Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
January 24, 2015

Moroccan Hammam Experience: An American’s Perspective
Friday 23 January 2015 –By (PCV/Morocco ) Brianne Kelly Bouarfa, Morocco

My first experience in a hammam was about a year ago, shortly after arriving in Morocco. I was staying in a small city outside of Rabat with a host family for ten weeks. I am a Peace Corps Volunteer from America. A year ago my Moroccan Arabic was very limited and the only foreign language instruction I had previously received was in Spanish and French. I knew enough to order food in these languages, but my memory failed me on most all other vocabularies.
So there I was, listening to and living in a country where the letters seemed to resemble hieroglyphics and the language was just as difficult to grasp; it was as if with every sound easily spilling out of a Moroccan’s mouth, I would listen intently to eagerly place each syllable while frantically channeling my comprehension skills… which would undoubtedly fail me on countless occasions. “Ma-fhmt-sch” would become my new “Je ne sais pas.”

One of the great advantages of working with the Peace Corps is the intensive language training we receive as volunteers; we also receive intensive cultural training. One afternoon class was dedicated to the hammam, complete with a bucket, a kees, a mat and a ladle. This was a very informative class prepping us for the inevitable hygiene ritual. Mental preparedness was necessary for this communal activity that none of us had ever participated in.

In America, there are locker rooms in which women sometimes change in front of one another. Often, there is little or no conversation exchanged when completing the necessary tasks of stripping away work clothes in place of athletic wear. Even though I competed on a swim team where we all walked around confidently in a one piece and swim cap, as teenagers we would shyly change behind a towel or shower curtain. The idea of wearing just underwear in front of a room of strangers was a bit startling to many of us.

After a week of living with my host family and smelling like a teenager again, my family finally took me to the hammam. All insecurities stripped away with each article of clothing as I eagerly anticipated the scent of Dove and baby powder. Due to my inexperience in the hammam scene, I was not to be trusted to clean myself. Even after my attempts to scrub away all the residue left on my skin from the days worth of integration, anxiety, and Moroccan life, my host sister proceeded to scrub my skin until a light pink hue glowed through.

She scrubbed my arms, legs, neck, and back the same way she would her two young sons. It was an out of body experience, though not a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I quickly learned that my family would likely do this each time we went to the hammam; them not realizing that I was well aware of how to clean myself, and me lacking the language to express this.

Luckily, my host family purchased a shower head and a hot water heater soon after my arrival in Morocco, though they still insisted on cleaning my back during the showers. This, I finally accepted as culture, although it was a stark contrast to the hygiene rituals that I had become accustomed to while growing up in the United States. The most painful experience of a childhood bath is the soap finding a way in one’s eyes, here it is the much-feared kees; a very course hand sponge meant to peel away dead skin leaving a body feeling baby-soft.

My family and friends back home initially expressed concern for the infrequency of showers here, although living in the culture has given me an alternative perspective and new understanding towards hygiene. In America, I would shower just about every day, cleaning my hair each time. Here, I usually shower every other day or every third day, although I have been spoiling myself with the hammam this winter.

I have already gone twice this week and will probably go again before the week finishes out. The heat sits in my body most of the day and boosts my mood immensely. This is so necessary when far away from home and enduring the kind of cold that gets to my bones!

My hammam experiences have transformed over the course of a year. In my last experience, a girl about the age of seven screamed herself into a hyper-ventalation while her mother dutifully keesed her body in a similar fashion to how my mother would untangle my hair on early mornings before school.
I empathized with both the mother and the daughter; the mother for knowing that it would probably be some time before her daughter felt the sauna-like heat of the hammam and therefore needed to clean her as well as she could, and the daughter because I felt just like her a year ago when my body was being scrubbed with the same harshness.

This past Sunday a girl offered to clean my back with my much softer hand sponge (I will risk the dead skin), while four other girls gathered around to the mistakenly-French woman speaking their language. They were all about the age of my students and perhaps I will see them at my fitness and film classes on Saturday. Talking about why I Iived here led to the discussion of my work! Turns out the bath house is a social gathering of sorts.

Thankfully my language has improved during my time in Morocco, and my patience as well. “Ma-fhmt-sch” has frequented my interactions less and has been replaced with the Moroccan Arabic equivalent of “Wait, I don’t understand that word, could you explain.” I find that my patience and my hygiene/comfort have a positive correlation and therefore I do not expect to minimize my hammam time during these cold months in the desert. It’s a great way to integrate into the community and experience a side of Moroccan life that may often be overlooked by non-natives.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2015/01/150046/moroccan-hammam-experience-an-americans-perspective-2/
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Moroccan Woman Wins United Nations Volunteering Award.
Wednesday 21 January 2015 Tarik El Barakah Rabat

Lamia Bazir from Morocco was among the honorees of the “Arab Youth Volunteering for a Better Future” project to receive the United Nations Volunteering Award. The Award was an acknowledgment “for her role in supporting projects that deal with women’s empowerment and the development of their role in society.” Lamia Bazir received her award from Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, the United Nations Secretary- General’s Special Envoy on Youth, at the MBC Hope award ceremony hosted by United Nations Volunteer Program (UNV) and MBC Group in Dubai, UAE on 18 January 2015.

The second annual MBC Hope Awards Ceremony honored the “Arab Youth Volunteering for a Better Future” project and MBC Hope’s “Doing Good” competition winners. The event celebrated the positive energy, creativity and community spirit of young volunteers honored for acting as the catalysts in fostering “Hope” in the Middle East North Africa Region.

The winners also included Zina El Nahel (Egypt), for her role in the activation of the education process by informal institutions and non-governmental organizations; Hadeel AbuSoufeh (Jordan), for her role in supporting social projects related to facilitate the lives of people with special needs.
Amal Al Saqal (Yemen), for her role in stimulating the role of students in volunteer work renaissance and community building and Saifeddin Jlassi (Tunisia), for his role in the rehabilitation of young people in areas of arts and drama.

“Despite the progress in education, the question remains about the quality of education in the region, especially in the presence of a youthful community that is capable of being leaders and entrepreneurs,” said the UN Youth Envoy, Ahmad Alhendawi during his remarks. “All challenges are opportunities if they are treated as potential to create solutions; the real wealth lies in the existing knowledge of the youth, especially now that we are in dire need of talented youth in this day and age,” he added.

Lamia holds two Masters Degrees from Columbia University and Sciences Po Paris, and was a student valedictorian at Al Akhwayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. She was also a fellow of the American Association of University Women in Washington D.C. On October 2014, Lamia was selected among the 50 emerging leaders of the Atlantic by the German Marshall Fund of the U.S. and the OCP Policy Center.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2015/01/149867/moroccan-woman-wins-united-nations-volunteering-award/
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Morocco: Cardiologist Performs 250 Open Heart Surgeries a year for Free.
Saturday 24 January 2015 - Rabat –

Al Jazeera network aired a report on Mohamed Laaroussi, a Moroccan cardiovascular surgeon who performs more than 250 open heart surgeries every year for free.“For 25 years I am doing this job,” said Mohamed Laaroussi, the chief of cardiac surgery at the University Hospital Ibn Sina in Rabat. Open heart surgery normally costs between 100,000 and 200,000 DH. “With more resources we could operate up to 400 patients every year,” Laaroussi told the Qatari network.
In addition to his humanitarian activities in Morocco, Mohamed Laaroussi and his team have previously performed 30 surgeries in Mauritania for underprivileged patients. “It’s a joy to see patients recover from their illness and find their families,” Laaroussi said with great emotion.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2015/01/150115/morocco-cardiologist-performs-250-open-heart-surgeries-a-year-for-free/
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The Muslim and the lost Jews of Morocco.
Tali Farkash

A surprising discovery by Muslim director Kamal Hachkar led him to Israel, where he found the former Jews of the Atlas Mountains, learned Hebrew in ulpan and embarked on a battle to break down stigmas. Kamal Hachkar, a French director of Muslim-Moroccan descent, by chance during a visit to his homeland made a shocking discovery about Tinghir in the Atlas Mountains - the existence of the town's Jewish residents, who lived for thousands of years alongside their Muslim neighbors, including his family. Close neighborly relations were cut with the immigration to Israel of the Jews of the mountain village.

In the documentary "Tinghir-Jerusalem, echoes of Mellah", Hachkar leads the viewers through his own journey to uncover the missing residents of the town. His journey brings him all the way to Israel, where he tracks down the former Tighrir inhabitants to their unkempt backyard. Through technology, he brings the one-time neighbors to together to talk after decades of separation. The 2012 film was shown on Moroccan state television, causing an emotional response in its millions of viewers - and it was screened recently in Israel as part of the DocAviv Negev festival in Yeruham.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4618115,00.html
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I am Jewish and I Love Muslims.
Friday 23 January 2015 - morocco world news By Joshua Kohen Washington D.C

Last May, I had an interesting encounter on a train ride from Marrakesh to Rabat. It was my fourth visit to Morocco as an American Jew, visiting a land my paternal ancestors had left many generations ago. As usual in Morocco, people are friendly on train rides, especially within the small confines of a cabin. Several Moroccan passengers began talking to me in Arabic out of curiosity. Where are you from? What brings you to Morocco? Where did you learn to speak Arabic? As our discussion grew deeper, I began telling them how much I loved visiting Morocco and the pride I hold in my Moroccan roots. They listened and wanted to know more. I told them that I attended a rally for King Mohammed VI the previous November in Washington and that I was on the TV channel 2M shouting “I love you Morocco.”

They were impressed by my abundant knowledge of Moroccan history since the days of Moulay Idriss I. They were amazed that an American boy could feel such a deep connection to their country, our country! I remember this conversation like it was yesterday. A man sat across from me who was originally from Rabat. A mother and a small child were sitting next to him returning to Tangier. And beside me were two young ladies returning to Casablanca from a weekend in Marrakesh.

At a certain point, one of the young ladies asked me “the question.” A question I receive often in Morocco, especially after they discover I have Moroccan heritage. “Are you a Muslim?” Usually, I decide to be discreet and avoid answering these questions. Only my friends in Morocco know I am Jewish, I rarely announce it to strangers. Then I realized this is Morocco. None of us are strangers. We are one big family. After listening to them converse with me for 2 hours, I decided what do I have to hide? I could tell from the tone of our conversations that they were open-minded and tolerant individuals so I replied to the young woman “no, I am not Muslim. I am Jewish.”

At that moment, my blood rushed and my face warmed as I awaited their responses. I felt nervous but there was no negativity. The man had a very proud look on his face and said “we are all brothers and you are one of us. Religion does not divide us.” The mother with the young child gave me candies as a gesture of warmth and kindness. And the two young ladies were surprised but also curious. Their reactions inspired me and empowered me to be proud of who I am.
They started asking if I can’t eat pork or how often must I pray? At this point, our conversation became more personal. One of the young women from Casablanca told me “I wish my father, may he rest in peace, was still alive. He was a former politician and well-respected in Casablanca. He would have loved meeting somebody like you.” I remember pulling out the Moroccan flag from my small carry-on suitcase and kissing it. They were in awe and so proud to have met me.

As the train reached Casablanca, the two young ladies left after expressing pleasure in meeting me. The mother with the young children also departed to connect to a different train. As she exited, she told her child “give him a kiss on the cheek.” A Muslim woman told her child to kiss the cheek of a Jew they had just met. In this moment, I realized a common human identity really overrides all preconceived ideas and I asked myself “why can’t all Muslim-Jewish relations be just like this train ride?” By connecting with my Moroccan identity, I was able to become closer with Muslim people as a Jew.

I am Jewish and I love Muslims. I love Muslims because half of my friends are Muslims. I love Muslims because every time I visit Morocco, my Muslim friends are ready to embrace me and tell me “welcome to your second home.” I eat with them. I go out with them. I sing and dance with them. I laugh with them. I cry with them. I sleep in their homes. Whenever I have a problem, they are at my side immediately. When I was 16 years old, a Muslim Palestinian woman helped me obtain my first job and I am the grandson of Israeli immigrants who came to the United States in the 1960s. We became close as she was my boss. One day, my Israeli grandmother came to my work and my Palestinian boss told her “I love your grandson.”

My maternal grandparents saw tragedy with their own eyes and endured persecution in their lifetimes so they taught me to respect all people and to never hate. My maternal grandmother especially inspired me to always get along with people regardless of their differences. Hundreds of members of her family were murdered in the Holocaust so she understood how hatred and indoctrination could drive people to do the most wicked things to humankind.

A few years ago, my grandmother’s Liberian Muslim friend had a family emergency at the beginning of Ramadan. Her friend was supposed to prepare the entire meal for all her relatives the first night of Ramadan. My grandma felt sorry for her and immediately went to the supermarket and bought a ton of food and began cooking without her friend’s knowledge. All day my grandma cooked her specialties before she called her friend to come over to surprise her.

These examples of human compassion should inspire all of us to reach out and never perceive each other as enemies. We are all brothers and sisters. Religious affiliations and political persuasions should never keep Jews and Muslims divided especially in the face of extremism and media incitement. The rise of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in certain countries should bring us together against hatred, not drive us apart.

Let’s hope that my experience on the train ride from Marrakesh will one day become a broader reality for Muslims and Jews all over the world. May we all have our children kiss the cheek of the other as brothers. I will never succumb to Islamophobia and I will never accept those who label Muslims as terrorists. I will always respect and cherish my Muslim friends and I will never show hostility toward any Muslim.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2015/01/150039/i-am-jewish-and-i-love-muslims-2/
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Morocco Among the Safest Countries for Christians in the Arab World: report.
Friday 23 January 2015 - Tarik El Barakah Rabat

Morocco is among the most religiously tolerant countries in the Arab World and one of the safest for Christians, according to an international organization. Open Doors, a non-profit organization that focuses on serving persecuted Christians, did not include Morocco in its list of the top 50 countries where Christians face the most persecution for their faith.

According to Open Doors, Morocco and Bahrain are the two Arab countries to stay off the list for being more ‘tolerant’ towards the Christian religion.
However, all the remaining Arab countries were included in the list for imposing severe religious restrictions on Christians.

The non-profit identifies Christian persecution as “any hostility experienced from the world as a result of one’s identification as a Christian.
This might include beatings, physical torture, confinement, isolation, rape, severe punishment, imprisonment, slavery, discrimination in education and employment, and even death.

Open Doors said that the most rapidly growing areas of prosecution in the 2015 World Watch list are African countries, especially in Sub-Sahara Africa.
It added that Islamic extremism is by far the most significant persecution “engine”, with forty of the fifty countries on the World Watch list affected by this kind of persecution.

“Under the influence of ISIS, radical sentiments have increased in the Middle East. Many historically Christian communities have been forced to flee”, says the non-profit in their report.

More than 140,000 Christians have been forced to flee from their homes since the terrorist organization “Islamic State”, formerly known as ISIS or ISIL, took over swaths of land in Iraq last year.

North Korea topped the 2015 World Watch List for the 13th consecutive year. “Nothing has changed for Christians since Kim Jong Un took over power,” according to the non-profit. Somalia was ranked as the second most difficult place to be a Christian in the world, followed by Iraq in third place. According to Open Doors, the list is based on detailed information provided by Open Doors co-workers in over 65 countries, as well as by independent experts. Data is gathered on five spheres of life – private, family, community, national and church life – plus a sixth sphere measuring the degree of violence.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2015/01/150048/morocco-among-the-safest-countries-for-christians-in-the-arab-world-report/====================================================================

Morocco: A stroll by the Casbah. Chefchaouen, an outrageously picturesque blue-walled city, offers an artsy, bucolic retreat.
Ben Sklar / for The New York Times By:Melena Ryzik Special to the Star, Published on Fri Jan 23 2015

Chefchaouen, known for its blue-painted walls, is four hours from Fez. It was sometime around the fourth encore that the conga line really took off: a crowd of jubilant children and adults, in harem pants and jeans, snaking around the dramatically lit courtyard of an 18th-century casbah. A French gypsy-punk band, Basta Paï Paï, was tearing up the stage, its members wearing top hats and black tuxedo jackets trimmed with devilish red fins.

“Vous dansez bien, Chaouen!” the bare-chested frontman shouted, as the audience bounced in and around their seats. It was a spring night in Chefchaouen, a town nestled in the Rif Mountains in northern Morocco, and it seemed as if a fair number of the inhabitants, especially the younger ones, had filled the square. When the band announced a reggae song, a mosh pit threatened to open up. “We’re trying to make something happen in Chaouen, culturally,” said Karim Khlifi, an organizer of the event. “Our role is to make Chaouen known around the world.”

Chefchaouen, or Chaouen, as it’s sometimes called, is already famous. It is as an outrageously picturesque blue-walled city. Inside the ancient gated medina, nearly every building is painted an arresting shade of cerulean or azure, the sky blues juxtaposed with white trim and terracotta rooftops. Twisting cobblestone paths lead up and up, around the ochre-coloured casbah, past a crumbling cemetery where goats graze, to a landscape of green hills and mountaintops, uninterrupted sky extending beyond. It’s like being inside a Chagall painting.

Settled in the 15th century, Chefchaouen has been home to Moorish and Jewish populations and was part of the Spanish Moroccan enclave from 1920 to 1956. The Jews began the blue-wall tradition generations ago, the story goes. For non-Arabic-speakers here, Spanish is still far more common, and more useful, than French, Morocco’s main commercial language. And Chefchaouen continues to draw Europeans, especially Spaniards, who alight in the summer after taking a ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar.

Chefchaouen retains its relaxed native charms. It’s an artsy, bucolic retreat less than three hours’ drive from more bustling and seedy Tangier, and is popular with visitors for weekend hiking and climbing, and waterfall dips for locals.

Arriving in the evening after a bumpy drive through the mountains from Fez, about four hours away, photographer Ben Sklar and I made a beeline for the Hotel Atlas, one of the few places to get a beer in town. (Although not illegal, alcohol is heavily regulated in Morocco, a Muslim country.)

As many hotels here do, it advertised mountain views. The scene in the slightly dated lobby was also arresting: a musician at a keyboard, singing over synthesized Middle Eastern dance tunes, as men drank Casablanca beer around him. Aside from concerts and hours spent sipping mint tea in cafés, this is the local night life.

We left our car nearby at a lot watched by an amiable attendant for a few dirham a night. There’s no need or room for a car inside the medina. En route to the parking spot, we got a quick lesson in the hospitality of Chaouen when our SUV became stuck in a narrow blind alley. Backing out was not an option, though a dozen men materialized to help us try, communicating in three languages. Before we knew it, and without any encouragement from us, they exchanged a few words, convened around us and, like a crew of real-life superheros, simply picked up the car. They plopped it down a few feet over, and we were able to navigate out. “First time here? Welcome!” one helper said, waving us on.

The mellow vibe might be cultural or medicinal: Chefchaouen is also known for being smack in the middle of hashish country. The Rif Mountains are the site of vast kif, or hashish, farms, and we were barely in town for an hour before a man approached, inviting us to visit one. We politely declined. Although smoking it is technically illegal, young backpackers and hippie couples do flock here.

Just strolling the streets of the medina is relaxing enough. There are sacks of rainbow pigment, for paints, below a blue-shuttered window; a vendor squeezing fresh orange juice, with bright peels curling around his stand, in a small square; boys playing soccer in the alleys or skittering down the steps, loops of freshly made sfenj (Moroccan doughnuts) around their arms. You can get a pair of babouche, soft leather slippers, custom-made in two days, and the Berbers who live in the surrounding villages are known for their ironwork and textiles.

The items are all available at the markets around the medina’s four babs, or entry gates, where bargaining is de rigueur, but on the advice of a hotel manager, we stopped in shop up the street which dealt in fixed prices. There we found Fadal, an 80-year-old artisan, busily operating his loom.

“I’ve been in photos all over the world,” he said in French, as he spun white and blue wool thread into wide striped blankets. His son and apprentice draped me with fabric so I looked like a Berber villager, complete with pompommed hat, and I left with a stack of pillowcases and throws.

Thanks to the regular influx of hash tourists, there is a plethora of hostels and other budget accommodations in town, but I preferred Casa Perleta, run by a lively and supremely helpful Spanish woman named Begoña. Like other hotels, it was built around a leafy central courtyard and decorated with traditional Moroccan furniture, patterns and lanterns. Our room was cool and effortlessly welcoming, with a low couch in the front sitting area.

Breakfast was served on the shaded roof terrace, a hillside of cyan and Prussian blue houses stretching out before a spread of olives and olive oil, fresh feta cheese, jam and Moroccan doughy treats, including sfenj. Chefchaouen is not known for adventurous dining; most of the dozen or so restaurants serve the same medley of tagines, lamb meatballs and harira soup. At Chez Hicham near the casbah, the pastille, a flaky pastry stuffed with lamb and topped with toasted Marcona almonds, stood out. The view from the tiered terraces was outstanding. The best meal was a few miles from town at Caiat. It was a lamb tagine dotted with plump prunes, and beer and wine on the menu.

Just past the gates of the medina there are more cafés and sandwich shops, and I joined locals strolling Avenue Hassan II, the wide main boulevard. Lined with fragrant orange trees, it ends at a pleasant circular park, where chirping birds compete with the call to prayer and teenagers hang out, armed with freshly fried potato chips and candy from roadside vendors.

On a Sunday we drove a half-hour outside town for a hike in Akchour, aiming for the natural structure known as Pont de Dieu, God’s Bridge. The parking lot was filled with minibuses and carousing local youth. Young families waded in the pools at the base of the mountain, picnicking by the waterfall-fed streams. A few enterprising restaurants delivered right to the water’s edge, waiters carrying mint teas by the half-dozen.

We ascended the trail, followed by scampering children, and, as we went higher, European trekkers in sturdy shoes. Wildflowers sprouted along the path. It was a 45-minute climb, not too strenuous, to the bridge, an 80-foot-high rock arch. No guidebooks or advice prepared us for what we found there: Tucked way up in a mud and plant hut, was . . . a café.

There was a wooden table and a stone banquette covered with a straw mat. Behind the mud counter, up popped the proprietor, Mohammed. He built his workplace himself, he explained in Spanish. It took seven months. The thatched roof was held up by branches, and a cot was hidden in the back. For the last decade, he’s been climbing down daily from his village nearby, dispensing sodas and advice, fetching lost keys from the rocks and preparing the occasional tagine for hungry swimmers, who shout their orders from the stream below. “I’m the jefe of Puente de Dios,” he said proudly, giving us free drinks and cookies. We took in the mile-long views of the surrounding countryside and the rush of the waterfall, sipped our tea, and agreed.
http://www.thestar.com/life/travel/2015/01/23/morocco-a-stroll-by-the-casbah.html====================================================================

Understanding Salafism: Background & Development (Part I).
Friday 23 January 2015 - Ezzoubeir Jabrane Casablanca

Amid the state turbulence and chaos in the Middle East and beyond, the dimension of religion and particularly the question of Islam has become essential to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The controversy that groups such as ISIS stir; the horrific terroristic attacks here and there that are executed in the name of Islam; the accusatory fingers directed toward Muslims worldwide; the suspicion, the hatred, the stigmatization, and the manipulation are all calls for the well-intentioned (but confused) Muslims and non-Muslims to suspend judgment and ponder for a moment on what went so wrong in the world today. The mainstream western media portrays the state of crisis in the world as a struggle between modernity and Islam as a set of obsolete rules and regulations from which Muslims cannot free themselves. However, there is a growing tendency among scholars and intellectuals to believe that this global crisis is one of knowledge.
At the same time when Muslims and Islam are scorned, voices of reason have gradually been raising in the west pleading the hypnotized masses to wake up and denounce the Islamophobic media bias that is loaded in the nuance of every presenter’s voice. The British actor Russell Brand, the French journalist Edwy Plenel, the American journalist Glenn Greenwald, the comedian Jon Stewart, and the British MP George Galloway among many others are all well-known public and media figures who have been fighting the anti-Islam ideology and calling people to be more intellectually autonomous in judging the current state of affairs. In this regard, knowing Islam (in its diversity and unity) has become an urgent personal obligation for anyone and everyone.

From Muslim extremists like Bin Laden to public figures who have displayed Islamophobia like Bill Maher, there exists a great unwashed or as Jon Stewart terms, “Je suis confused.” It is this majority that stands baffled between hasty condemnation and hasty retaliation that matters to me and that I attempt to target in this series of articles about Islam and Islamic expression. My aim herein is to objectively put side-by-side the two most important contemporaneous trends of Sunni Islam, Salafism, and reformism so to help the reader better comprehend where extremism comes from and what motivations it has.

Salafism
Islam’s most powerful and established movement, Salafism, encompass a number of different ideological currents which have a common dogmatic basis. It is commonly seen as the ideological assertion that a certain understanding of the Islamic scriptures is not only pertinent in politics and diplomacy, but also should enjoy priority in them. Unlike the other movements of Islam, Salafism does not tolerate any sort of intermix between what they perceive as authentic Islamic politics and the other forms of government. Thus, accommodations to the politics of the Muslim Brotherhood for instance is a concession that the Salafists are not willing to make. As much as the totality of the Salafist currents meet in this point, their main disagreement, says Mneimneh, is related to “the legitimacy and importance of political action in their overall effort to construct an Islamic state.”

Background
The pivotal assertion that the Salafists repeat constantly and emphatically is that Salafism attempts to reclaim the essence of Islam. This latter, they claim, has been tarnished mainly by the western ideologies and philosophies and thereby diverted from the pure Islam that was revealed to the prophet Mohamed (peace be upon him), and understood by his companions and the immediate predecessors. In the Islamic scholastic and jurisprudential traditions, the early generation of Muslims has been referred to as ‘Al-Salaf Al-Salih‘, or ‘the righteous predecessors’ (Mawsili: 1999). So long as the ideal behind its formation in the nineteenth century was to restore the first-generation Muslims, the Salafist movement acquired its designation that is derived from the expression “Al-Salaf Al-Salih” and which represents an ideological and political foundation. The aim of its founders Jamal al-Din Al-Afghani and his student Mohamed Abduh was to validate the harmony of the values of Islam with modernity. To do this, these founders advocated: “a return to the original principles of the al-Salaf al-Salih, or a “purified” Islam that was free from historical accretions that, in their view, supported their progressive and modernizing vision. Their efforts have thus been characterized as ‘Salafi-Salihi’ or ‘reformist-purist.’ (Mneimneh 2011: 24)

The spread of the ideals of the Salafist movement in its embryonic form required from Mohamed Abduh and his followers to collaborate and merge with the already deep-seated currents that had the same reformist propensity and shared similar ideological inclinations. Consequently, the movement embraced other visions and ideas which sought the revival of the purity of Islam like the ones advocated in the teachings of Mohamed Ibn Abd al-Wahab the Arabian scholar who lived in the eighteen century Arabia, and the Sanusiyyah Suffi trend that is still an established Islamic authority in North Africa. Due to the vagueness of the criterion considered in incorporating these reformist currents within Salafism, its diverse interpretations resulted in disputation and split between the proponents of reform and those of purity. Hassan Al-Banna and Ali Abd al-Raziq were both considered the legitimate successors of the Muhammad Abduh in the 1920’s and 1930’s despite their ideological and methodological divergence. Hassan Al-Banna founded the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and sought the establishment of a theocratic state whereas the latter envisioned a secular state that has its roots in the Islamic doctrine.

The Development:
The twentieth century was quite remarkable in the development of Salafism in that it assigned radically different positions to it. During the decolonizing waves in the 1940’s and 1950’s, the Arab political thought evolved rapidly and the Salafi-Salihi undertaking was superseded by new ideologies that did not need to gain their legitimacy from a religion-based thought. The main ideologies adopted in those contexts namely liberalism, socialism, and nationalism were quite ubiquitous among the elites and religion was treated in the political discourse at best as merely one among many constituent of the local and national identity.
However, Islam generally and Salafism specifically enjoyed prosperity in the subsequent decades for the three reason I listed earlier and due to other events that characterized the history of the Muslim world. The Islamist revolution in Iran in 1979 spurred in the Muslim collective consciousness the hope of bringing down the autocratic regimes placed and empowered by the West. The second event was the defeat of the Soviet Union at the hand of the jihadist in Afghanistan who had been widely supported in the Muslim world. This particular event laid the foundation of the jihadist ideology that is crucial in the contemporaneous post-revolution reality.

The insurrection of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood against the regime of Hafiz al-Assad in 1980 is another important factor. These events and more helped to secure a supreme position for Salafism particularly in the opposition. “The takeover of the Meccan Holy Shrine by Millenarian Islamists in 1979″ is the most essential event in understanding the development of the Salafist movement up to this date. The Saudi regime managed to hold it in restraint, but it stirred hope among Salafists throughout the Islamic world.

The Salafist movement merged with a number of movements that took similar directions of reform. In matters of doctrine, the literalist Wahhabi ostensibly marked the Salafist movement. This doctrine became prevalent in Arabia in the 1920’s due to the alliance of its inheritor, the influential family of Al-Shaykh, with the Al-Saud in Najd which ended by the establishment of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia by Abd al-Aziz al-Saud. In return for the strong-arm implementation of the Wahhabi doctrine, which dismissed the other doctrines as impure and deviatory, the religious institution sustained the monarchy by making allegiance to it an indispensable basis in faith. This strong alliance between the political and the religious authorities in Saudi Arabia has still been preserved until the present time through bestowing the religious references with financial support and extending the scope of their influence. Hence, a well-established expression of the Salafist movement calls for incontestable submission to the will of the ruler.
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/2015/01/150065/understanding-salafism-background-development-part-i/
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Hicham Zerhouni: The First Moroccan to Join America’s New Leaders Council
Saturday 24 January 2015 - Chicago

A Moroccan-American, Hicham Zerhouni, has been selected as a fellow of the New Leaders Council (NLC), a U.S. non-profit organization that promotes progressive political entrepreneurs — trendsetters, elected officials and civically-engaged leaders in business and industry — who will shape the future landscape.

Zerhouni, who is the Managing Principal of TransCultures, is one of 24 fellows selected from hundreds of qualified candidates to become a fellow of the NLC’s Chicago chapter. The NLC was founded in 2005 to create a progressive leadership development infrastructure for young professionals who already have some initial career experience. The NLC selects fellows from outside traditional power structures and trains and equips them with the skills necessary to be civic leaders in their communities and workplaces. The NLC’s mission is realized primarily through the NLC Institute.

Zerhouni, now only 34 years old, was born in Fez, Morocco, and moved to Chicago when he was 19. He graduated from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago in 2006 with a BA in Political Science and in 2009 received an MA in Political Science with a focus on International Relations. While working in banking as an International Analyst, he taught foreign languages to executives and government officials seeking to understand global markets and political diversity.
In 2006, he launched Argan Oils, a socially conscious cosmetics company that markets Argan oil from Morocco while supporting women’s cooperatives. He went on to work as a Global Media Analyst during the Arab Spring, and provided insights regarding turmoil in the Middle East.

His current venture, TransCultures, is a globalization services company that helps organizations overcome cultural barriers and achieve their global potential by customizing language and cultural services to help them grow in today’s global economy. “I am so humbled to have this opportunity,” said Zerhouni. “This fellowship will allow me to advocate better for the communities I represent.” When asked whether there are similar programs in Morocco, he said “Leadership programs like these are much needed in Morocco. They would encourage young Moroccan men and women to participate more in the political process of Morocco.” He added that “Morocco can play a key role in the globalization services industry due to its diverse languages.” TransCultures has been establishing a presence in Morocco for the last two years. Zerhouni says that the globalization industry in Morocco shows great promise. “TransCultures through its expert management and diverse staff can play a significant role in shaping the business as Morocco becomes a hub destination that attract global companies,” he added.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2015/01/150134/hicham-zerhouni-the-first-moroccan-to-join-americas-new-leaders-council-2/
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Best Places to Work For in Morocco 2014: 15 employers are among the top employers in Morocco.

Best Companies Group USA and Lycom, released yesterday their list of 'Best Places To Work For in Morocco in 2014', a program in partnership with the Ministry of Employment in Morocco. The official list is a ranking of the nation's top 15 best employers (small/medium size and large companies. This program was conducted among different companies operating in Morocco from different business sectors and it will measures employee satisfaction in key areas of talent management systems including corporate culture, workplace, HR management, career development, quality of life and motivation. The opinion of the employees is the most important element in this program that it is complemented by an assessment given to the HRD, describing the actual HR practices in the firm.
Moroccan companies from a wide range of industry sectors participated in the program and only those companies recognized for their exemplary employee management and engagement processes are recognized on the list of "Best Places To Work For".

A total of 15 companies made the Top Companies to Work for in the Morocco 2014' list. Securing the number one position on the 2014 list (small and medium size companies) by recording the highest levels of employee trust, was Ericsson Morocco and INWI, the Moroccan telecom operator in the large companies category. Commenting on the Top Companies to Work For in Morocco, M. Idrissi, communication officer of the program said: "We would congratulate each of the 15 companies that have been recognized as top companies to work for in the Morocco in 2014. We are very pleased to see local companies participating in such program this year which shows a growing understanding about workplace culture, employee satisfaction and business performance."
The Top Companies to Work For in the Morocco in 2014 are:
Small and medium size corporation
1. Ericsson Morocco
2. EMC Computer Systems Morocco
3. DHL Express Morocco
4. Pfizer Morocco
5. Arval
6. Bayer
Large size corporation
1. Inwi
2. HP CDG IT Services Morocco
3. Jacobs Engineering
4. Lafarge Morocco
5. Wafasalaf
6. Bymaro
7. Apm Terminal Tangier
8. Al Amana Microfinance
9. Marwa

For more information about the program, please visit www.meilleuremployeuraumaroc.com/ or by email at info@meilleuremployeuraumaroc.com
© Press Release 2015
http://www.zawya.com/story/Best_Places_to_Work_For_in_Morocco_2014_15_employers_are_among_the_top_employers_in_Morocco-ZAWYA20150117181918/
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A Moroccan affair
Pushpa Kurup | January 17, 2015,  Ait Benhaddou, Morocco

A mystical land, Morocco in northwest Africa gives you a glimpse of desert dunes, ski resorts and snow- clad mountains, all at the same time. The romance of Casablanca, the magic of Marrakech, the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the swarming medinas of Meknes exude a kind of magnetism that draws tourists from across the world. An Islamic nation with a universal soul, Morocco has an African ambience tempered with European influences and hence brings together two different worlds of aesthetics. Unfazed by the Arab Spring that transformed Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, the Kingdom of Morocco has a much loved monarch, Mohammed VI, and remains unaffected by the political tensions around.

Marrakech
One of Morocco’s most visited cities, Marrakech is a peculiar mix of the sacred and the wicked. While on one hand it exudes a sense of spirituality and calm, on the other it is a microcosm of frenzied activity. The main square at Djemaa El Fna is brimming with hawkers, snake charmers and magicians and the markets throw open a tempting mix of goodies ranging from kaftans and trinkets to argan oil and dates. Much like the Indian markets, haggling here is the norm.
The Tizi-n-Ichka pass in the Atlas Mountains makes for a picturesque tourist stopover, but tread the path only if you’re ready for a bumpy ride. From the village of Merzouga in the northeast a zigzagging taxi ride to the Algerian border through endless flat land without roads, borders or check-posts presented a terrifying experience. I thought the driver was a raving maniac until he gave us insights into his black humour. A backbreaking camel trek to the towering sand dunes at Erg Chebbi on the edge of the Sahara provided the excitement of a lifetime.

Casablanca
Casablanca, immortalised by the 1942 Hollywood blockbuster, was formerly a French colonial port. Predictably, this was my first port of call. Tourists make a beeline to Rick’s Café, made famous by Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. Interestingly, the cafe did not exist when the movie was filmed. It was only in 2004 that it was opened to recreate the magic of the 1940s. The delectable menu here includes couscous, tajine and pastille and the irresistible mint tea — all of which can be enjoyed over the music of yesterdays.
The magnificent Hassan II mosque here has the world’s tallest minaret (689 feet) and nocturnal lasers beam in the direction of Makkah. The architectural marvel has glass floors enabling the devout to kneel over the ocean, while automated sliding roofs reveal the clear blue skies above. The building encases Turkish hamaams and Venetian Murano glass chandeliers, that make the place not just spiritually but also visually delightful. Also, it is open to people of all faiths and I was fortunate to have glimpses of the stunning interiors.

Rabat
Rabat is more than just the capital of Morocco. It plays host to an archaeological museum that houses a rare collection of Roman bronzes — a treat for anyone interested in digging up past treasures. Not very far from Rabat, Ait Benhaddou, a fortified village, has an interesting tale that makes it a tourist hotspot not just for its history, but also its Hollywood connection. Ait Benhaddou is located on the caravan route that once conveyed slaves, gold, ivory and salt from sub-Saharan Africa to the markets of Marrakech, making it an important commercial street. Besides, it is also the place where films such as Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars and The Gladiator were shot.

Tangiers
As an example of how liberal an outlook the country has, Tangiers in Morocco is said to have hosted the world’s first gay resort. Interestingly, Tangiers and Mumbai have a common history as they formed part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza when the Portuguese princess married Charles II of England in 1662. It is also famous as the birthplace of one of the world’s greatest travellers, Ibn Battuta. In the 14th century, this young lad took off on a pilgrimage to Makkah and returned 24 years later, having ventured as far as China. In Delhi he served as a qadi under Mohammed-bin- Tughlaq for six years, later sailing to Calicut, Quilon and Sri Lanka.

Fes
Fes, the third largest city of Morocco, still retains its old world milieu. Fes-al-Bali, one of the world’s largest medinas, has 1,50,000 occupants and is free of cars and buses. Donkeys and motorbikes transport the goods. The only way to explore the narrow lanes with their mosques, souks and madrasas is on foot. Tanning is a major industry and the vats and dyes are worth a look, if you can ignore the strong smells. You’ve been warned!
Pushpa is an author and travel enthusiast
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150117/commentary-sunday-chronicle/article/moroccan-affair====================================================================

Princess Sabeeka is all praise for Berber heritage.
Suad Hamada (Bahrain Beat) / 18 January 2015

Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of His Majesty the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), has patronised the Berber Women of Morocco Expo which will run for one month at Bahrain National Museum. Touring the exhibition, Princess Sabeeka underlined its importance in highlighting the high value of the Berber heritage. She emphasised the role of cultural activities in promoting tourism and providing entertainment for the people in Bahrain while informing them about global cultures.

Princess Sabeeka thanked the organisers of the exhibition for their efforts in spotlighting the role of Berber women in maintaining the Berber cultural heritage and showing the richness and diversity of the Moroccan civilization.

The Culture directorate is organising the expo in cooperation with Pierre Berger (Yves Saint Laurent), Jardin Majorelle’s MusŽe Berbre in Marrakech and MusŽe du Quai Branly in Paris. Pierre Berger, the associate of famous fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, stressed his strong bonds with Morocco. He underlined his keen interest, along with Yves Saint Laurent, the Berber arts since the 1960s.

The Berber (Amazigh) identity developed thousands of years ago on a vast territory that stretches from Morocco’s Atlantic coast to the borders of the eastern Maghreb. Over the millennia it has proven as remarkably resilient to cultural mixing with other Mediterranean civilizations as to various conquests.
Throughout history, women have been the guardians of traditions and language, ensuring the preservation of the tribes’ cultural heritage. Transmission has been guaranteed by many symbols that can be found in weaving (the exclusive province of Berber women), jewellery, wickerwork, pottery, tattoos and henna body painting. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes, and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2015/January/middleeast_January106.xml&section=middleeast
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Weekend in . . . Casablanca.
While the film noir classic ‘Casablanca’ was actually made in California, the fundamental things still apply in Morocco’s largest city
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/weekend-in-casablanca-1.2060291
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Morocco: Royal Visit to Fez - Health Services Strengthened Thanks to New Solidarity-Based Projects.

HM King Mohammed VI launched, on Sunday in Fez, construction works of two solidarity-based projects to foster health services in the city.
Carried out by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, these projects consist of building a center for diabetes diagnosis and treatment at the Al Mariniyine district and a hemodialysis center at the Zouagha district for an amount of 17 million dirhams.
These projects show the sovereign's solicitude for patients with chronic diseases and his resolve to ensure a better access to basic health services. They are in line with efforts made by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity and seeking to help underprivileged people access health care, and reinforce basic infrastructure.

The diabetes diagnosis and treatment center will raise awareness and provide health care for diabetes patients, enable early detection of diabetes degenerative complications and supervise and train regional stakeholders in the field. The facility (5 mln MAD) will include a medical laboratory, a day hospital ward, consultation rooms, a nutrition education room, an infirmary, a kitchen, and a multipurpose room.

As for the hemodialysis center, it will contribute to relieving the Nephrology department at the Fez Hassan II University Hospital, and will monitor the progression of chronic renal failure due to the high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension. The center (12 mln MAD) will receive up to 300 patients per day and provide medical care for them especially needy people. It will include 60 dialysis machines, rooms for ultrasound, electrocardiography, water treatment, check-up, awareness-rasing and nutrition education, and a medical laboratory.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201501191806.html
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Film Review: ‘Pirates of Sale’.
January 20, 2015 |
This inspiring documentary balances human interest with exciting, handsomely lensed circus acts.
Jay Weissberg

Upbeat yet realistic, “Pirates of Sale” is an inspiring documentary about Morocco’s Cirque Shems’y, a big-top outfit with school attached that caters to the country’s underprivileged youth. Co-helmers Merieme Addou and Rosa Rogers follow students as they go through auditions, training, and performance, showing teachers encouraging independent, socially progressive thought among teens never exposed to acrobatics, let alone feminism. The genuinely exciting numbers (think Cirque du Soleil) are handsomely lensed without taking away from the human-interest stories, resulting in an appealing fest item that should also see life in European broadcast.

Sale, a city bordering Rabat on Morocco’s coast, was famed for centuries as a pirate stronghold, but more recently has a reputation for unsafe neighborhoods and poverty. The circus and the National Circus School were founded to offer an alternative narrative to teens too easily sucked into a downward spiral of life on the streets. Run by Frenchman Alain Laeron, Cirque Shems’y holds open auditions, during which instructors look for talent that can be coaxed from kids not used to imagining a life in the performing arts. Especially for young women, who generally leave school by 16 and wait for marriage, the circus holds out the hope of independence through self-realization.

“Pirates of Sale” mostly follows four teens in various stages of artistic development. Hajar, 15, was living on the streets before she auditioned; Ghizlane has a family, but the circus offers a necessary escape from a bleak future with her unsupportive, critical mother. For Abdelali, one of 11 children, and the prodigiously talented Imad, the training they receive under charismatic director Jawad Touinssi and then Guillaume Bertrand pushes them to explore physical and psychological boundaries. The goal is to incorporate life experiences into the shows, not just under the big top (strikingly erected in an old fort on the beach) but also during the citywide festival amusingly named “Djinn Tonic,” in which top students perform solo and group acts throughout city locations.

As to be expected, there are moments of uncertainty, some doling out of tough love, and occasional disappointment. What’s perhaps more surprising is the way the teachers, Western and Moroccan, push their charges to question not only their physical limits but also the societal strictures holding them back. Along with increased self-expression, the teens are encouraged to weigh culturally conservative custom against more liberal Islamic thought, even opening the door to secularism. “This is a school of life before it’s a school of art” becomes an accurate summation of the Shems’y philosophy.

Even after graduation, there’s no guarantee of success, and opportunities are severely limited for those who choose to remain in Morocco. Yet Addou and Rogers nicely capture the hopes of kids largely raised without options, and auds will inevitably root for these talented performers while enjoying their impressive regimens. Rogers, as d.p., demonstrates a skilled hand with attractive images that capture the locale as well as the acts, and Jane Harris’ editing nicely juggles the stories with the semester’s trajectory.
http://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/film-review-pirates-of-sale-1201406467/#
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Morocco among world’s cheapest countries.
Tuesday 20 January 2015 - Rabat

Morocco ranked fourteenth among the world’s cheapest countries, according to a statistic comparing the cost of living at several countries to that in New York City. Morocco is preceded in the ranking by Georgia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Colombia, Syria, Macedonia, Egypt, Moldova, Algeria, Tunisia, Pakistan, Nepal and in first place India as the world’s cheapest country.

The statistic shows the difference in living costs around the world using figures from the world’s largest database of user contributed data about cities and countries worldwide. “The Consumer Price Index, used to determine the difference in the living costs between countries takes into account the prices of groceries, transportation, restaurants and utilities,” according to movehub.com, an expat guide website. The Consumer Price Index takes into account the cost of groceries, transportation, restaurants and utilities, each containing a number of variables.
The cost of groceries, for instance, is made up of the price for meat, bread, rice, eggs, fruits, vegetables and alcohol.
The transportation cost includes one-way tickets, monthly passes, taxi fares, petrol prices as well as the prices of a Volkswagen Golf.
The restaurant costs comprise of prices for meals in expensive, mid-range and inexpensive restaurants, as well as the prices for coffee products, alcohol and water in restaurants.
The utilities costs are determined by the prices for electricity, heating, water and Internet, among the few.
Switzerland is listed as the most expensive.
Movehub.com said it relied on data provided by “Numebo, the world’s largest database of user-contributed data on costs and prices around the world.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2015/01/149812/morocco-among-worlds-cheapest-countries/
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Morocco Colors: Spend Time in Magical Marrakech. [Video]
Added by Anne Sewell on January 20, 2015.

Read more at http://guardianlv.com/2015/01/morocco-colors-spend-time-in-magical-marrakech-video/#Mw2sXOJxfhMGQ8Bj.99
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Moroccan Magic.
Sunday, January 18, 2015) By Giovanna Dell’Orto Associated Press Erg Chebbi, Morocco

The bright black silhouettes of our three-camel caravan shone against a tall sand dune like a background drawing of the Three Kings in a Nativity scene.
While Georgie, as I had nicknamed my blonde dromedary camel, plodded through this remote corner of Morocco at the edge of the Saharan Desert, I was transfixed by our reflection — because it was well past sunset and there was no moon.

With the complete lack of artificial lights, the vault of stars was bright enough to cast shadows, but I was struck by how this desert constantly upends expectations. Shadows without light, luxuriant bursts of palms among stretches of barren land where you’d swear you’ll never see water again, canyon rock formations that turn out to be fortified villages — a three-day guided driving loop from Marrakech to the dunes of Erg Chebbi in early summer was one mirage-like surprise after another.

After all, I was following one of Africa’s most mythic, and historic, trading routes: the road to Timbuktu, lined with centuries-old castles, oases and the occasional camel-crossing road warning.

Dune-riding dromedaries
While he liked to play pop hits and discuss U.S. immigration policies in fluent English, Said Ahnana, my driver and guide from the Desert Majesty tour company, had grown up in a nomadic family, herding camels among these dunes. It took him a minute in a village sewing store to wrap 10 feet of turquoise fabric around my head into a sand-proof turban called a shesh, getting me ready for leaving the road behind, stepping out into the dunes and onto the kneeling camel for a sunset ride.

Waveringly perched above Georgie, I watched the nomadic encampments disappear as we climbed nearly 500 feet up the dunes. I clambered up barefoot for the last leg into a sea of orange and pink sand.
On the way back, another guide, who was leading us on foot in his flowing blue robe, asked what sounded like an either-or question, of which I only understood the word jamal, camel in Arabic — so of course I picked that choice.

That’s how a couple from London and I lucked into riding more than an extra hour in the brilliantly lit, eerily silent night to our camp of wide, round tents nestled in the lower dunes. It turns out I had declined car rides for the last few miles.

Desert canyons
Not all my travels were by camel. With temperatures exceeding 118 F, the air-conditioned SUV came in handy as we traveled more than 620 miles over steep mountain passes and into pink canyons barely wide enough to traverse. The roads climbing over the High Atlas Mountains to the 7,414 feet Col du Tichka, or weaving in and out of the Dades Gorge, are contorted enough for any Marrakech snake-charmer.

But I was too busy marveling at the unfolding landscape to feel the turns. Colorless flatness turned into a river lined by blooming pink oleanders in the Dades gorge and into sheer cliffs tall enough to block the sun in the Todra gorge.

Sand Castles and Casbahs
The most astonishing eye trick is to behold what nomadic and Berber civilizations over centuries have eked out of this desert. Wherever there is water are bursting groves of date palms, olive and pomegranate trees. Just after the Skoura oasis, Said jumped out of the car and came back triumphantly holding a fragrant Damask rose — improbably, the area around Kela’a M’gouna is famous for its flowers.

Literally carved out of the sand and rock are scores of fortified villages, casbahs, and turreted castles, ksars, that served caravans for a thousand years along the Dades and Draa valleys. From basic square houses to massive forts, they are made of a pressed mixture of clay and straw called pise and decorated with carved geometric patterns reminiscent of indigenous arts from New Mexico to Mali.

Perfectly preserved Ait Ben Haddou and Tamnougalt looked like stage sets — Morocco’s movie capital, Ourzazate, is nearby. But in their narrow alleys, I came upon flapping laundry lines, a transport donkey parked outside a garden and a public hammam bath — the ancient routines of daily life.

I had meals of herb salads, lamb skewers and sweet mint tea in cool, clay courtyards that in other times sheltered traders and their camels. As we drove away, I kept looking back until the earthen walls and unpaved streets melted into the shimmering desert, disappearing like another mirage.
http://www.vnews.com/lifetimes/15250023-95/moroccan-magic
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Make a plan to visit magical Marrakesh in Morocco.
Anne Sewell Jan 21, 2015

The sights, colors and sounds of this fascinating city surround you as you enter Morocco’s third largest former imperial city, Marrakesh. The name itself translates from the Berber words meaning “Land of God” and this exotic and exciting city certainly reflects its name. Surrounded by the snow-capped and beautiful Atlas Mountains, and close to the sands of the Sahara Desert, the contrasting landscapes are simply beautiful.

The city is a little schizophrenic, in that it is split into two parts. One part is the modern Gueliz district, with its big brand stores, modern restaurants and the usual fast food options. The other is of more interest, as Medina is the historical side of the city, with the traditional and winding alleyways and fascinating souks, full of color and life.

Getting around the city is easy and convenient. In fact, if you stay in the Medina itself, everything is within walking distance and walking is, of course, the best way to experience a foreign city. Admittedly there is a lot of walking to do, however, so comfy shoes are definitely recommended.

If not in the mood for a stroll, there are several quaint and interesting ways of getting around including the “petits taxis” or a caleche, which is a little, horse-drawn carriage. More normal transport options are buses, including the open-topped sightseeing bus laid on by the city, and more normal sedan taxis which will take you to every site in comfort.

Evenings will be enjoyed in the Djamaa El-Fna square, with its musicians, story tellers and dancers. The lights and colors, and the sounds of the drums, will always fascinate and visitors will be invited to partake of a wide choice of Moroccan food and drink. The same square in the daytime has a different feel, with its stalls selling interesting items, its snake charmers and performing monkeys.

Close to the square are the famous souks of Marrakesh, where almost anything can be bought, and the most popular items are kaftans and colorful clothing, spices of every description, ornate tea pots and so much more. Around the city are markets that are actually dedicated to selling only spices, where the scents and colors are simply amazing.

The city offers many fascinating palaces and museums to explore and enjoy. One of particular interest is Dar Si Saïd, which can be found around five minutes away from Djemaa El-Fna. This former palace houses several types of traditional Moroccan artifacts, including musical instruments, wooden carvings and weapons, along with a beautiful display of local art. The Berber museum is also of interest with its display of traditional clothing and jewelry.
While in the city, a trip to La Palmeraie is a definite must. This gorgeous oasis is located on the outskirts of the city. Covering 13,000ha and offering luxury hotels and 150,000 palm trees, this is a place to get the feel of the richer side of Morocco, riding the camels and breathing in the desert air.
This is just a taste of the wonders on offer in fascinating Marrakesh. For a brief tour of Marrakesh and its surrounds, enjoy the video included above, also available on YouTube here, which is backed, rather appropriately, by the sounds of Crosby, Stills and Nash singing “Marrakesh Express.”
http://www.allvoices.com/article/100003283
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