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Morocco’s cultural heritage series, Part 2/4 | RFI


Moroccan “Exceptionalism” Deserves Support | The American Interest

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Africa expert J. Peter Pham takes a broad look at Morocco’s history and leadership, and how they have helped create “an oasis of stability”:

the american interestMorocco stands out as an oasis of stability amidst a region in turmoil—thanks both to the circumstances of history and to prudent leadership.

RABAT—Sitting, as the preamble of its 2011 reform constitution proclaims, at the crossroads where the Arab Islamic world converges with Europe and Africa—all of which are in various stages of ferment and even crisis—Morocco stands out as something of an oasis of stability.

Unlike other rulers in the region, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has weathered the turbulence of recent years well. Today, in the 16th year since his accession, he enjoys widespread popularity at home, as I witnessed firsthand this past Friday when thousands of elected officials, community leaders, and ordinary Moroccans from across the North African country converged on the capital for the annual renewal of their loyalty to the monarch. (The King, in turn, reaffirmed his commitment to defending the rights of citizens, as well as the independence, territorial integrity, and welfare of the kingdom.) The enthusiasm on display was not surprising given the middle path Mohammed VI has managed to chart, steering the country clear of both revolutionary tumult and violent repression, while simultaneously avoiding the trap of religious extremism. As many of their neighbors continue to come to terms with the so-called Arab Spring, Moroccans have adopted a new constitution and elected a new government, one led for the first time in the country’s history by a (moderate) Islamist party; another election is schedule for September and is already shaping up to be highly competitive contest between a number of parties, both Islamist and secular-leaning.

Part of the explanation for this Moroccan “exceptionalism” is that, unlike most of the Arab Middle East, where the nation-state is a colonial artifice created out of the wreckage of the Ottoman Empire, Morocco has a political history that stretches back more than 12 centuries. The Alaouite Dynasty, which traces its lineage from the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and the Caliph Ali—thus justifying the reigning monarch’s claim to be Amir al-Mu’minin (“Commander of the Faithful”)—has occupied the throne since 1666, the year of the Great Fire of London. The 15th Sultan in that lineage, Mohammed III was, in 1777, the first foreign sovereign to recognize the independence of the United States (the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the two countries, America’s oldest diplomatic accord still in force, is an extraordinary document bearing the signatures of both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson). Thus the current King enjoys a historical legitimacy that is unmatched anywhere in the region…[FULL STORY]

 

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Why the Timitar music festival is a window on Moroccan identity | The National

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Morocco’s policy of funding and initiating cultural diversity “seems to be paying off”:

TheNationalLogo-2Every summer, Morocco hosts a wide variety of national and regional musical festivals. While the country is arguably not any more diverse than other North African or Middle East states, the Moroccan authorities have a strong tradition of supporting local culture.

There are some general pop festivals in Rabat and Casablanca that host mainstream international artists such as Beyoncé and Elton John.

Other festivals are more specialised. The Sacred Music Festival of Fes highlights the diverse genres of Moroccan and Sufi music. Meanwhile, The Gnaoua Festival of Essaouira is dedicated to gnaoua music, which developed in communities of former African slaves who, when converting to Islam, kept a part of their spiritual traditions. And there is the major Timitar festival in Agadir, now in its 12th year and which I’ve just returned from. It’s dedicated to the music of the surrounding Souss region and its language but has expanded to cover other areas…[FULL STORY]

 

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Moroccan athletes shine in Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles | Maghreb Arab Press

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Thirty-six Moroccans competed in the Special Olympics this summer in Los Angeles, taking home 41 medals:

MAP logoThe Moroccan Special Olympics athletes shined during the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games which opened on July 25 in Los Angeles, California.

The Moroccan 36-member team harvested 41 medals, including 15 gold ones, and gave an impressive performance in regional and international competitions against very strong rivals.

 The 2015 Games featured competitions in aquatics, gymnastics, track and field, basketball, football (soccer) and many other summer sports involving 6,500 athletes with intellectual disabilities from around the world…[ORIGINAL STORY, SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED]

 

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The essential artist of the urban scene in Morocco | Your Middle East

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The story of a Moroccan street artist, who has developed alongside Morocco’s fine arts scene:

your middle eastMorran Ben Lahcen is one of Morocco’s pioneering street artists, and has helped to increase the genre’s visibility and popularity in the North African country. But he is now also leaving a big mark on the contemporary fine arts scene.

A self-taught artist, Ben Lahcen demonstrated his ability for drawing at a very young age. While growing up in a Berber village located on the Atlas mountain range, he discovered his creative fiber through a fascination for the environment’s natural shapes and colors.

Though beginning his career illicitly, he is now widely sought after to re-appropriate urban spaces, transforming blank architectural features into works of art. Ben Lahcen calls himself a multidisciplinary artist, presenting sculpture and works on canvas employing industrial materials in his signature cross shape, which represents the horizontality and verticality of human life.

I met Ben Lahcen in May, when he was in Marrakesh for a residency at David Bloch Gallery. He had moved there after being occupied with fellow artist Jules L’ATLAS Dedet in a series of exhibitions, installations, and lectures at the Villa des Arts in Casablanca, as well as some urban interventions in Moulay Al Hassan Square and the Villa des Arts in Rabat…[FULL STORY]

 

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Ambitious Morocco gearing up to surprise at AfroBasket 2015 | FIBA

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An update on Morocco’s national basketball team: “underdogs who can become big dogs”:

fibaMorocco‘s newly appointed head coach Toni Vujanic is a confident man, and he is making sure to instil that attitude to his team for the upcoming AfroBasket 2015.

Vujanic, who took over in mid June, took his 14-player preliminary squad to his native Serbia, where they spent the last two weeks of training camp.

They played eight warm-up games against local teams, but he will only announce Morocco’s final roster for this year’s AfroBasket after facing Cote d’Ivoire in Rabat on Saturday.

Vujanic has blended young and more veteran players, and the result is what he describes as “refreshing.”

“My players picked up my game philosophy very quickly,” he told FIBA.com.

“Right now we are playing at such high level.”..[FULL STORY]

 

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VIDEO: Road to AfroBasket 2015: Morocco | FIBA

Ceviche, Cake, and Apple Cider Vinegar: What 9 Influential Washingtonians Eat for Breakfast | Washingtonian

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Washingtonian takes a look at the Moroccan Ambassador’s breakfast, as part of a series on influential Washingtonians:

washingtonianRachad Bouhlal

Ambassador of Morocco to the United States

5 AM in Washington is 10 AM in Morocco, so each morning at that time, Rachad Bouhlal wakes and almost immediately gets on an overseas phone call.

Soon after, Bouhlal joins his wife Fatiha Bennani for breakfast in their Bethesda home. The dining room is colorful; a brightly patterned sofa wraps around two walls, and Moroccan silver dangles throughout.

The first meal of the day is important for Moroccans, and Bouhlal’s two chefs prepare breakfast accordingly. A large glass bowl holds fresh fruits like plums and mango; surrounding it are six smaller bowls filled with dried fruits, nuts, honey, olive oil, fresh fruits, and jam. The Bouhlals will ladle these toppings onto their main dishes.

First, the Bouhlals eat two poached eggs with khlii on top (a cut up, sundried beef). A server pours mint tea and Moroccan coffee into the Bouhlals’ cups, which the chefs make by mixing the grounds with cinnamon, crushed Arabic gum, cloves, and cardamum, Fatiha says…[FULL STORY]

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Popular, real life ‘Game of Thrones’ destinations | Business Standard

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Morocco is one of the notable shooting locations for the TV series “Game of Thrones”:

business standardWith the surging popularity of fantasy TV series “Game of Thrones”, the jaw-dropping, picturesque locales are also grabbing unprecedented attention. Travellers dream of visiting the destinations featured in the TV adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels.

Hotels.com, an online accommodation booking website, suggests that “Game of Thrones” fans visit some of the locations in Northern Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Morocco, Malta and Croatia.

[...]

* Morocco: With two Unesco world heritage sites, it’s no wonder this location was picked and used in Daenerys Targaryen domination of Essos. The sun sets on the beautiful coastal town of Essaouira in Morocco making it the perfect backdrop for anyone. In “Game of Thrones”, viewers can find the Mother of Dragons overlooking the city of Astapor or ruling Yunkai in Essos…[FULL STORY]

 

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Morocco’s dreamy desert | IOL Travel

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A visit to “magical” Dakhla includes kitesurfing and local oysters:

IOL travelOffer me a trip to the desert and I’m your girl. Where others ask will it be too hot during the day, will it be too cold at night, are the natives friendly, I just ask what time the plane is leaving.

I love the tawny colours and shifting scenery and that, while our tiny island is overcrowded, the desert is, well, deserted.

If you are a kitesurfer, you will already know Dakhla, where Morocco meets the Sahara. It’s just over two hours by plane from Casablanca.

It’s set on a long finger of sand that juts out from the mainland, creating a shallow lagoon on the one side while the Atlantic strafes the other. Its year-round sunny climate and cooling winds make it one of the world’s best sporting destinations.

Kitesurfing, quad biking, paragliding, camel trekking, the desert sands colourfully dubbed the Pensinsula of the Golden River by early Spanish settlers are perfect for bracing outdoor activities…[FULL STORY]

 

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Morocco has come a long way under King Mohammed VI | The Washington Diplomat

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Former U.S. ambassador to Morocco Edward M. Gabriel shares his story of a hot summer day in Bouznika, and how Morocco’s trajectory has changed since then:

diplomatic pouchOn a hot summer afternoon exactly 16 years ago today, I stood in line along a red carpet runway with other members of the diplomatic corps in Bouznika — a town between Casablanca and Rabat — to greet the newly ascended king of Morocco.

As U.S. ambassador to Morocco at the time, I had already met with King Mohammed VI on several occasions in private meetings before and after the death of his father, King Hassan II, who had passed away a month earlier. But he was about to deliver his second publicly broadcast speech to the nation, and we were eager to hear what the new leader had to say.

After all, it was a difficult and confusing time for the country. Hassan had reigned for 38 years through a chaotic post-colonial era when, as New York Times journalist Joseph Gregory wrote in an obituary on the late leader, “monarchies in Libya, Egypt, Iraq and Iran fell to socialist revolutions or the force of militant Islam.”

His ailing health — he died of a heart attack on July 23, 1999 — had not been widely publicized, and his death came as a shock to the Moroccan people. I will never forget the immense throb of mourners who traveled from all over the country to participate in his funeral procession. Millions of Moroccans descended onto the capital; two million of them lined the streets themselves…[FULL STORY]

 

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Ultrarunning with the Moroccans: 180 miles across the High Atlas mountains | The Guardian

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Morocco’s diverse landscape attracts all sorts of athletic competitions, from Atlas mountain marathons to kite-surfing in Dakhla:

The GuardianSamir Akhdar skims over loose rocks and scree, his feet barely touching the ground. Running behind him is like watching a dancer: his arms and upper body making instant, almost imperceptible adjustments.

I only ever witnessed a few moments of this early each morning before Samir and the other local runners competing to win the six-day Trans Atlas Marathon were out of sight. They may have made it look easy, but my own laboured style – all bulk and brawn, sunburn and sweat – soon revealed the true harshness and technical difficulty of the terrain.

Just a few hours by 4×4 from the labyrinthine souks and chaotic hustle of Marrakech, the High Atlas mountains feel truly remote. Crossing vast alpine plains dotted with clumps of cobalt blue and gold flowers, or picking your way over 3,000-metre passes of crimson rock, you can travel for hours without seeing another person. Eventually, a steep descent down a barely discernible path deposits you in a fertile valley and an ancient mud-brick Berber village seemingly lost in time – then you get up the next morning and do it all again…[FULL STORY]

 

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In Morocco, a Surf City Scene Includes Camels | The New York Times

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Essaouira is an increasingly popular destination for a variety of sports tourism:

The_New_York_Times_logoESSAOUIRA, Morocco — Camels lounged on the sand one recent sunny afternoon as wannabe surfers struggled with the small, washed-out waves. The wind had picked up, pleasing the kite boarders who were skidding across the bay but irritating some tourists on long boards who were hoping to ride some postcard-worthy breaks.

The shirtless teenage attendant at the local surf shop shrugged when asked about conditions the next day. “I don’t predict anymore,” he said.

Nearby, a group of European backpackers lounged on the sand and sang Oasis songs, determined to wait for better waves.

The ebb and flow of the surf are part of life in Essaouira, a walled waterfront city still guarded by a 16th-century Portuguese fort. In the medina, surf shops and board schools dot the ancient streets, next to the old craftsmen offering leather bags, jewelry and rugs…[FULL STORY]

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WATCH: A Trip to Jewish Morocco | Haaretz

Why Now Is the Time to Visit Fez, Morocco | Conde Nast

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Why Fez has become an ideal place to introduce yourself to Morocco:

conde nast travellerQuietly and ever so subtly, a new generation of designers, restaurateurs, and hoteliers have brought a fresh dimension to Morocco’s most beguiling city—while staying true to its age-old traditions and singular spirit.

There are cities we love because they’re always in flux; shape-shifters whose primary currency is the new, the innovative, the unexpected. And then there are cities we love because they never seem to change: Year after year, trip after trip, they appear as we remember them, a memory obligingly and reassuringly coming to life before us.

For many years, Fez, Morocco’s ancient seat of learning, was a member of the latter group, memorable not for its new hotels or shops but for the reliable sameness of its picturesque medina, a series of threadlike streets that at every turn seem to burrow, warren-like, deeper and deeper into the earth and into the past. You went to Marrakech, 240 miles to the southwest, to shop its concept boutiques and stay in one of its many luxury properties; you went to Fez to pretend you were still visiting the Morocco of Paul Bowles, when donkeys, not motorcycles or cars, were the preferred means of conveyance. Or of Edith Wharton, whose 1920 book In Morocco documented her travels there. “Nothing endures in Islam, except what human inertia has left standing and its own solidity has preserved from the elements,” wrote Wharton of Fez’s particular palimpsestic quality, its varied but harmonious sense of aesthetics, each enriched by the city’s earliest settlers: Berbers, Africans, Persians…[FULL STORY]

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A Legation Turns to Education | Aramco World

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The story of the Tangier American Legation, the first American public property outside of the United States and designated National Historic Landmark:

aramco worldEighty-six-year-old Aicha El Kharz has lived in Tangier’s madinah for most of her life. Her surprisingly youthful eyes peer over reading glasses as she tells you that she used to work in the neighborhood as a cleaning woman. She did so without being the least aware of the political and social significance of a certain building on the Rue d’Amerique, a building she now walks to twice a week with the aid of her cane.

That Mark Twain, Paul Bowles, Malcolm Forbes and many other American diplomats, artists and businessmen preceded her in walking the halls and rooms of this building means little to El Kharz. Nor does it matter to her that this is the only us National Historic Landmark building outside America. The Tangier American Legation, as the building was long known, is where El Kharz and hundreds of other women in the madinah (the walled and fortified heart of the city since the 14th century) are learning to read. “I want to be able to read the Qur’an,” El Kharz says, catching her breath as she works on basic Arabic sentences amid a class of 25 women with dreams of where literacy can take them.

Today the building is called the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies, or talim, an acronym that doubles as the Arabic word for “education.” The name change reflects its own change from the diplomatic and business center for expatriates it once was to its role since the late 1990s as a community center…[FULL STORY]

 

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Scaling the heights looking for birds of prey in Morocco’s High Atlas | The National

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Birds of prey in Morocco’s High Atlas range:

the national logoAt first light, I scale the arid hillside, my feet skidding on crumbling rock. Breathless and exhausted, I finally stop on a flat roof. I gaze skywards, scrutinizing the mountain ridge like a famished falcon, the valleys and plains around me hushed and deserted. There, I wait for savage inhabitants of some of the world’s most revered summits – the birds of prey of the High Atlas.

These North African peaks are home to formidable aerial predators – falcons, eagles, hawks and vultures. Abrupt, crimson ­cliffs provide perfect lodgings for birds that nest only in the most unreachable clefts of the sheerest precipices. Add vast kilometers of plains between the Atlas range and fruitful hunting ground, and they’re in perfect territory.

Our trek begins at Oukaimeden village and the mountain upon which it stands, 2,400 meters tall. It’s one of the lesser peaks that accompany North Africa’s highest, the kingly 4,000-metre Mount Toubkal. Snow crowns the surrounding summits from November until at least March. Come the winter months, Moroccans flock here to ski, but we were interested in other species; ones that steer away from crowds and are a good sight more graceful. The Atlas raptors…[FULL STORY]

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First-Ever Quiksilver Pro Casablanca Starts | Transworld Business

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Morocco continues building its reputation as a world-class surfing destination:

transworld businessAnfaplace Shopping Center, Casablanca  Morocco – Top European surfers and international competitors have flocked to the Moroccan shores to attend the inaugural Royal Moroccan Surfing Federation presents Quiksilver Pro Casablanca at Anfaplace, a men’s QS1,500 event starting Tuesday in Casablanca.

The fifth event on the men’s European Qualifying Series, this event will crown  the 2015 European Champion and award the lucky winner a wildcard spot in all QS events of the first half of 2016. With reigning Champion Joan Duru (FRA) and current rankings No.1 Maxime Huscenot (FRA), not competing in Morocco, the door is wide opened for the next generation of athletes to swoop in and take the crown. The season tally to beat being at the 14,020 points mark, potentially up to twenty surfers could clinch the European title in Morocco, making for a super exciting event in Casablanca.

For the first time in the history of professional surfing, Morocco will host competitors from all-over the planet and witness high-performance surfing battles in the Casablanca waters. With a good forecast on the horizon, the Moroccan crowds of surf afficionados, local enthusiasts and tourists on vacation should be treated to a great show under the Moroccan sun…[FULL STORY]

 

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Majestic Morocco — Tradition, History and an Enduring Golf Legacy | Huffington Post

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The roots of golf in Morocco:

Morocco, steeped in tradition and history, has entered an age where the traditional and modern coincide beautifully and harmoniously. This is evident in everything from architecture to everyday life in various cities like Marrakesh, Agadir, Casablanca and Rabat. Under the leadership of King Hassan II the country adopted a broad market-based economy, where agriculture, tourism, and phosphate mining play a major economic role unlike most other Arab countries that are dependent on oil. A component of the tourism sector that has grown steadily over the years came about in a most unpredicted way through the King’s love of golf.

Traditions and legacies take time to be built. Perhaps there is no greater example of this than what King Hassan II created back in 1971 with the inception of the Hassan II Golf Trophy. His love for golf created surprising friendships, an aura of diplomacy and the start of golf tourism for the country. He was ahead of his time by realizing that golf was a way for him to showcase the best of his country to influential people including an international cast of PGA playing professionals. King Hassan II was an early adapter of a strategy that many country tourist boards are currently trying to develop and implement.

Golf has played a role in Morocco for over a century with the first course opening in Tangier in 1914. Today there are more than 30 courses with several more in development. King Hassan II had such a passion for golf that he created interest, intrigue, good will and put the best of Morocco on display through golf. He surrounded himself with many influential golf people like Billy Casper and Calude Harmon that in their own right were legends of the game and came to love Morocco and treat it as their second home…[FULL STORY]

 

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The Next Fun Home? Sundance to Develop Eight New Works in Morocco Next Year | Playbill

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The Sundance Institute supporting theater in Morocco:

playbillThe Sundance Institute has announced that it will significantly expand its cultural exchange program with a new initiative to support theatre-makers from the Middle East and North Africa. The annual Theatre Lab, previously held in Utah, will be held in Morocco in 2016, with equal representation from both the U.S. and Arabic­-speaking countries.

The Institute will host a theatre lab in Marrakech in May 2016, where up to eight projects will be selected to participate. Taking place at the Fellah Hotel, in collaboration with Dar al­-Ma’mûn, Sundance will provide transportation, rehearsal space, dramaturgical support and an acting company for artists to experiment and develop their work.

Previously hosted in Utah, the lab has provided support and development to such acclaimed Broadway musicals as Fun Home and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, as well as new works Circle Mirror Transformation, ToasT, Appropriate and many more…[FULL STORY]

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