Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
September 26, 2009

HM The King presides over a working session on the environment.
Rabat

HM King Mohammed VI presided, on Thursday at the Royal Cabinet in Rabat, over a working session on the environment, a cabinet statement said. The monarch, who highlighted the responsibility of all nations to safeguard the environment, on which depends the future of mankind, gave instructions to the Government to quickly draft a national charter for the environment and sustainable development as it was announced in the 2009 Throne Day speech: a comprehensive national environmental charter with the aim of protecting the country's natural resources and nature reserves as part of a sustainable development policy. The environment should be considered a common heritage of the nation, whose protection is a collective duty which falls to current and future generations, HM The King recalled.

The sovereign called for implementing the strategy adopted by Morocco in the field of energy aimed at developing renewable energies, which will help the Kingdom diversify its resources and contribute to preserve the environment, said the statement.

In the same extent, industrial development and tourism promotion should take place within the framework of sustainable development. The implemented and ongoing projects should comply with clear specifications that reflect Morocco’s will to adopt a progressive policy that reconciles the imperatives of socio-economic development with preserving the environment and sustainable development.

To this end, HM the King recalled His High instructions given during the working session held in Marrakesh on November 5, 2008, which call for a reasonable use of water resources, while insisting on the need for Morocco to join in a process of recycling wastewater at the territorial level but also by the major industrial and tourism operators. The sovereign also urged the government to join this dynamic, which involves the awareness of the entire population and the involvement of all operators.

Morocco, a pioneer country in Africa and the Arab world in the environment field, should preserve its assets, promote its know-how through the promotion of concepts that it has developed and share its experience with brotherly and friendly countries, notably from Africa.

This session was attended by his Majesty’s advisors, the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/main1/hm_the_king_presides5271/view
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Morocco to develop environment comprehensive Charter before end-2009, FM.
United Nations

Morocco will develop a national comprehensive Charter of environment before the end of 2009, Morocco's Foreign Minister, Taib Fassi Fihri, said. "A national comprehensive Charter of environment is being developed by the Moroccan government, and will be finalized before the end of this year, with the aim of saving space, reserves and natural resources," the minister said during a Summit on climate change, opened Tuesday at UN headquarters, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly General Debate.

As part of its commitment to support the international multilateral process for the establishment of an International Regime on Climate Change, Morocco calls for setting up an international fund for Clean Technology that would finance energy projects, generating a low carbon emission in developing countries, the minister added.

He also said that climate change which is combined with inappropriate development policies had devastating effects on natural resources, especially in Africa where the effects are particularly felt in terms of desertification, land degradation, loss of biodiversity, and deforestation.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/morocco_to_develop_e/view
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UNDP lauds personal commitment of HM the King to promoting development.
United Nations

Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Helen Clark, lauded, here Monday, the personal commitment of HM King Mohammed VI to promoting human development. "I hail the personal commitment" of HM King Mohammed VI and "the considerable efforts of the Moroccan government in promoting human development and fighting poverty," Clark told MAP.

The index used to elaborate the human development report "does not enable to measure human development in a comprehensive, complete and qualitative manner," she said following a working meeting with a Moroccan delegation led by High Planning Commissioner, Ahmed Lahlimi Alami. "This is not a qualitative instrument of human development" and it is not necessarily up to date as the statistics used by Morocco date back to two years, Clark added, saying that the "UNDP is open to the views of all states" in this regard.

It is important for us to hold discussions to take stock of the Human Development Index, which remains a key indicator for many people though it does not reflect the reality in its entirety, the UN official added. Clark said that the UNDP and Morocco’s High Planning Commission “will work closely to develop a national report on human development” in the North African country. She added that the UN network has accepted Morocco’s invitation to take part in a conference on this matter with the participation of experts from different countries in the region. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/undp_lauds_personal/view
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Morocco reports record grain output.
2009-09-15

Morocco produced a "record" 102 million quintals of grain during the 2008-2009 agricultural season, MAP quoted Agriculture Minister Aziz Akhennouch as saying on Monday (September 14th). According to official data released last week, the tally marks a 98.3% increase over the previous season. Several factors contributed to the output, including good rainfall, sufficient fertiliser use and the Green Morocco Plan, which aims at doubling domestic production in 10 years. To further increase production next season, the government will offer mechanisation incentives and seeds at "very competitive" prices, Akhennouch said. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2009/09/15/newsbrief-01
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Maid in Morocco
September 5th, 2009 Sarah Alaoui

Here you go, akhti Sarah,” she said, while carefully pouring the lukewarm water from the bronze kettle. I watched as it slowly dribbled over my outstretched hands, and splashed into the small plastic tub she carried in her other hand while waiting for the cue to hand me the hand towel draped over her shoulder.

“Safi, shoukran,” I thanked her and quickly removed my hands, not wanting to take up anymore of her time and wanting to be rid of my uneasy feeling of being catered to by a woman not much older than I. She came back a few minutes later carrying a straw tray of piping hot bread that she’d carried back from the neighborhood oven and set it down on the table next to the steaming herbed chicken and pickled lemon tagine. Behind her trailed her small daughter, Naima, carrying a bottle of Fanta —more like clutching it to her small body, so as not to drop it and be reprimanded by her mother.

Amongst my photographs of crowded souks and souvenirs of hand-woven, colorful baskets lugged back on the plane home, my memories of vacations spent in Morocco are littered with images of maids. In Bouznika, a beachside haven where the elite of the country spend les vacances, we spent several days relaxing with some family friends who had arrived with four maids in tow. Each time I’d visit my grandparents’ house, there’d be a different maid than the last time I’d come —all had either left voluntarily or been dismissed. I’d sit around during the hottest hours of the afternoon —Moroccan summers yield temperatures of around 110 degrees —trying to keep cool and catching trails of the adults’ conversations. The latest gossip would be recounted, tales of whose diabetes was worse and whose blood pressure was higher would be recounted as if the person with the more tragic medical history would be offered a prize later, and of course, woeful stories about “how hard it is to find a good maid nowadays”.

With their conversation drawing to a lulled buzz in the back of my mind, I spent hours contemplating the situation. These women and children are born into an unfortunate (to say the least) position in a country whose rich are separated from the realities of their country’s economy and developing status by elaborate walls and a language they insist on speaking —one that was left over from their history as subjects of imperialism. In addition to expensive villas and numerous trips overseas, the upper class of Morocco like to flaunt their wealth through their accumulation of maids.

These poverty-stricken, uneducated women come from villages on the outskirts of Moroccan cities and have no choice but to provide for their families and children by taking jobs as maids for the country’s most ostentatious citizens. The stigma of poverty they are branded with at birth is further emphasized by this symbolic occupation —maids are to be seen and not heard. They work behind-the-scenes —similar to the house elves in J.K. Rowling’s famous wizarding series.

There are many families in Morocco who attempt to provide a home and not just a workplace for their maids. My grandmother has always made sure her maids’ children received an education alongside her own children and grandchildren —during the time her mother worked in my grandmother’s house, Naima went to the same school as my cousin. Unfortunately, it is safe to say that most people in the country do not provide the same earnest care to their maids.

Eleven-year-old Zainab Shtet is currently experiencing the aftermath of possibly one of the worst ordeals any human can have to endure —bruised, burned, starved all under the hand of her “masters”. The daughter of a desperately impoverished father, Zainab had no other hopes for bettering her future but to offer herself as a maid. The sad irony here, is that her boss was none other than a judge and his family. She had to cater to the needs of the richest and most powerful citizens of Moroccan society including a so-called representative of the law. How can justice ever be brought to this little girl when her perpetrator and arbiter are one —especially in a country where the barriers of law topple down with the hands of money.

As an aficionado of African-American history, Zainab’s story not only shocked me, but it also provided me with a mirror of our own past. We cannot change the current economic structure of Morocco —we cannot widen the gap between the rich and the poor overnight. We can, however, promote the importance of education and make sure each and every child is provided with an education and not forced with the burden of work —especially not one where he or she has to serve an entire family hand and foot.

It will take time and effort, but as a Moroccan-American, I do not feel comfortable with myself knowing I have not made any attempts to better the situation of poor, young maids in Morocco. In an entrenched political system, change has to come slowly and over the course of many years. However, by spreading Zainab’s story and seeking solace in the power of awareness, I know that eventually, as it has in our own country, “A Change is Gonna Come”.
http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/09/05/maid-in-morocco/
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Témara story-telling fest spins Moroccan dreams and legends.
By Siham Ali 2009-09-15

Story-telling's deep roots in Moroccan culture are the focus of a unique annual festival near Rabat.

The town of Témara is alive with the spoken word this week, as story-tellers gather for a festival that showcases Morocco's rich folklore. The story-telling festival, the seventh of its kind, began Saturday (September 12th) with a colourful parade through the main streets of the town. Performers acted out the roles of some of the emblematic figures of the country's cultural heritage.

Children, teenagers and adults have been flocking to hear the stories every evening, listening attentively to suspenseful tales from another age told by professional story-tellers. The performances take place within a setting of fireworks, song, games and music that help residents shake off Témara's reputation as a sleepy bedroom community.

The festival showcases the oral tradition of ordinary Moroccans "so that it can be enjoyed and fully appreciated by new generations, thus preserving the Moroccan identity, which is based on diversity and variety", said festival head Najima Ghouzali Tai Tai.

More than just a form of entertainment, she said, the stories have an important role to play by "passing on good values". Story-tellers immerse young and old alike in a mythical world that can trace its roots back to Moroccan tradition and customs, giving lovers of popular stories something to dream about. Not surprisingly, this year's festival is taking place under the banner "Our stories, our dreams".

The festival enables the public to meet some of the major figures of Moroccan theatre, notably Habiba El Medkouri and Hassan El Joundi. Joundi is originally from Marrakech, where this art form flourishes, particularly in Jamaâ Lefna. The artist hailed the festival because it "showcases an art form that is part of our popular cultural heritage, with a huge educational and didactic reach". He said that his stage performances have been inspired by the story-tellers' gestures.

The audience interacts a great deal with the story-tellers. Children show surprise and excitement at their first encounter with the art of halqa (a blanket term for Morocco's rich variety of traditional market-place performances, which include story-telling).

Festival attendee Salima said the event has kept her 5- and 7-year-old children "spellbound" and asking to hear new tales every night. Since seeing the first show, the oldest, Haitem, has not stopped playing the role of story-teller at home. "He repeats the same gestures, and seems really taken with his new passion," said the young mother, who plans to buy the stories in written form for her two sons so that they can continue to explore the art.

Grown-ups, too, have been captivated by the special atmosphere created by the festival. A nostalgic Brahim Joudali said the stories remind him of his younger days, when he was a keen reader of Arab legends. Every evening, he would go with his father to the weekly market for the halqa performances. "This fed my imagination and inspired my dreams," said Joudali, who is now a teacher. "We need to safeguard this heritage for our children." http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2009/09/15/feature-01
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Moroccan Jews celebrate the New Year.
2009-09-22

Morocco's tiny Jewish community marked the arrival of the New Year, or Rosh Hashanah, beginning Friday (September 18th). As Moroccan Muslims prepared to celebrate the end of Ramadan, Jews across the country celebrated another momentous holiday, the start of the New Year, or Rosh Hashanah. The New Year marks the beginning of year 5770 in the Jewish calendar, and Fassi Jews marked the occasion on Friday and Saturday (September 18th and 19th) with marked solemnity and discreetness.

The ancient city of Fez is known as the home of the first mellah (Jewish neighbourhood) in the Arab world. During World War II, when King Mohammed V refused to implement the anti-Semitic practices of the Vichy French government, approximately 300,000 Jews lived in Morocco. After decades of emigration, only about 3,000 remain; the last Jewish person left the mellah in Fez this year.

Jews in Fez now live in a newer neighbourhood and attend Synagogue Ben Saadoun, built in 1920. Invisible to the community, the synagogue is unmarked, with no sign or doorbell for visitors. But the innocuous exterior hides a breathtaking house of worship with intricate Moroccan carvings and hundreds of Jewish holy books.

The Jewish New Year started at sundown on Friday. Just before it began, about 10 men gathered, enough for the minyan (quorum) required for communal prayer. A solitary woman and a child sat behind a curtain in the women's section, where they generally watch and follow along in the services, but do not participate. "Normally there are about twice as many of us, but many choose to go on holiday during Ramadan," said Robert Serero, whose family has been in Morocco for more than 500 years, since Jews and Muslims were expelled from Spain.

"It's sad how much the community here is shrinking, with everyone leaving," he said. "But this is my home, and I will never leave. They say we have problems here, but there are problems everywhere, and why trade one for another?" The men settled into a service, which alternated between personal prayer in Hebrew from the siddur (traditional prayer book) and group prayer led by Rabbi Albert Seddag. "We're offering blessings attesting to God's sovereignty, and giving thanks for the creation of the world," Sebbag said. Services early on Saturday morning followed the same format.

As the prayers began, the men realised that they had non-Jewish Moroccans visiting. In hushed voices, some called for the visitors to leave, while some said that they should be allowed to stay. Near the end of the hour-long services, the discussion became heated and voices were raised.

Outside the synagogue, one visitor, a student named Mohammed, said he was shaken by the experience. Mohammed said he often visits different religious communities in a personal search for truth. He said he is sometimes harassed by fellow Muslims, who call him a traitor, and for that reason did not want his last name published.

Earlier in 2009, King Mohammed VI marked a major moment in Muslim-Jewish relations when he became the first leader of a Muslim nation to stand against those who deny the existence of the Holocaust, such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In a speech read in Paris in March, the king called the genocide "one of the most tragic chapters of modern history".

This decade has been marked by increased tension between Muslims and Jews in Morocco, most notably in the wake of the 2003 Casablanca bombings that targeted Jewish sites. But Mustapha Al Khalfi, a member of the council for the Islamist-leaning Justice and Development Party, said that the strong Moroccan history of inter-religious understanding still prevails.

"We should be careful about any intolerance or attacks that undermine this relationship, and fight anything that might lead to the reproduction of the Holocaust." http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2009/09/22/feature-03
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Fair, balanced intellectual property contributes to economic development, Govt. spokesman.
Geneva

Fair and balanced intellectual property contributes to the economic and social development, Minister of Communication, Spokesman of the government, Khalid Naciri, said here Tuesday. The minister, who was speaking at the High Level Segment of the 47th meetings of the Assemblies of Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), recalled actions undertaken by Morocco to upgrade the legal framework and infrastructure of intellectual property.

Naciri highlighted the measures adopted in terms of copyright, such as promoting the rights of performers and improving their social conditions as well as implementing a national strategy to fight piracy. He also called for a reflection at the level of the WIPO and in collaboration, if necessary, with other partners to find appropriate solutions to critical issues such as climate change, education, and protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge of developing countries.

He reiterated, in this regard, Morocco’s support to the initiative of the African Group within the WIPO, which proposes the renewal of the mandate of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (the IGC). http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/fair_balanced_intel/view
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