Slate describes the history of the Spanish enclaves, Spain's illogical insistence on maintaining them, and the immigration headache they cause the European Union.
The Fascination of What's Difficult
A short interview with Laila Lalami about her new book Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits. She discusses the risks people take to make it across the Straits of Gibraltar in search of a better life, and the effect on Morocco of large scale migration from countries farther South. In the second part of the interview, Lalami discusses how she became an immigrant in the United States, and the discipline that her writing requires.
Moroccan Blogs
I have belatedly discovered that Tel Quel magazine published in February an article (fr) describing the nascent Moroccan blogging phenomenon as a sign of the liberalization of Moroccan society, but also lamenting the lack of such internationally known blogging figures as Salam Pax, who blogged the Gulf War. Rachid Jankari, who is featured in the article, has a colloquy (fr) critiquing it, as well as extensive commentary on Moroccan blogging in general.
Hope for the Future, Regret for the Past
In Morocco, a Rights Movement, at the King's Pace - New York Times
In an interview in his Casablanca law office, the walls decorated with Koranic sayings engraved in brass, [Member of Parliament Mustafa] Rameed said the only opinion that really mattered was that of the king. "The political path is determined by the mood of the king and not the mood of the people. We have left the authoritarian years behind us, but we are not yet a democracy."
Mr. Rameed and many other people active politically hope to restructure the Constitution to strengthen the role of Parliament and the political parties while defining the monarchy within a framework of laws.
Turnabout
MoorishGirl: Salman Rushdie: The Interview
Salman Rushdie asks for Laila Lalami's autograph.
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Le Matin.ma reports that Morocco is considering legislation to make torture a criminal act, but at the same time is contemplating imposing fines and prison terms for disrespect toward the Moroccan flag.
Help Needed
The Morocco Foundation is looking for people to transport wheelchairs to Morocco.
Help of Note
MoorishGirl notes that the Moroccan government has made a significant contribution to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Readings
I have started reading Jamil M. Abun-Nasr's A History of the Maghrib in the Islamic Period. The book begins by setting up a number of dichotomies between the Arab conquest and the Berber resistance and urban centralization versus tribal allegiances.
New D.C. Restaurant
I had a very pleasant conversation this evening with Ashraf Bennani, the owner of new Moroccan-style kabob joint ("Bennani's") at the Farragut North Metro food court in Washington, D.C. It was a little late to sample the food, but I will be certain to go back.
Death by Law
MoorishGirl points to the likely shutdown of Tel Quel magazine as a result of a satirical article that has resulted in a massive libel judgment with a striking lack of due process. The on-line petition on behalf of the magazine translates roughly as follows:
As a result of an expedited defamation lawsuit, the president of Tel Quel Ahmed R. Benchemsi and his news chief Karim Boukhari were sentenced, without their lawyer even having a chance to speak, to two months suspended sentence in prison, and a fine of 1,050,000 DH. The two journalists have appealed.
The prison sentence and exorbitant fine constitute, without doubt, a "warning" from the powers that be with respect to Tel Quel, which is being "punished" for its editorial independence. This tactic inaugurates a new method for muzzling the press: strangle it gradually by disproportionate fines, imposed through sham trials. Today Tel Quel, tomorrow the entire Moroccan free press is threatened.
The undersigned strongly denounce any attack, even indirect, on freedom of the press, and demand justice for Tel Quel in an appeal that is fair and transparent.
The Horror
MoorishGirl writes about how horrified she was to discover that the devastation in Louisiana far exceeded anything she had imagined in her novel, which opens with a flood in Casablanca.
About Kif
About.com actually has an article about smoking "kif" in Morocco. Aside from the fact that kif is widely smoked by Moroccan men, the article points out that the penalty for possession is potentially ten years in a Moroccan jail, and that many dealers are also informers. At the same time, enforcement is often erratic, since kif represents a significant source of revenue.
Legal Reasoning
The Union Internationale des Avocats (The International Union of Lawyers) just concluded its 49th annual conference in Fez. In addition to exploring a number of topics of international scope, the sessions at the conference also included a discussion of Moroccan Family Law. It sounds as though it was a very interesting conference, and the UIA could not have chosen a more inviting location.
A Skeptical View
Middle East Institute: Perspective
Middle East Institute scholar Jacques Roussellier casts a skeptical eye on the recent release of Moroccan prisoners of war by the Polisario Front, and argues that it does nothing to resolve the underlying conflict between Morocco and Algeria or the probability of unrest in the Western Sahara. Roussellier scrupulously avoids characterizing either of the major regimes in the conflict and offers no comment on the merits of their competing claims.
Learning Moroccan Arabic
The Peace Corps' Moroccan Arabic textbook is partially on-line at Friends of Morocco. This textbook teaches the spoken dialect of Arabic peculiar to Morocco, as opposed to Modern Standard Arabic, which is uniformly used in reading, writing, and official communications throughout the Arab world.
Good Works
Wafin.com has a story (registration required) on the efforts of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers to make a continuing contribution to development in Morocco through the High Atlas Foundation, which is holding a reception and fundraiser in New York City on September 15, 2005.
Free at Last
Prisoners' Release in Morocco Debated
The Washington Post reports that even as the last Moroccan prisoners of the Polisario are freed after more than two decades of captivity, questions still remain over the future of the Western Sahara. Morocco maintains that the prisoner release was a political ploy by the Algerian government, which has not been held accountable for the prisoners' detention or its sponsorship of the Policsario Front. Several former prisoners claimed to have been tortured by Algerians while in captivity. Polisario officials, meanwhile, said that the onus was now on Morocco to account for missing guerrillas and to honor its longstanding pledge to hold a referendum on the future of the Western Sahara.
Good Eats
I pulled Paul Wolfert's cookbook off the shelf, and, for the first time in years, I prepared a Tangier-style couscous with chicken, onions, and raisins. It was decidedly worth the effort, although the four-hour preparation time means that it may be a while before I do it again.
Independence Day
I am reminded on Independence Day that the Sultanate of Morocco was the first country to recognize the newly independent United States in 1777.