Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
February 9, 2008

Moroccan society unmoved by the plight of rape victims.
By Sarah Touahri -- 08/02/08

Rape victims in Morocco continue to face blame and rejection for their misfortune. Experts say Moroccan culture, not Islam, is at the source of this double standard. Rape remains a taboo subject within Moroccan society, despite increased media coverage in recent years. Instead of receiving moral support and encouragement from their families, rape victims are often rejected. Parents see the rape of a daughter as a dishonour which must be concealed at all costs.

Samira tells the story of her aunt Malika, who disappeared five years ago when she was just 16. Malika, raped by a stranger in the countryside near Khénifra, could not tell what had happened because she was afraid of her parents’ angry reaction. She was right to fear the response of her nearest and dearest. When her mother learned about the rape several weeks after it occurred, she beat Malika severely and threw her out of the house. "Five years on, we're looking for her. My grandmother regrets what she did. But I think it's too late. What's become of my aunt? That's the question tormenting the whole family. We can't be at peace."

Malika's case is not unique. Many rape victims like Malika suffer in silence and cannot share their unhappiness because they know perfectly well the fate that Moroccan society has in store for them. Hind was 18 when her best friend's father drugged and abused her. In her distraught state, she was unable to decide what to do. She preferred to keep quiet and not say a word to anyone. Now 36, she has been unable to find a husband. Each time she confesses her guilty secret to a fiancé, she never sees him again.

"Whenever someone asked for my hand in marriage, I couldn't hide the dreadful truth," she says, "because virginity is very important for Moroccan men." She continues, "None of the six people who asked for my hand understood. One of them even beat me," she exclaims with tears in her eyes. Her family still does not understand why men leave her after they have been engaged for a few weeks. After years of suffering, Hind has finally decided to consult a psychologist so that she can live her life without nightmares. She no longer dreams of setting up a home and living happily like any "normal" woman.

The exact number of women who have been raped in Morocco is unknown, for the simple reason that few of them tell anyone about their ordeal. "Counselling centres are there," says Amale Safi from the Women and Development association, "But those who dare to talk find it very difficult in front of social workers."

To help women who have been the victims of rape, more and more women's associations in Morocco are offering support, particularly legal and psychological services. Insaf director Nabila Tbeur explains that while her institution primarily assists unmarried mothers, rape victims also seek its assistance. "We point them in the direction of the counselling centre, which has been set up under the judicial code," she says. However, Safi points out that when a woman dares to accuse a man of rape, judges and police officers regard the allegation with scepticism. "Moroccan society holds the woman who has been raped largely, if not completely, responsible for what has happened to her," she says.

Safi speaks from first-hand experience. When she went to the local police station to report her own attack, officers asked her numerous, sometimes "provocative" questions. "I felt as if I was the guilty one. They wanted to be absolutely sure that I was telling the truth, but my state, both physically and psychologically, was an obvious sign. I needed support, and I was faced with a wall of ice," she remembers bitterly with a lump in her throat. Her life has never returned to what it was. The man who raped her was sentenced to a five-year prison sentence.

The Moroccan penal code defines rape as being "the act by which a man has sexual relations with a woman against her wishes". The crime is punishable by a custodial sentence of 5 to 10 years. If it is committed to a minor under 15, the sentence is imprisonment for 10 to 20 years. If the guilty party is a family member, guardian or servant of the woman who is raped or if they are a state official or religious leader, the offence is considered aggravated, and imprisonment is extended from 10 to 20 years in the first case and 20 to 30 in the second.

According to a number of women who have been raped, however, the problem does not reside with the law but rather with attitudes which must change. Sociologist Jamil Gougani says that Moroccans, like all Arabs, still have an old-fashioned idea of women and sexuality, despite the way society has modernised in the Kingdom. "It's a question of education and culture. Certainly the difference in the levels of education between girls and boys is less obvious, but it still exists. Women are synonymous with honour which must be preserved. Women who have been raped come under attack because it's seen as dishonour for the family," he says.

In Islam, rape is severely condemned. A woman who has been raped is wholly considered to be a victim, while the rapist risks being stoned to death because the offence involves fornication and violence towards others. "The victim is exempt from any punishment, and this is the unanimous view of Islamic legal experts, whether the rape was inflicted by force or backed by verbal threats," says Islamic studies teacher Ahmed Jouhari. Islam honours women and accords them all their rights, Joahari adds. "It is the weight of culture, not religion," he says, which allows society to scorn victims of rape.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/reportage/2008/02/08/reportage-01
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Morocco to launch Amazigh channel .
30/01/2008 By Sarah Touahri

A Moroccan television channel devoted to Amazigh language and culture has stirred up interest from the Amazigh cultural movement. Government officials say the programming will cater to a sizeable number of Moroccan viewers, but one Amazigh activist is worried that the channel could be divisive.

A new Moroccan television channel will broadcast entirely in Amazigh, satisfying a long-awaited demand by a significant percentage of the country’s citizens. The Moroccan government is finalising broadcast specifications to ensure that the national channel, which will air a range of general-interest programmes, can soon begin operations, Communications Minister Khalid Naciri announced before parliament last Wednesday (January 23rd).

A statement from the prime minister’s office said that "the government is prepared to make all the necessary arrangements for the creation of an Amazigh television channel." The finance and communications ministries will foot the bill, which is expected to come to 168m dirhams ($21.7m), the National Radio and Television Company (SNRT) will provide the channel’s headquarters and a significant share of the staff, and the Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture (IRCAM) will be responsible for training and also some producing.

Plans for the television station were shelved in November 2006 because of financial difficulties, but the government is now determined to get the Amazigh channel on the air. A committee made up of the SNRT, IRCAM and the Ministry of Communication worked on the production, technical equipment and human resources aspects of the project before it was taken over by the government. According to the minister, programmes will be broadcast in all three dialects of Amazigh: Tamazight, Tarifit and Tachlhit. "This channel is intended to cater to the needs of a sizeable number of Moroccan viewers in the fields of information, culture, education and leisure," Naciri noted.

IRCAM says the aim is to bring Amazigh to an audience unfamiliar with the language. The creation of a special channel devoted to Amazigh language and culture has stirred up interest from the Amazigh cultural movement. Even groups which do not support IRCAM are welcoming the move.

Brahim Baouche, a representative of the Amazigh Citizenship Network in Rabat, told Magharebia that all Amazighs are eagerly awaiting the new channel: "It’s a kind of reconciliation with the Amazigh as part of a move to promote cultural diversity. The request by the Amazigh movement to integrate Amazigh into the public media will finally come to fruition." While the two national channels have certainly made efforts to broadcast programmes in Amazigh, he said, the shows are scheduled during off-peak viewing hours.

Said Ameskane, a spokesman for the Popular Movement, which has made defending Amazigh language a key policy, said the channel will meet the expectations of people who do not speak Arabic. He worried, however, that the creation of the new channel would create a kind of separation. He believes that an alternative solution would have been to broadcast more Amazigh-language programmes on existing channels. "We’re all part of one society," he said. "No Moroccan can say he is either 100% Arab or Amazigh. Morocco is made up of a cultural mix." http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/01/30/feature-01
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Moroccan government earmarks millions for anti-poverty plan.
30/01/2008

The Moroccan government has earmarked $382m to implement a large-scale anti-poverty plan through the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), the Interior Ministry announced on Monday (January 28th). The 2008 action plan includes 5,172 projects, almost entirely in urban areas. Funded largely by the Moroccan state, the INDH works to eradicate poverty, vulnerability, marginalization and social exclusion by providing adequate housing, drinking water, health care and education. The current government has allocated considerable funds to abolish shanty towns which many view as a source of Islamic extremism.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2008/01/30/newsbrief-03
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Prince Moulay Rachid inaugurates 14th SIEL edition.
Casablanca, Feb.8

Prince Moulay Rachid, younger brother of king Mohammed VI, inaugurated, here Friday, the 14th edition of the Casablanca international book fair (SIEL) organized on February 8 through 17 under the theme: Reading Celebration. This event, according to organizers, aims to reinforce intellectual and artistic production in its social environment and promote reading as a permanent activity. With 578 exhibitors from 44 countries, SIEL is meant to be a place of exchange and discovery in favor of the new generations of creators, initiators say, adding that the cultural event wants to introduce the works of young writers to a large public.

This year's edition is celebrating France as honor guest through a cultural program, round tables, meetings, conferences and plays. Prince Moulay Rachid also handed over the Morocco Book Award of 2007 offered in several categories, including "literary creation", "human, social and legal sciences", and "translation".
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box1/prince_moulay_rachid/view
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Moroccan writer to receive French 'National Order of Merit'.
Paris, Jan. 31

French-speaking Moroccan writer and poet, Tahar Ben Jelloun is to be awarded the insignia of Officer of the French "National Order of Merit" (Ordre national français du Mérite) by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, during a ceremony scheduled for Friday in the Elysée Palace. Mr. Benjelloun had received the Knight insighia of the National order by Late President, François Mitterrand. Born in Fez, Morocco in 1944, Tahar Ben Jelloun worked as a philosophy Professor in Tetouan and then in Casablanca. In 1971, he traveled to France to pursue his studies, where he has lived ever since.

His most famous novel, "La Nuit Sacrée", won the Prix Goncourt in 1987, and was translated to 43 languages. Other works include, "Le racisme expliqué à ma fille", "Sur ma mère" and "L’homme rompu". In 2004, he was awarded the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for “Cette aveuglante absence de lumière” (This Blinding Absence of Light In September 2006). He was also awarded a special prize for "peace and friendship between peoples" at Lazio between Europe and the Mediterranean Festival. Mr. Benjeloun writes for diverse reviews and in particular for French daily Le Monde
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/culture/moroccan_writer_to_r/view
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Unemployment rate stands at to 9.8% in 2007, HCP.
Rabat, Feb. 9

The unemployment rate slightly increased in 2007 to stand at 9.8% against 9.7% in 2006, High Commissioner for Planning (HCP) revealed in its information sheet on the situation of the job market in Morocco. This rate reached 15.4% in cities in 2007 against 15.5% in 2006, while in rural areas it attained 3.8% in 2007, compared to 3.7% in 2006, it said. On the active population over 15, the HCP said it stood in 2007 at 11.14 millions (plus 1.4%), and the activity rate remained almost stable to move down only 0.3% and stand at 51.0%. A combined 167,000 remunerated job positions were created in both cities (117k) and countries (50k), HCP revealed, adding that unpaid jobs fell to 68,000, including 29,000 in urban areas.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box3/unemployment_rate_st/view
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Over 7 million tourists visited Morocco in 2007, minister.
Rabat, Jan. 30

Around 7.45 million tourists have visited Morocco in 2007, i.e. a 13% rise from the year 2006, which yielded some USD 7.7Bn, announced, here Tuesday, Moroccan Tourism and Craft Industry Minister, Mohamed Boussaid. Graded hotels recorded 16.9 million nights, that is a 3% increase compared to the year before, the minister said in a press briefing to present the results of tourism activities in 2007.

The French continue to top the list with 2.85 million tourists, followed by the Spaniards (1.6Mn), the Belgians (431,000), the British (419,000), the Italians (370,000), the Dutch (361.000), and the Germans (296,000). Except for the southern cities of Ouarzazate that posted a 3% decrease, and Agadir whose figures have remained stable, all the other tourist destinations received more tourists. Casablanca topped the list with 9%, followed by Fez (center) (+8%), Rabat (+5%), Marrakech (+5%) and Tangier (+3%). The minister said tourism has become the chief source of investments and jobs creation in the Kingdom, as well as a driving force for sustainable development, contributing 8% to the GDP.

The north African country has set the goal of attracting 10 million tourists by 2010. To that end, it has devised a strategy dubbed "Vision 2010" which provides for creating 160,000 beds, thus bringing the national capacity to 230,000 beds. It also aims at creating some 600,000 new jobs. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/over_7_million_touri/view
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Moroccan govt. has several education-related reform programs, PM.
Rabat, Feb.7

Moroccan Prime minister, Abbas El Fassi, affirmed, on Thursday, that the government has several education-related reform programs, underlining that the latest Word Bank report did not introduce any new elements in this regard. In a statement to Morocco's first channel "Al Aoula" following the weekly cabinet meeting, Mr. El Fassi said the World Bank report stated what the government had already revealed, namely the fact that the educational system suffers from school drop-out, limited education in rural areas and from inadequacy with job market needs. The Moroccan official also pointed out that "the weaknesses of Morocco's educational system requires implementing radical reforms," adding that several measures are to be taken to give impetus to this sector, part of Morocco's new vision for education.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/moroccan_govt._has_s/view
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Morocco recruits 1,1000 unemployed graduates in education.
Rabat, Feb. 2

Morocco has recruited 1,100 unemployed graduates in the education field, a press release of the ministry of National Education, Higher Education, Executive Staff Training and Scientific Research said on Saturday. Following the selection tests, organized last December, the ministry has recruited 1,000 graduates in the primary and secondary schools, and 100 in higher education.

Upon its constitution, the government has vowed to cut unemployment rate three percentage points to bring it to 7% by 2012, through promoting investments, pursuing the reform of education, and boosting the policy of large-scale projects. The government is also mulling recommendations of the job promoting council to introduce incentive and complementary measures to insert unemployed degree holders in the job market, especially those who spent a long period seeking a job.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_recruits_11/view
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Govt. signs agreements to stabilize flour, bread prices.
Rabat, Jan.31

The Moroccan government and cereal companies have signed recently two agreements to stabilize extra flour and bread prices, Communication minister and Government Spokesperson said on Thursday. Speaking at the press briefing following the weekly cabinet meeting, Khalid Naciri underlined that these agreements provide for implementing, in February through May, a flat-rate compensation system for tender wheat, securing a normal and regular supply of the market and devoting the whole volume of offset wheat to domestic consumption.

To stabilize the current prices of extra flour and bread, the compensation amount will be reviewed every two months to keep with the fluctuations of the world market prices, he explained. On the latest World Development Report of the World Bank (WB), Mr. Naciri stressed that the proposals included in the document are in line with the government’s program. “This, he said, portends for a qualitative change in the laudable relations of Morocco and the WB, as this financial institution accompanies the reform policies that are implemented by Morocco.”
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/govt._signs_agreemen/view
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Morocco earmarks over USD 380Mn for INDH 2008 action plan .
Rabat, Jan. 28

Morocco has earmarked USD 382Mn to achieve the action plan of Morocco's large-scale anti-poverty National Initiative for Human Development (INDH) in 2008, a press release of Interior ministry said on Monday. The 2008 action plan includes 5,172 projects, 4,924 projects in the urban areas and 262 projects in the rural areas, according to the figures revealed during the 2nd meeting of the INDH steering committee. Some USD 1.2Bn were allocated to the INDH for the period 2006-2010. The state's contribution represented 60% of the general budget, while 20% were provided by local collectivities and the rest was in the form of foreign donations. Announced by king Mohammed VI in May 18, 2005, the INDH is designed to eradicate poverty, vulnerability, marginalization and social exclusion by providing basic infrastructure to millions from adequate housing and drinking water to health care and education.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_earmarks_ove6964/view
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'Moroccan Jews were able to resist amnesia temptation', king's advisor.
Paris, Feb. 4

"Moroccan Jews were able to resist to the temptation of amnesia," said advisor to king Mohammed VI, André Azoulay, underlining that today, nearly a million of Jews in the world refer with force and conviction to their "deep Moroccan roots." Speaking on Sunday at the opening of "Moroccan Judaism Days", held in Paris (February 3-17), Mr. Azoulay described the meeting as a "historic and exceptional moment". "We are celebrating the Moroccan Judaism and the happiness and pride for many of us to have been able to resist amnesia temptation."

"Generally, we Jews, we have a painful memory. Inquisition, millions who perished in the Holocaust, pogroms (…). In Morocco, our memory tells us something else and our history has, fortunately, taught us another lesson", said Mr Azoulay of Jewish confession. "In Morocco, Muslims and Jews were able to triumph over adversity and together we managed to free ourselves gradually from our respective alienation."

The king’s advisor underlined, on the other hand, Morocco’s commitment to peace in the Middle East "where the words of dignity, justice and freedom come together in the same way for the Palestinians and Israelis.” “I share this commitment and responsibility. I was and I remain a militant so that Israelis and Palestinians live together tomorrow”, said Mr Azoulay, adding that once peace is achieved, “ we must work for the reconciliation of hearts and minds.” Earlier, Morocco's ambassador to France Fathallah Sijilmassi said Muslims and Jews have coexisted, for years, peacefully and in mutual respect in Morocco, underlining that this coexistence is not a chimera, but is part of Moroccan identity.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/culture/moroccan_jews_were/view
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Muslims, Jews coexist peacefully and in mutual respect in Morocco, ambassador.
Paris, Feb. 4

Muslims and Jews have coexisted, for years, peacefully and in mutual respect in Morocco, Morocco's ambassador to France Fathallah Sijilmassi said, underlining that this coexistence is not a chimera, but is part of Moroccan identity. "In a time when hatred and intolerance try to gain momentum in the world, Morocco sets itself apart by this exceptional patrimony of tolerance and peace," said the Moroccan ambassador at a conference themed "Today's Morocco before Contemporary Challenges," held Sunday in Paris, as part of the "Moroccan Judaism Days" (February 3-17).

Mr. Sijilmassi said this event, which brings together prestigious personalities from Morocco, France and other countries, includes cultural, educational and pedagogical workshops destined to shed light on the rich history of Moroccan Judaism. Speaking before an audience of more than 500 people, coming to testify their unwavering commitment to their country of origin, the ambassador noted that this event is timely, necessary and exemplary, as it comes at a time when questions and doubts hover over the ability of Muslim and Jewish communities around the world to live together in harmony and mutual respect, and build a common future.

Regarding the ancestral coexistence between the Jewish and Muslim communities in Morocco, Mr. Sijilmassi noted the memorable work done by late king Mohammed V “Companion of Liberation”, who opposed to the discriminatory and anti-Semite laws of Vichy government, and has personally protected 250,000 Moroccan Jews from Nazi persecutions.

Touching on dialog between civilizations, the ambassador said Morocco, a crossroad of cultures and civilizations, endeavors to make dialog the only alternative face to the tragedies caused by the unequivocal and nihilist logics that spread the thesis of clash of civilizations and confrontation between peoples.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/culture/muslims_jews_coexis4303/view
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USAID Program Improves Education in Morocco.
Feb 6, 2008

In support of a three-year, $110 million initiative by the Government of Morocco to equip over 8,600 of its approximately 10,000 schools with multimedia laboratories, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing crucial technical assistance to integrate these Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) fully into classroom instruction. Through its Advancing Learning and Employability for a Better Future (ALEF) Project, USAID developed and piloted in an initial group of 16 middle schools a comprehensive package of strategies to ensure the effective management and comprehensive use of the labs to derive maximum educational benefit.

In collaboration with the Moroccan Ministry of Education, civil society and international private sector partners, USAID facilitated the training of 110 teachers, school directors and inspectors as ICT Peer Coaches from four of Morocco's 16 regions. These coaches are responsible, in turn, to train, support and supervise other teachers throughout their respective regions to implement effectively the ALEF ICT models of lab management and teaching applications of ICT. At the end of January 2008, 1,500 teachers from 450 schools were trained. The Ministry of Education is presently planning to repeat the experience in three additional regions, before proceeding to a national adoption of the strategy.

The USAID program has also helped the Ministry of Education to create and pilot an Internet-based distance-learning program for teacher training for which the Ministry is also now preparing to employ as a national strategy.

For more information about USAID and its other programs in Morocco and the Middle East, visit <http://www.usaid.gov.HYPERLINK "http://www.usaid.gov."www.usaid.gov.>

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50 years.

Public Information: 202-712-4810
Website: http://www.usaid.gov/http://www.usaid.gov/
http://www.morocconewsline.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=330
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Morocco boosts vocational education programmes .
By Sarah Touahri – 06/02/08

The Moroccan government plans a broad expansion of vocational education centres, job agencies and training partnerships with business professionals. The plan addresses the growing number of workers who do not fit the needs of the market and the problem of unemployment in the country.

The Moroccan government has launched an ambitious plan to reduce unemployment by expanding job training resources. A new vocational education strategy aims at providing the labour market with some 750,000 graduates over the next four years from various private and public training institutions, compared with just 500,000 between 2003 and 2007. Officials expect that the number of people graduating from vocational training establishments will increase by 50% between 2008 and 2012.

To meet these targets, different measures will be introduced in 2008. The government looks to promote vocational training by strengthening partnerships with chambers of commerce, professional associations and businesses. To encourage workplace training, Morocco also wants to set up sector-based vocational training programmes on a contractual basis with professionals.

Some 10m dirhams will be allocated to finance studies on the best strategy to realise these objectives. Conducted under the guidance of a steering committee, the studies will determine the actual needs of the labour market and focus on adding new dynamism to the training sector. Study results will enable an emergency action plan to be set up by the start of the next academic year to implement necessary reforms.

Employment and Vocational Training Minister Jamal Aghhmani has stressed that the professional work world and the vocational training sector need a shared strategy. Such a co-operative plan will determine the national economy’s requirements in terms of skills and training and allow businesses to anticipate their future labour needs. The strategy is also a response to the growing number of workers who do not fit the needs of the market and the problem of unemployment in the country.

Jamila Radi, who teaches in a vocational training institute, said it is not the work which is lacking, but rather the workers capable of doing it. She noted that while the aeronautics sector is "promising", the employee shortage is making itself felt in other areas. "We need to train some 70,000 graduates in tourism, 75,000 in textiles, 60,000 in information and communication technology [and] 60,000 in agriculture," Radi said, adding that young people who want to learn a trade need an effective career guidance system. Professional training is coming to be valued more and more. In recent years, 4,000 graduates have joined vocational training institutions in recent years. Of these students, 41% graduate with high marks and 80% receive their diploma at the end of the programme.

To meet training needs, the government intends to create 50 new centres and increase the capacity of ten more by 2010.
However, a great many graduates from vocational training institutions find it hard to get a job once they have been awarded their diploma. To help them find their way into employment, there is a plan to set up 20 new national agencies to promote work and skills (ANAPEC), to meet a target of 70 total agencies in 2008.

Four other agencies will provide help for graduates who opt to take the foreign employment route.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/02/06/feature-01
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Arab education 'falling behind'.
By Dale Gavlak
BBC News, Amman
The World Bank has said the quality of education in the Arab world is falling behind other regions and needs urgent reform if it is to tackle unemployment.

In a report, bank officials said Arab states had to make improving education their top priority, because it went hand-in-hand with economic development. The region had not seen the increasing literacy and school enrolment witnessed in Asia and Latin America, they said.
Djibouti, Yemen, Iraq and Morocco were ranked the worst educational reformers.

'Youthful region'
In its report, the World Bank issued a stark warning about the need for better education in the Arab world.
It said that although education was becoming more accessible and the gender gap was being reduced, the region had not witnessed the positive changes seen in Asia and Latin America, particularly in literacy rates and enrolments in secondary schools and universities.

A senior World Bank official, Marwan Muasher, told the BBC that educational reform had to take top priority if the region's youth were to be better equipped in a fast-changing world and high unemployment combated. "The time has come for countries to focus their energies on the quality of education and making sure that students are equipped with what they need for the labour market needs now - the ability to solve problems, critical thinking, innovation, and teacher retraining," he said.

The report said unemployment in the Arab world averaged 14%, which is higher than other areas in the world, except Sub-Saharan Africa, with the Palestinian territories coming highest with nearly 26% percent. Mr Muasher said educational reform went hand in hand with economic development, especially given the region's extremely high youth population. "It's a very youthful region - 60% of the region's population is under 30 years of age, close to 100m new jobs will need to be created over the next 10 to 15 years in the Arab world," he explained.

"If we are to create such jobs, then we have to start with education." The report concluded that Jordan and Kuwait were the top educational reformers in the region, while Djibouti, Yemen, Iraq and Morocco ranked lowest in terms of access, efficiency and quality of education.

Another study carried out in January by the Tunis-based Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organisation found that 30% of the approximately 300 million people in the Arab World were illiterate.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7227610.stm
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Young and restless: Breaking down walls in Morocco , with camels and couscous.
By TERRY WARD February 3, 2008

It was a surreal high-tech travel moment, sitting before my laptop in a Frankfurt hotel last week and speaking, via computer, to my friend Ahmed in Morocco. I had dialed his cell phone using Skype, the cheap VOIP provider I always rely on while traveling. And as Ahmed's voice came through my computer, asking how many camels I would need for my trip into the Sahara, my mind flashed back to when we first met.

Last year, my friend Caroline and I had visited Ahmed's tiny village, Al Khamlia, at the edge of Morocco's great Sahara dunes. We had gone to hear Group Zaid — a folklore ensemble composed of Ahmed, his boss Zaid, and whichever musician friends they happened to gather from their village when tourists arrived.

We settled atop pillows spread on the floor inside a rammed earth structure. Then we sipped sweet mint tea from delicate glasses as the men played the music of ancestors who had arrived in Morocco as slaves from what people in this part of the world call black (Sub-Saharan) Africa.

The castanets that Ahmed held in his hands symbolized the chains and suffering of his people, and the large goat skin drum driving the rhythm represented the well where they had labored hauling water to the fields.

After the performance, Ahmed invited Caroline and me for lunch at his family's home, where his four sisters, three brothers and mother were waiting with a heaping plate of couscous — a Friday lunchtime tradition across Morocco.

We sat on the floor around a low table, dipping our spoons into the platter to gather the vegetables and fluffy semolina. And as the food disappeared, Ahmed's younger sister, Fatima, began to giggle.

"What, you don't like your friend?" Ahmed said with a laugh, talking to me and Caroline. "That is why you build a wall in your couscous?"

The plate's contents, for the most part, had disappeared like spreading sand. But where Caroline and I had dug our spoons in to eat, there was a thin wall of couscous. Our western habits — so mindful of personal space and private portions — had inadvertently left a barrier between her share and mine.

Ahmed used his spoon to flatten the couscous wall, raised a bite to his mouth and we finished the meal, saying Hemdullilah at the end. Thanks be to God.

When we left Ahmed and his family that day, I said I hoped I would see them again in Al Khamlia.

Inshallah, said Ahmed, using the ubiquitous Arabic phrase that tempers what one hopes for with what Allah already has in store. God willing.

Over the next year, Ahmed and I exchanged occasional e-mails. It always made me smile to see his name in my inbox, and to imagine the dusty Moroccan Internet cafe where he went to keep in touch with foreign friends.

Ahmed's e-mails were rarely more than two or three lines, and always of a general genre — inquiries about my health and happiness, and those of my family and friends. They soothed me with their predictability. The simple responses he elicited helped keep things in perspective.

I e-mailed Ahmed last month to say that I was coming to visit the desert again. "You are welcome with my family in Al Khamlia. My house is yours," he wrote.

When I arrived in Al Khamlia, the camels I had arranged via Skype from Frankfurt were there, and Ahmed's friend Omar led us into the desert. I was surprised when Ahmed told me it would be his first time sleeping in the dunes and riding a camel.

Every week, Ahmed met tourists from around the world — Japan, Brazil, Germany — who came to his village from the nearby town of Merzouga to listen to Group Zaid's music and to see the great Sahara dunes change color and character with the setting sun. This otherworldly panorama was Ahmed and Omar's backyard as much as I-4 and Disney are mine in Orlando. Two worlds entirely apart. But our conversations were universal as we walked in the cumin-colored sand.

At 22, Ahmed said his biggest concern was his future. Someday, he said, he wished to marry. "But now I must find my way with a job and to save money," he said, "so that one day my wife will not have to suffer with me, inshallah."

He asked why, at 32, I was not married and did not have children, assuring me that having one's own family is the key to happiness.

It's a refrain I hear over and over — both abroad and at home — no matter how much I proclaim my satisfaction with the way I choose to live. I told Ahmed that for now this is my goal — to travel, learn new things and experience life on my own. Perhaps someday, in the future, I would have my own family, I told him. Inshallah.

Two days later, we returned with the camels to Al Khamlia, and Ahmed again invited me for lunch with his family. We talked about his brother Ibrahim's wedding. It would be this summer, he said. And he translated as his mother invited me to come.

Ahmed showed me a photo album with pictures of another wedding in his village. The bride's face was concealed with an ornate cloth bag and her neck was ringed with bulging yellow beads. The groom, decked in all white, held a knife in his hand, and on the dusty ground was a sheep, readied for sacrifice.

I told Ahmed that I hoped to return to Morocco for his brother's wedding, and he translated my response for his mother. Inshallah, she said. You are welcome.

Ahmed's sister arrived from the kitchen with a plate of couscous. This time, I knew, there would be no walls.

Terry Ward's column runs every month. You can contact her at terryward90 @gmail.com.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/travel/sfl-febyoungbrfeb03,0,1886835.story
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Road trip in south Morocco.Friday, 01 Feb 2008
Witness the architectural landmarks of Morocco on a driving tour
Although city-sightseeing and beach holidays for winter sun are very popular in Morocco, the best way to experience the country is in your own car.

The area around Marrakech gives travellers a myriad of choices, from coastline driving to adventures in the remote desert, or hair-rising mountain driving in the High Atlas mountains.

The P31 highway runs from Marrakech all the way to the impassable border with Algeria, through unbelievably varied landscape.

The route takes around eight hours one way, which is a perfect itinerary for a five to ten-day holiday. No 4WD is required until Zagora but check your tyres before setting off into the mountains.

An incredible array of colours and shapes inhabit this part of the country. You will pass quiet Berber villages perched on mountainsides, surrounded by nothing but snow and 4,000m peaks.

There are also infinite lengths of golden stony desert, known as hammada, and cute little oases with palm trees loaded with dates.

The drive is tough; it requires patience and a lot of attention. This road should never be attempted at night, firstly because it would be far too dangerous, but also because you would not want to miss a second of this fabulous landscape.

For such a small stretch of road the P31 offers incredible diversity and driving this route is a rewarding challenge that none of the tourists on a 4WD or bus tour will ever experience.

If by chance King Mohammed VI is visiting the area at the same time, you will also witness the funniest deployment of security forces. Every little hill in the desert will have a thirsty but very smartly-dressed policeman standing on its summit like a miniature soldier.

A good stop for tea time is Cafe Ard Essalam, an hour away from Marrakech. It has great views of the surrounding mountains from a sunny terrace, where you can appreciate the summits while sipping a nice cup of mint tea.

There is also very good accommodation along the way. Kasbah Ait Ben Moro near Scurra, which is a castle made of mud, has a lot of character and enjoys a stunning view overlooking the oasis. The rooms can be chilly in winter but the experience is worth it. After wandering in the oasis, take a camel ride back to the castle.

Another amazing place to stay is Riad Lamane in Zagora. I recommend the roof room and its balcony near the pool, as it would have made Aladdin's princess Jasmine herself jealous.

Ait Benhaddou is also a very nice village and waking up in the middle of the desert could be one of your best memories of the trip. The village boasts one of the best preserved kasbahs in the country and several movies, including Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator were shot here.

Nearby Ouarzazate has all the commodities and comfort of a city. Hotel Kenzi Azghor has a pleasant spa with traditional hammam treatments at very good prices.

After a week of remoteness spend your last night in Marrakech in budget hotel CTM. Although slightly noisy, the hotel has rooms directly overlooking the famous square Djemaa el-Fna, which has been recognised by Unesco as a place of international significance for intangible or living heritage.

Snake charmers will enchant you into waking up on your last morning in Morocco and the feeling will remain with you forever.
http://www.travelbite.co.uk/news/africa/morocco/road-trip-in-south-morocco-$485148.htm
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