is familiar with all the styles of Moroccan music knows what I mean.

Sexual harassment, in the end, is an undesired sexual behavior, which makes a person feel offended and intimidated. The most atrocious act of harassments are those to which we (men/women, aged/young) are subject to in the comfort of our homes whenever we sit before our TV screens and computer monitors. If we manage to escape the ones at home we may be able to avoid the ones outside.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/02/78586/the-other-side-of-sexual-harassment-we-cant-escape/
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Sexual harassment has been a controversial issue in Morocco for a very long time and it still is. Different people have different opinions about the issue; some blame women for being too loose and others blame men for being unable to control and behave themselves.

As a Moroccan girl, I can very much relate to this issue as any other Moroccan girl. As I believe, every Moroccan girl/ woman is harassed every time she goes out regardless of her age, shape, color, ethnicity, background… and no matter what she wears, even if she puts on potato bags. Any girl who says the opposite is living in denial because that’s the reality we deal with every day.

Sexual harassment can vary through the constant gazes that checks every inch of the girl’s body from head to toe, the harassing words coming from every corner, the following -or as I’d prefer to call it “the tireless stalking”-, the insistence to get the girl to talk, then it can move too far to the undesired touching of her body.

Men would argue that it’s the women who give way to men to sexually harass them in the streets, especially when they aren’t wearing “decent clothes”. Many men feel that they have the right to harass a woman who is wearing revealing clothes and that this type of clothes is actually an open invitation for harassment. This type of women is labeled as loose and immoral, even if they are not. After all, what’s the fine line between decent and indecent clothes for women? As far as I have experienced, seen and heard, no matter what a woman wears, she’s still going to be harassed at some point in her usual day.

I also think that this whole issue of “indecent clothes” is just a very weak and “loose” excuse for men to carry on their horrendous habits. We are a Muslim country where almost every Muslim Moroccan prides everywhere about being a Muslim (of course, in words but rarely in practice) but still we find these horrible acts that are condemned by our religion. In Suratan-Nur, the Almighty Allah states: “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty. That is purer for them, verily Allah is All-Aware of what they do.” (24:30). Isn’t this a verse where the Almighty Allah asks men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty? Did He by any means in this verse or in any other verse state that, well if women aren’t dressing decent enough then you shall harass them? No, He didn’t. Muslim men take pride in being Muslim, but as long as they don’t abide by this and other verses, their pride amounts to bigotry.

No woman is immune from sexual harassment, not even women with the niqab. I once had a friend who was unveiled. Life took us in completely different directions but we met after few years and she was wearing the niqab. We engaged in different conversations that somehow led the issue of the sexual harassment in the street. Her statement about her personal experience was very striking to me that I never forget it. Here is what she said: “You know, I wasn’t always wearing the hijab. At first I was harassed every time I went out, sometimes it was awful and just too much to bear. Then I wore the hijab and thought now that I’m a bit covered and more modest in the way I dressed, harassment would stop or at least diminish, but it didn’t. Then, I felt all guilty about it and was wondering maybe it’s me, maybe I’m not well covered and maybe I’m still a source of “fitna” and I felt very bad about it. I decided to wear the full niqab, no more colors (very dark colors, mostly black), and no more clothes that shows the figure. I felt and still feel very good and at peace with my decision, but I would lie if I say that harassment stopped because it didn’t.I still get the harassing gazes and the harassing words about my eyes (though my face is covered). But at least, I feel that it’s not my fault.”

This conversation was an eye-opening experience for me. It was the first time that I engage in such a deep way about this topic with a friend who wears the niqab and it made me realize that we, girls/women, aren’t immune no matter what we wear.

I highly salute every Moroccan female who goes out and defies all these harassments as bravely as she can, for it has become a daily battle that we sometimes complain about but we mostly accept as an inevitable evil.

Nidal Chebbak is a first year doctoral student at Sidi Mohammed ben Abdellah University of Fez. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in English Studies in 2009 after completing a research paper on Advertising Moroccan Women in Moroccan Magazines, in addition to a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies: Cultures and Identities in Morocco from the University of Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdullah in Fez; her MA thesis was entitled European Women through the Eyes of Moroccan Travelers 1611-1919. Nidal is also the vice president of the Moroccan Association of Friends of English (MAFE). She served for a year as Morocco World News’ correspondent in Fez
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/02/78458/sexual-harassment-in-moroccan-streets-who-is-to-blame/
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Morocco Restores Ancient Synagogue in Nod to Jewish Heritage
February 15, 2013

Morocco held a ceremony on Wednesday to inaugurate the completion of renovations to an ancient Jewish synagogue in the historic city of Fez. The two-year restoration of the Slat al-Fassiyine (Prayer of the Fesians) synagogue was part-financed by Germany. The ceremony included Morocco’s Islamist prime minister, Abdelilah Benkirane, as well as German parliament speaker Norbert Lammert, according to Global Post. In addition, a Jewish former Moroccan Minster Serge Berdugo spoke as well. Israel and Morocco do not have formal diplomatic relations.

The restoration of the ancient synagogue in Fez, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is part of a larger effort by Morocco to come to terms with its Jewish community.  The new constitution that was adopted in 2011 amid the Arab Spring recognized Morocco’s Jewish heritage.

“As is enshrined in the Kingdom’s new Constitution, the Hebrew heritage is indeed one of the time-honored components of our national identity,” read King Mohammed VI’s message to the inauguration ceremony, Agence Marocaine De Presse (MAP) reported. The King added that he wishes for the restoration of all synagogues in Moroccan cities so that they can “serve as places of worship…and as forums for cultural dialogue.”

Morocco was home to over 250,000 Jews during the first half of the 20th century. But amid the establishment of Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict, many Jews fled or were forced from their homes throughout the Middle East. Today, Morocco’s Jewish community is estimated to be around 3,000. http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/02/15/morocco-restores-ancient-synagogue-in-nod-to-jewish-heritage/
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We're not the Brotherhood: Morocco's Islamist PM.
Ahram Online , Thursday 14 Feb 2013

Morocco's Islamist Justice and Development Party is not part of the Muslim Brotherhood organisation, according to PM Abdelilah Benkirane. Morocco's Islamist premier, Abdelilah Benkirane, denied links with the Muslim Brotherhood, Arab press reported on Tuesday.

Benkirane, head of the ruling Islamist Justice and Development party, emphasised that Islamist movements have "their own political thought". "People voted for us as a political party as Moroccans are Muslims by nature; the government does not plan to Islamise society or interfere in people's personal lives," he said.

Benkirane expressed firm rejection of the so-called committees for the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice that have arisen in the North African kingdom, stating that only governments are entitled to impose law and order.

When asked about the appointment of only a single female minister, he argued that women's political empowerment in Morocco could not be compared to standards in France, as it had started only recently. "Gradual participation is the best solution for such an issue," he said.

Benkirane's arguably-moderate party won historic elections in November 2011, following constitutional change introduced by King Mohamed VI to curb his near-absolute authorities.

Benkirane was appointed to head Morocco's government in January 2012, but it remains unclear how much real power he holds. The amended constitution gives parliament a greater role in the legislative process and strengthens the role of the prime minister.

The election move came in response to the king's bid to end Arab Spring-inspired protests, led by the pro-reform February 20 movement.

The February 20 movement, which called for a boycott on the referendum on the constitutional changes, argues the reforms do not go far enough and that the election will only give credibility to an undemocratic regime.

However, Benkirane insisted that democracy in Morocco was moving, "slowly but surely" during an interview with France 24 TV channel last October. "We are in the process of taking small... but decisive steps," Benkirane told the French television channel on the sidelines of the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg.

The Arab Spring "set the regimes in Tunisia and Egypt on fire, and ours was scalded. It was because of that that we had a new constitution, that we had elections and that a party once harassed and marginalised" was voted to power, he said.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/64790/World/Region/Were-not-the-Brotherhood-Moroccos-Islamist-PM-.aspx
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Morocco: can the amended law change the society?
L. Kandakji Feb 14, 2013

Moroccan society was shattered by the shocking suicide of 16-year-old Amina Filali, who was raped by a criminal and then forced to marry her rapist.

Rights activists, feminists and bloggers have launched a campaign to sign an online petition addressed to the government demanding that the Criminal Code be amended to prevent rapists' escape from punishment if they marry their victim. A Facebook account was set up called We Are All Amina Filali. The internet is filled with outrage on the subject. The following message by Abadila Maelainin, a civil rights activist, became very popular, “Amina was raped three times – by the rapist himself, by the tradition and by Article 475 of Morocco’s Criminal Code”. Protests to abolish the controversial article took place not only in the capital and the victim’s hometown, but also in many cities throughout the country.

Meanwhile, relatives of rape victims not only in Morocco, but also in other Islamic states often agree to such marriages in order to avoid disgracing their entire family, as they believe. According to the girl's father, that was specifically the reason why he agreed to have his beloved daughter marry the rapist.

The Arab mass media infuriatingly tell of how the rapist-husband regularly beat and starved his young wife that married him against her will, which apparently became another reason for her suicide. Obviously, that man had a criminal nature and was prone to violence. That was the original reason for his crime. And by forcing his former victim to marry him, she was punished additionally.

At the end of January, the Moroccan Minister of Justice announced that the possibility of scraping that article of the Criminal Code, that allows a man accused of kidnapping or raping an underage girl to escape from punishment if he married the victim, could be reviewed. What changes are proposed to amend article 475 of the Moroccan Criminal Code? A journalist from Morocco Radvan al-Balyadi tells the Voice of Russia about that:

- The Ministry of Justice of the kingdom is reviewing three amendments to the Criminal Code, all of which concern the protection of underage girls from rape. According to the amendments, a man can be sentenced to a prison term of ten years for the kidnapping of an underage girl and sexual relations with her even with her consent. For rape the punishment would be 20 years in prison, for kidnapping and rape – up to 30 years of imprisonment.

The Moroccan civil rights activists support the proposal of Mustafa Ramid, the kingdom's Minister of Justice, to amend the law. It took the Moroccan authorities ten months and a tragic story that ended fatally to risk taking such steps and to hear the rights activists.

Moroccan society along with the rest of the Arab world has many unresolved issues. One of the main issues is that in the Arab world the man undoubtedly receives the dominating role, while women's rights remain in the background or are totally absent, states Radvan al-Balyadi, a journalist from Morocco, in his interview to the Voice of Russia.

- This problem is primarily a social one. Such a decision needs to coincide with the changes within the views of the society itself, in all of its spheres, so that the rights of women are no longer suppressed. Women are half of the society. It is not only the state that needs to look for the solution, but the society itself needs to move forward so that women have a the place in society they deserve.
http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_02_14/Morocco-can-the-amended-law-change-the-society/
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The unique beauty of a handmade Moroccan rug can add elegance and intimacy to any room, and these historical and stunning rugs can now be purchased directly from the Moroccan weavers. In partnership with Fox Web Creations, Atlas Weavers has launched a new website promoting their original products, as well as a cleaning and restoration services for existing rugs. Working in a valley of the Atlas Mountains in Central Morocco, artisans create rich and abstract designs using Berber weave and Beni Ouarain designs. Atlas Weavers can also create custom made rugs, sized and designed to fit with the specific color schemes and room designs needed.

Beni Ourain rugs are becoming a common choice for interior designers. The exclusive bohemian designs fit well in a wide variety of spaces due to their commonly used symmetric or geometric patterns. Moroccan Rugs are generally less expensive than their Oriental or Turkish counterparts and are created using a different type of knotting style, making them one-of-a-kind. The Beni Ouarain rugs often combine a more modern linear design in association with the geometric symbolism common to the historical designs made in the area for thousands of years. These gorgeous rugs will forge a connection between the contemporary life we live today, and the extraordinary traditions of the Berbers.

The original inhabitants of the area now known as Morocco developed their unique knotting and weaving styles in a different style than the Persian knot, known “sennah,” and similar to the Turkish ghiordes knot. The main reason that these rugs look artistic and bohemian is the abstract geometric design in the rugs. By continuing to live in the remote Atlas Mountains, these artisans have managed to keep the traditions alive by using much the same process their Berber ancestors did. Messages and techniques are passed down from one generation to the next through the weaving and stories, but the essential process of Berber weaving is an expression of instinct. Symbols and colors may represent specific ideas in the native areas where they were made. For instance, fertility and birth, rites of passage - or even a personal story. Given the linear and geometric designs used in many of the rugs, to many people the designs look like modern art, though they are often extremely ancient, dating back to pre-recorded history in the region of 25,000 years ago. The Berbers had trade with all ancient civilizations, like the Greeks, the Sumerians and the Romans.

Atlas Weavers also specializes in rug restoration - not only for the Moroccan rugs they make, but also for kilims, Persian or Oriental rugs, Navajo rugs, and hand-hooked rugs. In the Kansas City area (on both sides of the state line) Atlas Weavers includes free pickup and delivery on their expert rug restoration. Existing clients rave about their work - colors glow again and the pile is restored to its original thickness. They can even fix designs that have been partially lost and repair the fringe and edging on a variety of rugs.

So many spaces could benefit from having a singular floor covering. Moroccan rugs add warmth and a sense of home to any room they occupy. Additionally, each rug is a unique creation by the artisan, so no two are exactly the same. If a Moroccan rug sounds like it could add to your space, or if an existing rug is dull or tattered, please contact Atlas Weavers for a consultation. Fox Web Creations is proud to work with a company like Atlas Weavers, and can assist businesses of any size or type. Feel free to contact us for any web design or eCommerce needs your business may have.
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Morocco's naming criteria a hurdle for parents
france24english Feb 15, 2013

In Morocco, increasing numbers of parents are refusing to register their children's names with the state under the pretext it wouldn’t be approved. Civil servants used to insist on names approved by the ….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEDqNdS1XMo
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Tacoma woman's event design team going to Morocco, fueled by creativity.
C.R. ROBERTS; Staff writer The News Tribune
Published: Feb. 16, 2013

This year, Julie Hale is taking her employees to Morocco. They’ll be gone for nine days. Hale founded her company, Vangard Events, 12 years ago and her staff design, construct, and coordinate the details required to produce parties, balls, galas, fundraisers and other such gatherings in Pierce and King counties…………..

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/02/16/2477704/event-design-team-going-to-morocco.html#storylink=cpy
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Young people were vocal in the Arab Spring and the creation of Morocco's constitution, but many are dissatisfied with the on-going failure of political parties to meet their needs.

Young Moroccans say they want a louder voice in politics and the shaping of the kingdom's new democracy.

They seemingly have little faith in politicians in power.

While young voters played an active role in the 2011 Morocco elections and the referendum on the Morocco constitution, only 1% of young people in the kingdom officially belonged to a political party, the High Commission of Planning reported last year.

Many now agreed that politicians could do a better job of representing young men and women in government, as well as delivering on their bread-and-butter needs, such as jobs and education.

"Parties must implement democracy internally, above all. That way, the most deserving will make it to the top, whether they are young or less young. Although some parties have recently undergone changes, on the whole they have not been favourable to young people," 22-year-old law student Hamid Bekkali told Magharebia. "Many of my peers have shown interest in politics and want to enter the fray, but the conditions aren't right," he said.

Some Moroccans are also growing weary of politicians' inefficiency.

"There are big issues to be resolved, and officials are wasting time discussing side-issues," 23-year-old Samira El Chaouni told Magharebia. "Sometimes, you get the impression that politics is practised not for the benefit of society, but for something else," she added.

One politician who appears to be heeding what young people are saying is Mohamed Grine, a member of the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS). "Contrary to what people say, young people are not shunning politics; rather, politics is shunning young people. Young people have become increasingly interested in politics since 2011," Grine said. He added that parties used outdated methods and must break the mould of being dominated by men and older people. "They are structured in such a way as to exclude young people and women. Parties need to develop in order to incorporate young people," Grine said.

The Young People's Advisory Council, a provision which was written into the constitution, should come into being without further delay, political analyst Jamal Rihani said. That way, young Moroccans can become more involved in politics and have a greater say in issues of importance to them, he added.

Parties are increasingly opening their doors to young people by allocating quotas for them within decision-making bodies, Rihani noted. However, much work remains in persuading young people that political activity can help spur social change.

Politicians cannot wait much longer to solve the country's deep-seated problems, which directly affect young people. Prolonging this failure only will turn off youngsters from politics and drive away their potential votes, former People's Movement MP Fatima Moustaghfir said. "It is social issues that spur young people to love or hate politics. Young people want high-quality education and jobs. At the moment, the problem of unemployment is haunting young Moroccans," she said.

The importance of solving these issues at the root of young people's social discontent is closely tied to an urgent need to complete the democratic process by implementing the constitution's text, Mohamed Grine said. "With the Arab spring, there was a reform acceleration which resulted in a new constitution," he said. "The building of democracy can actually only happen concurrently to economic and social aspirations, especially when it comes to young people and employment."
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2013/02/14/feature-03
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It is easy to make assumptions regarding Morocco’s history and the roles various countries have played in it. In several recent articles of the Morocco World News, the French language is castigated and berated as a remnant of a colonial era. To be clear, from 1912 to 1956 Morocco was a French protectorate, but not exactly a colony.

The articles which condemn the use of French in Morocco forget to point out that the same influence of a foreign language is present in the north, where Spanish is spoken as much as French is in Casablanca and Rabat. Why criticize the use of French when the use of Spanish is just as widespread ?

Personally, I am discouraged by the result of the Arabisation of Morocco which began ten years ago.  The loss of French speakers throughout the Kingdom should ring as an alarm to anyone who is culturally inclined, to linguists and to Moroccan academia in general.

The French language absolutely has its place in Morocco, to the same extent that Spanish has its place as well as Arabic or Tamazight. Because they are all languages which have been culturally present in the Kingdom, they are all worthy of being taught and perpetuated.

The United States celebrates its diversity by encouraging its citizens to keep their beliefs and traditions while at the same time being Americans. This is true in Morocco today. Let’s encourage this initiative rather than condemn it by singling out one specific community in Morocco.

Dareeja is a dialect, meaning it is an oral tradition, so it is taught orally. No books are written in Dareeja. If one wishes to make notes while learning to speak Dareeja, one would write them using Latin or Arabic letters.

Writing Dareeja using Latin letters makes sense to many Moroccans. Recent print advertising campaigns (visit this and this) make use of Dareeja this way to reach out to the largest possible audience.

In order to be literate, however, small children must be taught a written language as well as an oral one.

The first language a large majority of Moroccans learn at home, as children, is not a written language. It is, therefore, essential that children in Morocco also learn to read and write in another language. To this end, French, English, Spanish and Arabic are all useful languages.

At the prefecture in Casablanca or Rabat, the forms which are handed out are printed in Arabic and in French. In my personal experience, the civil servants working there clearly preferred to speak in Arabic. They were dressed normally, none covered their hair and they were happy to show me they could communicate in French. If one can communicate, even moderately in another language, this means they can probably read and write in it as well, even if only a little. This is a big deal! It shows that the literacy rate in Morocco is advancing, which alone, is a tremendous improvement.

There are many ethnic groups around the world who fight for one language to prevail over another in their country. Worse, in certain places they hope for a cultural separation or geographic divide. Today we know that the countries who have managed to move forward faster are the ones who have incorporated a second language into their culture. Again, there are myriad positive examples of this: Scandinavian countries follow this model, in India many classes speak English and do not see it negatively despite having been colonized by the British. In Canada, after years of wanting to separate, the French Canadians have realized that their strength is in unity, (with the Canadian English  speakers) not division. The Belgians are quickly realizing the same is true for them as well.

Dareeja is a cultural particularity of Morocco which should be celebrated. It is, after all, a spoken language shared among the population, all ethnicities combined. The Arab speakers, the French speakers, the Spanish speakers, the English speakers, the Jewish communities and the Berbers of Morocco all speak Dareeja. However, given the fact that Dareeja is not a written language, Moroccans should also welcome the influence that various countries have had within the Kingdom.

Morocco is a rich country with unlimited potential. Much of this potential comes from the fact that we are versatile, ethnically diverse and speak many languages.  Let’s encourage this diversity in its entirety. Christine Houben is a French and American TV news journalist, travel writer and activist. She has worked as a consultant for the DNC in the United States and for the UMP in France. She lives in Casablanca.   
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/02/78419/lets-celebrate-moroccos-linguistic-diversity/
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Last week has seen the start of the demise of Morocco as we know it. The announcements of the Minister of Economy, coupled with the forecasts of the Haut Commissariat au Plan were what it takes to be earth-shattering for all Moroccans.

In order to benefit from the grants of International Monetary Fund (IMF) the government decided to take drastic measures on the only lever they are courageous enough to use: the compensation fund .

The very bleak growth forecast of just over 2.5 % this year and an inflation rate of 1.3% is unable to sustain an emerging economy like Morocco’s. The future prospect looks even bleaker with the austerity measures that will no doubt shrink the economy by slashing revenues in the long term.

But what else could they do? The government has to pay its bills. And it is in dire need of the cash provided by the IMF and the Gulf Cooperation Council. But obviously those funds are not free, and what they are asking for in return is simply the skin of the middle class, who the government agreed to sacrifice on a platter by eliminating the Compensation Fund. Yes, poor families will receive aid of 600dhs per month. The rich really won’t mind paying 2,000 to 5,000 dirhams more on their monthly grocery and energy bills. But the middle class families, whose monthly earnings are anywhere between 2,500 dirhams to 20,000 dirhams simply cannot afford those price increases on essential products. The only way they can manage such a drastic increase in their bills is by slashing other spending, such as private education, travel, home furnishing, eating out, which will in turn affect greatly other vital sectors of the economy, leading to an eventual collapse .

The decisions taken so far by this government simply do not make sense in the middle to long term. The austerity measures have proven to not work in all other societies, simply because they lead to a contraction of the economy due to low local demand and lack of private investment which is translated in a decrease in revenue. And right now the last thing the economy needs is lower local demand. What it needs mostly is to encourage families to spend more, which will improve the confidence of investors and create jobs and revenue.

The government is also opting to generate higher revenue with higher taxes on job creators, but companies who have a higher tax bill will no doubt cut spending and investment, stop hiring and cut jobs, freeze salary and benefits. This will inevitably make it even harder for economic growth. You simply cannot be a fiscal hawk in an economy in trouble.

The government gave up on the middle class in order not to touch other levers such as:
- A more efficient government by laying off all unnecessary personnel
- A currency devaluation
- Drastic cuts in the hugely inflated budgets of the Monarchy and Military

The fact of the matter is that the government is digging itself in a hole and will eventually have to cut jobs and devaluate the Dirham. Now the only question that remains is what will be the tipping point and do we have the guts as a nation to face a crisis of unprecedented proportion?
Youness Radi is a contributor to Morocco World News from Marrakech
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/02/77939/reform-of-the-compensation-fund-and-the-demise-of-the-moroccan-economy/
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Civil Society in Morocco: The Role of the Press (Part 4)
By Anna Jacobs Morocco World News Rabat, February 11, 2013

The Press is a fair representative of “public” space in terms of demonstrating, to a certain extent, the various opinions concerning a political debate. The question of sub-Saharan immigration occurs rather frequently in both the Arab and French press in Morocco. One sees both negative and positive remarks, but I assert that the public discourse, coming from both journalists and cited opinions from state authorities, is overwhelmingly negative towards the sub-Saharan migrant population. While the press has been used by human rights associations to publicly condemn the human rights violations that sub-Saharan migrants experience, both at a social and institutional level, it also a public space where negative dialogue appears.

A study of the press and its comments about sub-Saharan migrants conducted by  Professor Houria Alami M’Chichi of AMERM, qualifies the reaction of the press to the sub-Saharan migrant population as “ambiguous.” [1] There have been articles, notably in the francophone press, about the sub-Saharan migrant community that seek to shed light on the challenges and discrimination they face. [2] However, it seems that the negative press promoting fear mongering and xenophobia not only infiltrates Moroccan society, but also the state.  The press also offers an opportunity to view the reaction of the state, which appears to be promoting xenophobia. Here are some examples of negative press, coming from state actors and journalists.

Examples

1. An article published in Al-Massae in January 2012 claimed that sub-Saharan African women were largely responsible for the spread of HIV/AIDS in Morocco. [3] The article asserts that sub-Saharan African women are fleeing war and poor conditions in sub-Saharan Africa and thus come to Morocco, turn to prostitution and affect Moroccan men with HIV/AIDS, who then infect their wives. It claimed that “Mfimba (a sex worker interviewed by al massae) and her friends (e.g. HIV positive migrants) are not greatly interested in the health of Moroccans since their time in Morocco is temporary, and they will gather enough money to continue to Europe, so they do their work (prostitution) without the slightest feeling of guilt.”

2. At the declaration of the new government, after the November 2011 elections put the Islamists Justice and Development Party into power, Prime Minister Abdel-Ilah Benkiran stated that, “le gouvernement renforcera de meme la securite des citoyens et de leurs biens par le biais de la lutte contre le crime, dans un cadre de respect des lois et sous le controle de l’autorite judiciaire, comme il continuera les efforts amorcés dans le domaine de la lutte contre des phenomenes qui representent un danger pour la societe ou qui ont un impact negative sur celle-ci, telles l’immigration clandestine et la drogue.“

3. The number one issue for the new Moroccan government is to combat the high levels of unemployment, especially among Moroccan youth. This issue is especially salient among Moroccans, and recently the PJD led coalition chose to blame the “ influx of sub-Saharans ,” and the economic crisis for this problem: “Le responsable gouvernemental estime, comme le rapporte fidèlement la MAP, que ‘nous assistons, fait de la crise économique et financière à deux phénomènes: d’un côté, le nombre important de ressortissants marocains touchés par la crise, et de l’autre, l’afflux de Sub-sahariens et l’intérêt grandissant affiché par des ressortissants des pays du Nord, pensant y trouver des niches insuffisamment exploitées.’”

4. Furthermore, Abdelouahed Souhail, a member of the USFP opposition party, followed suit when he asserted that, « Autant de phénomènes,  ‘qui amplifient la crise de l’emploi au Maroc et peuvent aussi influer négativement sur les réalisations des politiques publiques nationales, en les rendant inefficientes et insuffisantes pour absorber l’important flux migratoire.’» Civil society actors rejected these claims and called on the Benkiran government to cease this fear mongering because these claims only put the sub-Saharan immigrant (and refugee population) in greater danger. The president of the Federal Group for Union and Democracy, Mr. Daidiaa, claimed that the Benkiran government had declared a virtual war against migrants. He demanded that the Parliament stop the promulgation of hatred and violence against migrants and show that Morocco is a hospitable, open, and tolerant country.

5. In September 2005, the weekly magazine Ashmal characterized African migrants as “black crickets” invading the country. Furthermore, they have been described as war criminals coming from Mali or Libya, according to discussions with activists. [4]

6. Finally in November 2012, the cover of Maroc Hebdo, citing the “ Black Peril” that migrants posed, provoked international outrage and allegations of racism.

As one can observe from these few examples (there are sadly many more), the “public space” in Morocco seems to be victim to fear mongering among member of the press, as well as the state. While condemnations from human rights groups and discussions of racism and violence against migrants in Morocco are also present in the press, this discussion of both positive and negative discourses in the “public space,” reveals that, while civil society(including some members of the press) are indeed attempting to challenge the negative discourses surrounding sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco, and thus also state hegemony, it does not appear that the government will change its xenophobic discourse or policy, concerning irregular migration. The following chapter will examine some of the reasons as to why this is the case.

Conclusion

This section addressed the generally positive opening up of civil society in Morocco and attempts at bridging the gap between the state and civil society in terms of human rights reforms, with a specific focus on migrant rights. It described the key civil society actors that support sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco, as well as their various strategies—whether they be humanitarian, social, cultural, or advocacy related.

The aim of this was to show the allocation of responsibilities among actors and the presence of both coordination and competition among the actors in terms of funding, independence vis-à-vis the authorities or intergovernmental organizations such as IOM and the UNHCR. Finally it stressed the “public space” in Morocco, embodied best by the press, which revealed both negative and positive discourses about sub-Saharan migrants. However, the examination of the side of the state in this debate also affirmed that, both policies and discourses coming from the state are overwhelmingly negative concerning the question of sub-Saharan irregular migration in Morocco. This further solidifies the argument that while civil society is attempting to challenge state hegemony on this issue, discursive and policy changes are unlikely at the present moment.

[1] Alami M’Chichi, Houria, “Les migrations des subsahariens au Maroc a travers la presse une relation a l’autre difficile,” in Migration, droits de l’homme et developpement, edted by Mehdi Lahlou, (Morocco : Friedrich Ebert Stitfunf), 2008.

[2] Salaheddine Lemaizi, “Rabat: Sombre destin des migrants subsahariens,” in L’Observateur, N-160, 2-8 March 2012,  p 52-54. See also, « Le racisme des autre et le notre, »by Sana el Aji, http://www.panoramaroc.ma/fr/le-racisme-des-autres-et-le-notre-par-sanaa-el-aji/ May 24, 2012.

[3], http://www.almassae.press.ma/node/37988 accessed on January 20, 2012, help in translation from Anne Montgomery, Ph.d Candidate at Columbia University.

[4] Interview with Pierre Delagrange, via the Forum-Migrant, on June 10, 2012.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Fulbright Program , Morocco World News, nor other affiliated organizations

Anna Jacobs graduated from the University of Virginia Phi Beta Kappa in 2010. She studied Foreign Affairs,Government, and French Language and Literature. She conducted research in 2009 in both Morocco and Algeria for her undergraduate thesis entitled “Sub-Saharan Migration in the Maghreb: the reality of race in Morocco and Algeria.” She is Morocco World News co-editor. http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/02/77959/civil-society-in-morocco-the-role-of-the-press-part-4/
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Morocco, being the largest energy importer in North Africa, is making concerted efforts to reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels. Renewable energy is an attractive proposition as Morocco has almost complete dependence on imported energy carriers. Morocco is already spending over US$3 billion a year on fuel and electricity imports and is experiencing power demand growth of 6.5 per cent a year.

According to the Moroccan Ministry of Energy and Mining, the total installed capacity of renewable energy (excluding hydropower) was approximately 300MW in 2011. The Moroccan Government has already achieved its target of supplying around 8% of total primary energy from renewables by 2012 which includes energy generation, conversion and distribution. Morocco is planning USD13 billion expansion of wind, solar and hydroelectric power generation capacity which would catapult the share of renewables in the energy mix to 42% by the year 2020, with solar, wind and hydro each contributing 14%.

Morocco Solar Program

Morocco has launched one of the world’s largest and most ambitious solar energy plans with investment of USD 9billion. The Moroccan Solar Plan is regarded as a milestone on the country’s path towards a secure and sustainable energy supply which is clean, green and affordable. The aim of the plan is to generate 2,000 megawatts (or 2 gigawatts) of solar power by the year 2020 by building mega-scale solar power projects at five location — Laayoune (Sahara), Boujdour (Western Sahara), Tarfaya (south of Agadir), Ain Beni Mathar (center) and Ouarzazate — with modern solar thermal, photovoltaic and concentrated solar power mechanisms.

The first plant, under the Moroccan Solar Plan, will be commissioned in 2014, and the entire project is expected to be complete in 2019. Once completed, the solar project is expected to provide almost one-fifth of Morocco’s annual electricity generation. Morocco, the only African country to have a power cable link to Europe, is also a key player in Mediterranean Solar Plan and Desertec Industrial Initiative. The Desertec Concept aims to build CSP plants to supply renewable energy from MENA region to European countries by using high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission lines.

The 500MW Phase-One Solar Power Complex at Ouarzazate is the world’s largest solar thermal power plant. To be built with investment of an estimated Euros 2.3 billion, the project is the first one to be implemented under the Moroccan Solar Plan. The Ouarzazate Solar Complex, with a total capacity of 500 MW, will come on-stream in 2015 and produce an estimated output of 1.2 TWh/year to meet local demand. The first phase will be a 160-MW parabolic trough facility while photovoltaic modules and CSP towers will be used in later phases.

The Ain Beni Mather Integrated Solar Thermal Combined Cycle Power Station is one of the most promising solar power projects in Africa.  The plant combines solar power and thermal power, and is expected to reach production capacity of 250MW by the end of 2012. African Development Bank, in partnership with the Global Environment Facility and Morocco’s National Electric Authority (ONE), is financing approximately two-thirds of the cost of the plant, or about 200 million Euros.

In 2010, the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN), a public-private venture, was set up specifically to implement these projects.  Its mandate is to implement the overall project and to coordinate and to supervise other activities related to this initiative. Stakeholders of the Agency include the Hassan II Fund For Economic & Social Development, Energetic Investment Company and the Office National de l’Electricité (ONE). The Solar Plan is backed by Germany, with funding being provided by German Environment Ministry (BMU) and KfW Entwicklungsbank while GIZ is engaged in skills and capacity-building for industry.

Morocco Wind Program

Morocco has huge wind energy potential due to it 3,500 km coast line and average wind speeds between 6 and 11 m/s. Regions near the Atlantic coast, such as Essaouira, Tangier and Tetouan (with average annual average wind speeds between 9.5 and 11 m/s at 40 metres) and Tarfaya, Laayoune, Dakhla, and Taza (with annual average wind speed between 7.5 and 9.5 m/s at 40 metres) has excellent wind power potential. According to a study by CDER and GTZ, the total potential for wind power in Morocco is estimated at around 7,936 TWh per year, which would be equivalent to about 2,600 GW. Morocco’s total installed wind power capacity at the end of 2010 was 286MW with more than 800MW under construction.

The first wind farm in Morocco was installed in 2000 with a capacity of 50.4 MW in El Koudia El Baida (Tlat Taghramt – Province of Tetouan), situated 17km from the town of Fnidek. The annual production of the project is around 200 GWh, accounting for 1% of the national annual electricity consumption. In 2007, 60MW Amogdoul wind farm, on Cap Sim south of Essaouira, came online. This wind farm  was realized by the national utility ONE and  is producing around 210 GWh/year. Another landmark project is 140 MW at  Allak, El Haoud and Beni Mejmel, near Tangier and Tetouan which was commissioned in 2010 with annual production of 526 GWh per annum.

Morocco has a strong pipeline of wind power projects to realize its  objective of 2GW of wind power by 2020. Africa’s largest windfarm is coming up at Tarfaya with installed capacity of 300MW with USD 350million investment. Morocco’s national utility ONE is developing almost half of the planned projects while the other half is contributed by private investment through the “EnergiPro” initiative, which encourages industrial players to reduce their production costs by producing their own energy with projects up to 50 MW. As part of this initiative, ONE guarantees access to the national grid, and the purchase of any excess electricity produced at an incentive tariff, with different tariffs for each project. http://moroccoonthemove.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/renewable-energy-taking-off-in-morocco-to-supply-42-of-energy-mix-by-2020-ecomena/
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To learn the most about a place, it is said that you should listen to their music. Morocco is host to a hybrid of cultures: a blend between the original inhabitants, the Amazigh peoples, Arab culture through the spread of Islam across Northern Africa, and the remnants of African empires south and east of the Sahara Desert. Gnawa are the descendants of those empires, and their music is a living testimony to the ordeal of their ancestry.

Every culture present in Morocco can fuse with another. They grow, and become something new in themselves. Music evolves in this way just the same. Maghrib has chaabi, rai, malhun and a myriad of other regional types. Gnawa is the musical tradition handed down through generations of African slaves. The bond between this music, its history and its people, cannot be broken. And in order to know where something is going, they say you have to know where it came from. This is where our journey begins.

I am an African-American filmmaker studying cinema at St. John's University. I developed an avid interest in Maghrebi culture when I was a teenager, but only in recent years did I delve further into its various components. Gnawa music was originally very foreign to my ears. That was, until I realized that what I had been raised to hear was but a distant child of this mystical style.

Right away, one can notice the roots of African-American soul and blues in Gnawa. Indeed, the styles fuse so well during the annual Gnaoua and World Music Festival that it has created its own subgenre of music: fondly named Moroccan roll. Each year the master musicians (maallems) of Gnawa music (including co-founder Maalem El Kasri, Maalem Abdelkebir Merchane, Maalem Hassan Hakmoun, and many more) gather in Essaouira to a crowd of thousands. Avid fans come to witness the blend of their favorite bands, and experience trance. It is this festival that will serve as the climax of the documentary Nightmusic, but it must be made clear that this is not Gnawa in its truest sense. What is performed at the annual Festival is different from the sacred ceremony, and made "profane" for foreign audiences.

To fully appreciate the power of trance and ritual, I will attend a lila in each city I travel to: Tamasloht, Essaouira, Marrakech, Rabat, Casablanca, Safi, etc. A lila is the centerpiece of Gnawa music, and gains it name from the Arabic word 'lail'. It lasts all night, held to both invoke spirits and induce participants into healing trance (jedba). Those within Gnawa are of the belief that the Holy cannot be experienced in direct contact but through spiritual manifestation. The details of the ceremony are very steeped in tradition, some which have not been altered for generations. Though the length of lilas vary depending on the needs of the ill (and willpower of the maalem), they can be said to last several days at a time. My production assistant Hamouda will assist me in my attendance at these sacred events, and be my cultural guide during film production.

The history of Gnawa music and its mystical nature are bonded in a way that compel me to know this for myself. Through the lyrics (some in Bambara, a Malian dialect, and a majority in Arabic such as 'La Ilaha illa Allah'), it is made clear that the impetus for their spiritual connection is a direct result of their painful exile and slavery. This will appear frequently throughout the documentary.

As an African-American, I want this documentary to answer the questions 'Who are we' and 'Where could our origins lie?' For Gnawa, the overwhelming conundrum is what they have become. There is a disconnect between the elder maallems within the community, and new appreciators of the musical style who are quick to learn how to play but disregard any tie to al-mlouk, or the possessing spirits. Tagnawit (or authentic Gnawa) is an issue I too want to dissect in Nightmusic.

The last point of Nightmusic is to gain a Moroccan opinion on what Gnawa means and its importance to the culture as a whole. Many Moroccan Muslims are staunchly opposed to the music, condemning it for borrowing elements of Sufism and conjuring djinns. I wish to interview them and provide a duality for viewers.

Nightmusic is a journey through Moroccan religion, history, customs and music all in one. I aim to reach my fundraising goal of $3,000 by the beginning of March through grants, community fundraising, grassroots awareness, and connecting with fellow fans abroad. If I am successful, the trip is scheduled for mid-May.

The future and origins of Gnawa should be preserved through our generation and those to come. If The documentary does its job well, it can create interest in the connections between the Diaspora and Black African culture. And Gnawa will gain the respect it has always had from me and countless others.
http://moroccoboard.com/news/5802-morocco-african-american-and-gnawa-music
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The economic downturn in Europe and instability in Mali and Algeria are all contributing to the tourism sector's slow recovery in Morocco. While there are some promising developments such as the Ryanair decision to use Marrakech and Fez as bases for their aircraft, there is still a touch of gloom in the tourist industry. Tourism experts say that concentrating on airline services and introducing medical tourism may be the key to a brighter future.

"We are getting only three or four bookings a week which is just enough to keep our head above water,' one riad owner told reporter. "Hopefully the lull since New year will see a pick-up in March and April."

The situation in Fez is patchy, with some riad owners reporting good numbers of guests with a surprising number of visitors from South American nations such as Argentine, Mexico and Brazil. Those operators who concentrate on the North American and British markets are seemingly those experiencing the worst of the slowdown. 

The decline in visitor numbers has caused a number of accommodation businesses to shift their focus and lower their rates to encourage domestic tourism. "As far as we're concerned, we've revised our room rates and also diversified our offer to Moroccan families," one Marrakech hotel manager explained. "We've also improved our internet communications, with a new platform providing information and online booking facilities."

Last year, journalist Rajae El Oufairi was accurate in suggesting that focussing on national tourists, with attractive offers, would be a solution for the sector under current market conditions. "In Morocco today there is a real emergent middle class,and the problem is the absence of tourist offers to match the expectations of the Moroccan middle class.

However, at street level, traders say that business is quiet. Street restaurants and small business owners are generally confident that things will pick up. "It is always quiet in winter,' hanout (small shop) owner Yousef says. "We don't get a lot of business from tourists anyway. They tend to take pictures and move on. But when there are a lot of tourists the guest houses spend more in the souq."

Writing in the online journal Magharebia, Hassan Benmehdi reports that although Morocco is hoping 2013 will be a year of economic recovery for the tourism sector, experts are cautioning the rebound will not be as easy as once thought.

"Tourism in Morocco is crucial to the country's economy, as it represents about 7.1% of the gross domestic product," financial analyst Moussa El Mouritani explained. "The European market represents over 50% of the tourism in Morocco; however that market is still unstable and the economy is having a hard time getting back to its normal pace and normal progression."

Moroccan Tourism Minister Lahcen Haddad has pointed out that efforts have been made on many levels to find ways to minimise the impact of the weak economy, particularly in Europe. Haddad said that the Moroccan government plans to develop and finalise pragmatic methods that would allow several projects to come to life. That would require raising a total of 38 billion dirhams for developing 36,000 additional beds and eventually lead to the creation of over 10,000 jobs.

The point, Haddad said, was to invest with people involved in important projects such as the convention centre and the amusement park in Marrakech, the Tama Ouanza resort in Agadir as well as the myriad of resorts in Fez and the Biladi clubs in Martil and Benslimane.

Also on the 2013 agenda, the introduction of medical tourism and sustainable tourism classes.

Tour operators are dissatisfied and feel that the field "is not living up to expectations". For Abdelali Mouktadir, who works in sales at a Marrakech hotel resort, the bad economy makes them less competitive. Another Marrakech hotel operator said that the government should focus efforts mainly in the aviation sector and should work harder on making Morocco a tourist destination. The country's potential is not being correctly showcased, Casablanca restaurant manager Driss Belloufi said.

The National Tourism Federation (FNT) wants to reinforce logistics so that the country's vision for domestic tourism gets some kind of support. The tourism minister also looks to further reinforce training through the establishment of several partnerships with various international institutes. He also asked field professionals to help out and determine their exact needs in terms of expertise and human resources.

On a financial level, Industry and Trade Minister Abdelkader Amara noted that tourism related investments come mainly from domestic sources (64%), while only 36% come from abroad, primarily the US and Saudi Arabia. "Next year we will have investments in the area of 20 to 30 billion dirhams," he said. According to the latest data of the High Commission for Planning (HCP), tourism represents more than 7 per cent of the gross domestic product and is one of the top five job generating fields in Morocco .
http://moroccoboard.com/news/5789-morocco-tourism-is-this-a-recovery-year
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Some three years after first discovering the magic of musician Haim Botbol in a record store in Casablanca, I returned to Morocco to find his music in cassette stalls across the country. In fact, I got an even deeper sense of the critical importance of music in the Maghreb on this trip. In Tafraoute, in the country’s deep southwest, frescos of musical instruments like the rebab and images of musical standouts from the 1940s like Hadj Belaid adorned walls throughout the region’s ancient villages.

At a pizza joint along the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, a banjo on a chair was displayed prominently. When the restaurant’s owner wasn’t making pies, he would strum a few chaabi notes. And in Casablanca, by the former Lincoln Hotel, a cd seller played Samy Elmaghribi’s version of Gheniet Bensoussan for passersby.

After years of collecting Moroccan and then North African music in general, I was interested in not only finding dusty recordings from Tangier to Fez but also to collect musical memories. I was interested in how Moroccans, Jews and Muslims, understood and remembered their Jewish pop icons of yesteryear and so I went looking.

I started in Tangier and found very little. I figured a Mediterranean port city with a once large Jewish community would herald in an auspicious beginning. Being there during Ramadan hampered my efforts in many ways. Most medina shops were closed during the day. A general lethargy had set in. Additionally, Marcel Botbol’s music club, just outside the medina, was closed and I soon learned he was switching venues but wasn’t due to reopen until the following month. Undeterred, I kept searching. Walking up and down medina thoroughfares and side streets, I finally happened on a store selling clocks that a friend had mentioned. A half dozen sun faded Mohammed Abdel Wahab LPs were displayed prominently in the window. He must have had more stock, I thought. He did but he was too tired, he told me. I pressed him but I decided to let it go. Considering that he had been holding on to records for some thirty years past their utility and interest for most people, I could sympathize with his exhaustion. Besides, there would be other opportunities.

Where Tangier yielded little, Casablanca was a black gold mine. I returned to the places which had launched this musical journey for me three years ago: Le Comptoir Marocain de Distribution de Disques on Lalla Yacout and Disques Gam in the opposite direction on Boulevard de Paris. At Le Comptoir, also the home to the Tichkaphone label, I snagged a dozen Botbol cassettes. It’s safe to say that Le Comptoir represents one end of the record store spectrum, organized and immaculate, whereas Disques Gam is the other end, chaotic, hot as hell, and magnificent. Gam Boujemma is the store’s proprietor and a repository of musical knowledge. You have to know what you’re looking for here and I did. With every record or cassette he pulled out, I was deluged with hard to come by oral history. Stories of Samy Elmaghribi performing at the nearby Cinema Lux fascinated me. As did his reverence for Albert Suissa. I walked away with a few prize items from his archive including a couple EPs on the N. Sabbah label and Botbol’s only release for Philips.

In Morocco, the musical medium of choice corresponds directly to the seller’s knowledge of the industry. Those selling records should be placed at the top of the hierarchy, followed closely by cassette purveyors and CD distributors a distant third. Also, a couple things happened in Morocco in the 1970s that should be noted. One, the music industry was nationalized. Two, cassettes appeared, allowing records to be transferred directly to tape and distributed widely. The era also represents one of the last gasps of the prominence of Jews in the Moroccan music scene.

The Casa medina was once a musical mecca for Moroccan Jews. It was here where Salim Halali’s club Coq d’Or, now a textile factory, once stood. Albert Suissa continued to live and write music in the mellah until a late age. So I was elated when I stumbled upon one of the remaining few cassette sellers in Casa’s medina. His stall was impossibly tiny. Floor to ceiling tapes lined its walls. With my eyes quickly scanning the now all too familiar artists, I noticed something peculiar. In his collection were dozens of Israeli releases of Moroccan Jewish artists from the Holy Land. While the Zakiphon labels had been removed, these were clearly Jaffa-based releases of Cheikh Mwijo, Raymonde, and Sliman Elmaghrebi. Here was evidence of a fascinating chapter of music moving beyond closed borders.

I told him what I was looking for and he had everything. I walked away with long sought after Felix El Maghrebi and Zohra El Fassia tapes complete with hand written song titles. On a whim, I asked if he still had records. Without flinching he took a rickety ladder and propped it against a wall of cassettes and started climbing towards his attic. He pulled down two large bags of 45s. I started to comb through them as my heart raced. What would I find? The occasional Samy Elmaghribi EP surfaced as did the odd Botbol cover (including an Algerian release) but unfortunately none of the covers matched the records and none of what he had was what I was looking for. Despite this, I had learned a great deal in this encounter.

Before finally heading to Fez, I spent a week with my girlfriend and friends traveling in the Marrakesh area and to its east. Toward the end of the week, we visited the village of Telouet, home to a breathtaking Glaoui casbah. As we left, it started to drizzle and then pour. A nearby café provided us shelter and piping hot mint tea. On our way in I had noticed a 50s era HiFi system at the entrance. Where there was a record player, I thought, there must be records. I started asking the right questions. Within a moment my hosts informed and then showed me that it still hummed along, in fact, it played beautifully. They put on a couple of Western LPs and then brought out two black plastic bags of 78s. These were all priceless 1940s recordings of Hadj Belaid on Pathé and Baidaphon. We were all having a great time. A waiter took a lighter to one of the records to show me this was no plastic we were dealing with. This was shellac! Handshakes were had all around and then I excused myself to finish my tea.

My last few days in Morocco were spent in Fez. For the first time, I stayed in the Ville Nouvelle. I was captivated. For the tourist and the historian, some of the beauty of Morocco, even in its “modern” counterpart to the medina, is the (at least superficially) unchanging landscape and architecture. Thus my hotel in Fez was located right next to the now defunct Astor Cinema, which was next to the still in operation Astor Bar (home to Fez’s remaining kosher restaurant) and a stone’s throw a way from independence era café’s like the Cristal. You quickly started to get a feel for what Jewish Fez must have looked like in the 1950s and 60s.

I was not disappointed by what I found in Fez’s medina. After paying homage to the record-turned-cd label Fassiphone, right outside the old walls, I launched myself into the city’s infamous myriad alleyways. It was not before long before that I located the cassette district. One seller’s stash of Jewish musicians was significantly reduced. About seven tapes were all that remained. He was eager to sell, including what appeared to be his most master-like recordings, but I held off.

A twist and a turn later and I had found my man. “Mohammed” cut a handsome figure against a background of thousands of tapes. He saw me staring and ushered me “in.” A dozen pleasantries later, short introductions, a sip of wormwood infused tea, and the cassettes jumped one after one into the tape deck. Mohammed was a former musician and played often with his Jewish counterparts. His familiarity with the scene was astonishing. When I asked about Botbol, Mohammed mentioned he knew Jacob, the father, and then dutifully put on a recording, which he sang every word to. This pattern of singing along with the uttering of an artist’s name repeated itself with a range of performers from Cheikh Mwijo to Samy Elmaghribi. The mere mention of Zohra El Fassia, the grande dame of Fez, brought a large smile to his face. He started recalling the heyday of places like the Astor and Cristal and others. I couldn’t resist, I bought way too much from him but it was worth it. He then took us to his gorgeous medina home for another cup of tea. His roof view rivaled any in the city. I asked him to see pictures but instead I got his address with a request to keep in touch. I couldn’t have been happier to oblige. Mohammed wasn’t sure if anyone still sold records in Fez but I was happy nonetheless. Not everything has been transferred to CD so getting your hands on tapes is the next best thing.

I took the long way out of the medina and I’m glad I did. A few missteps and backtracks later and I had located what may be Fez’s last record store. The owner, much older than Mohammed, was also a former musician. Hundreds of records were arranged in some of the most creative ways I had ever seen. He displayed his most prized records, including a not-for-sale Botbol, on one side of the store. At his desk were beautiful black-and-white and sepia photos of his former life. Behind him were cassettes of Morocco’s most influential stars including Samy Elmaghribi, whom the proprietor called the best Isra’ili singer in Moroccan history. I painstakingly combed through piles of LPs and EPs and pulled out impossibly difficult to find cuts. As I continued to look high and low for records, which seemed to be hiding everywhere, I saw a dozen 78s in the corner. I gently removed them from the shelf. Sifting through these treasures one by one, my heart skipped a beat. There it was…a 70-year-old recording of Cheikha Zohra El Fassia made for the Polyphon label. I showed it to the owner. He put on his glasses and said zeena (beautiful). Sadly, the record itself was beyond playing condition but its near forgotten presence in this store still sings volumes to me. http://moroccoboard.com/news/5807-looking-for-jewish-music-in-morocco ##########################################################

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