Editor Ali Lmrabet Ends Hunger Strike "On 23 June 2003, Ali Lmrabet ended his 47-day hunger strike. The end of his hunger strike was announced by Prince Moulay Hicham al-Alaouiwho had visited the editor that day. Ali Lmrabet had also beenvisited on 23 June by Morocco's official human rights body, the HumanRights Advisory Board."
BBC NEWS | Africa | Polisario accepts Sahara peace plan
"Even the most optimistic diplomats acknowledge that these latest developments may not be the breakthrough many have been hoping for."
Morocco Islamists condemned "A court in Morocco has imposed death sentences on 10 alleged members of a radical Islamic group which is suspected of involvement in the Casablanca suicide attacks." [via BBC: Middle East]
Heineken targets Muslim markets The fruit-flavoured beverage, Fayrouz, is already popular in Egypt and has been certified halal by Al Azhar, a leading Sunni Islam religious institution.[via BBC: Middle East]
This is a rough translation of the comments of jailed journalist Ali Mrabet, who is on a hunger strike after having been sentenced to three years in prison, from Mohcen Blog.
"I am laughing under a cloak, pardon me, a curtain: I am in a hospital bed -- .. I laugh when I remember the tone of the prosecutor when he asked that I be given the maximum sentence. 'Lmrabet should feel the full weight of the law because he has committed a crime of extreme gravity. . .' It's true. What I did was very serious. I criminally mocked our good old regime. I ridiculed in an irresponsible manner our hypocritical culture and the opportunists in our ruling class. . .
"I am guilty of introducing satire and humorous journalism into a society that needs them badly. A society that has grown tired of bemoaning its misfortunes and which found in my paper a chance to revenge itself against the ruling class. By laughing. Not by throwing a bomb or injuring someone.
"This regime does not accept humor as a form of peaceful expression; it has made the monumental mistake of believering that two joyful, satirical publications are actually an opposition political party . . . a party of laughter and progress. A popular party that will undermine their position.
" . . There it is! I cannot go any farther because my body is calling me to account. The state of my body is no joke. It is telling me that I cannot make a long physical effort. . .
". . . As long as I am conscious, I will prevent the regime from turning me into an example in order to crush the Moroccan press. I will continue to laugh at those who have sent me to jail because they think that I am a political party. [from Le Monde]"
Four Journalists Held for More Than 10 Days, Face Prison Terms "RSF has urged the authorities to explain why they are holding four journalists who were originally detained under ananti-terrorism law, but reportedly will now be prosecuted under thepress law and face prison terms."
Berbers in Algeria Refuse Peace Talks
New York Times: Africa: "Leaders of Algeria's Berber minority said that they would not enter talks to settle a long-running standoff with the government unless it accepted all their demands."
What to Wear in Morocco; Travel by Freighter; Composer Tours in Vienna and Prague
"Q. My husband and I will be going to Morocco this summer. We have heard both that typical summer wear like shorts is fine and that we should dress conservatively in skirts and long pants. What is appropriate? - G. R., Gaineseville, Fla."
Agassi edges El Aynaoui Second seed Andre Agassi overcomes Younes El Aynaoui in four sets to reach the last 16 at Wimbledon.
Morocco raises Euros 400m in eurobond issue as investors shrug off fears
In Zawya: Political Affairs The economy is stable in the wake of the Casablanca bombings, but the jailing of Ali Lmrabet has raised new human rights concerns.
BBC News | AFRICA | Eyewitness: Moroccan women's misery
"Tackling poverty and illiteracy is a goal that everyone can agree on. But in this still traditional North African country, society is deeply divided when it comes to the status of women."
False Terrorism Tips to F.B.I. Uproot the Lives of Suspects
"Federal agents, facing intense pressure to avoid another terrorist attack, have acted on information from tipsters with questionable backgrounds and motives, touching off needless scares and upending the lives of innocent suspects."
The Washington Post has a Morocco page at washingtonpost.com: Morocco.
Zawya.com | arab business and finance
A Moroccan appeals court on Tuesday sentenced journalist Ali Lmrabet to three years in jail and backed a previous court order shutting down his two satirical publications on charges of insulting the king, judicial sources said.
Lmrabet, who has been on a hunger strike since May 6, was originally sentenced to a four-year prison term almost a month ago for insulting King Mohammed VI and offending the monarchy and Morocco's territorial integrity.
Committee to Protect Journalists Delegation Meets With Ambassador
AllAfrica News: Morocco: "A delegation from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) met withMoroccan ambassador to the United States, Aziz Mekouar, inWashington, D.C., today to express its deep concern about the recent imprisonment of two Moroccan editors and to call for their immediate release."
I noticed last week that my former Peace Corps colleague Jeff Tayler has a new book out about crossing the Sahara.
I had tea with an old friend from Outat El Haj yesterday. I was happy to hear that there have been many material improvements in the quality of life over the past ten years. There is now a bridge across the River Moulouya from the village to the high school. Electricity and water are now reliable. When I lived there, telephone calls could only be made by going to the post office and asking the operator to place the call. Now even children have cell phones. I hope this news means that life is easier for the people I knew.
allAfrica.com -- Morocco: Committee to Protect Journalists Delegation Meets With Ambassador
"Morocco's press is at a critical point. No matter how unsettled the government feels by criticism, it must remain true to its stated commitments to a free press," said CPJ board member Friedman. "The imprisonment of these editors seriously jeopardizes Morocco's reputation as a country that tolerates a more open press than its neighbors."
allAfrica.com -- Morocco: Newspaper Editor Held Under New Anti-Terrorism Law
RSF has protested over the detention of Mustapha Alaoui, managing editor of the Arabic-language weekly "Al Ousboue". He has been held under a new anti-terrorism law since 5 June 2003 for publishing a letter from a hitherto unknown group claiming responsibility for three of the five bombings in Casablanca on 16 May.
allAfrica.com -- Morocco: Newspaper Editor Remains Imprisoned Following Appeals Court Decision
"One would have hoped the Moroccan justice system would ease the situation and show clemency by ordering Lmrabet's provisional release," RSF Secretary-General Robert M�nard said. "Instead, its inflexibility seems to be confirming the fears of those who say that Lmrabet's imprisonment has sounded the death knell for the independent press." M�nard added, "People thought King Mohammed VI's Morocco was on the road to democracy, but they were clearly mistaken."