Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
December 9 , 2006

AIDS screening campaign launched in Morocco as of Dec. 1.
Rabat, Dec. 1st

Morocco launched on Friday a screening campaign on AIDS on the occasion of the World AIDS Day celebrated in Morocco this year under the theme "All Against AIDS." The campaign aims at "raising the awareness of high-risk population, improving the life standard of people with STD/AIDS, providing medical and psychological assistance to affected persons, training the personnel, and spreading information," the chairwoman of the Organisation Pan-Africaine de lutte contre le sida (OPALS), Nadia Bezad told MAP.

OPALS has devised prevention programs that target the most vulnerable populations, namely the youth, women, female professionals, prisoners, migrants and the disabled, noted Bezad. OPALS, she said, had prepared sensitisation films titled "Prevention Before All" with testimonies of AIDS patients, CDs for the education of youths on AIDS, as well as cartoons and a leaflet in Braille for the blind. The Organization estimates the number of HIV positives in Morocco at 16,000 to 20,000 in 2005. According to the NGO some 2,080 cases were documented by end 2006, including 42% of women.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_social/aids_screening_campa/view
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NGOs warn against 'alarming spread' of AIDS in Morocco.
Rabat, Nov. 30

Several Moroccan Non Governmental organizations (NGO) on Wednesday warned against what they described as an "alarming spread" of the Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) especially among women. "About 16,000 to 20,000 people had the AIDS virus in 2005 in Morocco," chairwoman of the Pan-African Organization against AIDS (OPALS), Nadia Bezad, said at a press conference on the occasion of the World AIDS Day to be celebrated Friday. She added that another 2,080 cases were documented by end 2006, including 42% of women. Bezad also cautioned against the propagation of AIDS in distant areas, which requires, according to her, a decentralization of awareness-raising campaigns "in order to sensitize a population that is quite vulnerable."

Echoing her, chairman of the Moroccan League Against Sexually Transmitted Diseases (LMLMST), Abdelhak Sekkat, deemed "alarming" the situation of STDs in Morocco, which further worsen the risk of catching HIV. Over 600,000 cases of STDs are registered in Morocco, he said, regretting the shortage of prevention and sensitization means. LMLMST general secretary, Mohamed Belkabir, highlighted the role of religious scholars in raising awareness against such epidemics, recalling a project to train some 40,000 Imams and preachers. By end 2005, some 40 million persons had the AIDS virus in the world, including 2.3 million children under 15, according to OPALS.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_social/ngos_warn_against__a/view
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AIDS prevention takes to the streets of Morocco.

Who said that Arab-Muslim society is “dragging its heels” in the fight against HIV-AIDS? In Morocco, the AIDS Control Association (the ALCS) is taking its message out into the main square of Marrakech every evening. It talks about AIDS prevention and hands out condoms. Discreetly. Because in this country there is still a heavy taboo surrounding sexuality. And for this reason, ALCS members – who usually work in groups of 3 – don’t wear anything to identify them when they go out in the field: no red ribbon, no T-shirt with the Association’s logo. Nothing. And who are they targeting? Homosexuals and prostitutes.

Their technique is tried and tested: each ALCS worker walks around with a plastic bag full of condoms and lubricating jelly. “If you see a group, you go up to them and introduce yourself straight away. You say who you are”, explained Younès, the ALCS “Prevention” coordinator. “The first time, boys often refuse contact. As the days go by they see us coming back regularly. They begin to talk, to accept the condoms. And the battle’s won”.

Two days later and it’s the women’s turn, this time in a “red light” district of Marrakech. This excellent initiative is the work of ALCS president Hakima Himmich and her teams who are determined to get things “moving” in Morocco. Although essential, the AIDS prevention initiative remains quite rare in Arab-Muslim countries. Source : Transversal, no. 33
http://www.destinationsante.com/en_depeche.php?id_rubrique=74&id_article=20107&cat=1
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Morocco ranks 124th in world literacy standing in 2005, UNESCO.
Rabat, Nov. 29

Morocco ranked 124th in the 2005 standing of countries where illiteracy is higher, according to the United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization (UNESCO)'s representative in Morocco. Philip Queau, who was speaking at a study day on the UNESCO's role in fighting illiteracy, held here Tuesday, said the illiteracy rate is still high in the kingdom, as among 177 countries morocco ranked 124th position in 2005.
Addressing the meeting, Moroccan Secretary of State in charge of Illiteracy and Non Formal Education, Anas Birou, said that fighting illiteracy requires the participation of all, including the Civil Society to guarantee access to literacy to a maximum number of people.

Morocco aspires to provide literacy classes to one million people per year, lower the illiteracy rate to 20% by 2010 and eradicate this phenomenon by 2015. Some 655,478 people attended literacy classes during the 2005-2006 school year.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_ranks_124th/view
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Over 2000 women subject to violence in Morocco in 2006.
Casablanca, Dec. 7

2,366 Moroccan women have endured violence in 2006, against only 1,851 a year before, according to figures disclosed by the center for violence-victim women -FAMA, said member of women rights association -AMDF. Speaking at a press conference, on Wednesday, Nabila Safadi said most cases include expulsion from the conjugal home, repudiation, insults, ill-treatment, rape, harassment, and attempted murders.

Safadi highlighted the difficulties that hinder the implementation of the provisions of the newly adopted Family Code relating to divorce, which, she noted however, gives in general more confidence to women. In January 2004, Morocco introduced important amendments on the family code (Al Moudawana) to enhance women and children's rights, and reinforce family ties. One of the main reforms introduced remains the toughening of polygamy requirements.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/over_2000_women_subj/view
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WB advocates access to education to fight child labor.
Rabat, Dec. 7

Fighting child labor is tributary to consolidating access to education and combating school drop-out, said, here Wednesday, MENA Human Development Sector Director at World Bank, Michal Rutkowski. Speaking at a press conference at the end of a meeting on youth in the MENA region (December 4-6), Rutkowski said local governments should conduct information and sensitization campaigns to fight child labor and attract children towards schools. The WB executive stressed that child labor reflects a social reality, which is poverty, calling upon civil society to double efforts to attract children towards schools.

Some 600,000 children work in Morocco, which represents 11% of the North African country’s 5.5 million children, according to a joint study carried out in 2005 by the Moroccan Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training, the International Program on the Elimination of Child Labour (Ipec) and the World Bank. According to this study, 13% of all male children under 15 and 9.5% of female children are currently exploited in the job market. Rural areas contribute 87% of working children, says the same source, while the remaining 13% come from cities.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/wb_advocates_access/view
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Morocco hosts Science week for young people.
By Sarah Touahri  -- 04/12/06

The Moroccan Ministry of National Education, Higher Education, Training and Scientific Research has organised a science seminar to encourage young students to study the subjects in the field. Morocco's Ministry of National Education, Higher Education, Training and Scientific Research and the Hassan II Academy of Science and Technology launched the first science seminar for young people on Thursday (November 30th) in Rabat. The event -- which will run through Wednesday -- targets elementary and high-school students in Rabat, Sale, Temara, Khemisset, Kenitra, Mohammedia and Casablanca.

National Education Department strategy, statistics and planning chief Ahmed Gouitaa said the purpose of the event is to inform young people of the importance of science and to promote a culture of high-level science education. "The younger generation must realise that science holds the key to the future. We need to give them an environment that fosters a love of knowledge," he said. The decision to organise the event was sparked by the belief that scientific research plays a major role in the process of development and access to knowledge and technology. Morocco currently spends 0.8% of its GDP on scientific research and plans to increase this figure to 1% by 2010.

The seminar will feature a number of leading Moroccan and foreign scientists discussing major scientific advances, the history of science, significant scientific research that is under way, ethics, and the contribution of Islamic civilisation to medicine, astronomy, time measurement and architecture. Biology and geology student Hamza Saghir attended the opening lecture -- "On the trail of dinosaurs: from their origins to their extinction" -- by Philipe Taquet, a palaeontologist from the French Natural History Museum. "It taught us about the science of extinct animals and what it’s like to work as a palaeontologist. I like this event because it gives us a chance to meet distinguished scientists," Saghir said.

Gouitaa said the role of scientific research in development projects needs to be highlighted. Since the National Charter for Education and Training was promulgated, the ministry has made the study of science and technology a top priority, and this has helped increase the number of junior high-school students who go on to study core science and technology at baccalaureate level.

The figures for this academic year show there has been a rise in the number of students studying these subjects. The target set by the National Charter of Education and Training is to increase this figure to 67% of students in science and technology, with the remaining 33% of students pursuing arts subjects. The number of students registered in the preparatory general science class preceding the first year of the baccalaureate cycle has risen from 97,800 in 2005 to 114,100 this year. This means 53% of all students are now studying science, up from 47%.

The number of first-cycle baccalaureate students studying science subjects has risen from 83,300 to 97,600, with the number of math students alone going up from 4,850 in 2005 to 5,930. "In the light of the rise in the number of students studying science and technology, the ministry has set out an action plan to make the provision of academic guidance and advice more effective. The science awareness week forms part of this effort," the information service of the Ministry of National Education said. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2006/12/04/feature-01
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Survey shows diminishing role for religious institutions in Morocco .
08/12/2006 By Imrane Binoual

A survey of religious practices among Moroccans will be published in February 2007. Magharebia has obtained an exclusive preview of the results, which show a decreasing role for religious institutions and growing influence of the media in forming religious knowledge. A soon to be released survey of religious practices in Morocco will show that the majority of Moroccans prefer to pray alone, and use audiovisual media and the internet for information on their religion, Magharebia has learned.

The role of traditional religious learning institutions in forming religious knowledge is diminishing, according to the study. The survey results, which will be made public in February 2007, come from three months of survey work sponsored by Prologues magazine and the King Abdelaziz Foundation for Islamic studies and human sciences. The poll comprised 135 questions put to a sample of 1,250 people from different age groups and backgrounds. The questions covered all forms of religious practice across Moroccan society, including men, women, youth, elderly, urban and rural residents.

The results show how Moroccans' religious practices have evolved. About 65% of those interviewed pray on a regular basis and a significant portion of Moroccans practise their religion in an individual manner, rather than collectively. As for sources of religious knowledge, the survey has demonstrated the ever-growing role of satellite channels, audiovisual media in general, cassettes and the Internet. These channels have become essential sources, taking the place of traditional written sources, to the level of 85%.

The survey also picks up on the shrinking role of institutions providing religious teaching in the acquisition of religious knowledge. These institutions, such as the family, the mosque, the school, the brotherhood etc., do not play the role they used to play in giving Moroccan people a grounding in religion.

As for the status of women, the survey highlights the ever-growing role of women in the field of religion.
"This religious sociology work has been carried out according to standard practice," said Mohamed Sghir Janjar, Prologues director and assistant director of the King Abdelaziz Foundation for Islamic studies and humanities. According to Janjar, "The aims of the survey, like the objectives of Prologues are purely scientific and look for better knowledge of Moroccan society. We hope that this work will serve to develop religious sociology and social sciences in general in our country."

The survey was carried out by three Moroccan researchers -- sociologist Mohamed El Eyadi, political analyst Mohamed Tozy and anthropologist Hassan Rachik -- who were assisted by a team of field workers.

The survey work started three months ago and the data collected is being sorted. The results run to more than 5,000 pages of statistics. "We shall publish part of the results of this survey in a book, in Arabic and in French," Janjar told Magharebia. "This publication shall be accompanied by an introduction to the subject of sociology and religion in Morocco, and an analysis of young people and spiritual activities. Another analysis will look at women and religion, while a final chapter will be devoted to religious values, practices and behaviour," he added. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2006/12/08/feature-01
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Combining piste and fairway. Saturday, Dec 09, 2006

In an effort to broaden Morocco's appeal to tourists, the country's Atlas mountain ski zone is being developed to offer a greater range of sports, says Catherine Moye Morocco used to draw western roues keen to indulge exotic tastes while floating round the souk in a kaftan. Now a Dollars 5.34bn initiative spearheaded by the country's king could see a more active breed of foreigner arriving.

At Oukaimeden in the Atlas Mountains, which is already an established ski area, expansion plans are under way to create Africa's only combined skiing and golf resort, with 2,000 hotel rooms, 25,000 sq metres of office and retail space and an as yet unspecified residential element. Nearby in the Ourika valley, a short drive from both Oukaimeden and Marrakech, land prices have increased five-fold in as many years and there is something of a villa building boom under way.

"Morocco has been seen as a winter sun destination but with the current plans for Oukaimeden we anticipate it will be the best of both worlds," says Jonathan Salsbury of estate agency Colliers CRE. He is marketing Domaine de L'Akhdar, a group of 30 three-bedroom villas from Dubai-based Emmar, designed in the local Riad style by Moroccan architect Charles Boccara and priced from Dh3.75m (Pounds 225,000). "People with property in the area will be able to enjoy the warmth of the Moroccan sun then be able to travel less than an hour to experience world-class skiing."

Those without a partisan interest are understandably sceptical about Oukaimeden's chances of competing with -traditional European ski locales. "It's total rubbish to say the Atlas Mountains will ever turn into the new Alps," says John Hill, editor of The Good Ski Guide. "Right now, there's simply no infrastructure so that a donkey pulls you up the hill to the slopes. The sun is too strong, so when it does snow for long enough it won't last. And the altitude is so high (more than 3,250 metres) it's just no good for people who are not really fit."

But others insist that an improved ski area will be an added draw to an already attractive area. Salsbury points out that there will be snow canons on the lower slopes to provide the snow suitable for less experienced skiers and families as well as a wide range of other recreational activities, including golf and "indoor" skiing facilities, hiking and mountain biking.

Morocco lovers Lynn Guinness and Francis Pike agree that the country has a lot to offer even without Oukaimeden. They are developing a small scheme of six traditional courtyard houses, each set on a half hectare of land, in the Ourika valley and priced from about Dh9.93m. "I came here five years ago for the first time and just fell in love with Morocco, so I bought a plot of land to build my own house here," Guinness says. "At the time my intention was just to keep a few chickens."

She subsequently met Pike, a historian and dealer in Russian and Byzantine icons who is married to the artist India-Jane Birley, and when her own courtyard house was finished they were so impressed with the skill of the workmen that they decided to build six more. Moroccan architect Karim el Achak was hired to design them. "Francis had this romantic notion that the scheme should be named after a warrior scholar, so we've called it Saladin," Guinness says.

Peter Roberts and his wife Caroline have a similar story. They fell in love with Morocco's climate (year-round sunshine with dry, hot days and cool nights) and its people (the friendly local Berbers in the desert and the Afro-European mix in the cities). And, three years ago, they started building houses in the Atlas foothills.

"You get all the benefits of the French and English culture but it's mixed in with a real sense of the exotic that so much of Europe that's been colonised by Brits lacks," Roberts says.

His development, Bab Adrar d'Atlas, comprises just eight two- to five-bedroom properties, also designed by el Achak, set in 20 acres of sub-tropical gardens rich in olive groves, palms and citrus trees, with the snow-capped Atlases as a backdrop. No two houses are the same, though all are constructed in traditional rustic Moroccan style and have a private swimming pool. Prices start at about Dh8.6m.

On a rather more ambitious level but in the same region is the new 704-acre Samanah Country Club development. Plans are for 560 villas with three to six bedrooms, situated around a Jack Nicklaus golf course and priced from Dh4.1m. Ten minutes by road from Marrakech and 40 minutes from Oukaimeden, it will also include three five-star hotels, bars, restaurants, shops and a businesses centre with seminar facilities. Saffron Villas, which is marketing Samanah in the UK, estimates that property values will rise by as much as 20 per cent within the next two years, helped in part by the ski resort improvements.

Morocco still has a long way to go before Europeans see it as an obvious holiday home destination. There is a palpable divide between rich and poor (many people are illiterate and live on little more than Dollars 5 a day) and about 30 per cent of the population is said to support al-Qaeda.

But the king and foreign developers are working to prove the country has turned a corner, making the hedonistic, drug den days ancient history. "I would liken Morocco to what the south of France was like 80 years ago, when it was exclusive and before it got spoiled by over-crowding and Eurotrash," Roberts says.
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidFFT106343AF948BBC/secCountries/pagMorocco/chnMorocco%20Analysis/obj13F83A62-8988-11D5-867E00D0B74A0D7C/
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French colonization compelled Jews to leave Morocco, academician .
London, Dec. 5

The dire economic situation that prevailed in Morocco during the French colonization (1912-1955) has compelled the Jewish community to move abroad in search for better conditions, said Mohamed Kenbib, Professor at the Mohammed V university in Rabat. The then 250, 000 Jewish community before colonization, had shrunk to barely 5,000 today because of the economic and cultural changes that marked the colonization period, the academician told a conference in London on the history of Jews in Morocco and their role in the political, economic and cultural fields of the country. The nullification of the particular tax regime which benefited the Jews was the main cause of this emigration, he insisted, noting that no political consideration had motivated such a move.

Kenbib, who recalled that the presence of Jews in Morocco dates back to the late 5th century B .C. -with a flow of immigrants in the late 15th C. after the fall of Granada, Spain -, said their presence was further reinforced by the climate of tolerance that prevailed in Morocco, and the solicitude of the different sultans for Jews as full-fledged citizens. The academician particularly spoke of the role of Jews in the economic field, especially in trade and the craft industry, stressing that this input reinforced their status in a society that granted them unequalled protection worldwide.

Speaking to MAP on the sidelines of the conference, member of the world sepharade congress, Edwin Shuker said that Morocco has always played a leading role in bringing peoples closer and promoting the values of tolerance and coexistence in the world. As to Michael Willis, holder of the Mohammed VI chair on Moroccan Mediterranean Studies at the University of Oxford, this kind of meetings is an opportunity to highlight the common grounds between the different ethnic and religious groups. Building on its history and its strategic position, Morocco is in the right position to help wipe away the ideas that breed a historical cleavage between the Islamic and Judaeo-Christian world, said Willis. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/culture/french_colonization/view
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EIB to lend Morocco 223m euros for energy, water projects.
30/11/2006

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will seal three agreements next month with Morocco, under which it is expected to secure 223m euro in financing for energy and water supply projects. The first 170m euro loan would go to the Moroccan National Electricity Company to implement the national programme for rural electrification. The second accord will arrange the financing for several projects on water reclamation in 17 urban centres in the north-central region on the Sebou. The third project is a private one, under which EIB will secure 10n euro for the capital of the new 93m-euro Moroccan Infrastructure Fund, founded by the Attijariwafa Bank and EMP Africa.

In other news, the Moroccan government held a meeting Wednesday (November 29th) to discuss the water supply problems. At the meeting, Prime Minister Driss Jettou and Minister of Territory Development, Water and Environment, Mohamed El Yazghi warned that Morocco is not immune against water shortage. Officials agreed on the need for revision of the national water policy to guarantee the continuity and the permanence of water supply, especially to the rural areas. Finance Minister, Fathallah Oualalou said that public and pubic-private investments in the sector total $2.1 billion and can help provide 73% of rural areas with the drinking water by year's-end. (ANSA, MAP)
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2006/11/30/newsbrief-06
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Violence against women campaign launched in Morocco.
By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat -- 28/11/0628/11/2006

The 4th national campaign on violence against women was launched in Morocco on Monday. The aim is to raise awareness of the damaging effects of violence on families. The Moroccan state secretariat for the family, children and handicapped people, working with the UN Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) marked this year's World Day Against Violence Towards Women by organising the 4th awareness-raising campaign. Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou launched the campaign at a meeting on Monday (November 27th).

The campaign will be based on audiovisual media and will target conjugal violence and sexual harassment. Television and radio clips were launched, as well as CDs and first-hand accounts from victims. A 13 minute documentary will feature the services they offer and will include the free telephone number. Rural regions will also be reached with campaign buses. UNFPA and the Canadian International Development Agency have also set up a range of communications media -- advertisements, conferences, and posters in urban areas.

A report will be drawn up at the end of the campaign to evaluate its impact on the frequency of violence. According to the communications department of the state secretariat for the family, children and handicapped people, the figures, which are already available, will be checked and circulated.

The objectives of the campaign are to protect women against all forms of violence, and ensure help and justice. According to Naïma Benyahya, from the women's division, the campaign will respond to several imperatives, on the international and national scenes, as part of the secretariat's strategy to combat gender-based violence. According to Benyahya, a great effort has been made in recent years to combat violence against women. Recently, Morocco has set up a national observatory to guide, co-ordinate, monitor, evaluate and strengthen national policies.

The launch of a toll- free telephone hotline several months ago has made contact between the public ministry and victims of violence much easier. "It offers and opportunity to many women, especially those who are underprivileged, to express themselves and to benefit from counselling and psychological support," explains Fatima Maghnaoui, a member of the executive office of the union for women's action, and director of the Annajda centre. The hotline, in addition to referring women to the relevant services (police, hospitals, help centres), helps find gaps in the law and to put together statistics lacking in Morocco.

Saida Drissi, an officer at the Nejma centre, which is run by the Moroccan women's democratic association, stresses that the lack of statistics is because many women keep quiet about the violence they suffer. "It's time to change this state of affairs. Communication campaigns are an effective way of changing mindsets." Several steps have been taken by the justice ministry -- communications departments within each ministry with help centres, training for these centres on legal procedures and knowledge, training for public magistrates in handling cases connected with violence towards women, and legal aid for the underprivileged. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2006/11/28/feature-02
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Counselling centres help abused Moroccan women break their silence.
By Imane Balhaj for Magharebia in Casablanca – 23/11/06

The issue of domestic violence is a growing concern in Morocco. Counselling centres have been set up to allow women to break their silence on the issue and receive help. The facilities are opposed by people who think men have their right to abuse their wives or feel the sites incite women to rise against their husbands and tear apart families. Counseling centres exist throughout Morocco to help women affected by the global problem of domestic violence. The centres were established to provide legal, psychological and social support.

Fatima, a 32-year-old recounted three years of suffering as she waited her turn during her first trip to a counselling centre in Casablanca. While she married for love and dreamed of a peaceful home and pleasant life, she revealed, "My husband beats me." Her husband Mustafa started the abuse by slapping her cheek once. He followed with apologies, a gift and promises it would never happen again. While she originally thought it was a one-time mistake, Fatima recounts that he turned into a beast after repeated arguments over trivial issues.

"I started spending my nights terrified ... Blue bruises covered my body, which I concealed from my family, who didn't accept this marriage to begin with. That was sufficient justification for my husband to take revenge through 'disciplining me', affirming to them that I'm worthless," she stated. Fatima decided to seek help at a counselling centre after the abuse went further and bruises on her face were visible to neighbours and colleagues.

Rashida recounted that her husband would get drunk before coming home early in the morning and wake up everyone in the house. "He demands that I prepare food or have sex and he wakes up his two children to ask about their homework. Any resistance results in a fight, ending only with intervention by the neighbours, who rescue the children from his hands and leave me with him. I can no longer bear it. I know coming here [the listening centre] might bring me more misfortune, but I don't care. I just want to protect my children," she says.

Zeinab, a teacher, was not protected by domestic abuse by her education and social status. She had not heard of the counselling centres until recently. "My father wronged me when he said marriage is protection … and I was raised to believe patience and obedience to the husband are commendable. Each time, I returned home broken-hearted, afraid of what people and society would say. Then I learned of thousands of women who are destroyed because of common laws, which are no longer in existence, except in the patriarchal mentality, which render women servants and a people whom men can unload all his anxiety on," she said.

Saida, another victim, states, "I fled home after he threatened to kill me one evening. He beat me thoroughly and tied me to the bed with ropes. This happened because I could not bring home enough cash to buy keif (cannabis), as my work as a domestic servant provides only enough for our daily food. I screamed, despite his threats against doing so. One of the neighbours heard me and helped me flee ... This time, after seeing my injuries, my family understood." She adds, "I won't rest until he goes to prison and pays the price for torturing me ... When he gets out, he'll never find me. I won't give him the chance to take revenge."

Fatima Akouri, an activist and member of the Casablanca-based Listening and Legal Guidance Centre of the Moroccan Association for Combating Violence against Women, attributes the growing designation of domestic violence as a problem to women's increased awareness of their rights, as well as to a national awareness campaign, and the Family Code.

"Violence against women comprises anything that might harm women. It affects families and society as a whole. It circumscribes women's dignity and freedom … Abuse takes many forms: material, emotional, physical, sexual, economic, social, legal, and political. It must be combated at all levels. It is a disaster that entrenches discrimination against women... Women become second-class citizens and violence is considered legitimate, she explained.

The Secretariat of State for Family organises a national campaign to combat violence against women every year.
"Male critics say the campaign contribute to making women insolent. If a woman deserves it, her husband can discipline her, they say. Violence, according to this outdated mentality, is a legal and religious right they associate with obedience to the husband and the duty of submission. Religion and religious law are devoid of all that. University students and female teachers … still suffer from men's dominance and the perpetration of violence against them without regard for their character or social standing as educated women," Akouri indicated.

Morocco is home to about 50 counselling centres, which receive approximately 40 cases per day. The number has multiplied since the first centre was established in 1995.

While an important role of the centres is exposing what is often kept silent, many women still suffer silently inside the walls of the home. Akouri says she once encountered a case of a woman whose husband detained her for eight hours in a dark room after beating her nearly unconscious. Her family managed to rescue her by chance.

While some critics say the centres break apart families and incite women against their husbands, Akouri counters, "When we help women realise their rights and defend themselves legally or teach them to avoid violence, that doesn't mean we want to destroy their home ... The centre's role is to make them aware of their value. We don't incite women against their husbands. In fact, the counsellors don't issue any value judgement against the perpetrator and the women with the grievance decide whether or not to prosecute."

Akouri called on the state to launch year-round awareness campaigns to expose domestic violence and "send the message to these women so they feel there are safeguards to protect them if they talk".

She said women need to know that there are listening centres open every day and that there’s a hotline which anyone can call to report a case of hostility against a woman, even if the perpetrator is the husband.

"It’s unreasonable for citizens to continue holding back from intervening in any scuffle in the street. Every time a man justifies attacking a woman by saying she’s his wife, people act as if this is a right and it’s thus not necessary to intervene in their private life," she added.

Note: The abused women in this report are not identified by their actual names, honouring their request and the request by the officials at the Casablanca counselling centre to maintain confidentiality.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/reportage/2006/11/24/reportage-01
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Investment projects selected under Moukawalati programme in Morocco.
29/11/2006

Some 1,820 investment projects have been selected under the Moukawalati programme for the creation of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) . The programme, launched in July in Casablanca, aims at creating 30,000 SMEs in Morocco and generating 90,000 jobs by 2008. MAP reports that 9,150 young people are enrolled so far in the Moukawalati centres. The programme will provide financing and training for business projects. Currently, four centres are operating in Casablanca and Mohammedia, with 40 more expected to open throughout the country.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2006/11/29/newsbrief-06
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1,800 investment projects picked up by Moukawalati program.
Rabat, Nov. 28

Some 1,820 investment projects have been picked up by the national support program to the creation of businesses dubbed "Moukawalati". In a meeting devoted to examine the program progress, it was announced that 9,150 youth are enrolled in the various "Moukawalati" centers, which provide support to the young people aiming to create their own businesses.

Launched in July, "Moukawalati" program aims at helping create 30,000 small-size businesses generating 90,000 jobs by 2008. Part of a policy targeting the insertion of 200,000 people by 2008, the program will provide funding for business projects ranging between USD 5.7k and USD 29k.
The new businessmen also benefit from training on carrying out research studies and market research, as well as training in management in the “Moukawalati” centers, which are due to reach 40 in the foreseeable future. There are only four of them now, two in Casablanca and two in neighboring Mohammedia.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/1800_investment_pro/view
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WB to grant Morocco USD 400Mn loan for water management.
Rabat, Nov. 24

The World Bank will grant Morocco a USD 400Mn loan for a better water management, said, her Friday, Moroccan minister in charge of Economic and General Affairs, Rachid Talbi El Alami. Speaking at the water inter-ministerial commission, chaired by Prime minister Driss Jettou, the minister said the loan will come into four USD 100Mn stretches. The commission examined the program of water sector reform, which will be carried out in the framework of a cooperation strategy between Morocco and the World Bank in the period 2005-2009.

This program is meant to provide for a better sectroial water management in order to ensure coordination between the policies and strategies adopted by the various sectors, in addition to boosting the reform of the integrated management of water resources, the minister underlined.
The program also provides for consolidating water resources in the irrigated regions and improving water supply and cleaning up services.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/wb_to_grant_morocco/view
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Moroccan NGO grabs UNODC 2006 Civil Society Award.
Rabat, Dec. 1st

The Association marocaine d'aide aux enfants en situation précaire (AMESIP) received Friday in Vienna, the 2006 Award of Civil Society awarded by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC. According to a press release of the Moroccan mission in international organizations, AMESIP was chosen, along with two recipients from Kenya and Bolivia, from among about thirty NGOs that care for children and fight drug addiction. The award honors "grassroots non-governmental organizations and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the fight against drugs and crime," reads the UNODC site.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box1/moroccan_ngo_grabs_u/view
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Activists seek to fully integrate Amazigh language and culture.
30/11/2006

A movement in Morocco seeks to achieve the full recognition of the Amazigh language and identity. Amazigh activists, however, suffered a setback when the language was not fully incorporated in the public education curriculum. Amazigh associations are working to establish the full recognition of the Amazigh language and culture. Despite government approval for teaching Amazigh, the language's integration in education has been problematic.

In 2001, King Mohammed VI said that a revival of the Amazigh language is everyone’s responsibility, and incorporating it into the Moroccan educational curriculum is a necessity -- the Amazighs’ language and culture is a fundamental component of the national culture, he said. While the Amazigh language was introduced in state schools in 2003, political support for the Amazigh cultural rights has been vague and has not brought tangible results, according to activists. Moroccan political parties have avoided the subject in discussions.

Morocco began incorporating Amazigh into public schools in September 2003. This initially affected 25,000 students and 1,090 teachers in 345 state schools. The Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture helped formulate objectives for teaching Amazigh. The group trained teachers and developed textbooks and dictionaries.

The education ministry plans to incorporate Amazigh in Moroccan schools incrementally, eventually encompassing all academic levels -- from primary through secondary school. They also plan to incorporate Amazigh language and culture in universities and vocational schools. Amazigh teaching manuals have been published, and there have been conferences and radio and television programs on the subject. Yet, efforts to universalise Amazigh education do not meet the aspirations of the Amazigh movement.

"We need to pay more attention to the procedural and executive aspects within the framework of the joint commission, and ensure a follow-up and an evaluation of the process of teaching Amazigh and finding solutions to potential problems at the regional and local levels," Minister of national education, higher education, training in scientific research Habib El Malki said at a November 13th meeting with the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM).

IRCAM's Ahmed Assid says he sees a disconnect between official stated policy and reality. Assid says that the educational system is burying the project by not changing this year's fourth grade primary textbook -- the level where new language curriculum starts. "There is a definite desire to make the Amazigh academic year blank, without a textbook. And this is what has happened for four consecutive years," Assid said.

Cultural Tamesna Association President Lahssen Bazigh said the Amazigh issue in Morocco is in flux, and incorporation of the language into the education system is characterised by haste and improvisation, a possible reason for its failure. He says there is no supervision of Amazigh teaching.

Bazigh asked the Centre for Didactic Research and Educational Programmes, a private institution under the national education ministry, to monitor Amazigh teaching. "We notice the Amazigh [language] does not figure on the school curriculum, and the majority of educational agencies evade settling the matter," Bazigh said.

Bazigh believes the best solution is to add an article to the Moroccan constitution that will protect this minority group's language and identity. "It’s not possible to speak of any right without constitutional recognition of the Amazigh language."

"The best means of genuine rehabilitation for Amazigh language is to teach it within the educational and academic curricula, because the process of teaching and learning is a fundamental condition for its dissemination and preservation as a national language," Moroccan linguist Moha Naji said.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2006/11/30/feature-01
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Moroccan writer Tahar Ben Jelloun receives Ulysse prize.
27/11/2006

Moroccan writer Tahar Ben Jelloun received the Ulysses literary prize at the 24th Mediterranean Cinema and Culture Festival -- Arte Mare -- which was held from November 17th-25th in Bastia, Corsica. Jelloun, author of "La Nuit sacrée" (The Sacred Night), was recognised for all of his work. Two Moroccan feature-length film premieres were screened outside the competition in Bastia -- "Mauvaise Foi" by Roschdy Zem and "What a wonderful world" by Faouzi Bensaïdi. The films will be released December 6th and January 10th, respectively. Moroccan actor and director Rachid El Ouali part of the festival jury, which bestowed the Grand Prize Arte Mare to the Iraqi film "Ahlam" by Mohamed Al-Daradji. (MAP) http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2006/11/27/newsbrief-05
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Marrakech International Film Festival pays tribute to Arab cinema.
Marrakech, Dec. 2

The sixth edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival on Friday paid tribute to Arab cinema at the curtain-raising ceremony. The nine-day event (December 1-9) paid tribute to Moroccan actor Mohamed Majd and Egyptian director Tawfiq Salah for their works and love for the seventh art. Mohamed Majd started his career in theatre before joining the seventh art arena. His first role was in "Forest" of Abdelmajid Rechiche in 1970. The cinema adventure pleased him as he started it again in "Al Borak" (Pegasus) three years later. He also took part the in the legendary "the Messenger" of Mostafa Akkad.

Tawfiq Salah, for his part, constitutes besides Salah Abou Seif and Youssef Chahine the three pillars of the Egyptian cinema. "the Back street of the Crazy" (1955), "the Rebels" (1966) and "the Fools" (1972) are some of his masterpieces.

The opening ceremony was also marked by screening the latest masterpiece of Martin Scorsese, “the Departed”. Directed in 2006, “the Departed” relates the story of two men whose life routes diverge and force them to endure a double-life that distorts their identity. Bringing together Leonardo Di Caprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson, it is about life on the streets of Boston’s Irish American community, which is governed by the law of gangsters.

Some 120 movies from 22 countries will be screened at the sixth edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival, which also pays tribute to Italian cinema, Indian cinema through its stars Ajay and Kajol Devgan, to American actress Suzan Sarandon and Chinese director and scriptwriter Jia Zhang-Ke. 15 movies are enlisted on the official competition agenda, including Moroccan works “Wake up Morocco” of Narjiss Nejjar and “What a wonderful world” of Faouzi Bensaïdi.

The festival jury includes renowned Polish director, Roman Polanski and French-Moroccan actor Jamel Debbouze, Sandrine Bonnaire (actress), Maria de Medeiros (actress, director), Pan Nalin (director, scriptwriter), Yousry Nasrallah (director and scriptwriter), Ludivine Sagnier (actress), Paz Vega (actress) and David Wenham (actor). The jury will distribute four prizes; the Golden Star (Grand Prize), Jury Prize, Best actress and et Best Actor.

The festival will also feature open-air screenings at the magic square of “Jemaa El Fna”, where the public will enjoy, inter alia, the “Indigènes” of Rachid Bouchareb, “Oliver Twist” of Roman Polanski or “Matrix” of brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski
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DESIGNER'S EYE: Morocco's Mystique Part IV Melding Morocco
Thursday, November 30, 2006 BY Jenna Eckert and Abdul Akdi of Mint Tea Moroccan Imports

Having just returned from Morocco, I asked Abdul, my husband and business partner, what the most exciting aspect of his time there was in regards to working with the artisans and shopping for merchandise. With little hesitation he replied, "Seeing the continuing trend towards a blending, an infusion of global styles." In later conversation he also added, "but some things haven't changed that much, like the method in which artisans practice their age-old crafts and their general non-urgency with time."

This being the fourth and final article we've written for The Columbian, it may be helpful to note that we are personal importers of fairly traded, hand craft items from Morocco, Abdul's homeland, and where we met some twelve years ago. During this time we've made numerous trips back, always visiting family, touring the country, and returning with merchandise. This final article is a personal overview and analysis of this wonderfully rich, exotic country and the new design style we see emerging.

Moroccan culture is inherently strong. Because it has evolved over more than two millennia, steadily integrating a wide range of foreign influences without losing its own unique regional identity, it has established dual principles of tolerance and fusion as the central spirit of its home decor style.

The basis for what has been considered Moroccan style comes from a strong four-prong foundation. The first of these is the architectural and decorative influences of the Berbers, the indigenous peoples of Northwest Africa, and whose descendants formed several powerful dynasties. Berber influences include colorful carpets designed with bold strips and geometric patterns, carved wooden doors with heavy hand hammered iron ornamentation, rough hewn earthenware pottery, and even the menacing castles of red earth called kasbahs from which the lords of the Atlas controlled the passage of caravans from afar.

The second stylistic foundation occurred when the Arab armies swept through North Africa in the seventh century and established Islam as the region's dominant religious and cultural force. Along with a new religion and language, they also brought a new design vocabulary. Because Islamic tenets forbid the representation of living beings, their contribution consists of elaborate patterns of stars and other geometric shapes, abstract plant forms, and the sinuous lines of calligraphy. They also introduced a new palette based on the brilliant blue and white glazed tiles made by Persian craftsmen, who were in turn influenced by Chinese ceramics.

After conquering North Africa, the invading Arab armies pressed north into Spain, where they established Islamic strongholds by the early eighth century which lasted until the Christian Reconquest and ultimate expulsion of Muslims and Jews from Spain in the early seventeenth century. During this period Islamic and Jewish craftsmen traveled back and forth across the Strait of Gibraltar, refining their exotic hybrid of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influence, and established the Hispano-Muslim style, popularly known as Andalusian or Moorish, the third pillar of Moroccan style. Moorish style has long been synonymous with a decorative decadence celebrating exotic forms, sensual textures, complex patterns, and traditional artisanship. Hallmarks from this period are Zellij, the intricate geometric mosaics of cut ceramic tile that decorate floors, walls columns, fountains, and tables and tagguebbast, delicate and complex filigree-like boarders of plaster carved while still damp. This period also influenced the architectural element of their homes and public spaces by building such structures around courtyards filled with lush gardens and fountains, surrounded by arcades and wrought-iron balconies.

The French set in place the final foundational piece of Moroccan style during their protectorate from 1912 to 1956 when they brought with them the clean lines, bold geometries, and full volumes of the art deco style. And rather than raze the old walled cities, they built modern ones outside the medina walls, importing European building techniques and architects to construct buildings in the art deco style, often incorporating decorative flourishes from within Morocco.

In recent years, King Hassan II and his son, King Mohammed VI, have done much to protect and preserve Morocco's architectural heritage and to foster the continued practice of its age-old crafts. Due in part to these safeguards, a growing community of artists and designers from around the world are now living in Morocco, creating new decorative objects for an increasingly style-hungry, trend-savvy audience. These furnishings, textiles, tableware, and other objects offer contemporary interpretations of traditional Moroccan patterns, textures, silhouettes, and materials. In essence, they are creating a new Moroccan style, firmly rooted in the past through the skill of the artisan while injecting an increasingly global set of influences.

Thus, each generation has left its mark on this country where melding is the very fabric of its design esthetic. Today's contribution to this fusion of style is further supported by a booming tourism trade where visitors, upon experiencing Morocco and its prolific souks, are inspired to recreate a Moroccan setting in their own home; a lively export boom where containers of Moroccan lamps, mosaic tables, brass trays, and carpets are shipped around the world; and broader reaching yet, this new Moroccan style has been gaining momentum as a major international design trend as seen in numerous home decor, design, and travel magazines.

By playing with rugs, lanterns, screens and cushions, it is possible to re-create the Moroccan dream anywhere. Fortunately, lessons about combining unexpected colors, layering patterns and textures, and blending myriad decor styles is most easily discovered through fresh eyes, seeing objects and their placement as pure design elements. One should feel free to explore the inexhaustible treasure trove of Morocco's design traditions by blending them with existing styles to compliment a full range of contemporary tastes. Be it a fusion of cultural influences, a minimalist range of simple lines and silhouettes, an imaginative, sensual explosion of color and textures, or a zen-like state of grace, you can create your own personal interpretation of Moroccan style.

We welcome you to visit us and our shop, Mint Tea Imports, and look forward to sharing a complimentary glass of tea with you. Our recent shipment of merchandise should arrive sometime in December.

Mint Tea Imports
2306 Main Street,Uptown Village,Vancouver, WA 98660
Phone:360.699.4991
Holiday Hours: Monday -- Saturday 11am to 6pm & Sunday 11 to 3
Email: imports@mintteaimports.com
Website: www.mintteaimports.com
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Mixed visions in Morocco.  By Sten Muchow   7 Dec, 2006

Tarifa is a magical spot. It is located on the most southern point of Spain, and Europe. Now this is not where the magic of Tarifa lies. This is a spot of coming together. The Mediterranean Sea, meets the Atlantic Ocean; and Europe meets Africa. The magic, as I call it, is not in the fact that these happen, but in the fact the one can be the most southern point in Europe, and watch the Med hit the Atlantic. While all this is happening, across the 15 km of water, Africa’s Rif Mountains climb out of the sea.

I spent one week in Tarifa waiting for my friends to return to Spain from Scandinavia, and mentally preparing myself for my first trip to the Muslim world of Morocco. I had many ideas or preconceived notions of what to expect. I suppose many of them came from my trip I had taken the previous year to the exciting and unpredictable chaos of India. Since this was the only developing country I had been to, I expected Morocco to reflect India. How mistaken I was. …………………………….. Read more by clicking here: http://www.travelmag.co.uk/article_1164.shtml
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