Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
February 1 , 2014

An American perspective on Moroccan Arabic
Katrina Bushko New Jersey City

I love the Arabic that is spoken here in Morocco, which is interesting because not very many people do. I remember when I was here over the summer that many of my friends did not like the darija class that we took for an hour a day in June. Some complained that it was too hard; others, that it was useless (indeed, native speakers of Egyptian or Levantine Arabic usually find it impossible to understand Moroccan Arabic).

But not me. I loved that class because I found it not only easier than Modern Standard Arabic (MSA, fusha), but also useful. The other dialects are closer to fusha, so if I were to go to Egypt or Syria or Lebanon, many people would be able to understand me if I spoke in MSA. In Morocco, however, there are few similarities with the classical Arabic, and so it is in a sense its very own language.

I will be the first to say that initially, darija is not a pretty language. It’s difficult to understand because of the lack of vowel pronunciation, the difference in verb conjugation, and the frequent use of the harsh consonant “ ? ” that is absent in most other dialects. But after being in Morocco for a total of 3.5 months already (non-consecutive, of course), my ear has slowly been fine-tuning itself to understanding more and more of this language. And the more that I understand, the more beautiful it becomes to me.

I have grown to appreciate the way that Moroccans speak, as well. Last semester, I took an Egyptian Colloquial Arabic class that greatly improved my overall speaking skills. I noticed that the manner in which we were trained to speak is very different from the Moroccan style.

For example, the word (yaa-nee) is frequently used in Egyptian to indicate the common English word “like” (as in, the “like” that teenagers often use as a sentence filler); however, I have barely noticed this word being used in the Moroccan dialect. I recently asked my roommate what the Moroccan equivalent would be, and she said that it was (zaa-ma). And although they both have the same purpose, I hear (zaa-ma) used much less frequently than my Egyptian Colloquial professor used (yaa-nee). Of course, this is only one of the many, many differences between the dialects.

As for my own speaking and understanding, I think that by now I have a basic grasp of Moroccan Arabic. I can get around pretty easily by myself without relying on French (indeed, my grasp of French pretty much boils down to, je ne comprends pas français.). I can order food, buy bus or train tickets, converse with hostel owners about myself and what I would like from the hostel, among other vital things that are important to know for everyday life (for example, whenever I’m asked if I know Arabic, my automatic response is (shwii-ya), or, “a little”). As for understanding, I can understand a lot of what shopkeepers say to me regarding price and their wares, and I can pick up bits and pieces of everyday conversation. But the most useful tool in understanding something in a language that you don’t know well is body language.

There have been many a time where I have had to rely mostly on the point of a finger or a gesture of a hand. For example, when my friends and I went to Meknes and stayed in a hostel deep in the heart of the medina, I had to continuously stop and ask for directions to Bab Mansour, a well-known gate that faces the main entrance to the souq. In order to understand what these temporary guides were saying, I had to piece together my knowledge of darija with their hand movements.

The great thing about asking for directions is that it is universal to respond with hand motions, meaning that when someone says that you must turn left, they usually give you a signal pointing left. So as I watched their body language and listened carefully for words I knew (i.e. take the SECOND left after the green door, not the first), I was able to lead us out of the maze that is the medina of Meknes.

Although I will be in Morocco for four months this semester, I know that I will not be going back to the United States fluent in either fusha or darija. I will, however, become more familiar with the dialect here and (inshallah) be able to hold some type of conversation for a good amount of time. And of course, having a Moroccan boyfriend was a great advantage in this area.
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be further published, rewritten or redistributed
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2014/01/120852/an-american-perspective-on-moroccan-arabic/
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For the first time in Morocco’s history, a woman has been appointed earlier this month Wali (senior prefect) of the north-western region of Gharb -Chrarda- Beni Hssen. The appointment of Zineb El Adaoui to the position, the only woman out of the 15 appointed Walis, is considered a milestone in a process initiated over a decade ago to lay emphasis on gender equity and give women the prominent place they deserve in decision and policy making circles.

Two other women, namely Najat Zerrouq and Hanane Tajani, were appointed governors of two municipalities of the Greater Casablanca.

These appointments actually come in response to civil society activists who have long claimed women’s right to hold decision making positions, so far considered the preserve of men.

If Moroccan women, conscious of their power, started assuming their leadership in the government, the Parliament and many other institutions, when it comes to territorial management, their presence is almost null. Some women had the title of prefect, but they mostly work in the central administration of the Ministry of the interior with no genuine territorial management role. Besides, the overall number of women working in the interior ministry represents only 9.90 percent of the department’s human resources, which is the lowest percentage compared to other ministerial departments.

“The appointment of the first female Wali is a big stride in Morocco’s history although it does not meet all our expectations,” said Khadija Rabbah, coordinator of the movement for parity democracy. This overdue appointment is not an almsgiving and women are worth it, she said in a statement to a local daily, insisting that it is still below the expectations of the NGOs militating for women’s rights.

These NGOs want an effective implementation of the Constitution provisions, mainly Article 19 which provides for the principle of equality and parity between men and women and for fight against all forms of discrimination harming women.

As to Zineb El Adaoui, this is not the first time that she is making history in Morocco since she has been the first woman to hold the position of judge at the Court of Accounts in 1984 and has been holding, since 2004, the position of head of the Rabat Regional Court of Accounts. Born in 1960, Zineb El Adaoui, a university graduate in economics, is also member of the Advisory Committee on Regionalization, set up in 2010, member of the National Council for Human Rights since 2011 and member of the High Authority of National Dialog on Judicial Reform, an institution created in 2012. In 2007, she became one of the few women to give a religious lecture before the king during the month of Ramadan and was selected in 2010 “Woman of the Year” by a local association. She is also co-founder of the Moroccan International Women’s Forum Chapter and actively participates in several other associations and forums endeavouring to upgrade women’s leadership. This poet and researcher in Islamic economy is married and mother to two children.
http://northafricapost.com/4973-morocco-territorial-management-no-longer-the-preserve-of-men.html
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Can a young woman entrepreneur succeed in Morocco with a new online medical appointment service?
by Aline Mayard, January 28, 2014

Finding the right doctor and booking an upcoming appointment is a complex task, especially in Morocco, where public-sector doctors don’t take appointmenta, and private-sector doctors are understaffed.

When Zineb Yacoubi moved back to Morocco after spending eight years in the United States and Canada, she realized just how difficult this issue was, especially for those new to the community: she didn't know which doctors to go to, and, when she did, nobody will pick up the phone when she called. That’s when she decided to build DabaDoc. Launched in September 2013, DabaDoc allows Moroccans to find a doctor based on the doctor's field, location, and experience; clients can then book an upcoming appointment online ( daba means quickly in Moroccan dialectal Arabic).

In the United States, the concept has proven successful. Almost five million Americans use ZocDoc each month, and the company has raised a total of USD 9.5 million since it launched in 2007. The model alone doesn't guarantee success, however; in France, none of the similar services seem to have broken through to reach a mass market.  

In the Arab world, though, the concept is attracting entrepreneurs. In February 2011, Ekshef first opened in Egypt, followed in June 2012 by DoctorUna in Dubai, which later opened in Egypt and Jordan. A third service,  Vezeeta, also launched in Egypt in September 2013. According to its 218,000 Facebook fans, and Alexa stats, Vezeeta seems to be leading the pack in Egypt currently.

In Morocco, DabaDoc should also have to do with a competitor, rdv-medecin.ma, but the latter is currently shut down for redesign. Is Morocco ready for an online booking service? The startup's success will depend on its capacity to convince doctors to register, says Yacoubi, who confidently adds, “I know things are going to change. Internet is in the air, and [online] appointment booking will happen in the upcoming months.”

Thanks to a partnership with health media  Doctinews, Dabadoc now boasts 500 active doctors, each hand-validated by Yacoubi. The entrepreneur is counting on PR and presence at medical congresses to keep doctors coming.

New functionalities should see the day in the coming weeks to months, like a ranking system based on the quality of the appointment, double access so that both the doctor and its assistant can manage the booking, a smartphone app to improve reactivity and simplify appointment management with reminders, and a direct doctor-to-patient communication functionality.

Ten to 15 appointments are booked every day, the young entrepreneur says. Now, she’s looking to hire a new marketing person to bring the startup to the next level.

The other pressing question is, how will it become profitable? Initially, Yacoubi reported that she planned to bill doctors, but this would have required 4,000 doctors to join, i.e. 50% of the private-sector doctors in Morocco. She has recently changed her approach, and is counting on partnerships with international pharmaceutical companies to foot the bill. Will Dabadoc’s audience be big enough for big corporations? 

Aline is French Editor at Wamda. After having worked as the Online Marketing and Community Manager at French startup Buzzcar, she moved to the Middle East. You can follow her on Twitter  @aline_myd, connect with her on  LinkedIn, or reach her at aline[at]wamda[dot]com.
http://www.wamda.com/2014/01/morocco-online-medical-appointment-service
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Calls to ban takfir will merely widen religious divisions.
Intissar Fakir January 29, 2014

A series of hot-button debates between Islamists and secularists in Tunisia and Morocco are distracting both sides from their countries’ more pressing issues and fuelling already dangerous currents of polarisation.

A key example is the recent discussion about banning or criminalising the practice of takfir – the declaration by one Muslim that another is an apostate, the term for a former adherent who now rejects Islam as a religion. Salafis use it as a political tactic against their secular opponents, and secularists are now seeking to ban takfir. While takfir is a fundamental principle in Islamic theology, its contemporary use by Salafis is more about intimidation and even provoking violence against their secular opponents.

The effort to ban such speech, as a means of curbing its use as an intimidation and silencing tactic, is well-intentioned. However, the Salafi embrace of takfir as part of their public discourse is a symptom of the continuing social and political polarisation, not a cause. The effort to ban or criminalise takfir, if it is successful – as it appears likely to be in Tunisia – could, at worst, create a legal mechanism that formalises the current divide between secularists and Islamists, closing off the potential for compromises in the future.

In Tunisia, the Constituent Assembly moved in favour of a ban on takfir, which is now part of the country’s new constitution. What seems to have tipped the balance in favour of a ban was a recent parliamentary debat in which Mongi Rahoui, a member of parliament representing the Popular Front, was accused of apostasy by Habib Ellouse, an Islamist member of parliament from Ennahda. After this episode, Mr Rahoui received death threats. For pro-ban advocates, this was a vivid example of why takfir should be banned. Combined with two political assassinations in Tunisia last year – at least one of which was preceded by takfiri calls – the appeal of a ban seems natural.

But while banning or criminalising takfir might assuage the fears of those affected, it will not necessarily prevent the violence that declarations of apostasy are liable to engender. Moreover, criminalisation could create a situation in which secularists use the law to target their Islamist opponents.

More significantly, criminalising takfir risks making the broad secular-religious divide in Tunisia revolve mainly around takfir, rather than a long list of more important and productive issues. Enshrining a takfir ban in the constitution could entrench the secularist-Islamist polarisation as a fundamental tenet of the state.

In Morocco, the issue has taken on a different dynamic, focusing more on the effects of takfir on freedom of speech. In a recent video, Sheikh Abdel Majid Abou Naim, a Salafi preacher, branded a number of Moroccan intellectuals and politicians as infidels. Most notable among them was Idriss Lachgar, the secretary general of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces who called for reform of Morocco’s inheritance law (which relies on Islamic principles) and criminalising polygamy. Fears of intimidation and concerns about freedom of speech generated some people to call for legal action to be initiated against the sheikh. Shortly after the video incident, Morocco’s Party for Authenticity and Modernity presented a proposal for criminalisation of takfir, but the discussion remains consultative at the moment.

Even the discussion about whether to hold the preacher accountable highlights the divisiveness between Islamists and secularists – and between believers and non-believers – which seems to be making its way beyond the political sphere.

While religion has long played a larger role in Moroccan politics than it has in Tunisia, the political polarisation between secularists and Islamists seems to have intensified since Morocco’s Islamist Justice and Development Party came to power in 2011.

In Tunisia, the move to ban takfir is not likely to put an end to this particular form of rejection and denial.

In Morocco, the proposals to criminalise takfir have not yet gained wide traction but, as in Tunisia, questions of how to handle takfir, should be addressed – perhaps by religious scholars – away from the debate about constitutions.

These two countries are stuck between competing secularist and Islamist conceptions of the true and ideal nation and the role of religion in it. Narrow, angry debates over symbolic issues like takfir are more likely to widen the divide between them rather than bridge it. And they divert attention away from more concrete issues of political and economic governance that are of much greater importance in the daily life of most citizens.
Intissar Fakir is the editor-in-chief of Sada, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s online journal on the Middle East
Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/calls-to-ban-takfir-will-merely-widen-religious-divisions#ixzz2roW4lsFU Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook
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The initiative Careers In Morocco will be in Dubai January 31st 2014.

Bringing together Moroccan talents and companies operating in Morocco, the Forum Careers in Morocco has become a must attend event for the Moroccan talents in Europe, Americas and UAE interested for career and entrepreneurship opportunities in Morocco.
After 7 years of existence, the Forum Careers In Morocco will be in Dubai January 31 st 2014 targeting Moroccan talents and professionals living in the UAE.

More than 500 Moroccan professional are expected to attend this meeting with the participation of a number of enterprises, development agencies, entrepreneurs and business professionals representing different business sector. The meeting this year will focus on investment and business opportunities between Morocco and the UAE along with the mobilization for strengthening economic ties between the two countries.

Several panel discussions with distinguished guests will be organized around themes dealing with the economic development, career and entrepreneurship opportunities in Morocco. The detailed program is available on the portal www.careersinmorocco.com. In order to register and attend the event, you can also register on the site. Participation is free of charge.
Location: The Address Hotel Dubai Mall
Hours : From 14h to 21h
Information, registration at www.careersinmorocco.com

About the initiative Careers in Morocco: Careers in Morocco is both a portal and a recruitment and networking events organized in Casablanca, Paris, London, Montreal and Dubai dedicated to Moroccan professionals abroad.

Contact Communication officer +212 6 65 19 55 99 info@careersinmorocco.com
http://www.zawya.com/story/The_initiative_Careers_In_Morocco_will_be_in_Dubai_January_31st_2014-ZAWYA20140127134612/
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Sorcery, plate-smashing and animal sacrifice are not often associated with Sufi festivals, but they all feature at a popular annual pilgrimage to a Moroccan shrine linked to the "queen of the genies". In the town's main square, to a chorus of trilling pipes and banging drums, spectators press around a cluster of believers, who sway to the hypnotic rhythms in a trance-like state, sometimes leaping up and down in ecstasy, sometimes cutting themselves on the scalp with sharp tools. One of the men runs into the middle of the circle, holds up a large terracotta plate and throws it high into the air. It shatters as it lands on his head, prompting a loud cheer from the crowd.

The festival of Sidi Ali Ben Hamdouch brings Moroccans from far and wide to venerate a 17th century Muslim saint and his servant Lalla Aicha, a mythical Muslim princess from the desert who dwells in the spirit world and is a powerful unseen force for her followers. Traditionally, worshippers have come to Mghrassyine for spiritual guidance and divine blessing, sometimes seeking higher states of consciousness through music and dance, as a form of communion with God. But for a growing number of people, the week-long religious festival, or "moussem", is a journey into the supernatural world of genies, incantations and "shawafa" -- women who claim to be able, for a fee, to help people find love and feel better, to maybe cast or break a spell.

Land of superstition

Madame Khayat, from the city of Fez, says she comes every year, despite the disapproval of many Moroccans, including her husband, who view the rituals as un-Islamic. "We come here to be purified of the evil spirits, of the 'jinn,'" she says with a smile. "It's a kind of pilgrimage if you like. People go to Mecca to be purified of their sins. People come here to be purified of evil spirits." "There are many people who think it's savagery, who don't believe in this. Even my husband doesn't like me to come here. So when he wasn't looking, I just got in the car and came with my two maids," she adds with a laugh.

Good and bad genies ("jnun" in Arabic) are frequently mentioned in the Koran, although orthodox Islamic tradition holds that Muslims should rely on God alone to protect them from malevolent spirits. But the spirits hold a special place in Moroccan folklore and popular culture, and not just among the poor and uneducated.

A study published in 2012 by the Pew Research Centre, a US think tank, showed that an estimated 86 percent of Moroccans believe in these supernatural beings, more than any of the other countries surveyed.

Aziz Hlaoua, a Moroccan sociologist, says that under King Mohamed VI there has been a clear revival of Sufism, the beliefs and practises of mystical Muslim sects, which in Morocco are commonly linked to the world of magic and healing. In 2002, the king appointed Ahmed Toufiq, known for his Sufi sympathies, as minister of religious affairs, to pioneer this revival and reverse the marginalisation of Sufi fraternities under his father, the late king Hassan II. "The political role of this new policy of favouring Sufism as a moderate, open, tolerant form of Islam is a means of confronting extremism," Hlaoua said. "And the moussem have seen a continuous comeback since Ahmed Toufiq's appointment as minister."

Music and meditation

On the last day of the Sidi Ali festival, thousands gather to accompany a procession of flag bearers and drummers as they lead a sacrificial bull donated by the king down the hill to the shrine of Sidi Ali. Other creatures, notably black chickens and goats, the colour supposedly favoured by Lalla Aicha, are on sale around the town, to be slaughtered as part of an Islamic tradition that has assumed occult overtones in Mghrassyine. "When they sacrifice the animal, they believe the genies drink its blood. It's a way of pacifying the spirits," Hlaoua explained.

An alleyway winding down to the valley below the shrine is lined with evidence of sorcery -- "shawafa" salons and stalls selling festival accessories, from goat horns to dried chameleons, which are placed in boiling water to produce healing vapours. At the bottom of the path, women light prayer candles and burn incense in the cave of Lalla Aicha, calling on the so-called queen of the genies to intercede on their behalf, or they purify themselves with a ritual bath in the adjacent natural spring. Two sheep lie dead on the ground nearby, their throats slit.

A more cerebral atmosphere prevails in the room, not far from the shrine, where members of the Sidi Ali fraternity congregate for an evening of spiritual music and meditation, or "lilla." After hours of chanting and swaying that lasts late into the night, a man in the audience starts throwing his head about violently, apparently entering a state of trance, before collapsing on the ground.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140127/sorcery-spirits-and-sacrifice-at-morocco-sufi-festival
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The strategy launched by National Agency for the Development of Oases and Argan to enhance date and argan oil production, is in line with the government’s broader goals of boosting agriculture exports and income in rural areas, as set out in the Green Morocco Plan (Plan Maroc Vert, PMV), initiated in 2008, says the business intelligence group which notes that while Morocco is a major agricultural exporter to Europe, the country has consumed more dates than it has produced. The Agency forecasts investments of up to MAD 92bn (8 billion Euros) through 2020 under the new scheme, including MAD 1.3bn (982.7 million Euros) for the province of Errachidia, a centre for date cultivation.

Morocco produces around 90,000 tons of dates a year, compared to domestic consumption of about 120,000 tons, and imports from Algeria and Tunisia to fill the gap, says the group which also notes that the government would like to see a reduction in imports, as well as open up the opportunity for exports, which today are nominal.

“Authorities have targeted annual production of 160,000 tons by 2020, with a minimum of 5,000 tons for overseas sales”, it also writes explaining that higher production levels are to be achieved in part through the planting of more palm trees. The government is targeting 8 million trees by 2020 and around 1 million new trees have already been planted in 2008,. Moreover, steps are being taken to rehabilitate existing trees and develop more disease-resistant varieties.

While the Moroccan government is looking to encourage investment in processing and packaging facilities, policymakers are also taking steps to boost local demand for Moroccan products, by setting up a new labeling system. 21 products have been awarded the “protected origin designation” label, including Majhoul dates.

In the same vein, recent campaign called “Terroir Maroc” was launched by the National Agency for Agricultural Development to make customers aware of these labeled products and encourage the consumption of local goods. Further labeling and marketing of other varieties could potentially result in higher demand from local consumers, as well as perhaps pave the way for an increase in exports.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2014/01/121375/moroccan-dates-factor-of-regional-development-oxford-business-group/
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Moroccan dates to support regional development.
Jan 30 2014

While Morocco is a major agricultural exporter to Europe, as evidenced by a glance at the produce aisle of any large supermarket, one popular type of fruit is rarely exported outside the country: dates. Historically, the country has consumed more dates than it has produced, but activity in the segment is expected to be revived under a new development programme launched by the National Agency for the Development of Oases and Argan (Le Conseil d'Orientation Stratégique de l'Agence Nationale pour le Développement des Zones Oasiennes et de l'Arganier, ANDZOA) in early October.

The strategy, which aims to enhance date and argan oil production, is in line with the government's broader goals of boosting agriculture exports and income in rural areas, as set out in the Green Morocco Plan (Plan Maroc Vert, PMV), initiated in 2008.

According to ANDZOA, up to Dh92bn (€8bn) is set to be invested through 2020 under the new scheme, including Dh11.3bn (€982.7m) for the province of Errachidia, a centre for date cultivation.

More palm trees

Morocco produces around 90,000 tonnes of dates a year, compared to domestic consumption of about 120,000 tonnes, according to the Agency of Partnership for Progress, a government organisation. Imports meet this gap, with supply coming from countries such as Algeria and Tunisia, where output reached 850,000 tonnes and 192,000 tonnes in 2012, respectively.

The government would like to see a reduction in imports, as well as open up the opportunity for exports, which today are nominal. Authorities have targeted annual production of 160,000 tonnes by 2020, with a minimum of 5000 tonnes for overseas sales.

Higher production levels are to be achieved in part through the planting of more palm trees. Since the early 20th century, around 12m trees in Morocco have been lost to the bayoud disease, a fungus that has affected plantations across North Africa. Around 5m trees remain today, a figure that the government would like to see increased to 8m by 2020. Progress has already been made - since the launch of PMV in 2008, around 1m new trees have been planted. Moreover, steps are being taken to rehabilitate existing trees and develop more disease-resistant varieties.

Conference highlights latest developments

To complement the drive to plant more trees, a number of agreements were concluded in early November at the International Fair for Moroccan Dates, held for the fourth time since 2011, gathering 186 participants from 12 countries.
Among the aims of the event is boosting investment in oases, promoting socio-economic development in rural areas, and addressing some of the challenges that have hampered sector development, such as insufficient access to electricity and project financing.

To that end, Credit Agricole Maroc announced two new products at the conference, Intaj Toumour and Tatmine Toumour, which will provide credit for date farming and processing projects in the regions of Draa, Tafilalet and Marrakech.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries signed two agreements during the event, including one that would bring two new high-voltage power lines to date farms in Errachidia, at a cost of Dh100m (€9.07m). A second agreement is related to the distribution and marketing of dates, with a goal of increasing sales to medium- and large-sized grocery stores.

Promoting agricultural products

Bringing Moroccan dates to larger retail outlets would be an important change. Today, the local crop is mainly sold through small informal shops, with dates from Tunisia accounting for most of the supply to supermarket chains. This is in part due to the fact the domestic dates are typically available only during the harvest season and often not packaged for sale in formal retail outlets.

While the government is looking to encourage investment in processing and packaging facilities to address this issue, policymakers are also taking steps to local boost demand for Moroccan produce. To improve awareness of product origin and quality, a new labelling system was set up in 2008, in line with the goals of the PMV. To date, 21 products have been awarded the "protected origin designation" label (appellation d'origine protégée), including Majhoul dates.

A recent campaign called "Terroir Maroc" was launched by the National Agency for Agricultural Development to make customers aware of these labelled products and encourage the consumption of local goods. Further labelling and marketing of other varieties could potentially result in higher demand from local consumers, as well as perhaps pave the way for an increase in exports. © Oxford Business Group 2014

http://www.zawya.com/story/Supporting_regional_development-ZAWYA20140131043911/
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Essaouira: The new in-place in Morocco.
By BEN G. FRANK 01/26/2014

"A northeast wind, a cloudless sky, a glowing sun.” That’s what a British Consul wrote about Essaouira, 100 years ago. His description of this Moroccan city, formerly called Mogador, a Berber word meaning “safe anchorage,” is still valid.

This white-walled port city on the Atlantic coast has captured the hearts of tourists to this North African country. Midway between Safi and Agadir, it once was occupied by the Phoenicians and then Carthaginians.

Known for travelers wandering along its picturesque walls, Essaouria is thought to be derived from the Arabic word for “ramparts,” but translates as “little image.” The walls give the city its charm as well as the blue and white medina, a “sweet retreat” especially if you have been in big-city Casablanca, or the frantic towns of Marrakesh or Fez.

Essaouira, I discovered still remains exotic. It is quiet and calming without the rush of the major cities, and somewhat off the beaten track. Its market is not old and overcrowded with visitors, and its passageways are wider than other souks.

I relaxed while walking the seashore and seeing the fishermen mending their nets.

I sat in one of the cafes on the Place Mouley Hassan and watched the world go by, later dining on delicious grilled fish caught fresh that morning for lunch or dinner and displayed at stalls alongside cafes by the harbor. Actually, I walked with my guide to those very same stalls and watched as he carefully examined each fish, choosing the best one to be grilled for our meal.

Here, the sky is blue or is it azure; the contrast is amazing, appealing against the white buildings and sand-colored fortifications. Seagulls are continuously wheeling overhead, their cries occasionally silenced by the muezzin’s call .

In 1949, film director and actor Orson Welles stayed in Essaouira, where he filmed the classic version of Othello, which contains several memorable scenes shot in the labyrinthine streets and alleys of the town’s medina.

Once here, Essaouira remains a difficult place to leave because it has more open spaces and wider streets than most cities in Morocco.

A travel writer wrote in 1900 that it is the best-planned and cleanest town in the Empire, “and in consequence, it stands high as a health resort.” This is still true today.

In 1760, Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah founded the city and named the fortified port Essaouira, as a rival to Agadir. The city was laid out and designed by a French architect, Theodore Cornut, by order of the sultan. It was actually built by European captives under Cornut’s supervision.

Interestingly, Encyclopedia Britannica says that “a colony of Moroccan Jews was installed to extend commerce.” Sultan ben Abdallah chose 10 important families and conferred upon them the title of “Merchant of the King.” They received luxury housing and were entrusted with missions to the European courts, and for a century and a half dominated Moroccan trade. The privileged personalities became the nucleus of a dynamic community, which lasted until just after World War II and gave the town a distinctly Jewish character, says Encyclopedia Judaica, noting that everyone rested on the Shabbat and Jewish holidays.

But back in 1808, it was decided to confine the Jews within a mellah, a Jewish quarter. From then on, the only exceptions were families of the above-mentioned “Merchants of the King,” and some businessmen of European origin. The mellah became overcrowded with new arrivals, and during the 19th century, the Jewish population grew from 4,000 to 14,000.

Under the 1912 French protectorate, the city lost some of its economic importance, and only a small community of 5,000 Jews remained. Many left in the 1950s and 1960s. By 1970, most of its former Jewish citizens lived in Europe, America and Israel, and only a few hundred Jews continued to live in Essaouira.

Historians tell us that in days past, Jews spoke Arabic if they lived among Arabs, Berber mixed in with Hebrew words if they lived among the Berbers. Some reported that better- class Jews regarded themselves as French, and were treated as such.

In 1844, the French bombarded the city to force Morocco to stop supporting Abd al-Qadir, leader of an Algerian resistance movement.

The city declined when the French turned Casablanca into the commercial capital, as well as Agadir, which was opened to foreign trade.

The medina (old city) here is smaller, hassle-free and considered the cleanest in the country. It is a good place to shop. For instance, for woodwork, boxes in cedar, try Afalkay Art, 9 Place Mouley Hassan.

A permanent Jewish resident of the city is Joseph Sebag, who operates a fine book store known as Galerie AIDA, 2 Rue de la Skala. I bought Paul Bowles’s book, The Sheltering Sky, from him.

Extensive Jewish cemeteries were built on the shore of the ocean. Here in Essaouira are the tombs of famous rabbis.

A future for Jewish presence in Essaouira is seen on the horizon by a number of Moroccan Jews with whom I spoke. Located in the city is a large international community which includes about 60 Jews, according to Essaouira native Andre Azoulay, an economic adviser to the king of Morocco and president of the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue Between Cultures, with headquarters in Alexandria.

Just this past November, Essaouira celebrated the 10th round of the Atlantic Andalusia Festival, which brings together musicians from around the world to mark the cultural and religious diversity of the region. The festival was organized by the Association Essaouira Mogador, led by Azoulay, “to stress the ties between the Arabic, Islamic and Hebrew heritage,” according to the group’s website.

Not far from Sebag’s bookstore stands Synagogue Rabbi Haim Pinto at 9 Impasse Tafilalet, which has been preserved as a historic site.

Pinto (1748-1845) was born into a distinguished rabbinic family in Essaouira, then called Mogador, and became the leading rabbi in the city. On the anniversary of his death (26 Elul, 5605, just before Rosh Hashana), large numbers of Moroccan Jews come from all over the world to pray at his tomb in the large Jewish cemetery here. Pinto is remembered as a man whose prayers were received in heaven, resulting in miracles.

Also near Sebag’s bookstore is the Synagogue Attias, a gutted house of worship. A project is being launched to restore this synagogue, as well as create a Jewish museum in the city and a think tank. The project will be named after Haim Zafrani, a Moroccan scholar and writer who was born in Essaouria; he is particularly noted for having collected and preserved much of the music and oral poetry of the Jews of Morocco.

Physically, the city has expanded to meet the demands of a growing tourist industry. Twenty years ago, there were perhaps six hotels in the city; today, the figure is about 200. A fine place to stay, with a Moroccan atmosphere and excellent European service is the Palais Heure Bleue boutique hotel, centrally located on the edge of the Medina. This fashionable Relais & Chateaux hotel was converted from a former customs house, and has a heated pool and spa facilities.

As I strolled around this city, which once had an interesting Jewish past, I realized that unlike Jews in neighboring Algeria, Jews have never completely departed from Morocco. On the contrary, there is still much nostalgia for the days when Moroccan Jews lived in what some call a “Golden Age” – when Jewish and Muslim children played side-by-side. In some cases in the 19th and 20th centuries, it was an easy life: slow, calm and simple.

Ben G. Frank is a journalist, travel writer and the author of the just-published Klara’s Journey, A Novel (Marion Street Press), and The Scattered Tribe: Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India to Tahiti and Beyond (Globe Pequot Press). Blog: www.bengfrank.blogspot.com; Twitter: @bengfrank
http://www.jpost.com/Travel/Travel-News/Essaouira-The-new-in-place-in-Morocco-339355
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Moroccan Women Porters – Heroism and Hardship on the Border
By Inés Benítez MÁLAGA, Spain, Jan 28 2014 (IPS)

Before sunrise, a Moroccan woman waits her turn at the pedestrian border control separating her country from the Spanish city of Melilla. Hours later she crosses over, takes up an 80-kilo bundle of merchandise and carries it back to her country, for a payment of less than six dollars.

Every day thousands of women like her cross the border posts between Morocco and the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, Spanish enclaves in the north of Africa, to pick up heavy loads of goods and carry them across the border on foot, a trade worth millions of euros that is profitable to business on both sides.

“Humiliating treatment is meted out to the women, who are mistreated by the police on both sides of the border. You only have to be there for five minutes to realise this.” -- Amin Souissi

The business community in Melilla “lives off this contraband trade,” made possible by thousands of women porters who work “to survive and feed their children,” José Palazón, the founder of the Asociación Pro Derechos de la Infancia (Children’s Rights Association), who has lived in the city for 14 years, told IPS. “They are single mothers, widows, abused women, with disabled husbands, women excluded by society, who turn to contraband in order to make ends meet,” union leader Abdelkader El-Founti of the Melilla General Workers’ Confederation (CGT) told IPS.

When the Barrio Chino border post in Melilla opens at 9:00 a.m., the woman porter shows her passport and walks to an esplanade where several vans have left bundles ready for carriage early in the day. She ties the huge bundle to her back with ropes and walks back for over 200 metres, weaving through the crowds in the narrow pathway. She delivers her load on the Moroccan side and returns to carry more bundles across until the border post closes at 1:00 p.m.

In Ceuta and Melilla this activity is known as “atypical trade”, and Moroccans live with it as tolerated contraband.

White signs bearing black silhouettes of men and women porters hang high on the iron railings of the narrow passage in Barrio Chino to indicate the entrance. The women are paid when they deliver their loads on the Moroccan side, where men with wheelbarrows or vans wait to collect them. The amount depends on the weight carried. “The maximum is 10 euros [13 dollars] a day. For each load they are paid three to five euros [four to six dollars] according to weight,” El-Founti said.

In addition to the physical exertion, the women must put up with “all kinds of abuse from the Spanish and Moroccan police,” he said. “Humiliating treatment is meted out to the women, who are mistreated by the police on both sides of the border. You only have to be there for five minutes to realise this,” Amin Souissi, a Moroccan national belonging to the Andalusia Human Rights Association ( Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de Andalucía) in the southern Spanish city of Cadiz, told IPS.

Souissi recalled the death in September 2013 of a young porter from the Moroccan city of Tetouan who, “tired of so much humiliation,” set himself alight at the border post of El Tarajal in Ceuta, after his country’s authorities confiscated the goods he was carrying. “We don’t want them to lose their livelihood, but we do want the human rights of these persons on the borders of Ceuta and Melilla to be respected,” said Souissi, who has seen police push women porters around with their truncheons. Souissi complained about corruption among the Moroccan authorities, who take bribes, as well as the arbitrary way in which border crossings are handled, as permission “depends on the official on duty.”

The enormous loads contain all sorts of goods, such as blankets, used car tires, food and diapers. The vast majority of porters are women, but some are men, especially young men with limited resources. Many women cross the border with smaller packages. Others work as domestic employees in homes in Melilla and Ceuta and go home to Morocco at the end of the day.

About 40,000 people cross daily between the Moroccan town of Beni Ansar and Melilla, but only 10 percent of them have visas, said El-Founti. Porters have to show their passports, and the rest have special permits, under an agreement between the Spanish and Moroccan governments, to work in Melilla during the day and return home at night. “They are construction labourers, domestic employees and hotel workers who work a 10- or 12-hour day for less than 200 euros [270 dollars] a month, without any labour rights,” he said.

El-Founti complained that business owners in Melilla take advantage of the fears of “cross-border employees” of losing their jobs, and of their poverty. “Many Moroccan women who work as domestics in Melilla are illiterate and ignorant of their labour rights,” he said.

The traffic in goods carried by the porters “moves a great deal of money both sides of the border,” said Palazón, who believes it will be “very difficult” to stamp out this situation; however, he called for greater dignity for the workers and improved border facilities for their daily crossings. “There is not even one drinking water tap,” said Souissi about the El Tarajal border crossing in Ceuta, which “is more like a cage than a pedestrian border crossing,” with narrow passages that the porters can barely squeeze through.

The border trade is worth 1.4 billion euros (1.8 billion dollars) a year to both sides of the frontier, and contributes one-third of the economy of Ceuta and Melilla, the two autonomous Spanish cities.

Some 45,000 people depend directly for their livelihoods on this activity, and 400,000 are indirectly employed, according to the American Chamber of Commerce in Casablanca, Morocco, quoted in the Declaration of Tetouan signed by almost 30 organisations in April 2012. The declaration states that “an important quantity of money” is paid as bribes, totalling 90 million euros (121 million dollars) a year, according to the independent Moroccan weekly Al Ayam.

Conditions at the border crossings, where thousands of people crowd together, have already caused fatalities. In November 2008, Zafia Azizi was trampled to death in Melilla and on May 25, 2009, Busrha and Zhora, two Moroccan women, died in a human avalanche at the Ceutan border post of Biutz.

Activists consulted by IPS said the European Union (EU) is not paying proper attention to the human rights violations suffered by the Moroccan women porters.

Ceuta and Melilla enjoy a special fiscal regime with substantial tax rebates and are not part of the EU’s Customs Union. Both cities can import goods at lower tariffs than the rest of the EU and sell those products to Moroccan citizens, who send them to Morocco through the irregular cross-border transit system for re-sale.
http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/01/moroccan-women-porters-heroism-hardship-border/
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Casablanca – a love story.
27 January 2014 | By Joanne Harris

Investors are enchanted by Morocco’s promise, particularly its political stability

For the past three years Morocco has been a relative island of calm amid the turmoil of some of its neighbours. King Mohammed VI acted swiftly in 2011 to institute constitutional reform when the Arab Spring took hold and, while this did not stop Moroccans taking to the streets in protest over government policy, generally the country has remained stable……

Read more:http://www.thelawyer.com/analysis/market-analysis/regions/africa-analysis/morocco-casablanca-a-love-story/3014770.article
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Climb a mountain in Morocco.

A trek to the top of the highest peak in North Africa is this year’s big fundraising adventure challenge being organised by The Children’s Centre.

Every year the charity for families and children organises an overseas event designed to be a once in a lifetime experience for participants.

This year it’s a trip to Mount Toubkal in Morocco from October 14 to 20. The top of the mountain stands at 4,167 metres (around 13,600 feet) above sea level and offers breathtaking views across the Atlas Mountains.

Two launch events are being held in February for anyone who wants to find out more about the trek.

Mark Eastham, fundraising co-ordinator at The Children’s Centre, said: ‘I took part in a recce for the trek last year and the views on the climb and at the summit of the surrounding peaks, hazy desert and of Marrakech, or most like a mirage in the far distance, are fantastic. ‘It’s a challenging adventure, but one that’s well within the capabilities of most people, and is a must for anyone considering trying Kilimanjaro in the future but who can’t afford the 12 days away from home. ‘No mountaineering experience is necessary and everyone who takes part will have the benefit of the wealth of experience we have at The Children’s Centre in organising this type of event.

‘Anyone who is interested is invited to attend the two launch evenings to speak to me and our adventure events team, and some participants who have taken part in our other adventure challenges in recent years.’ The two launch events are on Wednesday, February 5, at 6pm at the Noa Bakehouse, Fort Street, Douglas, and on Thursday, February 13, at 6pm at The Children’s Centre main offices, Woodbourne Road, Douglas.

Trekkers will fly from London Heathrow to Marrakech, with day one of the trip being a transfer by road to the tiny village of Imlil. The walking begins on the following day with a four to five hour hike through the foothills and along the Ait Mizane Valley up to the Toubkal Refuge at a height of 3,206m. Day three starts early as the trekkers make their attempt to reach the summit of Mount Toubkal via the South Col route. There will be plenty of time to admire the views at the top and for the team to take photos to record their achievement. On day four the walkers head down the mountain to Imlil and then a transfer to Marrakech, where the group get the chance to marvel in the sights and sounds and explore the labyrinth of souks before relaxing with a well-earned celebratory meal. The following morning the group will go to the airport to begin the journey home.

The trip costs £175 to register, with a commitment to raise a further £750 in sponsorship. All money raised from this charity challenge will go to supporting The Children’s Centre’s projects which help families and children across the Isle of Man.

For more information contact Mark on 631917 or email markeastham@thechildrenscentre.org.im or go to this link thechildrenscentre.org.im/events/trek-mt-toubkal-morocco/
http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/climb-a-mountain-in-morocco-1-6399363
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Morocco benefits from being stable in a combustible region
January 30, 2014 By Assia Bensalah Alaoui, The Daily Star

Three years after the Arab Spring revolutions, the democratic world appears more confused than ever about how to respond. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has relaunched American mediation efforts in the Middle East at a time when his country’s most reliable partners are estranged: Egypt’s military rulers resent the West’s early support for the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammad Morsi in his presidential tenure, and Saudi Arabia fears that an Iran that holds talk with the U.S. may prove to be an even more ambitious regional hegemon.

It was against this backdrop that Morocco’s King Mohammad VIrecently convened a high-level meeting of the Al-Quds Committee, which he chairs. The Palestinian Authority’s president, senior diplomats of the countries involved in the Palestine-Israel peace process and the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation all attended the two-day summit. Taking place at a critical moment for this sensitive region, the meeting constituted an effort to contribute to the renewed negotiations and build on Kerry’s efforts to revive the peace process.

Morocco is an ideal setting for regional diplomacy. Its strategy of gradual reform, economic modernization, and social development has made the country an oasis of stability in a region rife with violence and strategic rivalries – and thus a reliable partner for Europe and the United States as they seek to influence events in North Africa and across the Middle East. Indeed, with Morocco’s proximity to Europe making it a gateway to Africa, the kingdom’s full economic and geopolitical potential has yet to be realized.

By contrast, the Egyptian government’s struggle to suppress the banned Muslim Brotherhood is fueling seemingly endless turmoil in the country, marked last week by several bomb explosions. And Tunisia went through its own extended period of instability before a new constitution was approved this past weekend, as a new caretaker government prepares to take office to govern the country until elections take place.

Meanwhile, Algeria is preoccupied with the presidential election in April, in which the incumbent, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, will stand again. Mauritanian politics is polarized, with the government unable to restore confidence. Libya stands on the brink of civil war and de facto partition. Farther afield, Syria is experiencing only bloodshed and sorrow.

Morocco’s evolutionary approach to improving the country’s well-being – quietly and resolutely building on the political, economic and social reforms launched more than a decade ago – is backed by an overwhelming majority of citizens. A new constitution, proposed by the king and adopted in a referendum in July 2011, has already generated robust political competition. Meanwhile, a new National Initiative for Human Development is helping to end poverty and social exclusion among Morocco’s most vulnerable citizens, especially women.

Rising living standards and a broad political consensus have provided the stability needed to allow the economy to grow strongly and diversify. Slowly but surely, national income is becoming less dependent on agriculture, thereby reducing Moroccans’ vulnerability to poor rainfall and failed harvests. The country is developing a strong processing industry, especially in fertilizers, based in part on having the world’s largest phosphate reserves. And the textiles industry, recovering from a slowdown caused by the European crisis, is penetrating new export markets. A similar story can be told about tourism.

Indeed, Morocco can be proud of its export strategy. Despite the weak global economy, Morocco sells its goods worldwide, with strong exports to France, the U.S., Brazil, the Gulf states and China. The country has free-trade agreements with Europe, Turkey, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia and – unique in the region – the U.S.

Morocco boasts solid infrastructure, a robust banking system, sound public finances, low inflation and manageable unemployment. Despite capital flight from much of the region, foreign investment continues to flow in. Clearly, Morocco is benefiting from being a stable country in a combustible region. But its longer-term interests lie in having politically stable neighbors that embrace similar economic reforms, thereby opening the way for a free-trade area that would benefit the entire region.

This regional perspective has been promoted ever since King Mohammad acceded to the throne in 1999. One important part of his strategy has been to encourage intra-African economic relations. Morocco already provides expertise in finance, telecoms, energy, agriculture and food security across the continent; indeed, it is now Africa’s second-largest investor, after South Africa.

The king’s familiarity with the region’s cultural and spiritual life makes him an invaluable adviser, especially regarding the role of Islam in a modern society. For example, Morocco helps train imams in a form of open Islam, which currently is helping Mali move on from its recent bloodletting. This principle of regional solidarity extends to Morocco’s deployment of military hospitals not only in Mali but also in other conflict zones, such as one in Jordan that serves Syrian refugees.

Morocco is well positioned to promote security and development across northwest Africa and beyond. Its political stability, open economy and balanced international relations are increasingly aligned with the regional interests of the U.S. and Europe. Moreover, Morocco is a loyal and longstanding U.S. ally. The West would do well to start cultivating a natural partner in such a dangerous and complex region.

Assia Bensalah Alaoui, a professor of international law at Mohammad V University, co-chairs the High Level Panel of the European Union on Dialogue between Peoples and Cultures in the Euro-Mediterranean Area, and is ambassador-at-large for King Mohammad VI. THE DAILY STARpublishes this commentary in collaboration with Project Syndicate © (www.project-syndicate.org).

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Commentary/2014/Jan-30/245736-morocco-benefits-from-being-stable-in-a-combustible-region.ashx#ixzz2rsBs28yE
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)
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Morocco Jan-Aug tourism income tops $4.5bn.
El Jadida, Morocco

Tourism revenues in Morocco touched MD38.8 billion ($4.69 billion) during the eight-month period ending August 2013, marking an increase of 2.1 per cent over the corresponding period in previous year, a report said. Ninety-six per cent of tourists rated their trip to Morocco higher than other destinations, according to the report released by Moroccan National Tourist Office, part of Ministry of Tourism Morocco.

Moreover, CNN International also categorized Morocco as one of the best tourists-friendly countries in Africa. Echoing the sentiment, Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, one of the leading tourism destinations in Morocco which is managed by Kerzner International, reported that there was a significant increase in room occupancy and in GCC families and visitors during 2013 compared to 2012.

According to the resort management, this was due to the customized packages offered at Mazagan, a destination that European comfort levels with traditional Arab style.

During 2013, Mazagan offered innovative and attractive packages, including Stay for four night and pay for three and Stay seven nights and pay for five. The packages also included breakfast for two adults and two kids, access to three kids’ clubs, access to Hammam steam room, tennis, fitness & biking, free access to nightclub and airport shuttle.

Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, located 90 km south of Casablanca in El Jadida, is a coastal destination resort overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

The resort’s 500 rooms offer views of the ocean, lagoons, golf course, landscaped gardens and a stunning swimming pool in the centre. Sixty-seven luxurious villas are also situated alongside the golf course with fantastic views of the Atlantic coastline. – TradeArabia News Service
http://world.einnews.com/article/188036384/P4T2gci1tnvVzNV_?n=1&code=F0A6UI8SDeLVJB2O
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Between Taza and Gaza.
Younes Hassar Thursday, 30 Jan, 2014

Morocco re-enters the international arena after years of focusing on domestic affairs

SIROCCO blog: The Mediterranean wind whipped up in the Sahara and blown across the Maghreb region. In North Africa it is known by its Arabic name qibli. ‘Sirocco’ provides a blow-by-blow account of events occurring in the Arabic-speaking countries west of Egypt .

Two weeks ago Marrakesh hosted the 20th Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), bringing together all the countries with Muslim majority populations This reemergence of Morocco on the international stage is not fortuitous; it has been steadily unfolding these last two years.

Upon the accession of King Mohammed VI to the throne in 1999 “Taza before Gaza!” was the iconic slogan widely shared among the Moroccans. Taza, a poor and marginalized city on the southern banks of the Rif Mountain range, some 75 miles (120 km) to the northeast of Fez, was the embodiment of Morocco’s daunting economic challenges. Mohamed VI’s predecessor, King Hassan II, had focused his reign on consolidating the monarchy’s power and seemed to scorn petty internal development matters in favor of more grandiose foreign policy issues.

Hassan II’s personality and vast cultural understanding had facilitated the development of an active Moroccan diplomacy that turned the country into a pivotal and essential state in every regional issue. An illustration of this activism can be seen in the number of Arab League summits convened in Morocco (seven—a number surpassed only by Egypt where the organization has its headquarters). ………………….

More here: http://www.majalla.com/eng/2014/01/article55248295
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Morocco Hits All the Right Notes for Travelers.
01/30/2014 Edward PiegzaPresident and founder, Classic Journeys

The gentle, all-night hiss of the shifting Sahara sand subsided. Pinholes of pale pink light filtered into my Berber tent. Well-rested after yesterday's camel ride into camp and last night's banquet by the bonfire, I didn't even mind that I was awake earlier than usual. I threw back the flap. Ahead, the crest of a great red dune tapered down into the encampment, like a powder-soft ramp up to the sky. There was a quiet like I can't remember. The day started as a sharp rim of gold somewhere over Algeria, before the horizon melted away in the most amazing sunrise I have ever seen……………..

It continues here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/edward-piegza/morocco-hits-all-the-righ_b_4690052.html
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Ten Waves In Ten Days In Morocco.

Last February, our homies over at morocsurf.com hosted a crew consisting of Conner and Parker Coffin, Pete Devries, and Oliver Kurtz and by all accounts, it was one of those “best trips ever” deals. We surfed 10 different waves in ten days, ate delicious food (you gotta try camel skewers!), laughed our asses off, and met some super cool local surfers. It was also bittersweet as it was the last surf trip I took with the TransWorld SURF credit card and budget. Ahh the good ol’ days. Thanks for the memories Denny and Nigel, see you again soon inshallah!

http://world.einnews.com/article/187985585/QnL32FUD3OxyBzVy?n=1&code=F0A6UI8SDeLVJB2O
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