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21 February 2022 Dallas
The Moroccan culture of sharing, tolerance and living together and the richness of the national artistic heritage were honored in Dallas, a large metropolis in Texas, the second largest U.S. state by area and population.Initiated by the Moroccan American Council, this artistic event brought together an enthusiastic audience of Moroccans of all faiths, or from other neighboring U.S. states, as well as members of the Arab community, and many Americans who came to celebrate the ancient friendship that binds the two countries.
This artistic evening which took place in a family and friendly atmosphere, was animated by two great names of the Moroccan song, namely Abderrahim Souiri and Younes Rbati.
As a sign of recognition to Moroccans around the world, a moving tribute was paid by the organizers to the philanthropist and actress Zohra Georgette Elkaim Moyal. This Moroccan Jew who was born in Tiznit and has spent a good part of her life in New York, standing out for her commitment to her community and the strengthening of Moroccan-American ties.
Georgette, accompanied for the occasion by her young grandchildren, told MAP, do not find words strong enough to express her gratitude and unwavering attachment to HM King Mohammed VI as well as the Alawite throne, cement of the Moroccan nation which is distinguished by the unique symbiosis between its various components of all faiths.
For her, the resumption of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel is another expression of the values of peace, tolerance and living together always advocated by the Kingdom, under the leadership of the Alawite Throne…..
http://www.mapnews.ma/en/actualites/culture/dallas-moroccan-art-and-culture-spotlight============================================================
24 February 2022
Rabat
The International Book Fair (SIEL) will be held from June 5 in Rabat, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, announced on Thursday. The transfer of this cultural event, usually organized in Casablanca, is due to the redevelopment of the exhibition space in the economic capital into a field hospital for COVID-19 patients, he explained during a briefing held after the Government Council. Two cities were initially candidates to host SIEL, namely El Jadida and Rabat, before the choice went to Rabat, designated this year cultural capital of Africa and of the Islamic world, he said, noting that the Fair will return to its original place once the Ministry of Health will stop to use the place to treat COVID-19 patients. Calls for tenders related to this Fair will be launched in the coming days, he added, welcoming on this occasion the Council of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region for its support to this international cultural event. http://www.mapnews.ma/en/actualites/culture/international-book-fair-take-place-rabat-june-5-minister============================================================
25 February 2022 Abidjan
The participants in the international symposium on interfaith dialogue, jointly organized by the Higher Council of Imams, Mosques and Islamic Affairs of Côte d'Ivoire (COSIM) and the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema, adopted a ''Declaration of peace'', called ''Abidjan Declaration''. In this declaration, which was read on Friday in Abidjan, at the end of the symposium, the signatories reaffirm their full support for the conclusions relating to the five themes analyzed and debated during this international symposium. They also stress the universal values advocated by religions, namely interfaith dialogue, solidarity, brotherhood, tolerance, openness to others and respect for human dignity, which values are the basis of dialogue between civilizations.
In the Declaration, the signatories solemnly undertake to ensure that dialogue, conducive to living together among all religions, is established in a sustainable manner, with respect for the law, for all religious dogmas and practices, and for freedom of worship and conscience.
They unanimously take note of their condemnation, with the greatest vigor, of all hate speech and discrimination, and all acts of violence, whatever their origin, which would endanger, in the name of religion, the living together, the security of societies, goods and persons, according to the text of the Abidjan Declaration.
It adds that the participants call on all the forces of African countries to remain united and supportive in the face of all dangers of division, not to give in to threats, nor to the amalgams, knowingly propagated, to undermine the unity of the ranks.
They reaffirm, in the name of the principles and commitments they share, that every human being, wherever he or she comes from and whatever his or her religious affiliation, is a citizen enjoying the equality guaranteed by the law.
The participants also launch a unanimous appeal, marked by the most pressing attention, to the urgent need for a seamless pan-African cooperation between religions to face the multiple environmental, economic and social crises shaking the continent.
http://www.mapnews.ma/en/actualites/culture/international-symposium-interfaith-dialogue-abidjan-adopts-declaration-peace============================================================
25 February 2022 Luxembourg
The Luxembourg-Morocco Circle and the Foundation of Luxembourg Judaism organized a meeting dedicated to Moroccan Judaism on Thursday evening at the Luxembourg Film Library; an event marked by the screening of Kamal Hachkar's documentary "In your eyes I see my country." This memory and history event was attended by Morocco's Consul General in Liege, Abdelkader Abidine, together with the documentary filmmaker, the president of the Luxembourg-Morocco circle, Amal Choury. It was also marked by the presence of representatives from the Foundation of Luxembourg Judaism, members of the Moroccan community, including Jews established in Luxembourg, as well as socio-cultural and economic local stakeholders.
Speaking on this occasion, the Consul General stressed the importance of this meeting which contributes to a better knowledge of Morocco's cultural diversity, its secular tolerance and its openness to other civilizations.
He emphasized the Jewish dimension, which is one of the essential components of the Moroccan identity, evoking a large number of testimonies on the exemplary and secular cohabitation between Jews and Muslims in Morocco.
He recalled, in this context, that HM King Mohammed VI attaches great importance to issues related to interfaith dialogue, the dialogue between civilizations and cultures and the enhancement of cultural heritage and worship of the Moroccan Jewish community.
The Royal initiatives are illustrated, in particular, by programs of heritage renovation and safeguarding of Jewish places of worship, including Essaouira's Slat Attia Synagogue; a memorial house on the life of the Jewish community, the restoration of Bayt Dakira, in the old medina of Essaouira, and Fez's Slat El Fassyine Synagogue; a UNESCO World Heritage Site…..
http://www.mapnews.ma/en/actualites/culture/meeting-moroccan-judaism-held-luxembourg============================================================
24 February 2022 Rabat
The Council of Government, convened on Thursday, decided to extend of the state of health emergency throughout the national territory until March 31, 2022, to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of COVID-19 measures taken by public authorities. The Council adopted the draft decree No. 2.22.140, presented by the Minister of the Interior Abdelouafi Laftit, extending the state of health emergency throughout the national territory to combat the spread of COVID-19, said the Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with Parliament, Government Spokesman, Mustapha Baitas, at a press briefing after the Council's meeting.
This draft decree aims to extend the period of the state of health emergency throughout the national territory starting from February 28, 2022 at 6 p.m. until Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 6 p.m., said the minister.
http://www.mapnews.ma/en/actualites/general/govt-council-adopts-draft-decree-extending-state-health-emergency-march-31============================================================
21 February 2022 Rabat
Our country is at the green level of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and the Omicron wave is in pre-close, said Monday on his LinkedIn account the coordinator of the National Center for Public Health Emergency Operations at the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Mouad Merabet.In a publication entitled "Brief commentary on the epidemiological situation of SARS-CoV-2 infection as of 20/02/2022," Merabet stressed that the rapid decline of the Omicron wave continues with further slowing of viral circulation throughout the national territory, allowing a rapid transition of our country from the orange level (moderate) to the low level of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in its Omicron version.
"The decline in new infections has reached 52%, the decline in the weekly positivity rate is 7 to 3.5%, while the effective reproduction rate of the virus (Rt) is 0.79," he said, noting that the improvement concerns all regions of Morocco, but some provinces are still at the moderate level (orange).
He added that the downward trend also concerns new infections, cases of severe Covidosis have recorded a decline of 49.3% with 222 new admissions in intensive care and resuscitation during this week against 300 exits after improvement of clinical condition.
Weekly deaths also saw a 40% decrease, added Merabet, who however warned of the possibility of the emergence of a new variant of concern. "The Omicron wave is not yet closed, another week of the green level is needed to remain in compliance with the rules for assessing the level of transmission," he noted.
"The virus is currently transmitting weakly at the level of the majority of provinces and prefectures, but no province has zero transmission. The risk of contamination is there, so the risk of severe covidosis is also there and therefore the risk of death is not zero," said the official.
Calling for vigilance, Merabet listed a number of tips to reduce "significantly" the above-mentioned risks, namely the respect of barrier measures, the test in case of appearance of evocative signs and vaccination.
http://www.mapnews.ma/en/actualites/general/covid-19-morocco-moves-green-level-transmission-official============================================================
23 February 2022 Rabat
The government majority is aware of citizens' expectations and is working to fulfill them and honor its commitments as well as obligations to them, especially in terms of preserving their purchasing power, said Tuesday in Rabat, president of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) party, Aziz Akhannouch. Akhannouch was speaking at a press conference following the monthly meeting of the leaders of the coalition of the government majority that he chairs. The meeting took place in the presence of Abdellatif Ouahbi, secretary general of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), Nizar Baraka, secretary general of the Istiqlal party (PI), as well as the presidents of the majority groups in both Houses of Parliament.
The president of the RNI said that the government is making significant efforts to preserve the purchasing power of citizens, by subsidizing many basic goods and services, whose prices have increased sharply on the international market. In this regard, he stressed that the government allocates annual subsidies of 17 billion dirhams for butane gas and 14 billion dirhams for electricity, 600 million dirhams per month to subsidize wheat flour and 3 billion dirhams per year for sugar and this, despite the difficult international context imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the rise in oil prices and other commodities, in addition to conflicts in some parts of the world.
Also, Akhannouch noted that the government will work to address the difficulties faced by transport professionals (passengers and goods) due to rising fuel prices internationally, stating that a dialogue will be initiated with representatives of these professionals to find solutions to alleviate the impact of high fuel prices on citizens.
For his part, Ouahbi said that the Kingdom is currently facing many challenges related to low rainfall and rising prices of oil and gas on international markets, adding that the meeting of the government majority has discussed these issues and their impact on the national economic situation.
He said that several initiatives have been taken "to ease the economic pressure on citizens," noting that decisions will be submitted to the government to implement them.
Baraka welcomed the Royal initiative to launch the exceptional program to support the rural world, worth 10 billion dirhams, in order to mitigate the effects of delayed rainfall.
In this regard, the SG of the PI said that the launch of this program reflects the proactive dimension of the royal initiative to improve the living conditions of the rural population and mitigate the impact of climate hazards on agricultural production.http://www.mapnews.ma/en/actualites/economy/purchasing-power-govt-majority-aware-citizens-expectations-works-fulfill-them============================================================
23 February 2022 Rabat
The inter-ministerial delegation for Human Rights (DIDH) announced on Wednesday the launch of the electronic portal "Tafa3oul" (interaction), dedicated to the management of complaints. This initiative, says a statement by the delegation, also comes in implementation of commitments contained in the report of the Special Review on the protection of human rights, presented on 14 December 2021. The portal will allow to receive and process complaints relating to allegations of violations of rights and freedoms, subject of the said report, and which include freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, press, formation of associations, assembly and demonstration, as well as arbitrary detention, exposure to torture and fair trial, the same source adds.
The services of this electronic portal, allowing the receipt and processing of complaints, are accessible via the space "interaction" of the DIDH or via the link: https://interaction.didh.ma/, the source concludes.
http://www.mapnews.ma/en/actualites/social/didh-launches-portal-deal-complaints============================================================
Ukraine has reported a “full-scale invasion” as Russian forces have entered Ukrainian territory, causing uproar and concern amid an ongoing economic crisis worldwide.
Safaa Kasraoui Feb. 24, 2022 Rabat
Spokesperson of the Moroccan government Mustapha Baitas has commented on the Russo-Ukrainian crisis, saying that the impact will be mainly felt on product prices.Following the weekly cabinet meeting, Baitas gave Morocco’s overview regarding the situation in Ukraine amid Russia’s military offensive. The official acknowledged that the conflict will have a substantial impact on the Moroccan market in terms of prices, citing oil prices that have soared beyond $100 per barrel. Baitas, who also serves as minister delegate to the Head of Government, emphasized that the situation is under control in Morocco thanks to efforts the government is deploying to mitigate the crisis. He said that Morocco has enough food reserves, through imports of necessary products such as flour. The imports of these products strengthened Morocco’s reserves, he added. The official also cited the country’s approach to subsidize some products, to mitigate the crisis. “The bill is huge, but the efforts are ongoing to mitigate the impact of the crisis,” he said. Baitas remarks are similar to reassuring remarks by Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch earlier this week, amid a surge in prices of food products weighing down on citizens’ purchasing power.
Akhannouch said that the government is making significant efforts to keep prices stable, including subsidizing a number of basic goods and services.
The government allocates annual subsidies of MAD 17 billion ($1.80 billion) for butane gas and MAD 14 billion ($1.48 billion) for electricity, he said.
He added that the government also subsidizes MAD 600 million ($63.59 million) per month for flour and MAD 3 billion ($317.99 million) per year for sugar, despite the difficult situation imposed by the international context.
Akhannouch vowed that the government will strive to tackle the situation, including in particular the challenges faced by transport professionals due to the increase in international fuel prices.
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2022/02/347274/moroccan-government-ukraine-crisis-will-cause-further-prices-hikes============================================================
The ministry’s Department of Studies and Financial Forecasts reported growth in several Moroccan economic activities, leading to catching up with pre-COVID-19 levels.
Souad Anouar Feb. 24, 2022 Rabat
Morocco’s economic activities are in a gradual return to normal, announced Morocco’s Department of Studies and Financial Forecasts (DEPF) at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. By late 2021, Morocco’s economic activities in the agriculture, secondary, and service sectors had marked positive growths, leading to a gradual return to pre-COVID-19 levels. Morocco’s main economic activity, agriculture, generated a 17.7% increase in added value in the third quarter of 2021, thanks to the good 2020-2021 agricultural campaign. In case of low rainfall this year, the DEPF reported that affected farmers and breeders will benefit from a support program.
Similar to agriculture, secondary sectors recorded a 6.9% growth in added value in Q3 of 2021. Sectors of construction, manufacturing, and electrical energy caught up to pre-COVID-19 levels when the extractives sector witnessed positive growth. As for the service sector, all branches performed well with the exception of the air transport and tourism sectors. The government allocated special funds to support the two sectors impacted heavily by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent border closures.
In addition to the economic upturn, Moroccan consumption rose at the end of 2021 due to the creation of 197,000 new jobs, the expansion of consumer credit, the good results of the 2020-2021 agricultural campaign, and the 36.8% increase in transfers from Moroccans residing abroad. While Moroccan consumption grew, the department noted an increase in the prices of certain goods as the inflation level remains moderate with a 1.4% increase by the end of 2021 and stagnation in January.
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2022/02/347266/ministry-of-finance-moroccan-economy-gradually-returns-to-normal============================================================
Waste reduction is the passion for one green business in Morocco’s Souss-Massa region.
Brooke Benoit Feb. 25, 2022 Agadir
As Morocco strives to build infrastructure to recycle its collective waste, one man is on the fast track to keep waste out of landfills, or worse.
Mohammed Khattou, the founder of Upcycle Mo, diverts “bound for ocean” pollutants by transforming dirty, polluting, and potentially dangerous tires into objects of functionality and beauty.
The problem with tire trash
Until about 2014, the world overlooked discarded tires as a source of pollutants. Researchers believed this happened because people think tires are made of natural rubber. They are not. Currently used tires contain only about 19% natural rubber, tires also contain around 24% synthetic rubber made of a plastic polymer.
National Geographic magazine explains that “tires are actually among the most common plastic polluters on earth.” Unrecycled tires account for 10-28% of microplastic waste in all oceans. Before 2016, when Morocco banned the importation of waste from other countries, tires were one of the many difficult-to-recycle waste items heavily imported from Europe. Tires are toxic to burn without proper facilities. Lacking such facilities, Moroccans have dumped unknown thousands of tonnes of tires into the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, thereby contributing to the microplastic waste problem.
The embassy called on Moroccans wishing to return to Morocco to go to the border access points with Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia, where reception and support cells will be set up.
Safaa Kasraoui Feb. 25, 2022 Rabat
Morocco’s Embassy in Kyiv said it is working to facilitate the return of Moroccans wishing to leave Ukraine. In a statement, the embassy urged all Moroccans in Ukraine to abide by the country’s guidelines and security measures. “Moroccans are required to leave their places of residence only for imperative necessity,” the embassy said on Friday. The embassy also advised citizens to always carry their identity documents and to remain in permanent contact with the embassy and the crisis unit set up for this purpose. The embassy said it is working closely in coordination with Morocco’s diplomatic presence in neighboring countries to facilitate the operation of citizens' transit under safe conditions.
Due to the closure of Ukrainian airspace, the Moroccan embassy called on nationals wishing to leave Ukraine to go to the border crossings with Romania, Hungary, or Slovakia, where reception and support cells will be set up. The embassy called on all Moroccans in Ukraine to contact the crisis team on toll-free numbers. People in Ukraine wishing to receive information and details about the situation should dial 088502683. People in Morocco inquiring about the situation can contact 0537663300. On Thursday, the Moroccan government said it is following the situation in Ukraine closely, indicating that a 28-member diplomatic team is working to help Moroccans in Ukraine.
The government said on Thursday that this vigilance crisis unit has so far received 795 calls. “All of the questions of the callers have been answered and met,” the spokesperson of the government said in a press conference.
He reiterated Morocco’s commitment to continue to provide assistance to citizens in Ukraine.
The official also recalled that the country had previously recommended the return of Moroccans, including students, on February 12.
He cited repatriation flights that Royal Air Maroc and Air Arabia scheduled earlier this month, saying that many have made it back through those trips and other commercial flights.
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2022/02/347294/moroccos-embassy-works-to-facilitate-return-of-moroccans-in-ukraine=====================================================
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