Days of Glory - Movies - Review - New York Times
The New York Times favorably reviews Days of Glory (Indigenes). The movie depicts the struggles of North African soldiers in the French Army in World War II for victory over the German army and French prejudice.
The Daily Princetonian - A prince of Morocco, now of Princeton
The Daily Princetonian has a very flattering portrait of Prince Moulay Hicham Benabdallah, third in line to the throne but persona non grata at the palace for his outspokenness regarding democratic reform.
Association of Moroccan Professionals in America
I came across AMPA while I was reading about Moroccan events in the Washington, D.C., a number of which AMPA sponsors.
Yale Daily News - Anti-Muslim posters shatter cultural illusions
Yale junior Altaf Saadi reacts to caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad on the Yale Campus.
But the feelings of safety and comfort evaded me on the morning of Nov. 15, when, walking out of class, I was greeted by a hurried collage of blatantly racist, bigoted caricatures of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. It seemed, in those two seconds in which my mind went from the conjugation of the subjunctive in Espanol to the absolute shock of realizing that the tidal wave of anti-Muslim sentiment had hit home, that I was alone in a campus of thousands. Was this really happening? At Yale? Do I really live among and attend classes with students who think this? That a place as forward thinking as Yale would harbor such inconspicuously racist attitudes was appalling to me.
Saadi criticizes the posters not only for misrepresenting the Prophet, but also for their anonymous posting. In a refreshing reaction to the posting, the Muslim Students Association, which Saadi says stressses openness and inclusiveness on compus, is sponsoring an open forum to discuss the posters. Clearly, Saadi recognizes the fundamental truth that the answer to offensive speech is not suppresssion or censorship but more speech. And yes, I think the Daily News should have run a picture of the offending posters so that its readings could (a) see what kind of material was being posted on their campus, and (b) judge for themselves the degree of its offensiveness.
By the way, the Islamist-Marxist divide on university campuses in Morocco ensures that student debate there remains mired in stupidity, with the two ideologies in a perpetual shouting match.
I remember being astonished when I was told that these were the two main intellectual currents at universities almost twenty years ago.
I have only just started reading eatbees, but it seems to be to me one of the most exciting things to happen to the English language Moroccan blogosphere in a long time.
On Faith: Salman Ahmad: Grapes By Any Other Name
The Washington Post is hosting a rather interesting debate on communication among different faiths. I was particularly struck by Salman Ahmad's parable of the grapes, which he begins with the observation that "Wine is a commonly used metaphor for truth and knowledge in Muslim Sufi poetry and folklore." Ahmad continues by recounting a story in which members of different faiths and nationalities are seeking the same "wine" in different guises.
Ahmad is South Asian, from Pakistan, but Sufi mystical traditions have played an important role throughout the Islamic world, including Morocco. I have only scratched the surface, but I am persuaded that it is a tradition that would repay further study.
Clifford Geertz; Altered Foundation of Anthropology - washingtonpost.com
Clifford Geertz, an anthropologist known in part for his field work in Morocco, died October 30, 2006.
A very attractive set of photos from Morocco is posted at Murmures..
In case you wondering whether the Disnification of Marrakesh is complete, the New York Times reports that Club Med has opened an exclusive high-end resort, "Le Riad," within the city walls:
MARRAKESH, Morocco — Beside a huge wooden door crossed with bolts stand two somber men in the flowing white Moroccan robes ordinarily reserved for traditional weddings.
They are the princely guardians of Le Riad, a walled compound at Club Med’s La Palmeraie resort, where first-class suites are sprinkled daily with fresh rose petals and solicitous spa attendants are on call nearby at a jasmine-scented pool to offer bubbling papaya baths.
Hadar Harris and Rahim Sabir - New York Times
Human Rights advocates Hadar Harris and Rahim Sabir met in Morocco and were recently married after Mr. Sabir finished an eight-month stint as a human rights monitor in Sudan.
Mr. Sabir, a human- and legal-rights advocate in Morocco, had organized a series of workshops on pending reforms to the country’s criminal procedure code. Ms. Harris, an international human rights lawyer, was a guest speaker.
The couple were married in Chevy Chase, Maryland, at a "traditional Jewish ceremony with Moroccan flourishes."
Tagine shopping in Crate and Barrel Specialty Cookware
Crate and Barrel has the following to say for its 21st century tagine:
Named for both the vessel and the savory stew-like dishes it produces, the traditional Moroccan tagine has a conical lid designed to recirculate moisture and return it to slow-cooking foods. Our version uses a new glazed clay called "flame" that's exceptionally resistant to heat, allowing you to break with tradition and use your tagine on a gas or electric stovetop, in the microwave or oven.
• Clay from the Burgundy region of France
• Heat-resistant "flame" technology
• Dishwasher-, microwave-, oven-, broiler- and stovetop-safe
• Made in France
At $89.95, however, I doubt it will make much of an inroad in the Moroccan market.
MAROC IT - Toute l'actualité des TIC au Maroc
For French-speaking readers, Maroc.IT interviews blogger Larbi.org on the state of the Moroccan blogosphere.
Dernière remarque, et il s'agit là d''une surprise agréable, le nombre des bolggeuses marocaines dépasse légèrement celui des bloggeurs de sexe masculin. Je crois même que c'est le premier domaine ou les femmes de notre pays réussissent cet exploit. La parité parfaite, les marocaines l''ont rêvée, la blogoma l''a faite ! Et ça, c'est une révolution.
"A final comment, and it concerns an agreeable surprise, the number of women blogging in Morocco slightly exceeds the number of men. I think that is the first arena in which the women of our country have pulled that off. Moroccan women have dreamed of perfect equality, and they have achieved it in the Moroccan blogsophere. And that, that is a revolution."
Larbi conducts a wide-ranging discussion of the Moroccan blogosphere, including observations on the need for better bandwidth so more adolescents can blog, the fact that blogging has yet to spread beyond the major cities, and the lack to date of a genuine impact by bloggers on policy in the country.
The Crumbling of the Casbah - New York Times
Historic preservation is an uphill battle in Algeria.
An interesting short site on the status of Morocco's Jewish population.
Obituaries in the News - New York Times
PARIS (AP) -- Robert Carrier, a prolific American cookbook author, restaurateur and television chef, died Tuesday in southern France, a friend said. He was 82.
The chef, who moved to Europe during World War II, made his name in print and television in the 1960s. His books and programs reflected his love of world cuisine, from Morocco to the Caribbean.
I will have to look up Carrier's cookbook, "A Taste of Morocco."
THE VIEW FROM FEZ: The charming snakes of Morocco
The View From Fez has much to say about the Moroccan snake charming tradition and a few observations about the ecology of native snakes.
Laila Lalami is a literary evangelist. If she's not working on her second novel, writing her literary blog, or giving away books, she's on the road talking about her current novel Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits and her forthcoming novel. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting her briefly and hearing her read this evening at Olsson's Books and Records in Washington, D.C.
One of Ms. Lalami's dreams is to bring her first novel to the people of her native land — Morocco — in their native Moroccan dialect, Darija. To date, no publisher has even agreed to translate the book even into the more widespread, but less accessible classical Arabic that is the traditional language of literature and public life. Ms. Lalami hopes to translate her book into Darija during her forthcoming Fulbright fellowship in Morocco beginning this December.
Ms. Lalami addressed a wide range of questions, from the challenges of working as an Arab author in America, to the audience she writes for, to her literary influences and writing technique. She explained that fiction is often a better vehicle for arriving at the truth than the kind of sensationalized non-fiction that makes up the contemporary news. As a Arab writer, it can be difficult for her to be seen as airing the community's "dirty laundry" sometimes, particularly since she is deeply indignant about the way in which Arabs are so often misrepresented in contemporary America. And while she feels an obligation to feed the hungry minds of the 15,000 visitors to her website every day, ultimately she writes her books for herself alone. Otherwise, she said, she would always be censoring herself, if she thought about what other people would think, and that would betray her central mission — to write the truth.
What's the Catch? Fresh Fish in a Moroccan Port Town
The Washington Post extolls the pleasures of fresh fish in Essaouira:
In seaside hamlets across Morocco, you'll find fishermen hawking the fruits of the sea. But for an experience that appeals to all the senses, Essaouira -- revered by Moroccans and tourists alike for its windswept vistas, laid-back vibe and walled old city -- is the most appealing locale for indulging in fresh fish.
The New York Times has a brisk tourist guide to Casablanca.
Laila Lalami has won a Fulbright to go back to Morocco for nine months to study Islamic extremism and secular movements. Based in Casa, she will also do volunteer work in a poor neighborhood. Godspeed.