Scientists show nomad how to assemble “waterpod” near village of M’Hamid El Ghizlane in Morocco.   March 16, 2013 (AFP/File, Fadel Senna)

AFP, by Jalal Al-Makhfi (M’Hamid, Morocco, April 2, 2013) — Omar Razzouki gazes intently at the wooden box, marvelling at what might be the solution to the perennial water woes that he and other nomads like him across the Sahara desert face daily.

More than 330 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, or around 40 percent of the population, do not have access to clean drinking water, according to a report published to mark world water day by British NGO WaterAid.

More than 330 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, or around 40 percent of the population, do not have access to clean drinking water. (AFP)

The World Health Organisation estimates that this lack of drinking water is the reason for nearly nine out of every 10 deaths linked to diarrhoea.

In the Sahara, nomads are among those suffering most from limited access to water, particularly during the hotter periods when rising salt levels in water drawn from wells make it undrinkable.

The “nomadic festival” held earlier this month in M’Hamid, in Morocco’s southern desert region, was an opportunity for the pioneers of a portable water purification device to showcase their invention.

It uses a process as old as the sky.

Nomad pours water into a “waterpod” near the village of M’Hamid El Ghizlane in Zagora, Morocco March 16, 2013 (AFP/File, Fadel Senna)

“It’s simple. It emulates the natural cycle of cloud condensation,” explained Alain Thibault, an ex-sailor who had to confront the issue of fresh water shortages at sea.

The experience gave him the idea several years ago of reproducing the process using just a “small machine that is easy to make and easy to use.”

The “waterpod” allows desert-dwellers to turn water extracted from wells into clean drinking water through evaporation and condensation, using the heat of the sun, a technology that the Arabs were among the first to develop as far back as the 16th century.

The device, which resembles a large letter box, currently costs around 500 euros ($650).

A scientist shows a nomad how to assemble a waterpod near the village of M’Hamid El Ghizlane (AFP/File, Fadel Senna)

But the inventors have already given courses at a college in Tiznit, on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, to teach students how to produce them more cheaply.

“The waterpod is made of wood, cork, stainless steel and glass,” said Thierry Mauboussin, who is helping to promote the water project in Morocco.

“It works with solar energy, so no fossil fuel.”

Noureddine Bourgab, the president of the nomad festival at M’Hamid, also praised the environmental value of the new device, which he hoped could “put an end to the problem of salty water for the desert nomads.”

Scientists shows nomad how to assemble waterpod near village of M’Hamid El Ghizlane in Morocco (AFP/File, Fadel Senna)

“It’s a technique that embodies the real meaning of sustainable development and protection of the environment,” he said.

Razzouki, a nomad from the M’Hamid region, was concentrating hard on figuring out how the waterpod works.

“This could resolve many of our water problems,” he said, noting that the box was light, and “we won’t have the problem of salty water everywhere we go.”

M’Hamid El Ghizlane, Morocco’s gateway to the Sahara, is an oasis on the edge of the Draa valley surrounded by rolling sand dunes, 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the Algerian border.

Two nomads riding on their camels into the desert near M’hamid, Morocco.

The construction 40 years ago of a hydro-electric dam further up the valley to provide for the growing population and tourist trade at Ouarzazate, along with the relentless desertification of the region, has taken a heavy toll on water supplies.

So there are high hopes for the waterpod, one of which can produce six litres of pure water daily from 12 litres of brackish water, according to its creators.

They give it an estimated lifespan of 20 to 40 years, with just a daily clean needed to keep it in good condition.

Nomads riding camels in the Sahara desert.

Over the centuries, Jews, Romans, Berbers, Beats, Burroughs, Bowles and Yves St. Laurent have made Morocco their home. Its amazing culture blends Islamic, Judaic, Mediterranean and Gallic influences. In an increasingly homogenized world, Morocco retains a unique sense of place.

Huffington Post, by Curtis Ellis (April 2, 2013) — Over the centuries, Jews, Romans, Berbers, Beats, Burroughs, Bowles and Yves St. Laurent have made Morocco their home. Its amazing culture blends Islamic, Judaic, Mediterranean and Gallic influences. In an increasingly homogenized world, Morocco retains a unique sense of place. I wanted to experience it lest the forces of globalization scrub its distinct colors.

Marrakech

Long before the jet set and hippies discovered it, Marrakech, the Pink City, was a crossroads of caravans and the center of an empire that spanned West Africa. Now, artists and culturati from around the world are restoring its riads (traditional courtyard homes) shopping its souks (markets) and making Marrakech home (or a second home).

I headed for Jama Al-Fana, the huge plaza adjacent to the mosque in the medina. Historically the center of Marrakech, it was once the spot for public executions — an effective way to instill respect for the law. It is now a marketplace that comes to life at sundown with water sellers, musicians, dancers, snake charmers and all variety of food stalls. (I’m still trying to figure out what the fellow with pigeons and squirrels on a leash was all about.)

It’s also a happy hunting ground for pickpockets, hypes and touts who thrive on tourists. A fellow claiming to work at the Royal Mansour hotel where I was staying zeroed in on me as I arrived at the square and offered to take me to a Berber rug auction inside the souk. I decided it wasn’t prudent to follow a stranger with bad teeth into a maze of alleyways. Instead, I wandered around the bazaar and had a snake charmer drape multiple venomous vipers around my neck.

The Royal Mansour is the world’s first hand-made hotel. Fourteen-hundred craftsmen worked more than three years to realize King Mohammed VI vision for showcasing Morocco’s unsurpassed craftsmen. Mosaics, carved cedar and plasterwork sumptuously detail the interiors of the lobby, common areas and riads where guests stay. Cost was no object in the construction, though it took more than money — Dubai and the Gulf emirates have more money, but they couldn’t build this. The Royal Mansour is a testament to the unique culture and exquisite crafts that are still very much alive in and unique to Morocco.

Dining on mouth-watering Mediterranean-Moroccan fare at the charming century-old riad Villa Des Orangers, I imagined Paul Bowles at repose in the clubby library and lounging in the courtyard garden under the orange trees. The cozy candlelit restaurant with its décor of leather and tobacco tones has the feel of an African lodge. This riad may well be the most romantic spot in Marrakech.

Twenty minutes from the old city is the suburban enclave of Palmerai, once a date grove. This is where I found esteemed interior designer and Marrekech grande dame Meryanne Loum Martin. She’s known for her house party gatherings and salons at Jnane Tamsna, a stylish 24-bedroom luxury villa that is also her home. A favorite of celebrities, including Giorgio Armani, Brad Pitt, Donna Karan and David Bowie, you never know who will be at your dining table.

I lunched with Meryanne; her husband, the ethnobotanist and eco-activist Gary Martin; Italian Princess Letizia Ruspoli; and Vanessa Branson, sister of Richard and founder of the Marrakech Biennale. They filled me in on where to eat, where to shop (Sidi Ghanem, 33 Rue Majorelle) and even where to find a cheeky burlesque show (The Lotus Club). The Biennale is coming up in February, at the same time Merryanne will be hosting a TEDx talk.

Fes

The ancient city of Fes is the cultural, spiritual and gastronomic capital of Morocco and I couldn’t miss it. Its medina — a labyrinth of 9,000 alleyways, 1,000 neighborhoods and 500,000 residents — is the world’s largest pedestrian city and a Unesco World Heritage Site. The architecture, souks and street life evoke another millennium. Donkey carts have the right of way: loaded with tons of water and all manner of cargo you ignore them at your peril. Veiled women carry buckets to the hammam baths. The souks are segregated by trade: metalwork, furniture, clothing, food. Fes is renowned for leather work, and behind the shop stalls, men in knee-deep vats dye hides in the same manner they have used for centuries. The shopkeeper took me to a balcony overlooking the dye works, handing me a sprig of mint to mask the pungent odor.

The Riad Fes offers total comfort while staying in the medina. This Relais and Chateaux property has lovingly restored five classic courtyard homes in Spanish Moorish luxury. Its stylish restaurant is a favorite of the king. The chef — a woman, as are the best chefs in Morocco — combines traditional Moroccan cuisine, such as a sweet and savory pastilla, with contemporary Mediterranean touches.

A day trip from Fes took me further back in time to Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman ruins in North Africa. It’s also the site of one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite films, Patton, with George C. Scott as the general reminiscing about his past life fighting the Carthaginians 2,000 years ago. Gazing in silence upon its temples, colonnades and arches, I wondered if people at the time complained that ever since the Romans showed up every place looks the same.

[Continue Reading…]

Curtis Ellis is Communications Director, American Jobs Alliance

50 years ago, Morocco’s King Hassan II was welcomed by President John F. Kennedy to Washington. The North African leader, father of Morocco’s reigning King Mohammed VI, met with Congress, spoke at UN in New York, and visited Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Click photo for video from JFK Library.

**50 Years Ago – Morocco King Hassan II Visits US, March 27-30, 1963 – Click here to see video of visit**

John F. Kennedy Library and Museum (Boston, Massachusetts, April 2, 2013) — Fifty years ago this past week, US President John F. Kennedy warmly welcomed Moroccan King Hassan II on a state visit to the United States. The Moroccan leader − father of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI − traveled at President Kennedy’s invitation to Philadelphia, Washington, and New York City.

The visit was captured on an 18-minute film that is archived at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Massachusetts.

In Washington, DC, the Moroccan King and President Kennedy discussed the two countries’ long history, common vision and shared values:

“Though a wide ocean separates our two countries, they have been bound together throughout our history,” said President Kennedy.  “Your country was the first to recognize the United States in the most difficult days of our revolution.”

Kennedy noted that the first US President, George Washington, wrote of the new US Constitution to Morocco in 1789.

“From that day till the present, our ties have been intimate, in war and in peace.”

King Hassan expressed his pleasure on being able to greet the people of the United States and meet their President, and spoke of the affection and admiration Moroccans feel for Americans.  He said he hoped to consolidate the friendship which has existed between the two countries since the dawn of American independence.

On his first stop of the official visit, King Hassan II traveled to Philadelphia, where he visited Independence Hall and met with the Mayor at the Liberty Bell.

The Moroccan leader was welcomed to Washington by President Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy at Union Station, and he met with the President and attended a state dinner at the White House.

He met with Members of Congress and the diplomatic corps, visited the Islamic Center, and paid his respects to fallen veterans at Arlington National Cemetery.

He also addressed the National Press Club, where he spoke of the two nations’ long and shared “love of liberty.”

King Hassan wrapped up his US trip in New York City, where he met the Mayor, was honored with a parade up Broadway, and spoke with leaders at the United Nations.

He dedicated a mosaic hand made in Fez that became a permanent exhibit at the UN headquarters building.

For more information about the film, go to: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

HM King Mohammed VI (right) and French president François Hollande meet today in Casablanca as French delegation begins official two-day state visit to Morocco.

Bernama/MAP, KUNA (PARIS, France, April 3, 2013) — French President Francois Hollande arrives in Morocco today for a two-day visit that will include talks with King Mohammed VI and senior government officials, the Elysee Palace indicated. France has the closest ties with Morocco of any of the North African former colonies in the Maghreb and it is the largest foreign investor in Morocco and a strong advocate of better European Union ties between the 27-nation group and Rabat.

France garnered support for Morocco in the UN Security Council and has been a staunch supporter of Rabat’s position relative to Algerian-backed Polisario militants who have waged a war against the Moroccan army in the Western Sahara for decades.

Hollande will kick of his visit with a meeting Wednesday evening in Casablanca with the Moroccan King before the French and Moroccan delegations get to work on consolidating the already “high-grade” relations between the two countries.

King Mohammed VI was the first foreign leader to visit Paris after Hollande took office last June, a demonstration of the close ties between the two men.

On the international scene, Paris has constantly backed Moroccan demands for better status with the EU and the French government has also backed Morocco’s proposals for wide-reaching autonomy but not for independence for the Western Sahara zone which has been resisting Moroccan annexation for four decades.

The French president’s delegation includes nine ministers who will sign agreements and contracts dealing with the food industry, higher education, urban development, the Casablanca metro, and vocational training. President Hollande is also accompanied by some 60 captains of industry who will attend the Morocco-France Economic Forum to be held this week.

According to Elysee palace sources, the two-day state visit will seek to re-invent the bilateral partnership and new ways to maintain Morocco’s status as a “close and necessary partner” of France.

“French-Moroccan relations are fluid, excellent and intense, both at the political level and as far as bilateral co-operation is concerned,” the sources said, adding that the visit was very important as it would enable the maintaining of high-level relations and developing it in the years and decades to come.

“The message is clear: We are Morocco’s first partner and we have to stay Morocco’s first partner,” said the source, who played down the sigificance of the rise of Spain’s trade with Morocco in 2012 at the expense of France, describing it as “a temporary situation.”

“We have to define future co-operation actions with Morocco as an economic partner of the future,” commented the source.

In addition to supporting the ongoing political and economic reforms in the North African kingdom, President Hollande’s visit aims to intensify the trend set three months ago in Rabat by the two countries’ high-level meeting of the Moroccan and French heads of government.

This meeting resulted in more than 10 agreements, including four loan agreements worth 280 million euros, extended by the French development agency to finance development projects in Morocco — the Casablanca tramway, regional port, technopolis competitiveness and vocational training.

The French president will encourage French businesses operating in Morocco to continue to invest in Morocco in renewable energies, transport, urban services, youth and education, the source said.

There are more than 750 affiliates of French enterprises in Morocco, including 38 that are listed on the French stock market. They employ around 120,000 persons. Morocco is also the first destination of France’s private investments in Africa, with an amount of 5.6 billion euros in the 2000-2011 period. Morocco is a regional hub for French enterprises wishing to develop projects in West Africa, the Mediterranean or the Maghreb.

In this context and given Morocco’s central role within its region, France grants a large importance to re-launching the Maghreb construction and Euro-Mediterranean arena, focusing on projects such as the trans-Maghreb highway and the re-opening of land borders between Morocco and Algeria.

Crowds cheer Morocco’s King Mohammed VI (right), French President Hollande entering Casablanca. France has hailed Morocco and its leadership for embarking on reforms long before the Arab Spring, for backing France’s intervention in Mali, and looks to build on their win-win partnership. Reuters

**UPDATE: Click here for text of King Mohammed VI’s speech at official dinner honoring French President Hollande**

Europe Online/DPA and North Africa Post (Casablanca/Paris, April 3, 2013) — French President Francois Hollande arrived in Morocco on Wednesday for a two-day visit aimed at cementing ties between the ailing former colonial power and one of North Africa‘s most stable countries.

Crowds cheered King Mohammed VI and Hollande as they entered Casablanca, where facades and pavements had been painted white, on their way from the city‘s airport.

The two heads of state were then due to preside over a ceremony at which 29 cooperation agreements would be signed in sectors including high-speed trains, renewable energy, women‘s rights and the financial sector.

Hollande, who is on a drive to win business for his country‘s beleaguered industrial sector, was accompanied by dozens of company bosses, who will be scouting for deals in the transport, food, energy and water treatment sectors.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and French President Francois Hollande honored in Casablanca, as the French leader and his delegation begin a two-day state visit in Morocco. Reuters

France is the top source of foreign investment in Morocco, but slipped to second place behind Spain last year in terms of its exports to the country.

The French government, which is pushing “economic diplomacy”, has said it does not expect any huge contracts to be signed during the visit, which will focus instead on opportunities from existing projects, such as a new French-designed tram line in Casablanca.

On Thursday, Hollande was due to hold talks in the capital Rabat with Islamist Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane and leaders in the two chambers of the Moroccan parliament, which is convening an extraordinary session for the occasion.

In an address to parliament, the French leader will praise Morocco as being “headed in the right direction, in a context where the Arab Spring offers lots of potential but also presents risks,” presidential sources said.

The king defused pro-democracy protests in 2011 by reforming the constitution to give more power to parliament and holding elections that were won by Benkirane‘s Party of Justice and Development.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI talks with French President Francois Hollande in Casablanca at the beginning of the French President’s two-day state visit in Morocco. Reuters

At the political level, talks between the two heads of state will cover a large array of issues on which the two countries have converging viewpoints, starting with struggle against terrorism and the proliferation of al-Qaeda affiliated groups in the Sahara-Sahel region where France took the lead when it intervened in Mali to dislodge the extremists and separatists.

President Holland will undoubtedly hail Morocco and its king for their stand on Mali and their support to the French intervention.

The political agenda talks will also cover Syria, the Palestinian issue, and the Middle East peace process in addition to the situation in the Maghreb and in the Arab world at large in the aftermath of the Arab Spring revolutions. France has repeatedly hailed the way Morocco and its leadership have embarked on a reform process long before the first sparks of the Arab Spring.

Economic partnership will also figure high on the talks agenda, France being more eager than ever to maintain its rank as Morocco’s first partner in the region, especially after Spain narrowly overtook France in 2012 as a leading exporter to the North African Country.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and French President Francois Hollande greet a large crowd in Casablanca at the beginning of the French President’s two-day state visit in Morocco.  Reuters

The President and his large accompanying delegation, including some 9 cabinet members, scores of heads of enterprises and economic operators, seem more determined than ever to “re-invent” the French-Moroccan partnership that has always been a win-win partnership, and to strengthen the pillars of the two countries’ economic cooperation.

Around 750 French companies are operating in Morocco, employing between 80,000 and 100,000 people. “We are Morocco’s largest trading partner, largest investor, and we will spare no effort to maintain our rank,” insisted a source close to the French Presidency.

Morocco and France are “key players in a forward-looking partnership between the two shores of the Mediterranean,” said King Mohammed VI in a speech Wednesday at official dinner in Casablanca honoring visiting French President François Hollande.

MAP (Casablanca, Morocco, April 3, 2013) — HM King Mohammed VI gave a speech during the official dinner offered, on Wednesday, in honor of French president François Hollande who is on a visit to the Kingdom.

Here follows the full text of the speech:

Praise be to God     May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin

Mr. President,

Your Royal Highnesses,

Madam,

Your Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure, personally and on behalf of the Moroccan people, to welcome you, Mr. President, and the members of the important delegation accompanying you to Casablanca, this metropolis which embodies, more than any other of the Kingdom’s cities, the great human and cultural symbiosis characterizing the bonds between our two nations.

We are delighted to welcome the President of a great nation, France, a country for which Moroccans have a deep affection and great esteem.

The relationship between Morocco and France is undoubtedly exceptional. Not only do we share a long history and a particularly rich human and cultural heritage, but our relations are also getting stronger by the day, thanks to promising economic ties.

Ours is a confident, relaxed relationship which has always been forward-looking; a relationship which is characterized, in particular, by the quality, consistency and effectiveness of our political consultations.

This relationship is unique because it has been forged by increasingly determined men and women. Indeed, the contribution made by actors from both sides, whether they are business leaders, local authorities, civil society or community representatives, is invaluable.

I should like to take this opportunity to pay special tribute to our expatriate communities, in France and in Morocco, who are contributing to the consolidation of our relations through their active involvement, their dynamism and their creativity.

One of the distinctive features of this vibrant relationship is the ability of both countries to constantly adapt to our changing societies and economies, and to update and revamp our cooperation mechanisms.

Crowds cheer King Mohammed VI, French President Hollande entering Casablanca. France has repeatedly hailed Morocco and its leadership for embarking on reforms long before the Arab Spring, backing France’s intervention in Mali, and looks to build on their win-win partnership.

Mr. President,

I should like to reiterate my commitment to further develop and expand our relationship so that it may serve a much more ambitious Moroccan-French agenda.

In this respect, I would like education and training to form the bedrock of our partnership, given their important role in spurring competitiveness and innovation, creating stable jobs and promoting renewable energies as well as the “new economy”.

These objectives, coupled with the ambition we nurture to cater for the well-being of young people in both countries, would further stimulate the extraordinary complementarity between our economies and boost synergies. Mutually advantageous opportunities would thus be created in the areas of trade, market access and public-private partnerships.

As we combine efforts and make the most of our respective assets through joint investment projects, we will, together, achieve the results we probably would not be able to accomplish separately.

As we identify new ‘niches’ for joint ventures, like the global businesses we are currently exploiting – the car industry, the aviation industry and agribusiness – we will find and capitalize on new prospects for additional growth.

Mr. President,

It is only natural that Morocco and France should be key players in a forward-looking partnership between the two shores of the Mediterranean.

Having benefited, since 2008, from an Advanced Status with the European Union, Morocco’s ambition is to constantly do more and better in its relationship with the EU through the conclusion of new agreements.

At the same time, the construction of a stable, solidarity-based Maghreb remains a key, geostrategic priority for the Kingdom of Morocco.

I am convinced that the advent of a new Maghreb order – a longstanding and long cherished goal – would make it possible for the five Maghreb countries to work in good faith and unlock the region’s full potential in terms of solidarity, complementarity and integration prospects.

Thus, the 5+5 Initiative and the strategic coherence underpinning the Western Mediterranean region could be more effectively built upon, allowing us to make the most of such assets as human and geographic proximity, wide-ranging affinities, logistics and energy connections.

Given the above, Morocco is particularly eager to work jointly with France on a new Euro-Mediterranean pact in which democracy, solidarity and prosperity are properly balanced.

In this respect, the brilliant concept you have put forward, namely that of a “project-based Mediterranean”, is both inspiring and promising. I am sure it can lead to new, concrete and practical partnership mechanisms in the Mediterranean.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI (center) with French President Francois Hollande (left) and President Hollande’s companion Valerie Trierweiler (right) at State dinner in Casablanca, Morocco Wednesday honoring visiting French President.

Mr. President,

The Kingdom of Morocco has been working untiringly for a just and lasting settlement of the conflict in the Middle East. In this regard, my country hopes the international community will, at last, push forward the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, and thus put an end to an occupation which is inflaming a region that has recently been facing the hardships of difficult transitions.

It is regrettable that the international community has not been able to end the humanitarian tragedy endured by civilian populations in Syria; nor has the world community managed to help the opposition coordinate its dispersed actions on the ground. This is delaying the inevitable political transition process in the country.

As regards Africa, a continent rich in human, cultural and natural resources, our two nations nurture the same ambition. Indeed, we are guided by the same conviction that it is crucial to ensure the conditions of peace, security and stability for all African countries. This is a sine qua non for the consolidation of the foundations of democracy, progress and human development.

I wish to reiterate, in this respect, the Kingdom of Morocco’s support for France’s courageous and determined action which, today, is making it possible for a sister nation, Mali, to regain  control over all its territory and uphold its legitimate national choices.

Mr. President,

The Kingdom of Morocco is pursuing its efforts with resolve and a keen sense of purpose to build an open, dynamic society which is proud of its history.

This solid, rallying policy enables Morocco to strengthen its institutional order which provides for solidarity between all components of society and for respect for everyone. It is an institutional order that allows for a harmonious blend of territorial and cultural diversity.

This is the philosophy underpinning our major project for Advanced Regionalization as well as the proposed Autonomy Plan for the Sahara region; the latter is the only way to settle a regional dispute that continues – sadly – to compromise the future of the Maghreb.

Mr. President,

The Kingdom of Morocco is proud of France’s constant support for the success of the major projects and key plans my country seeks to implement.

I am sure your State Visit to Morocco will allow us to consolidate the many affinities between our two countries and our two peoples.

Needless to say, this will further invigorate our partnership in all spheres of activity which offer so much hope and on which we see eye to eye.

Nonetheless, and beyond these promising bilateral prospects, our cherished ambition is for Morocco and France to help formulate, in the Mediterranean basin, smart, innovative ideas for a new ethical order in the relations that exist between Africa, the Arab-Muslim world and Europe; an order that would foster the values of mutual aid and solidarity, promote sustainable human development and make socio-economic disparities an engine for the creation of shared wealth.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I ask you to rise to pay tribute to Mr. François Hollande, President of the French Republic. Long live the friendship, the deep, abiding trust and the mutual esteem between the Moroccan and the French peoples.

Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.

**”Today in the Maghreb, where most populations are preyed upon either by unchecked authority or unchecked anarchy, Morocco is different. This is not an accident.”**

Commentary Magazine, by Abe Greenwald (April 4, 2013) — Not all “Arab unrest” is equal. Consider these current headlines out of North Africa and try to spot the odd man out: “Libya’s south teeters toward chaos — and militant extremists,” “Egypt Takes Another Step Toward Autocracy—and Instability,” “Tunisia Sees Rising Jihadist Threat,” “Thousands march against Morocco government.” Chaos, autocracy, jihad, and … marching.

Today in the Maghreb, where most populations are preyed upon either by unchecked authority or unchecked anarchy, Morocco is different. This is not an accident.

I was recently in Morocco, as a guest of its Institute of African Studies, and the point most Moroccans tried hardest to impress upon me was that their country is fundamentally unlike the failing and convulsed states around it.

And so it is. The kingdom has a functioning parliamentary system. And in 2011, responding to the sentiments unleashed by the Arab Spring, King Mohamed VI held a referendum on the country’s constitution. The resulting document calls for greater participation of elected parties and a Moroccan prime minister. It also newly enumerates a welcome assortment of rights and freedoms. A large-scale decentralization effort is underway to transfer various responsibilities from the king to elected bodies around the country. Whether the diffusion of power will be mostly genuine or cosmetic, continuous or stalled, remains to be seen. But Morocco is certainly not Libya or Egypt or Tunisia.

Mohamed VI appears to be a sincere reformer but he is undoubtedly a savvy king. Expanding the space for consensual governance was the best way to preserve the monarchy. A quick glance around the region tells you all you need to know about rulers who swam against the spring tide. And in truth, Morocco’s previous king, the far tougher Hassan II, began a program of very modest reform in the 1990s, long before Arab tweeters celebrated their flash-mob “victory” in Tahrir Square. So today Moroccans occasionally march, in small and peaceful numbers. It is a blessing that shouldn’t go unnoticed.

But while Moroccan achievement deserves praise, it’s no guarantee of long-term stability or moderation. On this, it was my turn to impress the point upon several Moroccans. The topic came up in regard to the Justice and Development Party (PJD), the largest party in parliament and that of the Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane. PJD, you see, is Islamist. And while some Moroccans expressed concern about what PJD members would do if they came to office in future local elections, most were quick to point out that the king and the constitution simply render authentic political Islam a non-starter. Additionally, PJD is widely understood to be that ever-elusive, quasi-mythic giant squid of Middle Eastern affairs—a moderate Islamist party.

It’s true that in my limited travels I witnessed a good deal of modern and indulgent living, and the Islamists in office cast no shadow on the day-to-day affairs of those with whom I came into contact. I saw many accomplished, uncovered women drinking alcohol and spied only a handful of dour men with fanned beards.

But “It can’t happen here” is an insufficient credo for any people anywhere. It undermines vigilance. And Morocco’s wonders notwithstanding, liberal Moroccans can’t afford to be complacent. The world has yet to see a self-described moderate Islamist party hold to its vow of moderation over the long term. Moreover, within Morocco’s diverse human mosaic reside hundreds of thousands of decidedly non-moderate Islamists. These are the members or associates of the organization Justice and Charity. Unlike PJD, Justice and Charity is non-political. But it wasn’t so long ago that we were assured the Muslim Brotherhood had no designs on the Egyptian presidency.

Historically, the appeal of political Islam owes much to the absence of other compelling political ideas. I thought of this when a Moroccan women’s rights champion explained to me that in her country “politics isn’t connected to values. Politics is about power.” When every other party’s platform is as inspiring as an NFL team playbook, the sincerity and purpose of the Islamists’ can shine in comparison.

This is all to say that King Mohamed VI is threading the eye of an unforgiving needle. He must proceed with democratic decentralization quickly and blatantly enough to satisfy a reform-minded public, but not so recklessly as to give newly empowered parties the means to undermine the largely moderate nature of Morocco.

In the context of the Arab Spring, Barack Obama has talked often about the need for democratic change to come from within a given country. He’s articulated his preference for reform over revolution and has pledged to stand by leaders who show a willingness to move forward on human rights issues. It would seem, therefore, that the president should take a special interest in Morocco.

The most compelling case for American involvement in Morocco, however, rests on national security. For the United States, conflicts in Northern Africa largely go unnoticed—before manifesting as unignorable crises. One such conflict now festers in the Western Sahara and could soon become explosive. Tens of thousands of refugees reside in bare-bones camps in the Algerian town of Tindouf. The camps are controlled by the Polisario Front, an Algerian backed leftist group opposed to Moroccan control of the Western Sahara. That the camps are reportedly run like huge cruel prisons might evoke some Western sympathy. But that they have also reportedly become a recruiting grounds for al-Qaeda-linked groups should spur the United States to action.

As it happens, the action called for is of the very type Obama favors: non-military diplomacy based on mutual compromise. In 2007, Morocco proposed an autonomy plan for the Western Sahara. Broadly speaking, if agreed to, autonomy would mean Western Saharans could govern themselves within the framework of the Moroccan constitution, and the Polisario camps would disappear. American officials have contented themselves with voicing support for the initiative. But without active diplomatic action from the United States it’s doubtful the Polisario and Algeria will take the proposal seriously.

There’s no guarantee that the application of American diplomacy would bring the decades-old conflict to an end. But with some 50,000 nothing-to-lose desert refugees ripe for jihadist indoctrination, it’s hard to see the downside. Of course, the U.S. can always remain on the sidelines for another Mali- or Algeria-type conflagration to emerge and then watch as our allies try to put it out. Don’t assume, however, that we’ll always have Paris.

Moroccan Parliament: French President praises new Constitution introduced by King Mohammed VI in 2011 following Arab Spring protests, saying it guarantees ‘tolerance’.  Photo: Reuters

**“Every day, your country takes decisive steps towards democracy.”

– French President Hollande**

Middle East Online, AFP (Rabat, Morocco, April 4, 2013) – French President Francois Hollande on Thursday hailed “decisive steps” taken by Morocco towards democracy.

“Every day, your country takes decisive steps towards democracy,” he said in a speech to parliament on the second and final day of a visit to the North African country.

He praised in particular a new Constitution introduced by King Mohammed VI in 2011 in response to Arab Spring protests then sweeping the region, saying it guaranteed “tolerance” and “recognized the diverse character of Morocco’s identity.”

France’s Hollande: ‘Our duty is to accompany you through your options.’ Middle East Online

A key aspect of the text was its support for the country’s large Berber community, with their Amazigh language officially recognized.

“Of course everything does not go as quickly as some would like. There are always criticisms, improvements. That is your responsibility. And our duty is to accompany you through your options,” the president said.

“I also know that, despite this progress, there are still expectations… There is impatience everywhere… But I know that you have the desire to face up to and achieve what you have promised.”

The president began his visit followed by a large French press corps. In a square in the city centre, Hollande was greeted by a cheering but sparse Moroccan crowd, before heading to the royal palace for talks with the King.

French President Hollande speaks to Moroccan Parliament in Rabat April 4, 2013. Hollande hails ‘decisive steps’ taken by Morocco towards democracy. AFP/F. Senna

At the royal palace on Wednesday some 30 bilateral accords worth an estimated 300 million euros were signed by Ministers and business leaders, notably in transport, agriculture, education and renewable energy sectors.

Later, Hollande inaugurated a pilot water purifying plant in Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city, built by an affiliate of French utility firm GDF Suez and capable of treating 3,800 cubic metres of water daily.

Speaking to the French community in Casablanca afterwards, the president laid the emphasis firmly on “consolidating the friendship” and “confirming the ties” between the two countries, making only oblique reference to the political crisis in France.

Around 750 French companies are operating in Morocco, employing between 80,000 and 100,000 people. “We are Morocco’s largest trading partner, largest investor, and we will spare no effort to maintain our rank,” insisted a source close to the French Presidency.

French President Hollande (center) sits after delivering speech at Moroccan Parliament in Rabat April 4, 2013,  second day of his official two-day visit. Photo: Bertrand Langlois

AFP also reported that:

Speaking in Parliament, Hollande highlighted the “stability” of the North African country and the “tolerance” guaranteed in the new constitution, which he said “recognised the diverse character of Morocco’s identity.”

In addition:

Hollande warned that a solution to the conflict in Western Sahara, where a UN peacekeeping force has been deployed for two decades, was more important than ever given the Islamist revolt raging in northern Mali.

“The economic potential is enormous. But I am also aware of the obstacles, and the question of the Western Sahara, which has been waiting to be resolved for more than 30 years,” he told Moroccan lawmakers.

“The current stand-off is detrimental to everyone, to the separated families, to the refugees, to the tensions between the Maghreb countries. And the crisis in the Sahel makes it more urgent to put an end to this situation,” he said.

But he renewed French backing for former colony Morocco’s insistence on its sovereignty over the territory and its refusal to negotiate more autonomy for the native Sahrawis, drawing warm applause from parliamentarians.

Polisario Front separatists reject Rabat’s autonomy plan, insisting instead on the right of the Sahrawi people to a referendum on self-determination.

.

Speaking to Parliament, Hollande also warned a solution to the Western Sahara conflict, where a UN peacekeeping force has been deployed for two decades, was more important than ever given Islamist revolt in northern Mali. Hollande thanked Morocco for supporting French intervention in Mali. AFP

Terror by Tweet: Andalus Foundation created account for AQIM. [www.Twitter.com] “Al-Qaeda is no longer that group fighting in mountains and caves,” said Mauritanian columnist M. Bahaide. “They have developed a media propaganda strategy…which has a stronger impact on human souls than bombers, mortars & aircraft.”

Magharebia, by Jemal Oumar in Nouakchott and Siham Ali in Rabat (April 4, 2013) — Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) joined Twitter last month, spreading the terror group’s jihadist propaganda on the popular micro-blogging site.

The account was first created March 16th by the Andalus Foundation, the propaganda arm of al-Qaeda in North Africa. The foundation has been known for years as the distributor of terror tapes featuring hostages and promoting jihadist ideology.

The announcement of the launch of the account came with a statement March 28th, saying, “We bring our Islamic nation in general and its children, especially the supporters of the mujahideen, tidings of the opening by the Andalus Foundation of its own account on Twitter.”

The AQIM Twitter account has not released much content to-date except for a video of the terror leader Abu Musab Abdel Wedoud (aka Abdelmalek Droukdel) regarding the war in northern Mali.

In addition, there was an al-Qaeda communiqué addressed to the French public, including the families of hostages.

Among other communications, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has used its new Twitter account to tweet death threats regarding hostages to the French government. (Reuters)

The rest of the tweets focused in general on how to communicate during a question and answer session with Sheikh Ahmed Abi Abd Al Ellah, the chairman of the Andalus Foundation. The al-Qaeda account only accepted questions in Arabic and English.

The move by al-Qaeda to enter the virtual world of Twitter was considered by some observers an attempt to exploit all available platforms for the dissemination of extremist jihadist ideology as well as an attempt to try to attract new members.

“They are ready to hire anyone to market their ideas in the media because they have resources across the world,” according to Mohmmed Ag Mbarek, who is responsible for the website of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA). Yet he added that al-Qaeda’s ideas “are dead and they will not benefit from communicating them via Twitter or Facebook”.

Mauritanian blogger Hamid Ould Mohamed said if the new al-Qaeda account proved real, then it was a danger that must be confronted. He suggested people “ask for it to be closed before they succeed in attracting some teens to the alleged jihad fronts of al-Qaeda”.

The account has already garnered more than 4,000 followers. Syrian terror group Jabhat al-Nusra, Somalia’s al-Shabaab and Tunisia’s Ansar al-Sharia are all followed by the new AQIM Twitter account.

“Al-Qaeda is no longer that group fighting in mountains and caves,” Mauritanian columnist Moulaye Bahaide said. “They have developed a media propaganda strategy for themselves, parallel to Western media, which has a stronger impact on human souls than do bombers, mortars and aircraft.”

He added, “By activating this strategy, which bypasses public forums of al-Qaeda in favour of social networks such as Facebook, and finally Twitter, to prove that al-Qaeda is stronger now. And its ability to respond to the requirements of the times by using modern communication techniques regularly and in a sophisticated manner.”

“I do not rule out the possibility that this is the beginning of a media and intellectual war more dangerous for the world than military wars waged in more than one front,” Bahaide said.

The propaganda push by al-Qaeda comes at the same time as it tries to replenish its ranks after a series of high-profile losses in northern Mali. Algerian jihadist Yahia Abou El Hammam (aka Djamel Oukacha) was recently named the successor to Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, a veteran terror leader killed by international troops taking part in the Mali intervention.

The internet is one of the most valuable tools used by terrorists, sociologist Farah Bekkali emphasised. She explained that there were two ways of indoctrination. The first is favoured by many sites: providing obscurantist ideas that can push fragile youth to become self-indoctrinated. The second related to the use of communication channels by terrorist and fundamentalist networks to attract jihadi fighters.

As the noose tightens on the ground around terrorists worldwide, they use virtual media to co-ordinate and exert psychological pressure by spreading their messages and to recruit.

Political analyst Mourad Sebti told Magharebia that the internet could be a real danger because it allows easy communication through coded messages and it is also a source of inspiration for terrorists.

“The latter have easy access to information and are reinforced by it,” he said. “In addition, there is the danger of indoctrination through the dissemination of jihadist ideas which have a negative impact on some minds. We see some sort of virtual training.

“This is what happened for example with the bombing of the Argana. The main suspect was able to make explosive devices along the lines of the internet but the most worrisome is that he moved onward to action,” he added.

In Morocco a meal is not simply a meal: “It’s better.” – Sarah Dajani, Huffington Post

Sarah Dajani, Writer and photographer, devourblog.com and windowdining.com

Huffington Post, by Sarah Dajani (April 4, 2013) — Why haven’t I been here before?

I’ve been on this planet for over a quarter of a century and why is it only now that I’ve come to Morocco?

One of my closest friends is Moroccan, and he has been subtly hinting for the past four years that I visit his country.

I used to think that his long-time catchphrase, “It’s better in Morocco” was just a symptom of overeager nationalism.

But after I witnessed him sniff at a satin-cushioned, ocean-facing, twinkle-lighted hookah lounge in Dubai and utter his go-to phrase, I decided he was crazy.

Then I came here. I landed in Casablanca and got in a minibus headed for Rabat.

There is a coastline that stretches for miles and miles, framing a sea so blue it almost blends into the sky.

There are pastures as green as the Green Isle itself, spotted with wildflowers — some big, some small, purple, red, orange-yellow.

There is a precision and a saturation to the country that makes you feel like you’re constantly looking at a photo edited for a tourism brochure.

The reds are Red. The yellows are Yellow.

And the geometry ubiquitous in every ceramic tile paints itself onto the most unexpected of minutiae: a police officer’s epaulette, or a plate of pastilla with sweetened milk and almonds.

Tagine, here, is an artform. Anything cooked in a clay pot is an artform.

The conical hat that covers the tagine dish acts like a mini sauna, a food hammam (in the Turkish sense, not the other), steaming the chicken with prunes or sliced lemons, or the lamb with peas and purple olives until they’ve soaked up their flavors and are ready to sing.

My friend Anny, a Moroccan veteran (in the lived-here sense, not the other), once told me that the mealtime ritual in this region is about more than just the food.

The food is key, she told me, don’t doubt that for a minute.

But that’s just taste.

You have to have smell — the warm broth of simmering chicken, the sharp tang of steamed lemons.

And you have to have touch — the silk of the chair cushion, the springy dough of the bread.

And then there is sight — a vision of color, of gold and bronze, of stacks of plates and piles of dishes.

And last, there is sound.

That, she told me, is how to enjoy a meal.

Because a swab of bread smeared in zaalouk tastes better if enjoyed with the strum of an olive wood oud.

Because the scent of mint tea smells better if it drifts out of an azure tea glass.

Because sweet snap of a milk and almond pastilla feels better if you’re cushioned by a silk chair pillow.

But most of all, because in Morocco a meal is not simply a meal: “It’s better.”

**Under Morocco’s recently passed Constitution, the task is “to make people into citizens,” says Dr. Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdellah. In Morocco part of the task involves devolving power to localities.**

Washington Post, Right Turn by Jennifer Rubin (Washington, DC, April 10, 2013) — Syria is in the midst of a bloody civil war. Lebanon is a shadow of its former self, no longer a vibrant, fully autonomous or inclusive nation. Iraq is beset by sectarian violence. And Egypt is economically and politically teetering on the brink of another popular eruption under the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Moroccan Foreign Minister Saad Eddine Othmani, Feb. 2012 (Abdelhak Senna/Getty Images)

Even where gradual, peaceful change is taking place there is no straight line from authoritarian rule to Western-style democracy. I spoke by phone today with Dr. Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdellah, a Moroccan governmental official deeply immersed in the civil and constitutional reforms ongoing. He puts it simply, “The biggest challenge? They are numerous!” he says cheerily. He gives some perspective on the enormity of tasks for countries emerging at a time of political and economic chaos in the region.

Under the recently passed Constitution, he explains the task is “to make people into citizens.” In Morocco part of the task involves devolving power to localities. He observes, “Auditing skills and expertise are very important. People need to be trained and to have some knowledge.” This is true, he cautions, for officials and ordinary citizens. That requires “young people with good education” and continued integration of “young women in private society [who can take] leadership in civil society.” One of the biggest challenges, he says, is that young people “are expecting something from government. We need to train them in entrepreneurship.” He adds that this is one area in which the United States can provide encouragement and assistance.

“In addition to its internal challenges, Morocco faces regional threats from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the violent separatist group, the Polisario Front.”

Morocco is unique in some ways. Unlike the modern states carved out of British holdings, Morocco is an old country with a respected monarchy that combines religious and political power. The present King, like his father, therefore can speak with religious and secular authority in moving the country toward a modern economic and political system. Interestingly he comments that what Morocco can teach its neighbors is that “even in the dark years we were able to find a way.” This is a lesson about endurance and patience, as he tells it. “We were able to make good assessments and to be critical,” he says. With each step forward, he notes, “We build on success. We don’t have to go back to the beginning.”

In addition to its internal challenges, Morocco faces regional threats from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the violent separatist group, the Polisario Front. Until the security situation is resolved the dream of an integrated, prosperous North Africa remains a distant dream.

The take-away from our conversation is that the transformation of a country is no easy matter. Morocco at least has the benefit of a reformist monarchy and a shared national history. Elsewhere the picture is more grim. What we take for granted — a concept of citizenship, respect for a constitution, competent governance and an independent judiciary — have to, in large part, be started from scratch after tin-pot autocrats are overthrown. That requires immense patience which is often in short supply after years of political repression and economic stagnation. And that in turn requires a long-term commitment by the West in money, technical expertise, diplomatic support and anti-terrorism cooperation.

If we want the final chapter of the Arab Spring to be the emergence of peaceful, stable and relatively free governments with functioning economies, then we need to give not speeches but sustained help. That’s not an easy sell when we and other Western powers have budgetary and economic problems of their own. But the alternative is widespread violence, the re-emergence of anti-Western leaders and humanitarian disaster.

Kasbah du Toubkal: Positive model for eco-friendly tourism helping local community in Morocco’s Atlas mountains. Photograph: Alan Keohane

Washington Post/Associated Press, by Paul Schemm (Rabat, Morocco, April 10, 2013) — Spared the violence and instability of its North African neighbors, Morocco is looking to lure even more tourists to its beaches, cities and mountains to make up for those kept home by Europe’s economic crisis.

Morocco’s Tourism Minister Lahcen Haddad says  popular travel destination is looking to expand  markets for visitors. More than half of 9 million annual arrivals come from two countries, Spain & France, suffering from economic crises. AP

Morocco hasn’t had anywhere near the catastrophic drop in tourism experienced by once-popular destinations such as Egypt and Tunisia, both of which are going through chaotic and at times violent post-revolutionary phases. Still, Morocco’s numbers are flagging, Tourism Minister Lahcen Haddad said in an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press.

More than half of Morocco’s 9.3 million visitors in 2011 were French or Spanish, but those groups arrived in smaller numbers that before and stayed fewer nights due to financial crises in their nations. To offset those losses, Haddad said Morocco wants to attract more visitors from Britain, Germany and Saudi Arabia.

Recent World Economic Forum survey ranked Morocco in top 3 most welcoming countries to visit.

The challenge for Morocco will be to distinguish itself from its more unstable neighbors.

“A lot of people put Morocco in the same basket as the other countries even though Morocco has known a different road in terms of political reform,” the tourism chief said. “It has required a lot of communication in order to put Morocco in a different light than what has been reported in some media.”

Morocco experienced pro-democracy demonstrations in 2011 much like the rest of the region, but these largely died away after the king pushed through constitutional reforms and an opposition party won elections. Still, Morocco’s once booming tourism sector has dragged, with arrivals growing just 1 percent in 2011 while the nights they stayed in hotels — a key indicator of revenue — dropped 6 percent.

Exotic cities such as Marrakech, Casablanca, Fez, Rabat (above), Tangier, Meknes, and more offer visitors a remarkable diversity of culture, charm, and history.

The slow growth is a major concern for a country where tourism is considered a key industry. Morocco’s tourism sector, which recently surpassed remittances from workers abroad as the main source of foreign currency, employs some 470,000 people in this country of 32 million.

The country features a combination of sea and sand tourism, with beach resorts such as Agadir on the Atlantic coast and exotic medieval-style cities like Marrakech — the country’s top destination. Morocco’s 2020 Vision plan, its main development plan for tourism, seeks to expand the country’s appeal to include its mountains and deserts.

Germany and the United Kingdom, which have been less affected by the economic crisis than several of their European neighbors, are the main targets for the ministry’s campaign to attract new visitors. There are currently 500,000 annual visitors from Britain, for instance, and Haddad said Morocco “would like to get something like a million.”

Morocco features combination of sea & sand tourism, with Atlantic beach resorts such as Agadir & medieval-style cities like Marrakech. Plans seek to expand appeal to include mountains & deserts.

Also in the minister’s sights: wealthy Arab tourists from the Gulf, who tend to stay longer and spend more than other tourists.

“The places where they used to go, Egypt and Lebanon, they can’t now because of security reasons, so they are coming to Morocco,” Haddad said. “We have seen a huge growth in that market, about 20 percent last year.”

In the long run, Haddad said Morocco also hopes to attract more visitors from China.

Churchill & Roosevelt enjoy a break from their deliberations to spend a few days in Marrakesh. Telegraph

**Seventy years ago, Churchill and Roosevelt escaped war duties to visit Marrakesh, ‘Paris of the Sahara’. Con Coughlin retraces their steps.**

London Telegraph, by Con Coughlin (April 10, 2013) — Winston Churchill believed that “Marrakesh is simply the nicest place on Earth to spend an afternoon”, which explains why not even his demanding schedule as Britain’s wartime leader could dissuade him from experiencing the charms of Morocco’s inspirational city.

His most memorable afternoon there was during a crucial phase of the Second World War, when he took time out from a vital summit with the American president, Franklin D Roosevelt, to visit his cherished retreat in the old imperial city.

Churchill began his love affair with Marrakesh during the “wilderness years” of the Thirties when, frustrated by the Baldwin government’s refusal to give him a cabinet position, he spent the winter of 1935-36 on a painting holiday in Morocco. He was particularly attracted to a city he called the “Paris of the Sahara” because of the striking contrast between the city’s arid desert location and the backdrop of the imposing Atlas Mountains that surrounded Marrakesh, which inspired him to paint some of his finest watercolours.

Thus when, in 1943, Churchill arrived in Casablanca for a summit with Roosevelt and the Allied chiefs of staff to plot the future course of the military campaign to defeat Nazi Germany, the British prime minister insisted that the two leaders take a break from their deliberations to spend a few days in Marrakesh.

“You cannot come all the way to North Africa without seeing Marrakesh,” Churchill told a sceptical Roosevelt, who wanted to return immediately to the United States to concentrate on running the war effort. “Let us spend two days there,” Churchill persisted. “I must be with you when you see the sun set on the Atlas Mountains.”

And so, on January 23 1943, the two wartime leaders left Casablanca for the five-hour drive to Marrakesh, stopping on the way for a picnic lunch. On arrival, the party made their way to the Villa Taylor, a spacious property owned by a wealthy New York family situated in the Ville Nouvelle district on the outskirts of the old city walls, which was the main residential area for wealthy French colonialists (today it is in the city’s Gueliz district).

The villa, which is located a five-minute walk from the Jardin Majorelle, the popular tourist attraction created by the French designer Yves Saint Laurent, has its own tower, from where Churchill liked to paint the spectacular sunsets for which the city is renowned.

On arrival at the villa, Churchill insisted that Roosevelt accompany him to the top of the tower to see the panoramic view of Marrakesh, and to witness for himself that magical moment during a Moroccan sunset when the final, dying rays of the sun catch the snow-capped peaks of the Atlas Mountains as the muezzin sounds the evening call to prayer.

At Churchill’s insistence, two of his staff made a chair of their arms to carry the wheelchair-bound Roosevelt up the winding stairs to the roof of the tower to watch the spectacle. As Celia Sandys, Churchill’s granddaughter, has recounted in her book Travels with Winston Churchill, Roosevelt was clearly taken by the moment. Reclining on a divan, Roosevelt remarked to Churchill: “I feel like a sultan: you may kiss my hand, my dear.” In his diary, Churchill’s doctor recorded: “We stood gazing at the purple hills, where the light was changing every minute.” Churchill himself murmured: “It’s the most lovely spot in the world.”

Refreshed, Roosevelt left Marrakesh the following morning, while Churchill opted to stay one day longer to do some painting. During the afternoon he painted a view of the Atlas Mountains, which was the only picture he painted during the war.

Marrakesh may have developed dramatically over the years, becoming one of North Africa’s most popular tourist destinations, but it is still possible to experience the magic that so inspired Churchill, as I discovered when I went in search of the Villa Taylor in the city’s busy suburbs.

Although Churchill frequently took winter breaks in Marrakesh for the rest of his life, after the war he always stayed at La Mamounia, the city’s pre-eminent hotel. This was partly due to the fact that, after the war, the owners of the Villa Taylor dispensed with the property. Staunch Republicans, it is said that the Taylors were outraged that Churchill had invited a Democrat president to sleep in their bed.

The property then passed to the Comte de Breteuil, a French businessman who owned newspapers in Casablanca and whose wife was a close friend of Yves Saint Laurent, and supported him in his efforts to transform the neighbouring Jardin Majorelle into one of the city’s major tourist attractions.

But despite the Villa Taylor’s close association with Britain’s greatest wartime leader, the property gradually fell into disuse, and was eventually bought by the late King of Morocco, who intended to turn it into a residence for the Crown Prince but abandoned the idea when he found it was overlooked by newer buildings.

Consequently, one of the most iconic buildings in Marrakesh today stands abandoned and deserted, save for a couple of desultory gendarmes guarding the building, who responded to my request to be allowed to look around the grounds with an uncompromising “Non”.

But having read so much about Churchill’s affection for the property, and in particular the spectacular views afforded by the tower, I felt I could not leave without seeing for myself why Churchill was so inspired by this particular location. So, while the sentries resumed their game of cards, I made my way to the back of the complex, where, by standing on the wall of a nearby cemetery, I was able to make out the contours of the tower through the trees that marked the edge of the villa’s garden.

And as the sun began to set, I was able, for a brief moment, to share the experience that Churchill himself treasured so much, when the rosy hue of the sun’s dying rays makes a perfect match with the city’s pink, clay walls. Now I fully comprehended why Churchill was so captivated by Marrakesh.

“Here in these spacious palm groves rising from the desert,” he wrote, “the traveller can be sure of perennial sunshine, of every comfort and diversion, and can contemplate with ceaseless satisfaction the stately and snow-clad panoramas of the Atlas Mountains.”

I am sure I am not the only visitor to Marrakesh who has been disappointed to find the Villa Taylor closed to visitors, and the building abandoned and in a state of neglect. If only the Moroccan authorities could understand the villa’s great potential for anyone interested in the city’s rich history, as well as in Churchill himself, it could easily be transformed into an attraction on a par with its more acclaimed neighbour, the Jardin Majorelle.

This is certainly the view of Abderrazak ben Chaabane, one of Morocco’s leading botanists, who helped Yves Saint Laurent design the Majorelle. “I have always felt that a part of Churchill’s soul will forever remain in Marrakesh,” he explained. “This is where Churchill came to relax and rest and rebuilt his strength for all the challenges he faced. It is such a shame that a place that was so special to Winston Churchill remains closed to the outside world.”

Con Coughlin’s new book, Churchill’s First War, is published by Macmillan in April.

“On the Edge,” Moroccan director Leila Kilani’s first feature, was inspired by true events. BBC

BBC News (London, England, April 10, 2013) — Women film-makers from Morocco, Tunisia and Lebanon have been honoured by the Birds Eye View Film Festival in London, which this year chose to concentrate on features by Arab directors.

Moroccan film-maker Leila Kilani

On the Edge by Morocco’s Leila Kilani was named best feature, while Lebanon’s Eliane Raheb won the best documentary prize with Sleepless Nights.

The festival’s emerging talent award, for best short, went to Leyla Bouzid.

Her film Soubresauts explores taboos among the Tunisian middle classes.

Soubresaut, a French word, translates into English as jolt or sudden start.

On the Edge, Kilani’s first full-length feature, tells of four young women in Tangier who become involved in crime.

The film, first seen at Cannes in 2011, offers what the Hollywood Reporter called “a tough view of the everyday effects of globalisation.”

“On the Edge”

Sleepless Nights explores attempts at reconciliation after the civil war in Lebanon that lasted from 1975 until the early 1990s.

Variety described it as “an emotionally exhausting experience”, praising it for “brilliantly capturing a nation’s damaged soul”.

Birds Eye View creative director Kate Gerova said she was “delighted” by the response to this year’s festival.

The eight-day showcase comes to a close on Thursday with a screening of the Gaza-set romance Habibi

April 12, 2013

**Under its recently passed Constitution, Morocco’s task is “to make people into citizens.”

–Dr. Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdellah**

Jean R. AbiNader, Exec. Dir., Moroccan American Trade & Investment Center

Jean AbiNader, Executive Director of the Moroccan American Trade & Investment Center sits down with Morocco’s  Professor Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdellah, who was in Washington, DC this week to speak at the German Marshall Fund on reform in Morocco and the Economic, Social, and Environment Council (CESE) project on regionalization in the Saharan provinces.

Dr. Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdellah, President, Morocco’s National Observatory for Human Development (ONDH).

Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdellah is Chairman and President of the Morocco’s National Observatory for Human Development (ONDH), concerned with capacity-building and local governance.  He is former president of Al-Akhawayn University, a member of CESE, and served on the committee that drafted Morocco’s new Constitution — proposed by King Mohammed VI and approved by national referendum in July 2011.

Prof. Benabdellah and Mr. AbiNader discuss progress and the path ahead in implementing Morocco’s Constitutional reforms, widely recognized as among the most forward-looking and far-reaching in the region. The two focus in particular on Morocco’s newly launched regionalization initiative for the South being coordinated by the CESE.

Dr. Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdellah

President of the Moroccan National Observatory for Human Development

Dr. Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdellah was born in 1942 in Marrakesh.  He holds degrees from the Ecole National Supérieure d’Ingénieurs des Constructions Aéronautiques (France) and the International Institute of Management Development (Switzerland).

After a stint with IBM France, he cofounded IMEG in 1973, the first Moroccan information technology consulting firm. He also worked with the Club of Rome on introducing information technology programs to Moroccan schools, developing an interest in the interplay of education and technology.

He continued his work in the private sector and continued to work on educational issues. In 1980 he began teaching at the Mohammedia School of Engineering. He was then named Coordinator of the team responsible for reforming primary and secondary education at the Moroccan Ministry of Education.

In 1995, Benmokhtar Benabdellah was appointed Minister of Education, and in 1998 was appointed President of Al Akhawayn University. In July 2006, he was appointed by as Chairman and President of the National Observatory for Human Development (ONDH), which is concerned with capacity building for local governance.

In addition to his role as President of ONDH,  Dr. Benmokhtar Benabdellah also serves as Vice-Chairman of the Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research (MAScIR), member of the Hassan II Academy for Science and Technology, member of the board of the Foundation of Three Cultures of the Mediterranean (Spain), member of the Advisory Board of the Alliance for Research on North Africa (ARENA, University of Tsukuba, Japan), member of the Statistical Advisory Panel of the United Nations Development Program, member of the Advisory Board of Science Works (USA), and member of the  Board for the Roi Abdul Aziz Al Saoud Foundation for Islamic Studies and Social Sciences.

He previously served as Chairman of the scientific committee of the Fifty Years of Independence Report on Human Development (2003-2006), as member of the Advisory Board of the World Bank Institute (1998-2001), and as member of the United Nations Committee of Experts in Public Administration (2001-2009). He also serves on the Economic, Social, and Environment Council (CESE), which is drafting a comprehensive regionalization plan for devolving power to regional governments in Morocco.

Jean R. AbiNader, Exec. Dir., Moroccan American Trade & Investment Center

MATIC, by Jean R. AbiNader (Washington, DC, April 12, 2013) —

“…the transformation of a country is no easy matter…What we take for granted—a concept of citizenship, respect for a constitution, competent governance and an independent judiciary—have to, in large part, be started from scratch…That requires immense patience…and…requires a long- term commitment by the West…”

So wrote Jennifer Rubin in her daily blog, Right Turn: “The Arab Spring: No walk in the park,” for the Washington Post.  She had just spoken to a Moroccan thought leader, Professor Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdellah, who was in Washington, DC to speak at the German Marshall Fund on reform in Morocco and the Economic, Social, and Environment Council (CESE) project on regionalization in the Saharan provinces.

Professor Benabdellah and I had several opportunities during his visit to discuss the prospects for reforms in Morocco and his degree of optimism regarding the outcomes.“People who have responsibility for change have to have some pessimism to make them work harder to achieve the right outcomes,” he said, “With the right tools and training, we can do a lot in Morocco but it is not easy and it is not quick.”

He pointed out that the baseline for today’s steps forward is the report on the first 50 years of Morocco’s human development prepared at the behest of King Mohammed VI. It was this report that laid out the challenges facing the country as it develops a more equitable and inclusive society. It was a bombshell, similar in impact to the United Nations Development Programme’s Arab National Human Development Reports, both of which provided a framework for analyzing the achievements and deficiencies in the Arab world.

Jean AbiNader talks to Dr. Benabdellah about Morocco’s Reforms: Progress, Path Ahead. MATIC

Professor Benabdellah pointed out that the 50 years assessment was much broader in scope than the UNDP studies and provided the logic for the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), which is Morocco’s roadmap for eliminating poverty, building sustainable economic growth in poor and marginalized communities, and enhancing local governance and inclusion. After achieving very positive results in its first phase (2005-2010), INDH was renewed in 2011, dealing with many of the issues raised during the Arab uprisings. This, according to Professor Benabdellah, is the nexus of the current challenge – how to learn from the results accomplished so far to accelerate efforts that respond to the legitimate aspirations of those who are pessimistic about the government’s efforts to tackle serious problems in employment, education, social services, housing, transparency, and governance.

As a result of INDH and Morocco’s vibrant civil society, a strong base exists from which to move forward. A key ingredient is the government’s role in enabling local communities and leadership to generate the inclusive, kinetic projects that solve problems and build sustainable alternatives. The Professor was quite adamant about the importance of capacity and institution building as core principles of human development. He believes that communities that demonstrate their commitment to economic and social progress should have resources to support their strategies. According to Benabdellah, democracy doesn’t come as a result of political will alone; it requires institutions, capabilities, normative values, and a shared sense of purpose. This is the strongest lesson of INDH. “Communities and individuals have acquired new ‘value and dignity’ and adopted a ‘better look on the future’,” says INDH National Coordinator Nadira El Guermai. “They only needed someone to help them realize it – and this is an important part of INDH. This allows the person to say, I am someone, and able.”

Where to begin? Families, schools, and jobs are the most important facilitators of civic values, citizenship, and participation in society. The future is constrained when people are marginalized, when young people carry the twin burdens of distrust of institutions and few market-ready skills, if courts and administrative bodies do not fully implement laws to protect women and girls, and when social biases still affect someone’s job opportunities. Professor Benabdellah believes that the US and other countries can be “part of the solution” by making available best practices, technologies, and strategies for local governance that provide Moroccan communities with tools to engage each other and centers of power. He is bullish on Morocco’s future because the majority of Moroccan people are looking for change that is inclusive and sustainable. If the tools are coming and the reforms are moving forward, then sufficient time and resources to sustain reforms are the key.

Jean R. AbiNader is Executive Director of the Moroccan American Trade and Investment Center

Morocco Tourism Investment Forum (Casablanca, Morocco, April 12, 2013) — Next week, more than 30 national and international speakers will participate in the Morocco Tourism Investment Forum.

Moroccan Tourism Minister Lahcen Haddad  AP

The event, which will take place in Casablanca’s Hyatt Regency hotel, will be inaugurated by Lahcen Haddad, Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, and Nizar Baraka, Minister of Finance and Economy, and will serve as a platform to bring together investors and other tourism industry stakeholders. Some notable speakers include Abid Butt (CEO of Banyan Tree Hotels), Bart Carnahan (Head of Development at Starwood Hotels & Resorts), Christian Rousseau (President of Accor Maroc), and Filippo Sona (Head of Hotels & Resorts Hospitality in the MENA Region for Colliers International).

Moroccan Minister for Finance and the Economy, Nizar Baraka. Photo: Norbert Schiller

The MTIF will showcase the different opportunities, services, and products Morocco has to offer, in order to encourage new investments and partnerships. Topics discussed will include current concepts and trends of the global tourism industry, the process of creating a “Smart Tourist Destination,” financing and implementing a successful tourism project, the role of government in tourism project development, and the different investment opportunities Morocco has to offer.

In 2012, Morocco’s tourism sector attracted $1.62 billion in investment for a number of projects, which is very close to the annual target of $1.76 billion set in the Morocco’s strategic plan for the sector, VISION 2020. With continued unrest in the region, MTIF provides an exceptional forum for promoting investments in a tourist-friendly environment.

[Continue Reading…]

Royal Opera House Muscat showcases Morocco’s burgeoning music scene.

Albawaba, by Sarah MacDonald (Muscat, Oman, April 14, 2013) — Some of Morocco’s best musicians showcased their musical traditions at a concert called “An Evening in Morocco” at the Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) on Wednesday evening.

The concert featured three wonderful singers Abderrahim Souiri, Fuad Zbadi and Karima Skalli each accompanied by the Moroccan Ensemble for Arabic Music, conducted by Salah Cherkaoui, and the Oulad Bouazzaoui Folklore Group. No doubt it was the three singers who captured the hearts of the mainly Arab audience, especially with the references to Oman that they added to their lyrics.

Abderrahim Souiri’s slightly raspy voice was complemented beautifully by the ensemble of strings, kanun, oud and percussion. He sang a selection of Andalucian music that showcased his rich voice.

Delightful

Fuad Zbadi, a small man with a powerful voice and contagious, ever-present smile, was simply delightful. He let his voice soar through the auditorium, holding long notes that had the audience clapping. Karima Skalli was elegant and refined, with a silky voice full of emotion. Her performance of “Oh Night, Be Long or Not” was especially moving.

The Oulad Bouazzaoui Folklore Group consisted of an oud player, a kanun player, four percussionists and two female vocalists and dancers. The instrumentalists were wonderful and the oud and kanun solos were most impressive. The music was almost hypnotic and mesmerising, but the dancers were more of a distraction and the overall performance may have been stronger had they just sung.

The highlight of the evening came at the end when Souiri, Zbadi and Skalli, joined by one of the members of the folklore group, sang together with the ensemble. Their voices harmonized beautifully. When the song finished, the audience wanted more so they took turns singing without the musicians playing, letting the purity of their voices delight the crowd.

For many in at the ROHM, it was an unforgettable evening in Morocco.

Tuaregs in Niafunké celebrate after Malian, French troops drove out Islamists from historic Timbuktu. [AFP/Eric Feferberg]

*Analysts argue that peaceful unity and autonomy, rather than future separatist conflicts, is only option to counter al-Qaeda-linked jihadists*

Magharebia, by Jemal Oumar (Nouakchott, Mauritania, April 12, 2013) – The first of France’s 100 troops left Mali on Tuesday (April 9th), beginning the countdown for the Sahel state to assume responsibility for its own security and stability.

The question now facing the fledging Bamako government is how to restore stability in the country’s north and reconcile with one-time separatists and marginalised populations, including Tuaregs and Arabs.

Days ahead of the French pull-out, Arab Azawad movement representative Ahmed Ould Sidi Ahmed held a Nouakchott press conference, where he used the occasion to condemn terrorism, saying it poses a threat to both Mali and the entire region.

Analysts argue that peaceful unity, rather than future separatist conflicts, is the only option to prevent al-Qaeda-linked jihadists from re-taking the north.

“If military achievements don’t serve as an introduction for establishing security and stability, they will be useless,” Amakenna Ag Akal, a Tuareg blogger and analyst, told Magharebia.

“It’s about time we thought about the fate of Azawadi people who have borne the brunt of terrorism and multiple wars,” he continued.

The Tuareg blogger added, “The time is now suitable to negotiate with moderates to give them extensive autonomy in their areas to achieve real economic development and counter the threats of terrorists who will undoubtedly try to cause problems from time to time and undermine northern Mali population’s hopes about stability and development.”

Malian troops are gradually taking over from French and African counterparts in country’s north. [AFP/Joel Saget]

All Malians must take advantage of international intervention against terrorism to re-unite and get past the calamity they have faced in recent months, he said. They now have to prove to the world that the Malian state can return to the pattern of pluralistic democracy in which all ethnicities, including Arab, Tuaregs, Songhai and Bambara, can live together.

“Military victories are not enough to realise a permanent peace,” Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore said earlier this year on RFI.

In talks last fall, Tuareg leaders did not rule out the possibility of abandoning the demand for independence, which they have always supported. According to Nina Walet Ntalou, a leading figure in the MNLA and a minister in their unrecognised government, this is a new shift that would undoubtedly help overcome major difficulties.

“For a long time now, we’ve been demanding dialogue with the Malian government,” she told Magharebia. “Therefore, sitting today at the negotiating table face to face with Ansar al-Din is a gain for all parties, who have to take advantage of that for the benefit of all sides.”

As to each party’s adherence to its position, she said, “Today we’re speaking a new language. Therefore, I believe that each party should make some concessions so we can meet in the middle of road even if this requires us to abandon some hard-line positions.”

“As far as MNLA is concerned, we started to abandon the demand for separation in return for self-rule,” she concluded. “Our leader Bilal Ag Acherif expressed this a few days ago in a press interview.”

According to analyst Mohamed Ag Ahmedu, this shift by groups that were once the most committed to Azawad independence “did not come on the spur of the moment, but was the result of international pressure after Tuareg secessionists found out that their hard-line positions no longer conform to the dictates of moment.”

“All peaceful solutions are possible today in the framework of the Malian state,” Tuareg journalist Intagrist El Ansari told Magharebia.

“However, I think that the French position has had an important effect on the MNLA’s position when Ambassador Jean Felix-Paganon, special representative for Sahel, met on November 24th a delegation from MNLA in Paris and told them frankly that they have to expressly abandon their demand for separation so they can be a legitimate party in solving the Malian crisis,” Ag Ahmedu added.

France wants the different Malian sides to hold political dialogue that would preserve the country’s territorial integrity and protect the interests of all its social components away from dealing with terrorism, France Foreign Ministry spokesperson Philippe Lalliot said.

However, he added that the French state could only play the role of a facilitator in the Malian conflict, and that the primary responsibility would be for the Malians themselves, including non-terrorist groups, such as MNLA, MaliWeb cited Lalliot as saying.

“I think that all peaceful solutions are possible today in the framework of the Malian state,” Tuareg journalist Intagrist El Ansari told Magharebia. “However, this must be through important steps of negotiations between all actors and wise parties, such as civil society organisations, political activists, clerics and representatives of people, because without real and serious dialogue, we will always face obstacles.”

He added that stability must be the goal given that it would lead to real development in the areas that were suffering from poverty, backwardness and marginalisation.

The Malian state may be ready to discuss Tuareg autonomy after pressure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

“West African officials are pushing the Mali government to offer Tuareg separatists in the north of the country autonomy in exchange for joining the fight against hard-line al-Qaida-linked terrorists,” The Guardian reported November 22nd.

The paper cited a Malian official close to the negotiations with Tuaregs as saying that autonomy was “not off the cards”.

“But there has to be a solid agreement between all parties. The priority is to get rid of all terrorists who have no right to be [in northern Mali]. Once that happens, the Malian state will determine the framework in which conditions of autonomy could be granted,” the paper quoted the Malian official as saying.

(Article in French)

A Hebrew lesson in Fez, Morocco. Courtesy of the Museum of Moroccan Judaism.

Le Soir Echos, by Dalila Saadou (Casablanca, Morocco, April 15, 2013) — The Museum of Moroccan Judaism, after several months of renovations, has reopened its doors. New to its offerings are programs meant to introduce visitors to Jewish-Moroccan civilization in all its cultural richness.

From photos of synagogues from across the Kingdom, to Torah scrolls and Hanukkah lamps, the Museum of Moroccan Judaism reopened Thursday after a renovation operation. In a warm atmosphere, filled with the scent of incense and orange blossom and the musical notes of violin, visitors were able to admire Moroccan caftans embroidered with gold; jewels; rugs dating back hundreds of years; and various objects of Jewish-Moroccan cultural heritage. The museum was founded fifteen years earlier by the Jewish community in Casablanca, and later came under management of the Foundation of Moroccan Judaism and renown administrator Simon Levy. After his death, it was decided to renovate the building.

[Continue Reading in French...]