SME Times, News Bureau (Marrakech, Morocco, May 30, 2013) — In an effort to further boost India-Africa business collaborations, an “India-Africa Partnership Day” is being organized on the sidelines of the African Development Bank’s annual general meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco, being held May 27-31.

The Indian delegation for the event, being organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Exim Bank, comprises industrialists, heads of public sector undertakings and senior finance ministry officials, a FICCI release said Wednesday. The delegates include FICCI’s past president R.V. Kanoria, Exim Bank CMD T.C.A.

Ranganathan and Secretary (Economic Affairs) in the finance ministry Arvind Mayaram. New Delhi had recently hosted the successful 9th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnerships which discussed projects worth nearly USD 64 billion.

“The India-Africa Partnership Day with the theme ‘Sharing India’s Experiences with Africa in PPP’ is being organized to serve as a platform for sharing of India’s experiences, knowledge and ideas on facilitating and financing infrastructure development through mechanisms including the PPP (public-private partnership) model, with constituents and stakeholders from African countries,” FICCI said.

India’s investments in Africa since 2005 total USD 50 billion and lines of credit to African countries total USD 8 billion.

Several multinational giants like Tata, Reliance, Bharti Airtel and Ashok Leyland have significant presence in Africa.

“Indian firms have signed large deals in more than 30 African countries – from infrastructure and pharmaceutical projects in Senegal to power, finance and automotive projects in Ghana and automotive, energy and power infrastructure in Sudan, to the full spectrum of sectoral engagement in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania and in North Africa.

“By deliberating on experiences of Indian companies in implementing projects in Africa, and exploring ways to scale up these investments, the event will also help synergize the priority areas for engagement between the African Development Bank and its members, Government of India, Exim Bank of India and corporates in Africa and India,” said FICCI.

Encouraged by the growth in bilateral exports and imports in the current fiscal, the target for India-Africa trade has been raised to USD 100 billion over the next two years.

Uzbekistan’s Yuldusz Turdevia Ensemble performed at the 2012 Fes Festival in Morocco. CNN

*Get ready for flamenco guitar, social consciousness and Sufi mystics. The world’s most spiritual music fest kicks off this week*

CNN (Fez, Morocco, June 3) — If there’s a music festival out there with more ambitious aims we don’t know about it.

The official goal of Morocco’s annual Fes Festival (June 7-15) “is to harness the arts and spirituality in the service of human and social development, and the relationship between peoples and cultures.”

If that sounds like the syllabus description for the most tedious university seminar you ever sat through, fear not.

More than earnest academic discussions, Fes Fest is a blast of music and dance, a raucous gathering of some of the most talented and exotic musicians in the region.

Organizers say between 300,00 and 400,000 are expected to attend this year’s festival.

Titled “Love is My Religion,” the opening night concert is being directed by Spain’s Andre Marin and showcases renowned flamenco vocalists Carmen Linares and La Macanita, legendary flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia, Morocco’s Amazigh songstress Cherifa and Sephardic singer Francoise Atlan.

American punk priestess Patti Smith is the festival’s closing act.

This year’s Fes Fest features 65 acts, including some of the region’s top musicians. Highlights among the approximately 65 world artists and bands that will perform include Syria’s best known female vocalist, Assala Nasri; a collaboration between South Africa’s Ladysmith and the Chicago Gospel Experience; and Morocco’s Gnawa music tradition maestro Hamid Kasri, who will perform in the Bab Boujoulud, the ancient main plaza of Fes.

Sufi nights, late night sessions with the best of Morocco’s mystical Sufi music ensembles, are an annual favorite and a huge draw.

“Fes is the cultural, intellectual and spiritual cradle of Morocco, so it is significant that this annual festival takes place in the city,” says festival Asia and North America managing director Zeyba Rahman.

“All the programs are held in historic and beautiful UNESCO designated World Heritage Sites. It brings together culturally significant artists from diverse faiths from around the world and includes the highest caliber Moroccan musicians.”

Panel discussions also bring together global authorities.

“The current affairs focused Fes Forum discussions will be centered on the theme of ‘A New Andalusia: local solutions for global disorder’ over the course of four mornings in the Batha Museum,” says Rahman. “Each morning the discussions will focus on topics with talks (led by) multidisciplinary speakers.”

Panels will tackle such heady issues as, “Can financial markets be made to work in harmony for the global good?” and “Exploring Bhutan’s experiment with a focus on Gross National Happiness as a guide to national leadership.”

Festival-goers are welcome to take part in seminars and discussions.

Fes has been considered Morocco’s intellectual capital for centuries. In addition to the festival, visitors can check out the old medina and Dar Tazi gardens, or relax on Berber rugs and sip mint tea in atmospheric cafes around the city of approximately one million residents.

Fes Festival; June 7-15, 2013; tickets and information available on the festival website; most travelers arrive by rail or plane at Fes–Saïss Airport, located about 10 kilometers outside the city. Airlines that serve the aiport include Air Arabia, Air France, easyJet and Ryanair.

Moroccan film ”Le Temps du Terrorisme” debuted May 16, 10 years after Casablanca suicide attacks. Hassan Benmehdi

*”Morocco is a country which is essentially based on tolerance & knowing how to live together with our differences. It is these values which, throughout history, have made Morocco as strong as it is.”*

– Fouad Laroui, Moroccan intellectual

Magharebia, by Hassan Benmehdi in Casablanca (Casablanca, Morocco, June 3, 2013) — The Casablanca suicide bombings of May 16th, 2003 continue to provide a source of inspiration for Moroccan film directors.

Last year, Nabil Ayouch won international recognition for “Les Chevaux de Dieu“, which examined the social and cultural factors that led 14 boyhood friends from a working-class district of Casablanca to kill themselves and dozens of others.

The latest movie to address the issue of youth indoctrination and recruitment, “Le Temps du Terrorisme” (The Time of Terrorism), officially hit the big screen on May 22nd.

But it made its premiere on the 10th anniversary of the suicide bombings.

According to director Aziz Saadallah, the movie conveys a very simple message: “We don’t want any more terrorism; we don’t want a repeat of 2003.” His film seeks to highlight the importance of dialogue and exchange in eliminating backward thinking, Saadallah added.

“Morocco is a country which is essentially based on tolerance and knowing how to live together with our differences,” commented Fouad Laroui, a Moroccan intellectual. “It is indeed these values which, throughout history, have made Morocco as strong as it is.”

The bombings were the deadliest ever seen in the kingdom. And the worst of the 2003 Casablanca attacks occurred at the Casa de España. Some 15 people, including children, died at the Spanish eatery.

Fourteen young men under age 23, who grew up together in the Hay Sidi Moumen shantytown of Morocco’s biggest city, launched the suicide bomb attacks on restaurants, the Hotel Farah and a Jewish community centre.  Twelve suicide bombers and 33 civilians were killed in the five blasts. Scores more were injured.

Attacks have occurred since May 16th, 2003, but the Casablanca bombings shattered the image of Morocco as a country untouched by terrorism and heralded its transition from one era to another.  In recent years, filmmakers have seen a need to revisit the tragedy.

“This film has really highlighted the danger of religious radicalism, which threatens the cohesion of Moroccan society.” Nadia and Merouan, two young bank employees from Casablanca, told Magharebia.

Artistic creations can indeed improve understanding of how religious extremism develops, young sociology researcher Abdelkbir Noceir said. “It’s when we look at ourselves that we discover a lot of things,” he said.

The objective of “Le Temps du Terrorisme”, the director said, was to lay bare the hidden face of religious extremism and the societal issues contribute to fanaticism in Morocco. In the director’s view, this poses a serious threat to the pacifist structure of Moroccan society.

The movie’s story is told from the perspective of M’jid, who sees the violent behaviour of his neighbour Omar towards his wife and his twelve-year-old child. His neighbour also sympathises with radical religious groups.

To see how those who spread reactionary ideas operate, M’jid begins to take a closer look at Omar.

Lebanese singer Assi El Helani gave memorable performance during 12th Mawazine festival in Rabat. Naoufel Cherkaoui

*” I am very happy and proud to be present in Morocco… We hope that the rest of the Arab people follow the Moroccan example of affection, unity and rejection of violence.”

– Lebanese singer Assi El Helani*

Magharebia, by Naoufel Cherkaoui (Rabat, Morocco, June 3, 2013) — The 12th edition of the week-long Mawazine festival ended on Saturday, June 1st. A record number of 2.5 million spectators of all generations attended this year’s event, organisers said.

French DJ David Guetta and Lebanese singer Assi El Helani, who were on stage in Rabat last Wednesday, were shining examples of the presence of different cultures for which Mawazine has come to be known.

The immensely-popular David Guetta performed on the OLM Souissi stage, dedicated to international artists. Nearly 185,000 spectators came to see him in action. “It is an honor for me to be with you today,” Guetta told his audience. “We must do something special for this evening. I was not expecting such wide attendance.”

Guetta entertained the public through an hour and a half concert. His audience sang along “Without You” and “When Love Takes Over,” and waved their lit phone screens in appreciation. “Despite preparing end of year exams, I came to attend Guetta’s concert, like many other young people who love the French DJ’s music,” university student Salwa said.

El Helani was also a great success among his audience, for which he sang some of his most beautiful songs. “I am very happy and proud to be present in Morocco, a country loved by all Lebanese, and to participate, in my opinion, in one of the most important international festivals,” he told the press.

“To be part of this festival has become the dream of any artist, whether Arab or foreign, as evidenced by the number and quality of artists participating,” El Helani added. The festival’s organisers successfully combined “the West and the East,” the Lebanese star said. El Helani chose old and new songs to honour his audience, among which were “Ya Mima” and “Ya Nakir el Maaroof.”

“We hope that the rest of the Arab people follow the Moroccan example of affection, unity and rejection of violence,” he stressed. “I hope that the region will be void of sectarian wars, and I thank the people here for their hospitality and warm reception.”

Mourad Bouriki, the Moroccan winner of the Arab version of “The Voice,” performed alongside El Helani that evening. “I am proud to be performing on the same stage as the great artist Assi,” he said. “Also, I am very excited to perform in my country Morocco and in my first public performance since the contest.”

Several other free performances took place every day along some of the city’s large avenues. Morocco’s Nomad Company Theatre and the Azalaï Parade delighted spectators last Wednesday, while at the other end of town, Senegalese troop Tapha N’Diaye and Greek, Turkish and Bulgarian group Fanfare P4 performed for a charmed audience.

Marrakech: Hundreds of Moroccan carpets displayed in famous Jemaa el Fna square. Photo: Reuters

The Australian Financial Review, by Ute Junker (Marrakech, Morocco, May 31, 2013) — From a dusty desert outpost, Marrakech has grown into a city that seems to exist in several epochs and several continents at once. You can haggle with stallholders in the souk or shop in elegant boutiques; you can sip mint tea as you watch snake charmers in the main square, or down mojitos in a chic bar. Our guide lets you pick your destination for your mood.

The old city: the medina

The medina, the walled heart of Marrakech, is nothing if not labyrinthine. “Expect to get lost”, guidebooks counsel newcomers, and it’s true that maintaining a sense of direction is difficult. However, with the locals uniformly helpful when it comes to giving directions, there’s no reason not to plunge in.

The must-see attraction is the Ben Youssef Madrasa, a 16th-century boarding school for students of Islamic law and the Koran. If you time your visit between tour groups, the complex has a palpable sense of tranquillity, along with gorgeously elaborate carving and stucco work.

The nearby Maison de la Photographie (46 Rue Ahel Fes) is a beautifully restored riad (guest house) featuring a collection of Marrakech photographs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries – the portraits are particularly compelling. The roof terrace is a good place to cool down with a drink.

The various souks scattered throughout the medina are only for those who enjoy a hard sell – be prepared to haggle hard. If you’re in the market for spices, the best quality product is always available from herbalists. You may have to listen patiently to the sales pitch for other products, which usually includes a cough-inducing demonstration of how nigella seeds can clear out the throat and chest.

There’s a wealth of rooftop terraces where you can relax with a drink and a snack. Kosybar (47 Place des Ferblantiers) is one of the best places to enjoy a twilight drink, while the neighbouring storks return to their nests and families come out to play in the quiet square below.

If you only make it to the medina once, dine at Jemaa el Fna, the vast main square. The place comes alive at sunset, filling with musicians, snake charmers and numbered stalls offering freshly cooked food. Squeeze on a bench with the locals and order up small bites, from Moroccan salads to tasty merguez sausages or large chunks of roast lamb. Follow the crowds to the most popular stalls: 1, 31 and 32 are all good bets, and give you a ringside seat from which to watch the hot snail sellers – princes among the vendors.

Pick up a bag of fresh or salted nuts to munch on the way home, and your night will be complete.

The new city: Guéliz

Beyond the walls of the medina lies another Marrakech, a more modern city where much of the population lives, works and shops. Most visitors who take the trip to Guéliz, the modern area immediately adjoining the medina, are drawn by the Jardin Majorelle, a tranquil oasis created in the 1920s by French artist Jacques Majorelle, and once owned by Yves Saint Laurent.

Few visitors realise that along the nearby Rue de la Liberté lies some of the city’s best shopping, where small boutiques offer well-selected items from around the world. Some of the shops even stock the same ceramics on sale in the souk at very reasonable prices.

Michèle Baconnier (6 Rue des Vieux Marrakchis) features colourful accessories and outfits from around the world, while next door, the minimalist Moor offers wardrobe basics in neutral shades. Around the corner, more colour is on offer at Atika (34 Rue de la Liberté), which sells Tod’s-style loafers for a fraction of the price. A few blocks down, Scènes de Lin’s (70 Rue de la Liberté) has beautifully colourful linen napkins.

The cluster of shops at the intersection of Rue de la Liberté and Avenue Mohamed V includes Place Vendôme (141 Avenue Mohamed V), which stocks quality leather wares such as Hermès-inspired handbags.

From here, head to 61 Rue Yougoslavie, where you’ll find one of Marrakech’s most important galleries, Matisse Art Gallery, which showcases the country’s top artists.

If you’ve worked up an appetite, Le Loft (18 Rue de la Liberté) offers classic brasserie food in a hip industrial setting. For local flavours, right where Guéliz meets the medina, you’ll find La Mamounia (Avenue Bab Jdid). One of Marrakech’s most sumptuous hotels, it also has one of its best Moroccan restaurants, Le Marocain. In a classic courtyard setting, enjoy traditional favourites such as pastilla, as well as new-school Moroccan delights. The nem chicken rolls are highly recommended.

The party city: Hivernage

The lush greenery is a clear sign you’re not in the medina any more. Not far from the old city walls, the Hivernage area, home to a cluster of five-star hotels, is also the heart of Marrakech’s nightlife. The best venues are all within walking distance of each other, which makes it easy to sample a few different scenes.

Hivernage has a two-speed vibe. For a more relaxed evening – think outdoor drinks enjoyed by candlelight – visit either Café Extrablatt (corner Avenue Echouhada and Rue Alqadissia) or the Sofitel’s So bar, where the outdoor verandah delivers an Arabian Nights ambience.

If you’re after something more buzzing, Palais Jad Mahal (10 Rue Fontaine de la Mamounia) has live music, while Le Comptoir Darna (Avenue Echouhada) is the place to see and be seen. The crowds here are usually so dense that it’s difficult to take in the Arabian decor.

Both venues double as restaurants early in the evening, with the music starting to heat up around 11pm.

Theatro at the Hotel es Saadi is the place to live out your decadent Marrakech fantasies. This converted theatre combines pumping techno music with over-the-top on-stage antics (think four-poster beds and flamethrowers).

Scene from the film “Tinghir-Jerusalem: Echoes from the Mellah”

MACC (Washington, DC, June 4, 2013) — When people think of Morocco and its culture, the first things that come to mind are the food, the colorful mosaic tiles, and the splendid desert landscapes we so often see in American films.

Less well known, perhaps because they are less sensory, less tangible, are Morocco’s diverse heritage and its values of tolerance and openness.

One of the greatest examples of this is Morocco’s unique story of coexistence between Muslims and Jews. Jews have lived in Morocco—today a predominantly Arab, Muslim country—for more than three thousand years, and they continue to prosper there today. When in World War II France’s Vichy regime asked Morocco to identify its Jews for eventual deportation, the late King Mohamed V refused, reportedly stating, “We have no Jews in Morocco, only Moroccans.” Morocco’s 2011 Constitution formally recognizes that the country’s national identity is ”nourished and enriched” by Jewish influences; and as recently as last month, burial sites of Moroccan Jews who settled in Cape Verde were restored and rededicated with key financial support from King Mohammed VI.

More than 100 people attended screening in Washington, DC on May 29, 2013.

Last week, in a salute to Jewish American Heritage Month, the Moroccan American Cultural Center brought this story of coexistence and mutual respect to the American public with a screening of the award-winning documentary “Tinghir-Jerusalem: Echoes from the Mellah.”

Born in the small Berber village of Tinghir, history-teacher-turned-filmmaker Kamal Hachkar moved to France at a young age, where he grew up with the notion that all Berbers were Muslims, and that—if the evening news had anything to say about it—Muslims and Jews could never coexist. But each year he would vacation in Tinghir with his family, and there he learned from his grandparents that some Berbers were Jewish and that in many villages—like his hometown—Muslims and Jews lived together, side by side, for ages.

Having struggled himself with understanding his many identities—Muslim, Moroccan, Berber, French— Hachkar wanted to know more about these Jews who had lived in an Arab country. He set out on a journey that took him from the Atlas Mountains—where he started by interviewing his family, his friends and his neighbors on their memories of the Jews of Tinghir—to Jerusalem, where he met families that to this day hold on to their Moroccan heritage.

What he found is that “you can be French, Moroccan, Berber, Jewish….”

“They’re not mutually exclusive,” he explained via video conference following the screening.

When asked by a member of the audience—which numbered over one hundred people including Jews, Muslims, Frenchmen, Moroccans, Americans and Berbers—whether the film had been screened in Israel, Hachkar noted that he had shown the film at multiple venues there, and the most meaningful screening for him was in Jerusalem. There, Israelis and Palestinians alike “were touched by this universal question of roots and identity, leaving one’s country, knowing where one’s place is.”

“Palestinians would say how Aisha [an elderly Jewish woman from Tinghir featured in the film] reminded them of their grandmothers,” he reported.

Sir Charles Dahan, Vice President of the World Federation of Moroccan Jewry, asks filmmaker Kamal Hachkar a question via Skype following the screening.

Muslim and Jewish Moroccans at the screening echoed the sentiments of mutual respect and understanding. When one gentleman—originally from Tinghir—declared that there were no problems between Muslims and Jews in Morocco, that everyone was accepted as Moroccan there, the audience erupted into applause.

It was a moment reminiscent of the film itself.

“They [the interviewees in the film] are great poets. Speaking in metaphors about loss and leaving one’s country. They speak with their hearts,” said Hachkar.

The film has won numerous accolades, including “Best Film” at the Rabat International Film Festival for Human Rights, 2012; “Best Documentary” at the World Jewish Film Festival, 2012; and “Best First Film” at the Tangier National Film Festival, 2013.

For more information on Morocco’s Jewish heritage click here.

Pupil holds whiteboard in Amazigh class in Rabat. Berber activists hailed Morocco minister’s decision to speak Amazigh in Parliament, saying it was the first time their native tongue, officially recognized in the new Constitution, has been used there.

France 24 (Rabat, Morocco, June 4, 2013) — Berber activists on Tuesday hailed a Moroccan minister’s decision to speak Amazigh in parliament, saying it was the first time their indigenous tongue which is recognized as an official language in the new constitution has been used there.

During a routine session in Morocco’s lower house on Monday, Health Minister Hossein El Ouardi was questioned in Amazigh by an opposition MP about the “inadequate health infrastructure” in the Berber-speaking northern region of Hoceima.

The speaker asked the minister if he intended to reply in Amazigh or Arabic, the language normally spoken in parliament.

“I will visit Al-Hoceima soon and I will call you to go and see what’s going on there and to resolve the problem,” Ouardi replied in Tarifit, an Amazigh dialect spoken in the Rif region where he comes from.

The initiative was applauded by MPs, and his response was translated into Arabic for the non-Berber speakers, with a video of the session posted online by Moroccan media.

“It’s a first in the history of (Morocco’s) parliament,” a Berber activist told AFP.

The new constitution, introduced by King Mohammed VI in 2011 in response to Arab Spring protests and overwhelmingly approved in a referendum, recognised Amazigh as “an official language of the state,” alongside Arabic.

It was the first time a north African country granted official status to the region’s indigenous language.

But like many articles in the new constitution, parliament has to yet to pass “organic” legislation that would ensure it can be used as such, despite promises by the prime minister to make that a priority.

There are three main Amazigh dialects spoken in Morocco, namely Tarifit in the north, Tamazight in the centre of the country and Tachelhit, or Chleuh, in the south.

The Berbers have been in Morocco since pre-Islamic times and make up more than half of the country’s population.

(Article in French)

Au Fait Maroc (June 4, 2013) — The 4^th edition of the national handicrafts and artisanal exposition kicked off June 3 in Fez with Abdessamad Kayouh, Minister of Crafts and Artisans, opening the show.

The event  seeks to promote Morocco’s rich, diverse, and authentic product offering, from some 70 artisans coming from the cities of Fez and Marrakech. “Tradition and modernity” is the theme of this gathering, with products ranging from simple art objects and interior decor items to traditional clothing and other leather and wood products.

Products showcased include tapestry, basketry, embroidery, iron-forged items, sculpted wood, jewelry, ceramic art, and copper, highlighting the country’s diverse craftsmanship. These products carry a strong cultural  heritage featuring know-how that has been jealously guarded for centuries.

Mohammed V Boulevard in Fez will be transformed for the occasion, with an expected audience of more than 20,000 attending.

This 4^th edition will be followed by the Salon Expo Artisan 2013 in Marrakech, showcasing the talent and know-how of the 300 best Moroccan artisans and small and medium craft and decor businesses from Fez and Marrakech.

[Continue Reading in French…]

A crowd of 150,000 – whole families, young, old, everyone — gathered at OLM Souissi, an open-air venue in one of Rabat’s city gardens, to see Rihanna open the Mawazine Music Festival May 24. Clash

* Concert Review: For anyone who thinks Morocco is a country full of traditionalist, conservative Muslims who don’t know how to party, make sure you get yourself over to Mawazine next year. You’ll be surprised.*

Clash, by Lauren Razavi (Rabat, Morocco, June 7, 2013) — It’s 10pm on a Friday night, and Morocco’s capital city is truly buzzing.

Tonight is the opening event of the African continent’s biggest musical celebration, now in its 12th year: the Mawazine Music Festival. An audience of 150,000 has gathered at the OLM Souissi, an open-air arena-inspired venue in one of Rabat’s expansive city gardens.

And what has garnered this record-breaking festival crowd? That would be an artist who, on the surface, seems to contradict Moroccan culture in its entirety: the gossip-column celebrity and global sex symbol known as Rihanna.

If the packed-out show is anything to go by, Rihanna is well-loved in Morocco, despite her naughty reputation. Strangely enough, the Barbados-born chanteuse does fit in well here. Every artist performing at the festival boasts an international flavor either personally or musically, and she’s no exception.

Her return to Morocco is as part of her Diamonds World Tour, which will visit every continent over the next few months. Tonight’s performance offers something quite special, however: the rare opportunity to see Rihanna emerge on stage (almost) fully dressed.

Rumour has it Morocco has actually contractually obliged her to dress down for the occasion, and keep a lid on her raunchier side. What a country.

Standing in the crowd, it’s a peculiar scene. The young and the old gather, with no booze or drugs on sale or in sight, enraptured by the superstar in their midst.

The atmosphere is incredible; there’s no fear of judgement here, no British stiff upper lip to contend with, or hipsters worrying about looking cool. RiRi arrives on stage just over an hour late, but that doesn’t seem to bother anyone.

Excitement reigns as the show begins. Rihanna’s most popular singles like ‘Umbrella’ and ‘Shut Up And Drive’ incite the grandest response, but lesser-known album tracks also receive an energetic audience reaction.

Rabat seems to appreciate that Rihanna has come to visit, hanging on every note of every song, and each word of her stage banter – whether they understand it or not, it seems.

The audience is made up of… well, everyone. Whole families are out together; children sit on their parents’ shoulders holding ‘I-heart-Rihanna’ signs. Well-dressed 20-something blokes dance together, completely uninhibited. Everyone seems to know the words, whether wearing burkas or skimpy maxi dresses.

Rihanna ends her main set with the trio of ‘S&M’ (without even one cheeky crotch-grab), ‘Only Girl In The World’ and ‘Don’t Stop The Music’, before an exhilarated audience invites her back for an encore with rapturous applause. ‘Stay’ and ‘Diamonds’ follow, and it’s safe to say Rihanna doesn’t put a foot wrong.

Without the distraction of too much flesh, Rihanna offers an impressive set on the strength of songs and vocals, combined with talent as an entertainer and dancer. She proves a fine choice of artist to kick off Mawazine – though she’s in good company, with performances from The Jacksons, Enrique Iglesias, Jessie J and David Guetta to follow.

And for anyone who thinks Morocco is a country full of traditionalist, conservative Muslims who don’t know how to party, make sure you get yourself over to Mawazine next year. You’ll be surprised.

Photo: Sife El Amine for Mawazine Festival 

Bookings to Ouarzazate, Morocco, also known as ‘door of the desert,’ jumped 100% since season premiere of Game of Thrones, HBO’s series that has enthralled viewers worldwide. LateRooms.com

The Hot Hits, Compass, by Bekah Wright (June 3, 2013) — Game Of Thrones is everyone’s favorite TV show right now, and a trip to Westeros may be high on your list of must do’s! But Westeros isn’t real – so how will you get there? Well, you can get pretty close by visiting some of the Game Of Thrones filming locations

You can’t find Westeros, Essos, or Astapor on the map. They are the mythical lands in the HBO series “Game of Thrones.”  But the locations where GoT scenes are filmed — Iceland, Morocco and Croatia – are  very real destinations where travelers hope to capture the spirit of the epic fantasy.

Daenerys Targaryen’s travels to the city of Astapor were filmed in historic town of Essaouira, Morocco. Image by Lukas Vermeer Atlas of Wonders

Following Daenerys

Essaouira, Morocco – Daenerys has been travelling to some pretty incredible places, and to see some of them you need to go to Morocco. She got her unsullied soldiers from the city of Astapor – in reality, the coastal town of Essaouira.

“Game of Thrones” Astapor is Morocco’s coastal town of Essaouira.

The crew also take advantage of Morocco’s Atlas Studios, which is apparently the world’s largest film studio. You can take a tour of this place, which has been used on several occasions for Game Of Thrones and other films and TV shows.

Actress Emilia Clarke on set in Morocco preparing for scene as dragon Princess Daenerys Targaryen in “Game of Thrones.”

Ouarzazate, Morocco –  Known for scenes featuring GoT’s Daenerys Targaryen is an ancient, walled Berber city, known as “the gateway to the desert.” It’s other nickname – the “Hollywood of Morocco.” The city’s desert locale has made it the perfect setting for films including Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia and Troy.

Ouarzazate, Morocco, featured in “Game of Thrones.” Photo: Morocco National Tourist Office

And why not, with scenery aplenty from the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the fortified city and well-preserved Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, Dadès Gorge, Valley of Roses and the Sahara Desert. Ouarzazate is garnering increased bookings of late, with LateRooms.com reporting its own 100% increase in the city.

The Real Winterfell

We haven’t seen Winterfell in season three, but it was an important location early on in the show’s run. The Castle Ward estate in Northern Ireland, just south of Belfast, was used as Winterfell’s courtyard. Plus the grounds were used as the campsite of the Lannister army. The estate is open to the public. But that wasn’t the only castle used as Winterfell. Doune Castle in Scotland was also used as Winterfell in the very first episode of Game Of Thrones. Winterfell’s distinctive towers were most likely created with CGI, meaning you won’t be able to visit those anywhere in the world.

Image via HBO and AWN.com

The Wall

There’s no actual wall, and most of what we see at Castle Black is created with digital effects. Sorry. But filming is around a disused quarry in Magheramorne in Northern Ireland. Most of the snow and ice is added in post-production.

Pyke And The Iron Islands

Ballintoy Harbour in Northern Ireland stood in for Pyke and the Iron Islands in season two. Back when we still kind of like Theon, we saw him arriving at the harbour and getting all creepy with a girl who turned out to be his sister. Well the real place doesn’t look too different from what we saw on our screens.

King’s Landing

Malta served as King’s Landing in season one, but from season two onwards filming changed to Dubrovnik in Croatia. You’ll recognise the orange roofs from some of the establishing shots we’ve seen of King’s Landing. The old streets of the city have been featured in several scenes. The city’s incredible walls were used for the Battle of Blackwater sequence. The park Trsteno Arboretum was used for a series of scenes involving the Tyrell ladies and Sansa Stark. You can even do a Game Of Thrones walking tour of the city.

Behind The Wall

You’ll need to travel to Iceland to go behind the wall! Scenes featuring the Night’s Watch and the Wildlings have been shot in locations like Vatnajökull national park, the shores of Lake Mývatn, Svínafellsjökull and the heathland of Höfðabrekkuheiði. One of the most memorable locations is the cave where Jon Snow and Ygritte get it on – well you can definitely visit that place. It’s called Grjótagjá and is in the Lake Mývatn area.

In season 3, Daenerys Targaryen emerges as Mother Of Dragons, which was filmed near Ouarzazate, gateway to the Sahara, in Morocco, to bring George R.R. Martin’s fictional world to life. NBC

It is the Berber women of Morocco who constitute front line in halting spread of the Sahara. The Globalist

*Spread of the Sahara poses serious environmental & economic risks to N. Africa & whole Mediterranean region. John Mathews explains how Berber village women in Morocco’s argan groves are holding back the spreading desert by producing a first-world luxury good. Production & trade of argan oil also has added benefit of empowering the women.*

The Globalist, by John Mathews (Saturday, June 8, 2013) — Everyone knows that the world’s deserts — from the Sahara to the Gobi — are spreading their fingers of sand. The desert expands as lands are over-grazed and over-tilled. Trees are clear-felled for timber.

The loss of vegetation and drought drives the process. The Sahara is expanding south at a rate of 48 km per year, as once-fertile lands become arid.

But there is a good news story to set against this dreary narrative. In Morocco, there are strong counter-moves to stop the desert at the Atlas Mountains (see map).

A Moroccan argan tree. Photo Credit: Bjorn Christian Torrissen – Wikimedia

The story involves a native tree, the argan, but also the Berber women of the Atlas. They are organizing to save the tree, and their livelihoods, through village-based women’s cooperatives.

For centuries, the Berber tribes of southwest Morocco have lived in villages with their crops, their herds of sheep and goats — and their argan trees.

These semi-desert, spiky bush-like trees have deep roots and the capacity to survive even in the harshest conditions.

They also provided villagers over those centuries with critical resources — fuel for cooking and heating, timber for building, fodder for goats and cattle — and oil, extracted laboriously from the dried fruits of the tree.

Then Europe intervened. When the properties of argan oil were discovered by European chemists, a new industry sprang up. Argan oil was soon exploited both for cosmetic purposes (anti-aging, anti-wrinkling) and culinary uses (nutty tasting oil for cooking and salads).

For centuries, Berber tribes have lived in villages with their crops, their flocks and their argan trees. The Globalist

Argan oil became the most expensive table oil on the planet. And an argan boom was created in Morocco.

Unlike past European interventions, though, this one was fortuitous. For through this process, unfolding in the 1980s and ’90s, the destruction of argan groves in Morocco was actually slowed.

Reforestation programs have been started in an attempt to reverse the process. In effect, argan oil established a new line of defense against encroaching desertification with renewed support for argan groves.

The Atlas Mountains, with their argan tree cover, now stand as the only protection against the encroaching Sahara.

The argan oil phenomenon has three aspects that make it of global interest.

• Its ecological properties stand as shield against desertification.
• Its economic potential earns revenues for Berber communities and exports for Morocco.
• Its social dimension is that much of the argan oil phenomenon has been driven by new women’s cooperatives. This gives them a source of independence and balancing gender roles in a largely Islamic country.

Argan tree is indigenous to Morocco and provides ideal buffer against desertification. The Globalist

Ecological: The Moroccan argan groves cover an area of approximately one million hectares (2.47 million acres) in the country’s southwest, between the Atlas Mountains and the Atlantic coast.

It is a precious ecological resource — as recognized by UNESCO in granting it “Man and Biosphere Reserve” status in 1998.

The argan tree, with its deep roots and capacity to withstand arid conditions, is indigenous to Morocco and provides an ideal buffer against desertification. It binds the soil and provides shelter for many other rural activities.

Without it, the Sahara would already have advanced beyond the Atlas Mountains to approach the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. This would have had devastating results for the countries concerned and the regional climate.

Berber tribes plying the Sahara desert.

Instead there is a light covering of argan trees across the Moroccan landscape today. But it is one that desperately needs to be strengthened — if desertification is to be stopped and (even) reversed.

Economic: Morocco’s argan grove was almost destroyed by willful deforestation. This was driven largely by pursuit of wood for fuel by fast-growing cities like Casablanca.

It was the developed world’s (re)discovery of the argan nut’s wonderful properties that provided an alternative economic resource, in addition to destructive use of the tree for its wood.

The nut and its oil had been in traditional use for centuries, but it was only after its properties were further developed by European and Moroccan scientists that its distinctive, pure, nutty flavor and properties became known to a global market.

Business of harvesting, processing & marketing the fruit & oil is almost entirely an activity of village women.

Today, argan oil is one of the world’s most expensive, selling wholesale for €28 ($36) per liter. In retail markets such as European cosmetic shops the price can reach several hundred euros per liter.

It is prized as culinary oil in Japanese, European and New York restaurants for its nutty, fresh flavor.

But as an indigenous tree its productivity is limited. As much as 30kg of nuts are needed to produce one liter of oil.

A single argan tree can produce only about one liter of oil per season — compared with 50 liters of oil from an olive tree. That explains the high price.

Social: The business of harvesting, processing and marketing the argan fruit and oil is almost entirely an activity of Berber village women. They increasingly organize themselves into women’s village cooperatives in order to have some extra market clout.

Berber women have organized women’s village cooperatives for extra market clout. Above: Coopérative Agricole Féminine Tifaout. Photo by the author.

Traditionally the women would perform these tasks in isolated households. Berber men would take the extra oil (beyond that needed for daily living) to market.

Now increasingly, due to sustained efforts by NGOs and by village women themselves, the activities are dominated by women as a group, who increasingly control revenues from the sale of the cosmetic and edible versions of the argan oil.

In a deeply conservative Islamic culture, this is no mean feat.

In an eco-tour in the Atlas Mountains undertaken in April 2013, I met some of these women’s coop members.

Lalla Nezha Aktir is President of the Coopérative Agricole Féminine Tifaout, organized for purposes of production and commercialization of argan oil and local agricultural products.

She is a very forceful and dedicated protector of her coop’s interests. The picture shows the sign to the coop’s activities center. (No picture of Ms Aktir is provided at her own request.)

Of course, the benefits of argan oil are not fairly distributed. The retailers and intermediaries still pocket most of the funds generated. Only a small amount flows back to the village women.

Moroccan Berber woman.

But the women’s coops are directly targeting this issue and are raising their share of the total revenues generated by the value chain as a result.

There are several NGOs working with the women’s coops to help drive this process.

Industry associations have been created expressly to give the women a collective voice in maintaining quality control and their own employment possibilities, as well as facilitating access to the wider market.

Such organizations include the GIEs (Groupements d’Interets Economiques, see for example the Taroudannt GIE), as well as the National Association of Argan Cooperatives (ANCA) and the Union of Women’s Argan Cooperatives (UCFA), utilizing brands such as “Argan d’or.”

However, the gains women have made are precarious and could be undone by their own success.

Fundamentally, it is the women organized in their cooperatives in Morocco, bringing argan oil to the world and generating alternative economic uses for the argan tree, who constitute the front line in halting the further northward spread of the Sahara in Morocco.

Their efforts are bearing fruit in every sense of the term. It is time that the rest of the world recognized this fundamental contribution and rewarded them appropriately.

Berber women organized in their cooperatives in Morocco, bringing argan oil to the world and generating alternative uses for the argan tree, are front line in halting northward spread of the Sahara. The Globalist

Five young artists from Morocco to India are winners of 6th annual Abraaj Group Art Prize. Daily Star

*6th annual Abraaj Group Art Prize exhibition will debut at Art Dubai 2014 and feature artists from Iran, India, Morocco, and Egypt.*

AhramOnline and The Daily Star, by Kaelen Wilson-Goldie (Beruit, Lebanon, June 12, 2013) — Five young artists from Morocco to India have been named the winners of the sixth annual Abraaj Group Art Prize, organizers announced Tuesday. The works will be unveiled in an exhibition at Art Dubai 2014.

Funded by the Abraaj Group, a leading private equity investor, the Art Prize seeks to support and showcase exceptional talent emerging from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. It is awarded annually to five artists from the region, who are selected based on their proposals for new projects. Each artist receives handsome sum of $100,000 to realize their project. The artworks, which receive financial and curatorial sponsorship by the Abraaj Group, are traditionally shown at Art Dubai, an annual international art fair.

Abraaj is unique in its self-styled emphasis on a region defined as MENASA (the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia). That description may keep the award focused on the biographies and personal histories of its chosen artists, yet all of this year’s winners span far more complex geographies in their day-to-day lives, to say nothing of the lines of thought emanating from their works, which more often than not question, challenge and double back on precisely these same categories.

Out of a large pool of applicants from the region, five artists were chosen to participate in this sixth edition of the Art Prize: Bouchra Khalili from Morocco, Abbas Akhavan and Kamrooz Aram from Iran, Anup Mathew Thoma from India, and Basim Magdy from Egypt.

“The 2014 winners are an internationally-acclaimed and diverse group combining outstanding artistic ability with a desire to engage and champion the arts throughout the region,” according to the Abraaj Group.

Bouchra Khalili from Morocco

Bouchra Khalili, for example, is a Casablanca-born, Berlin-based artist whose videos, installations and formalist works on paper delve into the often-clandestine migrations of bodies (and with them stories, ideas, arguments and beliefs) across numerous seas, cities and territories.

Her most-recent projects, including the video installation “Words on Streets” (2013) for the main exhibition at the current Venice Biennale, explore the voices of migrants, whether telling their own stories or reciting the speeches of famous liberation movements.

Basim Magdy from Egypt

Basim Magdy, meanwhile, is an Egyptian artist living in Switzerland whose films and drawings play with the elusive yet humorous relationships that can be forged between words, images and associations in between.

Two of his videos were featured in Beirut’s recent Home Works Forum.

Kamrooz Aram from Iran

Kamrooz Aram is a New York-based painter from Iran whose bold, large-scale canvases delve into histories of abstraction, modernity, ornament and décor.

Abbas Akhavan from Iran

Abbas Akhavan, also from Iran, is currently based in Toronto and specializes in installations that twine monumental gestures around an impressive simplicity of means (planting a forest in the grand hall of a former state-run printing press, for example).

Anup Mathew Thomas, who lives and works in Bangalore, gave the inaugural Kochi-Muziris Biennale one its most enduring projects – a series of riveting photographs paired with Borges-esque stories all grappling, in one way or another, with death.

The five artists will start to work with Pakistani guest curator Nada Raza on their respective art projects, which will be unveiled in March at Art Dubai 2014.  “I’m really pleased with the list,” said Raza.  Following the efforts of Murtaza Vali in 2013, and Nat Muller in 2012, Raza was appointed to the position in May. “Each project is very well thought out and shows real maturity in their practice. Each of the artists in their practice is highly evolved.”

Nada Raza, guest curator

“What’s interesting,” she added, ducking out a meeting during her day job at Tate Modern in London, “is the sheer ambition of each project. I think that’s what has come to distinguish the prize, the incredible opportunity for the production of works that artists wouldn’t be able to realize on their own. The challenge for me is to make these works accessible without diluting them.”

Abraaj is famously secretive about the nine-month process, when the winning projects are works in progress. This allows the prize to build suspense (and expectations) ahead of the unveiling, which occurs every year in the form of an exhibition housed within the art fair Art Dubai. That said, Raza was willing to make a few claims for the group.

As to whether or not she intended to introduce any major structural changes to the way the prize-winning works will be presented, Raza was firm without giving anything away.

“It will be totally different,” she said, “but I don’t have anything nailed down to speak about yet. The process of this particular prize is so interesting and unlike other curatorial projects where you go out and select the artists. I want to make the curatorial process much more transparent, because it’s much more about translating ideas. You play that role very actively. I want to make that apparent.”

For more information about the Abraaj Group Art Prize, please see http://www.abraajgroupartprize.com

The holy month of Ramadan begins Wednesday in Morocco.

 Ramadan Kareem – Ramadan Mubarak

MAP, Le Mag (Rabat, Morocco, July 9, 2013) – The holy month of Ramadan will begin Wednesday in Morocco, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs announced on Monday. The month of Sha’ban (Morocco) will be held on the 30th day.  The 1st of the holy month of Ramadan 1434 AH corresponds to Wednesday, July 10, 2013.

Arab Gulf states and Egypt have agreed with Morocco and announced that the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan will start Wednesday. A billion and a half Muslims globally are anticipating the beginning of the month-long fast, according to Reuters.

Ramadan Begins

Wall Street Journal

Photo Essay – July 9, 2013

Rabat.

A Moroccan vendor  sold traditional cakes of fried honey and flour pastries Monday to customers ahead of Ramadan. Muslims worldwide prepared for Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar with the dawn-to-dusk fast, prayers and spiritual introspection.

Khartoum.

A boy helped prepare a shop for Ramadan at a market in Sudan.

Sanaa.

Girls wearing traditional costumes attended a festival for children to welcome Ramadan in Yemen.

Peshawar.

A vendor waited for customers at a prayer-beads shop in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Jakarta.

Muslims prepared to sight the new moon from the rooftop of the Al-Hidayah Basmol mosque on Monday. The start of Ramadan, when the faithful abstain from eating from dawn to sunset, is determined by the sighting of the new moon in some locales. Indonesia will begin Ramadan on Wednesday.

Putrajaya.

A Malaysian Islamic religious officer performs ‘rukyah,’ the sighting of the new moon of Ramadan on Monday. Muslims in Malaysia will begin fasting for Ramadan on Wednesday.

Jerusalem.

An Israeli border policeman, right, stood by a Palestinian man, who was preparing decorations at the entrance of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Amman.

People bought lighting crescents Monday in Jordan.

.

Manila.

Muslim students prayed at the IBN Khaldon Asian Integrated Institute on Tuesday in the Philippines.

Mohamed Mourabiti’s studio/artist colony, Al Maqam. Aida Alami

*For Mr. Mourabiti, and others associated with the artists’ colony, the arts are an important arm in the fight against the radicalization of Morocco’s young urban poor.*

New York Times/International Herald Tribune, A11, by Aida Alami (Tahanaout, Morocco, July 11, 2013) — Nestled between trees off a small road in Tahanaout, a village at the foot of the Atlas mountains, Al Maqam is an artists’ colony cum gallery, library and hotel that is unique in Morocco.

Al Maqam, which means The Place in Arabic, is the creation of the painter Mohamed Mourabiti who started it more than 10 years ago. Buying old windows and doors in flea markets, he slowly built the center, room by room, a gradual expansion that earned him the nickname Ba Hmad, from his friend the writer and painter Mahi Binebine, after a 19th-century vizir who built a network of palaces in Marrakech for his 24 concubines.

In a country largely lacking in state funding and institutions for the arts. Mr. Mourabiti’s efforts have allowed other artists to work free from financial and other constraints. “Artists come here to find inspiration and to create,” he said.

Artists in the colony work together, managing the retreat and nurturing one another. Those who live nearby come for the day; others come for weeks at a time. Those who cannot afford the €50, or $64, nightly accommodation charge pay with paintings or poems.

“I came here for three weeks nine years ago,” said Mr. Binebine, who has paintings hanging on the walls of the gallery and a bronze sculpture standing in one of the gardens. “This place attracts a lot of people because it has a soul.”

Every day, he eats at the restaurant in between working in a large luminous studio in one of the numerous small buildings of Al Maqam. When he doesn’t feel like returning at night to Marrakech he stays in a room he reserved for the entire year.

“I used to work in town, and a lot of people would stop by to see me and interrupt my work,” he said. “Here, I am at peace.”

The colony may be peaceful, but it is far from isolated. It creates jobs in the village by exclusively using locally made or grown products. And Mr. Mourabiti, who supported his painting habit by working as a messenger boy in Casablanca after leaving school at a young age to dedicate himself to his art, has given it a strongly social conscience.

One frequent resident, the French Moroccan photographer Leila Alaoui, 31, is currently working on an awareness campaign on the plight of sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco. Ms. Alaoui, whose pictures are shown in New York, Paris and Dubai, discovered the place four years ago while working on a book of portraits of Moroccan artists.

“It’s an environment that I really like not only because of the project itself but also because the artists within the community are artists who are committed and generous,” she said. “They are some of the rare ones who talk about different topics like migration, human rights and who don’t self-censor themselves.”

Mr. Mourabiti’s friend Mr. Binebine is the author of “The Stars of Sidi Moumen,” a novel exploring the lives of the Moroccan suicide bombers who killed 45 people in Casablanca in 2003.

The book was turned into a movie, “The Horses of God,” by the director Nabil Ayouche, shown at the Cannes film festival last year. Mr. Binebine and Mr. Ayouche are now creating a cultural center in Sidi Moumen, the Casablanca slum where the terrorists grew up. The center has been built and should be equipped and open within six months, they say, thanks to gifts from Sidi Moumen’s mayor, several companies and Moroccan artists who raised $240,000 through a May charity sale of 67 paintings.

“We are confident that we can help the youth of Sidi Moumen by providing access to culture, not an elitist culture but a culture of proximity, which tells their stories, their lives and allows them to showcase their talent,” the two said in a joined statement issued May 16, on the 10th anniversary of the Casablanca attack, when Mr. Ayouche’s film was shown at the cultural center to an audience that included relatives of both the victims and the bombers.

The cultural center will offer classes in music, dance, theater, film, photography and painting. It will have a movie theater, a cafe and a gallery to allow emerging artists to show their work.

“We are confident that through centers such as this one, talent will emerge in the coming years and superstars will be born, like in the suburbs in France,” the two artists added.

For Mr. Mourabiti, too, the arts are an arm in the fight against the radicalization of Morocco’s young urban poor.

“There aren’t any public gyms or swimming pools or anything for these kids to go to after school,” he said. “We also need to sensitize everybody about the importance of getting an education, otherwise there is no hope for them.”

.

“Recognizing symbolism of Moroccan Jewish patrimony on Cape Verde, King Mohammed VI of Morocco is a major benefactor… In a world where tensions between Jews & Muslims tend to overshadow our points of convergence–theological, historical & cultural–this gesture by a Muslim monarch, to recover Jewish heritage in Catholic Cape Verde is inspiring.”

Carol Castiel

Washington Post “On Faith,” by Carol Castiel, (Washington, DC, July 10, 2013) –Preservation of memory is critical to the Jewish psyche, and in Cape Verde there is an uplifting story of remembrance that defies the all-too-common narrative of anti-Semitism and persecution. Hebrew and Portuguese inscriptions grace typical Sephardic Jewish tombstones in four small cemeteries on three islands in Cape Verde.

Many reflect the date of death according to the Hebrew calendar and place of birth such as Tangiers or Mogador (now Essaouira), in Morocco. The cemeteries have fallen into disrepair, and since 2008, when I founded the Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project (CVJHP), I have worked with a remarkable assortment of people – Jews and Christians, and even one Muslim monarch – to restore and preserve them.

I first learned about Cape Verde’s Jewish roots through a scholarship program I managed for Portuguese-speaking Africa in the late 1980s. Many of my students bore Jewish surnames, such as Levy, Benchimol, Anahory and Wahnon, which piqued my curiosity. As a Jew fascinated by Sephardic history and culture, who also loves Cape Verde and its people, I was moved by the poignant remnants of this small but influential Jewish community – remnants that bespeak an important but under-documented chapter in African/Jewish history.

An archipelago of ten small islands about 300 miles off the coast of Senegal, Cape Verde is predominantly Catholic as a result of Portuguese colonial rule. However, in the 19th century, the islands had a prominent community of Jews, largely from Muslim Morocco. Sephardic Jews from Morocco and Gibraltar set sail for Cape Verde in the mid 1800’s (after the abolition of the Inquisition), in search of economic opportunity. During their heyday in the mid to late 19th century, the Jews played pivotal roles in the economy and administration of the islands. And to this day, many descendants continue to distinguish themselves at the highest levels in government, culture and commerce. For example, Carlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho Veiga, voted in as Cape Verde’s first democratically elected Prime Minister in 1991, was of Jewish descent.

Because the Jews were few in number and mostly male, many married local Catholic women. As a result of this assimilation, Cape Verde today has virtually no practicing Jews, even though many descendants express deep pride in their Jewish ancestry. Prominent Cape Verdean businessman Daniel Brigham, grandson of patriarch Abrao Brigham, once told me, “I am not a religious man, but I try to follow the Ten Commandments. I am proud of my Jewish rib.”

Many descendants of the Jewish families are collaborating on various aspects of CVJHP’s mission. For example, Lisbon-based architect Rafael Benoliel designed the blueprint to restore the Jewish cemetery of Boa Vista and the Project logo. Several descendants serve on CVJHP’s board of directors. And recognizing the symbolism of Moroccan Jewish patrimony on Cape Verdean soil, King Mohammed VI of Morocco is a major benefactor of the Project. In a world where tensions between Jews and Muslims tend to overshadow our many points of convergence – theological, historical and cultural – this gesture by a Muslim monarch, to recover Jewish heritage in Catholic Cape Verde is inspiring.

Dozens of descendants and dignitaries recently attended the re-dedication ceremony in May for the Jewish burial plot in Praia, the capital– the first of four cemetery restorations that CVJHP is financing. The chief rabbi of Lisbon, who officiated at the ceremony, blessed the deceased and affirmed that in the Jewish tradition, creating and preserving burial grounds is actually more important than building a house of worship. The outpouring of pride from the descendants at the ceremony was gratifying–as if the project reawakened in many a sense of pride and identity with the Jewish people.

The encounter between the Sephardic Jews and the predominantly Catholic Cape Verdean population in the 19th and early 20th centuries teaches us lessons of tolerance and mutual respect. Unlike in many European countries, the local people welcomed the Jews. By preserving their burial grounds and documenting their contributions, we re-affirm Sephardic history and celebrate Cape Verde’s rich cauldron of cultures. A local resident who was following local television coverage of the Praia rededication ceremony put it this way to me: “by preserving Jewish heritage in Cape Verde, you are preserving Cape Verde’s history.”

Ramadan traditions in Morocco are very special.

* Muslims’ Traditions *

Ali recalls Harira, the special soup served to break the fast, his mother waking before the rest of the family to prepare Suhoor meal, the cannons which signaled the fasting masses that it was time to quench their thirst.

He also recalls the Nefar, a local man who would walk the streets of his neighborhood blowing his trumpet to herald the start and the end of Ramadan.

Though many of these Ramadan rituals are still alive in Morocco, some, like the Nefar, have nearly disappeared with the passing of time, particularly in bigger cities like Marrakech.

“It’s really sad to see those traditions go away,” said  Ali, who has lived in the United States since 1999. “But Ramadan is still special because you feel it.”

For those who remember the Nefars with their long, skinny horns, the sound of the trumpet serves as just another engagement of the senses, of sights, sounds, and tastes that are linked with their memories of Ramadan. Meanwhile, in some other places, the ritual continues.“It’s an amazing tradition in small cities,” said Kat Fadaouri, who hails from Agadir, Morocco, but  now makes her home in London.

Jennifer Wickens, a Canadian Muslim who lived in the city of Mimlal for a year in 2008, never heard the blast of the Nefar’s trumpet, but she fondly recalls drummers roaming the streets during the early morning darkness before the fast began, tapping their drums to rouse people out of bed.

“The night drummer would come through the streets about two hours or so before it was time to begin the fast,” she said.

“It was to wake you up so you could warm the food and sit together to eat it. The rhythm was beautiful! The drummer would weave in and around the small streets making the sound echo  of the houses. The tradition of drumming was usually passed down from father to son. It has been going on forever and still continues today.” She recalled.

Traditional foods of Ramadan

As Ramadan is the month of fasting, traditions naturally take root in what people eat when they sit down to break their fasts. However, what people choose to prepare during this holy month can vary from home to home.

Many people eat chicken or some other types of meat served with vegetables, cooked the night before and heated in the morning for quick preparation. Others choose a simple meal of bread with butter and coffee. Some prefer Moroccan Msemen, a type of pancake folded into a square shape before being fried in a pan and then drizzled with honey.

Still others eat Beghrir, a crepe-style pancake that when drizzled with butter and paired with sweet Moroccan mint tea, is enough to ease anyone into the long food-free day ahead.

Moroccan women often wake before dawn to prepare Suhoor and then rouse their slumbering families when it’s time to eat.

Ait Ali said he remembers his mother making her Suhoor preparations the night before.

“My mother would buy a lot of chicken and put them on the grill to cook overnight,” he said.

“Then she would wake us up, we’d eat the food and have tea and bread then we’d go back to sleep.”

Ritual of serving Harira is so prevalent in Morocco it is served in nearly 90% of the country’s homes during Ramadan.     Check the recipe here…

Perhaps even more than Suhoor, Iftar is essential for Ramadan traditions.Alerted by the blasts of the cannons or the wail of the sirens that tell of the time to break the fast, most  Moroccans sit down to a traditional meal of dates, milk and water; but it is the Harira, a distinctly Moroccan soup of lentils, tomatoes and chickpeas that serves as the centerpiece of the Iftar menu.

The ritual of serving Harira is so prevalent in Morocco that it is served in nearly 90 percent of the North African country’s homes during Ramadan.

The light and healthy soup is the perfect food to fill a shrunken and delicate stomach after a full day of fasting, particularly during the long days of summer.

Boiled eggs, served with a side of cumin, often find a place beside the Harira on Iftar table. Smoothies, usually avocado mixed with milk, sugar, dates and almonds, or freshly squeezed orange juice; quench a long-denied thirst. Though they are most popular in the early morning, Msemen and Beghrir are often eaten at day’s end as well.

Of course prayer is an important part of the spiritual focus of Ramadan and, just like their Harira, Moroccans take it seriously.

Prayer is important part of spiritual focus of Ramadan and, just like their Harira, Moroccans take it seriously

In fact, many would delay eating the Harira and Iftar meals, only eating some dates and water and perhaps coffee, before heading to the mosque for Mahgrib and then Taraweeh prayers.

Ali said it’s often hard to fill his stomach after fasting all day and would make prayer uncomfortable.“It’s hard to bend (in Ruku) if you’ve eaten too much and your stomach hurts,” he said.

It is only after spending that time in prayer and Qur’an recitation that many Moroccans head home and eat a large amount of food, often enjoying meals and visiting with family and friends until the early morning hours.

But no matter how long they stay awake eating, drinking and making merry, they can be assured of a trumpeter, a drummer or even a steadfast mother waking them in a few hours to eat again and begin another day of fasting.

Taghia, a village in Morocco’s High Atlas is like Yosemite of N. Africa. Both are vertically oriented gobsmackers; they will make your neck hurt… and make you feel more alive than you’ve ever been. Daily Beast/Newsweek

*Taghia is like Yosemite of N. Africa…can’t be found in any guidebooks*

Daily Beast/Newsweek, by Alex Lowther (July 10, 2013) — As local American transplant and guide Kristoffer Erickson puts it, Taghia, a remote village in the High Atlas mountains in Central Morocco is like the Yosemite of North Africa. As with many, the analogy works until it doesn’t anymore. Both Taghia and Yosemite are vertically oriented gobsmackers; they will make your neck hurt. Climbing and hiking around these places can make you feel alternately fragile and durable, small and big, utterly dominated and chest-swellingly inspired. They can kill you—and they make you feel more alive than you’ve ever been.

But Yosemite National Park, the Northern California rock-climbing and hiking paradise, receives nearly 4 million visitors a year. Traffic jams the park’s loop road all summer long. To get to the top of Half Dome, arguably the park’s most iconic formation, you have to join the ant line of tourists along cables to its summit.

In the last decade, fewer than two dozen Americans have visited Taghia, and the place sees fewer than 500 visitors annually. In May, when I visited, the village got electricity from the grid for the first time ever. No cars go here; you must hike six miles upstream from the road’s end to arrive. The village, a tight assortment of stone buildings with earthen roofs housing a population of around 250, sits in the heart of a cirque whose limestone walls rear up for thousands of feet, drawing obsessive rock climbers, mostly from France and Spain. In spring, when the snow melts off the High Atlas, water falls over the cliffs in thunderous streams.

Plans for a road into the remote village of Taghia are about 10 years off. Thierry Dudoit/Express/REA/Redux

This June, two young women, Briton Hazel Findlay and American Emily Harrington, attempted the first all-female ascent of a hard, dangerous route up the central strength of the 2,800-foot formation Tagoujimt nT’souiannt, the tallest wall above Taghia. A documentary filmmaking crew was in tow, myself included. The film, part of the Reel Rock Tour (reelrocktour.com) this year, will be featured in more than 400 shows in more than 30 countries. Taghia’s spot is about to get blown up.

Taghia is part of Zawiya-Ahansal, a constellation of Berber villages arranged around the hub village of Aguddim. Ten years ago, on their honeymoon, Kristoffer and his wife, Cloe, following vague directions to the cliffs in Taghia, came through Zawiya-Ahansal. They got worked over by the rock climbing and brutal intestinal distress, and were so broke that when it came time to leave they had to sell their tent to pay for a ride. “It wasn’t the most romantic honeymoon,” Cloe says.

They’ve been back every year since and are the first Westerners to build a house in the region (on land donated to them by the local sheik). They have become activists here as well. “It just keeps giving,” Cloe said, and so they do, too. She started the Atlas Cultural Foundation, which works on cultural preservation, health, and education issues by organizing in the community and helping to bring outsiders, private and university groups, in for service. Kristoffer helps with the ACF and guides climbing and skiing in what has become his home mountain range (he guides all over the rest of the world, too). They live in Aguddim about half the year with their 4-year-old daughter, Noor. Evenings, sitting on the terrace of their new house that overlooks the village and the mountains, it’s evident they’ve done something right.

Morocco’s High Atlas mountains draw a handful of obsessive climbers. Guenther Thoeni/Anzenberger/Redux

Aguddim’s morning light reveals it to be a stunner. Perched below a massive escarpment of limestone and boasting brilliant examples of original, 400-year-old rammed-earth architecture (which Cloe, an architect by training, has helped restore), the village looks like something out of Mediterranean Europe. Zawiya-Ahansal was the last region in Morocco to be brought under French control in 1933, more than 20 years after the incursion began, something locals are still proud of. Residents gather on Sundays and Mondays, souk days, when the men stream in to Aguddim on donkeys and mules or on foot to buy and sell goods and collect their monthly sack of flour, provided by the king (Morocco’s Alaouite Dynasty has ruled for nearly 350 years and is still a de facto absolute monarchy, one of few remaining in the world)

But Taghia is the region’s gem. We stayed at Said Massaoudi’s gite (the other guesthouse in town is run by Yousef Rizki). You find it by walking into the village and asking for Said. A bit of French can get you by if you find the right local. Arabic is better. A Berber dialect is best. No one speaks much English, but locals are eager to help and look out for foreigners as long as they’re polite. A hearty greeting, “Salaam Aleykum!” is a good start. The women ask that you not take their photos, and a good policy is to ask permission any time you want to snap a shot with somebody. There’s no trash disposal in Taghia, so if you pack it in, pack it out.

Accommodations are sparse—a thin mattress on a wooden pallet and a single bare bulb (that can be turned on any time all day now) complete your floor, door, four walls, and a ceiling. It doesn’t seem like any of the climbers (who are not normal civilians) expect, or even want, anything more than this. And it comes cheap: about 120 Dirhams a night (roughly $14), including breakfast and dinner. Breakfast is fresh bread with margarine and jelly; dinner is vegetable tagine with chicken, lamb, or goat, and sometimes couscous. The mint tea is bottomless and delicious. The region is famous for its wild thyme and its honey, so get your hands on some if you can. Said’s water is spring-fed and potable from the source, but cisterns that store the water can get contaminated; it’s best to purify water from the tap.

Residents stream into Aguddim on souk days. Oliver Soulas/Laif/Redux

For trekkers, the mountains and canyons are unforgiving and steep. Water is scarce up high. Trails are often exposed to great heights, where a wrong step could mean a big, bouncing, rag-doll fall. This far into the mountains, accidents, even minor ones, can be serious. For climbers there is very little that is easy; you should be experienced leading long routes rated 5.10 and above to enjoy yourself.

If you don’t know what that means, and even if you’re fit and fearless, stick to the trails. They provide plenty of excitement. Summiting and traversing the ridge along Tagoujimt nT’souiannt through the Tire-Bouchon pass is a daylong adventure with ridiculous views. Ask, too, about circumnavigating Oujdad, the iconic formation in the cirque. If you venture into the mountains, you might meet the nomadic goat herds of the Ait Atta tribe, and even if you don’t, you’re likely to use one of the herders’ improvised Berber ladders—miraculous-looking things made of juniper branches jammed with rocks and dirt spanning otherwise impassable sections of trail. A pretty easy outing, just 15 minutes’ walk upstream from Taghia, is “the Source,” where thousands of gallons of potable spring water pour directly out of a cliff in a wide cascade, creating the river that drains the whole region. Above the spring is the desert. Below it, the valley is an oasis. “People don’t find this place,” Cloe says. “It finds people.” The baraka, the spirit of the place, “attracts people in search of a challenge—or a change.”

If you want to find yourself found, the most hassle-free way to get to Taghia is to email Kristoffer. A self-service overland method is possible, but I’ll leave that to you.

Young Moroccan rapper Soultana is using her songs to inspire social change. Meryem Hamdane

* “I believe that Islam prohibits abusing others and doesn’t prohibit singing that inspires hope and happiness.” — Soultana *

Magharebia, by Meryem Hamdane (Casablanca, Morocco, July 12, 2013) — Moroccan hip-hop star Soultana first dreamed of becoming a rapper when she was 13.

The popular musical genre has allowed her to realize everything she ever wanted to do, she said.

But before launching her rap music career, Soultana had to overcome objections from a strict father. He had wanted her to concentrate first on her studies. She finished her studies and later pursued rap stardom after quitting a job as a stewardess.

Now, through her music the recording artist channels her generation’s collective needs, aspirations, and yearning for liberty.

“Rap has become the voice of people,” Soultana told Magharebia. “We’ve noticed that in the Arab Spring in some Arab societies, as young people [have] found in this genre of art some sort of courage and freedom to express their desire to change. Therefore, they sang for freedom and social justice, each in his/her own way. However, the message and goal [are] the same.”

Magharebia caught up with Soultana during her July 3rd appearance at Dar America, the American Cultural Centre in Casablanca. She went there to talk to an audience of young Moroccans and students about the hard work she put into her career as a rapper.

She also told them about her recent trip to the United States. There she met with American university students, who were eager to learn about her career and the difficulties she had faced as a woman trying to break into the male-dominated hip-hop scene.

For Soultana, her art conveys a noble message. She said it helped raise awareness among youths in Morocco and other countries about issues that mattered to them, such as jobs, gender equality and being treated with respect by older people.

The artist recently took part in festivals in the kingdom and overseas. Late last month, Soultana played in the sixth annual Assalamalekoum Festival in Nouakchott, Mauritania.

On World Music Day, she performed her hit song “Sawt Nsa” (“the voice of women”).

“It’s a true story of a woman who faced tough times because of a man’s injustice and his heinous exploitation of her,” Soultana said.

“That woman was also rejected by society, even though she was the victim. Therefore, the song is a cry in the face of the male mentality, which still oppresses women and underestimates them as creatures not worthy of dignity. My message is to tolerate as long as our religion promotes tolerance and forgiveness,” she said.

Soultana, who is fluent in English, sings in the Darija dialect so that all Moroccans can grasp her message.

As she put it, Islam doesn’t deny the right of women to live freely and with dignity.

“If Islam prohibits anything, it prohibits lying, hypocrisy, deception, [and] bad morals that offend this religion,” she said.

“When I was in America, young people would ask me about the veil and whether I came to America to escape from a society that prevents women from singing and binding them to wear the veil. I would [tell them] that refined art is not prohibited for women in my society because a woman’s veil is not her appearance but her mind, which rejects vice and debauchery…,” Soultana added.

“I believe that Islam prohibits abusing others and doesn’t prohibit singing that inspires hope and happiness,” she said.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco (right) and King Juan Carlos of Spain will be together for two days during the Spanish monarch’s July 15-17 visit to Morocco. TRT

*Spain’s diplomatic sources say invitation to King Juan Carlos by Morocco King Mohammed VI during Ramadan is important gesture.*

TRT, MAP (Madrid, Spain, July 12, 2013) — A strong delegation, made up of government members, nine former foreign ministers and leaders of Spanish enterprises will accompany King Juan Carlos I during his visit to Morocco on July 15-17, upon the invitation of HM King Mohammed VI, official sources in Madrid said on Thursday.

The delegation will include Foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, Interior minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz, Justice minister Alberto Ruiz Gallardon, Industry Energy and Tourism minister José Manuel Soria, and Equipment minister Ana Pastor.

It will also include other officials as the Secretary of State for Trade Jaime Garcia-Legaz, the High Commissioner of the government for “Brand Spain” Carlos Espinosa, and director general of Spanish universities.

The delegation also comprises presidents of the Spanish Confederation of Entrepreneurial Organizations (CEOE), the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (Cepyme) and the Higher Council of Commerce Chambers.

During this visit, HM the King will meet with the Spanish sovereign and offer an Iftar in his honor.

On the sidelines of the visit, Spanish ministers will hold talks with Moroccan peers on means to foster cooperation.

TRT reports that Spain attaches great importance to the contacts the Spanish King will make in Morocco and Spain’s diplomatic sources say that the invitation extended to King Juan Carlos by Moroccan King Mohammed VI in the holy month of Ramadan is an important gesture.

The primary aim of the visit to Morocco has been explained by Madrid as preserving the special relationship between the Spanish and Moroccan monarchies and the strategic bonds between the two countries and boosting economic ties as well.

King Juan Carlos of Spain and King Mohammed VI of Morocco will be together at private meetings through special organizations for two days of the visit, not to mention the meetings between Spanish and Moroccan businessmen and some special events to be held on the occasion.

Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan took Morocco by storm at last winter’s celebration of Indian cinema at the Marrakech film festival; is presently working on location in Casablanca. Parda Phash

“It’s amazing the beautiful places I get to see…Ramadan Mubarak.”

Parda Phash Today, by Shubhanshu Sharma (Mumbai, India, July 12, 2013) — To complete a shooting schedule of an ad campaign, Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan is currently spending time in Casablanca in Morocco. The ‘King Khan’ talked about the awesome weather conditions of the place and showed love towards his work.

Shahrukh Khan also tweeted a pic of himself with a message for his mammoth fan following. The message reads, “Casablanca, the air is so exotic & warm. Will start with prayers at the Hassan 2 Mosque.”

Earlier, the start had also exposed his love towards his profession. He seemed to be really happy while posting a tweet for his fans when he left for Casablanca.

“Off to Casablanca… really! It’s amazing the beautiful places I get to see… cos of my work. Also to everyone… Ramadan Mubarak.”

The tweets from the superstar not only reveals his love towards his work, but also show that how much he cares for his fans who are always willing to know what their favorite actor is doing. The tweets also exposed SRK’s enthusiasm of travelling to new places.

On his arrival in Casablanca for his three-day shoot, Khan was greeted by enthusiastic crowds of Moroccans and media.