Story of the Day

THE VIEW FROM FEZ: Women dumped in Morocco?

The View from Fez carries a chilling story about women who are abandoned in Morocco when their husbands or fathers return to Europe. About 20 or 30 women are abandoned each year.

One thing that is particularly interesting about this story is that it crosses the fault lines between Europe and North Africa, since the story suggests that the practice is mainly perpetrated by Moroccan immigrants to Holland (or possibly other European countries).

The story cries out for a broader analysis of the treatment of women in immigrant communities, in Europe, and in North Africa. It raises unanswered questions about whether the practice is unique to Morocco or fits in with a wider pattern of abuse of women. Perhaps that is asking too much of a single news story, but in light of common assumptions about how women are treated in the West versus Muslim countries, some serious analysis is called for.

The most disappointing part of the story is that the Dutch authorities have apparently washed their hands of the women who have already been abandoned and are confining their efforts to preventing future abandonments.

Women Rule the Blogosphere!

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.

Forbes Family Sells Shares

Long after Malcomb Forbes' display of conspicuous consumption as Morocco's most extravagant tourist is but a memory, the New York Times reports that his heirs have parted with a 40 percent share of their main capital asset, Forbes magazine, the erstwhile "capitalist tool." The Moroccan palace where Forbes feted Elizabeth Taylor was sold to the monarchy in the 90's, and Forbes' famous collection of Faberge eggs hit the block a short time later. As my father would say, shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.

Zero Tolerance

Morocco Arrests 44 Terrorist Suspects - New York Times

RABAT, Morocco (AP) -- Moroccan security services have arrested 44 suspected terrorists and dismantled a network allegedly planning attacks in the North African country, the state news agency reported Monday.

The article also notes that human rights organizations have raised concern that the Moroccan government has arrested and tortured innocent civilians in the course of its crackdown on terrorists.

Renovation II

Paradores in Spain - New York Times

Cuenca is an ancient city with a 12th-century core. In 1177, Alfonso VIII “liberated” it from the Moors, and the construction of a central cathedral began. While quaint and, occasionally, exquisite, it is like many of the ancient parador locations: a bit far from everything. (Elsewhere in Spain, if you call someone “from Cuenca” it’s akin to saying from “the sticks.”)

Spain also faces renovation issues, but it appears they have more to do with the modernization of historic sites than their deterioration.

Morocco Embraces Free Software

TECTONIC: Moroccan fisheries escapes proprietary net

The Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Sea Fisheries (MARDSF), has signed a deal with Liberty Tech to migrate all its servers to Mandriva Linux. The move makes it one of the first Moroccan government departments to take advantage of free software.

I am curious how widespread LInux is elsewhere in Morocco. Apparently the Ministry is also considering using LInux on its desktop machines. In terms of cost savings and independence from foreign corporations, this might make a lot of sense.

Good Eats

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."

Wired

THE VIEW FROM FEZ: Huge upsurge in internet in Morocco

The number of internet users now stands at 4 millions and is expected to jump to 10 million within three years.

With the introduction of DSL, the View from Fez predicts an explosion in Internet usage in Morocco. My immediate question is how access will be distributed, and whether it will reach the more rural areas of the country. (When I lived in Outat El Haj, the only telephone to which I had access was at the Post Office, and that had to be cranked to get the attention of an operator in the city.)