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As of December 3rd, HuffPost Maghreb will no longer be publishing content. For more great global content, please visit HuffPost.com. We thank you for your support and readership.

À compter du 3 décembre, HuffPost Maghreb cessera de publier du contenu. Pour accéder à toutes nos publications mondiales, rendez-vous sur HuffPost.com. Nous vous remercions de votre soutien et de votre fidélité.

اعتبارًا من 3 ديسمبر، سيتوقف HuffPost Maghreb عن نشر المحتوى. إذا كنت ترغب في المزيد من المحتوى العالمي الجذَّاب، يُرجى زيارة HuffPost.com. نشكرك على دعمك ومتابعتك.

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As of December 3rd, HuffPost Maghreb will no longer be publishing content. For more great global content, please visit HuffPost.com. We thank you for your support and readership. À compter du 3 décembre, HuffPost Maghreb cessera de publier du contenu. Pour accéder à toutes nos publications mondiales, rendez-vous sur HuffPost.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As of December 3rd, HuffPost Maghreb will no longer be publishing content. For more great global content, please visit HuffPost.com. We thank you for your support and readership.

À compter du 3 décembre, HuffPost Maghreb cessera de publier du contenu. Pour accéder à toutes nos publications mondiales, rendez-vous sur HuffPost.com. Nous vous remercions de votre soutien et de votre fidélité.

اعتبارًا من 3 ديسمبر، سيتوقف HuffPost Maghreb عن نشر المحتوى. إذا كنت ترغب في المزيد من المحتوى العالمي الجذَّاب، يُرجى زيارة HuffPost.com. نشكرك على دعمك ومتابعتك.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As of December 3rd, HuffPost Maghreb will no longer be publishing content. For more great global content, please visit HuffPost.com. We thank you for your support and readership. À compter du 3 décembre, HuffPost Maghreb cessera de publier du contenu. Pour accéder à toutes nos publications mondiales, rendez-vous sur HuffPost.com.

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Rabat - A man wakes up and has a leisurely breakfast - he's retired and does not need to rush out the door for work. Eventually, he says goodbye to his wife and children, leaves his home, and strolls down the street. He weaves through the rows of tables and chairs, facing the street not each other, that cover the sidewalks out of each cafe he passes until he arrives at his usual place.

He greets the waiter and the other regulars, sits down and orders a cafe noir. After a few hours, he might stop home for lunch, only to return to the cafe in the afternoon.

"I understood it's basically part of every man's routine - the man of the house routine," Anas, a 23-year-old PhD student, said of his impression of cafes growing up. "You would notice when you go to these kinds of [traditional] cafes that they only have those kinds of archetypes."

In the past, this was the norm, but the picture is changing.

"Basically my whole life has been around cafes," said Hiba, a 25-year-old Rabati woman. "At this point in our lives you just go to the place where you feel the most comfortable and you make it your second home. And that's what you do basically every day."

Hiba took a puff of her cigarette and explained that she has been hanging around cafes since highschool. She said her parents understand the significance of cafes in her daily routine since they, like many other Moroccans, have the same habit.

The first time Anas went to a cafe was with his dad when he was 8 or 9 and it remains the main way they socialize.

"That's how we spend quality time - me and him - we go to cafes together, like father-son time," he said.

I met Anas at a casual cafe - with plenty of sunlight and comfortable couches - in Akdal, a younger and more modern neighborhood in Rabat. He gestured around us and said his dad would never go somewhere like this, as he refuses to go anywhere that isn't a traditional cafe.

In comparison, if he were with his mom they'd find a more modern place similar to where we were sitting - somewhere without a lot of men.

While Hiba said she prefers to go to cafes with fewer men and more younger people, she also tries to sit in traditional cafes to make a statement.

"I try to change Morocco by provoking the men because - I don't know how - but we're in 2019 and there are some men - and older women - that are still shocked that a woman is smoking in a public place," she said.

History of the Cafe: How they Came to be a Male Space

Throughout history, cafes have been a male space and it is only recently that women have really started sharing them, said Said Graiouid, a professor of communication and cultural studies at the University Mohammed V-Agdal, in Rabat. The professor has previously conducted extensive research on cafe culture within Morocco.

While cafes are not Moroccan in origin - they were introduced by the French through colonization - they gradually became a male space through social norms. Traditionally, public space was for men and there were numerous regulations around women's presence in it.

"The appropriation of [cafes] followed the distribution of spatial production and consumption along gender lines," Graiouid said. "They immediately became available to men, and women obviously were not expected to be in that space because they were not even supposed to be on the streets to begin with."

In the recent past, the cafe landscape in Morocco has changed and now contains many more modern cafes that cater to different crowds.

The increase in different types, in addition to changes in gender dynamics within Morocco more broadly, have contributed to the appropriation of the cafe by Moroccan women, according to Graiouid.

While men still dominate neighborhood cafes, women often self select to go to newer cafes, he said.

"The more modern, the fewer ties to a particular neighborhood, the more inviting it might be for a woman to use," he explained.

Davis-Taieb's 1998 study of Moroccan womens' use of modern cafes found that Moroccan women have a different relationship with "neutral" cafe spaces - like McDonalds or Starbucks - and concluded that there is not much of a difference in clientele based on gender in these types of cafes.

Since these spaces are newer, they don't hold as strong of historical context and are not necessarily catered more towards men so it is easier for women to inhabit them, Graiouid explained.

More recently, women's absence from cafes wasn't because of set regulations but more a result of lasting historical context - women just grew up believing cafes were for men, said one of Graiouid's past students, 21-year-old Samia.

Samia's mom, Zaina, 49, has lived in Sale most of her life and explained that throughout her childhood, the culture of women sitting in a cafe did not really exist.

"In my generation cafes were not for girls," Zaina said, through her daughter's translation. "If a girl goes to a cafe it means she's a bad girl. If she goes to a cafe someone might see her and people would spread rumors about her not being a good girl - it's bad for her reputation and her family's reputation so she wouldn't go."

Now things are different.

"It changed completely. Only a minority of people still think that way," she said.

She laughed and added that she is a pioneer in this change because she allows her daughters to sit in cafes.

A Wave of Female Cafe Clients

A few decades ago, there would be hesitation and very few women saying they would go to cafes, Graiouid said when reflecting on his surveys of past students.

"Now, the question barely sounds interesting," he recalled. "It sounds like - why are you asking this question? They don't think about it."

Samia said she couldn't place when exactly the shift happened, but that she and her sisters have a very different relationship with cafes than her mother or grandmother.

Houda, Samia's older sister, seconded that there is an increase in the visibility of women in cafes and added that the atmosphere and variety of cafes has changed as well. They aren't the smelly, loud, male-dominated spaces she remembers from when she was younger.

"Personally, I would be more shocked if I don't see women in cafes," she said. "This idea of women belonging in the house and that they should not go to cafes it's something that you hear about it - like ages ago - but it's not something you see now."

While Zaina prefers to visit with her friends at their houses - versus in cafes - the stigma from when she was younger would no longer prevent her from sitting in one. If the cafe was clean and nice, she would be open to going.

In fact, Zaina and her daughters have a long-standing plan to visit a cafe together, but something always seems to come up, they explained.

Chaimae, a friend of Hiba's who joined us at the quiet Rabat Ville cafe in which we met, said she didn't sit in a cafe by herself until after she had graduated from high school and an organization she joined introduced her to "another world of cafes."

Once she saw other people her own age hanging out in them, she started going all the time.

"At first I was awkward, I was like, 'I can't go to cafes because its weird for a girl to go there.' And then I started going out to cafes and now I go wherever I want," she happily shared.

Lasting Stigmas

"There has been a tremendous change in terms of how cafe space accommodates both males and females, but there is still some sort of 'hyphenated borderlines,'" Graiouid said.

While most cafes have both inside and outside seating, it's typically the outside terrace that is more populated - and more male-dominated, specifically in traditional cafes.

Amine, 21, and a recent graduate from the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences in Rabat, recalled that his mom prefers to cross the street instead of walking in front of a cafe that has mostly male patrons.

"It happened many times and I was always asking myself, 'why does she do that?'" he said. "After I grew up, I found out that when women pass a cafe, [the men] see her in a weird way and that's why she prefers to pass on the other side of the street."

Traditionally, cafe terraces consist of rows of tables that fill the sidewalk and chairs that face the street, not each other, to provide cafe goers the ability to watch passerbyers and action in front of the cafe.

"People would just sit there and watch - cat calling, peeking at people," Anas said. "Those kind of cafes only serve that purpose, but the purpose of cafes is changing overtime."

Now there are cafes for anyone to sit in - whether they're relaxing, studying, or meeting friends.

Because the cafe can "send back to stereotyped practices" - like prostitution and seduction - some cafes remain an uncomfortable place for some women, Graiouid added.

The historical connotation surrounding women who go to cafes remains prevalent enough to sometimes make the space more difficult for women to inhabit even if the actual use of cafes in this way is not necessarily still present, he explained.

"The stigma for girls who sit in cafes as known for getting more sexually harassed is still here, the fact that just because I'm smoking I'm more susceptible to getting sexually harassed is also still here," Hiba said. "But it's just not as often and not as much - it's changing. It's fading a little bit."

It's faded enough that more women feel comfortable being in a cafe, she added.

Chaimae, originally in agreement with Hiba, started to reconsider how far things have really come, about halfway through our time together.

"Actually, I think it is still uncomfortable to sit in cafes now if I think about it because if I'm sitting alone I always put headphones in so I don't hear anyone talking to me," she explained.

She added that things have even further to go outside of big cities.

When she goes to Meknes, where she grew up and where her father still lives, she doesn't go to cafes - not due to a lack of friends to go with, but because it's not as common to see girls sitting out in cafes.

"In big cities like Rabat and Casablanca and other areas it changed. The idea changed completely. Even if you find a group of girls and boys - it's fine. But in rural areas or small cities the idea still exists," said Majda, 22, who is originally from a small town in Southern Morocco but has moved into the bigger cities for school and work.

Not Just About Gender: the Expansion of the Cafe Industry Overall

Anas, who has family living in a small town outside of Meknes, agreed that rural cafes have a longer way to go with reference to becoming a comfortable space for all people.

While traditional cafes are easy to find anywhere - rural or urban - it's mostly in big cities, with larger populations of young people, where there is an abundance of more modern cafes.

"I think cafe culture is kind of changing, for the better for sure, but it's really slowly and if it wasn't for the kind of capitalistic purpose, I guess, it wouldn't be," Anas said.

If there wasn't an opportunity to make money, these modern cafes wouldn't exist, he claimed. Though he couldn't say if modern cafes saw a market that wasn't being catered to - in women and young people - and targeted them, or if demand by these groups, who traditional cafes might not appeal to, encouraged modern cafes to form.

Graiouid agreed that the marketing strategy of a cafe matters - sports cafes traditionally draw a male-dominated crowd while more modern cafes attract more young people and women - but so does the number of cafes.

As the number of cafes increases, they become more integrated into society as a whole and accessible to more people.

Young people are drawn to cafes for a variety of reasons, but cafes' easy accessibility makes them a convenient place to go for groups of mixed company. It's only "special cases" where boys and girls are able to be together at someone's house, Hiba said.

She added that cafes offer a safe place for young people to smoke for those who want to keep their habits hidden from their parents.

She laughed when she shared that, even though her parents "know" she smokes and she "knows they know" and they "know she knows they know," she still must go to cafes to have a cigarette.

Over time, everything about the cafe - from the menu and the atmosphere to the clientele and the ideas they discuss - has developed, said Amine.

A traditional cafe most likely will only serve coffee, tea, and orange juice, have limited decorations, and be mostly populated by retired men who sit in the same cafe each day. In comparison, a modern cafe serves a larger variety of food and drink; often has more decorations, music, or comfortable seating; and a mix of clientele.

In Anas' opinion, the types of cafes present in a community reflect the perspectives of community members. In rural areas, where traditional values may be stronger, there isn't a market for modern cafes that rely more heavily on young people and women being out and about.

"I hope for cafes to be opened up more to women other than limiting it only to men, especially in small towns," Majda said. "That really matters for me."

Finding a Comfortable Cafe

One's preference in cafes depends on the person and whether they're comfortable there, Houda and Samia agreed.

When she was younger, Samia would never have imagined going to cafes alone - it was somewhere she'd always have to be with her dad. But as she got older and discovered different kinds of cafes, this changed.

Houda shared that although she believes the stigma surrounding women going to cafes is gone, she has never sat in a cafe alone.

"I have this irrational fear that if I'm sitting alone somebody will come talk to me and I don't like that. So I just don't go," she said. "But it's because of me and my personality - it's really not because of the culture."

Though she admitted that once she did sit alone on accident - after her sister brought her along only to leave soon after with another friend - and she was fine.

Samia mentioned that her friend, Hiba, could go to any cafe and be comfortable.

"She would be very confident and she would sit and be herself. I wouldn't dare to do that. I think maybe it's lack of confidence from my side? And not based on gender," she said.

Your experience in a cafe depends on how you respond to the environment, according to Hiba.

"I think I've learned to block out everything else. That's why I'm comfortable in cafes. I don't give a sh*t," she said. "I think people sense that. I always tell them, I don't get harassed. I think it's just my attitude."

Both Samia and Houda avoid cafes populated by mostly men and instead prefer to head somewhere more modern, comfy, and cute, but clarified this is more personal preference than anything else.

Hiba and Chaimae explained that even in male-dominated neighborhood cafes, where they might feel more uncomfortable, there are signs that things are changing.

Hiba described her experience in one such cafe, saying that when she first lit her cigarette and started smoking everyone stared at her, but she pretended she did not see them.

"And that was the only time that they stared at me. After that I became familiar and the people were nice to me," she said.

They called this cafe, located in Sale's old medina, a "mystery" because, despite its traditional atmosphere, it ended up being a fine place for them to go. While Chaimae went there once and didn't go back, Hiba said her experience made her like Sale's old medina a little more.

"I had a very different assumption about place. It's the old medina and the stereotype is that they're the more closed-minded people of the city," she said. "And then you find them totally fine and very polite to a girl that is smoking in a public place and that is not as covered."

Reflecting a Changing Society

To some degree, the dynamic found in cafes, specifically regarding gender, can reflect on Moroccan society more broadly - while Moroccan women are more and more visible in society, it is to an extent, said Graiouid.

"I would say the presence of women in a space like a cafe would probably be equal to the presence or visibility of women in the public sphere," he said, but clarified that there is not a way to gage this with data and one needs to be careful with the correlation.

Moroccan women have significantly increased their presence in Moroccan political public sphere since 2000, when they held only 0.6 % of national parliament seats, to 2016 in which they held 20.5 % of seats, according to a by the World Bank.

Years ago the Moroccan woman couldn't go out of her house and was prevented from doing things she wanted, Amine said.

"I think those things [having more women in cafes and in public] are mainly the consequences that people are beginning to be more accepting," he said.

Even though individuals don't go to cafes with the intention of learning how to interact with others, because cafes are a key space in which socialization occurs, they still can educate people on how to relate to others - whether in a good or bad way.

In traditional cafes, it's often the same people, with the same ideas, hanging out there everyday, Amine said, and he believes this is partly contributing to the continuation of the harassment of women in cafes.

"I think it's a toxic thing to keep doing the same thing everyday," Amine said of the stereotypical older men spending day after day in the same cafe. "I think that's why they act like that and you find them really weird."

Zaina emphasized it is important not to generalize the population because there are some men who never sit in cafes.

"People are beginning to bring in new things or bring in new ideas to the concept of the cafe." Amine added, "I hope in the near future I will find all the cafes are the same as I imagine - I don't want to see the cafes full of men. I want to see them mixed and with all generations."

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Morocco's Cafe Culture: The Changing Face of a Social Space

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Rabat - A man wakes up and has a leisurely breakfast - he's retired and does not need to rush out the door for work. Eventually, he says goodbye to his wife and children, leaves his home, and strolls down the street.

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Recette Marocaine. 966K likes. Les  Meilleurs Recettes Marocaines

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Rabat - Two highly-coveted awards in the US have nominated Moroccan author Laila Lalami, who is based in California, US, for her latest book "The Other Americans."

The novel is one of ten titles up for the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction, and one of six finalists competing to receive the $50,000 Kirkus Prize, also one of the highest awards that an author can receive in the US.

Lalami expressed her excitement over the National Book Award nomination on Twitter, saying she was so grateful she could "barely type."

I was packing for the Brooklyn Book Fest when my phone lit up with a text of congratulations. I'm stunned and grateful and shaking so hard I can barely type. https://t.co/XJm8i1c4tB

- Laila Lalami (@LailaLalami) September 20, 2019

In regards to the Kirkus Prize, she said it was an honor to be among "such fine company."

What a thrill and an honor to be included in such fine company!! My heart is full.❤️📚 https://t.co/7L2SP9MHyC

- Laila Lalami (@LailaLalami) September 17, 2019

"The Other Americans" tells the story of a Moroccan immigrant in the US who is killed in a mysterious accident and how his death affects the people he left behind. The book has received wide-spread praise from literary critics.

Lalami was born in Rabat and received her education in Morocco, the UK, and the US. She is also the recipient of a British Council Fellowship, a Fulbright Fellowship, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Currently, she teaches creative writing at the University of California at Riverside.

One of her other highly-praised works, titled, " The Moor's Account," also tells the story of a Moroccan in America. Instead of a crime novel, the book is historical fiction, set in 1527.

The book won the American Book Award, the Arab American Book Award, and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. It was also on the Man Booker Prize longlist and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

Judging by her track record with awards, Lalami's outlook is hopeful for "The Other Americans."

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Moroccan Laila Lalami's 'The Other Americans' up for 2 Literary Awards

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Rabat - Two highly-coveted awards in the US have nominated Moroccan author Laila Lalami, who is based in California, US, for her latest book "The Other Americans." The novel is one of ten titles up for the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction, and one of six finalists competing to receive the $50,000 Kirkus Prize, also one of the highest awards that an author can receive in the US.

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Essaouira - The Lonely Planet recently listed Morocco among the top 10 most beautiful countries in the world. The beauty of Ouarzazate, Ifrane, the Atlas Mountains, and the architecture of cities like Fez and Marrakech is undeniable, but behind the awe-inspiring, mesmerising facade of beauty lurks the ugly side of Morocco.

To be clear, I love Morocco, and it is beautiful, but, over the past three years, I have had to learn to embrace the not-so-beautiful side.

This morning, for example, as I sat sipping my first coffee of the day at a picturesque cafe in the countryside outside Essaouira, from the roof terrace I gazed over miles of open space, of Argan trees, goats, and sheep roaming free in the morning sun. Then, an old man wearing a traditional jellaba rode past on a donkey. Idyllic, stereotypical Morocco, you might be thinking.

On the contrary, I know the man. His brown jellaba is dirty and patched, and he is thin and fragile. He rides past every morning and every night on a tour of the region's bins. His dinner this evening will be someone else's trash.

This is just one example of the social disparity and poverty I see daily in Morocco. However it still upsets me to hear tourists' comments and read reports saying that Moroccans see tourists as "walking wallets," or worse.

One comment about Morocco on a World Nomads article was really shocking. " Before going I asked many people about it and most told me of the beauty of Morocco. Maybe I am missing something here, but I really had a hard time getting past the overwhelming poverty, smell, scam artists and just plain gross."

It got worse, and, as someone who has chosen Morocco as my home, I actually felt rather offended by the next sentence. " Morocco is not really all that beautiful considering with every step you see starving kittens, abused donkeys, abused women & children and the stink of human/animal waste."

I take issue with much of this comment, but it is simply not true to say that tourists witness these horrific scenes with "every step." There are, of course, places in Morocco that are unsavory but, frankly, that is just insulting.

Meanwhile, Michael Russnow, a former US Senate aide, wrote an article for the Huffington Post suggesting that "if more people boycotted such countries and strongly affected the billions of dollars that tourism brings in, perhaps the governments would do something to eradicate the misery that has caused so many of its citizens to behave no better than animals."

I must admit that that particular article was an eye-opener for me-I had no idea that people could be so callous. The citizens who "behave no better than animals" are, in fact, a deeply human, dignified, and prideful people who, despite their financial struggles, represent a rich and extraordinary culture. Furthermore, the idea that "boycotting" poor countries would inspire governments to address the social disparities just seems ridiculous to me.

Morocco, for example, already has government targets and development programs in place, and every year the levels of poverty do decrease, but it is not going to happen over night. In 2018, the World Bank described the improvement of living standards in Morocco since 2001 as "visible," with monetary poverty and vulnerability falling "to 4.8 and 12.5% respectively."

However, there is still a long way to go. When the colonial powers left countries like Morocco, they left them in a mess, and, after all, one would not make a meal without doing the washing up afterwards.

Now, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but this is mine: Morocco is beautiful, despite the shocking levels of poverty. And, choosing to turn away from, or even, "boycott" the social disparity is not going to make it go away, just like hiding under the covers does not make Mondays disappear.

The facts speak for themselves; Morocco's GDP per capita for 2019 is only 27% of the world's average, at $3,357.40. Meanwhile, according to the Borgen Project, 4 million Moroccans are living under the poverty line and according to the World Bank , 45.1% of Moroccans say that they struggle to make ends meet.

So, when tourists "on a budget" complain about that extra dirham, I would remind them that the very fact that they are able to buy a plane ticket and own a passport places them in a different financial universe from the average Moroccan.

Yes, it is annoying knowing full well that you are paying "tourist prices." And, yes, holidays are supposed to be about escapism. But as tourists we need to stop hiding under the duvet. Morocco, and other countries like it, cannot resolve all of their social problems just because we want a relaxing, stress-free holiday. However, the revenue going into the country from our holiday may well help.

In 2016, Morocco's tourist industry brought in MAD 57.8 billion to the national economy, and in 2018 that figure rose to MAD 73.15 billion . By following the advice of our friend the former US Senate aide and boycotting Morocco, we would be doing its people more harm than good.

If the economic arguments have not convinced you to get out from under the covers and look both sides of Morocco in the eye, maybe this will. When we fall in love with a person, we fall in love with every aspect of them because we need to know and understand the "ugly side" to know the person.

My husband, like Morocco, is very beautiful. He has almond-shaped, amber eyes with long dark lashes that our son has inherited. He has a magnetic smile and an easy laugh. However, he also snores, hates responding to WhatsApp messages, and insists that he does not like carrots. That second set of facts does not cancel out the first. On the contrary, the imperfections of a person are what makes them unique and, in some cases, more beautiful.

Poverty, social disparities, and injustice are not beautiful, but they are part of a beautiful and fascinating country and society. When you visit Morocco, do not look away from them because they will help you to understand Morocco and its people as a whole.

And besides, I don't think tourists come to Morocco to see soulless monuments and trees; they come because of the rich and ancient history of the Moroccan people. They come to witness a unique culture, with its beautiful and ugly sides, that is constantly evolving and developing.

Now, if you still want to look away, consider this: If it were you struggling to feed your family, would you like tourists to ignore you, embarrassed and offended by your presence in your own country, or allow you the dignity of being an equal in their eyes?

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Why Tourists in Morocco Shouldn't Look Away from Poverty

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Essaouira - The Lonely Planet recently listed Morocco among the top 10 most beautiful countries in the world. The beauty of Ouarzazate, Ifrane, the Atlas Mountains, and the architecture of cities like Fez and Marrakech is undeniable, but behind the awe-inspiring, mesmerising facade of beauty lurks the ugly side of Morocco.

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Rabat - With of the African, Francophone population before the turn of the next century on account of a decreasing mortality rate, in many ways one could say: For better or worse, President Macron's ambitious to sink millions of Euros into making French the third most spoken language in the world. Given the expected quadrupling French is here to stay.

As Paris was caught in the morning fog, with bakers and window cleaners welcoming the day, my father and I made our way to the to attend the early mass on Sunday. Though a sixteen-year-old in the heavily secularized West, I found myself rather dumb-founded to stumble upon a practically empty nave as my father and I took up our seats in a rear pew.

As the priest opened the sermon in French, a thin and invisible veil lowered between myself and the rest of the congregation, as usually happened whenever I found myself in exclusively French-speaking company. It did not matter. Even as a stoic atheist back then, I could do little else but sit there with an open mouth and gaze in awe of the seemingly never-ending ceiling of the church.
Masons of Paris
"Can you imagine how the average Parisian needed little convincing of the existence of God, upon leaving their wretched cottages and entering the cathedral for the first time back then? Only by divine inspiration could the masons of Paris have constructed a ceiling so high, it reached the heavens," my father whispered to me while keeping one eye on the priest to make sure he did not disturb the sermon.

Before I could ask him about some of the stained-glass windows, the priest beckoned everyone to stand up for the 'Sign of Peace'. While my father turned to his left to shake hands with a French couple, I found myself not within reach of anyone who's hand I was supposed to shake.

But then I caught the eye of a little old lady who sat in the front row. It was only later that I realized she must have seen me looking around rather feverishly, when she decided to walk up all the creaking steps. The closer she got to me, the more petrified I became. And, before I realized I should have done the decent thing and walked down to her, she stood in front of me.

Instinctively my right hand somehow managed to reach out to hers. And as our hands clasped together, she took her left hand and placed it on the back of my right hand, all the while looking into my eyes. The veil was lifted.
Shed a tear
Some of my more evangelical friends back then tried to convince me it was the moment where God tried to talk to me. "You genuinely don't consider the idea that God was working through her? As you say, you even felt tears welling up when you left the church Wouter. You can't deny your experience may have been part of something larger than yourself."

However, I had no intention of disowning the truth of my experience and was not suddenly convinced in the existence of an omnipotent God looking out for me. To quote the late, bare-knuckle, unapologetic atheist Christopher Hitchens: "What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence."

The profound experience of ten years ago may not have turned me into a true believer, it did however leave me convinced in another way: Before I turn 30, I decided, I will be able to speak French properly. At the same time, I cannot help but feel a strange mix guilty and grateful, since learning French in post-colonial Africa is not without implications.
Post-colonial Africa
Acclaimed Congolese-French writer Alain Mabanckou published an open letter in response to President Macron's plan, stating "it is one of the last instruments that allows to say it can still dominate the world, and have a hold over its former colonies." When looking at the history of the African continent, it is not difficult to understand Mabanckou's point of view.

Yet, renowned Moroccan-French author Leila Slimani as the personal representative of President Macron on francophone affairs, assured audiences in an interview prior to Macon's unveiling France did not harbor an elitist, linguistic view and regarded itself as "one of the francophone countries."

Nevertheless, speaking French in Africa remains a hot potato. Earlier this year Said Amzazi as Minister of Education faced a severe backlash , for proposing to replace Arabic with French as the instructional language for scientific subjects in Moroccan schools. Amzazi points to the Moroccan labor market, where only a limited group of students can attain prestigious, well-paid jobs offered by French companies.

As a result of decades of Arabization, students are taught in Arabic throughout high school, leaving them poorly prepared for scientific courses in university where French is the instructional language. According to Amzazi, this linguistic gap results in an ingrained insecurity among Moroccan students who cannot communicate in French, as opposed to bilingual students who can move up the Moroccan social ladder.

Despite Amzaiz's zeal, trenchant criticism was levied against him. The proposal was regarded as elitist and harmful to the honor and pride of Moroccans, in particular by Abdelilah Benkirane as former chairman of the Justice and Development Party.

In , under President Nana Akufo-Addo, the government is preparing to step up and embrace French in the classrooms as well. In a world where 700 million people are projected to speak French before 2050 (80% of which are Africans), Akufo-Addo held a speech in French at a Francophone summit in 2018, announcing plans to make French a mandatory subject for all high school students.

But in Ghana, criticism is being mobilized against the top-down dominance of French too. Over 50 indigineous languages are spoken in Ghana, and critics fear for the longevity of these long-cherished, linguistic traditions. Akufo-Addo wanted to reassure the Ghanese people at the summit by stating, "our goal is to live, one day in a bilingual Ghana, that is English and French, together with our indigenous languages."
For better or worse
The added value of French is in many ways apparent, as it opens more company doors both in Africa and abroad, flattens language barriers between people from Africa, Europe, and the Americas and opens up a world of ideas, politics, literature and cinema from Francophone countries.

Animated conversations with taxi drivers, being able to speak with tourists visiting Morocco from Tunisia, Congo and Canada, sceptically listening to a group of middle-aged men who are not convinced sub-Saharan migrants work to earn their keep; these are all moments I could not have experienced it without learning French in Morocco.

Nevertheless, as someone from l'occident, I think it is crucial to understand the legacy of the French language within Africa. Intellectual Frantz Fanon dedicated the better part of his career combatting the devastating effects of the ingrained inferiority complex in Francophone countries. The very least one can do is recognize this colonial legacy.

Whether French will be spoken a hundred years from now I do not know. But for now, I would say: For better or worse, French is here to stay.

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Rabat - With of the African, Francophone population before the turn of the next century on account of a decreasing mortality rate, in many ways one could say: For better or worse, President Macron's ambitious to sink millions of Euros into making French the third most spoken language in the world.

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Rabat - The UN Development Program's 2019 Human Development Index has ranked Morocco as the 121st most developed country out of 189 countries. Although two places above its previous ranking, the new ranking puts Morocco two places below the state of Palestine, including the Gaza strip.

With a score of 0.676, Morocco has "medium human development." Elsewhere in the Maghreb, the UNDP considers Algeria (82nd globally) and Tunisia (91st globally) to have "high human development," along with six other African countries that ranked above Morocco.

The Seychelles, Mauritius, Botswana, South Africa, Gabon, and Egypt also fit into the high development ranking.

The Human Development Index measures the ability "to live a long and healthy life, to acquire knowledge and to earn income for a basic standard of living."

Morocco has seen a gradual improvement in its score since the index began in 1990. In 1990, Morocco had a score of 0.458, in 2000 a score of 0.531, and in 2010 a score of 0.618.

While only 1% of Morocco's population are living below the internationally-recognized poverty line of living on less than $1.90 per day, nearly 5% are living below the country's national poverty line.

Looking beyond monetary poverty, the index estimates that 19% of Moroccans are living in "multidimensional poverty."

The 2019 report focused on inequalities among people. Perhaps the most stark inequalities in Morocco are between men and women in labor force participation and time spent on domestic work. Although 70% of Moroccan men are active in the labor force, only 21% of women are. Meanwhile, women reported they spend over five hours per day on unpaid domestic chores, seven times the time that men spend.

The percentage of Morocco's parliamentary seats held by women is 18%, a percentage not that much higher than the group of women who got married before the age of 18, 13%. Child marriage in Morocco is now illegal unless the families involved obtain a waiver for the marriage.

The index highlighted health realities across the world. Nearly one-quarter of pregnant Moroccan women do not have any prenatal visits, and 13% give birth without any "skilled health personnel" present.

Morocco only has seven doctors and 11 hospital beds per 10,000 people, according to the index. Children born in Morocco face a life expectancy of 76.5 years.

Vulnerable employment

Moroccans who entered their first year of schooling in 2018 can expect to spend an average of 13 years in school, far more than the five years of education the average adult Moroccan has.

Adult Moroccan men are more likely to have "some" secondary education than women: 36% of men and 29% of women advanced beyond primary education.

UNDP describes 19% of Morocco's labor force as " skilled " and said 49% are in vulnerable employment. While the wealthiest 10% in Morocco take home 32% of the country's income, the bottom 40% take home 17%.

The index showed that most Moroccans have access to utilities: 100% have electricity and 87% have a basic drinking-water source. However, 19% of Morocco's land is considered to be "degraded."

On government spending, the UNDP noted that Morocco spends 3% of its GDP on its military.

Morocco also spends 9% of its exports of goods, services, and primary income on repaying its debts.

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Morocco Ranks 121st, Below Gaza in 2019 Human Development Index

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Rabat - The UN Development Program's 2019 Human Development Index has ranked Morocco as the 121st most developed country out of 189 countries. Although two places above its previous ranking, the new ranking puts Morocco two places below the state of Palestine, including the Gaza strip.

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1959 |L'émission "Tous les plaisirs du jour sont dans la matinée" présentait en novembre 1959 un entretien avec l'écrivain marocain Driss Chraïbi au micro de José Pivin, (1e diffusion : 14/11/1959 France II Régionale).

Comment raconter son enfance au Maroc ? Driss Chraïbi, écrivain marocain de langue française, racontait au micro de José Pivin une partie de son enfance dans l'émission "Tous les plaisirs du jour sont dans la matinée". Cet entretien a été diffusé pour la première fois le 14/11/1959 sur France II Régionale. L'entretien était illustré par des lectures d'extraits des œuvres de Driss Chraïbi.

Production : José Pivin

Tous les plaisirs du jour sont dans la matinée - Driss Chraïbi

1ère diffusion : 14/11/1959 France II Régionale

Archives INA-Radio France

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Driss Chraïbi : "Pour parler de mon enfance marocaine je vais vous en raconter une journée"

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1959 |L'émission "Tous les plaisirs du jour sont dans la matinée" présentait en novembre 1959 un entretien avec l'écrivain marocain Driss Chraïbi au micro de José Pivin, (1e diffusion : 14/11/1959 France II Régionale). Comment raconter son enfance au Maroc ?

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Rabat - Before the founding of Israel in 1948, Morocco was home to the largest Jewish population in the Arabic-speaking world. More than 350,000 Moroccan Jews lived in nearly 100 communities throughout the North African kingdom until the Israel-Palestine conflict erupted in the Middle East. Today, mere hundreds remain.

But with a native Jewish population dating back to 70 AD and dozens of archaic religious sites, Morocco remains a pilgrimage site for Jews today. Jewish pilgrims notably frequent historical sites in Fez that preserve the legacy of Morocco's Jewish community.

One such site in Morocco's spiritual capital is the white-washed Jewish cemetery, sprawling over the edge of the old city and overlooking rolling hills.

The above-ground graves and tombs-of which there are hundreds-were repainted in 2019. The fresh coat of white paint restored the site to its original splendor while making the cemetery nearly blinding on a sunny day.

The cemetery is home to the tomb of Solica, one of the most famous female saints among Jews as well as Muslims in Morocco.

Also known as Sol Hachuel and Lalla Suleika, Solica was born in Tangier in 1817. The young Jewish woman was known far and wide for her beauty, and, according to legend, the governor of Tangier attempted to persuade her to convert to Islam.

She refused, and he imprisoned and tortured her. The governor transferred her to Fez, where local officials beheaded her in 1834 when she was only 17. She is venerated today by Jews and Muslims alike for her steadfastness and purported healing powers.

The cemetery also houses the tombs of several chief rabbis of Morocco.

One tomb belongs to Rabbi Yehuda Ben Attar, born in 1655.

According to legend, the sultan of Morocco imprisoned the rabbi to raise ransom money from the poverty-stricken Jewish community. After receiving no funds, the sultan threw the rabbi to his lions. The rabbi began to pray, and the lions sat quietly in a row as if they were his students. The miracle earned the rabbi his freedom and an apology from the sultan.

A small museum and woodworking shop sits along the northeastern border of the cemetery, maintained by the site's caretaker, Edmond Gabay.

With beautifully tiled Moroccan fountains, date palms, and orange trees strewn throughout the cemetery, the site is reminiscent of heavenly gardens. Old apartment buildings stand tall at the cemetery's edge, enclosing the space in a quiet calm.

Although Morocco's Jewish population continues to dwindle, beautifully preserved sites like the Jewish cemetery of Fez remind us of the far-reaching legacy of this significant Moroccan community.

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In Photos: Remembering Moroccan Jewry at the Fez Jewish Cemetery

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Rabat - Before the founding of Israel in 1948, Morocco was home to the largest Jewish population in the Arabic-speaking world. More than 350,000 Moroccan Jews lived in nearly 100 communities throughout the North African kingdom until the Israel-Palestine conflict erupted in the Middle East. Today, mere hundreds remain.

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Rabat - Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has taken to Twitter to thank King Mohammed VI and Morocco for preserving coexistence and connections with its Jewish community.

On January 17, the Israeli president tweeted a press report from 2M about the King's visit to Bayt Dakira, a Jewish center dedicated to the legacy of Judaism in Essaouira.

The King visited the historical landmark on January 15. Members of Morocco's Jewish community attended the ceremony.

French-Moroccan comedian Gad Elmaleh also attended the event, among other celebrities and public figures.

"Heartfelt thanks and blessings" to King Mohammed VI, the Israeli president wrote on Twitter.

Rivlin expressed satisfaction with the King's willingness to continue the "legacy of his ancestors through strong connections to the Jews of Morocco and nurturing coexistence between Muslims, Jews, and Christians."

Very moved by this week's dedication ceremony of Beyt Dakir, the Museum of Moroccan #Jewish Heritage in Essaouira, in the presence of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of #Morocco pic.twitter.com/Xc4zl4Kz5Y

- Reuven Rivlin (@PresidentRuvi) January 17, 2020

The president said he was moved by the dedication ceremony of Bayt Dakira in the presence of the King.

Morocco is among the states that refuse diplomatic normalization with Israel due to its solidarity and support for the Palestinian cause.

Morocco, however, has been home to thousands of Moroccan Jew for 1,000 years.

Although fewer than 2,000 Moroccan Jews now live in Morocco, thousands flock to the city of Essaouira every year to celebrate religious events and Jewish pilgrimages, such as the Hiloula of Rabbi Haim Pinto.

Moroccan-Jewish figures regularly speak out about their attachment to their homeland. One of the latest testimonies came from former Israeli politician and ambassador to France and the UN, Yehuda Lancry.

In an interview with I24News, the former ambassador said he was lucky to "be raised in Morocco for 17 years before we left to Israel"

It was necessary for us to leave because it was my family's ambition," he said.

The small Jewish community in Morocco "enjoy all rights and equality under the leadership of King Mohammed VI," Lancry underlined.

The Jewish community in Morocco, estimated at 1,800, is spread across the country, especially in the larger cities in areas called Mellah, or walled cities.

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Israeli President Thanks King Mohammed VI for Preserving Connection with Moroccan Jews

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Rabat - Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has taken to Twitter to thank King Mohammed VI and Morocco for preserving coexistence and connections with its Jewish community. On January 17, the Israeli president tweeted a press report from 2M about the King's visit to Bayt Dakira, a Jewish center dedicated to the legacy of Judaism in Essaouira.

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Rabat - "I am just so glad you are listening to my story," a Moroccan mother told research students as she explained the struggles her family faces with a child with autism.

While collecting data on autism in Morocco, students from the American Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) expected to hear about hardships in accessing special services for children with autism but were surprised how many parents were grateful to be heard.

It was the least expected and most heartbreaking response to the Autism Speaks survey. Families expressed thankfulness for interviewers simply listening to their hardship. Most families did not hesitate to accept an interview and expected nothing in return.

Between the years of 2016 and 2018, Autism Speaks, an international autism advocacy and support organization based in New York, conducted an extensive survey on the plight of families of children with autism in Morocco. The organization worked with the WPI students, who traveled throughout Morocco to interview family members, primarily mothers, of children with autism.

Autism, a neurological disorder that affects people's motor behavior and communication, is incurable, and symptoms usually begin developing around the age of 2. Autism is a complex spectrum, with each affected child having their own combination of unique characteristics.

The primary goals of the multi-year project was to gather data on families affected by autism in Morocco and to use the data to give informed recommendations to the Moroccan government.

Every family interviewed by the WPI students expressed hardship when it came to obtaining the best and most convenient care for their children. Some families, most commonly in rural areas, had severe difficulty accessing facilities with specialized education for their children.

Lack of care

Many children had never seen a doctor, been officially diagnosed, or received specialized care. For many families, the difficulty of caring for a child with special needs rests entirely on them.

Even families and professionals who are members or employees of NGOs offering special education, such as Espace al Akhawayne in Rabat, are not fully satisfied with the realities of their care.

The care available for children also varies greatly depending on the facility.

Organizations like Espace al Akhawayne are public and deal with a different set of difficulties servicing the children in their care than those that are private. Lack of sufficient government funding makes them unable to expand their educational space, obtain the items necessary for running classrooms, and forces a low cap on the number of students that they can accept.

Private organizations, such as the Centre Yasmine Breton in Sale, generally care for children of families with higher incomes and receive payment from these families for every service they give. There is generally no cap on the number of students who can join these organizations.

A significant difference between these types of facilities is the educator to student ratio. In 2018, the Centre Yasmine Breton serviced more than 100 children but only had a staff of around eight. Here, sessions with each student lasted around an hour or so and occurred based on family payment.

In the same year, Espace al Akhawayne had a staff to child ratio of 1:1, and education lasted for multiple hours every day.

Autism care not yet a priority in Morocco

Whether or not an organization relies on government support is the driving force behind the variance in care public and private facilities can offer. The Moroccan government has diminished already insufficient funds for public organizations. Public organizations working with autism-affected families face extreme difficulty maintaining physical necessities for their facilities.

Even more so, harsh social stigma around the social behavior of children with autism makes gaining public acceptance of the disorder seem a far-off dream.

In an effort to better their future prospects, Autism Speaks initiated the project to provide on autism and resources in Morocco.

In the first year of data collection, 2016, students focused more heavily on the collection of wide-ranging numerical data, interviewing over 200 families in both rural and urban areas throughout the nation. In 2018, a second group of students conducted much fewer interviews in only Rabat and its surrounding cities, using the same survey from Autism Speaks as the first group.

The students then shifted to processing their statistics in order to offer recommendations to Autism Speaks.

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Moroccan Families of Children With Autism Just Want to be Heard

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Rabat - "I am just so glad you are listening to my story," a Moroccan mother told research students as she explained the struggles her family faces with a child with autism.

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Il y a de ces victoires que le Maroc tente parfois de s'approprier. De manière
fallacieuse. Insidieuse. La dernière en date étant celle de Bilal Hassani, grand
vainqueur tout désigné samedi soir dernier pour représenter la France à
l'Eurovision.

C'est que ce jeune homme cristallise tant de crispations actuelles que sa victoire s'érige en un triomphe peu commun, voire assez inédit. Entre sa sexualité pleinement assumée et ses origines, lui-même sans doute n'a-t-il véritablement pas conscience de tous les enjeux qu'il est à même d'incarner à son insu. Car oui, il ne s'en cache pas, ce jeune YouTubeur controversé de 19 ans qui aime se travestir en femme aurait des parents marocains. A bon entendeur.

Mais avoir un passeport vert commis d'office à sa naissance dans un hôpital
parisien fait-il de lui un Marocain pour autant? Je ne le pense guère. Et pourtant,
beaucoup de médias serinent à longueur d'articles que c'est bel et bien un jeune marocain qui ira défendre les couleurs de la République française à Tel Aviv. Un Marocain qui n'a donc peut-être jamais posé un seul pied dans son propre pays mais auquel on lui imposerait d'appartenir. Qu'importe! Son prénom sonne arabe. Sa religion serait à fortiori l'Islam. Son homosexualité ne serait que buzz éphémère. Indiscutable serait donc sa marocanité.

Fallait-il seulement attendre sa victoire pour en faire l'un des nôtres? Une naturalisation de circonstances? Une récupération fortuite et opportuniste le soir de sa consécration?

Car les Bilal marocains sont nombreux dans notre royaume, mais on se refuse de les voir. Ils tentent de vivre la nuit, espérant que l'obscurité adoucissent les mœurs bien conservatrices qui les bâillonnent. Une fois débusqués, c'est à coup de pierres et d'insultes qu'ils sont lynchés avec jubilation. Leur traque se retrouve régulièrement sur le net, mise en ligne par ces justiciers d'un nouveau genre qui, encouragés par les autorités, se gratifient doublement de cette humiliation 2.0.

Cette chasse aux sorcières a d'ailleurs défrayé la chronique pas plus tard qu'il y
a un mois. Souvenez-vous de cette soirée de réveillon du nouvel an, la police
marocaine avait interpelé un homme qui s'était travesti en femme dans les rues
de la ville ocre. Non contents de le malmener, de l'humilier en filmant son
arrestation, les agents de l'autorité avaient de surcroît pris le soin de divulguer
intentionnellement ses informations personnelles. Dans quel dessein si ce n'est
de le stigmatiser et le persécuter jusqu'à son propre domicile? A ce jour, cet
homme en état de choc post-traumatique cherche une terre d'asile pour pouvoir
vivre plus sereinement et surtout librement.

Cette même terre d'asile sur laquelle naquit un 9 septembre 1999 un certain
Bilal Hassani. Qui a eu donc cette chance de grandir de l'autre côté de la
Méditerranée et ainsi de pouvoir assumer sa sexualité et sa vie d'artiste, soutenu par sa communauté bienveillante qui l'a porté au pinacle avec ferveur et fierté.

C'est donc bel et bien la France qui lui a permis d'avancer, d'évoluer et qui lui a
surtout garanti sa liberté d'exister. Car même si plus de 1.500 insultes à
caractère homophobe ont été recensées sur les réseaux sociaux à ce jour, il
pourra compter sur les droits de son pays, la France, pour le protéger. Il
n'attendra pas le coucher du soleil pour se promener dans les rues de sa ville. Il
se maquillera de ce sourire, celui de se savoir appartenir à une démocratie
républicaine où l'homophobie est lourdement condamnée par la loi. Il pourra
s'élever sur ses 10 cm de talons aiguilles piétinant les insultes la tête haute. Il
pourra tenir la main de son petit ami sans craindre de se retrouver au fond d'une
geôle.

Il pourra remercier la France d'être plus qu'un Français à part entière, plus qu'un
homme stigmatisé par son altérité: un artiste avant tout. Car au fond, qui sommes-nous pour l'aliéner à son pays d'origine, ou le traiter vulgairement de vendu de l'Occident? Qui sommes-nous pour vouloir à tout prix le définir comme masculin ou féminin? Parce que ces dichotomies ne nourrissent au fond que des hémiplégies identitaires, il est primordial de s'en défaire pour mieux accueillir les identités dans leur interculturalité et leur pluralité.

"Ce qu'on est, on ne l'a pas choisi, Quand je rêve, je suis un roi", fredonne-t-il
allègrement dans sa chanson. Alors de grâce, laissons-le s'épanouir dans son
propre royaume, qui n'a de de vert que l'harmonie de sa nature et de rouge que
la couleur de l'amour.

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BLOG- De quoi Bilal Hassani est-il le nom?

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Il y a de ces victoires que le Maroc tente parfois de s'approprier. De manièrefallacieuse. Insidieuse. La dernière en date étant celle de Bilal Hassani, grandvainqueur tout désigné samedi soir dernier pour représenter la France à l'Eurovision. C'est que ce jeune homme cristallise tant de crispations actuelles que sa victoire s'érige en un triomphe peu commun, voire assez inédit.

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HISTOIRE - Amateurs d'histoire ou simples curieux, cette série est faite pour vous. L'incubateur d'idées Incha', lancé en 2018 et dirigé par l'historien, politiste et chercheur au CNRS Nabil Mouline, s'apprête à lancer un nouveau concept pour raconter l'histoire du Maroc de manière accessible à tous, annonce-t-il dans un communiqué.

Présenté comme le "premier manuel virtuel de l'histoire du Maroc", le projet baptisé "On raconte que" ("Youqal Inna" en arabe) se décline en trente vidéos de dix minutes chacune qui présenteront une fois par mois "de manière scientifique mais accessible au grand public" les grands épisodes historiques du pays.

"Notre objectif n'est pas d'imposer un grand récit au public, qui serait nécessairement simpliste et linéaire, mais de lui fournir une histoire scientifique, aussi complexe que décomplexée, et surtout, plurielle", explique Nabil Mouline dans le communiqué.

Les capsules, qui seront diffusées sur les comptes YouTube et Facebook de l'historien, mêleront illustrations, pièces d'archives et récit pour présenter aux internautes les principaux événements, personnages, institutions et symboles nationaux. Elles ont été réalisées par une équipe d'illustrateurs, ingénieurs son, monteurs et historiens.

"Comme je sais que l'écrit n'est pas suffisant pour atteindre un grand public, surtout dans un pays comme le Maroc, cela fait quelques années que je pense à faire ce projet que j'ai pu concrétiser sous la forme de vidéos", explique au HuffPost Maroc Nabil Mouline. Pour toucher la plus large audience possible, les vidéos seront en arabe, sous-titrées en français et en anglais, voire en néerlandais pour certaines.

C'est notamment le cas du premier épisode de la série, diffusé jeudi 31 janvier sur les réseaux sociaux, qui s'attaquera à "un événement fondateur, mais néanmoins méconnu, de l'histoire contemporaine du Maroc", annonce Nabil Mouline: le soulèvement du Rif (1958-1959), région dont est issue une grosse communauté de Marocains immigrés en Belgique et aux Pays-Bas. "Ce chapitre est d'autant plus actuel que l'on en commémore le 60ème anniversaire cette année", rappelle-t-il.

Les autres épisodes évoqueront un certain nombre de sujets historiques de diverses périodes de l'histoire du Maroc, allant du deuxième siècle avant Jésus-Christ à l'époque contemporaine, mais les vidéos seront diffusées de manière non chronologique "pour ne pas ennuyer les spectateurs".

En plus d'être à l'initiative de ce projet, Nabil Mouline est l'auteur de plusieurs ouvrages. Derniers en date: Le califat: histoire politique de l'islam (Flammarion, 2016), Islams politiques: courants, doctrines et idéologies (CNRS Editions, 2017) et L'idée de constitution au Maroc (TelQuel média, 2017).

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"On raconte que": L'historien Nabil Mouline lance une série de courtes vidéos sur l'histoire du Maroc

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HISTOIRE - Amateurs d'histoire ou simples curieux, cette série est faite pour vous. L'incubateur d'idées Incha', lancé en 2018 et dirigé par l'historien, politiste et chercheur au CNRS Nabil Mouline, s'apprête à lancer un nouveau concept pour raconter l'histoire du Maroc de manière accessible à tous, annonce-t-il dans un communiqué.

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CULTURE - Peut-on danser sans être ennemi d'Allah? Peut-on être ouvertement un artiste sans éloigner les bonnes âmes du paradis? Peut-on s'exprimer à travers l'art, sous toutes ses formes, sans faire grincer des dents les extrémistes religieux? C'est à toutes ces questions que tente de répondre le réalisateur belgo-marocain Jawad Rhalib dans son dernier documentaire "Au temps où les arabes dansaient".

Des almées égyptiennes, ces femmes instruites qui ont dansé et chanté dans les harems et inspiré les fantasmes du courant orientaliste au XIXe siècle, aux shows de Madame Badia dans les plus beaux cabarets du Caire, sans oublier le fameux déhanché de Samia Gamal qui a envoûté le roi Farouk et le monde arabe dans les années 50, la danse a longtemps fait vibrer le Maghreb et le Moyen-Orient. Mais qu'en est-il aujourd'hui dans nos sociétés modernes mais marquées par le puritanisme religieux et la montée du fondamentalisme?

"Aucun texte n'autorise à écouter Beyoncé, Madonna ou Michael Jackson. C'est sale, dégoûtant. Les paroles sont horribles, épouvantables... Ils vous encouragent à bouger votre corps, à pervertir vos pensées. Qu'Allah nous pardonne! Toutes professions où le corps à des fins de divertissement public est interdit." C'est par ce prêche d'un imam marocain que débute le documentaire, nous plongeant immédiatement dans le vif du sujet. Pire encore, on entend, quelques secondes plus tard, un autre imam glisser à des enfants que "ceux qui écoutent de la musique, Allah les transformera en singe ou en porc".

Des paroles qui vont pousser Jawad Rhalib, pendant cinq ans, à interroger l'évolution de la culture et des libertés du Maroc à l'Égypte, en faisant un petit saut en Iran, pays des mille et une fatwas (avis religieux, ndlr) qui régissent la vie des femmes. Il nous offre une retrospective inquiétante, presque déchirante, sur la disparition des libertés dans nos sociétés arabes, ponctuée par de très belles images d'archives de l'âge d'or du cinéma et de la chanson égyptienne. Des extraits qui montrent, tout au long du film, le contraste alarmant entre les années 50 et aujourd'hui.

Parti à la rencontre de nombreux artistes arabes et musulmans, il livre des témoignages bouleversants mais teintés de bienveillance et d'espoir. Le HuffPost Maroc s'est entretenu avec ce réalisateur qui explore la quête et l'expression de soi, fils conducteurs de plusieurs de ses oeuvres.
HuffPost Maroc: Pourquoi avoir choisi la danse comme thème de ce documentaire?
Jawad Rhalib: Je l'explique au début du film, la danse est métaphorique et symbolise en réalité la liberté, le corps, surtout celui de la femme, et l'expression de soi sous toutes ses formes. C'est ce qui dérange le plus les extrémistes religieux. Vous savez, je suis né et j'ai grandi au Maroc, à Meknès et j'ai vécu l'enfer étant petit à cause de ma mère qui dansait, qui était une femme libérée et libre qui s'habillait en petites jupes et robes. Moi j'encaissais, partout, à l'école, dans la rue, je me faisais insulter de "fils de danseuse, fils de pute". J'ai gardé ça en mémoire, et avec le temps j'ai voulu travailler dessus et ressortir ça, surtout en ce moment avec la montée du fanatisme religieux en Europe, qui ne concerne pas que les pays arabes. Et comme dit si bien mon père au début du film, ces extrémistes se mêlent beaucoup de ce qui ne les regarde pas, donc j'ai décidé de consacrer un film à tout ce qui les dérange.
Vos parents, très présents en début et en fin du film, n'ont-ils pas eu de mal à parler de manière si intime devant la caméra?
Mes parents ont toujours été très libres, très ouverts. Ils nous ont éduqué dans une ouverture d'esprit totale donc ça n'a vraiment pas été compliqué pour eux de parler devant la caméra. Ils savent séparer la religion des choses de la vie de tous les jours. Ma mère à son âge continue de danser, de s'amuser, de s'éclater puis elle va ensuite faire sa prière, comme on peut le voir dans une des scènes.
Pour les besoin du film, vous sillonnez le monde arabe, surtout l'Égypte qui est un pays très conservateur. Quelques personnes y ont accepté de témoigner à visage découvert, comment les avez-vous convaincues?
Il faut savoir que ce film, c'est 5 ans de travail, ça a été très long à réaliser car c'est du documentaire de création puis surtout, c'était très compliqué de trouver des artistes qui accepteraient de parler à visage découvert face à la caméra et qui peuvent s'exprimer librement sans laisser tomber le projet en cours de route. Car dans chaque pays, nous tournons des séquences, puis on part et revient quelques mois après pour voir la tournure des choses, si tout le monde veut encore faire partie de l'aventure. A part pour le Maroc, nous avons tourné dans ces pays sans autorisations. Pour les égyptiens, en effet ça a été compliqué, notamment de convaincre Karima Mansour, leader d'une école de danse au Caire, d'intervenir; elle a fini par accepter. Mais le plus dur reste le cas d'un des danseurs égyptiens, Anouar qu'on peut voir dans le film, et qui a demandé l'asile politique aux Etats-Unis car il était menacé en Egypte à cause d'une des séquences de mon film que certains festivals ont postée sur Youtube. Il y danse avec un autre homme et cette scène a été jugée choquante, il a été accusé d'homosexualité et a eu des problèmes par la suite.
Finalement, si on compare la situation dans certains pays, le Maroc reste plus ouvert à la danse que l'Egypte, où de nombreuses femmes sont emprisonnées pour avoir dansé en public...
En Egypte, il est vrai qu'on ne peut pas danser dans la rue. Les figurants qu'on voit dans mon film doivent se contenter d'une seule école de danse et d'un seul théâtre qui prend le risque de les laisser s'y produire car ils n'ont nulle par ailleurs pour le faire. Par rapport à l'Egypte, le Maroc est à un stade supérieur, c'est vrai. Mais au Maroc, montrer deux garçons qui dansent ensemble en public reste impossible aussi. Et regardez le prêche qui ouvre le film, ce sont des paroles très choquantes d'un imam marocain. Un peu plus tard dans le film, nous tournons dans un quartier dans une ville marocaine dont on taira le nom, où il y a 17 associations islamiques contre une seule association culturelle pour les jeunes. Dans une autre séquence, nous avons filmé une école coranique marocaine où un imam s'adresse à des jeunes enfants et le discours qu'il tient fait froid dans le dos.
Votre film a fait le tour des festivals du monde et a été très bien reçu par la critique. Une sortie est-elle prévue ici?
On a eu de très, très belles critiques aux États-Unis et au Canada. Au Maroc, il ne faut pas rêver pour une sortie. Il y a deux séquences qui sont visiblement trop choquantes pour le public marocain, à savoir le passage où on parle de la femme du prophète Aïcha et le comédien nu sur scène qui récite la chahada (profession de foi en islam, ndlr). C'est un extrait de la pièce "Soumission", adaptée du livre de Michel Houellebecq. D'ailleurs, sachez que même des festivals en Suède m'ont demandé de couper ces scènes pour ne pas choquer le public, j'ai refusé d'y projeter le film. Ici, nous n'avons même pas eu le visa pour une sortie en salles ni pour le montrer dans les circuits culturels comme les instituts ou les salles spéciales. Ils ont refusé par rapport à ces deux scènes. Mais il y aura des diffusions télévisées en Belgique et en France et je pense qu'au Maroc, on peut capter certaines chaînes belges ou françaises. Sinon, il faudra encore patienter un peu jusqu'à ce qu'il soit sur des plateformes en ligne.
Durant la réalisation du film, vous dites vous être posé 1001 questions. Auxquelles vous avez trouvé des réponses?
J'ai trouvé des réponses à toutes. Mes questions tournaient autour de la situation d'artiste, peu importe le domaine, lorsqu'il s'agit de dire ou de montrer des choses d'exprimer des choses aujourd'hui dans une société de plus en plus gagnée par des idées extrémistes et des gens qui veulent nous interdire d'être ce qu'on est. Le film est une réponse générale à toutes ces questions. Puis filmer des jeunes au Maroc ou en Egypte, prendre le risque de les placer dans des situations difficiles, c'est dur, car moi je pars une fois terminé et eux restent.

Réaliser ce film m'a aussi permis de prendre conscience de toute cette jeunesse en dérive, surtout en Belgique où je vis, à Bruxelles. On y a projeté le film dans une école, dans un quartier difficile, et on entend des jeunes durant la séance, insulter la danseuse travestie, mais aussi Hiam Abass lorsqu'elle retire son voile, ou encore la danseuse iranienne en petite tenue. C'est juste inquiétant d'entendre de la bouche d'enfants, qui ne parlent pas un mot d'arabe, des "Allah a dit... Allah a interdit..." Le débat était impossible, du coup nous essayons de changer les mentalités, de travailler à sensibiliser ces jeunes. C'est pourquoi nous avons prévu 280 diffusions en milieu scolaire.

Auteur - cinéaste belgo marocain, Jawad Rhalib oriente son travail sur les questions liées au réalisme social. Il écrit et réalise des courts, moyens et longs métrages de fiction et des longs métrages documentaires. Parmi ses films, on peut citer "El Ejido, la Loi du Profit", "Les Damnés de la Mer", "Le Chant des Tortues", "les Hirondelles de l'amour", "7, rue de la folie" et "Insoumise".

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"Au temps où les arabes dansaient", un documentaire poignant sur l'évolution des libertés (ENTRETIEN)

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CULTURE - Peut-on danser sans être ennemi d'Allah? Peut-on être ouvertement un artiste sans éloigner les bonnes âmes du paradis? Peut-on s'exprimer à travers l'art, sous toutes ses formes, sans faire grincer des dents les extrémistes religieux? C'est à toutes ces questions que tente de répondre le réalisateur belgo-marocain Jawad Rhalib dans son dernier documentaire "Au temps où les arabes dansaient".

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La rubrique +212 est un espace de dialogue et d'échange, une fabrique d'idées. Elle rassemble un faisceau de regards sur le Maroc, formulés de l'extérieur vers l'intérieur par des plumes expatriées, exilées, émigrées, nomades, membres de la diaspora marocaine à l'étranger.

À la création de cette rubrique, la question de la langue dans laquelle on s'exprimerait s'est posée, du moins pour moi. S'il était plutôt clair que j'écrirais en français, je savais que j'allais solliciter des plumes de diaspora, un peu partout dans le monde, qui seraient susceptibles d'être plus à l'aise en anglais, en espagnol, peut-être en italien ou en néerlandais. La pluralité de tons qui émane de la dimension linguistique de nos identités m'intéresse beaucoup parce qu'elle porte un message avant même d'avoir dit un mot.

Je ne m'en cache pas, je me suis laissée aller à une réflexion conceptuelle et par pur plaisir, en me demandant quel alphabet utiliser si j'avais la possibilité de publier des textes écrits en darija ou qui serait la bonne personne pour traduire justement de l'hébreu des témoignages d'Israéliens d'origine marocaine sur leurs parcours d'immigration. Dans cette réflexion personnelle et totalement expérimentale, j'ai également envisagé des formats bilingues ou trilingues parce que je les trouvais plus sincères, plus ressemblants à nos vies. Et puis j'ai fini par me résoudre aux contraintes, plutôt strictes, que sont celles des publications de presse et ranger précieusement mes idées extravagantes quelque part, le temps de trouver quand et comment en faire un usage adéquat.

Lors de mon entretien de naturalisation, l'administratrice qui m'a interrogée m'a posé une question, standard semblerait-il, pour savoir si mes fréquentations à Paris étaient "à majorité française ou étrangère". J'ai trouvé cette question vraiment étrange parce que ce découpage là n'avait que très peu de sens pour moi. Alors j'ai continué à réfléchir à une vraie réponse et je l'ai trouvée. Le véritable point commun tangible entre toutes les personnes avec lesquelles j'entretiens des relations fortes et sincères, est leur capacité à parler plusieurs langues. Ou plutôt leur capacité à parler, penser, aimer, rire, pleurer, connecter, découvrir et partager hors monopole linguistique. Ce n'est pas vraiment la réponse idéale pour la Préfecture de Police mais elle se révèle assez cohérente avec le reste de ma vie, avant la France.

Je n'ai grandi qu'avec des personnes au moins bilingues, qui mélangeaient arabe et français, arabe et espagnol, ou les trois carrément dans une oligarchie de cœur. Telle était ma norme d'expression mais aussi de pensée. Dimanche, la radio en espagnol faisait la concurrence à la télé en français: matchs de la Ligua contre intégrale des Guignols sur fond de musique andalouse en arabe. Si Netflix fait désormais le buzz en anglais, ma grand-mère me demande toujours si ma calefacción fonctionne correctement à chaque pseudo tempête de neige.

On m'a souvent dit que j'avais beaucoup de chance de parler plusieurs langues ou demandé quand est-ce que j'avais eu le temps de les apprendre. Et moi j'ai souvent répondu la même chose. Ou plutôt deux choses. La première, qu'il m'en restait plein d'autres à apprendre. La seconde, que ce qui a l'air d'être un luxe ou peut-être un passe-temps bourgeois est d'abord l'héritage d'une certaine histoire et le reflet d'une contrainte pressante inculquée dès l'enfance. Apprendre d'autres langues pour "s'ouvrir des portes"-c'est souvent l'expression utilisée- est aussi le reflet d'un scénario toujours envisagé: claquer la porte et partir.

Le test que j'ai passé à 4 ans pour rentrer à l'école française aura certainement été le plus décisif dans ma vie et le plus stressant pour mon entourage, sans que je le sache consciemment mais que j'ai probablement ressenti à la manière d'un enfant. Créer une barrière à l'entrée, un club, est un excellent moyen de perpétuer, sous couvert d'une violence subtile, une hiérarchie des langues et des cultures qui y sont associées: celles qui ouvrent des portes, celles qui ont de la valeur et les autres. Grandir dans ce rapport de force permanent peut donner un peu mal à la tête et quelques complexes qui arrivent tôt ou tard.

Dans ce joyeux bordel où finalement chacun tient (à) sa place, j'ai eu la chance d'apprendre le français avec beaucoup d'amour, grâce à ma mère. Sa francophilie à elle est complètement assumée et apaisée au point que c'est devenu son métier. Quand je rentrais à la maison après l'école ou pendant les vacances, j'avais souvent droit à un réenchantement de ce qui ne l'était pas déjà ou pas encore. J'ai écrit des petits poèmes avec elle, des lettres, des histoires, nous avons lu et relu des passages de livres et discuté des états d'âmes de personnages au soleil sur la terrasse ou devant la cheminée dans le froid. J'ai appris à apprécier les étrangetés de la langue, les exceptions par dizaines, à m'intéresser à l'origine des mots et m'amuser de leur orthographe. J'ai appris tous les gros mots de mon catalogue avec elle en écoutant Brassens en 33 tours, ou en cassette sur la route de l'école lorsque nous étions coincées entre deux "couillons" dans les embouteillages. Pour ma mère, la vulgarité se situe dans certains excès, mais pas celui-là.

Allait se révéler avec mon arrivée en France, une gêne nouvelle, vis-à-vis des détenteurs légitimes de la langue. Je n'en étais visiblement pas. Ceux qui s'émerveillaient que je parle sans accent et ne comprenaient pas que je prenne la mouche pour un commentaire pareil, ceux qui me reprenaient sur le mot "petit pain" ou "séchoir" avec l'intransigeance de ceux qui préfèrent ne pas comprendre pour ne pas avoir à partager. En France, face aux Français, impossible de mélanger, combiner, colorer la langue, c'est pêché. Ici c'est le monopole de préférence. Ce conservatisme, au titre duquel j'ai récemment reçu un mail m'invitant à être vigilante sur les anglicismes dans mes textes, va à mon sens de paire avec un déclin certain du français, resté quelque peu figé dans un monde qui tourbillonne. Pendant longtemps, j'ai fait beaucoup d'efforts pour aller à contre-courant de mon formatage oligarchique originel.

Récemment, c'est grâce à l'anglais que quelque chose s'est passé. Mon comportement linguistique est en train de changer pour revenir à ses classiques. Si l'anglais a pris autant de place dans ma vie, c'est qu'il m'a séduite par son efficacité redoutable, son champ des possibles. Moins chargé, moins connoté négativement que l'arabe, j'ai eu plus de facilité à en saupoudrer mes phrases. Je l'utilise par précision, par plaisir, je me fais reprendre mais je continue à mettre mes interlocuteurs devant le fait accompli. Certains râlent mais ils s'y font. J'essaye d'insérer mes mots d'arabes préférés, de préférence ceux qui ne se traduisent pas, auprès de personnes qui ne les comprennent pas, pour leur expliquer les concepts, les sens, les rendre familiers de cette façon. En assumant une pratique linguistique agréable à mes yeux, précise parce que multiple, je me pose délibérément au centre de toutes ces influences, dans une concurrence un tant soit peu pure mais imparfaite.

Vous souhaitez réagir à une actualité, vous exprimer sur un sujet particulier, prendre la plume pour la première ou la énième fois? +212 est un nouvel espace à investir et il n'attend que vous. Écrivez-nous à
redaction@huffpostmaghreb.com

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ÉDITO [+212] Polyamour, libertinage et autres pratiques linguistiques

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La rubrique +212 est un espace de dialogue et d'échange, une fabrique d'idées. Elle rassemble un faisceau de regards sur le Maroc, formulés de l'extérieur vers l'intérieur par des plumes expatriées, exilées, émigrées, nomades, membres de la diaspora marocaine à l'étranger.

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La rubrique +212 est un espace de dialogue et d'échange, une fabrique d'idées. Elle rassemble un faisceau de regards sur le Maroc, formulés de l'extérieur vers l'intérieur par des plumes expatriées, exilées, émigrées, nomades, membres de la diaspora marocaine à l'étranger.

PARIS - Il y a quelques semaines, j'ai eu l'immense honneur d'être consacrée championne de France de Débat, et je suis donc devenue la première femme marocaine à remporter le titre. C'est notamment grâce à ce sacre que l'on m'a contactée pour contribuer à la rubrique +212 en m'interrogeant sur mon rapport à la langue française, pour mon plus grand plaisir!

Depuis mon entrée à l'université Paris X (Nanterre) en 2016, je travaille au sein de la Fédération Francophone de Débat, qui œuvre à la promotion de l'art oratoire et du débat francophone dans le monde. Il n'est donc pas étonnant de savoir que la francophonie occupe une grande place dans ma vie, et ce depuis mon plus jeune âge. Depuis que je vis à Paris, j'ai souvent dû faire face à la stupéfaction des gens me notifiant: "Tu viens du Maroc mais tu parles bien français!" ou encore "Ça va tu n'as pas d'accent de blédard, on dirait que tu es marseillaise", la plupart n'ayant jamais posé les pieds au Maroc. Avec le temps, je me suis accoutumée aux remarques de ce genre en rejetant la faute sur l'ignorance de la différence.

J'ai fréquenté les bancs de l'école française toute ma vie, je réfléchis et exprime mes idées en français, comme on me l'a appris à l'école. Mais j'ai grandi en assimilant malgré moi l'idée selon laquelle un "vrai" Marocain devait être arabisant. Idée complètement fausse, qui tire son origine d'un certain complexe vis-à-vis de la langue française, que l'on cherche désespérément à refouler. Personne ne peut prouver aujourd'hui que j'ai moins de légitimité à me proclamer Marocaine, que tout autre citoyen marocain arabophone.

Il est très courant, au Maroc, de penser que le français est la langue officielle de l'élite du pays, comme si c'était un signe distinctif. Cette élite se délasse plaisamment sur les épaules du français, qu'elle s'approprie jalousement pour ensuite se précipiter sur le réseau d'établissements français, le plus développé au monde, et sur les nombreuses écoles privées en langue française. De telle manière, parler français est devenu à la fois synonyme de snobisme et de réussite sociale.

Il y a une hiérarchie non assumée et toxique des langues dans la tête des Marocains, qui découle d'une grande hypocrisie: ils valorisent la langue française et souhaitent la maîtriser pour accéder au marché du travail, mais qualifient ses adeptes de condescendants et ne veulent parler que la darija dans la vie de tous les jours... "Ce n'est pas notre destin que de continuer à utiliser le français." En 2015, Abdelilah Benkirane, du Parti de la justice et du développement, ancien chef du gouvernement marocain, promettait d'en finir avec le français et couronner la politique d'arabisation entamée à l'indépendance.

Ainsi, pour certains, il y a cette volonté de rejeter la langue de Molière, parce que la pratique aussi courante de cette dernière fait écho à l'époque du protectorat, pour d'autres, c'est un moyen moderne de coloniser les esprits. La réalité est évidente et sous nos yeux, la francophonie fait partie intégrante du Maroc et s'est inscrite dans son histoire.

Soixante ans après l'indépendance, le français fait toujours résistance, sur les panneaux de signalisation, dans les kiosques à journaux, à l'université, sur les enseignes publicitaires, au sein des entreprises, à la télévision et trouve même sa place dans le dialecte marocain.

Parler différentes langues dans un pays est vecteur de richesse culturelle et d'ouverture sur le monde. En l'espèce, parler français est une ouverture sur l'Europe et sur l'Afrique francophone pour le Maroc. C'est proprement pour la reconnaissance d'une identité plurielle que les francophones marocains doivent se positionner en défenseurs du français.

Le français n'est pas qu'une simple langue étrangère et fait partie de l'identité de multiples Marocains. Cette belle langue véhicule une culture et une conceptualisation de la vie et du monde qui ont façonné les esprits de nombreux d'entre nous.

Il est grand temps d'assumer qui nous sommes.

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[+212] Oui, je suis marocaine et je pense en français

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La rubrique +212 est un espace de dialogue et d'échange, une fabrique d'idées. Elle rassemble un faisceau de regards sur le Maroc, formulés de l'extérieur vers l'intérieur par des plumes expatriées, exilées, émigrées, nomades, membres de la diaspora marocaine à l'étranger.

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"La question de la graphie sera tranchée par l'AALA qui est la seule habilitée à le faire", a-t-il souligné. Un travail qui, a-t-il assuré, sera "purement scientifique et académique sans aucune interférence politique ni idéologique" et qui ne peut intervenir "sans qu'il y ait des commissions qui vont faire les recherches nécessaires".

La transcription de tamazight a fait l'objet d'une polémique à la mi-janvier, lorsque Bouabdellah Ghoulamallah, président du Haut Conseil islamique (HCI) a estimé que cette langue doit être écrite en caractères arabes.

Il a expliqué que retranscrire tamazight en caractères latins menacerait l'unité nationale, rapportait l'agence de presse officielle (APS).

Sa déclaration a suscité la réaction du président du Haut commissariat à l'amazighité (HCA), Si El Hachemi Assad, qui a affirmé que M. Ghoulamallah "n'est pas habilité à se prononcer sur cette question, qui relève directement de l'académie algérienne de la langue amazighe".

S'exprimant lors d'une table ronde ayant pour thème "Culture et langue amazighe : renforcement identitaire et linguistique algérien", organisée à l'occasion du troisième anniversaire de l'officialisation de Tamazight, le Pr Djellaoui a précisé que la première priorité pour l'AALA est "l'élaboration d'un dictionnaire référentiel de Tamazight".

"L'objectif premier de nôtre académie est l'élaboration d'un dictionnaire référentiel de la langue Tamazight avant d'aborder les autres questions qui sont toutes aussi importantes pour son développement", a-t-il soutenu, ajoutant que cette "lourde tâche" sera menée par des spécialistes en linguistique.

Traitant de "la collecte du terrain et de la sauvegarde du patrimoine immatériel amazigh (parcours et perspectives)", il a précisé que cette entreprise s'appuiera sur "l'ensemble des travaux déjà existant qui en constitueront le socle".

Cet avis est partagé par Guerchouh Lydia, membre de l'AALA, qui a estimé qu'il existait une terminologie "abondante" que ce soit de langue courante ou dans des domaines spécialisés qu'on gagnerait, selon elle, à exploiter et à développer dans ce travail.

Un programme varié a été élaborée à l'occasion de la célébration du 3eme anniversaire de l'officialisation de Tamazight, par la direction de la culture dont des expositions de livres et d'arts plastiques, un salon de livres ayant trait à la culture et à la langue amazighe ainsi qu'une table ronde autour du "passage de la littérature berbère de l'oralité à l'écrit".

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Tamazight: transcription tifinaghe, arabe ou latine ? Seule l'AALA habilitée à trancher

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"La question de la graphie sera tranchée par l'AALA qui est la seule habilitée à le faire", a-t-il souligné. Un travail qui, a-t-il assuré, sera "purement scientifique et académique sans aucune interférence politique ni idéologique" et qui ne peut intervenir "sans qu'il y ait des commissions qui vont faire les recherches nécessaires".

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By Amal El Attaq

Rabat - At the initiative of the Moroccan Pluralist Association (AMP), Moroccan Jews and Muslims met on Monday, February 25, to celebrate Jewish-Muslim friendship.

The meeting in Casablanca brought together many intellectuals, Moroccan associations, Muslim and Jewish artists around "Friendship Tea," which according to them, is a sign of "unity and communion."

During the meeting, the participants wrote a letter titled "Tea of Friendship: Brotherhood Sounds," in which they expressed a desire "to hear other voices, show other images, to spread friendship vibes and tolerance across different religions."

The letter pointed out several ideas to promote religious acceptance and tolerance. "The tea and mint flavors we share, our voices mingle today, radiate from our beloved country, to tell no matter how many people we are, twenty, a thousand or a million, we will make friendship and fraternity win," the letter poetically stated.

"As activists, young artists and cultural actors, we thought a lot about what could mark the symbiosis existing between Moroccans of both religions; Muslims and Jews, and decided to organize this meeting," Ahmed Ghayet, the AMP president told Maghreb Arab Press (MAP).

Ghayet said (that it is painful for him to see how people reject each other and do not seek to co-exist with representatives of other religions.

"The international religious acceptance situation is bad; men and women are being persecuted just because they are Jews, Muslims, or Christians." (translation here is bad).

Ghayet added that the situation in Morocco is different. "Co-existence in Morocco exits, and we should strive to preserve this tradition, and even make it more fruitful for future generations."

Jewish Moroccan artist Maxime Karoutchi also participated in the meeting. He told MAP that his presence "was so natural" since "co-existence has existed for 2000 years in Morocco, and will always remain there."

At the end of the tea meeting, young Moroccan Muslim artists offered their Jewish counterparts a canvas as a sign of unity and tolerance.

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Muslims and Jews Share Friendship Tea in Casablanca

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By Amal El Attaq Rabat - At the initiative of the Moroccan Pluralist Association (AMP), Moroccan Jews and Muslims met on Monday, February 25, to celebrate Jewish-Muslim friendship. The meeting in Casablanca brought together many intellectuals, Moroccan associations, Muslim and Jewish artists around "Friendship Tea," which according to them, is a sign of "unity and communion."

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Rabat - The continued dominance of French as a foreign language in Morocco angers some Moroccans, who believe that English, if not becoming the dominant language, should at least be on equal footing with French.

Although Morocco's Constitution recognizes only two languages-standard Arabic and Tamazight (Berber)-in daily life many Moroccans speak Darija, the distinct Moroccan dialect of Arabic, and Morocco has a history of using French in official communication as well as increasing interest in using English in educational instruction.
Should English replace French?
When France established a protectorate in Morocco in 1912 after the signing of the Treaty of Fez, the colonizer imposed French on the Moroccan education system.

Since then, French, along with Arabic, have been the two languages used most in business, diplomacy, and government.

In January, Morocco's Minister of Education Said Amzazi said English could not replace French as a language of instruction for at least another 10 years. His comments angered some Moroccans who believe the government should shift its focus towards English.

The minister argued that Morocco does not have qualified teachers in English to ensure the success of replacing French.

Amzazi, however, did acknowledge that there are more science books available in English than in French.

The official's statement received a counter response from former minister of finance Niar Baraka, who is also the secretary-general of the opposition Al Istiqlal Party.
Teaching science in French is a crime
During an event in Tetouan, northern Morocco, in February, Baraka said that teaching science in French is "wrong."

He said it is "a crime against students and against Morocco."

Right after independence in 1956, activists called for an end to French teaching and for the Moroccan education system to be entirely Arabized.

The country, however, failed to fulfill this objective because there were not enough professors and teachers of Arabic in Morocco. Instead, Morocco hired teachers from other Arab countries, including Syria and Sudan.

In 1970, Baraka's Al Istiqlal opposition party campaigned on the urgent need to Arabize the educational system.

"When students reach the baccalaureate, they have [mastered only] primary levels in French. How can we allow a student who doesn't know the simplest rules of French to become a professor after graduation?" Baraka asked.

Baraka also criticized the low level of Moroccan students in Arabic, their mother tongue.

Standard Arabic has been used in official government meetings since Moroccan independence in 1956. But Moroccans often use Darija to communicate, even in formal settings, such as classrooms and Parliament.
In defense of French
The well-known Moroccan researcher Ahmed Assid strongly criticized Baraka's statements against French.

Assid told Morocco World News that Baraka was exaggerating and hypocritical.

"We should put an end to the political hypocrisy in our country. The leaders who talk about [the dominance of French] enroll their children in French cultural missions. They don't teach them the Arabic language," Assid told MWN.

He added that if French is a "crime, then they have to stop committing crimes against their children."

Assid argued that Arabization "failed miserably" and should be ended. He also called for more openness to French for the sake of achieving a higher quality of education.
Failure of Moroccan schools: Arabic is not guilty
According to Baraka, Arabization is not to blame for the failure of Moroccan schools.

"It is wrong to consider the Arabic language responsible for the failure of education in our country," Baraka said. He emphasized that the failure has other causes like overcrowding and lack of administrative and educational frameworks, as outlined in a recent World Bank report.

In response to a question about students' poor Arabic skills despite Arabization, Baraka said that Arabization "happened very quickly, and the teachers were not well trained to perform their task as required."
'We have a real problem in all languages'
For his part, Moroccan author Abderrahim Elalam criticized the low quality of Arabic teaching in Morocco.

Elalam told Morocco World News that now even in universities, students struggle to write a correct sentence in Arabic, the mother tongue.

"Students now cannot send you a text message in Arabic, they choose Latin letters to message people but in Darija," Elalam lamented.

"In the past, as scholars, we were discussing the content of Ph.D. theses, but now we are discussing how students write their thesis and the language used," he added.

"Even Darija nowadays is lost, most of the people are not able to speak in a classy Darija. We have a real problem in all languages: French, Arabic and English."

Elalam, however, acknowledged that there are some people who are aware of the importance of languages, especially English.
Political considerations
Elalam also said that English is emerging, especially in language centers and Moroccan universities. Moroccan universities offer three majors in English: Media and cultural studies, literature, and linguistics.

English, however, is not offered in state medical schools or engineering schools, although it is offered in some private schools. In the labor market, most companies and public institutions require prospective employees to speak French.

Some "elite" Moroccans also prefer to speak in French in both formal and informal situations.

At the same time, others see English as the language of globalization and believe it should be given preference over French in Morocco.

Both Assid and Elalam agreed with the education minister that if Morocco shifts its foreign language focus from French to English, it would take time.

The scholars said that it would be "difficult" for Morocco to shift towards English because France is considered one of Morocco's most important allies.

They noted that language is linked to politics, emphasizing that France supports Morocco's territorial integrity and several other Moroccan causes.
Is Morocco's second language French or Tamazight?
The education ministry rubbed activists the wrong way when it referred to French as a second language in Morocco. Activists have heavily criticized the government and its leader, Saad Eddine El Othmani, for disfavoring Tamazight (Berber).

Tamazight is spoken by 30-40 million Amazigh (Berber) people, the majority of whom live in Morocco and Algeria.

After independence, Moroccan activists called on the government to include Tamazight in the education system. The 2011 Constitution answered the call, making Tamazight an official language alongside standard Arabic.

Al Istiqlal party members have been some of those saying Arabic and Tamazight should be obligatory languages used in public institutions and daily life.

According to Assid, their call is in line with the Constitution, and unlike in the past, the party is now calling for more than just Arabization.

Al Istiqlal is "now correcting its first position and is acknowledging the Amazigh language as an official language."

Assid said the party "calls for the sole usage of Arabic and Amazigh, but it is against foreign languages," referring to French.

He argued that it should be acceptable for Moroccans to use French if they want to. "Morocco is an independent country, but Moroccans are producing many important things through French," he argued.
Languages: A global question
The Moroccan government is not the only cabinet to face pressure regarding the use of languages in education. As just one example, the Netherlands has five official languages: Dutch, Papiamento, Yiddish, English, and Frisian. Other popular languages among the Netherlands' Muslim population are Arabic and Turkish, according to Amsterdam.info.

The Dutch government is also tackling concerns over the widespread use of English crowding out Dutch inside universities in the Netherlands.

The BBC wrote in October 2018 that 60 percent of the master's programs offered at Utrecht University are in English.

"At the highest honours level, virtually no courses are taught in Dutch."

It remains to be seen whether the Moroccan government will manage to balance its official languages of Arabic and Tamazight with its foreign options of French and English inside educational institutions.

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French Vs. English: How Morocco Is Debating Foreign Languages in Schools

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Rabat - The continued dominance of French as a foreign language in Morocco angers some Moroccans, who believe that English, if not becoming the dominant language, should at least be on equal footing with French.

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Rabat - While Rabat may not be known for its food scene, with many new restaurants opening up around the city, there is now a larger variety of cuisines and atmospheres to choose from. After living in Rabat for six months, I compiled a list of some of my favorite places to grab a bite in the city.

Low-priced eats
The medina
For low-priced food, the best place to go is the medina (old city). Inside the medina you can find all kinds of sandwiches, sweets, juices, and breads. Medina sandwiches often range between MAD 5 and 10 and are a delicious and quick bite.

In addition, you can buy warm harcha (a pan-fried bread made from semolina), msemen (a puffed pancake), sfenj (ring of dough fried in oil), or baghrir (a spongy pancake with many holes) as a breakfast or snack, ranging between MAD 1 and 5. My favorite is harcha with amlou (a paste made of almonds, argan oil, and honey, similar to peanut butter) in the morning or an MAD 1 beignet in the afternoon.
Top Batido
On Avenue Mohammed V, Top Batido is a great smoothie and breakfast spot. With smoothies ranging between MAD 13-30 and low-priced breakfasts, the restaurant is a great spot to start the day, meet with others, or study. The two-story eatery has excellent service, a menu with endless fruit and vegetable combinations, wifi, and a bathroom. My favorite smoothies are the avocado-coconut and the banana-cafe.
Babel
In Agdal, Babel is an Iraqi restaurant that includes food options from around the Levant region. With to-go or dine-in options, the well-priced and filling food is a must. The atmosphere of the restaurant benefits from tasteful decorations and includes indoor and outdoor seating as well as bathrooms. The MAD 20 falafel sandwiches, MAD 20 lentil soup, or the MAD 55 assortment platter are must-try items.
Cafe ByBou
In Hassan, ByBou is a decently priced breakfast, lunch, or snack spot. The restaurant has delicious omelets as well as large banana-nutella crepes. With indoor and outdoor seating options, as well as wifi, if you are in Hassan, make sure to check it out.

Moderately-priced eats
Los Burros
Recently opened on Avenue Al Abtal in Agdal, Los Burros provides the best Mexican-inspired food I have tried so far in Rabat. The small restaurant with vibrant ambience and inviting atmosphere, has many food options. With MAD 29 chicken burritos as well as a variety of salads, quesadillas, tacos, and bowls, if you have a craving for Mexican food, make sure to try it out.
Maison Beyrouth
In Agdal, Maison Beyrouth presents a variety of Lebanese foods with beautiful decor and Lebanese music. The well-priced menu offers delicious MAD 25 shawarma sandwiches; a variety of dips such as hummus, mutabbal, and muhammara; and various meat-based platters. However, what makes the restaurant stand apart are its creative desserts. A variety of MAD 35 fruits made out of white chocolate with fluffy mousse are a must-try.
Yamal Acham
Right next to Bab El Had, Yamal Acham is well known for its delicious Syrian food. From the mint lemonade juice to the large fattoush salads to the delicious hummus with shawarma, the lively restaurant serves food that is consistently delicious and well-priced. In addition, the off-menu assortment platter is perfect if you are going in large groups. If you want to get Syrian food in Rabat, this is the place to go.
Pause Gourmet
Hidden on Avenue Mohammed V, Pause Gourmet offers average-priced drinks, wraps, and salads. What makes this place special is its healthy and filling salad options as well as delicious wraps for a reasonable price. The menu has a large variety of options to choose from and the secluded nature of the small restaurant makes it easy to converse or study.
Label Suisse Chocolat
In Agdal, Label Suisse is a chocolate-based cafe that serves a variety of chocolates, pastries, and drinks. Ordering one of the many varieties of hot chocolate is a must. The types of hot chocolate range from white chocolate to incredibly dark, rich chocolate. The prices are also very reasonable. On the second floor, the restaurant also serves fondues.
Carrion Coffee
Attached to the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, this cafe is the perfect spot to go and study or meet with a colleague. With a clean interior, access to bathrooms, and a variety of drink and food options, the cafe is a peaceful spot to be. Coffees range from MAD 17-20, and while it is attached to the museum, there is a separate entrance to the cafe, so you do not have to pay the entrance fee.

High-priced eats
Cafe Terminus
In the center of Centreville, Cafe Terminus is on the rooftop of the Onomo Hotel. While the prices for food and drinks are on the expensive side with a cafe latte priced at MAD 40, the view is worth the price. The indoor and outdoor cafe has the best view in Rabat overlooking the city with an airy and simple decor. One can also get delicious crepes or, at night, get cocktails overlooking the city.
Dar Naji
With three restaurants, near Bab el Had, in Agdal, and in Menzeh, Dar Naji serves a variety of Moroccan foods. The restaurant, with beautiful Moroccan decor, caters to small and large groups with beautiful and delicious platters of rfissa (trid au poulet), couscous, bastilla, and a variety of tagines. The prices are generally reasonable as well. When going to the rooftop restaurant by Bab el Had, make sure to get the traditional Moroccan mint tea, which is gracefully poured from over the waiters' heads.

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Where to Go, What to Eat: A Foodie's Guide to Rabat

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Rabat - While Rabat may not be known for its food scene, with many new restaurants opening up around the city, there is now a larger variety of cuisines and atmospheres to choose from. After living in Rabat for six months, I compiled a list of some of my favorite places to grab a bite in the city.

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Rabat - Moroccan Jewish activist Sion Assidon has opposed French President Emmanuel Macron and a bill proposed by French lawmakers to criminalize anti-Zionism like anti-Semitism, which is already illegal in France.

The Moroccan Jewish activist described anti-Zionism as a "political position."

Assidon told AFP that if "declaring oneself to be 'anti-Zionist' is seen as a racist act, that is serious."

The activist argued, "We must not limit ourselves to condemning one form of racial hatred alone, forgetting Muslims and gypsies."

"Why pass on Islamophobia?" Assidon asked.

Read Also: Moroccans Condemn Israel's Request for Compensation for Jewish Property

In addition to his position on Zionism, the activist also took to the street in a demonstration to call for a boycott against a concert by Enrico Macias to condemn pro-Israeli positions by the Israeli singer, according to .

Assidon also shared a letter with 400 signatures, addressed to Macron on his support of the criminalization of anti-Zionism.

The letter argues that the French Constitution in Article 4 "guarantees pluralistic expressions of opinion."

The letter said that "anti-Zionism is an opinion, a current of thought born among European Jews at a time when Jewish nationalism was taking off."

"We want to let you know that we are anti-Zionists, or that some of our best friends declare themselves as such."

The signatories said they respect all human rights activists who "bravely fight and denounce the intolerable atrocities that the most zealous Zionists inflict on Palestinians."

The letter warned Macron that if he passes the law, the signatories would "break" the "unfair law with our words, our writings, our articles, works and our acts of solidarity."

In January, a Moroccan-French author of Jewish descent, Jacob Cohen, strongly criticized Zionism and the Holocaust.

Cohen referred to the Holocaust as a "new religion" invented by Zionists.

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Jewish Activist Criticizes French Draft Bill to Criminalize Anti-Zionism

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Rabat - Moroccan Jewish activist Sion Assidon has opposed French President Emmanuel Macron and a bill proposed by French lawmakers to criminalize anti-Zionism like anti-Semitism, which is already illegal in France. The Moroccan Jewish activist described anti-Zionism as a "political position."

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Success Stories

Share Your Story

Professionals

Don't just take it from us: Hear directly from real-life professionals how learning a language has helped them find and thrive in a range of exciting careers.

America the Bilingual

A Podcast Hosted by Steve Leveen

Let me welcome you to America the Bilingual, a podcast for monolingual Americans, like me, who are learning their second language-or want to begin.

Today, it's normal for Americans, even highly educated ones, to grow up speaking only English. I'm an example, despite taking Spanish and German in school. It doesn't have to be this way. And with all the advantages of speaking another language, it shouldn't be this way. This podcast is for us-those of us who yearn to recover from a monolingual life. Read More

America the Bilingual will share stories of success, including stories of people who learned as adults. We will tell stories of what's going right in America-and there is a lot going right-like dual language schools where students learn in two languages, like heritage programs that help immigrants keep their precious mother tongues, like promising new technology that makes the sweet struggle of language learning a little less struggle and a little more sweet.

We hope these stories will inspire you, and help you, on your own journey to becoming bilingual.

While each of our journeys is personal and unique, every one of us is also part of a national journey. It would be easy for us as individuals, and America as a nation, to speak only English. But just because something is easy doesn't make it right.

We can become America the Bilingual-a more beautiful America where everyone is proficient in more than one language, reflecting the nation of immigrants we truly are. In the spirit of President John F. Kennedy, we should do it not because it's easy, but because it's hard.
Listen to previous episodes & subscribe on iTunes-then leave a review to help other language learners find the show.
Welcome to your journey-and our journey. For America the Bilingual, this is Steve Leveen. Read Less

"Inside the Boardroom with Leading Bilinguals" Language Profiles

IvyWise founder and CEO Kat Cohen discusses the importance of early experiences with cultures and languages in her own life and now for her daughters.

Now the head of Kone's China Division, Bill Johnson didn't have an easy start with the language that has greatly shaped his career-but persistence made all the difference.

Paul Stewart credits his German and French language skills for critical turning points in his career in international business.

Articles & Testimonials

These University of Wisconsin alumni are using language skills in careers from education to accounting and microbiology, and everything in between. Check out their profiles!

From military to corporate and tech careers, these alumni of the Defense Language Institute credit their training in Russian or Dari for opening doors to professional success and personal fulfillment: Bill Harter (former Proctor & Gamble), Bob Brownson (former Army), and Nathan Iglesias (Army intelligence officer turned Google recruiter) discuss.

Now founder and CEO of Academy of United States Veterans, Assal Ravandi immigrated to the United States from Iran at a young age. After enlisting in the U.S. military at 29, she used her native Persian language skills to teach U.S. soldiers at home and and while abroad. Read and watch her moving testimonial here.

An Interview with Laura Stein, General Counsel and Executive Vice President of The Clorox Company, a woman who leads not only with a great legal mind, but six languages too!

Knowing languages and cultures gives French and business double major Sarah Rizzo an opportunity to put her cross-cultural skills to good use at Anheuser Busch InBev. (Don't miss Sarah's video in the section above!)

Want a closer look at language needs in various careers and industries?

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Benefits of Learning a Second Language for Exciting Jobs & Careers

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Share Your Story Don't just take it from us: Hear directly from real-life professionals how learning a language has helped them find and thrive in a range of exciting careers. A Podcast Hosted by Steve Leveen Let me welcome you to America the Bilingual, a podcast for monolingual Americans, like me, who are learning their second language-or want to begin.

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LES BLOGS

"L'Afrique pour moi c'est un continent, pas une couleur de peau. Je suis panafricain."

La rubrique +212 est un espace de dialogue et d'échange, une fabrique d'idées. Elle rassemble un faisceau de regards sur le Maroc, formulés de l'extérieur vers l'intérieur par des plumes expatriées, exilées, émigrées, nomades, membres de la diaspora marocaine à l'étranger.

PARIS, France. J'ai attrapé Mehdi Sefrioui au vol, lors d'un bref passage à Paris. Ce Tangérois est retourné vivre dans la ville du détroit il y a quelques mois, après plus d'une décennie passée en France. J'ai découvert son travail sur Instagram et j'ai voulu lui poser des questions sur son engagement artistique et son regard sur le monde. Il avait presque autant de questions à me poser que l'inverse, mais j'ai tenté de garder la main. Morceaux choisis.
Kenza Aloui: Bonjour Mehdi, peux-tu te présenter en quelques mots?
Mehdi Sefrioui: Quand je me présente, je dis que je suis photographe de mode. Quand les gens entendent photo de mode, ils pensent Glamour, Biba, qui pour moi n'ont pas le monopole de la photo de mode. Quand tu veux faire des photos de rue, il faut être au bon endroit au bon moment pour avoir le cliché extraordinaire. Quand tu es maître de ta mise en scène, c'est la liberté que donne la photo de mode, tu peux suivre ton instinct, organiser un shooting et raconter telle ou telle histoire et c'est ce que je fais. Je considère que je fais partie du système, en essayant de changer les choses. C'est pour cette raison que je suis resté dans la photo de mode. Sans parler du fait que la photo de mode est une arme très puissante dans un monde de l'image comme le nôtre.

Comment t'es-tu retrouvé à faire de la photo?
Je suis venu à Paris pour faire des études de commerce. Toute ma vie, j'ai fait plein d'activités extra-scolaires dont je me lassais plus ou moins rapidement: karaté, équitation, guitare, surf et j'en passe. Quand j'ai commencé à faire de la photo, ça a commencé comme ça, il y a presque une dizaine d'années. J'étais dans un coin de Paris, un peu paumé, pour faire des photos d'un appartement dans lequel j'allais emménager avec mon frère; et chose rare, j'avais un appareil photo, pour faire des photos de l'appartement en question. Devant moi, un banc avec des feuilles mortes d'automne et un gros livre rouge, posé sur ce même banc, une scène qui a inspiré mes premiers clichés. Mes premières photos étaient naïves mais c'était la première expression d'une certaine créativité, curiosité active. J'ai commencé à toujours avoir un appareil photo sur moi et à prendre des photos tous les jours, Instagram avant l'heure. Mes parents pensaient que cette lubie allait durer deux mois.
Comment la photo est passée de hobby à profession dans ta vie?
J'avais commencé à faire mes premières photos de mode avec des camarades de classes et amies, j'avais besoin d'un book et je n'avais pas encore de culture ou d'éducation à la photo et j'ai appris beaucoup de choses tout seul, en regardant des vidéos sur YouTube. Pendant longtemps, je copiais ce que je voyais, j'apprenais techniquement, mais artistiquement c'était vide, creux. Ce qui était un hobby s'est concrétisé lors de mon premier job, via un ami tangérois, sur mon premier shooting rémunéré. Pour moi, c'était extraordinaire de s'amuser et de pouvoir gagner sa vie en faisant quelque chose qu'on aime. C'est ce qui m'a d'ailleurs permis de m'acheter mon premier appareil.
Quel rôle a joué ton entourage parisien dans cette éclosion?
Mon entourage a toujours été pluriel et riche. A l'école, j'ai fréquenté des Français ou des ressortissants de la diaspora africaine à Paris ou assimilés comme tels, ce qui n'était pas le cas à Tanger. Je me suis trouvé une réelle fraternité dans une communauté d'amis noirs que j'ai rencontrés à Paris, des gens qui m'ont accepté comme je suis, comme j'étais. Pour moi c'était extraordinaire parce que j'ai pu vivre des expériences et accéder à des endroits auxquels je n'aurais jamais pu penser accéder seul, derrière mes barrières mentales. J'ai notamment rencontré beaucoup de femmes noires extraordinaires, fières, fortes et ces amitiés m'ont beaucoup appris. Aujourd'hui, je considère certaines de ces personnes comme faisant partie de ma famille.

En quoi consiste ton engagement aujourd'hui?
A déconstruire les constructions sociales et politiques dans lesquelles nous avons grandi et c'est un travail de tous les jours. C'est un travail qui crée des liens, des fraternités, avec des gens auxquels on n'aurait pas forcément pensé au départ. Quand tu es photographe, il te faut un style, un œil, quelque chose qui te distingue des autres. Je me suis juste permis d'être moi-même dans mon travail. Montrer une beauté différente, raconter des histoires qui rendent ceux que j'aime fiers, c'est ma façon de faire du bien autour de moi. C'est ce qui rend mon travail authentique.

D'un côté, mon travail s'adresse aux Européens, aux Occidentaux pour ne pas folkloriser une culture, à "l'exotiser". Quand on parle d'Afrique, quand on parle d'islam, les sujets qui remontent dans les médias sont guerre et terrorisme, la famine, la corruption. Entre le bonnet hijab de Décathlon, Boko Haram et AQMI, on s'en sort plus. Mais on pourrait choisir de parler d'autre chose.

Ma deuxième passion, c'est l'histoire, alors quand j'aborde une série, un sujet à traiter, je me documente au maximum en amont parce qu'il n'y a rien de pire pour moi en photo de mode aujourd'hui que les photographes qui répètent les mêmes séries pleines de clichés et de fantasmes et qui évidemment ne remettent jamais en cause le statu quo. Qu'en 2019 on puisse encore réaliser des séries mode avec des mannequins blondes déguisées dans un paysage africain et utiliser des villageois en guise de décor me paraît hallucinant.
D'ailleurs, que penses-tu de la dernière campagne de mode Zara shootée au Maroc?
C'est incroyable. On est dans de l'appropriation culturelle pure. Il n'y a pas de débat, c'est un cas d'école. A quel moment les artisans marocains, les photographes marocains, les mannequins marocains, profitent de ça? On est en 2019, avec tout le travail qui est fait pour combattre ce type d'initiatives, j'ai parfois l'impression que ça n'avance pas quand je vois des choses comme ça. Ils copient l'artisanat marocain (et africain!) pour le faire fabriquer en Asie dans des conditions éthiques plus que douteuses, le faire porter à des mannequins "caucasiennes" (avec la mannequin métisse pour le quota) et le vendre à 50 euros dans leurs boutiques européennes mais aussi au Maroc! Je n'ai plus de mots pour expliquer en quoi c'est problématique, ni justifier ce genre de pratiques.
J'imagine que les photos de Madonna habillée en berbère ont dû te faire réagir aussi...
Je trouve que ça relève du déguisement. Je ne vois pas pourquoi on n'aurait besoin de Madonna pour se sentir fier d'un héritage, ou de sa validation. Je suis critique vis-à-vis de ça. Je ne dis pas ça parce qu'elle est étrangère, qu'elle est célèbre, ou qu'elle est blanche. Le problème pour moi, c'est qu'elle n'a pas de légitimité quand elle vient 48 heures au Maroc pour fêter son anniversaire et qu'elle fait le buzz de cette façon alors qu'elle ne connaît rien du pays, contrairement à Yves Saint Laurent qui est tout aussi occidental mais qui s'est fait une culture du fait de ses longues années au Maroc par exemple.
Quel regard portes-tu sur la photo en général?
Aujourd'hui, j'aurais du mal à faire ce que font beaucoup de photographes, c'est-à-dire prendre en photo des gens qui n'ont rien demandé et qui se retrouvent exposés en galerie. C'est la norme, on a rendu le Maroc exotique même pour les Marocains. Quand je fais des photos de personnes, hors shootings, je les garde pour moi, je ne les partage pas publiquement (même si je peux en avoir envie), et je les vends encore moins. Éthiquement, ça me pose un problème que le sujet de la photo ne gagne rien de cette exposition de son image, notamment quand il est dans la misère. Je ne me pose pas en donneur de leçon, mais je pose une question morale ici. Une nouvelle question. Je préfère avoir une équipe de professionnels qui savent pourquoi ils sont là, et tu peux raconter la même histoire. Une photo qui est belle, elle est belle.

Et sur la photo de mode au Maroc?
Pour moi, la mode marocaine est déjà arrivée dans les musées, est déjà devenue folklorique, avant même d'arriver dans la rue, d'être véritablement portée par les gens, sans avoir eu son vécu, sans avoir eu le temps d'être appropriée par la jeunesse. Le basculement s'est fait trop vite à mon sens. Heureusement que des jeunes créateurs marocains et africains plus globalement revisitent ce patrimoine pour se le réapproprier.

Quand j'ai commencé à m'intéresser à la photo de mode, tout naturellement j'ai regardé ce qui se faisait au Maroc. La photographie est arrivée au Maroc par l'étranger et les plus beaux clichés de mode au Maroc ont été pris dans les années 1950-1960, avec à chaque fois le même sujet: une mannequin européenne dans une mise en scène folklorique avec un indigène en djellaba. Au début, je trouvais ça magnifique, je trouvais les photos sublimes. Rapidement, je me suis demandé comment j'aborderais les choses si j'étais en mesure de prendre ces photos, si j'étais à la place du photographe. J'ai ressenti de l'injustice en pensant que ces populations-là soient reléguées au rang d'objets, de décors, ils ne sont pas sujets. Ça m'a nourri, jusqu'à aujourd'hui où j'ai des envies, notamment celle de déconstruire ces visuels là en imaginant une série qui reprenne ces archives et cet imaginaire en mettant les gens concernés au premier plan.
Dans quelle mesure estimes-tu que ces constructions dont tu parles découlent de ton éducation, au sens large?
Au Maroc, j'ai grandi dans une élite qui se revendique comme telle mais qui relève souvent plus de l'élite économique que de l'élite intellectuelle. Ces gens là, c'est l'ancien monde pour moi, ils sont déjà en train de mourir, symboliquement. Tous autant que nous sommes, je parle de ceux qui comme moi, sont passés par ce système éducatif français, nous sommes concernés par ces réflexions, ou du moins nous devrions nous sentir concernés par ces réflexions.

L'ancienne génération qui est passée par la "mission française" a vécu un lavage de cerveau beaucoup plus violent que la nôtre. J'ai l'impression que le rapport de force était plus clair en quelques sortes. Nous, c'était plus complexe, mais je pense que tout le monde peut dire que les professeurs les moins respectés de notre scolarité étaient nos professeurs d'arabe. On en riait quand on était plus jeunes, mais en réalité c'est dramatique.

Quand je suis arrivé à Paris en 2006, je pensais naïvement être Français, ou du moins je ne voyais pas de barrière avec la France, je pensais que j'allais m'y sentir comme un poisson dans l'eau. Je me suis retrouvé au carrefour de ma propre vie, soit je m'excusais de ma différence, en devenant "plus français que les Français", soit faire un travail de rééducation, de réappropriation culturelle comme j'aime le penser. J'ai toujours été curieux, et j'ai toujours considéré avoir une certaine culture générale. Mais il me manquait une culture spécifique, la mienne. Je me suis fait un parcours initiatique d'histoire, de géographie, de spiritualité, dans mon coin. Je me sens encore dans un état embryonnaire de réflexion. Pus j'apprends plus je me rends compte du monde qu'il me reste à découvrir. C'est très gratifiant comme sentiment mais aussi frustrant par moment.
Dans quelle mesure te sens-tu appartenir à ton époque?
Comme beaucoup, j'ai pu avoir la sensation de ne pas être né à la bonne époque, ou nostalgique d'une période révolue. Se sentir au bon endroit, au bon moment dans son travail quotidien c'est aussi un choix, un engagement, une connexion avec son univers et le sentiment d'apporter son petit grain de sable à l'édifice. Aujourd'hui, je me sens féministe sans être une femme et je défends une pluralité des histoires, des voix, des visages, des beautés, des cultures et des héritages.
Tu es retourné vivre à Tanger récemment après plus d'une décennie à Paris, la capitale de la mode, pourquoi?
Le sujet de mon travail est outre-Méditerranée, c'est une des raisons qui ont fait que j'ai décidé de rentrer me réinstaller à Tanger, par souci de cohérence et d'inspiration. Parfois, les Marocains, surtout Casablancais et Marrakchis, poumons économique et culturel de ce pays, ne comprennent pas que je sois retourné vivre à Tanger. Quand tu es photographe, c'est aussi que tu te sens bien seul, que tu vis bien ton indépendance. Je suis tangérois, méditerranéen, africain et je m'y sens bien. J'ai aussi eu le sentiment, le besoin de passer à autre chose après 12 ans à Paris. J'y retourne cependant régulièrement pour travailler, pour y puiser une certaine énergie et retrouver l'entourage que je n'ai pas au Maroc.

Tu travailles avec et fréquentes la communauté subsaharienne au Maroc dans toute sa diversité, quel regard portes-tu sur la situation actuelle?
Au-delà d'un certain racisme inhérent à l'histoire du Maroc, récente ou plus éloignée d'ailleurs, je suis ravi de la vague récente d'étudiants noirs africains au Maroc, j'en rencontre de plus en plus depuis ma réinstallation et c'est une énergie extraordinaire pour le Maroc qui devient un hub africain. Ça contribue aussi à éduquer les Marocains qui ne voient en l'Afrique que ce que les médias veulent bien leur montrer. Je crois beaucoup dans les échanges complémentaires entre pays africains. Bien sur, je ne suis pas naïf, les noirs au Maroc (Marocains ou non) sont confrontés au racisme, notamment sous la forme de micro-agressions devenues banales. C'est une question sérieuse qu'il faut tacler, aborder. Et ça passe pour moi par la représentation.
Comment formulerais-tu notre africanité en tant que Marocains?
L'africanité du Maroc n'est même pas une question, c'est une affirmation. Se réapproprier cet héritage-là, avec intelligence, voilà le défi. L'histoire est là devant nous prête à nous dévoiler toutes les réponses que l'on cherche.

Dépoussiérer l'héritage amazigh, c'est la réponse pour moi. La civilisation amazigh fait de nous les Africains que nous sommes. On se renvoie toujours la balle. Les Nord-Africains ne se sentent pas Africains parce que plus bas, on ne nous considère pas comme Africains. Les Subsahariens disent la même chose, que les Nord-Africains ne se considèrent pas comme Africains. L'Afrique pour moi c'est un continent, pas une couleur de peau. Je suis panafricain, et j'ai lu beaucoup d'auteurs panafricains qui incluent l'Afrique du Nord, et d'autres qui excluent l'Afrique du Nord. Moi je me sens africain.
Que dis-tu aux Marocains et aux Nord-Africains de manière générale qui ne se considèrent pas africains?
Je ne les incrimine pas mais je veux responsabiliser ces mêmes Nord-Africains pour qu'ils se réapproprient leur africanité. Au Maroc, on parle "arabe" sans être Arabes, on est en Afrique sans se considérer comme Africains, on est proches de l'Europe sans être Européens. Si on arrêtait de se construire par opposition à ce que l'on n'est pas, on pourrait se rendre compte que l'on est tout ça en même temps.

Vous souhaitez réagir à une actualité, vous exprimer sur un sujet particulier, prendre la plume pour la première ou la énième fois? + 212 est un nouvel espace à investir et il n'attend que vous. Écrivez-nous à redaction@huffpostmaghreb.com

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[+212] Mehdi Sefrioui, photographe: "Les Marocains doivent se réapproprier leur africanité"

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LES BLOGS "L'Afrique pour moi c'est un continent, pas une couleur de peau. Je suis panafricain." La rubrique +212 est un espace de dialogue et d'échange, une fabrique d'idées. Elle rassemble un faisceau de regards sur le Maroc, formulés de l'extérieur vers l'intérieur par des plumes expatriées, exilées, émigrées, nomades, membres de la diaspora marocaine à l'étranger.

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Rabat - Sprawled on a rug, under the shade of a street-side tree, Mohammed Aziz began taking his revenge by re-reading one of the nine books he owned.

Orphaned at the age of six, Aziz attempted to fish as a means to afford his dream of graduating high school. At 15, Aziz awoke to the reality that he would not be able to finish his education-the textbooks were too expensive.

Angry and without a diploma Aziz's more than half-century career as a bookseller began.

"This is how I take my revenge on my childhood, my situation, my poverty," Aziz told Morocco World News, disturbing a precarious tower of outdated magazines by waving at his shop.

After more than 43 years in the same spot, Aziz is the oldest bookseller in Rabat's medina (old city).

The sight of him reading by the door frame of his five-by-five-foot bookshop is a landmark of Mohammed V Avenue, which runs through the heart of the old city in Rabat. In his store customers can find tabloid magazines for MAD 5 ($0.52) and medical textbooks for MAD 700 ($73).

Aziz works a 12-hour day. He begins with a walk around Rabat's neighborhoods searching for book vendors with similarly humble setups to the start of his career. After buying the best from the competition, Aziz heads to the shop and adds his new books to the stacks. When asked how many books he has crammed into his store, he replied, "Not enough."
He then perches himself on his door frame to start reading-only stopping to eat, pray, smoke, and help customers. On average, Aziz makes one or two sales a day.
Fight for Literacy

In the 55 years Aziz has been performing this daily ritual, Morocco's illiteracy rate has decreased from 87% in 1960 to 32% in 2014 , according to the High Commission for Planning (HCP) , the country's state-run statistics agency. But all that means to the frustrated bookseller is that roughly three in 10 Moroccans still cannot enjoy his books.

The one he wants to share the most is his red Qur'an, which he studies before each call to prayer. Reading the holy words off his Qur'an's yellowing pages has strengthened Aziz's faith.

By keeping his shop open and giving the public a chance to read, Aziz hopes to strengthen their faith as well-if not in God than in themselves.

"I'll be here till everyone can read," Aziz said. "I've read more than 4,000 books, so I've lived more than 4,000 lives. Everyone should have that chance."

But he knows not everyone does.

Only two things infuriate the devout 71-year-old-books with missing pages and children working instead of studying.

Five times a day Aziz closes his red Qur'an to walk to a nearby mosque and pray. Each day, he passes boys working in shops or playing in alleyways instead of attending school-and each day, that is the first thing he prays about.

"Reading is a gift from God and a command," Aziz said, directly referring to the Qur'anic passage, 96:1 to 96:5, which states, "Read in the name of your Lord who created you. He created man from a clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Honorable who taught with the pen, taught man what he did not know."

Aziz attributes the country's continued low literacy rate to the percentage of students, that, like him, do not finish school. According to USAID , only 53% of students enrolled in middle school continue to high school.

"This problem isn't new," Aziz said. "It happened to me 50 years ago, and it's happening now."

At the end of each school year, students off to summer send a cascade of used textbooks to Aziz's shop-forcing the creation of new science, math, religion, and language stacks.

Not needing a reminder of how expensive textbooks can be, Aziz marks prices down for future students, in the hope that expensive books are no longer the reason why students cannot attend school.

Not being in class however did not stop Aziz from learning.

Love for Language

Tiled with the colorful spines of books, Aziz's shop became a melting pot for people from all over Morocco and the world. Many of them, like those summer-bound students, left their used books at the shop.

By engaging with the donors in long conversations and by later reading their donations, Aziz self-taught himself standard Arabic, French, and Spanish.

His shop reflects his love for languages, with books and magazines in more than half a dozen languages. Aziz has read them all, or has tried, admitting sheepishly that he is still a novice at German and Italian.

Having grown up speaking Darija, the unwritten local Arabic dialect in Morocco, the two languages Aziz worked hardest to learn were standard Arabic and French, the country's two main languages. To become fluent, he filled his shelves with books in these languages, which to this day make up the majority of his library.

Aziz became fluent in French and Arabic without ever having finished school, but he found a new challenge in 2011. In the wake of the Arab Spring, the government established a new Constitution, and Article 5 officially recognized the Amazigh language (Berber) as a national language.

In eight years, Aziz has only been able to add one Amazigh book to his collection, a faded 700-word dictionary he does not remember buying, and he uses it as the foundation of a stack of travel guides.

"I hope somebody donated this to me," Aziz said. "It would have been a waste to buy it because no one reads or writes in Amazigh."

According to the sixth General Census of Population and Housing data report conducted in 2014 by the HCP, 26.7% of Morocco's population speaks Amazigh, compared to the 89.8% that speak Darija and the 66% that speak French.

A local Maghreb cigarette dances between his lips as Aziz thumbs through the hard-bound dictionary and sounds out familiar words. He blows embers off a page as he stumbles over a new term. Bringing the book closer, he mouths over the term "lqamar listina'i" - "satellite" in English.

Closing the book, Aziz stabilized his travel section by returning the dictionary to its former spot-he admitted to giving up on learning Amazigh because of the language's lack of literature. The written form of Amazigh has only been in use for the last 16 years, following its creation in 2003 by the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM).

Providing books in all of Morocco's languages is a dream Aziz hopes to one day fulfill as long as he gets a few hours with the books first.

"My life revolves around reading," Aziz said. "In life, I care most about my ability to read and that I can read until the end of it."

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Selling Books in a Country That Cannot Read

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Rabat - Sprawled on a rug, under the shade of a street-side tree, Mohammed Aziz began taking his revenge by re-reading one of the nine books he owned. Orphaned at the age of six, Aziz attempted to fish as a means to afford his dream of graduating high school.

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Rabat - Morocco's Minister of Culture Mohamed Laaraj has overseen the opening of a new museum at Lixus, an ancient Phoenician archeological site dating to the 12th century B.C.

The Ministry of Culture opened the new facility on Saturday, April 20 .

Built in the 12th century B.C. by Phoenicians and regarded as one of the oldest urban centers in North Africa, Lixus has undergone restoration and is now open to the public along with a visitor center.

The Roman empire captured the Phoenician settlement in the 1st century B.C. With the Roman empire's decline, the Amazigh (Berber) people lived at Lixusz from the 5th to the 7th centuries A.D. before it was completely abandoned, according to the World Monuments Fund.

Spread over 62 hectares, Lixus, Laaraj said, opens a new era in the management of archaeological sites.

Speaking about the historical significance of Lixus, Laaraj said the ministry has a "great responsibility that requires an appropriate approach to preserve its authenticity for the benefit of future generations."

Lixus, which Pliny the Elder linked to the Garden of Hesperides where the Greek hero Hercules picked the golden apples, is situated on Tchemmich Hill on the eastern bank of the Loukkos valley near the seaport town of Larache on the Atlantic coast of northern Morocco, 80 kilometers south of Tangier.

The restoration projects carried out by the ministry in partnership with foreign institutions, like the Italian embassy and the University of Siena, aimed to "raise awareness" of the importance of safeguarding Lixus's history, which had sunk into "oblivion," noted the minister.

Laaraj added that the site boasts important artifacts and stands out as a "universal heritage."

The new museum contains two exhibition halls that display Phoenician, Mauritanian, Roman, and late Islamic archeological artifacts.

The ministry spent approximately MAD 12 million ($1.2 million) rehabilitating the site. The opening of the site to the public falls within the framework of Heritage Month, which Morocco celebrates between March and April every year.

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Morocco Opens Museum at Lixus, 1200 B.C. Phoenician Archeological Site

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Rabat - Morocco's Minister of Culture Mohamed Laaraj has overseen the opening of a new museum at Lixus, an ancient Phoenician archeological site dating to the 12th century B.C. The Ministry of Culture opened the new facility on Saturday, April 20 . Built in the 12th century B.C.

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Le bidonville de Sahb El Caïd, à Salé, au Maroc, en novembre 2012. FADEL SENNA / AFP

Salué pour son taux de croissance, son ouverture au tourisme et aux investisseurs étrangers, le Maroc n'en reste pas moins le pays d'Afrique du Nord où les inégalités entre citoyens sont les plus fortes. Un rapport intitulé " Un Maroc égalitaire, une taxation juste ", publié lundi 29 avril par l'ONG Oxfam, plaide pour une fiscalité plus équitable et dresse par la même occasion un tableau précis et implacable des écarts de richesse au sein du royaume.

Le document rappelle qu'au cours des vingt dernières années, la croissance marocaine a été dynamique (4,4 % par an en moyenne entre 2000 et 2017), permettant une réduction considérable du taux de pauvreté, passé de 15,3 % en 2001 à 8,9 % en 2007 et à 4,8 % en 2014. Ces données, rappelle l'ONG, sont toutefois basées sur une approche uniquement monétaire de la pauvreté. Elles excluent d'autres facteurs tels que l'accès à la santé ou à l'éducation. Surtout, ce taux ignore les familles qui se situent juste au-dessus du seuil de pauvreté et sont susceptibles d'y tomber au moindre coup dur, ce que l'ONG nomme le " taux de vulnérabilité ". Or celui-ci concernerait un Marocain sur huit au niveau national, et près d'un sur cinq en milieu rural.

Article réservé à nos abonnés Lire aussi Au Maroc, l'abandon des bidonvilles

Les inégalités sont, elles, restées quasiment les mêmes. Le coefficient de Gini, une mesure internationale de calcul des inégalités, était de 39,9 en 1985 et de 39,5 en 2014. Une stabilité statistique qui est là encore à relativiser, prévient Oxfam, en raison de nombreuses limites méthodologiques : les dépenses à l'étranger ne sont pas comptabilisées, pas plus que l'épargne. En outre, les inégalités monétaires ne prennent pas en compte les inégalités de patrimoine. Autant d'observations qui laissent penser que les écarts sont encore plus importants que ne le disent les statistiques officielles.

Un système éducatif défaillant

Au cœur de la machine inégalitaire figure notamment le système éducatif. " Un système inclusif et égalitaire permettrait d'atténuer les disparités sociales et de gommer en partie les différences liées au milieu d'origine ", rappelle le rapport. Or le Maroc a beau consacrer 21,5 % de son budget à ce secteur (bien plus que la moyenne de la région Moyen-Orient et Afrique du Nord, avec 13,9 %), son système éducatif est largement défaillant. La durée moyenne de scolarisation y est de 4,4 ans, soit deux années de moins que la moyenne des pays arabes. Et les résultats scolaires varient considérablement en fonction du milieu des élèves. Dans ce contexte, la privatisation massive de l'éducation, encouragée par les autorités, accentue la logique inégalitaire. On estime ainsi que 14 % des élèves marocains sont inscrits dans des écoles privées, et jusqu'à 80 % dans les grandes villes comme Casablanca et Rabat.

Lire aussi Au Maroc, la disparition des écoles publiques accélère la marchandisation de l'éducation

Ces inégalités liées à l'éducation se prolongent sur le marché du travail, avec quatre caractéristiques fortes : un chômage élevé des jeunes (42,8 % des 15-24 ans en 2017) ; le problème des " NEET ", ces jeunes qui ne sont ni étudiants, ni employés, ni stagiaires (29,3 % des 15-24 ans, soit 2 millions) ; l'exclusion des femmes du marché du travail ; et la part prépondérante de l'informel et de l'emploi précaire (80 % des emplois sont informels). Les écarts de rémunération sont également frappants : " Alors que le SMIG est de 2 570 dirhams mensuels [environ 237 euros], il faudrait 154 ans à une personne à ce niveau de salaire pour gagner l'équivalent de l'augmentation de la fortune sur une année de l'un des milliardaires du Maroc ", écrit Oxfam.

Tout comme l'éducation, le système de santé est synonyme de fortes inégalités. Le Maroc y consacre peu de moyens, contraignant ses citoyens à payer eux-mêmes (quand ils le peuvent) leurs dépenses de santé. Alors que dans la région Moyen-Orient et Afrique du Nord, 36 % des dépenses de santé sont prises en charge directement par les ménages, au Maroc cette proportion monte à 51 %. Le secteur n'a pas échappé à la logique de privatisation. Résultat : le pays est 123 e sur 188 pays au classement mondial de l'indice de développement humain (IDH), derrière la Tunisie (97 e) et l'Algérie (83 e).

De forts déséquilibres territoriaux

Le royaume reste aussi confronté à de forts déséquilibres territoriaux. Exemple avec l'accès à l'eau : si la quasi-totalité des urbains sont rattachés à un réseau d'eau potable, cette proportion tombe à 64 % dans les zones rurales, et même à 40 % dans la région de Tanger- Tétouan-Al Hoceima (nord). Cette dernière ville a été le théâtre d'un important mouvement social en 2017.

Enfin, les inégalités entre hommes et femmes restent criantes. Selon le rapport mondial " Global Gender Gap ", qui prend en compte la participation des femmes à l'économie, à la vie politique, leur accès à l'éducation et la santé, etc., le Maroc est classé 137 e sur 144 pays. Malgré les efforts faits dans le domaine de la scolarisation, 41,9 % des Marocaines étaient toujours analphabètes en 2014 (contre 22,1 % des hommes), un nombre qui monte à 60,4 % en zone rurale. En 2009, 62,8 % des Marocaines disaient avoir subi une forme de violence.

Article réservé à nos abonnés Lire aussi Au Maroc, le fléau des violences faites aux femmes

Or, au lieu de participer à gommer ces inégalités, le système fiscal les accentue, selon Oxfam. Les recettes fiscales représentaient 26,4 % du PIB marocain en 2016. Un chiffre beaucoup plus élevé que dans beaucoup d'autres pays africains, mais qui ne permet pas de faire de la fiscalité un instrument de réduction des inégalités. En cause notamment : la TVA (30 % des recettes fiscales), un impôt inégalitaire car applicable à tous sans distinction de revenus ; le trop petit nombre de contribuables (le secteur informel étant prédominant), qui fait peser l'essentiel de l'effort sur les salariés du privé et du public ; ou encore la structuration des tranches d'imposition (le taux d'imposition augmente très vite dans les tranches basses et moyennes de revenus, mais atteint un plafond rapidement).

S'y ajoute un impôt sur le patrimoine quasi inexistant. Quant aux sociétés, une grande partie d'entre elles échappent à l'impôt en se déclarant déficitaires. Ainsi, 82 % des recettes de l'impôt sur les sociétés proviennent de seulement 2 % des entreprises. En outre, les multinationales étrangères, dont les constructeurs automobiles français Renault ou PSA, bénéficient d'avantages fiscaux très importants.

Sur la liste grise des paradis fiscaux

Oxfam rappelle que le pays figure sur la liste grise (et non noire) de l'Union européenne des paradis fiscaux : des Etats " sous surveillance " qui ont jusqu'en 2020 pour réformer leur législation fiscale. Enfin, conclut l'ONG, " les questions de gouvernance privent également le Maroc d'importantes recettes fiscales ". Selon le Fonds monétaire international (FMI), la corruption coûte au pays 2 % du PIB, soit 20,7 milliards de dirhams en 2017 (environ 1,8 milliard d'euros à l'époque).

Lire aussi La corruption au Maroc reste " endémique ", malgré une " légère amélioration "

Face à ces différents défis, l'ONG formule un certain nombre de recommandations censées faire de la fiscalité " un instrument de réduction des inégalités " : une meilleure progressivité de l'impôt, l'élargissement de l'assiette fiscale, la mise en place d'une fiscalité sur le patrimoine ou encore la fin des exemptions inefficaces. Oxfam rappelle le discours prononcé par le roi Mohammed VI devant le Parlement en octobre 2018, invitant à repenser le modèle de développement national, mais aussi la tenue des assises de la fiscalité, prévues les 3 et 4 mai. Autant d'occasions pour les autorités de montrer leur volonté politique de réduire les inégalités.

Charlotte Bozonnet

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Le Maroc, pays le plus inégalitaire d'Afrique du Nord

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Salué pour son taux de croissance, son ouverture au tourisme et aux investisseurs étrangers, le Maroc n'en reste pas moins le pays d'Afrique du Nord où les inégalités entre citoyens sont les plus fortes.

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TÉMOIGNAGE - On a le réflexe de partager certaines informations négatives mais c'est moins le cas lorsque nous voyons de belles choses. Je voudrais partager ce que j'ai vécu lors de mon voyage au Maroc la semaine dernière.
J'ai toujours ressenti, dans la manière avec laquelle en parlent mes parents et grands-parents, une certaine nostalgie vis-à-vis du Maroc.

La relation entre les juifs et leurs voisins musulmans marocains a été exceptionnelle pendant des siècles contrairement à ce qui se passait partout ailleurs dans le monde. C'est aussi le seul pays arabe dont les juifs n'ont pas été poussés vers la sortie dans les années suivant la création de l'État d'Israël. Cette "exception", je la ressentais lors de mes voyages précédents sous une forme d'attirance particulière, mais en tant que touriste, les échanges se faisaient toujours dans un cadre commercial, et il est dur de tirer des conclusions dans cette situation.

Cette fois, c'était différent. J'étais invité avec les élèves du cours d'arabe de l'école des Mines de Paris par une école d'ingénieur à Ben Guerir, à 80 kilomètres de Marrakech. N'étant absolument pas capable de cacher ma judéité plus d'une seconde, le sujet a été abordé de nombreuses fois. La simple indifférence aurait déjà été appréciable, mais il y avait beaucoup plus que cela, il y avait une grande affection. Si je ne suis pas surpris que des voisins juifs et musulmans ont pu s'entendre dans le passé, je le suis que leurs enfants, qui n'ont jamais vu de juifs, m'aiment avant de me connaître alors que c'est parfois le contraire ailleurs.

Voici un exemple de ce qui s'est passé qui illustre bien la situation. L'université Mohammed VI où nous étions existe depuis six ans et à souhaité faire construire une synagogue dans une perspective future, alors même qu'il n'y a pas eu un seul élève juif sur le campus. Lorsque j'ai appris cela, j'ai tout fait pour avoir les clés mais le professeur juif qui avait supervisé les travaux n'était pas au Maroc.

J'ai finalement obtenu la clé une minute avant Shabath (fête juive hebdomadaire), grâce à l'aide d'une étudiante et d'un employé de l'université qui est revenu à 20h de chez lui spécialement pour ouvrir la synagogue. J'ai donc pu "inaugurer" cette synagogue Shabath dernier, et bien que seul a l'intérieur, j'ai trouvé la situation tellement folle que c'était une des prières les plus intenses de ma vie.

Mais l'histoire ne s'arrête pas là. L'arche de cette synagogue était repeinte mais semblait avoir servi. Plus tard dans le Shabath j'y ai découvert un carton avec beaucoup de documents communautaires anciens que les fidèles ne peuvent souvent pas jeter car ils comportent des écritures saintes. En lisant ces papiers, j'ai découvert qu'il s'agissait de la synagogue Bet El de Fès, c'est-à-dire celle où mon grand-père maternel a prié toute sa vie... D'autres noms de membres de ma famille y apparaissaient.

Tout au long du voyage, j'ai fait d'autres rencontres traduisant cet amour fraternel. Comme Amidou, un marchand de Marrakech qui collectionne les objets juifs anciens dans sa propre maison et a placé une tsedaka (caisse où l'on collecte l'argent de la charité) dans sa boutique pour l'apporter au cimetière juif mitoyen. Ou Mamoun qui a vu la totalité des juifs d'Essaouira quitter le Mellah où il est né et attend toute la journée devant les synagogues d'Essaouira pour leur faire visiter le Mellah et nommer chaque maison. Il a aussi fait jouer ses relations pour me faire visiter le magnifique musée de la mémoire juive qui attend la venue du roi pour ouvrir. Ce lieu impressionnant est un autre exemple que le Maroc se vente fièrement de la part juive de son identité dont l'apport a été rappelé dans l'introduction de la récente constitution.

Je repars plus que jamais fier d'être juif marocain, de ce que mes ancêtres y ont reçu et apporté pendant cinq siècles pour certains et beaucoup plus pour d'autres.

Vous avez envie de raconter votre histoire? Un événement de votre vie vous a fait voir les choses différemment? Vous voulez briser un tabou? Vous pouvez envoyer votre témoignage à blogs@huffpostmaghreb.com.

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BLOG - Étudiant juif d'origine marocaine, voilà ce que j'ai ressenti en découvrant le Maroc

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TÉMOIGNAGE - On a le réflexe de partager certaines informations négatives mais c'est moins le cas lorsque nous voyons de belles choses. Je voudrais partager ce que j'ai vécu lors de mon voyage au Maroc la semaine dernière. J'ai toujours ressenti, dans la manière avec laquelle en parlent mes parents et grands-parents, une certaine nostalgie vis-à-vis du Maroc.

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Rabat - As Muslims all over the world settle into their new Ramadan routine, here in Morocco the streets are filled with the smell of sweet pastries, aromatic soups, and freshly baked bread. With Ramadan- the holiest month in the Muslim calendar- comes a time of restraint, self-reflection, and observance. It also hails the beginning of a month filled with delicacies from kitchens all over the country and offers a wonderful insight into the delights of Moroccan cuisine.

As a first-time observer of Ramadan, I've noticed in particular the change in food on Moroccan tables: the sudden surge in the presence of chebakia, mountains piled high, and the emergence of every kind of briwat imaginable. One of my favorite times of day now is the quiet, peaceful moment before the sounding of the cannon to signal the beginning of , the evening meal.

Each day, as the whole of Rabat, rushes around to buy food for their tables I observe what Morocco will be feasting on. Flitting from one stall to another, the suq comes alive with people bustling about, filling their bags with giant watermelons that line the streets and fresh msemen made before your eyes. Hands dip in and out of overflowing spice sacks - with everything from saffron to ras el hanout - and a chorus of cries from vendors is met with responses from hungry customers.

Aptly known as , meaning breakfast in Moroccan Arabic, this is exactly what will happen in a few hours - the breaking of the fast. The food eaten at iftar differs somewhat from the morning meal, .

At both mealtimes, families come together to share food and socialize after a day without food or drink. Iftar is usually a heavier meal than , owing to it being the first food in over 12 hours. The delicacies served at both meals, however, reflect the rich cultural past of Morocco and showcase some of the best dishes the country has to offer.

First tastes

A tradition in many Moroccan families is breaking your fast with three sips of water and eating a date. Dates play a big part in Moroccan cooking all year round, but they're found in abundance during Ramadan. The date palm is regarded as the "tree of life" in the Story of Genesis in the Quran, which accounts for their ceremonial presence as the first thing to taste at iftar.

Soups

A healthy way to break the Ramadan fast is with soup. Harira is made with chickpeas, tomatoes, and lentils. Like with any popular dish, the recipes for Harira differ from family to family, with different methods being handed down for generations. A delicious, hearty, soup, harira is the traditional way to break the fast.

Another favorite is hssoua belboula, made with milk, barley, and cumin. A filling soup that is rich and creamy, it's perfect after a day without food. This is served at both iftar and suhoor.

We all know Moroccans love semolina, and this is what they put in one soup along with milk, honey, and anise seeds. Quick and easy, some Moroccans go heavy on the honey to make it extra sweet.

Sweet pastries

In the days leading up to Ramadan, my neighbor would fling open her kitchen windows and the smell of homemade almond briwats would slowly waft out. Finally tasting these puff pastry delights, I understood why she had been making batches to last her and her family all through Ramadan.

The Moroccan sweet tooth comes into its own throughout the month of Ramadan, with chebakia and sellou found on almost all iftar tables. Chebakia, a small sesame cookie, comes in the shape of a flower and is fried and coated with honey. Sellou, also known as sfouf, is a unique sweet made from flour and fried almonds and often contains other nuts and spices.

Fekkas, a biscotti-esque cookie, is found in all different shapes and flavours. A common version is with almonds and raisins, as is the way in Fez with the tradition of serving children Fekkas in a cup of milk for breakfast. Their sweet orange-water smell gives them away instantly as being a Moroccan Ramadan staple.

Khoubz

Getting to the bulkier foods now, iftar is incomplete without some form of carbohydrates. Round flatbreads known as khoubz often replace a knife and fork in Morocco, and double as brilliant edible sponges to mop up every last delicious taste left on your plate.

Msemen is a regular at iftar, as it is all year round in Morocco for both breakfast and an afternoon snack. Served sweet with honey, amlou or jam, msemen can also be made with kefta (ground beef) to make a mouth-watering savoury alternative.

Similar to mesemen is meloui - also known as rghaif. Made from half semolina and half white flour, meloui is folded into strips before being rolled up - just like the carpets you see lining the suqs. It's flattened, cooked, and served simply with butter or honey.

Beghir, Morocco's answer to French crepes, and hercha - another year-round favorite - are also enjoyed at iftar and sehoor. Batbout, also called mkhamer, toghrift or matlou, is a soft, chewy bread that acts as a good sandwich filler.

Savoury dishes

As well as all of the above, there are other favorites that appear at iftar and suhoor. Boiled eggs are common and are a great source of protein and fat. Jben, a fresh Moroccan cottage-cheese, is also served. For Moroccans living along the Atlantic coast, fresh fish is commonly served as well.

The table would be incomplete without a large tajine for everyone to share. Be it fish, chicken, lamb or vegetable, a big dish for everyone to tuck into is a must, and a symbolic way to show the essence of Ramadan as a time for sharing. Named after the dish in which it is made, people will often add fruit such as dates and raisins, as well as aromatic spices. Traditionally used by Morocco's first inhabitants, the Amazigh, the tajine is at the heart and soul of Moroccan cooking.

Drinks

After a whole day without drinking, it's important to rehydrate. This is done in style during Ramadan, with tea, fresh juices, and smoothies all featuring. Avocado milkshakes are a delicious and satisfying choice after fasting. Alternatively, many Moroccans swap the Avocado for the popular Middle Eastern orange and dried apricot smoothie known as qamar el-deen .

Mint tea, a constant in any Moroccan's diet, is always served with food at both iftar and suhoor. Would any Moroccan meal be complete without it?

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A Very Moroccan Ramadan: Harira, Dates and Chebakia Galore

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Rabat - As Muslims all over the world settle into their new Ramadan routine, here in Morocco the streets are filled with the smell of sweet pastries, aromatic soups, and freshly baked bread. With Ramadan- the holiest month in the Muslim calendar- comes a time of restraint, self-reflection, and observance.

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Les traces d'une présence juive sur les côtes méditerranéennes de l'Afrique remonte à la haute Antiquité. Elle précède d'au moins neuf siècles la conquête arabe et l'islamisation de l'Afrique.

Juif originaire de Libye en prière dans une ancienne synagogue de Tripoli, aujourd'hui à l'abandon. 38 000 juifs libyens ont été expulsés par le colonel Kadhafi en 1969. La plupart des synagogues du pays ont été détruites ou converties en mosquées. (SUHAIB SALEM / X90014)

On retrouve les premières traces d'une présence juive à Carthage (aujourd'hui la banlieue de Tunis), ville fondée par les Phéniciens au VIIe siècle avant J.-C. Quatre siècles plus tard, cette cité portuaire florissante devient une rivale de Rome en termes de commerce, de richesse et de population. Non loin de Carthage, les juifs de Djerba arrivent au VIe siècle avant J.-C., fuyant la Judée après la destruction du Premier temple par Nabuchodonosor. C'est en 586 avant J.-C. à Djerba, où quelques milliers de juifs trouvent refuge, que commence la construction de la plus vieille synagogue du continent africain (la Ghriba).

Stèle funéraire écrite en grec, épitaphe d'un rabbin nommé Caecilianos, retrouvée dans les ruines de Volubilis, près de la ville marocaine de Meknès. Ces ruines romaines datent du Ier siècle avant J.-C. (MANUEL COHEN / MANUEL COHEN)

Les juifs arrivent à Carthage avec les Phéniciens... et les Romains

Des mosaïques représentant des chandeliers à 7 branches (symbole du judaïsme) ont également été découvertes dans une villa (lors de travaux de voirie) à 110 km au sud de Tunis. Selon les archéologues, ces vestiges constituent une preuve supplémentaire d'une présence juive dans la région de Cap Bon entre le IVe et le Ve siècle avant J.-C.

Le premier compte-rendu historique évoquant la présence de juifs dans une région à l'ouest de l'Egypte apparaît dans l'œuvre de Flavius Josèphe. L'historiographe romain écrit dans La guerre des juifs qu'au IIIe siècle avant J.-C., 100 000 juifs furent déportés d'Israël en Egypte. De là, ils se rendirent en Cyrénaïque (est de la Libye actuelle) et probablement plus à l'Ouest.

Dans ces régions, ils "côtoyèrent" durant plusieurs siècles les populations berbères, qu'ils ont parfois même judaïsées. Cette population "judéo-berbère" longera l'Atlas saharien pour finalement se fractionner et se fixer au Mzab, au Touat, Tafilalet, Dra' et Sous (sud algérien et marocain d'aujourd'hui).

A partir du IVe siècle, le christianisme devient religion de l'empire romain. Il relègue dès lors le judaïsme au nord et au sud de la Méditerranée. Cependant, des communautés juives subsistent dans les périphéries de l'empire.

Saint Augustin témoigne de la présence juive au Maghreb

Tertullien, puis Saint Augustin, témoignent à plusieurs reprises de la présence juive au Maghreb, dans de grandes discussions théologiques et liturgiques qui les opposent au judaïsme au sud de la Méditerranée (mais qui les rapprochent aussi face "aux païens").

Ils évoquent notamment dans leurs écrits "le prosélytisme juif" (de cette époque) envers les Berbères "qu'ils judaïsent en masse". Ces judéo-berbères et ces chrétiens opposeront par la suite une farouche résistance à l'envahisseur arabe. Ibn Khaldoun, le grand historien arabe du XVe siècle, relate que "lorsque les armées venues d'Arabie ont pénétré en pays berbère, de nombreuses tribus berbères étaient influencées par le judaïsme. (...) Une partie des Berbères pratiquait le judaïsme, religion qu'ils avaient reçue de leur puissants voisins, les israélites de la Syrie. Parmi les Berbères juifs, on distinguait les Djeroua, tribu qui habitait l'Aurès et à laquelle appartenait la Kahina, femme qui fut tuée par les Arabes à l'époque des premières invasions (VIIe siècle)."

Les tout premiers habitants juifs du Touat et Gourra (situées à la frontière algéro-marocaine) seraient arrivés plus tard, au IXe siècle, en provenance de Mésopotamie. La réalisation de foggaras (canalisations d'eau souterraines qui évitent l'évaporation) au Touat en témoigne, selon les archéologues. C'est également par la littérature talmudique, que les historiens peuvent aujourd'hui retracer les différentes communautés juives dispersées autour de la Méditerranée. Les rabbins sont engagés dans des correspondances et des discussions juridiques et religieuses qui traversent l'ensemble du Maghreb.

Les Almohades détruisent le judaïsme maghrébin

En 1147, les Almohades s'emparent du Maghreb et de l'Andalousie et sont sans pitié envers ceux qui refusent de se convertir à l'islam. Ils ne leur laissent le choix qu'entre la conversion à l'islam et la mort, ce qui, après un siècle de persécutions, entraîne la disparition de nombre de communautés juives. Les grandes villes comme Kairouan sont alors interdites aux juifs, qui se réfugient dans les régions isolées.

Le rabbin Abraham Ibn Ezra (1092-1167) originaire de Cordoue énumère, après une longue traversée de l'Afrique du Nord, l'étendue du désastre qui frappe les juifs de Kairouan, Sfax, Gabès et Meknès, massacrés juste avant ceux de Fès et Marrakech. "Avant la destruction de sa communauté juive par les Almohades vers 1150, Sijilmassa, située dans le Tafilalet au carrefour des caravanes, était un centre important de la civilisation juive. (...) Une cité de sages et d'études talmudiques qui maintenait une correspondance avec les Yéchivas de toute la Méditerranée", relate le rabbin andalou. Au XIIe siècle, le judaïsme maghrébin manque de disparaître.

Hassan el-Wazzan, dit Léon l'Africain, de passage dans le "sud algérien", annonce que l'aventure du petit royaume juif saharien du Touat a été brutalement interrompue en 1492 par un prédicateur musulman venu de Tlemcen, scandalisé de voir à Tamentit des "juifs arrogants" auxquels n'est pas appliqué, comme dans le reste du Maghreb, le statut (infamant) des dhimmis (minorités du Livre soumises aux vexations et à la dîme). Ce prédicateur ordonne la destruction des synagogues de Tamentit et le massacre des juifs, promettant 7 mithqals d'or par tête de juif assassiné. Les rares rescapés se partageront entre une adhésion à l'islam et un exode massif à travers le Sahara, tant vers le Nord que vers le Sud... Certains, chrétiens persécutés compris, se réfugieront en Castille et en Aragon, en Sicile, d'autres sans doute dans la région de Tombouctou (actuel Mali).

Le judaïsme revit en Afrique du Nord grâce à l'arrivée massive des juifs espagnols et portugais, chassés par les persécutions de l'Inquisition, sur les côtes du Maroc et d'Algérie. Ce qui reste des communautés juives du Maghreb sera grossit par ces expulsés d'Espagne et du Portugal, entre les XVe et XVIe siècles. Les familles portant les noms de Toledano, Cordoba, Berdugo témoignent de ces racines ibériques.

Cimetière juif de Tanger (nord du Maroc), où sont enterrés les nombreux juifs expulsés d'Espagne et du Portugal entre les XVe et XVIe siècles. (CREATIVE TOUCH IMAGING LTD / NURPHOTO)

Les juifs expulsés d'Espagne sauvent le judaïsme nord-africain

Cette élite érudite d'éducation andalouse finit par imposer sa suprématie culturelle et économique aux juifs du Maghreb. Parlant plusieurs langues, ces négociants sont en contact avec les autres ports de la Méditerranée. Ces juifs espagnols se distinguent parfois des juifs "indigènes", comme à Tunis, où ils forment une communauté à part. En Tunisie, on retrouve les familles Lumbroso, Cartoso, Boccara, Valensi venues pour la plupart de Livourne, en Italie.

Des quartiers juifs séparés existent un peu partout au Maghreb, notamment au Maroc (mellah). En passant à la fin du XVIe siècle sous l'administration ottomane de Souleymane le Magnifique, les choses iront alors un peu mieux pour les juifs du Maghreb.

La colonisation française à partir de 1830 finit de détacher les juifs de leurs voisins musulmans. La "France des Lumières et républicaine", plus protectrice que l'islam, libère les juifs de leur statut inférieur (dhimmis) de servitude. Le décret Crémieux accorde la nationalité française aux juifs d'Algérie en 1870. Désormais français, ils vont combattre durant la guerre de 14-18 aux Dardanelles ou au Chemin des dames.

La fin d'une histoire

Beaucoup quittent le Maroc et la Tunisie en 1948 pour Israël, d'autres préfèrent le Canada ou les Etats-Unis. La plupart des juifs d'Algérie seront "rapatriés" en France métropolitaine où ils n'ont, le plus souvent, jamais mis les pieds. Les derniers contingents seront "chassés" par les indépendances algérienne, marocaine et tunisienne dans les années 60. Moins de 5000 juifs vivent aujourd'hui au Maroc, en Algérie et en Tunisie... Ils étaient encore près de 700 000 dans les années 50.

Ce judaïsme nord-africain a aujourd'hui quasiment disparu. Il survit encore dans la tête de quelques témoins vivants. Comme le disait Paul Valery, "nous savons que les civilisations sont mortelles". La vieille culture juive du monde arabe est sur le point de s'éteindre définitivement.

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2500 années de présence juive en Afrique du Nord, un monde qui s'éteint

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Les traces d'une présence juive sur les côtes méditerranéennes de l'Afrique remonte à la haute Antiquité. Elle précède d'au moins neuf siècles la conquête arabe et l'islamisation de l'Afrique. On retrouve les premières traces d'une présence juive à Carthage (aujourd'hui la banlieue de Tunis), ville fondée par les Phéniciens au VIIe siècle avant J.-C.

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Rabat - The Higher Council for Education, Training and Scientific Research (CSEFRS) conducted a study showing that 19.8% of Moroccans aged between 6 and 22, nearly one in five, left school early.

The ministry released the report which focussed on 3,000 Moroccan households in all regions of Morocco on June 12. The number of people who dropped out without obtaining a diploma or certification was 23.9% in rural areas compared to 13.1% in urban areas. In terms of gender, 20.2% of school-aged boys dropped out, compared to 19.3% of girls.

The most-mentioned reason for school drop-out is exam failure and class repetition, at a rate of 33.8%, reports the CSEFRS. Low household income and poverty were second in the list (11.7%).

Other reasons included remoteness of schools (10.2%), the child's refusal to pursue their studies (9.8%), the lack of school transportation (7.9%), (8%), the futility of continuing education (4.3%), marriage (4%), the absence or lack of social support for schooling (3.1%) , the parent or guardian's refusal to let the child pursue their studies (2,6%), the exclusion of the child from studies (2,6%) and other reasons (10,1%).

The number of young people who have had no schooling is equally significant. It is, however, much higher among young people aged 18 to 22 (8.2%) compared to 12-14 year olds (0.8%) . The percentage among children aged 6 to 11, an age group where education is compulsory, is 4.5%.

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Study: One in Five Moroccans Drops Out of School

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Rabat - The Higher Council for Education, Training and Scientific Research (CSEFRS) conducted a study showing that 19.8% of Moroccans aged between 6 and 22, nearly one in five, left school early. The ministry released the report which focussed on 3,000 Moroccan households in all regions of Morocco on June 12.

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Rabat - A new from BBC News Arabic and the Arab Barometer shows that more than 40 % of Moroccans dream of emigrating.

The survey's findings are the result of more than 25,0000 interviews in 11 countries from late 2018 and spring 2019.

"In every place questioned, research suggested that at least one in five people were considering emigrating," the survey said.

The interviews found that those with the desire to leave their countries wanted to do so due to financial considerations.

"Economic reasons were overwhelmingly cited as the driving factor," the report said.

In Morocco, the overall unemployment rate rose from 9.8% in the last quarter of 2019 to 10% in the first fiscal quarter.

The survey shows that 64% of the people interviewed in Morocco said that they would emigrate to Europe, while 12% of them would go to North America if they could. The report adds that 5% want to emigrate to Gulf countries.

The report's findings back other statistics, which indicate that the majority of Moroccan young people would like to emigrate for better living conditions due to a lack of job opportunities.

A recent report from Moroccan marketing agency Sunergia that four out of ten Moroccans would emigrate if they could.

The study, which interviewed 10,000 people, revealed that women were more inclined toward emigration than men.

Morocco has also been hit by the brain drain phenomenon as more than 600 engineers leave the country every year due to the lack of job opportunities.

In addition to Morocco, the BBC and Arab Barometer research network covers other Arab countries where citizens welcome the possibility to leave their countries.

Overall, the statistics found that at least 20 % of those interviewed in all 11 countries wanted to emigrate, with an even higher number wanting to emigrate from countries including Sudan.

The survey reports that "in Sudan, this accounted for half the population."

In addition to emigration, the findings of the survey also indicate that a growing number of people across the Arab world are turning their backs on Islam.

The report shows that close to 15% of Morrocans identify as not religious, an increase from under 5% in 2013. The decrease in religious identity paralleled a waning trust in religious leaders.

The survey shows that faith in religious leaders dropped considerably in Morocco, down from about 45% in 2012-2013 to 25% in the most recent survey.

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Survey: Four in Ten Moroccans Hope to Emigrate

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Rabat - A new from BBC News Arabic and the Arab Barometer shows that more than 40 % of Moroccans dream of emigrating. The survey's findings are the result of more than 25,0000 interviews in 11 countries from late 2018 and spring 2019.

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Rabat - FutureBrand, "one of the world's leading authorities in country brand strategy and management," has ranked Morocco 66 out of 75 countries in their 2019 Country Brand Index (CBI).

The self-titled "creative future company" uses the index to "shift global perception with the explicit goal of boosting tourism, investment, and consumer choice for a country's goods and services."

By studying countries as brands, the company seeks to understand how they can be "managed and measured for trade, investment, and tourism growth."

The first CBI was released by FutureBrand in 2005 to demonstrate which countries qualify as brands, in that they have a measurable comparative advantage over other countries.

The data for this index is gathered through online surveys distributed to a global sample of 2,500 people. Each survey respondent ranks seven countries, and each country is rated by approximately 230 respondents.

Rather than using "measures of might," such as gross domestic product (GDP), population size, and nuclear capabilities, FutureBrand re-orders the World Bank's top 75 countries "based on how individuals rate dimensions of a country's purpose and experience."

Respondents are asked to rate countries according to qualities such as healthcare, education, environmental friendliness, technology, tolerance, political freedom, and security.

By focusing on "countrymaking" rather than monetary measures, the CBI places "countries with smaller GDPs on comparable footing with more traditionally dominant nations."

In this "new world order," twelve of the top 20 countries are European, two are North American, and five are Asia Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand.

The top country is Japan, which has the third largest GDP in the world. The United States, which has the largest GDP in the world, is ranked twelfth.

At 16, the United Arab Emirates is the only Middle Eastern country in the CBI's top 20. Four more Gulf countries-Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman-are within the top 40.

Morocco placed 7th in Africa behind Egypt (55), Sudan (59), and Algeria (60). The lowest ranked country on the CBI is Iraq.

Morocco also has one of the worst "Quality of Life" scores, alongside Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Iraq.

These scores are based on perceptions of healthcare, education, and income disparity. Countries with high scores in this category are more likely to benefit from tourism and business investments.

Morocco's World Bank ranking, which is based on its GDP, is 61. While this is quite low on the list of 75 countries, Morocco's position at 66 on the CBI is even lower. This reveals an overall negative perception of the country within the survey sample.

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FutureBrand Country Index Shows Poor Perception of Morocco

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Rabat - FutureBrand, "one of the world's leading authorities in country brand strategy and management," has ranked Morocco 66 out of 75 countries in their 2019 Country Brand Index (CBI). The self-titled "creative future company" uses the index to "shift global perception with the explicit goal of boosting tourism, investment, and consumer choice for a country's goods and services."

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By McCarthey Dressman

Rabat - Mohamed Mahna, a Masters student in Rabat, arched an eyebrow when asked about the tacos' origin.

"I don't know what nationality it is. I just enjoy it, but I have never asked myself," Mahna said with a slight smile. "As long as it's delicious, I don't care about the rest."

Tacos in Morocco are not simply a variant of Mexican cuisine that has drifted to North Africa. Instead, the hearty snack is a distinctly multinational fast-food phenomenon - a culinary innovation which reflects how national boundaries are blurring and Moroccan eating habits are changing.

Instead of the ground beef, tomatoes, and cilantro one might find in Mexican tacos, the staples of tacos in Morocco are French fries, chopped meat (such as chicken nuggets), and seldom any vegetables. Wrapped and toasted in a container that more closely resembles a Hot Pocket than a loose tortilla, these fillings are doused in sauces ranging from the gooey "Cheezy Easy" to the spicy "Samouraï."

Sources dispute the specific origin of this style of tacos, but most agree that the recipe was first created and popularized by Moroccans in southeastern France in the mid-2000s. In 2011, a pair of siblings from a suburb of Lyon moved their shop, Tacos de Lyon, to Casablanca, opening the first "French tacos" shop in Morocco. From there, the new snack came to dominate the Moroccan fast-food scene.

Tacos de Lyon now has 17 locations across the North African country, including five in the capital, Rabat. Rivals like Tacos de Nice, Tacos Mexico, and Royal Tacos also maintain a foothold in the Moroccan capital, and similar products can be found in less formal establishments around the city.

The names of most taco establishments cite France as their country of origin, yet the original creators of the cuisine were Moroccans, and taco shops are perhaps more common in Morocco than in France. To complicate matters, the name is shared with a completely different Mexican dish. So what type of food are these Mediterranean tacos?

"It's different than Moroccan or French cuisine," explained Nordine Menssour, manager of a Tacos Avenue franchise in Rabat. "It's the cuisine of any nationality."

Indeed, the décor and marketing of most tacos shops in Rabat evoke corporate multinationalism and modernity rather than parochialism or tradition. One evening's playlist at Tacos Avenue, which began in France and just opened a second Moroccan location, includes French pop-rap, a collaboration between the Dutch DJ Tiësto and American superstar Post Malone, and "Despacito."

Splashed in funky red lettering on the wall is the English phrase: "Hungry for Life." The menu includes "Grec" tacos (with feta cheese sprinkled on top) and the "Italien" (garnished with basil and sweet peppers).

The multinational character of these fast-food restaurants is one facet of the increased penetration of corporate chains into the expanding Moroccan market. McDonald's came to Casablanca in 1992 and now maintains 44 locations in Morocco; other chains like Pizza Hut and KFC also operate in the North African country. Frequent taco shop visitor Mohamed Mahna believes the new dining options are influencing eating habits in the nation's cities.

"In Morocco, we are very traditional; we don't trust such [fast food] places because we believe there are a lot of chemicals that they use to cook, so we prefer to stay at home and cook things we know - healthy food," Mahna said. "But now things are changing."

Rather than eating at home or visiting street vendors, many Moroccans are frequenting the new fast-food franchises springing up in the cities. The franchise owner Menssour claimed that customers choose these fast food stores because they use better ingredients than are available in other establishments - although a basic taco costs 30 to 50 Moroccan dirhams, or $3-5, much more expensive than a 10 to 15-dirham bocadillos street sandwich.

"In the medina everything is basic... The quality is not the same, so the price [at fast-food restaurants] is a little higher. We use quality ingredients, even if they must be imported from outside Morocco," Menssour argued.

Mahna pointed instead to the convenience of tacos shops as a motivating factor.

"To save time, you just go to fast food and you grab something to eat," Mahna said. "We cook on special occasions, but for the most part, fast food can serve the purpose, especially on active days."

Whatever the reasons for their popularity, tacos are ubiquitous in Rabat; a 900-meter stroll along Hassan II, a main boulevard of Rabat, reveals nine different shops with tacos on the menu, and the snack can be found in every quarter of the city.

Because of tacos' complex origins and status as fast food, the innovative dish may never be claimed as the cuisine of any nation. But despite its indeterminate origin, tacos continue to impact Moroccan eating habits and culinary culture - just expect Moroccans visiting Mexico to be confused.

"No, I have never seen food like this," Mahna said after peering at a picture of Mexican tacos. "Maybe I have seen something like this in National Geographic."

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The Tacos of Morocco: Food Without a Nation

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By McCarthey Dressman Rabat - Mohamed Mahna, a Masters student in Rabat, arched an eyebrow when asked about the tacos' origin. "I don't know what nationality it is. I just enjoy it, but I have never asked myself," Mahna said with a slight smile. "As long as it's delicious, I don't care about the rest."

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Rabat - Banana Republic launched a line of hijabs on Tuesday, August 30. The American retail giant added four styles of plain colored and patterned hijabs, the head coverings some Muslim women choose to wear, to the "accessories" section of its website.

Banana Republic's joins other retail giants who are moving towards more inclusive brand depictions and clothing lines. In 2017, Nike released a sports hijab line, and last year, GAP released a promotional "back to school" ad campaign showing a little girl wearing a hijab.

Banana Republic's new product quickly sparked debate. Two of the high profile Instagram influencers, British-Moroccan model Mariah Idrissi and the founder of the online fashion label Haute Hijab, Melanie Elturk, criticized Banana Republic about two images used in the ad campaign. They pointed out that the brand's campaign images for the hijabs did not necessarily meet the modest dress code requirements of hijabi women.

The first image shows a woman wearing a hijab and a short sleeve white T-shirt. The second image shows a woman wearing a hijab and a grey dress with a slit up the side of the leg.

Elturk shared the first images from Banana Republic's website on her Instagram, writing: "While I LOVE that hijab is becoming more mainstream and applaud @bananarepublic for their efforts in inclusivity... I have to pause at the way it's portrayed."

"There are guidelines to hijab outside of just covering hair," she noted.

"All it would have taken was a consultation with a Muslim brand or group to advise in order to do it right and respect our values. So while this excited me as someone who's life mission is to normalize hijab in the mainstream, I also think it's important we keep the essence of hijab intact for ourselves and our future generations," she added.

London-born model Mariah Idrissi, of Moroccan-Pakistani descent, also commented on the images.

"I'm out here on... all these platforms to explain the importance of getting the right people to consult for brands that want to tap into the 'Muslim dollar' and then this happens. Why are these errors happening still?" she questioned.

Idrissi made headlines back in 2015 when she became the first model to wear a hijab in a major international fashion campaign for H&M.

Banana Republic has removed the two images in question from its website. The brand has not released a statement on the matter.

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Banana Republic's new Hijab Line Sparks Debate on Muslim Dress Standards

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Rabat - Banana Republic launched a line of hijabs on Tuesday, August 30. The American retail giant added four styles of plain colored and patterned hijabs, the head coverings some Muslim women choose to wear, to the "accessories" section of its website.

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Rabat - "Sometimes I think my entire life was preparation for Morocco. At home we always knew we were Moroccan," begins a long, homecoming-themed article by Khen Elmaleh, a Moroccan Jew who says she has always wanted to bond with a part of her identity she felt she had lost.

Elmaleh recently travelled to Morocco to have a firsthand feeling and experience of the memories and stories she grew up with as the child of Moroccan Jews who migrated to Israel after World War II.

As a Jewish Moroccan child in Israel, she recounts, Moroccanness, even as it was part and parcel of how children like her felt, how they wanted to project themselves in the larger Israeli society, the Moroccan, or Arab, part of their identity "gradually faded" as they attempted to fit in, to be part of Israel's national melting pot.

"I'm grossly generalizing the experience of an entire generation, but in practice, Morocco's presence in our lives gradually faded. Our Moroccan identity was relegated to folklore, the kitchen and amusing viral phrases that boosted the ratings of television comedies," she writes.

Elmaleh presents this gradual weakening of identification with Morocco as a result of the hostility, even if subtle, that being Moroccan or Arab evoked in Israel's national imaginary. Growing up in Israel, she explained citing a known figure among Jewish, Moroccans was a "dirty word."

As people like her navigated Israel's political and cultural reality, she writes, there was a pervading feeling that the country wanted them to "kill the Arabness inside us," to sever ties with their grandparents' home, to let go of the umbilical cord binding them to the past, their grandparents' past and memories.

This erasure of the past came with the possibility of being part of the Israeli melting pot, Elmaleh argues. "The traditional Israeli narrative holds that these places belong in the past; they're no longer relevant to us."
The past-erasing strategy worked for some time, for decades.

But in time, and most emphatically in recent years, many have taken upon themselves to challenge the dominant narrative.

They want to know "the truth" about who they really are. Elmaleh speaks of her own longing to visit Morocco as a desire to inhabit the home that her grandparents left, to own the stories that they told her growing up. "The more insistent this effort was," she said of the societal demand that she let go of her Moroccanness, "the greater was my desire to understand just what it was I was supposed to forget."

The trip to Morocco, which she only took this summer, was both a homecoming and a biographical exploration.

"I needed a visual perspective to understand what the DNA of my existence is comprised of. I needed to understand where Morocco and I intersect today and to what degree it's relevant to our lives, we second- and third-generation people. I was going on a first date with the place that has had the most influence on me other than the place where I was born."

Poring over Elmaleh's colorful and almost cinematic description of her trip to Morocco, there is a sense that Morocco did not disappoint. She said she felt a twinge of powerful emotions and cried as her plane landed in Marrakech, revealing the city "in all its strange rosy beauty - a kind of beauty I had never seen before, a kind it's possible to imagine only on a movie set for a biblical period piece."

After visiting "beautiful and quirky" Marrakech, Elmaleh-predictably- headed to Essaouira, the repository of Morocco's Jewish past.

A small coastal city two hours drive from Marrakech, Essaouira's cultural centers and infrastructure still bear markers of a time when Jews were a thriving community in Morocco, when Moroccan Jews and Muslims lived in harmonious, peaceful cohabitation. Essaouira, which Elmaleh said is "as beautiful as a painting," felt both distant and familiar.

"We had arrived in Essaouira - or its former Portuguese name, Mogador - during the 22nd annual Gnaoua World Music Festival. Some 130,000 visitors from Morocco and the rest of the world flood the city every year, which seems like a cross between Acre and Venice Beach in California."

One thing that stroke Elmaleh at the Gnawa festival was that most of the attendees were young, in their early or late twenties. She thought the kind of rhythm and evocation that come with the festival would tune best with an older audience.

In Essaouira, however, the festival was not merely a cultural event for fun. Rather, it was taken as serious stuff, integral to Morocco's history and identity. "Gnawa is our tradition, it is an integral part of our identity," one young festival-goer from Casablanca told Elmaleh.

Such attachment to tradition or anything deemed part of the Moroccan identity, Elmaleh suggested, is only possible in a country striving to keep its memories alive, or invest in its rich and diverse history so that it becomes an anchoring force for its youth, a rallying cry for the next generation, regardless of differences that may exist. Elmaleh speaks of a "manifold Morocco" to drive her point home.

"The Moroccans are made up of many different tribes: Amazighs (Berbers), Arabs, Sub-Saharan Africans, immigrants from Europe. They have experienced conquests, colonialism and splits and still there's some unity of a shared fate, a basic brotherhood among people who have ended up in the same place. It's impossible not to be aware of the sharp contrast between this and the fissures we grow up on in Israel."

Elmaleh herself was graced with that sense of shared, inclusive Moroccanness. She recounts how insecure and misplaced she felt at first as she spoke Moroccan Arabic with a different accent.

She expected to be found out, to receive at some point a slightly contemptible look, or a cold shoulder, or an unwelcoming smile, as her difference or her insufficient Moroccanness showed in the way she articulated her Arabic words. To her surprise, however, that rejection never came. Instead, her Moroccan interlocutors embraced her difference.

"I stuttered my way into Morocco insecure and afraid that the next moment I'd be discovered as not really 'one of theirs.' But gradually, as the language barrier melted, so did this feeling. I was absolutely 'one of theirs,' only a bit different," she wrote.

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Moroccan Jew Returns to Morocco to Visit Parents' Home, 'Explore Missing Identity'

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Rabat - "Sometimes I think my entire life was preparation for Morocco. At home we always knew we were Moroccan," begins a long, homecoming-themed article by Khen Elmaleh, a Moroccan Jew who says she has always wanted to bond with a part of her identity she felt she had lost.

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Trois jeunes femmes belges menacées de mort pour avoir porté des shorts sur un chantier au Maroc ont décidé de rentrer chez elles et aucun nouveau groupe de bénévoles ne sera envoyé dans ce pays, ont annoncé les organisateurs belges de ces camps.

Un instituteur arrêté

Le groupe comptait 37 jeunes, majoritairement des jeunes filles, venues travailler bénévolement pendant leurs vacances au terrassement d'une voie d'accès dans le village d'Adar, près de Taroudant. Un jeune instituteur marocain a protesté contre le fait qu'elles travaillaient en short et a appelé sur les réseaux sociaux à les décapiter. Un député marocain a pour sa part dénoncé leur tenue " légère".

" Nous avons reçu le conseil de ne pas envoyer de nouveaux groupes au Maroc. Nous allons suivre cet avis et nous avons décidé d'annuler tous les camps suivants au Maroc", a annoncé l'association flamande Bouworde sur son site internet.

Ses responsables ont précisé avoir reçu " l'assurance que la sécurité des volontaires qui sont encore au Maroc est assurée par le gouvernement marocain, entre autres par la présence de la gendarmerie".

"Incitation à des actes terroristes"

" Cependant, nous comprenons parfaitement que certains des participants souhaitent revenir plus tôt. Pour l'instant, 3 des 37 jeunes qui sont actuellement au Maroc souhaitent profiter de cette opportunité. Bouworde fera tout ce qui est nécessaire pour organiser le retour", ont-ils indiqué.

L'instituteur marocain a été arrêté et va être poursuivi pour " incitation à des actes terroristes", a indiqué la Sûreté marocaine.

Son appel à la décapitation a rappelé l'assassinat de deux touristes scandinaves perpétré en 2018 par des Marocains radicalisés au nom du groupe jihadiste Etat islamique.

L'association Bouworde organise des voyages de volontariat sur différents projets en Afrique, en Asie, en Europe et en Amérique latine pour les jeunes de 15 à 30 ans. " Un camp de construction est une combinaison unique de vacances pour la jeunesse, de voyage de groupe et de travail bénévole", précise-t-elle.

Des Marocains appellent à manifester en short

Les menaces proférées contre les jeunes bénévoles belges ont suscité des réactions indignées dans la presse marocaine et sur les réseaux sociaux.

Plusieurs médias, dont la télévision publique Med1 TV, ont relayé un appel à manifester en short samedi sur une plage de Casablanca, pour " envoyer un message aux obscurantistes qui veulent nous imposer la pensée extrême et détruire l'image de notre pays".

Une initiative lancée par une page Facebook intitulée " Yes we short", après une pétition "Tous en short" qui a recueilli plus de 1.000 signatures, dont celles d'une cinquantaine de personnalités marocaines.

La page "Yes we short" appelle aussi les Marocains à envoyer un bouquet de fleurs avec un mot de remerciements à l'association belge.

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La Belgique rapatrie des jeunes bénévoles menacées de mort au Maroc pour avoir porté des shorts

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Trois jeunes femmes belges menacées de mort pour avoir porté des shorts sur un chantier au Maroc ont décidé de rentrer chez elles et aucun nouveau groupe de bénévoles ne sera envoyé dans ce pays, ont annoncé les organisateurs belges de ces camps.

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Moins d’immigrants, mais plus de Français et d’Européens: François Legault accusé d'incohérence | Al HuffPost Maghreb

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QUÉBEC - Diminuer le seuil d'immigration, tout en haussant le nombre de Français et d'Européens accueillis au Québec? Le Premier ministre François Legault s'engage sur une "pente glissante" s'il va de l'avant avec ce plan, selon l'opposition et des experts consultés par le HuffPost Québec.

En entrevue avec Le Devoir, François Legault a déclaré que la réduction des quotas d'immigration ne doit pas nuire à nos cousins français. "Actuellement, il y a beaucoup trop d'immigrants au Québec qui ne sont pas qualifiés ou qui ne parlent pas français, a-t-il dit. Donc, des Français, on en prendrait plus. De même que des Européens".

"Les propos de M. Legault me mettent un peu mal à l'aise, réagit Rachad Antonius, professeur de sociologie à l'Université du Québec à Montréal. C'est comme s'il y avait de bons immigrants et de mauvais immigrants."

Bien qu'il précise que le premier ministre ne tient pas un discours qu'il juge "raciste", M. Antonius estime que les paroles du premier ministre rappellent les politiques d'immigration du siècle dernier.

″Ça a des relents d'une pensée d'une autre époque, où on était convaincu que l'immigration européenne caucasienne était à privilégier, ajoute Andrés Fontecilla, porte-parole de Québec solidaire en matière d'immigration et de laïcité. Cela ne correspond plus à la pensée du Québec d'aujourd'hui et à la pensée, j'en suis convaincu, du gouvernement Legault."

Dans son plan en immigration, déposé en décembre dernier, le gouvernement Legault compte baisser toutes les catégories d'immigration de 23,8% en moyenne. Cela inclut l'immigration économique, alors que la province connaît une pénurie de main-d'oeuvre marquée dans plusieurs régions.

Qui écoperait?

"Jamais, jamais François Legault a dit qu'il voulait plus d'immigrants. Il arrive en France et il dit qu'il veut plus d'immigrants français? Ça vient d'où?", critique Dominique Anglade, porte-parole libérale en matière d'économie et d'immigration.

"S'il veut rester cohérent, ça veut dire qu'il en prendrait moins d'ailleurs. D'où en prendrait-il moins? C'est à lui de répondre à la question."

"Le plus grand bassin de francophones au monde, ce n'est pas en Europe, ce n'est pas en France, c'est en Afrique. Je trouve qu'il y a une certaine pente glissante dans ses propos", relève Catherine Fournier, critique péquiste en matière d'économie et d'immigration.

De gauche à droite: Isabelle Brais, épouse de François Legault; François Legault, premier ministre du Québec; Emmanuel Macron, président de la France; Brigitte Macron, épouse d'Emmanuel Macron.

"Quand il parle des qualifications, c'est comme si les gens en Europe étaient plus qualifiés que les gens ailleurs, alors que ce n'est pas nécessairement le cas."

Gaby Hsab, qui se spécialise en représentations médiatiques de l'immigration, se désole de voir que le premier ministre se base sur une "fausse" prémisse.

"Cette association entre immigration française et qualification est réductrice, voire caricaturale et chargée de préjugés, dit-il. Car on peut très bien être français et non qualifié, tout comme on peut être algérien parlant un français impeccable et très qualifié."

Allons enfants de la patrie...

Au cabinet du ministre de l'Immigration Simon Jolin-Barrette, on fait valoir que les programmes de mobilité internationale et les Journées Québec à Paris, par exemple, connaissent un "énorme succès". Il n'est pas question d'y mettre la hache.

"On a toujours dit qu'on voulait le plus d'immigration qui se francise, qui s'intègre et qui réponde aux besoins du marché du travail. (Les Français) répondent à ces besoins-là de façon évidente", fait valoir Marc-André Gosselin, l'attaché de presse du ministre Jolin-Barrette.

Mme Anglade estime que ces propos reflètent une "incohérence totale" et une "improvisation" de la part de François Legault. "Il dit une chose au Québec et son contraire quand il va à l'extérieur", critique-t-elle.

M. Fontecilla, pour sa part, invite le premier ministre Legault, qui est toujours à Paris, à rectifier ses propos, qui laissent "place à l'interprétation".

Mardi, M. Legault se rend à un dîner-conférence à la Bourse de Paris où convergent quelque 350 gens d'affaires. Il se rendra ensuite à Davos vers la fin de la semaine.
Cet article a initialement été publié par le HuffPost Québec.

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Québec: François Legault accusé d'être incohérent sur l'immigration

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QUÉBEC - Diminuer le seuil d'immigration, tout en haussant le nombre de Français et d'Européens accueillis au Québec? Le Premier ministre François Legault s'engage sur une "pente glissante" s'il va de l'avant avec ce plan, selon l'opposition et des experts consultés par le HuffPost Québec.

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Italian Minister: France’s Colonial Policies Caused Migration Crisis

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Rabat - Luigi Di Maio, Italy's minister of economic development said at a meeting on Saturday in central Italy that France's policies in its former African colonies are part of the reasons for Europe's continued migration problems.

According to the Italian official, Africa's "decolonization" has not totally happened because France has not left its African colonies. Paris' policies continue to have a considerable impact on African politics. He said France's presence in Africa is "impoverishing" the continent, escalating Europe's migration problems in the process.

"If we have people who are leaving Africa now it's because some European countries, and France in particular, have never stopped colonizing Africa," Di Maio said.

He added, "The EU should sanction all those countries like France that are impoverishing African countries and are causing those people to leave."

Reaffirming Italy's anti-migration stance with a seemingly benevolent spirit, he argued that "Africans' place is in Africa, not in the depths of the Mediterranean."

Alluding to "Franc CFA," the common currency in most of France's former colonies in West and Central Africa currently facing waves of protests across the continent, Di Maio said that France "continues to print colonial currency that helps finance France's public debt." He argued the currency deepens Francophone Africa's poverty and dependency on France.

The Italian minister further argued that France owes Africa its current status on the global stage. "If France didn't have its African colonies, because that's what they should be called, it would be [only] the 15th largest world economy. Instead, it's among the first, exactly because of what it is doing in Africa."

Despite the anti-migration undertone of Di Maio's statements, a slightly different version of his arguments has been made by pro-migration politicians both in Africa and Europe.

Recently speaking in Vienna, where he represented Africa at the Euro-African summit, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said that Europe's "failed policies" are responsible for the wave of Africans leaving their home countries. Kagame said, "Europe has a migration problem because it failed to address the issue early. Instead of helping Africa, it further impoverished the continent."
'Aggressive and unacceptable'
But the Italian's comments did not sit well with the French government, which was quick to paint them as "aggressive" and "unacceptable."

Reuters reported yesterday that the French foreign ministry summoned Italian Ambassador Teresa Castaldo to apparently reprimand her about Di Maio's remarks.

"It is not the first time that Italian authorities have made aggressive and unacceptable comments," the newspaper quoted a French diplomatic source as saying.

Meanwhile, echoing President Kagame's Vienna interview, Di Maio doubled down on his stance. He said Europeans are "hypocrites" when it comes to migration.

He said some European governments always speak about the effects of migration but avoid pointing fingers to the causes. " I've stopped being a hypocrite talking only about the effects of immigration and it's time to talk about the causes."

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Italian Minister: France's Colonial Policies Caused Migration Crisis

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Rabat - Luigi Di Maio, Italy's minister of economic development said at a meeting on Saturday in central Italy that France's policies in its former African colonies are part of the reasons for Europe's continued migration problems. According to the Italian official, Africa's "decolonization" has not totally happened because France has not left its African colonies.

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France Debates Where to Teach Arabic: Public School or Local Mosque? - The New York Times

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Arabic-language students at the Claude Monet high school in Paris. Here, the teacher opens the lesson by using LinkedIn to show students how many jobs are open to them if they speak Arabic. Credit Credit Sara Farid for The New York Times

ROMAINVILLE, France - Early on Sunday mornings, Habiba Hatem, 9, prepares her own breakfast, grabs her flashy pink school bag and jumps into her father's car - bound for Arabic lessons at her local mosque in a suburb north of Paris.

Colorful sketches of how to perform ritual washings decorate the walls of the classroom, along with drawings of butterflies, cars and carrots, with their Arabic names underneath.

"Today we are going to do a dialogue about 'duyuf' coming for dinner," the teacher tells Habiba and a dozen other boys and girls ages 9 to 17, all born in France. "Duyuf means guests," she says, writing the word on the blackboard.

Habiba's grandparents came from Tunisia in the 1960s, and her father believes it is important that his child stays connected to her roots.

But the public school she attends does not offer Arabic classes, so she makes the weekly trip to the mosque in Romainville, a part of the Seine-Saint-Denis department north of Paris, which is home to a large immigrant community.

The Hatem family's situation is a common one in France.

About three million people use Arabic on a daily basis in France, making it the country's most spoken foreign language, according to the Culture Ministry. But Arabic is barely taught in public schools, so mosques and private associations have stepped in to address this educational gap.

Now, the government is growing worried about an increasing number of students learning Arabic outside the state's oversight.

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Habiba Hatem was dropped off by her father at a mosque for an Arabic-language lesson on a recent Sunday morning. Credit Sara Farid for The New York Times

As part of France's fight against extremism, the Education Ministry announced in September a plan to take back control of Arabic teaching "in order to provide a secular curriculum rather than the one offered by associations, which can drift toward radicalization," the ministry's spokeswoman said.

Jean-Michel Blanquer, the education minister, says he wants to give Arabic "prestige," as it is "a great literary language."

While the ministry wants to promote the study of Arabic and make classes more readily available, it has not provided many details about the plan, other than to say that Arabic teaching will be strengthened alongside that of Russian and Chinese.

And most French schools will have to start their Arabic programs from scratch.

Only 0.2 percent of students in public middle and high schools in France took Arabic classes in the 2017-2018 school year, putting the language far behind the widely taught English, Spanish and German.

In addition to the pedagogical challenges of jump-starting Arabic programs in public schools, there are social and political obstacles, as well.

Rime Abdel Nabi, who teaches Arabic at two public high schools, as well as at Sorbonne University in Paris, said public school principals were reluctant to open classes, saying, "'No, we don't have enough Arabs here," or "'No, we don't want to attract Arabs.'"

The ministry's plans is causing particular alarm on the political right. Luc Ferry, a former education minister, suggested that the measure was tantamount to allowing Islamism in public schools.

Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, a right-wing lawmaker who endorsed Marine Le Pen in the second round of the 2017 presidential election, said, "With the pretext of fighting against fundamentalism, Blanquer is paving the way to the Islamization of France."

A student at Claude Monet high school with an Arabic textbook. "Offering secular Arabic classes in public school prevents the language from becoming the hostage of religion or extremism," says the school's principal. Credit Sara Farid for The New York Times

But many leaders in the Arabic community support the Education Ministry's plan.

Azzedine Benjemaa, the president of the Muslim association at the mosque where Habiba attends classes, said the public school classes would be of higher quality than religious ones. The Quran-based courses at the mosque, he said, can rely too heavily on memorization rather than allowing students to express themselves.

"Our professors have a lot of passion and good will, but they are not trained teachers," Mr. Benjemaa said. "They didn't pass national exams."

Habiba's class at the mosque starts with a prayer. That is not how lessons begin at the Claude Monet high school in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, one of the few French public schools offering Arabic.

Here, the teacher opens the lesson by using LinkedIn to show students how many jobs are open to them if they speak Arabic. One student, Imène, 13, used to learn Arabic at the Grand Mosque of Paris, but stopped going once she started taking classes in her public middle school.

Marianne Cossé, the school's principal, said that offering Arabic prevented families with Arab origins from sending their children into the hands of people who could "radicalize" them.

"Offering secular Arabic classes in public school prevents the language from becoming the hostage of religion or extremism," she said.

That position is supported by a report on the spread of political Islam in France by the Institut Montaigne, a policy research think tank. "Arabic classes have become the best means for Islamists to attract young people into their mosques and schools," the report states.

But many argue that the government's rhetoric around the new policy sometimes dangerously conflates the Arabic language, Islam, political Islam and religious fundamentalism.

Habiba with her father and grandfather at home. Her grandparents came from Tunisia in the 1960s, and her father believes it is important that she keeps a connection to her roots. Credit Sara Farid for The New York Times

"While the education minister underlines that learning Arabic at school celebrates Arabic culture and civilization, this decision is mainly taken in the name of the fight against Islamist radicalization," said Sarah Mazouz, a researcher at the state-run National Center for Scientific Research.

Ms. Mazouz, who studies discrimination and naturalization, said that such an approach confirmed an "anchored stereotype that Arabic is the language of fanatics and obscurantists."

Arabic has long been a popular and uncontroversial subject at public universities in France, where the language is viewed as a valuable asset for careers in business and diplomacy. At Sciences Po, an elite university in Paris, there are 37 teachers of Arabic, compared with 180 such teachers across all of France's public schools.

But at the primary- and secondary-school levels, the Education Ministry's plan has spurred resistance because of the role French schools are expected to play in shaping a shared national identity, Ms. Mazouz said.

"In France there is a strong belief that it is the public school that forms the French, that produces French citizens no matter their origin or their parents' history," Ms. Mazouz said.

While university students who have been through the process of "becoming French" are encouraged to learn Arabic, any attempt to teach it in public schools, she added, has been perceived by some as a deviation from that path, one that will promote a hyphenated identity of French-Arabs.

What does Habiba, who speaks French at school, with her friends and at home think of her own efforts to learn Arabic?

When her school homework gets intense, she said, she wishes she did not have to go to Arabic classes. But she needs to be ready for the summer, she said, for a visit to her cousins in Tunisia.

"Of course I want to learn Arabic," she said. "All my family speaks it."

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A9 of the New York edition with the headline: Divided France Debates Where to Teach Arabic. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

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France Debates Where to Teach Arabic: Public School or Local Mosque?

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ROMAINVILLE, France - Early on Sunday mornings, Habiba Hatem, 9, prepares her own breakfast, grabs her flashy pink school bag and jumps into her father's car - bound for Arabic lessons at her local mosque in a suburb north of Paris.

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Human Rights Watch’s 2019 Report on Morocco Criticizes Intolerance - Morocco World News

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Rabat - While the Moroccan government is positive about human rights in the country, Human Rights Watch listed a series of events that suggested otherwise.

Human Rights Watch has released its 2019 report , saying Morocco is growing increasingly intolerant of dissent and listing all the human rights violations it found in Morocco in 2018.

The NGO found multiple instances of Moroccan law enforcement using "excessive force in breaking up protests, as well as arrests of peaceful protesters," noting protests about mining deaths in Morocco's eastern town of Jerada.

HRW also related developments in the case of Hirak Rif activists whom Morocco had detained since protests which took place in the Al Hoceima province in 2016 and 2017 to condemn social disparities. HRW said that the protesters were subject to "unfair trials" before a court in Casablanca handed down sentences ranging from 1 to 20 years in prison.

Four leaders of the Hirak Rif protests, including Nasser Zafzafi, received 2o-year prison sentences in June 2018.

HRW said that although their staff were "able to operate in Morocco and Western Sahara in a relatively free manner,"authorities obstructed some of the other biggest human rights organizations throughout the year, including the Moroccan Association for Human Rights.

Regarding human rights in Western Sahara, HRW focused on three prisoners who requested a prison transfer but were denied. The three were convicted of and sentenced for the murders of 11 Moroccan officers in the 2010 Gdeim Izik incident.

According to HRW, they were convicted "in unfair trials in 2013 and 2017." The three individuals received sentences of 30 years to life in prison. Confessions from the three were the primary source of evidence, although the HRW report says "the defendants repudiated those confessions and said they signed under torture without being permitted to read them."

In 2018, the prisoners conducted hunger strikes from prison in Kenitra, north of Rabat, demanding Moroccan authorities transfer them to prisons near their families in the southern provinces.

"The demand was not met at the time of writing," said Human Rights Watch.

The NGO also said that Moroccan authorities in Western Sahara "beat activists and journalists in their custody and on the streets."

While discussing human rights in Western Sahara in the Moroccan report, the NGO's 2019 report for Algeria did not mention living conditions for Sahrawis in the Tindouf camp.

Several reports, including a report from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in 2018, mentioned the lack of nutrition and insufficient international aid for Sahrawis.

News outlets also reported the alleged unbearable situation of Sahrawis in , and cases of suspicious deaths among Polisario members.

Law to eliminate violence against women has loopholes

Regarding the rights of women and girls, child marriage was a focal point for HRW.

According to the NGO, underage marriage is still a major issue in the country although Morocco's family code sets the minimum age of marriage at 18.

The NGO said that judges still allow children to marry below the legal age in certain circumstances.

A report issued by Morocco's High Commission of Planning (HCP) confirmed that cases of child marriage are actually on the rise despite the country's attempt to end the phenomenon.

Child marriage can be legalized if the family gets a waiver for the minor. The number of waiver requests for minors increased to 41,669 in 2015, compared to 38,331 in 2007, according to HCP statistics.

HRW report also criticized Morocco's law criminalizing violence against women for not being effective enough. The law, which took effect in September 2018, does not "s et out duties of police, prosecutors, and investigative judges in domestic violence cases, or fund women's shelters," according to HRW.

Moroccan and international activists agreed with HRW in this issue.

Stephanie Willman Bordat, an international human rights lawyer, said the struggle for women's rights in Morocco does not end with the adoption of Law 103-13 on gender-based discrimination. She told MWN that a reporting procedure for women wishing to file complaints of gender-based discrimination must be facilitated.

Bussing migrants

Despite the government's attempts to integrate migrants, HRW said that the government has not yet adopted the right to asylum.

The NGO said that Morocco gave over a thousand recognized refugees access to "essential public services, such as education and health, but not the right to work."

The NGO also recalled a September report from Amnesty International claiming that the government launched a "large-scale crackdown on thousands of sub-Saharan migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees without due process." Amnesty International also reported that Moroccan authorities bussed sub-Saharan Africans who were in northern Morocco to cities in the interior and released them there.

The Moroccan government responded last year, saying that the migrants should be moved from northern cities like Tangier, Nador, and Tetouan, in order to keep them away from illegal migration networks operating in the region.

The government, however, does not allow the involuntary deportation or extradition of migrants to their countries, in accordance with UNHCR standards.

LGBT community still facing oppression

Morocco also faced criticism regarding the freedom to express sexual orientation and gender identity.

According to HRW, Morocco's penal code "still discriminates against LGBT persons."

Article 489 of the Penal Code stipulates prison terms of six months to three years for "lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex," as quoted by the NGO.

Most LGBT people in Morocco feel coming out is unsafe and fear unfriendly reactions from their relatives and friends.

The Moroccan government is expected to get back to HRW on its report in the press briefing on Thursday after the weekly cabinet meeting.

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Human Rights Watch's 2019 Report on Morocco Criticizes Intolerance - Morocco World News

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Rabat - While the Moroccan government is positive about human rights in the country, Human Rights Watch listed a series of events that suggested otherwise. Human Rights Watch has released its 2019 report, saying Morocco is growing increasingly intolerant of dissent and listing all the human rights violations it found in Morocco in 2018.

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Le vice-président du Conseil italien Luigi Di Maio attaque la France et sa "politique colonialiste en Afrique" | Al HuffPost Maghreb

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MIGRATION - Ce week-end, la mer Méditerranée a de nouveau été témoin de tragédies. D'après le HCR, 170 personnes qui tentaient de rejoindre l'Europe ont perdu la vie dans les eaux lors de deux naufrages distincts. 53 migrants sont morts dans un bateau parti du Maroc. L'autre bateau, qui partait de la Libye, a laissé 117 candidats à l'immigration sans vie. Trois personnes seulement ont survécu, sauvées par la marine militaire italienne.

Ce drame a de nouveau fait réagir le gouvernement italien qui, depuis son accès au pouvoir, n'a cessé de durcir sa politique migratoire en fermant ses ports aux bateaux des ONG, comme l'Aquarius. A la suite du drame, le vice-président du conseil des ministres, Matteo Salvini, a d'ailleurs accusé "les ONG et répété que les ports italiens sont fermés aux navires en détresse", rapporte le journal italien Corriere della Sera.

De son côté, le vice-président du Conseil italien Luigi Di Maio a adopté une position encore plus ferme. Lors d'un déplacement dans la région des Abruzzes (centre de l'Italie), il a accusé directement la France d'être à l'origine de l'immigration et demandé des sanctions de l'Union européenne contre ce pays qui "colonise l'Afrique" et qui "appauvrit" ses États. "Si aujourd'hui les gens partent d'Afrique, c'est parce que certains pays européens avec la France en tête n'ont jamais cessé de coloniser des dizaines d'États africains", a souligné Luigi Di Maio. "La place des Africains est en Afrique et non au fond de la Méditerranée", a-t-il ajouté.

Pour convaincre, celui qui est aussi ministre du Développement économique et du Travail et leader politique du Mouvement 5 étoiles (M5S) revient sur l'utilisation du franc CFA. "I l existe des dizaines d'États africains dans lesquels la France imprime sa propre monnaie, le franc des colonies, et avec cette monnaie la dette publique française est financée. Macron nous fait d'abord la morale puis continue de financer la dette publique avec l'argent avec lequel il exploite les pays africains".

La France, qui a ratifié en décembre le pacte de Marrakech sur les migrations, est en profond désaccord avec son voisin européen sur la politique et les conditions d'accueil des migrants arrivés sur le sol européen. Le président de la République française, Emmanuel Macron, en pleine crise sociale dans son pays, n'a pas encore réagi à ces attaques.

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Le vice-président du Conseil italien attaque la France et sa "politique colonialiste en Afrique"

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MIGRATION - Ce week-end, la mer Méditerranée a de nouveau été témoin de tragédies. D'après le HCR, 170 personnes qui tentaient de rejoindre l'Europe ont perdu la vie dans les eaux lors de deux naufrages distincts. 53 migrants sont morts dans un bateau parti du Maroc.

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Moroccans Call for Boycotting Pro-Israeli French Singer Concert in Casablanca

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Rabat - The Moroccan Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (MACBI), a boycott movement, has called for the boycott of French singer Enrico Macias's concert in Casablanca scheduled for next month.

In a statement on January 13, the MACBI described Macias's presence on stage at Megarama on February 14 a "shame and an insult to the Casablanca public."

The French singer of Algerian Jewish descent who "likes to present himself as an artist for peace" is "in fact a strong defender" of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and especially the Israeli defense army, Tsahal, reads the statement.

In 1980, former UN secretary-general Kurt Waldheim Macias's named Macias "Singer of Peace" after he donated one of his songs' proceeds to the UNICEF.

MACBI stated that Macias is giving his blood, sweat and tears to the association Migdal, which supports the the Israel border police, Magav.

Magav, according to boycott movement, is "known for its war crimes against the civilian population."

The MACAB's statement, which the Moroccan-Jewish human rights activist Sion Assidon published on his Facebook page, cited some of Macias pro-Israeli statement he gave in French more than 10 years ago.

"From the beginning of my life, I have always devoted my body and soul to the State of Israel but primarily to Tsahal, but now to Magav ... I do not do this neither for my advertisement, nor for my career, nor anything at all ... I always gave for the State of Israel, for Tsahal, Magav, and for Migdal. Believe me, that's the miracle of Israel."

The Israeli defense ministry decorated Macias in 2006 for "his support for the State of Israel and its army throughout his career," noted MACAB.

Macias's real name is Gaston Ghrenassia. He is a songwriter and musician who was born in December 1938 in Constantine. Macias left Algeria with his wife in July 1961 to live in France.

His most well-known songs are "J'ai quitté mon pays" (I left my country) and "Les filles de mon pays" (Girls of my country), which he sang in the 1960s.

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Moroccans Call for Boycotting Pro-Israeli French Singer Concert in Casablanca

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Rabat - The Moroccan Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (MACBI), a boycott movement, has called for the boycott of French singer Enrico Macias's concert in Casablanca scheduled for next month. In a statement on January 13, the MACBI described Macias's presence on stage at Megarama on February 14 a "shame and an insult to the Casablanca public."

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Mysterious Death in Tindouf Camps Creates Panic

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Rabat - Polisario military member Ammar Ould Ayanne died under unknown circumstances in the Tindouf camps, according to a statement received by Morocco World News from Tindouf's Autonomy Support Forum (FORSATIN).

The family of Ayanne is conducting a series of sit-ins, calling on the front to reveal the circumstances under which their relative died.

FORSATIN also shared a recording made by Ayanne's sister with Morocco World News, in which she condemned the death of her brother. The sister also said that her brother suffered a "minor health issue."

Ayanne's sister said that her brother's health deteriorated due to neglect.

In a statement, FORSATIN said that there is "panic" and "frustration" among the Polisario Front after the deaths of some of its members.

Sources of the forum said that families of the Polisario military members are under pressure. According to the statement, Ayanne's health deteriorated after Polisario members argued "that there was no ambulance. After being transported in a civilian car, he did not get the necessary care."

The statement added that the deceased had transferred from one hospital to another in Algeria until his death.

According to the statement, the death was not the first of its kind and "will not be the last." The statement noted that the most recent case was of a young man born in his late thirties, who died under "mysterious circumstances."

FORSATIN was not the only voice condemning the alleged unbearable living situation in the Tindouf camps. Earlier this month, former Polisario member Mustafa Salma Ouled Sidi Mouloud condemned the kidnapping and death of Ahmed El Khalil.

According to Mustafa Salma, El Khalil was kidnapped by Algerian intelligence agents over 9 years ago.

Like Ayanne's family, the family of El Khalil also pressured the Polisario and called on the United Nations to pressure Algeria and the separatist group to reveal El Khalil's fate.

The statement also said that there is a long list of members who are "facing the death penalty" due to their opposition.

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Mysterious Death in Tindouf Camps Creates Panic

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Rabat - Polisario military member Ammar Ould Ayanne died under unknown circumstances in the Tindouf camps, according to a statement received by Morocco World News from Tindouf's Autonomy Support Forum (FORSATIN). The family of Ayanne is conducting a series of sit-ins, calling on the front to reveal the circumstances under which their relative died.

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Minister: More Than 600 Engineers Leave Morocco Annually

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Rabat - Morocco's Minister of Education Said Amzazi spoke about his strategy to reform Morocco's education system and vocational training.

Amzazi recognized the deficiencies in the job market, emphasizing that more than 600 engineers leave the country to look for better opportunities abroad every year.

Amzazi, however, argued that brain drain is an "international phenomenon." He added that it is the result of graduate students desire to look for more "favorable working conditions."

The official said that educated people also leave because of technological transformations and the appeal of international laboratories. He acknowledged that Morocco does not provide incentives to attract educated Moroccans across the world.

He noted that if Moroccan researchers return to Morocco from Europe, they start at the lowest administrative rank, an unacceptable demotion for university researchers.

Amzazi emphasized the importance of creating new positions to ensure that returning Moroccans maintain their higher levels in Moroccan universities and institutes if they decide to return.

Distrust and unemployment cause emigration

In an October 2018 speech, King Mohammed VI urged the government to create more job opportunities for Moroccan youth.

Regarding brain drain, the King said, "There are tempting incentives which induce some students to remain abroad after completing their studies."

A recent Gallup report showed that Morocco would lose 19 percent of its adult population and 29 percent of its 15 to 19-year-olds if migration were free.

Another survey from Moroccan marketing agency Sunergia showed that the most common reasons that Moroccans give for emigrating are "lack of trust in the Moroccan government" and "the high unemployment rate."

A 2018 report from ReKrute showed that 91 percent of Moroccan professionals aged 35 and below are tempted to move abroad in search of better work conditions and quality of life, which includes health care and comfort.

Morocco's High Commission for Planning ( HCP) said in November 2018 that theunemployment rate fell slightly from 10.6 percent to 10 percent between the third quarters of 2017 and 2018.

Will vocational training solve the problem?

The government now is attempting to increase employment by introducing vocational training programs under the instructions of King Mohammed VI.

The monarch also ordered the government to create a committee to give specific solutions to curb youth unemployment.

The minister said that his department continues to implement a strategic vision for education in training.

"The next phase will be characterized by the implementation of major structural reform and the strengthening of human resources engagement."

After his appointment as minister of education, Amzazi announced a reform proposal for Moroccan education and vocational training centers.

Amzazi also seeks to reduce the rate of school dropouts from 6 percent in rural primary schools to 1 percent by 2024-2025.

The minister also promised a decrease in the rate of dropouts in secondary schools from 12 to 3 percent, in both rural and urban areas, by the 2024-2025 school year.

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Minister: More Than 600 Engineers Leave Morocco Annually

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Rabat - Morocco's Minister of Education Said Amzazi spoke about his strategy to reform Morocco's education system and vocational training. Amzazi recognized the deficiencies in the job market, emphasizing that more than 600 engineers leave the country to look for better opportunities abroad every year. Amzazi, however, argued that brain drain is an "international phenomenon."

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53 Migrants Dead After Boat Overturns in the Mediterranean, Only 1 Survivor  

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Rabat - A boat carrying 53 irregular migrants has gone missing somewhere in the Mediterranean sea between Morocco and Spain.

The boat carried initially 54 migrants and went off from Morocco's northern city of Nador towards the Andalusian coast on Sunday, January 12, Spanish media reported yesterday.

The sole survivor is a Malian individual who floated for an entire day before being rescued by a Moroccan fishing boat.

The Malian, hospitalized in Morocco, said that something flipped the boat and believe that all the other migrants on board are dead.

He added that the passengers were mostly Mauritanian, and there were 3 women on board.

"At 11 a.m, there was an accident, something overturned us and eventually drowned everyone," said the survivor.

Moroccan and Spanish authorities conducted search and rescue operations to retrieve the missing migrants' bodies. The operations yielded no results.

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53 Migrants Dead After Boat Overturns in the Mediterranean, Only 1 Survivor

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Rabat - A boat carrying 53 irregular migrants has gone missing somewhere in the Mediterranean sea between Morocco and Spain. The boat carried initially 54 migrants and went off from Morocco's northern city of Nador towards the Andalusian coast on Sunday, January 12, Spanish media reported yesterday.

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Morocco to Postpone Shift to More Flexible Dirham to 2020

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Rabat - A year after Morocco adopted the flexible exchange rate for dirham currency, the government is planning to stop the system this year due to the economic crisis resulting in public debt.

quoted two officials saying that the government is likely to wait until "at least 2020 before considering further easing their hold on the currency."

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one official said that the system might result in further crisis as it might hurt foreign currency reserves due to an "unpredictable global trade environment and no expected pick-up commerce with major partners in Europe."

Debt is becoming a major issue in Morocco. Several officials and reports warned the government that debt is weighing down Morocco's economic growth.

A report from the Department of Treasury and External Finances (DTFE) in December 2018 said that the treasury debt had reached MAD 715 billion by the end of September 2018, up 4.6 percent from September 2017

The president of Morocco's Court of Auditors, Driss Jettou, also expressed concern about the Treasury's debt. In a parliamentary meeting held in October 2018, Jettou said that the Treasury's debt reached MAD 692 billion at the end of 2017.

Recent statements from the High Commissioner for Planning (HCP) also shared not so reassuring statistics about Morocco's Gross Domestic Growth (GDP) and public debts.

President of HCP Ahmed Lahlimi said that Morocco's economy will experience a slowdown in growth as the economy is expected to grow at 2.9 percent in 2019.

Commenting on public debt, Lahlimi also said that Morocco's economy will be weighed down by debt in 2019.

Lahlimi said that the overall public debt of the economy will increase to 82.5 percent of GDP, slightly up from 82.2 percent in 2018.

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Morocco to Postpone Shift to More Flexible Dirham to 2020

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Rabat - A year after Morocco adopted the flexible exchange rate for dirham currency, the government is planning to stop the system this year due to the economic crisis resulting in public debt. quoted two officials saying that the government is likely to wait until "at least 2020 before considering further easing their hold on the currency."

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Justice Minister: Morocco is Taking Steps Toward Ending Death Penalty

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Rabat - The Moroccan Coalition Against the Death Penalty has reiterated its call to the government to remove the death penalty from the country's Penal Code.

During a meeting with his general assembly on Friday in Rabat in the presence of justice minister Mohamed Aujjar, the coalition's coordinator, Abderrahim El Jamii, stressed the need to"fight" for human rights and abolish the death penalty.

El Jamii urged Aujjar to join the Moroccans calling for abolition, while emphasizing that the minister's attendance at the meeting gave hope and opened a new "political and human rights chapter."

El Jamii, on behalf of the coalition, pointed out the incompatibility between of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life to all human beings and the Penal Code, which allows the death penalty.

Although still an option, Morocco has maintained a de facto moratorium on the death penalty since 1993.

The new president of the National Council of Human Rights (CNDH), Amina Bouayach, strongly criticized the government's "indecisiveness" towards abolishing the death penalty.

She said that "there is a big hesitation" on the state's part to abolish the penalty and called for "a national dialogue" to make a final decision.

Morocco had six chances prior to 2018 to join the UN moratorium banning the practice, but each time the country chose to abstain from the vote, adding to activists' frustration.

For his part, Aujjar revealed that the state is gradually showing an inclination toward ending the death penalty.

"Morocco is not far from joining the growing global initiatives to abolish the death penalty," he stated.
Calls for the death penalty for Imlil murder suspects
Ahmed Chaouki Benyoub, the minister delegate at the National Council of Human Rights, drew attention to the case of the murder of two Scandinavian tourists in Morocco in December.

Benyoub said that in the wake of the terror attack against the tourists, very few people would be against giving the murderers the death penalty, if the government were to take an opinion poll.

However, Benyoub expressed his readiness for inclusive dialogue on abolition.

Following the brutal murder of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark and Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway, in the Atlas Mountains near Mount Toubkal, at the hands of radicalized terror suspects, many Moroccans called for the death penalty.

The Moroccan Organization of Human Rights ( OMDH) and the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP) have been urging Morocco to join an international agreement ending capital punishment.

Moreover, the Swedish and Norwegian ambassadors to Morocco conveyed their full support for the coalition's efforts to abolish the death penalty, which "does not only violate human rights but also the individual's dignity."

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Justice Minister: Morocco is Taking Steps Toward Ending Death Penalty

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Rabat - The Moroccan Coalition Against the Death Penalty has reiterated its call to the government to remove the death penalty from the country's Penal Code. During a meeting with his general assembly on Friday in Rabat in the presence of justice minister Mohamed Aujjar, the coalition's coordinator, Abderrahim El Jamii, stressed the need to"fight" for human rights and abolish the death penalty.

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Trump: Morocco Allowing US Poultry Imports is Trade Win

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US President Donald Trump told the 100th Annual Convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation on January 14 that three countries have opened their markets to new US exports.

"India and Morocco have opened their markets to our poultry exports. We do so much for them, it's incredible," Trump said. "Japan opened its market to US exports of potatoes from Idaho and lamb from the great State of Texas," he added. "[Argentina] needed something. I said, 'You have to open it up to pork,' and they said, 'Okay.' I said, 'Why didn't you do it before?' They said, 'Nobody ever asked us.' A lot of it is that. You would be amazed. Nobody ever asked us," the US president narrated.

The poultry agreement Morocco's previous ban on US poultry for "food safety concerns," although the two countries have a Free Trade Agreement. The Morocco-US Free Trade Agreement (USMFTA), which applied to agriculture and related products, came into force in January 2006.

In December, the US Department of Agriculture and the Office of the US TradeRepresentative said Morocco was open to US beef exports for the first time. Last week, Moroccan High Commissioner for Planning ( HCP) Ahmed Lahlimi Alami Moroccans to consume more domestic products, expecting economic stagnation in 2019. Lahlimi invited Morocco to find inspiration in Donald Trump's economic policies and "patriotism."

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Trump: Morocco Allowing US Poultry Imports is Trade Win

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US President Donald Trump told the 100th Annual Convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation on January 14 that three countries have opened their markets to new US exports. "India and Morocco have opened their markets to our poultry exports. We do so much for them, it's incredible," Trump said.

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Pourquoi les Marocains s’enfoncent-ils dans la dette? | Al HuffPost Maghreb

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ÉCONOMIE - Bank Al Maghrib a publié il y a quelques semaines de cela un rapport concernant la stabilité financière pour l'année 2017.

Le terme parait très technique je vous l'accorde, mais une partie bien particulière de ce rapport a attiré mon attention pendant que j'en lisais la synthèse, celle qui parle de l'endettement des ménages marocains.

Les Marocains n'ont jamais été aussi endettés

Selon le rapport, la dette financière des ménages marocains, qui est mesurée par la somme des crédits accordés aux particuliers par les banques et les sociétés de financement, a atteint à fin 2017, 323 milliards de dirhams. Cette dette n'était que d'environ 90 milliards de dirhams en 2004.

En l'espace de 13 ans donc, la dette des Marocains a plus que triplé.

L'augmentation du taux d'endettement des ménages conduit logiquement à la diminution de leur capacité à épargner.

Selon l'enquête de conjoncture réalisée par le Haut-Commissariat au Plan au deuxième trimestre 2018, seuls 5,4% des ménages déclarent épargner une part de leurs salaires. Pour les 12 prochains mois, seulement 20,7% des ménages s'attendent à épargner. Un constat d'autant plus compréhensible quand on sait que 60% des ménages endettés perçoivent un revenu mensuel inférieur à 10.000 dirhams.

La cherté de la vie et les niveaux de salaires ne sont pas l'unique facteur explicatif de l'endettement

La hausse du coût de la vie est supérieure à l'accroissement des niveaux de salaires au Maroc depuis longtemps. C'est un constat partagé et reconnu par tous.

La hausse du chômage, l'inefficacité des services publics (surtout l'éducation et la santé), ainsi que l'iniquité fiscale font que les ménages marocains n'arrivent plus à joindre les deux bouts.

Si nous disposions suffisamment d'écoles publiques offrant une éducation respectable à nos enfants, dans des conditions propices à leur épanouissement, beaucoup de parents renonceraient à s'orienter vers les écoles privées et à se soumettre à leurs caprices (les frais de scolarité augmentant d'année en année sans raison précise).

Si nos hôpitaux publics mettaient le patient/citoyen au centre de leurs actions pour offrir à tout un chacun l'accès aux soins, tout en préservant sa dignité et en mettant sa sécurité au premier plan, beaucoup d'entre nous ne se résigneraient pas à subir la loi du privé.

Sans parler du fait que les impôts et taxes que nous payons ne sont pas ou rarement utilisés à bon escient.

Mais cela n'est pas le but de cet article. J'ai voulu plutôt partager avec vous ma propre lecture de la situation, car je suis convaincu que, malgré le fait qu'ils y sont pour beaucoup dans une part importante des cas, les facteurs cités ci-dessus ne sont pas l'unique raison pour laquelle les ménages marocains s'enfoncent de plus en plus dans la dette.

Je pense intimement qu'une partie de ces problèmes demeure la conséquence du comportement des Marocains vis-à-vis de l'argent. C'est-à-dire la manière de le dépenser et plus important, les motivations profondes derrière ces dépenses.

Un changement dans les valeurs de la société

L'instauration de l'éducation comme ascenseur social, l'augmentation de la part du travail salarial au détriment des métiers classiques comme l'agriculture ou l'artisanat, ou encore le développement de l'exode rural et l'urbanisation de la population sont autant de facteurs ayant contribué directement à modifier la structure de la famille marocaine. Celle-ci est devenue de plus en plus nucléarisée, et nous nous sommes progressivement détachés du modèle patriarcal classique, du moins dans les grandes et moyennes villes.

Les valeurs de la solidarité interfamiliale et intergénérationnelle qui caractérisaient autrefois la société marocaine ont laissé place à plus d'individualisme. Nous avons emprunté le modèle prôné par les pays occidentaux quelques décennies plutôt.

Ce changement "d'architecture" sociale a eu pour conséquence la naissance d'une rivalité et d'une compétition malsaine et implicite entre les membres de la famille, les voisins et les collègues, traduite par une course à l'acquisition des biens.

Celui qui meurt avec le plus de jouets gagne

On croit aujourd'hui que l'unique moyen de se faire respecter par ses pairs se cache derrière l'action de la consommation. Le degré de notre "réussite" ne se mesure pas à notre niveau d'engagement et de contribution pour le bien de notre communauté ou de notre pays, mais par la surface et l'emplacement de notre maison, le look de notre voiture, la réputation de l'école de nos enfants, la sonorité de la destination de nos vacances (plus le nom est composé et de structure hispanique, mieux c'est), la taille de l'écran de nos téléphones...

Mais le plus inquiétant, c'est que ces achats sont rarement motivés par un besoin réel et sont, pour la majorité des ménages appartenant à la classe moyenne et à la classe moyenne supérieure, supérieurs à leur pouvoir d'achat réel.

L'emprunt, la nouvelle norme

Comment financer tous ces achats infinis avec un revenu limité? Par le recours à l'endettement bien entendu. En effet, les crédits bancaires sont devenus plus accessibles, notamment par l'assouplissement des conditions d'octroi des prêts et la baisse progressive des taux d'intérêts.

Si le fait d'emprunter de l'argent était essentiellement lié à la survenance d'un événement imprévu il y a quelques temps de cela, il est devenu aujourd'hui un acte normal (presque constitutionnel) pour financer tout genre d'acquisitions, même les plus anodines d'entre elles (électroménager et high-tech, habillement, loisirs...).

Tout a été orchestré pour convaincre le citoyen/consommateur marocain que c'est son droit le plus élémentaire de passer les 25 prochaines années de sa vie à payer un appartement 2 fois son prix réel, juste pour le prestige d'habiter dans "le nouveau cœur/poumon/jardins/oasis de la ville". On a eu recours à la conviction par la peur pour nous montrer ce qu'on risque de rater en n'achetant pas, plutôt que ce qu'on obtiendrait en achetant.

Voulez-vous vraiment passer pour le dernier des losers devant votre entourage en roulant sur une épave de 2008 qui est pourtant toujours fiable? Alors qu'avec 1 dirham/jour, vous pouvez acquérir le nouveau crossover superpuissant équipé de la dernière technologie XHDJHD... qui vous permettra de vous arrêter automatiquement devant les feux pendant que vous refaites votre make up ou que vous vous rasez le visage.

Selon le Groupement des annonceurs marocains, le marché publicitaire global a pesé pour 5,5 milliards de dirhams en 2017. Avec un montant de dépenses publicitaires de 653 millions de dirhams le secteur de la banque et finance a enregistré la plus forte hausse par rapport à 2016, soit 20,6%. Il est talonné par le secteur automobile (19,3%).

Le côté obscur des réseaux sociaux

Le sujet de cet article n'est pas de dresser un comparatif entre les plus et les moins des réseaux sociaux, mais je reste convaincu qu'ils jouent un rôle de premier plan dans l'exacerbation de la frustration des gens qui peut même se transformer en haine.

On scroll le fil d'actualité Facebook ou Instagram et tout à coup on envie X pour les vacances de rêve qu'il est en train de passer. On aimerait avoir une vie réussie comme celle que mène Y parce qu'il poste souvent ses photos en train de déguster un plat gastronomique ou de rouler le soir dans sa voiture avec intérieur cuir et sonorisation dernier cri.

Ces plateformes alimentent le vice de la comparaison avec autrui, parce qu'on croit que ces gens mènent une vie idéale et qu'ils n'ont pas de problème. Ceci nous pousse inconsciemment à vouloir les imiter croyant que le bonheur viendrait de facteurs externes. Et cette spirale négative de compétition/imitation a bien entendu un coût financier conséquent, qui plus est nous rend misérables.

Une mécompréhension de la finalité de nos pratiques religieuses

Si les offres promotionnelles des enseignes de grande consommation et des sociétés de crédits prolifèrent pendant les événements religieux tels que le Ramadan ou Aid Al Adha, c'est bien pour une raison particulière. Les Marocains s'étant malheureusement éloignés de l'essence de ces pratiques.

Pour une grande catégorie, Ramadan rime avec achats obsessionnels compulsifs. On se rue vers les marchés et les grandes surfaces pour accumuler le maximum de produits alimentaires comme si la fin du monde était proche. Cette catégorie a complètement oublié que Ramadan est avant tout un mois de spiritualité, de purification et d'éloignement des contraintes matérielles de ce monde pour se consacrer à dieu et non un concours de gastronomie ou un festival de dégustations.

Combien de ménages contractent des crédits à la consommation à 7% ou 8% pour acheter un mouton à 3000 dirhams ou 4000 dirhams à l'occasion de l'Aid El Kebir? comme si c'est une fête qui consacre la bête à l'allure la plus fière pourvue de grandes cornes. Ces gens ont-ils oublié que c'est une occasion qui rappelle certaines valeurs essentielles comme la solidarité, la charité, la famille et le partage? La bête n'étant en elle-même que le moyen de matérialiser ces valeurs et non une fin en soi.

Sans parler de ces quelques "houjjaj" qui n'hésitent pas à avoir recours à un emprunt bancaire pour effectuer leur pèlerinage...

La suprématie de la forme sur le fond a envahi donc même notre sphère religieuse et a constitué, pour les banques et les sociétés de financement, une autre occasion pour booster leur business.

Avec du recul, je me pose la question si la ressource la plus précieuse que nous possédons, à savoir notre temps, mérite que nous la dépensions dans un travail que nous n'aimons pas forcement, juste pour pouvoir nous payer des choses dont on n'a pas besoin, avec de l'argent que nous n'avons pas, pour impressionner des gens que nous n'aimons pas.

Ce billet de blog a initialement été publié sur le blog Café Léger.

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BLOG - Pourquoi les Marocains s'enfoncent-ils dans la dette?

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ÉCONOMIE - Bank Al Maghrib a publié il y a quelques semaines de cela un rapport concernant la stabilité financière pour l'année 2017. Le terme parait très technique je vous l'accorde, mais une partie bien particulière de ce rapport a attiré mon attention pendant que j'en lisais la synthèse, celle qui parle de l'endettement des ménages marocains.

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[ 212] Franco-marocain ou Maroco-français? | Al HuffPost Maghreb

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La rubrique +212 est un espace de dialogue et d'échange, une fabrique d'idées. Elle rassemble un faisceau de regards sur le Maroc, formulés de l'extérieur vers l'intérieur par des plumes expatriées, exilées, émigrées, nomades, membres de la diaspora marocaine à l'étranger.

"Nous avons donc deux Paris-Hanoï, jeudi 14 février 2019, départ 16h40, 96.000 miles, classe économique monsieur, c'est bon?". Samedi 15 décembre 2018, conversation téléphonique avec l'agent ultra-serviciel du service de réservation "spécial Platinium" d'Air France. Heureux de faire jouer mon statut, je cherche avec son aide un billet moins cher que ce que j'ai en affichage sur le site de de la célèbre compagnie aérienne. Bingo, certains billets peu coûteux sont réservés à une catégorie de personnes que la société cherche à fidéliser.

" Et pour le numéro de passeport monsieur?"

" 04FA678974″

" Passeport français monsieur?"

Je réponds l'air de rien. Aucune émotion n'est décelable dans ma voix pour la personne à l'autre bout du combiné mais mon tout premier et flambant neuf passeport français entre mes mains tremblantes, je jouis intérieurement de l'issue de cet échange. Cette émotion, c'est l'aboutissement de 11 ans de renouvellement de carte de séjour, de file d'attente boulevard Ney à Paris, d'imbroglio administratif, de stress lié à l'APS (autorisation provisoire de séjour), de CDD abusif, de refus de visas intempestifs, de terreurs inutilement infligées quand je ne trouve pas tout de suite ma carte de séjour dans ma poche. J'ai passé tellement de temps à surveiller, traquer, protéger, m'assurer qu'elle était près de moi que je ne sais pas ce que je vais faire de cette tranquillité d'esprit gagnée.

Depuis 11 ans maintenant je répète à qui veut l'entendre que j'attends ce jour comme le messie, que ça viendra valider des années de ressenti naturel et confirmer mon parcours d'intégration à cette belle France... Alors pourquoi je ne suis pas plus heureux que ça? Ne me méprenez pas, j'ai lu Spinoza, Hegel et Sartre et je comprends les mécanismes du désir et de l'insatisfaction à l'œuvre chez l'homme, constitutifs de sa nature la plus primaire. Je ne dis pas que je n'ai pas été ému, lorsque j'ai reçu la lettre, lors de ma cérémonie ou devant Marie-Louise du comptoir de l'annexe de la mairie du 12 ème arrondissement qui me tend mon passeport avec un accent antillais jovial: "Bienvenue parmi nous". Faire la queue en heure de pointe à la police à Roissy pendant 20 minutes dans la file passeports "autres" avant de réaliser que je peux passer par la file PARAFE (passage automatisé rapide aux frontières extérieures) absolument vide. Lorsque je me réveille brusquement et change de file, l'agent d'aéroport me lance: "passeports français uniquem... oh pardon". Le vrai sentiment de privilège.

Lorsque j'ai emprunté la première fois le doux chemin de l'introspection littéraire ici, la responsable de cette rubrique m'a répondu: "la bi-nationalité est une partie trop complexe de ton identité pour que je te laisse la diluer dans ce premier texte, tu as assez de matière pour en faire une chronique dédiée".

Une star. Capricieuse, duelle, complexe, riche. La bi-nationalité n'est pas un fardeau. Ce n'est pas non plus cette norme banale qui fait dire à certains "si tu ne parles pas trois langues minimum aujourd'hui, t'es foutu." La bi, la tri, la quadri, la multiple nationalité est une richesse ET une complexité. Je fais le choix de mettre l'une devant l'autre par optimisme et présomption. Comme dans toutes relations multiples, l'outcome est grand, mais les équilibres qui la sous-tendent - pouvoir, dominance, équité - sont complexes à gérer. Certes, la mondialisation a engendré des mélanges de gens et genres improbables et abouti à des mariages impensables il y a 30 ans qui ont eux-mêmes engendré des progénitures exotiques et exaspérantes. On m'a déjà répondu en soirée: "D'où je viens? C'est une question très difficile; ma mère est japonaise, mon père allemand, j'ai grandi à Lisbonne pendant 12 ans et ensuite on a déménagé chaque année dans un pays différent pendant 6 ans. Je suis une citoyenne du monde."

Pour ma part, je suis bi-national. Cette phrase est importante pour moi. Elle résonne. Car je ne suis pas né bi-national, je le suis devenu. Pour un émigré, un immigré, la naturalisation est perçue comme l'aboutissement suprême du sacrifice parental.

Et pourtant, j'ai l'impression de l'avoir toujours été un peu dans mon pays d'origine.

Et pourtant ce n'est pas le cas.

Et pourtant je me suis souvent comporté dans mon pays d'accueil comme si ça l'était.

Et pourtant on m'a toujours rappelé dans ce même pays d'accueil que je ne l'étais pas.

Qui envahit le monde de qui? Telle est la question. Bien sûr je fête l'Aïd, je parle darija à la maison et français au lycée, je ne jeûne pas mais je fais bien semblant, je ne vais pas à l'école les jours fériés du calendrier musulman - et le 14 juillet. C'est comme ça que je me sentais en grandissant au Maroc, un peu tiraillé déjà mais au lieu d'y remédier, je cours vers la France. Je me détache imperceptiblement de ma marocanité, sans vraiment jamais craindre de la quitter, c'est cela qui est vicieux. Je joue d'elle, je m'en amuse pour me différencier.

Oui, arrivé en France, je suis un Marocain qui joue de son exotisme. Cheveux bruns, peau bronzée, air oriental, on me compare à un loukoum et je pousse le vice, on me parle de couscous et je surenchéris, on met du "Aïcha" à fond en me regardant, et je danse. Pendant longtemps, je manipule et je séduis et pendant longtemps je m'en amuse. Je crois rendre hommage à ma culture en jouant au bouffon du roi mais je sais bien qu'en jonglant avec les clichés, je perds quelques boules.

En classe préparatoire littéraire, mon prof de théâtre fait un raccourci terrible et ne me punit pas de plagiat car "le biais culturel justifie ton écart. Ce n'est pas la première fois qu'un Nord-Africain triche dans mon cours, c'est une culture différente". Mes camarades les plus proches sont terriblement choqués, moi, je suis soulagé de sa clémence. En fait, je me suis habitué à nourrir les clichés. L'intimidation va dans les deux sens. Je me souviens particulièrement de la fois où dans mon école de commerce, une des plus prestigieuses de France, un compatriote marocain né en France me traite de "sale chien" parce je bois de l'alcool en plein ramadan.

Cette binarité triviale, je la dépasse cependant dans mon dernier job, où je vais à la rencontre de mon continent africain. Moi qui ne suis encore jamais allé ailleurs en Afrique qu'au Maroc, je me suis retrouvé subitement à voyager en Côte d'Ivoire, au Gabon, au Togo, au Niger, en Afrique du Sud, au Rwanda, au Burundi, en Guinée, au Tchad, au Sénégal, en Guinée Bissau, au Ghana, au Nigéria. Pour la majorité de ces pays, mon passeport vert est utile au voyage. Dans la majorité des pays d'Afrique subsaharienne, je ne parle pas la langue locale (sauf au Tchad où je la baragouine), je suis plus blanc que noir et de facto je suis considéré comme un étranger. Mais là bas, les Marocains sont les grands gagnants de la course à l'Europe. Territorialement d'abord mais aussi par leur mode de vie et leur culture. Le pays a supposément un niveau de croissance et de développement qui est souvent salué par la plupart de mes collègues quand je me rends en Afrique centrale et de l'Ouest. Bref, on me renverse le cliché. Au sein des jeunes de mon entreprise, je ne suis pas juste "le Marocain". Nous sommes plusieurs à être de nationalité différente et j'adore ça. Beaucoup sont issus d'Afrique subsaharienne et du Maghreb et courent après la naturalisation en France. Comme moi. On se comprend. C'est essentiel. D'autre sont marocains et parlent arabe avec moi. Certains jours, cette différenciation linguistique est salvatrice.

L'arabe me manque.

Quand j'obtiens finalement mon Saint Graal (mon passeport rouge), j'en ai envie autant par reconnaissance que par contingence logistique que crainte d'être expulsé injustement. Ce sont des sentiments très divers. La nuit, je rêve de ma grand-mère, elle me parle mais je ne comprends pas. Ça m'arrive sans arrêt depuis quelques mois. J'ai peur. Je ne sais plus parler arabe. En voulant tellement devenir qui j'ai toujours été, j'ai perdu qui je suis vraiment et avant tout. En voulant tellement faire de la place à la France j'ai un peu perdu le Maroc. J'en parlais à des amis, pour mes fameuses résolutions: les gars, je veux reprendre des cours d'arabe.

C'est ma problématique du moment: demain je dois savoir qui je suis car demain je vais me marier avec une Française qui parle italien et avoir des enfants avec elle. Je vais fabriquer des gens et leur transmettre une identité, des langues, une culture. Je veux que ma progéniture embrasse tous les aspects de son identité et de ses influences culturelles mais sans créer de dédoublement de personnalité ou un sentiment de contrainte d'être tous ces aspects à la fois. C'est une responsabilité un peu étourdissante et ça m'oblige à me poser des questions sur moi: le défi de la transmission réussie.

Le 3rab, le zmig (émigré), le FDP (Français de papiers). Autant de terreau favorable pour que fleurisse le complexe d'imposteur. Mon ressenti est que si j'ai sauté dans les bras de ma terre d'accueil depuis 11 ans comme une courtisée à qui on veut ressembler pour plaire davantage, maintenant qu'elle est enfin à moi, qu'elle m'a reconnu comme sienne, je souffre d'une nostalgie brutale pour mon premier amour et une peur panique qu'elle s'en aille, intimidé par ma nouvelle conquête. Qui gagne? En fait, ce n'est pas une bataille mais - et j'introduis là mon prochain sujet - c'est une union libre.

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La rubrique +212 est un espace de dialogue et d'échange, une fabrique d'idées. Elle rassemble un faisceau de regards sur le Maroc, formulés de l'extérieur vers l'intérieur par des plumes expatriées, exilées, émigrées, nomades, membres de la diaspora marocaine à l'étranger. "Nous avons donc deux Paris-Hanoï, jeudi 14 février 2019, départ 16h40, 96.000 miles, classe économique monsieur, c'est bon?".

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Low Standards in Moroccan Schools Puts Children’s Education at Risk

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Rabat - A group of Moroccan pedagogical inspectors gathered on Thursday, January 10, at the National Union of the Moroccan Press in Rabat to discuss the country's education system, from pedagogy to human resources.

The meeting, attended by Morocco World News, voiced concern for the fate of the Moroccan educational system because it still suffers from deficiencies and poor infrastructure.

It starts with teaching methods. In 2000, Morocco decided to move from a system of "pedagogical goals" to "competency-based learning."

The approach of pedagogical goals is more traditional, relying on a general subject rather than objective teaching. It also focuses on discipline and what students will learn from specific lessons at a specific period of time rather than students' creative abilities.

Meanwhile, competency-based learning focuses on each student's learning abilities, considers the pace by which a student can learn, and encourages more interactions between the student and teacher to develop critical, creative thinking, and argumentative skills.

However, according to the Association of Pedagogical Inspectors, Moroccan schools continue to rely on pedagogical goals rather than the competency-based learning method when it comes to exams,creating confusion for students.

While school curricula and class activities may rely on the competency-based learning method, tests and exams may, for example, require answers that are heavily focused on memorization.

The association presented reports on the situation, which also reflect a recent World Bank report titled "Expectations and Aspirations: A new framework for education."

According to the report, Morocco and other MENA countries' curricula rely heavily on rote learning, memorization, and repetition, an educational system that focuses on "passive learning" and "violent discipline."

The research found 60 percent of eighth-grade students in Morocco are required to memorize facts, mathematics and science rules, and the "procedures" of most lessons, if not all.

Deficiencies in the country's educational system is not news to Moroccans. The association criticized some school administrators and teachers, especially those working in primary education.

The association also noted that primary school children have poor knowledge accumulation which could also be blamed on teacher absenteeism.

Girls' education still at risk

When it comes to infrastructure, the association noted based on a number of reports by pedagogical inspectors in Morocco, that many schools with 700 or 800 students have only two or three toilets. Students have no choice but to take turns.

It is especially hard for girls, who often drop out due to the poor infrastructure.

Meanwhile, ironically, other educational institutions in Morocco are over-equipped, for example having 24 restrooms for 25 students.

Similarly, in August, Morocco's Court of Auditors identified serious deficiencies in public and private schools regarding infrastructure, reception capacity, and the number of teachers.

In its 2016-2017 annual report, the Court of Auditors noted deficits in the basic facilities of some schools, such as connections to drinking water, electricity, and sewage.

Some other schools did not have basic infrastructure such as fences, sanitary units, sports fields, multimedia rooms, libraries, internet connections, and teaching materials.

The report also cited the lack of pedagogical inspectors' supervision of teachers, especially through continuous training.

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Low Standards in Moroccan Schools Puts Children's Education at Risk

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Rabat - A group of Moroccan pedagogical inspectors gathered on Thursday, January 10, at the National Union of the Moroccan Press in Rabat to discuss the country's education system, from pedagogy to human resources. The meeting, attended by Morocco World News, voiced concern for the fate of the Moroccan educational system because it still suffers from deficiencies and poor infrastructure.

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Moroccan Court Sentences Married Woman to Prison for Kissing Man

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Rabat - A married woman has lost her appeals case after the Court of Cassation in Bouleman in the Atlas Mountains sentenced her to adultery for kissing a man.

According to Legal-Agenda , the defense said the court's decision had no basis.

The woman's lawyers appealed the court's initial ruling, but they failed to change the court's decision.

The court had sentenced the woman to four months in prison and imposed a fee of MAD 5,000 on her.

For the court, the woman's confession to the judicial police was sufficient to prove infidelity, leading to her sentence in accordance to Article 493 of the criminal code.

Article 493 of the penal code says that "evidence of offences under articles 490 and 491 may be established either by a record prepared by a judicial police officer certifying violation of the offence, by confession in letters or documents by the accused or by a legal confession (Morocco 1963)."

"It is clear from the provisions of the contested decision that the court's decision was based on the right to convict the appellant for the crime of infidelity as she confessed in her statement to the judicial police that she exchanged kisses with a strange man," the Court of Appeals said.

The court defined the act as an "act of marital infidelity against the husband and a betrayal of the marital relationship and loyalty and trust between the spouses."

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Moroccan Court Sentences Married Woman to Prison for Kissing Man

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Rabat - A married woman has lost her appeals case after the Court of Cassation in Bouleman in the Atlas Mountains sentenced her to adultery for kissing a man. According to Legal-Agenda , the defense said the court's decision had no basis. The woman's lawyers appealed the court's initial ruling, but they failed to change the court's decision.

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French-Moroccan Bilal Hassani Wins Destination Eurovision Semi-Finals

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Rabat - With his new song, "Roi" (King), French-Moroccan Bilal Hassani ranked first place in France's selection competition's semi-finals on Saturday, January 12, outperforming the other three semi-finalists.

Hassani was ahead of French singer of Algerian descent Chimene Badi, Silvan Areg, and Aysat. It is all thanks to Hassani's song that promotes love and tolerance and rejects hate and homophobia.

Although the 19-year-old singer continues to receive harsh criticism online, mainly due to his sexual orientation, he performed with exceptional confidence at the contest.

In the second week after its release, Hassani's song Roi has already become a hit with more than 3 million views on YouTube.

Roi depicts Hassani's love for singing from a very young age. Its music video features clips from his childhood, teenagehood, and from his life now.

As a gay person, Hassani felt alienated and looked down on by society. However, he still decided to pursue his dreams. The young , who said, "I've always been who I am" in his new song, came out as gay to his followers at age 17.

Hassani is already known for his participation in the second season of the Voice Kids, the French music talent show for children aged 6 to 15.

Eurovision, a contest held since 1956, asks each participating country to submit an original song which determines whether the candidates will make it through the contest, which aims to support youth's musical careers.

This year, 42 countries will participate in the contest in Tel Aviv May 14-18. Bilal Hassani is competing to represent France.

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French-Moroccan Bilal Hassani Wins Destination Eurovision Semi-Finals

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Rabat - With his new song, "Roi" (King), French-Moroccan Bilal Hassani ranked first place in France's selection competition's semi-finals on Saturday, January 12, outperforming the other three semi-finalists. Hassani was ahead of French singer of Algerian descent Chimene Badi, Silvan Areg, and Aysat.

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Morocco Shut 2,000 Illegal Mineshafts in Jerada in 2018

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Rabat - Minister of Energy and Mines Aziz Rabbah announced Wednesday that authorities closed 2,000 "abandoned and illicitly exploited" mineshafts in Jerada, eastern Morocco.

Rabbah promised to close the 1,500 remaining shafts by the end of 2019, AFP reported.

Jerada, an impoverished city, witnessed multiple informal miners' deaths and accidents during the last two years.

In two separate mine accidents, four informal miners died in December 2017. Two of them were crushed while mining underground at an abandoned mineshaft in Jerada.

Another miner died while extracting coal from an illegal mine near the city when the walls of the mine collapsed and killed him on February 1, 2018.

The death of miners sparked a wave of protests denouncing social inequality and unemployment.

The protests also led to several arrests. A court handed down the first sentences for protesters on November 8 last year . Nine people received three to five years in prison.

Early last year, the government promised to shut abandoned shafts , stop illegal mining in the region, and offer in return economic opportunities for the local population.

The government said in February 2018 it would launch an industrial zone for Jerada to "provide young entrepreneurs in several business sectors with the opportunity to carry out their projects.

However, the city's informal miners have continued to venture into abandoned mineshafts and sell coal to local brokers, to earn a living.

Due to lack of safety precautions, at least eight more accidental deaths occurred last year, including five in November alone.

Minister Rabbah said Wednesday that Morocco granted 26 mining permits in 2018 to young miners in the region "attached to special cooperatives," according to AFP.

The state will invest $95 million in industry and agriculture projects by 2020, Rabbah added.

In 1998, the government closed a coal mine employing 9,000 workers leading to a collapse in the city's main industry. The mine, according to AFP, was judged uneconomical.

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Morocco Shut 2,000 Illegal Mineshafts in Jerada in 2018

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Rabat - Minister of Energy and Mines Aziz Rabbah announced Wednesday that authorities closed 2,000 "abandoned and illicitly exploited" mineshafts in Jerada, eastern Morocco. Rabbah promised to close the 1,500 remaining shafts by the end of 2019, AFP reported. Jerada, an impoverished city, witnessed multiple informal miners' deaths and accidents during the last two years.

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Rabat - France and Morocco have signed a French-learning agreement to revitalize French in Morocco.

Signing the document in Rabat yesterday, Rachid Talbi El Alami , Morocco's youth and sports minister, and Jean-François Girault , the French ambassador to Rabat, said that the document is a positive step towards the strengthening of the cultural and linguistic proximity between Rabat and Paris.

According to the two officials, the recently signed document follows in the footsteps of a 2017 agreement between France and Morocco to revive the French language's appeal and reclaim the prestige it has lost in recent decades in a number of predominantly Francophone countries.

The document being signed is "validation of the initial tentative settlement," said El Alami, in reference to the 2017 agreement between the two partners.

However, the Moroccan official added, what is new in the newly signed accord is that it will enlarge the inroad of French language into Moroccan schools and cultural centers.

In the frame of the agreement, Morocco's youth and sports ministry and French authorities will cooperate to build French language learning centers in youth cultural centers (Maison des Jeunes) around Morocco.

"The project entails the building of French language centers in all Moroccan youth cultural centers," said the Moroccan minister. He added that the project will be monitored by his ministry "in collaboration with the French Institute in Morocco."

While strengthening the linguistic bonds of the Rabat-Paris rapprochement, the agreement will also help young Moroccans wishing to master the French language. For the French ambassador, despite recent setbacks, his country's language remains an important international language to have in one's linguistic toolkit.

He expressed his desire to have more Moroccans learn French and be interested in French culture. He said: "The francophone area is open to French, Moroccan, African, and European youth. Girault explained that learning French can open many doors, especially in terms of professional career.

During the signing ceremony, 42 children from youth centers in Kbibat, Al Amal, and Mechouar received their "French as a foreign language" certificates.
Recent controversies
The agreement comes in a politically charged moment for France and the French language. In 2017, President Macron launched an initiative to make France a global language.

The French president appointed Morocco's Leila Slimani as his francophone affairs councilor. Macron argued that former French colonies, which now make up the majority of the International Organization of Francophonie, are the sole recourse if France wants to reclaim its lost cultural and linguistic global prestige.

Increasingly turning his gaze towards Francophone countries, Macron vowed to increase the number of Francophone African students in French higher learning institutions.

In recent months, however, the French government passed a controversial bill on university fees for foreign students.

According to the new bill, non-EU students, who, like their French and EU counterparts used to receive free-of-charge education, will now have to pay 30 percent of the total cost of their university degrees. The new regulation will enter into force starting in the 2019-2020 academic year.

Ever since, many in France have voiced concerns about the future of French and Francophonie, saying that rather than make France attractive, the new regulation will make students choose countries like Canada, the US, or England over France.

Others have suggested that the historical and cultural proximity between France and former colonies will be a basis to exempt francophone students from paying the new fees.

But it remains to be seen whether France is taking the complaints into account and whether the document signed yesterday is part of more agreements to come.

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Morocco, France Sign New French Language Learning Agreement

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Rabat - France and Morocco have signed a French-learning agreement to revitalize French in Morocco. Signing the document in Rabat yesterday, Rachid Talbi El Alami , Morocco's youth and sports minister, and Jean-François Girault , the French ambassador to Rabat, said that the document is a positive step towards the strengthening of the cultural and linguistic proximity between Rabat and Paris.

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Morocco World News. 621K likes. MWN is the leading English news outlet about Morocco and the Maghreb

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PARLEMENT - Les députés au parlement marocain ont adopté le mois passé un amendement de l'article 5 de la loi des finances 2019 consistant à augmenter les taxes sur les boissons sucrées, gazeuses ou non. L'augmentation de la taxe, et en conséquence les prix de ces boissons, est censée dissuader les citoyens à consommer les plus sucrées d'entre elles. En effet, le nouveau taux de taxation est prévu en fonction du contenu en sucre et s'applique aux boissons contenant plus de 5g/100 ml. Pour ces dernières, la TIC (taxe intérieure de consommation) passera de 30 DH/100 litres à 45 DH et une TVA de 7% s'appliquera également.

La surconsommation du sucre a été associée, par l'OMS, via de nombreuses études scientifiques, à des problèmes de santé publique dont le diabète de type II, l'obésité, l'hypertension et les maladies cardiovasculaires, la dégradation de la dentition, entre autres. La question qui se pose avec insistance est: quelle est la réelle efficacité de la surtaxation des boissons sucrées sur les habitudes globales des consommateurs marocains et par conséquent sur leur santé? L'efficacité de cette mesure serait-elle la même d'un pays à l'autre, indépendamment des spécificités concernant le mode et les habitudes alimentaires? Les habitudes alimentaires des Marocains sont-elles les mêmes que celles des Français ou encore des Mexicains, pays pris comme exemple pour appuyer le bien-fondé de cette mesure visant les seules boissons sucrées?

Il sera difficile de répondre à ces questions de manière appuyée par des statistiques vu l'absence d'études quantitatives portant sur la contribution de différents types d'aliments et boissons à l'apport en sucre des consommateurs marocains. Toutefois, l'observation globale des habitudes des Marocains suggère fortement que la contribution des boissons sucrées commercialisées au problème de la surconsommation du sucre serait assez limitée. Prenons l'exemple du thé. Cette boisson est consommée tous les jours par un grand nombre de Marocains et ce plusieurs fois par jour. Le dosage moyen du sucre dans le thé typiquement préparé au Maroc est d'environ 10 g de sucre pour 100 ml de thé. Dans les zones rurales, ce dosage atteindrait facilement le double. Alors que ce thé hyper-sucré est consommé tous les jours, les boissons sucrées commercialisées sont consommées de manière occasionnelle. En zone rurale, la consommation des boissons sucrées se limite souvent au jour du marché hebdomadaire ou aux fêtes familiales telles que le mariage. La surconsommation du sucre par les Marocains n'est-elle pas donc en premier lieu liée au thé que chaque citoyen fait le choix de préparer lui-même? Le même constat peut être fait pour d'autres boissons préparées et consommées pendant ou après différents repas, comme le café, café au lait ou lait chaud.

Et l'on peut encore évoquer d'autres sources de sucre majeures telles que les pâtisseries, les confiseries, les biscuits et même les yaourts, souvent surdosés en sucre au Maroc. Il est clair que la problématique de la surconsommation du sucre par les Marocains concerne certes les boissons commercialisées mais ne s'y limite certainement pas. Une approche globale s'impose donc et seules des solutions globales, tenant en compte les spécificités du Maroc, peuvent aboutir à un impact substantiel sur les problèmes de santé publique liés au sucre. Copier aveuglément les mesures prioritaires fixées par d'autres pays s'avérera, comme souvent, inefficace. Que peut-on donc faire?

Bien sûr, la taxation des boissons commercialisées, gazeuses ou non, en fonction de leur taux en sucre, comme cela vient d'être adopté par les députés, doit être mise en oeuvre. Mais au delà, l'interdiction de la publicité pour ces boissons dans les institutions publiques comme les écoles pourrait également être envisagée. L'obligation d'indiquer sur l'emballage de ces boissons un avertissement sur les dangers du sucre devrait être étudiée également. Mais surtout, la levée de la subvention du sucre au profit des industries des boissons, mais aussi des confiseries, biscuits et pâtisseries, devrait être mise en place le plus vite possible. Poussons le raisonnement encore plus loin: la levée pure et simple de cette subvention sur le sucre pour l'ensemble des consommateurs n'est-elle pas une mesure douée de bon sens? Cette levée ne devrait-elle pas contribuer à limiter la consommation de cet ingrédient alimentaire qui devient rapidement un vrai poison? Une telle mesure serait certes très impopulaire et vu la pauvreté dans laquelle vit la majorité des Marocains, ce serait compréhensible. Mais n'y a-t-il pas des solutions où le citoyen gagne à la fin? Par exemple, pourquoi ne pas ré-allouer la subvention du sucre vers des aliments plus essentiels tels que la farine, le lait ou l'huile d'olive? Quelle est la raison derrière le choix de subventionner le sucre ménager, produit non essentiel pour l'équilibre alimentaire et devenant très vite dangereux pour la santé? Qui en profite? Les industriels du sucre ne sont-ils pas les gagnants à la fin? Le Maroc a dépensé 2,3 milliards de dirhams en 2017 pour subventionner le sucre soit environ 0,23% du PIB. L'État n'est-il pas lui même responsable du problème en faisant le choix de subventionner un ingrédient non essentiel et dangereux pour la santé plutôt que de subventionner les vrais aliments de base?

Les mesures de taxation ou levée de subvention sont des mesures que l'on peut qualifier de dissuasives puisque leur principe fondamental est de mettre la pression sur la poche du citoyen pour le dissuader d'acheter et donc consommer. Est-ce suffisant? Bien sûr que non! La sensibilisation et l'éducation doivent jouer un rôle majeur dans la bataille contre le sucre. Des campagnes d'information et de sensibilisation devraient être organisées dans toutes les écoles du pays et ce depuis le plus jeune âge. Les enfants peuvent être sensibilisés plus facilement que les adultes et pourraient transmettre le message à leurs parents sur les méfaits du sucre. Les hôpitaux, les dispensaires, devraient contribuer à la sensibilisation, que ce soit par des affiches ou des conseils aux visiteurs. Tous les cabinets privés des médecins devraient également contenir des affiches et des conseils devraient être donnés préventivement à chaque visite. Les mosquées pourraient aussi y participer. La surconsommation du sucre est néfaste pour la santé autant que la consommation du tabac ou l'alcool. Pourquoi les oulémas ne se positionnent pas sur cette question et véhiculent le message pendant les prêches? La télévision et la radio publique, les médias, peuvent aussi contribuer à une sorte de campagne nationale globale contre la surconsommation du sucre. Les chercheurs universitaires devraient étudier de plus près les habitudes alimentaires des citoyens, réaliser des statistiques et permettre ainsi la prise de mesures plus ciblées et donc plus efficaces.

La position de la deuxième chambre au Maroc visant à annuler la TVA et réduire la TIC proposée dans le projet de loi a suscité une vive polémique et de nombreuses réactions. Il semble que le lobby des industries du soda aurait exercé une pression sur les conseillers en brandissant l'argument classique de la menace sur l'emploi par ce secteur. Cet argument est difficilement acceptable vu que la taxe vise la diminution du taux de sucre dans les boissons et non la diminution du volume de ventes globales. Il suffit qu'ils mettent moins de sucre dans leurs boissons et aucun impact ne sera envisageable sur leurs bénéfices. Mais faut-il encore sensibiliser et préparer les citoyens afin d'encourager la consommation des nouvelles boissons moins sucrées et par conséquent rendre leurs producteurs plus compétitifs sur le marché.

Certes, l'adoption de la loi de la taxation des boissons sucrées et un premier pas dans la bonne direction. Croire que la guerre contre les méfaits dus à la surconsommation du sucre sur la santé publique sera remportée par cette seule mesure est probablement utopique voire même naïf. Seule une approche globale, prenant en compte les habitudes alimentaires des Marocains et donc visant toutes les sources majeures du sucre, combinant sensibilisation et dissuasion, et impliquant tous les acteurs étatiques et de la société civile, pourrait contribuer à gagner la guerre contre le sucre et limiter ses ravages sur la santé publique.

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BLOG - La taxe sur les boissons sucrées changera-t-elle les habitudes de consommation des Marocains?

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PARLEMENT - Les députés au parlement marocain ont adopté le mois passé un amendement de l'article 5 de la loi des finances 2019 consistant à augmenter les taxes sur les boissons sucrées, gazeuses ou non. L'augmentation de la taxe, et en conséquence les prix de ces boissons, est censée dissuader les citoyens à consommer les plus sucrées d'entre elles.

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Rabat - Morocco's National Observatory for Human Development ( ONDH) has issued a report titled "Human Development Monitoring Indicators." The report analyzes data from 2012 to 2017.

The report found the literacy rate among Moroccan young people aged 15-24 was 94 percent in 2017.

The rate increased from from 88 percent in 2012.

ONDH said that men have had higher literacy rates than women over the five-year period. The report, published by Maghreb Arab Press (MAP), found that the literacy rate for men is 95.6 percent compared to 91.3 percent for women.

The gap between women and men, however, has narrowed from 7.2 percentage points in 2012 to 4.3 points in 2017.
Illiteracy higher in rural areas
The report found a wide gap in education levels between rural and urban areas, noting that young people in rural areas have lower literacy rates than those in urban areas, "although the gap has narrowed to almost 9 points.."

The literacy rate increases with the standard of living quintile, rising from 79 percent to 86 percent for the poorest 20 percent of the population and and from 94 percent to 98 percent for the wealthiest 20 percent.

Moroccans aged 25 and older had received 4.7 years of education, on average, in 2017. Men had received 5.8 years and women 3.8 years.

The average was 6.1 years in urban areas and 2.2 years in rural areas. Over the 2012-2017 period, the number of years of study increased by six months.
3.3% of children never went to school
ONDH also mentioned compulsory schooling for children aged 6-15, saying that in 2017, 92 percent of school-age children were in school, while 5 percent of children had dropped out of school.

Three percent of school-age children have never been to school.

"The progress between 2012 and 2017 shows that the proportion of children in school has increased by 2.3 percentage points while out-of-school and those who have never attended school have decreased by 1.8 and 0.4 points, respectively," said the study.

The net enrollment rate of 6-11 year olds at the primary level, according to ONDH, increased from 91 percent in 2012 to 93 percent in 2017.

For secondary school, the net enrollment rate for 12-14 year old pupils rose from 50 percent to 61 percent. Net enrollment for the third education level of 15-17-year-old students rose from 29 percent to 37 percent.
8% more boys go to high school than girls
Over the 2012-2017 period, enrollment rates for boys were higher than those of girls, concluded the report. ONDH's study found that the gap increases with age. In 2017, the gap between boys and girls was 0.5 percent for ages 6-11, 4.5 percent for ages 12-14, and 8.1 percent for ages 15-17.

Before the 2018-2019 academic year began, the Ministry of Education pledged reforms for the Moroccan education system to combat drop-out rates.

Minister of Education Said Amzazi said that his ministry seeks to reduce the rate of school drop-outs from 6 percent in rural primary schools to 1 percent by 2024-2025.

Amzazi pledged a decrease in the rate of dropouts in secondary schools from 12 percent to 3 percent, in both rural and urban areas, for the 2024-2025 school year.

He also promised reforms in terms of training and youth employment in the education field, proposing the creation of a new generation of vocational training centers.

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ONDH: Rural Moroccan Adults Have 2.2 Years of Education on Average

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Rabat - Morocco's National Observatory for Human Development ( ONDH) has issued a report titled "Human Development Monitoring Indicators." The report analyzes data from 2012 to 2017. The report found the literacy rate among Moroccan young people aged 15-24 was 94 percent in 2017. The rate increased from from 88 percent in 2012.

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Rabat - The Tangier Court of Appeals has sentenced a husband to two years in jail for raping his wife. The court also ordered the man to pay an MAD 2,000 fine and MAD 30,000 in compensation to the victim.

The convicted 25-year-old husband from Larache, a town near Tangier, had violently forced his wife to engage in sexual intercouse, reported Al Ahdath al Maghribiya on Saturday. The woman suffers from severe depression.

The court's decision was based on Articles of the penal code. Article 400 states: "Any act of violence or assault, even if it caused no disability or illness is punishable by imprisonment from one month to one year in addition to a fine of MAD 200 to 500."

The wife's lawyer reported that her medical certificate verified serious indications of physical violence. The lawyer noted that the woman already suffers from depression, and the rape could induce her to become suicidal.

to eliminate violence against women, sexual harassment, and gender-based discrimination , which took effect in September, does not list marital rape as a punishable crime.

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Tangier Court Sentences Husband to 2 Years for Raping Wife

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Rabat - The Tangier Court of Appeals has sentenced a husband to two years in jail for raping his wife. The court also ordered the man to pay an MAD 2,000 fine and MAD 30,000 in compensation to the victim.

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Pour la première fois au Maroc, un cas de viol conjugal a été reconnu par la justice. C'est la chambre criminelle près la cour d'appel de Tanger qui est à l'origine de cette décision de justice, historique à bien des égards et réel motif d'espoir pour les femmes marocaines.

Selon nos confrères du HuffPost Maroc, le jeune homme âgé de 25 ans et originaire de la ville de Larache dans le nord du royaume alaouite, a été recemment condamné à deux ans de prison ferme pour le viol de son épouse. Contacté par le site d'information Yabiladi, un avocat au barreau de Tanger a pu confirmer cette information, expliquant que la décision de justice avait été prononcée il y a près de trois semaines de cela.

En vidéo,"Réagir peut tout changer", la nouvelle campagne contre les violences sexistes et sexuelles

La peine a été assortie d'une amende de près de 2.000 dirhams (183euros) et d'une somme de 30.000 dirhams (2750 euros) à verser à la victime pour la dédommager. Dans sa plainte, son épouse a notamment fournit un certificat médical attestant de graves déchirures vaginales provoquées à la suite d'un rapport sexuel violent, la nuit où la jeune femme aurait été "déflorée par son mari".

Le jeune homme a pour sa part démenti les accusations portées à son encontre, arguant n'avoir eu que des rapports "superficiels" avec son épouse et ne l'avoir pas contrainte. Mais la cour d'appel de Tanger a retenu la version de la jeune femme et reconnu également "l'état de détresse dans lequel était plongée la plaignante, retenant que celle-ci souffrait d'une dépression qui aurait pu la conduire au suicide"

Une "loi insuffisante" pour les féministes

Après des années d'atermoiement, une loi contre les violences faites aux femmes a enfin été votée en février 2018 au Maroc et est entrée en vigueur en septembre dernier. La loi 103-13, si elle permet de punir plus facilement les harceleurs, les agresseurs ou encore les remarques à caractère sexiste, a pourtant été jugée largement insuffisante par plusieurs associations féministes. "Cette loi ne modifie que quelques articles du code pénal, alors que celui-ci reste fondamentalement basé sur des concepts obsolètes, comme l'atteinte à la pudeur publique ou la pénalisation des relations sexuelles hors mariage", avait réagi à l'AFP Nouzha Skalli, militante pour l'égalité des sexes et ex-ministre en charge des droits des femmes.

La notion de viol conjugal était la grande absente de ce texte. Pour rendre sa décision, la cour d'appel de Tanger a ainsi dû se baser sur d'autres articles de loi, relate le HuffPost Maroc : les articles 400 et 485 du code pénal marocain relatifs aux violences volontaires et autres "attentats à la pudeur avec violences". Si la loi marocaine continue donc de méconnaitre l'existence de viols au sein du couple, cette décision de justice constitue une réelle avancée pour les femmes marocaines victimes de violences conjugales.

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Au Maroc, une décision de justice reconnaît pour la première fois le viol conjugal

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La cour d'appel de Tanger a condamné un jeune homme à deux ans de prison ferme pour le viol de son épouse. Une décision historique pour le Maroc quelques mois après l'entrée en vigueur d'une nouvelle législation porteuse d'espoir mais jugée insuffisante par les mouvements féministes.

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Rabat - As migration continues to gather international fervor three weeks after world governments met in Marrakech to sign the Global Compact on Migration, Morocco's thousands of sub-Saharan migrants continue to wait in line to reach their "European dream."

Braving Rabat's capricious weather and the gazes of onlookers, a number of sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco's capital have found themselves a sort of refuge in Qamra, a popular neighborhood that houses the city's bus station.

While Morocco takes pride in a "responsible" and "Africa-centered" migration policy, Qamra shows a much blurrier picture.

It is unclear at first sight whether the migrants in Qamra are facing a reluctant world that only perceives them in terms of cost and benefit analysis; whether their lives are eclipsed behind Morocco's policy priorities, or whether their presence is no issue to locals, many of whom donate food and clothing to the migrants.

Despite some degree of friendliness and tolerance, the complete picture of the increasing visibility of sub-Saharans in Morocco offers reasons for caution. Qamra calls for perspective and nuance, a number of migrants told Morocco World News.
Moroccans are 'better racists'
Under the bridge linking Qamra to the chic neighborhood of Al Irfane, seven Guinean migrants have established what they call "home." They eat and sleep there, armed with a buoyant hope of fulfilling their "Boza" dream and royally oblivious to stares and prejudice.

Negotiating the condescension, the indifference, and the generosity of onlookers, but also a number of racist observations on their "black bodies," they continue to live and think of a day when they will live the "European dream."

Alpha Omar, the apparent leader of the group living under the bridge, spoke to Morocco World News about his daily hardships. As forthcoming as a Catholic unburdening himself to a priest during a confession ritual, the Guinean migrant spoke of his long itinerary through West African countries to reach Algeria before being expelled to the Morocco-Algeria border.

"We left Guinea because there was no hope," he says, laughing, his face wearing that unmistakable marker of gravity. His voice grave and sour, as if signifying that he was not exaggerating his story, Omar spoke of the "hell" he and some others went through in Algeria.

"Work is abundant there. We could work there, but at the expense of our lives and security." He suggests that it was impossible to survive Algeria's daily patrols and security checks.
What does that make of Morocco? A better and friendlier place for migrants; a racism-free environment?

It depends on what meaning one ascribes to "better," Omar's friends jumped in the discussion. There is racism in Morocco, they conceded, but not as harsh as in other Arab countries.

"In Algeria, you can make money but you're never safe. Here, jobs are scarce, almost non-existent. But you feel relatively safe, generally free of harm from authorities and Moroccans. Moroccans are better racists," Omar explained.

When asked about Morocco's recent crackdown on irregular migrants in provinces whose proximity to Europe brought droves of migrants to Morocco in the first place, the Guinean seems conciliatory, saying that Morocco is acting in "defense of its interests." But, he regrets, "they have made it hard, impossible for people to try 'Boza.'"
The unfading appeal of hope
The "stubbornness of hope," Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote in her celebrated "Americanah," is that it makes you believe that you're exceptional. The "being exceptional" part was particularly striking in how Omar and his friends approached their Moroccan "stay."

For all of them, Morocco is a necessary scene in a longer play: life in Europe. As they spoke, their voices, words, and elisions were rife with that gleeful aura of someone who not only hoped to make it to the end but was, in fact, convinced that the end will be happy, and worthy of the efforts and struggles.

"Migration is the only hope left," Souleymane, the youngest of the crew living under the bridge, said as he chimed in for the first time.

Guinea's political failures and deepening poverty, he elaborated, herald no prospects of success for "people like us, with no connections in high places in the country." To leave the country then becomes the only way of helping families to emerge from the deep structural and institutionalized poverty befalling many postcolonial societies.

But how can you even have the time to hope, to imagine a happy ending, when you barely have time to live, to reflect; when your surroundings, the squalor you call "home" elicit only a permanent urge to go, no matter where?

Those questions were left unanswered, but the evasions were evocative, pregnant with meaning: to hope, it is enough to be alive; no luxury is required.

"I have a BA in economics," said Mamadou. "But in Guinea, there is no job. So the only hope resides in going, taking with you the prayers and good wishes of those you leave behind. To go is like sacrificing your own life and wellbeing so that others in the family can hope of a life without the same difficulties."

Mamadou, like the others living under the bridge, is from Guinea.

But he doesn't live with Omar's group. "Who told you everyone has a home here?" he asked. "People here sleep wherever they can, wherever they find space they deem appropriate for the night." He points at a number of people lying on the ground, sleeping on generous grass that has become a mattress for many.

Morocco World News met Mamadou in what used to be Qamra's park. Now occupied by hordes of migrants who sleep on the grass, play and cook in the vicinity, the once-park has become the closest thing to "home" or "our place" for Qamra's pack of migrants. They call it "la foret" (the forest), perhaps a veiled reference to the migrants' forest in Tangier.

But while Tangier's "forest" is actually a forest, with all the dangers that life in such a place entails, Qamra's "forest" is mostly made up of grass, wooden benches, and a number of lone and small trees, visibly stubborn enough to convince their occupants that they are indeed in a forest, cut from the outside world.

"You can't bear all these tribulations and ordeal," Mamadou continued, as he recalled his failed attempts-he didn't say an exact number-to cross to Spain. "You can't bear all of this is you're not driven by something, some sort of positive feeling that you'll make it, that somehow God has not allowed all this suffering for no reasons."

This romanticization of immigration, the deliberate choice to ignore the ordeal of irregular migration and focus rather on the financial returns and the possibility of social mobility is reminiscent of sociologist Abdelmalek Sayad's interpretation of his Algerian informants' quite naïve and emphatic idealization of reaching France.

Omar and Mamadou are in some sense a perfect embodiment of neoliberalism' gospel of the self-made man, the much-circulated belief that success can become a reality through resilience and a persevering spirit. "Just as some dream to succeed in life with their good education," Omar said, "mine is to become rich by traveling, migrating to places that offer opportunities."

The teaching of this success gospel can be liberating. It may even be well-meaning to Qamra's migrants and other disenfranchised groups in some other parts of the world, but it is willfully and blatantly oblivious to the effects of class and structural mechanisms of disenfranchisement. It whitewashes the significant extent to which seemingly impartial institutional and structural dispositions have great bearing on people's economic outcomes.

Perhaps that is the whole intended point, to take society out of the picture and put the entire burden on the individual. Qamra's migrants, or the vast majority of them, seem to have bought into the idea: Hope and hard work, despite the uncertainty and the crushing precariousness of life as a migrant, will prevail.

Does it not sound unnecessarily romantic and unrealistic to associate migrants' lives with agency and responsibility when they are clearly acting within boundaries and rules that operate beyond their control, and do not take their lives into consideration?

But Omar has no ears for such intellectual mumbo-jumbo. To him, his daily life is proof that he is "a man," a conscious agent of his choices; and a "fighter." "God willing," he says, seeming to have been taken aback by the seriousness of his own words, "like my other friends who have already crossed to Spain, I, too, will one day make it."
Between victimhood and agency
But that does not mean that Omar and his pack are complacent optimists.

Ingrained in the belief that success can in some way right their countries' failures to grant them decent living conditions, their present life is a constant game of fantasizing about a better future; they dream of changing their circumstances. They hate being called "illegal migrants."

Torn between sub-Saharan Africa, Morocco, and Europe, they have developed complex personal stories, convincing themselves that salvation will come from "Boza," even if that means challenging the jaws of the Atlantic or Mediterranean, and sometimes dying in the process.

What, then, can one say to adequately capture Omar and his friends' lives? Where does one even draw the lines? Are they victims of neoliberal globalization or conscious agents of a battle for a better future? Are they innocent collateral damages of their origin countries' political failures? Do they feel victims of marginalization and discrimination in their host society or rather beneficiaries (actual or imagined) of the many opportunities associated with migration?

Omar and his friends seem to be many of these at the same time. Sometimes, they are even all of these. Migration is a universe of contradictions.

For all that it is worth, Souleymane, the economics graduate, is adamant about his status. He is no victim, he continuously proclaimed, repeating words like "dignity," "respect," and "humanity" like a broken faucet.

Their lives, he suggested, is a walking confusion, a sum of battling, scattered, and confounding selves. He argued that the narrative of victimhood takes away the complexities of migrants' stories. Instead of passive victims ensnared in the grip of lives they did not choose, he urged others to think of him as someone trying his best to escape from the unintended consequences of a conscious choice.

Ansoumane Mara, a sub-Saharan rights activist and blogger residing in Marrakech, agrees with Souleymane. Migration, Mara explained, is more complicated than people may think. Driven by the urge for nuanced analysis, Mara is more interested in "exposing the root causes" of migration.

It doesn't help to unendingly debate whether or not migrants are victims or have agency, or which Western country is pro or anti-migration. "Until we address the causal factors, we will keep on having the same debate," he said.

But who, then, is responsible? How does one even measure responsibility in such a multi-layered and multi-faceted phenomenon?

"It is true that the West, especially France, has a lot to be blamed for. But while neocolonialism can help explain the lot of many African countries, I think African leaders are the primary culprit. African countries' failure to devise working policies and their leaders' lack of concern and love for the youth seem to me to be the prime factors. Did you listen to Macron's speech in Burkina Faso? He clearly suggested that France does what it does in Africa thanks to its loyal and Francophile vassals who are leading Francophone Africa."

It is doubtful whether Omar and his bridge friends were listening to Mara, even though they may have agreed with him.

As Mara bombarded them with questions about how they survive in Morocco (How long have they been in Morocco? What do they eat? How do they make money? Are they in touch with their parents? Do they need some clothes?), Omar replied, "We speak with our parents every now and then."

Sensing Mara's next question, perhaps the point of their conversation, Omar hammered home: "When conditions are ripe for 'Boza,' we will try again. That is what we are here for."

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The Complex Lives of Sub-Saharan Migrants in Morocco

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Rabat - As migration continues to gather international fervor three weeks after world governments met in Marrakech to sign the Global Compact on Migration , Morocco's thousands of sub-Saharan migrants continue to wait in line to reach their "European dream."

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Rabat - Moroccan-French author and activist Jacob Cohen has strongly criticized the Zionist strategy aiming to influence people around the world to justify the occupation of the Palestinian territories.

The author, who was born in Meknes in 1944, criticized Zionism at a lecture under the theme "the Holocaust ... and the Zionist Agenda" held in Rabat on Friday, January 4.

Cohen referred to the as a "new religion" invented by Zionists to influence the world to justify the occupation of Palestine.

He added that the Zionist lobby made the issue of the Holocaust so "existential" and have "prevented historians from talking about the issue unless it is done in a way that satisfies the Zionist agenda."

The agenda, according to Cohen, aims to victimize Jews, and to show that nobody suffered more than them.

The author added that Israeli governments have been presenting the Holocaust as a mean "to spread fear" since the 1970s to turn a blind eye to its massacres against Palestinians

Cohen also criticized the Aladdin project initiated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aimed at introducing Muslims to the realities of the Holocaust.

"Aladdin also set itself the task of highlighting the historical evidence concerning the role of Muslim rulers and citizens who helped the Jews during the Nazi reign of terror, said ProjetAladin.org .

Commenting on the project, Cohen said that the Aladin program shows that "zionists only talk about peace and the ideal of this dream, and even the right to a two-state solution without condemning the occupation."

He also spoke about te "the evil genius of Zionist" and the racist propaganda and deception, recalling the "arbitrary identification of the number of Jewish victims."

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Jewish-Moroccan Author: Holocaust is 'New Religion' to Justify Zionist Occupation of Palestine

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Rabat - Moroccan-French author and activist Jacob Cohen has strongly criticized the Zionist strategy aiming to influence people around the world to justify the occupation of the Palestinian territories. The author, who was born in Meknes in 1944, criticized Zionism at a lecture under the theme "the Holocaust ...

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Rabat - Israel is expected to demand compensation from seven Arab countries for property Jews left behind when they immigrated to Israel.

Jews have reportedly left behind property with $250 billion when they were obliged to leave homes in Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and Yemen for Israel after Israeli independence in 1948.

Israeli Minister for Social Equality Gila Gamliel maintains that the Jews from the seven Arab countries experienced injustice and were forced to flee their countries.

Speaking Saturday on Israeli television channel Hadashot News, Gamliel said, "The time has come to correct the historic injustice against the Jews from Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Yemen, and Iran - countries from which Jews were expelled."

Gamliel added that she will coordinate efforts to obtain the compensation.

The minister estimated that Jews lost $250 billion in real estate when they mass-migrated between 1948 and 1960 to the newly-founded state, according to The Jerusalem Post .

Israel plans to request $35 billion from Tunisia and $15 billion from Libya but has not released the estimated amounts it will seek from other countries.

Israel released the $250 billion estimate in anticipation of the announcement of the Trump administration's long-awaited peace plan for Israel and Palestine.

However, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman announced Sunday that the plan would only be revealed in "several months."

Israel is expected to demand the compensation as a condition of a regional peace deal based on a 2010 Israeli law which states that any peace deal with Arab countries or Iran is contingent on individual Jews or Jewish communities receiving compensation for property they lost in 1948.

Israel has been conducting discrete valuations of Jewish property in the seven countries during the past 18 months.

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Israel to Seek Compensation for Lost Jewish Property in Morocco

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Rabat - Israel is expected to demand compensation from seven Arab countries for property Jews left behind when they immigrated to Israel. Jews have reportedly left behind property with $250 billion when they were obliged to leave homes in Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and Yemen for Israel after Israeli independence in 1948.

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by Zakaria wadghiri

Rabat - A number of activists of the Amazigh ( ) movement in Morocco are demanding that Yennayer, the Amazigh New Year's Day, become a national and public holiday. Such calls have increased since Algeria January 12 a national and public holiday for the first time last year.

Moroccans will celebrate the Amazigh New Year 2969, known as Yennayer in Tamazight (Berber), on January 12. The Amazigh youth organization Tamesna will organize demonstrations outside Parliament in Rabat on Yennayer for the sixth year in a row. Tamesna Coordinator Adil Adaskou told Morocco World News (MWN) that the demonstrators intend to commemorate the popular holiday and to remind Morocco of the Amazigh people's legitimate claims-the official recognition of Yennayer as a national public holiday.

Amazigh activist Mounir Kejji told MWN that the celebration is not new and neither are the demands. "There are celebrations in urban, rural and diaspora communities."

"Morocco should learn from Algeria now. Even their schools are celebrating." Kejji added that raising awareness is important especially since the successive governments have not met the demands.

He continued, "The fact that all organic laws from the 2011 constitution were passed except the ones regarding the officialization of Amazigh and establishing the Languages and Culture National Council shows a lack of political will. We are still not clear on how the current PJD-led government is handling this. The struggle continues for this recognition."

In December, Amina Ben Sheikh a message to King Mohammed VI calling for the recognition of the Amazigh New Year as a public holiday. In her message, Ben Sheikh said that "recognizing the Amazigh New Year as an official national holiday side by side with the other national holidays would restore the spirit and philosophy of the Constitution."

She also recalled the monarch's speech on October 17, 2001, in which he said that the "integration of Tamazight is a national responsibility, for no culture can deny its roots. From these roots, [ Morocco] must embrace openness and reject close-mindedness in order to thrive and develop."

It remains to be seen whether the Moroccan government will meet the demands of Amazigh activists.

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Moroccan Activists Call for Amazigh New Year to Become Amazigh New Year'

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by Zakaria wadghiri Rabat - A number of activists of the Amazigh ( ) movement in Morocco are demanding that Yennayer, the Amazigh New Year's Day, become a national and public holiday. Such calls have increased since Algeria January 12 a national and public holiday for the first time last year.

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Rabat - In an interview with Turkish Anadolu Agency (AA), Moroccan singer-songwriter Nouamane Lahlou shared moments of his life, career, and his opinion on classical Arabic music.

During the interview, Lahlou said that Moroccan Arabic songs are "superficial" and do not reflect the identity of his country, Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah reported January 7.

The 53-year-old singer said that for him, music should reflect the identity and culture of the country's singer.arabic songs

"Arabic songs don't reflect our natural identity. You cannot understand which country you are in when you listen to a [classical] Arabic song," said Lahlou.

Lyrics, for Lahlou, are more important than melody. "Do the lyrics touch on humans and human issues and other religions, and why and how should I sing? Lyrics are more important than music."

Lahlou began his musical career at 5 years old. At the age of 11, he became a member of a musical association called "Nesaim Andalusia."

At the age of 18, Lahlou represented his country in the US with Walt Disney, an event that marked a turning point in his life.

Lahlou wrote and sang many songs featuring Moroccan cities, such as Chefchaouen and Ouazzane in northern Morocco, Fez, Essaouira, and Marrakech. His latest song is about Zagora, a city in southeastern Morocco.

In his songs, Lahlou describes "the beauty of the nature, ancient history and cultural heritage of the cities."

He said that writing one song about a city takes about 1.5 years. "I do research before starting to write a song about a city," Lahlou added.

Lahlou's most popular works are: "Bladi Ya Zin Lboudane" (My Most Beautiful Country) and "Lamdina Laqdima" (Ancient Medina).

Lahlou revealed that his newest song will be about three religions.

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Nouamane Lahlou: Moroccan Classical Arabic Songs Should Reflect Morocco

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Rabat - In an interview with Turkish Anadolu Agency (AA), Moroccan singer-songwriter Nouamane Lahlou shared moments of his life, career, and his opinion on classical Arabic music. During the interview, Lahlou said that Moroccan Arabic songs are "superficial" and do not reflect the identity of his country, Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah reported January 7.

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Rabat - European MP, addressing the European commission in a written note, has said that Europe would benefit more from increased economic integration with Morocco than from only negotiating on select topics.
Winning Morocco's heart
Inmaculada Rodriguez-Piniero Fernandez of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party said in her remarks to the EU commission that a number of Europe's policy successes will need Morocco's full cooperation.

To ensure that the North African country is fully committed to its engagements with Europe, the EU should make bolder political moves in favor of Rabat. Fernandez suggested that Europe would gain stronger support and political will from its non-European neighbors should it succeed in demonstrating how sincerely committed it is to its own "good neighborhood" agenda.

Noting the Euro-Mediterranean integration process launched in 2000, the Spanish MP urged Europe to create resources and opportunities through "sincere cooperation."

As far as Morocco is concerned, Fernandez proposed that Brussels pushes for further integration into the EU Single Market.
Managing migration through opportunities
In addition to bolstering Brussels-Rabat ties on a host of issues-mainly security, migration, agriculture, and food-accepting Rabat in the European common market would create more opportunities and development impetus in Morocco, Fernandez argued.

Fernandez hopes that increased integration, including "legislative convergence," economic integration, and strategic security cooperation, will be more effective in curbing irregular migration than tough policies operating solely on securing borders. Opportunities in migrants' home countries or continent, not heavy-handed border policies, will convince more migrants to stay, Fernandez suggested.

A strong EU and Spanish ally, Morocco has been an important partner for the European political club on migration and security issues. To seal their partnership and bring it to a higher dimension, Brussels and Rabat launched negotiations in March 2013 to "accelerate" economic integration.

The goal was for Morocco to join the EU's Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.

" The overall goal of the negotiations is to create new trade and investment opportunities and ensure a better integration of Morocco's economy into the EU single market. The DCFTA also aims at supporting ongoing economic reforms in Morocco and at bringing the Moroccan legislation closer to that of the EU in trade-related areas ," according to the EU commission. Negotiations are still ongoing.

Fernandez's call comes as Morocco pushes to get more benefits from its cooperation with Europe.

Last week, Spanish media reported that, in addition to the financial and logistic support the EU promised Morocco on migration, the North African country is demanding cooperation on education. El Pais reported that Rabat sent Madrid "a list of demands in exchange for intensifying border control."

"In addition to the 140 million Euros the EU has promised Morocco, the Maghreb country is demanding aid to train workers in key sectors such as tourism and health," the report explained.

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EU MP: Europe Would Gain from Further Integration with Morocco

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Rabat - European MP, addressing the European commission in a written note, has said that Europe would benefit more from increased economic integration with Morocco than from only negotiating on select topics. Winning Morocco's heart Inmaculada Rodriguez-Piniero Fernandez of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party said in her remarks to the EU commission that a number of Europe's policy successes will need Morocco's full cooperation.

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DROITS - "Il a été entendu, ce mardi, par le procureur général près la cour d'appel de Marrakech. Il lui a raconté sa descente aux enfers depuis ce 1er jour de l'an". Le président du Centre national des droits de l'homme au Maroc, Mohamed Elmadimi, raconte au HuffPost Maroc comment son association a pris sous son aile l'homme qui porte malgré lui l'étiquette du "travesti de Marrakech".

Arrêté suite à un accident de circulation survenu aux premières heures du mardi 1er janvier, C.L, âgé d'une trentaine d'années, a été pris en photo alors qu'il portait une robe et du maquillage et qu'il avait les mains menottées. Et depuis, sa vie a basculé, à en croire Elmadimi à qui il a demandé assistance. "Il nous a contacté et nous a raconté le calvaire qu'il est contraint de vivre au quotidien avec sa famille à cause des photos qu'on a pris de lui ce jour-là et qu'il a été choqué de découvrir un peu partout dans les médias et réseaux sociaux", nous explique-t-il.

Le Centre national des droits de l'homme au Maroc, sensible au récit de C.L, lui recommande alors de lui fournir une plainte. "C'est à partir de celle-ci que nous avons saisi la justice en tant qu'association en déposant plainte contre le non respect du secret de l'instruction judiciaire et les mauvais traitements portant atteinte à la dignité", précise le président du centre. La plainte déposée auprès du procureur général au profit de la victime sollicite l'ouverture d'une enquête devant remonter les origines de "la fuite des photos et d'une copie de la carte d'identité et celle militaire" dont disposait cet homme ayant travaillé comme sous-officier avant d'intégrer une clinique de la ville ocre.

"Suite à notre plainte, la victime a été convoquée et auditionnée par le procureur général en personne ce matin durant près de deux heures. C.L a raconté le récit de ce qu'il a vécu et a déposé un certificat médical attestant que son état de santé nécessite un suivi médico-psychologique et un repos de 30 jours", indique le militant, présent au cours de cette audition. Dans celle-ci, "C.L a indiqué être en train d'accomplir une procédure d'asile pour quitter le Maroc, mais avoir été réconforté par l'annonce des sanctions à l'encontre de responsables à la préfecture de police de Marrakech".

En effet, la Direction générale de la sûreté nationale (DGSN) a indiqué, dimanche soir, avoir pris des mesures disciplinaires allant de la suspension provisoire au blâme ou encore à l'avertissement à l'encontre de quatre responsables, un commissaire de police divisionnaire, un commissaire principal, un officier de paix principal et un officier de paix. Ils ont été sanctionnés pour "non respect de leurs obligations professionnelles" et pour "n'avoir pas pris les mesures préventives nécessaires à la protection des données personnelles d'une personne faisant l'objet d'un avis de recherche suite à un accident de circulation".

"C.L a précisé au cours de son audition avoir été baladé dans les commissariats et avoir été pris en photo à l'intérieur même de ceux-ci, ainsi que ses cartes et ses données enregistrées. Il a vécu un abus de pouvoir, privé de sa liberté pendant quatre heures sans l'aval du parquet", fustige ce militant des droits de l'homme. Pour ce dernier, les violations dont a été victime C.L sont nombreuses et ne peuvent être qualifiées que par "la discrimination envers un homme, certes différent, mais citoyen avant tout", estime Mohamed Elmadimi. Et de souligner que, depuis les faits, C.L vit cloîtré chez lui et fait l'objet de menaces et de propos sarcastiques. "Sa mère qui vit à Khouribga et sa famille sont persécutées à cause de cette histoire. Il vit très mal cette situation dans laquelle lui et sa femme risquent de plonger dans la dépression. Il dit être en règle avec tout le monde, qu'il a toujours respecté ses devoirs et avoir aussi des droits. Mais que ce qui lui est arrivé et lui arrive encore ne lui laisse que le choix de partir".

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Une association porte plainte contre l'atteinte à la dignité de l'homme "travesti" de Marrakech

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DROITS - "Il a été entendu, ce mardi, par le procureur général près la cour d'appel de Marrakech. Il lui a raconté sa descente aux enfers depuis ce 1er jour de l'an". Le président du Centre national des droits de l'homme au Maroc, Mohamed Elmadimi, raconte au HuffPost Maroc comment son association a pris sous son aile l'homme qui porte malgré lui l'étiquette du "travesti de Marrakech".

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TERRORISME - Trois individus entre 18 et 31 ans ont été arrêtés, ce mardi 8 janvier, à Nador et Driouch, dans le cadre du démantèlement d'une cellule terroriste. C'est le Bureau central d'investigation judiciaire (BCIJ) relevant de la Direction générale de la surveillance du territoire (DGST), qui a mené cette opération inscrite dans la lutte contre les menaces terroristes en lien avec la dénommée organisation de l'Etat islamique (EI), indique un communiqué du ministère de l'Intérieur.

Dans ce dernier, l'on précise qu'au cours de cette nouvelle opération, ont été saisis des appareils électroniques et des armes blanches, dont des épées, des haches, des lances, deux fusils de chasse et des cartouches. Les agents ont également saisi des uniformes militaires, des armes à feu et des manuscrits faisant l'apologie de l'extrémisme, ainsi que du soufre, des batteries et des fils électriques, précise la même source.

Les premiers éléments de l'enquête montrent que les trois individus sont membres de "Daech", affirme le communiqué. Ils se préparaient à mettre en exécution des opérations terroristes dans le royaume après avoir acquis des compétences en matière de fabrication de bombes, d'engins explosifs et de poisons, poursuit la même source.

Une menace permanente, le terrorisme et l'idéologie extrémiste de "Daech" le sont, pour le Maroc, tient à souligner le ministère de l'Intérieur, précisant que les trois individus seront déférés devant la justice une fois l'enquête achevée.

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Démantèlement d'une cellule terroriste à Nador et Driouch

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TERRORISME - Trois individus entre 18 et 31 ans ont été arrêtés, ce mardi 8 janvier, à Nador et Driouch, dans le cadre du démantèlement d'une cellule terroriste.

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2 262 migrants ont péri en tentant de traverser la Méditerranée en 2018, a fait savoir le Haut Commissariat de l'ONU aux réfugiés (HCR). Une chiffre en baisse par rapport à 2017 ( 3 139 personnes).

La même année, 113 482 personnes ont pu atterrir en Europe par la mer, via l'Espagne en premier lieu (5 756 arrivées en 2018 contre 22 103 en 2017).

Avec le durcissement de sa politique migratoire, l'Italie enregistre une baisse des arrivées: 23 371 arrivées contre 119 369 en 2017, soit moins que la Grèce qui a assisté à l'arrivée par la mer de 32 497 personnes.

Les migrants viennent principalement de la Guinée(13.068 personnes), puis le Maroc (12.745), suivie par le Mali (10.347).

Côté tunisien, les drames se sont succédés cette année. Cet été, des dizaines de jeunes ont trouvé la mort, noyés à Kerkennah, lors de la traversée de la mer Méditerranée.

Pour éviter ces incidents, l'Europe souhaiterait installer une sorte de plateforme d'accueil où les migrants viendront déposer leurs demandes d'asile avant d'être autorisés ou non à entrer en Europe.

Une solution déjà décriée par la diplomatie tunisienne: "Nous sommes naturellement contre la mise en place de 'plateformes de débarquements'. Cela n'a pas été proposé à la Tunisie, et s'ils le proposent, nous pensons qu'il y a d'autres comportements pour résoudre cette crise migratoire", avait avancé Khemaies Jhinaoui, le ministère des Affaires étrangères.

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2 262 personnes ont péri en traversant la Méditerranée en 2018

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2 262 migrants ont péri en tentant de traverser la Méditerranée en 2018, a fait savoir le Haut Commissariat de l'ONU aux réfugiés (HCR). Une chiffre en baisse par rapport à 2017 ( 3 139 personnes).

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Rabat - Child marriage continues to be an issue in Morocco despite the country's attempt to curb underage marriage, especially for girls, by raising the legal marriage age from 16 to 18 in Article 20 of the 2004 Mudawana (Family Code).

Child marriages can be legalized if the family gets a waiver for the minor. The number of waiver requests for minors increased to 41,669 in 2015, compared to 38,331 in 2007 , according to the Moroccan High Commission of Planning (HCP).

Ninety-nine percent of the requests were for female minors. Among the requests made, adouls (notaries) accepted 85 percent and rejected 15 percent.

The " Droit & Justice ," an organization specializing in promoting "Rule of Law" in Morocco found that 30,000 female minors get married each year in Morocco .

The organization revealed that of the 33,253 marriage contracts in 2009 and 35,152 in 2013 in Morocco, a total of 30,000 involved females under the age of eighteen.

The study suggested that the increase in marriages of minors in Morocco goes back to the influence of traditional customs and to a crisis of deteriorated values.

While some families may instill the desire for early marriage in their children at a young age, others may pressure their daughters or sons into marrying young.

According to the 2018 global estimates of child marriages by , the practice of child marriage has continued to decline in the past 10 years as 25 million child marriages have been prevented.

"The global number of child brides is now estimated at 650 million. 12 million is the number of girls married in childhood each year, according to the latest prevalence and population figures," wrote UNICEF.

Women are marrying younger, men are marrying older

The average marriage age for women in Morocco is 25.

The HCP report noted that between 2004 and 2014, the average marriage age for females dropped from 26 to 25. Meanwhile for men, it has increased from the age of 30 to 31 between 1994 and 2014.

Regionally, the Guelmim-Oued Noun region in southern Morocco has the oldest average age for marriage. Women marry in their late 20s and men in their early 30s in the region.

Women mostly marry in their early 20s and men in their 30s in the regions of Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab and Draa-Tafilalet.

While the report stated that the statistics did not observe the fertility rate for women in Morocco, it indicated that 67 percent of women were using birth control in 2011.

The celibacy rate has risen in Morocco in the past two decades, particularly in cities.

The rate of people who prefer to stay single throughout their lives increased from 2.9 percent in 1994 to 5.1 percent in 2014 for men and from 0.8 percent to 6.7 percent for women.

In urban areas, it has increased to 5.9 percent for men and 8 percent for women.

Despite the 2004 Mudawana's Article 20 that criminalizes the marriage of Moroccan citizens under the age of 18, child marriage is increasing.

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Study: Child Marriages in Morocco Are Increasing

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Rabat - Child marriage continues to be an issue in Morocco despite the country's attempt to curb underage marriage, especially for girls, by raising the legal marriage age from 16 to 18 in Article 20 of the 2004 Mudawana (Family Code). Child marriages can be legalized if the family gets a waiver for the minor.

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Rabat - Morocco ranked 37th most dangerous according to crime perception out of 118 countries in the Numbeo website's 2019 Crime Index. Morocco came fifth in the Arab world and 12th in Africa. The report ranked Morocco among the countries with medium crime rates with a score of 50.2 points in the crime prevalence index and 49.7 points in the security index. Morocco scored 48.8 in the crime prevalence index in 2017. The index is based on such criteria as homicide and robbery. Countries rank on a scale from 0 to 100.

topped the list of countries with high crime with a score of 83. Papua New Guinea and Honduras came second and third. Qatar ranked last with the lowest crime rate at 13, right before Japan, the UAE, and Taiwan.

is a global crowdsourced database of consumer price, crime rate, health, and other statistics. Mladen Adamovic, formerly of Google, founded Numbeo in 2009. Numbeo's data are based on perceptions of their website's visitors over the past three years.

In 2018, the of people arrested in Morocco red-handed or on the basis of a search warrant reached 554,202 individuals, while the number of criminal cases totaled 584,516, according to Morocco's General Directorate of National Security (DGSN).

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Numbeo: Morocco Perceived 37th Most Dangerous Country in the World

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Rabat - Morocco ranked 37th most dangerous according to crime perception out of 118 countries in the Numbeo website's 2019 Crime Index. Morocco came fifth in the Arab world and 12th in Africa. The report ranked Morocco among the countries with medium crime rates with a score of 50.2 points in the crime prevalence index and 49.7 points in the security index.

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POLITIQUE - Le Maroc est le troisième pays le plus démocratique de la région Moyen-Orient/Afrique du Nord (MENA) selon l'agence britannique The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) qui classe, dans un rapport annuel, l'indice de démocratie des pays du monde. Le royaume se classe 100e à l'échelle mondiale, gagnant une place par rapport à l'année 2017.

La région MENA constitue chaque année la région où les taux d'indice de démocratie sont les moins performants. Après un calcul basé sur soixante critères divisés en cinq catégories, les pays sont répertoriés selon quatre régimes: démocratique, démocratique imparfait, hybride et autoritaire. La notation quant à elle se fait selon une échelle allant de 0 à 10.

Troisième démocratie du monde arabe avec la note de 4,99, derrière Israël, à la première place du classement avec la note de 7,79 et la Tunisie, deuxième avec 6,41, le Maroc est considéré par l'EIU comme un pays au régime dit "hybride". Néanmoins, avec une progression nette de son indice depuis 2006, selon l'organisme, le royaume ne parvient jamais à dépasser la moyenne.

Avec un régime "hybride", à savoir un pays où "les élections comportent des irrégularités importantes qui les empêchent souvent d'être à la fois
libres et justes, où les pressions exercées par le gouvernement sur les partis et candidats de l'opposition peuvent être courante, où la corruption a tendance à être généralisée et l'état de droit est faible", le processus électoral et le pluralisme au Maroc obtiennent un score de 5,25 sur 10. Pour les libertés civiles, la note est en deçà de la moyenne et atteint seulement 4,41 sur 10. Le fonctionnement du gouvernement obtient le score de 4,64, la participation politique 5,00 et la culture politique 5,63 sur 10.

Les causes de cette moyenne faible? La classe politique et la stratégie de développement actuelle du gouvernement, indique l'agence britannique. "Au Maroc, le taux de participation aux dernières élections législatives de 2016 était également inférieur à 50%. Cependant, les élites du monde politique et des affaires font toujours face à une montée du mécontentement de la population à l'échelle nationale suite à une hausse des coûts de la vie, exacerbée par une campagne réussie dans les médias sociaux appelant les Marocains à boycotter
plusieurs produits de grande consommation" relève, dans le détail de son rapport, l'EIU au sujet du mouvement populaire de boycott qui a frappé le Maroc en avril dernier.

L'EIU évoque également la crise du Hirak, en soulignant que "le roi a tenté de répondre aux griefs populaires en accordant une grâce royale en août 2018 à plus de 180 personnes arrêtées lors de manifestations dans la région du Rif, en 2017. Il a également critiqué la stratégie de développement actuelle du gouvernement", peut-on lire. "Cependant, il est peu probable que les causes sous-jacentes des troubles (tels que l'enchevêtrement de la politique et des grandes entreprises et l'inégalité généralisée) soient pleinement traitées à court terme".

Dans le classement de la région MENA, nos voisins algériens se placent à la 9e place et à la 126e place mondiale. La Libye, 154e au classement mondial, occupe le 16ème rang régional, tandis que la Mauritanie (119e) arrive au 24e rang. Ces trois pays sont classés parmi les pays aux régimes dits "autoritaires".

Enfin, au classement mondial, les pays nordiques ont le vent en poupe et sont considérés comme de vraies démocraties. Ainsi, la Norvège occupe la première place, suivie de l'Islande, de la Suède, de la Nouvelle Zélande et du Danemark. Les mauvais élèves du classement sont, sans surprise, le Tchad (163e), la République centrafricaine, la République démocratique du Congo, la Syrie et la Corée du Nord (167e).

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Le Maroc, troisième pays le plus démocratique du monde arabe selon un rapport

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POLITIQUE - Le Maroc est le troisième pays le plus démocratique de la région Moyen-Orient/Afrique du Nord (MENA) selon l'agence britannique The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) qui classe, dans un rapport annuel, l'indice de démocratie des pays du monde. Le royaume se classe 100e à l'échelle mondiale, gagnant une place par rapport à l'année 2017.

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Rabat - In 2012, Moroccans dedicated 6 hours and 40 minutes of their day to free time. Activities like surfing the internet and watching television took up the most time, according to a survey by Morocco's High Commission for Planning (HCP).

The survey reveals how Moroccans spend their free time.

The study, conducted between 2011 and 2012, shows that Moroccans spend 84 percent of their free time doing six principal practices: Watching television (2 hours 14 minutes), religious practices (59 minutes), napping (43 minutes), idleness (38 minutes), discussions (37 minutes), and hosting or visiting (26 minutes).

Moroccans aged 15 and above spend on average 2 hours and 14 minutes watching television, or 33.6 percent of their free time. They only spend 2 minutes in practicing sports or reading.

Children devote 3 hours daily to watching television, an average of 43.6 percent of their free time. However, they only spend 2 minutes practicing sports and one minute reading.

Social media networks are the main platforms children use on the internet, while they only devote 5 percent of their internet usage to educational research.

Children spend more time browsing, an average of 12 minutes daily, surpassing adults whose daily average browsing is 4 minutes.

Television, radio, and internet are the youth's major means of opening up to the rest of the world. Sixty-eight percent of youth stated they watch television or listen to the radio on a regular basis.

Internet use was moderate among youth in 2012. As many as 61.8 percent of men never used it, compared to 77.8 percent of women.

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Moroccans Spend 2 Hours Watching TV, 2 Minutes Reading, Exercising

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Rabat - In 2012, Moroccans dedicated 6 hours and 40 minutes of their day to free time. Activities like surfing the internet and watching television took up the most time, according to a survey by Morocco's High Commission for Planning (HCP). The survey reveals how Moroccans spend their free time.

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Rabat - According to a study by the High Commission for Planning ( HCP) based on interviews with Moroccan households, 82 percent of households said that they will be unable to save in the next twelve months.

Describing households who do not expect to save as "pessimistic" about their financial situation, HCP showed the balance of opinion between households who expressed negative opinions versus the ones who expressed positive opinions.

In the fourth quarter of 2018, the balance of opinion was - 63 points, slightly better than the -65 points in the quarter before it, but worse than the -59 points a year earlier.

The rate of households who reported that food prices increased in the last twelve months was 90.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018. As few as 0.1 percent of households believe that food prices decreased.

The balance of opinion on food prices remained negative at -88 points in the previous quarter and -89 points a year before.

For the next twelve months, 86.9 percent of households think that food prices will continue to rise, but only 0.3 percent believe the prices will decrease.

The perceptions of Moroccan households regarding the rise of food prices is not a surprise.

In the beginning of only 21 percent of households expected to save money in the coming year, whereas 79 percent said that they would be unable to save, according to HCP.

Last year, households anticipated higher food prices, deterioration of their living standards, and inability to save money and purchase durable goods.

The households' predictions played out in the April 2018 that targeted three major companies, Afriquia gasoline, Centrale Danone (dairy products), and Sidi Ali (mineral water), due to high prices.

The boycott campaign was a way for Moroccans to say that the daily living expenses weighed on their shoulders.

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Moroccans Are Pessimistic About Their Ability to Save Money in 2019

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Rabat - According to a study by the High Commission for Planning ( HCP) based on interviews with Moroccan households, 82 percent of households said that they will be unable to save in the next twelve months.

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GASOIL - Avec 1,07 dollar le litre, le Maroc est le pays du Maghreb où le carburant est le plus cher. C'est ce que révèle une étude du Global Petrol Prices, site référençant le prix de l'essence dans plus d'une centaine de pays, dont le Maroc.

Ainsi, si au Maroc le litre de carburant coûte en moyenne 1,07 dollar, les Tunisiens eux paient 0,68 dollar le leur. Des chiffres qui sont cependant loin devant ceux des Algériens, qui ne paient que 0,33 dollar leur litre de carburant, ce qui fait également de ce pays un de ceux où le carburant est le plus bas au monde, en cinquième position derrière le Venezuela (0,01), le Soudan (0,13), l'Iran (0,29) et le Koweit (0,34).

Le Maroc n'est cependant pas le pays arabe le moins bien loti. Si le royaume est le troisième pays arabe où l'essence est la plus chère, il est dépassé par le Yémen et son 1,58 dollar par litre à la pompe et la Jordanie et son 1,28 dollar.

Chute depuis décembre 2018

Malgré ces chiffres, les prix du carburant ont connu une large baisse depuis octobre 2018, où il était estimé à 11,46 dirhams. Le carburant a ainsi baissé de 4 dirhams en moins de trois mois, arrivant à 10,21 dirhams en janvier 2019, suivant une tendance mondiale.

Selon Global Petrol Prices, le prix moyen du carburant dans le monde est de 1,08 dollar par litre. Ces derniers affirment également qu'en règle générale, "les pays riches ont des prix plus élevés que les pays pauvres ou ceux produisant et exportant du pétrole".

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Le Maroc est le pays du Maghreb où le carburant est le plus cher

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GASOIL - Avec 1,07 dollar le litre, le Maroc est le pays du Maghreb où le carburant est le plus cher. C'est ce que révèle une étude du Global Petrol Prices, site référençant le prix de l'essence dans plus d'une centaine de pays, dont le Maroc.

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Rabat - Islamist MP Amina Maelainine has acknowledged the authenticity of widely-circulated pictures of her without a hijab, compelling a u-turn move from Morocco's Islamist establishment.

When pictures emerged weeks ago depicting Morocco'sJustice and Development Party ( PJD) MP Amina Maelainine in jeans and T-shirt and without her hijab in front of Le Moulin Rouge, a Parisian cabaret, the Islamist MP was adamant that the photographs were "fake" and "fabricated."

Maelainine said the pictures were a montage from Islamism-hostile circles that wanted to defame her, harm her public image, and ruin her political career.

According to a recent report from Moroccan outlet , however, the Islamist MP "has been compelled to recognize that the pictures were real."

Personal is not political

Without giving details about what made Maelainine back down from her denials, the newspaper suggested that the controversy had reached a point where both the party and the MP opted for damage control instead of continued denials.

Despite the MP's threats of suing her most vocal "defamers," critics were adamant that the pictures were real, suggesting that they were ready to go to any length to prove the PJD's and Maelainine's "hypocrisy" and "fraud."

So she had to mitigate the damage or get caught in a dispute that would have cost her and the party more than a slightly bruised public image, Le 360 suggested.

But even while "confessing," Maelainine did not bow to critics' "intrusion" into her private life. Like in her denial post a week ago, she suggested that her public actions as an MP should not interfere with her personal tastes or choices.

"Having suffered all these attacks and having seen the robust means deployed to harm my reputation, I am more than ever convinced that the path to militancy must be followed with determination and commitment. The battle should be fought in Morocco or abroad, with or without a veil, for the sake of democracy, freedom, justice, and human rights."

Hijab not a PJD requirement

Both Maelainine's acknowledgment of the pictures' authenticity and her defense of her politics and convictions have raised eyebrows in Morocco' s secular and Islamist circles.

While secularists tend to feel satisfaction at unearthing the "contradictions of the Islamists," Islamists are having a hard time processing Maelainine's latest position. Condemning "extravagant" and "suggestive" clothing is part of Islamist ideology, blending the personal and the public expression of selfhood in one single basket of "virtue" and "religiosity."

But such ideological reckoning was not the most interesting part of the latest developments in the Maelainine affair. The interesting part, should Le 360's report be confirmed, is the u-turn that the MP's "confession" has provoked in the PJD establishment.

Maelainine is considered to be close to Abdelilah Benkirane, the former head of government and PJD leader who is still a party mogul. According to the newspaper, Benkirane spoke to his protege in the heat of the controversies about her Parisian adventure.

"Before anything else, I blame you for failing to come to me first for advice as soon as the scandal broke out," the PJD mogul reportedly told the MP. Had Maelainine spoken to him first, Benkirane went on, he would have told her that "the choice to veil or not was hers alone."

Whether the pictures were real or not, the former PJD boss elaborated, Maelainine should have responded to her "detractors" that her choice to take off the veil abroad was "no one's business."

He added: "Tell them that, if your husband does not like that choice, he should ask for divorce; if you owe anyone anything, they should come and claim it; if you violate the law, let them punish you; if you do not respect a party commitment, let them challenge you. But since putting on the veil has nothing to do with any of those, it is a personal matter that depends on you alone."

The "unlikely" support from Benkirane, the newspaper argued, boosted Maelainine's morale, resulting in the defying militancy and conviction-riddled statement she went on to post on her Facebook.

A tale of Islamists vs. leftists

The Maelainine case is hardly the first time that Moroccans have called out PJD politicians for hypocrisy. In September 2018, interior minister and PJD member Mohamed Yatim came under criticism when he appeared on a Paris street with a young woman.

Yatim said the woman was his fiancee, but critics were unimpressed. The PJD minister received backlash for his party's "bogus" and "self-righteous" platform thriving on "moralization" and "profiteering."

In addition to rising to Maelainine's defense in their reported meeting aimed at calming the controversy tides, Benkirane tried to minimize the probability of such occurrences in the future.

"If my daughter tells me she wants to take off her hijab, I will tell her that the choice is all hers.... I have often said that wearing the hijab is no precondition for being a PJD member. We have even tried to have unveiled female candidates run in elections," Benkirane said, apparently departing from the morality-obsessed party that the PJD has traditionally been.

But as PJD's endorsement of autonomous choices comes amid controversies targeting "important" party members, it is questionable whether critics were listening.

The PJD has generally been unapologetic with Moroccan leftists' lifestyle. And as PJD now calibrates its platform, the country's leftists are laughing off the party's "liberal-clothed" statements, reinforcing perception of the Islamist party as "hypocritical."

Nabila Mounib, general secretary of the Unified Socialist Party, said at a party meeting in Tangier on Wednesday that she was "intrigued" to know what Islamic tenet accepts that women be free in Paris but "wear a bag" in Morocco.

"Hypocrites will burn in the ninth chamber of hell," Mounib said, apparently using PJD's own reference points to lambast it. "It has become necessary to denounce Islamists' contradictions. Religion is no one's property and we cannot accept ... that our society be Islamized."

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Maelainine Affair: Morocco's PJD on Defense amid "Hypocrisy" Accusations

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Rabat - Islamist MP Amina Maelainine has acknowledged the authenticity of widely-circulated pictures of her without a hijab, compelling a u-turn move from Morocco's Islamist establishment. When pictures emerged weeks ago depicting Morocco'sJustice and Development Party ( PJD) MP Amina Maelainine in jeans and T-shirt and without her hijab in front of Le Moulin Rouge, a Parisian cabaret, the Islamist MP was adamant that the photographs were "fake" and "fabricated."

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By Carolina McCaber

Rabat - In the December regional elections, Spain's Vox party won parliamentary seats in Andalusia for the first time. The party caters to Spain's far-right through anti-immigrant, nationalist, and anti-feminist policies.

The party advocates for increased border security and hopes to add a large wall to the already existing barriers surrounding the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. Some immigrants crossing from Morocco to Spain try to enter the Spanish enclaves by scaling the fences that mark the border.

Spain relies on the efforts of Moroccan authorities to stop migrants from traveling to Spain either through Ceuta and Melilla or crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. However, the number of migrants arriving to Spain continues to increase. According to the International Organization for Migration, in 2017, the number of migrants reaching Spain almost tripled to nearly 22,000 and the number of drownings off the coast of Spain almost doubled.

Spain received the most migrants by sea of all European countries in 2018. Most of the migrants landed in Spain's southern region of Andalusia. The increased number of migrant arrivals in the region led to greater anti-immigrant sentiment.

The Vox party desires to protect and defend Spain from immigrants, Catalan and Basque nationalists, and the European Union.
'100 measures to keep Spain alive'
In October, the Vox party released its "100 measures to keep Spain alive," which in part rejected immigration. Vox advocates for the deportation of migrants who entered Spain illegally, permanent entry bans, and a policy which conditions aid to other countries on their acceptance of repatriated immigrants with criminal records.

In addition to the policy changes, the party prioritizes a wall along the borders of the Spanish exclaves and wishes to strengthen Spanish armed forces.

The party wants country immigration quotas favoring nationalities who speak Spanish and share "significant cultural and friendship ties with Spain." Additionally, Vox plans to control the flow of immigration depending on economic needs and the adaptability and integration of new arrivals. For immigrants who enter Spain illegally, Vox wants them to "be permanently ineligible for legal status, and thus ineligible for any form of state aid."

In addition to an anti-immigrant rhetoric, the party is against Islamic fundamentalism. Vox hopes to "shut down fundamentalist mosques" and to "arrest and deport extremist imams." The party also calls for Spain to return to centralized political control. The desired change in political control would revoke the administrative autonomy of the country's 17 regions.

Citing weak leadership in the Popular party, some supporters have found the competitive leadership they desire in Vox's leader, Santiago Abascal. Yet, some analysts believe Vox's anti-immigrant rhetoric may not resonate with voters from outside the region of Andalusia, where Vox gained its parliamentary seats.

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Spain's Vox Party Wants 'Insurmountable Wall' Around Ceuta, Melilla

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By Carolina McCaber Rabat - In the December regional elections, Spain's Vox party won parliamentary seats in Andalusia for the first time. The party caters to Spain's far-right through anti-immigrant, nationalist, and anti-feminist policies. The party advocates for increased border security and hopes to add a large wall to the already existing barriers surrounding the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

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Des médecins marocains refusent de délivrer le "certificat de virginité" exigé par certaines familles avant le mariage. Ils le jugent humiliant pour les jeunes filles, inefficace, source de problèmes sanitaires et de traumatismes.

Photo prise le 4 février 2018 devant l'hôpital Hassani de la ville marocaine de Nador. (STRINGER / AFP)

Selon le journal (lien en arabe), cité par Bladi, des médecins marocains exerçant aussi bien dans le secteur public que privé, refusent désormais de fournir le certificat de virginité exigé par certaines familles du futur mari ou par ce dernier lui-même. Ils invoquent trois raisons pour expliquer leur refus de pratiquer le test de virginité : rabaissant pour les femmes, inefficace et source de problèmes physiques et psychologiques. Juridiquement, le certificat de virginité n'a aucune valeur légale au Maroc.

En octobre 2018, l'Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS), le Conseil des droits de l'Homme et l'ONU Femmes ont unanimement condamné, dans un communiqué conjoint (lien en anglais), le test de virginité. Il est " une violation des droits fondamentaux des filles et des femmes et peut être préjudiciable à leur bien-être physique, psychologique et social. L'examen peut être douloureux, humiliant et traumatisant. Etant donné que ces procédures sont inutiles et potentiellement dommageables, il est contraire à l'éthique pour les médecins ou autres prestataires de santé de les entreprendre. De telles procédures ne doivent jamais être effectuées", ont-ils tranché.

Selon les organisations onusiennes, ces examens sont notamment pratiqués en Afrique du Nord, en Inde, en Indonésie, au Brésil, en Afrique subsaharienne, mais aussi en Irlande du Nord et en Grande-Bretagne. Les deux méthodes les plus répandues pour "tester la virginité" sont l'inspection de l'hymen ou l'insertion de deux doigts. Chacune de ces méthodes se base sur l'idée - fausse - que l'apparence de l'appareil génital féminin est un indicateur d'activité sexuelle.

L'armée marocaine n'a pas l'intention de pratiquer le test de virginité

Bladi rappelle qu'en août 2018, alors que le gouvernement venait d'annoncer le rétablissement du service militaire pour les hommes et les femmes, plusieurs rumeurs faisaient état d'un test de virginité exigé par l'armée pour toutes les femmes appelées. Le gouvernement avait dû intervenir pour démentir catégoriquement l'infox.

Votre avis est précieux.

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Maroc : des médecins refusent de pratiquer le test de virginité

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Des médecins marocains refusent de délivrer le "certificat de virginité" exigé par certaines familles avant le mariage. Ils le jugent humiliant pour les jeunes filles, inefficace, source de problèmes sanitaires et de traumatismes.

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SOCIÉTÉ - Dans le passé, le rôle des services de renseignements se limitait à contrôler les opposants, à suivre leurs mouvements et à connaître leurs plans, dans le but de sauvegarder la sécurité du pays et sa stabilité politique. Au cours des dernières années, leur rôle a évolué. Dans de nombreux pays, ils ont contribué à l'élaboration de politiques publiques et formulé des recommandations aux décideurs, par exemple en matière de lutte contre le terrorisme et la criminalité organisée, pour éviter d'éventuels risques futurs.

A cet égard, la Direction générale de la surveillance du territoire (DGST) est un organe compétent pour jouer ce rôle, étant donné l'expérience qu'il a accumulée au cours du temps, que ce soit en matière de lutte contre l'extrémisme, contre le terrorisme ou contre la criminalité organisée et transfrontalière. Cela lui a d'ailleurs valu une réputation internationale, comme en témoigne le rapport des Nations Unies publié en septembre 2015, qui a estimé que le Maroc dispose de l'organe de renseignements le plus puissant du monde arabe, à la fois en termes de professionnalisme, que dans le cadre de ses opérations préventives visant à contrecarrer un nombre important de projets terroristes.

Le Maroc est plus que jamais menacé par le fléau du terrorisme, ce qui exige de ses services de sécurité qu'ils soient vigilants et proactifs pour recueillir des informations et prendre des mesures rapides et efficaces.

Dans ce cadre, le Maroc a créé un système de sécurité solide, le Bureau central d'investigations judiciaires (BCIJ), chargé de traiter les crimes et délits prévus par l'article 108 du code de procédure pénale, notamment le banditisme, le trafic de stupéfiants, le trafic d'armes et d'explosifs, le terrorisme, l'atteinte à la sûreté de l'Etat et la falsification de la monnaie. Cette nouvelle structure comprend l'élite des services de police ayant suivi une formation de qualité en matière juridique et professionnelle.

Le BCIJ a procédé au démantèlement de nombreuses cellules terroristes coordonnant avec les organisations Al Qaïda et Daesh au Maghreb et au Sahel, raison pour laquelle nous pouvons affirmer que la politique sécuritaire marocaine dans la lutte contre l'extrémisme et le terrorisme a donné des résultats tangibles, et représente un modèle à suivre pour les pays de la région.

Aussi, les intérêts marocains en matière de sécurité sont confrontés à des défis majeurs à l'avenir en raison des changements auxquels le monde assiste sur le plan politique, économique et sécuritaire, en raison du phénomène croissant du terrorisme et de la criminalité organisée, et du développement rapide des technologies de l'information et les différents moyens de communication qui ont contribué à l'émergence de ce qu'on appelle le "terrorisme électronique", qui a un impact très dangereux sur la sécurité et la stabilité du pays.

Ces défis futurs auxquels le Maroc sera confronté nécessiteront l'adoption d'une politique stratégique consistant à identifier les acteurs dans la lutte contre l'extrémisme et le terrorisme, à faire appel à des experts en sécurité et éventuellement dans d'autres domaines, à rassembler les informations requises, à définir la vision stratégique et les objectifs, les facteurs de réussite et d'échec, à analyser les données et informations, et enfin à faire des évaluations au cours de l'exécution de cette stratégie.

La planification stratégique pourra permettre au service de renseignements d'avoir une vision claire à l'avenir, de déterminer les mesures à prendre, d'utiliser d'une façon optimale les ressources et les capacités, de hiérarchiser les priorités, de cibler les besoins, et d'éliminer les causes et les activités pouvant conduire à l'extrémisme et au terrorisme, en fournissant aux organes de l'État les informations nécessaires pour formuler des politiques et prendre des décisions adéquates.

Une telle planification devrait reposer sur une vision claire, prenant en considération les points suivants:

1. Etablir une coopération entre les différents organes de sécurité et de renseignements au Maroc et coordonner leurs actions pour faire face aux difficultés et problèmes d'intérêt commun, en raison de l'incapacité d'un tel organe à faire face aux défis futurs individuellement.

2. Contrôler régulièrement les activités douteuses à travers les moyens d'information et de communication (Internet, réseaux sociaux...) , compte tenu de la capacité des organisations terroristes de les utiliser de manière à nuire à la sécurité et à la stabilité de l'État.

3. Exploiter les ressources humaines efficaces et développer leurs compétences culturelles, économiques, politiques et techniques afin de pouvoir faire face aux changements et aux transformations survenus au niveau national et international, en matière de lutte contre l'extrémisme et le terrorisme .

Enfin, il convient de noter que la création du Conseil suprême de sécurité, au titre de l'article 54 de la Constitution de 2011, jouera certainement un rôle important dans la conception et la planification des politiques de sécurité afin de relever les défis majeurs dont le Maroc a pris conscience, ainsi que les défis de la mondialisation du terrorisme et du crime organisé.

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BLOG - Face au terrorisme, les défis des services sécuritaires marocains

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SOCIÉTÉ - Dans le passé, le rôle des services de renseignements se limitait à contrôler les opposants, à suivre leurs mouvements et à connaître leurs plans, dans le but de sauvegarder la sécurité du pays et sa stabilité politique. Au cours des dernières années, leur rôle a évolué.

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ÉTATS-UNIS - Le 26 décembre, Donald Trump, et son épouse Melania, se sont rendus en Irak pour une visite surprise aux troupes américaines stationnées dans ce pays. Un périple de moins de 24 heures pour le couple présidentiel, effectué à bord de l'Air Force One.

Un itinéraire bien différent de celui de Franklin Delano Roosevelt, qui, en 1943, a non seulement inauguré la tradition de visites présidentielles aux troupes américaines en zone de conflit à l'étranger, a aussi été le premier président des États-Unis à prendre un avion.

Comme l'explique Paul M. Sparrow, directeur de la bibliothèque présidentielle FDR au Washington Post, le périple de Roosevelt était en effet bien différent de celui de Donald Trump, si ce n'est que son déplacement avait également été tenu secret.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, selon la même source, avait ainsi d'abord fait croire aux journalistes qu'il se rendait dans sa résidence secondaire, dans le nord de l'État de New York, avant de prendre secrètement un train à Baltimore le menant à Miami, d'où il a embarqué dans un premier avion. Commencera alors un périple qui ferait trembler tout aérodromophobe.

Parti de Washington le 9 janvier, il arrivera à Casablanca le 14 janvier. Le voyage de Franklin D. Roosevelt aura duré cinq jours au total, souligne le Washington Post. Le journal américain explique que le président démocrate a d'abord effectué un premier voyage de 10 heures vers les îles de Trinité-et-Tobago, avant de se rendre au Brésil, au terme de 9 heures de vol, puis en Gambie. Son quatrième et dernier vol le conduira enfin à Casablanca, après encore 11 heures passées dans les airs.

Visite surprise

Ce voyage présidentiel avait pour but essentiel de réunir le président américain avec le Premier ministre anglais, Winston Churchill, et Charles De Gaulle, avec leurs "commandements militaires", pour discuter de la stratégie des Alliés. Une réunion désormais connue sous le nom de la Conférence de Casablanca (ou d'Anfa), alors que le Maroc est encore sous protectorat français. À cette occasion, Mohammed V avait défendu pour la première fois l'indépendance du Maroc auprès des Etats-Unis.

Le président américain profitera de son voyage pour visiter quelques soldats stationnés à Casablanca et Rabat, rapporte le journal américain. Une surprise pour ces derniers qui ne s'attendaient pas à voir arriver le président américain à bord d'une jeep.

Après avoir rendu visite à plusieurs compagnies et dîné avec des représentants des officiers, le périple de Roosevelt se terminera au cimetière militaire de Mehdia, où il rendra hommage aux soldats américains qui y sont enterrés.

Comme le rapporte le Washington Post, un futur président a accompagné FDR pendant ce déplacement: Dwight Eisenhower. Durant sa première campagne présidentielle, il fera d'ailleurs de la visite aux troupes à l'étranger une promesse de campagne qui sera respectée par Eisenhower et presque tous ses successeurs, jusqu'à ce jour.

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Quand Roosevelt rendait visite aux troupes américaines au Maroc

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ÉTATS-UNIS - Le 26 décembre, Donald Trump, et son épouse Melania, se sont rendus en Irak pour une visite surprise aux troupes américaines stationnées dans ce pays. Un périple de moins de 24 heures pour le couple présidentiel, effectué à bord de l'Air Force One.

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MISE AU POINT - Éviter une polémique. C'est dans ce but que la Fédération marocaine des associations des boulangeries et pâtisseries modernes et traditionnelles a réagi aux annonces affichées par deux pâtisseries dans la région d'Agadir. Sur leurs vitrines, les pâtisseries "Rayhana" et "Pain de mie", toutes deux situées à Aït Melloul, préviennent qu'elles "ne mettront pas en vente des gâteaux et pâtisseries de nouvel an", en allusion à un refus de célébrer une fête chrétienne. Une initiative qui a très vite créé le buzz sur les réseaux sociaux, où les pour et contre se sont affrontés par commentaires interposés.

Inquiétude à la fédération professionnelle du secteur, qui n'a pas tardé à publier un communiqué pour dénoncer ce genre d'attitude, qu'elle qualifie "d'excès de zèle sans intérêt" qui ne peut "en aucun cas représenter l'avis des professionnels et propriétaires des boulangeries et pâtisseries". Et de rappeler que ces professionnels sont au service de tous les clients, "sans exception aucune", quelle que soit leur provenance et leur appartenance.

"Je suis convaincu que ce genre d'attitude ne peut servir le pays, surtout dans le contexte actuel où son tourisme et ses investissements étrangers sont visés", déclare au HuffPost Maroc le président du conseil de cette fédération, Noureddine Lafif. C'est lui qui a décidé de publier ce communiqué pour, confie-t-il à notre rédaction, "circonscrire ce comportement qui risque non seulement de susciter la polémique, mais aussi d'amplifier les problèmes du secteur". "Pour nous, ce sont ces occasions, notamment du Nouvel an, qui nous permettent de faire des recettes. Nous sommes des entreprises avant tout, pour qui le commerce représente un gagne-pain", souligne-t-il.

Un gagne-pain au delà de toute autre considération, Noureddine Lafif tient à le rappeler: "L'idéologie, l'ethnie ou la religion ne nous importent en rien. Sinon, si un client saoul se présentait à moi demain, je pourrais refuser de lui vendre quoi que ce soit. Puis je commencerais à demander à chaque client sa religion avant de lui vendre une baguette... Il ne resterait plus qu'à installer des scanners devant la porte!", ironise le président de la fédération.

Pour lui, les propriétaires de boulangeries et de pâtisseries sont appelés à assurer une forme de "service public". "Nous travaillons les jours fériés, nous ne prenons qu'un jour de repos lors de l'Aïd d'El Fitr et d'Al Adha, parce que nous devons assurer un service public auprès des clients, veiller à ce que le pain reste toujours disponible, vu son importance auprès des familles marocaines", explique-t-il.

S'exprimer reste, toutefois, un droit, concède-t-il. "Oui, on a le droit d'avoir des opinions mais pas de les placarder de cette façon sur la vitrine d'un commerce. Je pense qu'il s'agit d'un acte irréfléchi. L'association d'Agadir relevant de la fédération a tenté de les appeler, mais sans obtenir de réponse pour le moment. Tout ce que l'on sait, c'est que ces pâtisseries ne sont pas adhérentes de l'association, sinon nous aurions pu prendre des mesures à commencer par une mise en garde", affirme le président.

Noureddine Lafif est persuadé du caractère irréfléchi de cet acte, car pour lui, il est inconcevable même d'imaginer qu'une boulangerie/pâtisserie se limite à vendre uniquement des produits marocains: "Nous ne pourrions alors plus vendre de croissants ou de petits-pains au chocolat parce qu'ils sont français... Avec ce genre d'attitude, nous ne pourrions bientôt plus vendre que des msemmen, de la harcha et des beghrir".

Le président de la fédération souligne que "ce genre de discours est désormais dépassé et que la société marocaine en a pleinement conscience", estimant que l'attitude des deux boulangeries-pâtisseries restent "un fait isolé".

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La Fédération des boulangeries dénonce les positions de certains membres de la profession pour le Nouvel an

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MISE AU POINT - Éviter une polémique. C'est dans ce but que la Fédération marocaine des associations des boulangeries et pâtisseries modernes et traditionnelles a réagi aux annonces affichées par deux pâtisseries dans la région d'Agadir.

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Rabat - The topic of whether it is "haram" (forbidden in Islam) to celebrate the Gregorian New Year and sell or buy New Year cakes, is now the subject of debates on social media after a photo of a bakery announcing that it will not sell New Year cakes went viral.

Many social media users shared Rayhana Bakery's sign which reads: "There are no New Year pastries." Internet users criticized the owner of the bakery located in Ait Melloul, near Agadir, and called him an " extremist."

Adding to the controversy, Rayhana Bakery wrote a post on its Facebook page: "We do not celebrate the Christian holidays."

The bakery's choice not to sell Christmas and New Year cakes has prompted many Moroccans to shun the owner and call him "backward," "intolerant," and even describe him as an extremist who holds "ISIS" beliefs.

Responding to the comments, the owner wrote on his Facebook page on Monday, "Due to the harsh attacks which followed my announcing that there will be no pastries at the end of the year, and given the serious accusations by people who called me an ISIS member and humiliated me, I have decided to file complaints against them."

The bakery shop owner pointed out that people who accused him of being an ISIS member have at the same time provoked a sensitive issue that concerns national security.

Is it haram?

In light of the controversy, many people brought up the subject of what is "haram" and what is not while also addressing the importance of coexistence between religions in Morocco.

Some commenters seemed to agree that associating or "trading" with people from other religions, especially Christians and Jews, did not mean "celebrating their religious feasts," referring to a Qur'anic passage.

The Surah al-Mumtahanah (60:8) reads: "Allah does not forbid you (as regards) the ones who have not fought you on account of the religion and have not driven you out of your residences that you should be benign to them and be equitable towards them; surely Allah loves the equitable."

Commenters also pointed out that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) shared peaceful relations with people from other Abrahamic religions.

Muslims in Morocco have lived peacefully alongside Jews and Christians for years.

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Moroccans Call Bakery 'Extremist' for Refusing to Sell New Year Cakes

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Rabat - The topic of whether it is "haram" (forbidden in Islam) to celebrate the Gregorian New Year and sell or buy New Year cakes, is now the subject of debates on social media after a photo of a bakery announcing that it will not sell New Year cakes went viral.

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Rabat - A of sexual preferences revealed that culture, socio-economic status, and religion still carry heavy weight when it comes to dating in Paris.

The study, conducted by Cam 4, a dating website, and Ifop, a polling institute, revealed that a majority of Parisians are still reluctant to enter into interracial marriages, despite their overwhelming perception of themselves as open to cultural diversity.

The majority of Parisians prefer to only get sexually involved with people of the same perceived cultural and social background. And while neighborhoods and socio-economic reasons factor in Parisians' reluctance to go out of their comfort zones in terms of sexual preference, race and religion are the essential markers of Paris's "sexual ostracism," according to the study.

Interviewing a sample of 2,000 participants aged 18 and above about their preference in terms of both short- and long-term romantic relationships, the study "shed light on the forms of geographic endogamy that affect the formation of couples in Paris." The study found "that ethnocentrism in Paris' romantic life gets more poignant when victims are foreigners or of foreign descent."

Women are more sensitive to the social and cultural baggage of their prospective partner, the study found. Among white Parisian women, 57 percent of those surveyed were reluctant to form a relationship with a person from the Maghreb or the broader Orient.

The figure is 44 percent for men. Comparing across genders, the study still found that racial differences carry weight. On average, 51 percent of Parisians are not open to the idea of an "eastern" partner, with differences in religion and culture being the principal obstacles.

Of foreigners, people from Southeast Asia gained the most nods from Parisians. But even then, there is still a significant level of reluctance: Only 44 percent said they were okay with having a Southeast Asian partner.

People of sub-Saharan African descent are the least welcome of "foreigners," the study found. Overall, 57 percent of Parisians said they would not welcome the prospect of a romantic partner from sub-Saharan Africa. The figure again gets higher when gender factors in. Sixty-two percent of female Parisians said they would not go out with a sub-Saharan man.

Other significant factors in "the desirability deficit" of minorities included places of residence (chic neighborhoods vs. banlieues), education level, perceived monthly income, and political affiliations. Right-leaning participants were much more reluctant to enter into interracial relationships.

But still, François Kraus, an Ifop analyst who led the study, race, religion, and culture get the upper hand when it comes to deciding on long-term relationships. There is a "socio-cultural consensus" component to the reticence that minorities face in terms of sexual preferences, he argued.

People may perceive themselves as open to diversity, but when it comes to choosing their children's school or getting into a relationship, they begin to think in terms of "a shared vision of life and society." As minorities are thought to be from supposedly "inferior cultures," they bear the brunt of the "social endogamy" that pervades Paris's dating life.

"We identified a number of reasons. First, there is the stark cultural difference between French culture and Maghrebi and sub-Saharan ones.... This shows that religion and culture still play a determining role when it comes to choosing a spouse," Kraus said.

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Study: Majority of Parisians Reluctant to Marry Africans

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Rabat - A of sexual preferences revealed that culture, socio-economic status, and religion still carry heavy weight when it comes to dating in Paris. The study, conducted by Cam 4, a dating website, and Ifop, a polling institute, revealed that a majority of Parisians are still reluctant to enter into interracial marriages, despite their overwhelming perception of themselves as open to cultural diversity.

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When asked by Morocco World News about her experience with French tacos, Asmae, a 23-year-old Moroccan working in Rabat said: "When I thought it was the real taco, I was so disappointed. I thought that Mexican food is not that great."

The first time she tried a French taco, she was under the impression that it was a traditional Mexican dish, a sentiment that is common among Moroccans.

Many mistakenly believe that the French tacos are actually Mexican tacos. While some do recognize that French tacos are not the same thing as Mexican tacos, they still believe that French tacos did originate from Mexican cuisine.

There is a beauty in the fusion of cultures, especially when those countries are separated by an ocean, yet their cultures blend. Isidro Salas, the founder of the podcast Ten Thousand Tacos spoke to Morocco World News, and stated, "I do believe in the spirit of openness and sharing of what different cultures have to bring."

Mexicans and Moroccans are welcoming societies that could create a delicious fusion of foods with the French taco, that is not the case.

The French taco may use a flour tortilla as its base, but that's as close as it gets to being a real taco. Even then, the flour tortilla is not representative of what most Mexican tortillas taste or feel like.

The tortilla is a staple of Mexican food and the foundation of a true Mexican taco. Its existence dates back thousands of years before Christ. The Aztecs relied heavily on corn as a part of their diet and they used it to produce corn dough, which led to the creation of the tortilla.

The Nahuatl name for the flat corn breads produced by the Aztecs was , but the Spanish gave it the name "tortilla," which means "small cake." Flour tortillas have traditionally been more popular in Northern Mexico and the US-Mexico border.

Tacos can have different fillings including beef, pork, chicken, and seafood. They are usually served with salsa, cilantro, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. Tacos al pastor are made of pork on a spit similar to the one used for shawarma. These tacos were created by Lebanese immigrants in Mexico in the 1960s.

Other popular tacos are the tacos de canasta (basket tacos) which are placed in a cloth-covered basket, which keeps them warm and softens the tortilla. Vegetarians can eat tacos filled with potatoes, cheese, and peppers.

With the spread of Mexican culture in the United States, other variations of the taco have been created. For example, the American chain restaurant Taco Bell serves Americanized versions of Mexican food and primarily uses flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas. Unfortunately, Americans also fall prey to misrepresentations of Mexican food and Taco Bell was recently voted the number one Mexican restaurant in the US.

That's probably because the poll voters have not been fortunate enough to visit a real Mexican .

A can be a sit-down restaurant, a food truck, or in the case of basket tacos, a man carrying a basket. will provide a variety of tacos, which you can customize based on what toppings or kind of meat you want.

In Texas, Tex-Mex is the mixture of Texan and Mexican cuisine. Tacos can have a hard-shell (an American invention) or a soft shell, and typically include shredded cheddar cheese. Other states along the Mexican-US border have their region specific variation of Mexican food.

So if the French tacos looks nothing like a real taco, why do they call it a taco?

Daniel Shkolnik of Vice News that "[t]he name works as a kind of marketing bait-and-switch, drawing people [in] with the promise of a Mexican culinary icon and then selling them something completely different."

When people hear that a restaurant offers tacos, they might be inclined to try them if they believe that the food is Mexican or, at least, Mexican-influenced. Yet, the only part of the taco that can have some tie to Mexican culture is their use of a flour tortilla. Even then, it's quite a different type of flour tortilla than what you will find in Mexico.

Speaking to Morocco World News, Jamal Hadil, a 22-year-old working in Rabat, said that he loves to eat French tacos for lunch but stated, "Fortunately, I had the chance to try a real Mexican taco made by a Mexican family and I just want to make one thing crystal clear, the only thing about the French tacos that seems to be a little bit close to Mexican food is the tortilla wrapping (but not really that close)."

The French taco originated in the mid-2000s with a kebab restaurant owner in Vaulx-en-Velin, a suburb in the city of Lyon. French tacos consist of a type of meat, cheese sauce, French fries, and an additional sauce created by the restaurant.

O'Tacos, founded in 2007, was the first restaurant chain to sell French tacos and gained popularity quickly throughout France. Today, they have 160 restaurants throughout the world, including the first French taco restaurant in Brooklyn, New York.

Moubarik Abdelhadi opened the first French taco restaurant in Morocco, Tacos de Lyon, in 2011. Now they have 22 restaurants throughout Morocco, with six more expected to open. The French taco has become the star of the fast food culture in Morocco.

Salas, who began his podcast as a tribute to his parents, refers to the French taco as a "travesty" and "not a real thing." Salas' parents earned a living selling tacos in California, and today he works to to educate people not only about the Mexican taco, but of Mexican culture.

Comparing the use of the word "taco" to music, he stated: "For example, in music, when someone does a cover of a song but fails to recognize where that came from-to me that's a problem. It's actually disrespectful." In the same way that there is an appropriate way to cover music, there is an appropriate way to share Mexican cuisine and create fusions between different cultures.

While many restaurants in Rabat don't actually advertise French tacos as Mexican food, you can still find quite a few restaurants that decorate their walls with pictures of real Mexican tacos and there are even a couple of restaurants that have the word "Mexico" in their names.

Clearly, some restaurants are still trying to maintain a tie between the Mexican and the French taco, or at least they believe that such a tie exists.

This is not difficult to do since there is a lack of Mexican food in Morocco. While there are a few Mexican restaurants in Casablanca and other major cities, they are not common in the way French tacos are. Even then, the few places that serve Mexican food more closely resemble Tex-Mex food. The closest you may come to real Mexican food can be by visiting the Mexican nuns that live in Casablanca.

The nuns have been living in Morocco for many years and while they don't have a large variety of foods, you can buy homemade corn tortillas as well as some traditional Mexican dishes, like flautas and enchiladas (dishes that include corn tortillas). They cook everything with products they find in Morocco, rather than importing products from Mexico. This shows that it's possible to cook Mexican food with Moroccan products and that Mexican food that can be halal, since many Mexican dishes traditionally use pork products.

Salas unequivocally believes that the French taco is a misrepresentation of Mexican cuisine, and similar to Shkolnik, he sees the use of the word "taco" as a way to attract patrons by letting them believe they are experiencing something more Mexican than it really is.

When speaking to him, he referred to the use of the label "taco" as something that "leads to a lot of disrespect." Rather than using this opportunity to introduce a different culture to Morocco, companies use the name "taco" to create massive chain restaurants and profit from the misrepresentation of the taco.

"I cannot deny that when something like the word TACO gets to the other side of the world, it should bring with it the spirit of culture exchange," argued Salas. That is not the current situation. It can be beneficial to bring Mexican culture and cuisine to other parts of the world but the rise in the popularity of the French taco does none of that. There is no cultural exchange occurring when advertising the French taco.

Rob Gokee's podcast, , follows the stories of the chefs, immigrants, and restaurants that produce different styles of tacos.

Chef Farid Zadi has the restaurant Revolutionario in Los Angeles that produces a fusion between North African and Mexican cuisine. His dishes include corn tortillas and traditional Mexican dishes like pozole while adding a North African taste with tagine and lamb. He is considered the "first North African taqueria in the world."

The fusion of different cuisines is not a new concept and it should be encouraged in order to create bridges between the different cultures, but there should always be a standard of respect and adequate representation.

If a Moroccan says that they love Mexican food, it shouldn't be because they have tried the French taco but because they visited an establishment that has tried to offer an adequate representation of Mexican cuisine, even if it has a Moroccan twist.

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Misrepresenting Mexican Culture Through the French Taco

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When asked by Morocco World News about her experience with French tacos, Asmae, a 23-year-old Moroccan working in Rabat said: "When I thought it was the real taco, I was so disappointed. I thought that Mexican food is not that great."

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PATRIMOINE - Initiée par le Réseau des femmes artisanes du Maroc " REFAM-Dar Maalama ", en partenariat avec le ministère de la Culture et de la Communication et la famille Mernissi, une exposition inédite de tapis de la collection privée de la sociologue et écrivaine Fatema Mernissi, s'installe jusqu'au 22 janvier à Marrakech. Une événement entre savoir-faire, art et héritage, qui met en lumière un aspect encore méconnu de l'icône de la pensée féministe au Maroc, décédée en novembre 2015, et qui représente son soutien sur le plan économique aux femmes artisanes.

Le vernissage de cette exposition ce 22 décembre a été accompagné d'une conférence débat-témoignage sur l'œuvre de Fatema Mernissi et sa relation avec le tapis. A travers les différents témoignages livrés, dont ceux d'universitaires et d'artisanes tisseuses de tapis, cette rencontre a été l'occasion de présenter, débattre et de partager la richesse des informations sur la condition de la femme artisane.

Dans une déclaration à la MAP, la présidente du REFAM-Dar Maalama, Fawzia Talout Meknassi, s'est félicitée de l'organisation d'un événement si "particulier et inédit en hommage à cette grande intellectuelle qui a semé d'innombrables lumières et transmis le plaisir d'apprendre, de comprendre et de partager", ajoutant que cette collection privée de tapis, qui représente un "trésor inestimable", permettra aux visiteurs de découvrir un autre aspect du travail de Fatema Mernissi, à savoir son engagement en faveur des "femmes artisanes et tisseuses de tapis à travers le Maroc, particulièrement dans la région de Taznakht".

On connait Fatema Mernissi, la visionnaire, la militante à la parole incisive, mais on connaît moins l'humaniste qui sillonnait le Maroc profond en quête 'de talents à dévoiler'"

Présentant le tapis comme un "livre, une écriture et une expression de femmes", Fawzia Talout Meknassi, souligne également la dimension "économique" dans l'approche de la sociologue à la renommée internationale, qui a dédié sa vie à son engagement militant, ajoutant que grâce à Fatema Mernissi, "beaucoup de femmes artisanes, recluses dans leurs campagnes, ont pu être reconnues dans leur créativité".

Grâce à sa proximité avec les tisseuses, Fatema Mernissi est devenue une vraie collectionneuse des tapis des femmes du Maroc. Elle a laissé un legs de plus de 200 tapis uniques, souligne la MAP. La sociologue à la renommée internationale avait notamment comme projet de publier un livre sur cette collection, sa genèse et sa raison d'être. Un travail qu'elle avait entamé quelques mois avant son décès, avec Fawzia Talout Meknassi, elle-même férue et militante de la condition des femmes artisanes du Maroc et d'Afrique.

Les œuvres de Fatema Mernissi tissent ainsi les fils de la mémoire en évoquant une multitude de figures féminines hautes en couleurs, avec une attention particulière réservée aux femmes tisseuses de tapis du Maroc. Elle leur ouvrait son carnet d'adresses et exposait leurs œuvres dans son salon qui voyait défiler beaucoup de monde de toutes conditions confondues.

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Marrakech accueille une exposition inédite de tapis de la collection privée de Fatema Mernissi

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PATRIMOINE - Initiée par le Réseau des femmes artisanes du Maroc " REFAM-Dar Maalama ", en partenariat avec le ministère de la Culture et de la Communication et la famille Mernissi, une exposition inédite de tapis de la collection privée de la sociologue et écrivaine Fatema Mernissi, s'installe jusqu'au 22 janvier à Marrakech.

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Spain remains Morocco's primary export destination. Moroccan exports to its European neighbor increased by 6.2 percent in the first nine months of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) quoted data reportedly from the Statistics Office of the European Union (Eurostat) that Morocco exported nearly €5 billion worth of products to Spain in the nine months.

Morocco's imports of Spanish goods increased by 2.8 percent during the same period, reaching an overall worth of over € 6 billion.

MAP said that Spain imports "electrical equipment and clothing" from Morocco. Meanwhile, Morocco imports "fuels and lubricants, and mechanical components" from Spain.

Spain is Morocco's leading source of imports, with Spanish exports accounting for 36 percent of all EU exports to Morocco. Spain is followed by France, which accounts for 18.7 percent, and Germany at 9 percent.

The Spanish Federation of Fruit and Vegetable Exporters ( FEPEX) reported on December 4 that Morocco is Spain's largest non-EU fresh fruit and vegetables supplier with a total volume of 321,189 tons, worth €507 million.

Up to September, Spain's fresh fruits and vegetables imports from Morocco this year totaled 321,189 tons, an increase of 7 percent from January to September compared to the same period last year, added the same report.

Morocco's fresh fruit and vegetables exports to Spain, in the January-September period of each year, have grown 109 percent over the past five years.

Both countries agreed to boost their bilateral cooperation after the first of ficial visit of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to Morocco in November.

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Moroccan Exports to Spain Increased 6% Since 2017

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Spain remains Morocco's primary export destination. Moroccan exports to its European neighbor increased by 6.2 percent in the first nine months of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) quoted data reportedly from the Statistics Office of the European Union (Eurostat) that Morocco exported nearly €5 billion worth of products to Spain in the nine months.

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RACISME - Venue enquêter sur le racisme au Maroc, la rapporteuse spéciale des Nations Unies Tendayi Achiume a fait part de ses observations à la presse marocaine vendredi à Rabat. Pour cette experte indépendante, le Maroc doit déployer plus d'efforts pour éliminer cette forme de discrimination.

Durant son enquête sur le terrain qui s'est déroulé à Rabat, Tanger, Tétouan, Agadir et Casablanca, Tendayi Achuime a rencontré des représentants du gouvernement, du Conseil national des droits de l'Homme (CNDH), de la société civile, et de différentes communautés du tissu marocain comme la communauté amazigh, les minorités religieuses, mais aussi les migrants, réfugiés et demandeurs d'asile, et des victimes de racisme au Maroc, en plus d'autres représentants de l'ONU au Maroc.

Selon Tendayi Achuime, bien que le Maroc ait affiché sa volonté de combattre le racisme, notamment en signant la Convention internationale sur l'élimination de toutes les formes de discrimination raciale (ICERD) ainsi que plusieurs autres traités internationaux relatifs aux droits de l'homme, le pays connaît toujours des actes de discriminations raciale.

"L'égalité juridique ne garantit pas à elle seule l'égalité sur le terrain", a répété à deux reprises durant son discours, cette enseignante de l'Université de Californie à Los Angeles (UCLA). "Plusieurs structures, individus et acteurs de la société civile m'ont assuré que les Marocains n'étaient pas racistes, et qu'ils constituaient une nation unifiée et diverse. Alors que l'on peut avoir une identité nationale diverse et unifiée tout en ayant des problèmes de racisme", soulève l'experte lors du point de presse.

L'égalité juridique ne garantit pas à elle seule l'égalité sur le terrain.

L'experte souligne ainsi que le racisme dans un pays ne se limite pas aux actes de violences d'individus qui expriment leur haine envers des groupes ou des individus, mais comporte également l'exclusion systématique économiques, sociales et politiques de ces groupes ou individus en raison de leur race, de leur ethnie ou encore de leur pays d'origine.

Une communauté amazighe marginalisée

L'intégration de la langue amazighe fait partie de ces failles qui prouvent que le racisme est toujours endémique au Maroc. Si l'amazighe a été reconnue comme langue officielle et qu'un Institut royal de la culture amazighe (IRCAM) a été créé en 2001, la langue n'est toujours pas intégrée au système administratif et juridique du pays. L'experte déplore l'absence de services linguistiques amazighs adéquats, la disponibilité limitée d'interprètes qualifiés et certifiés pour les locuteurs amazighs durant les procédures judiciaires où l'arabe et le français restent prédominant. "Ceci peut avoir des conséquences graves quant aux verdicts relatifs à leurs affaires", cite en exemple Tendayi Achiume.

Pour contrer cet état de fait, l'experte a encouragé l'enseignement en langue amazighe, la promotion de l'utilisation de l'amazigh comme langue d'enseignement, la mise à disposition d'un nombre suffisant d'enseignants amazigh spécialisés, ainsi que l'intégration de la langue et de la culture amazighes dans les programmes scolaires.

Au delà de la langue, cette discrimination se reflète également dans le manque d'aide de l'État adressé aux communautés amazighes résidant dans les zones rurales, mais aussi lors des dépossessions de terres et de spoliation de ressources environnementales dans ces zones rurales par des entreprises et des institutions publiques, y compris dans le cadre de nouveaux projets de développement.

De plus, des individus qui s'identifient comme marocains amazighs ont informé l'experte de la discrimination et de l'exclusion structurelle dont ils se considèrent victimes, notamment lors de la recherche d'emploi.

Des migrants violentés et privés de leurs droits

Le séjour de Tendayi Achiume au Maroc a coïncidé avec le nouvel incendie du camp de migrants subsahariens devant la gare routière de Oulad Ziane à Casablanca. La rapporteuse a pu être témoin, le lendemain de l'incendie, des conditions de vie difficiles des migrants vivant dans cette zone qui a déjà connu trois autres incendies dans le passé.

Elle s'est également dirigée vers le nord du pays pour visiter la forêt de Boukhalef près de Tanger, où des groupes de migrants d'Afrique subsaharienne ont trouvé refuge. Contrairement aux réfugiés syriens qui ont pu s'intégrer à la communauté, et dont certains membres ont particulièrement bénéficié des efforts de régularisation de 2014 et 2017, les migrants et réfugiés subsahariens vivent dans des conditions "inhumaines, sans installations sanitaires, ni abris malgré les températures glaciales hivernales".

Plusieurs d'entre eux, "y compris des migrants réguliers, des femmes enceintes et des enfants", ont été expulsés de force en août 2018 de leurs maisons, ce qui a entraîné la destruction de leurs biens et leur déplacement vers la forêt, a rappelé la rapporteuse qui rapporte davantage de violences à l'égard des migrants dans cette région du Maroc.

"Dans le nord du pays, j'ai obtenu des informations crédibles au sujet de cas de harcèlement, d'arrestations et de détentions arbitraires et de réinstallations forcées de migrants, ainsi qu'un usage excessif de la force à leur encontre, et ce qu'ils soient en situation irrégulière ou régulière, après que les forces de l'ordre aient eu recours au profilage racial", affirme-t-elle en rappelant que le nombre migrants subsahariens transitant à travers le Maroc a augmenté.

Au sein de cette discrimination raciale se trouve également une autre fondée sur le genre, selon l'experte. Qu'elles soient régulières ou sans papiers, les femmes migrantes sont victimes de discrimination et de stéréotypes racistes, "parfois même dans les établissements de santé et les écoles", où les migrantes enceintes se voient refuser des services, précise Tendayi Achiume qui s'est également entretenu avec des femmes agressées sexuellement par des migrants, des autorités, des passeurs et des organisations criminelles.

L'experte a reconnu que la situation des migrants au Maroc est liée à la pression exercée par l'Europe sur le Maroc pour réduire les flux migratoires. "Le Maroc doit rester ferme et doit refuser de prendre part à la basse besogne de l'Europe. Le Maroc doit mettre fin à toutes les politiques en matière d'immigration qui entraînent des violations flagrantes des droits de l'homme", recommande l'experte en soulignant que l'Europe doit également prendre des mesures de son côté, pour créer des voies légales de migration non seulement pour les subsahariens mais aussi pour les Marocains eux-même.

Des traitements différents des minorités religieuses

Tendayi Achiume ne pouvait finir son enquête sur le terrain sans aller à la rencontre des minorités religieuses du Maroc. Grande surprise pour l'experte à la découverte de l'intégration totale des juifs marocains à la communauté: "Je félicite le Maroc pour les mesures remarquables qu'il a prises pour faire en sorte que les Juifs marocains puissent tous jouir de leurs droits à la liberté de croyance, d'association et autres libertés", déclare-t-elle lors du point de presse. Reste un bémol de taille qu'elle regrette: les communautés marocaines chrétiennes et baha'is ne profitent pas des mêmes droits.

L'experte a également été "très impressionnée" par le travail entrepris par la Rabita Mohammadia des Oulémas (RMO), dans leurs lutte contre l'extrémisme religieux.

Elle a aussi tenu à préciser qu'elle n'a pas pu parler aux communautés du Sahara et du Rif seulement par faute de temps et qu'elle a reçu carte blanche de la part des autorités marocaines pour se déplacer dans le territoire à sa guise.

Les recommandations de la rapporteuse

En attendant son rapport final publié en juillet 2019, Tendayi Achiume a livré quelques recommandations préliminaires sur lesquelles le gouvernement marocain pourrait se baser pour réduire le racisme dans toutes ses formes dans le pays.

Parmi ces recommandations, Tendayi Achiume appelle le Maroc à d'abord "adopter sans délai la loi organique requise pour mettre en œuvre le statut constitutionnel de l'amazigh en tant que langue officielle", en prenant des mesures provisoires pour prévenir et atténuer le racisme qui touche la communauté amazighe.

L'experte suggère aussi au Maroc de terminer son processus de régularisation des migrants de 2017, mais aussi de fournir une assistance humanitaire d'urgence aux migrants victimes de violations extrêmes de leurs droits sans distinction de race, de genre, d'ethnie ou encore d'origine nationale.

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Malgré les lois, le racisme reste ancré au Maroc, alerte une rapporteuse spéciale de l'ONU

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RACISME - Venue enquêter sur le racisme au Maroc, la rapporteuse spéciale des Nations Unies Tendayi Achiume a fait part de ses observations à la presse marocaine vendredi à Rabat. Pour cette experte indépendante, le Maroc doit déployer plus d'efforts pour éliminer cette forme de discrimination.

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ENQUÊTE - "Coucheriez-vous avec un mec du 9-3?". L'Institut français d'opinion publique (Ifop), a publié une nouvelle enquête pour le moins étonnante, ce 17 décembre. Il s'est intéressé au poids des origines et du lieu de résidence dans le choix du conjoint des Parisiens et des Parisiennes. Résultats (entachés par des stéréotypes): sur les 2.000 personnes interrogées, plus de la moitié est réticente à l'idée de se mettre en couple avec quelqu'un d'origine africaine ou arabe.

Rares sont ceux qui assument retenir les critères de religion (26%) et d'origines ethniques (23%) lorsque qu'ils choisissent un partenaire. "Ils déclarent plutôt prendre en compte 'l'éducation/les manières' (59%), les 'hobbys' (38%) ou la 'situation parentale' (31%) lorsqu'ils font le choix d'une personne avec laquelle ils souhaiteraient être en couple", souligne l'Ifop.

Les résultats de l'enquête, menée par le département "Genre, sexualités et santé sexuelle", dévoilent pourtant un paradoxe étonnant: "Si les discours des Parisien(ne)s ont tendance à valoriser une certaine ouverture à la mixité sur le plan social, géographique ou ethnique, celle-ci est, en réalité, peu pratiquée dans les faits", affirme l'Institut.

On observe un clivage Est-Ouest assez net concernant les parisien-ne-s qui refuseraient de se mettre en couple avec quelqu'un originaire d'un pays d'Afrique sub-saharienne, le refus étant plus marqué dans l'Ouest. Ce clivage recoupe le clivage politique gauche/droite. pic.twitter.com/H9xxBG5xGZ
- Ifop Opinion (@IfopOpinion) December 18, 2018

Les résultats montrent que plus d'une femme sur deux serait réticente à une relation inter-ethnique. 62% des Parisiennes refuseraient de se mettre en couple avec quelqu'un originaire d'un pays d'Afrique subsaharienne, 57% d'entre elles avec quelqu'un originaire d'un pays du Maghreb ou du Moyen-Orient et 54% avec quelqu'un originaire d'un pays d'Asie du sud-est. Pour expliquer cette réticence vis-à-vis des pays arabes et africains, l'Ifop pointe du doigt les stéréotypes. Ces partenaires ont "pour point commun d'être souvent présentés comme porteurs d'une culture conservatrice peu respectueuse des principes d'égalité entre les sexes", assure l'Institut.

Dans le détail, le rejet des hommes venant d'Afrique "noire" intervient principalement chez les femmes âgées (78%), aisées (66%), situées à droite politiquement (83% chez les sympathisantes Les Républicains, 85% chez les sympathisantes Rassemblement National) ou vivant dans les quartiers 'bourgeois' de la capitale (72% dans le 7 e, 67% dans le 16 e).

On observe un clivage Est-Ouest assez net concernant les parisien-ne-s qui refuseraient de se mettre en couple avec quelqu'un originaire d'un pays d'Afrique sub-saharienne, le refus étant plus marqué dans l'Ouest. Ce clivage recoupe le clivage politique gauche/droite. pic.twitter.com/H9xxBG5xGZ
- Ifop Opinion (@IfopOpinion) 18 décembre 2018

Côté hommes, le taux de refus d'être avec une personne d'origine africaine ou arabe est légèrement moins élevé que chez les femmes: 51% refusent d'être avec quelqu'un originaire d'un pays d'Afrique subsaharienne, et 44% avec quelqu'un originaire d'un pays du Maghreb ou du Moyen-Orient. Le rejet des Asiatiques s'atténue par contre beaucoup plus dans les résultats (34%), "ce qui tient peut-être au fait que les clichés qui lui sont associés correspondent, eux, aux représentations traditionnelles de la féminité", souligne l'Ifop.

Pour l'ensemble des personnes interrogées, les relations purement sexuelles sont moins vouées à l'ostracisme. "Dans cette perspective moins impliquante, on note par exemple un rejet un peu moins fort (...) des personnes originaires d'Afrique subsaharienne: 52% refuseraient d'avoir une relation sexuelle avec ces dernières, contre 57% qui refuseraient d'avoir une relation sentimentale".

"Le métissage transgressant des interdits encore très présents dans les esprits, la construction d'un couple interracial ou interconfessionnel reste une perspective difficile à envisager pour nombre de Parisien(ne)s, notamment lorsqu'à la distance culturelle s'ajoute une forte distance sociale", analyse François Kraus, directeur du pôle politique de l'Ifop.

"Ainsi, les hommes dits 'africains' ou 'arabes' s'avèrent, avec les habitants de la très 'populaire' et 'métissée' Seine-Saint-Denis (banlieue nord de Paris, ndlr), les plus exposés à cette forme de rejet. Comme dans d'autres domaines, les Parisien(ne)s cultivent donc en matière sexuelle et conjugale une sociabilité de l'entre-soi qui favorise une forte endogamie géographique, sociale et culturelle".

Doit-on limiter ces résultats aux Parisiens? Au mois d'avril dernier, le YouTubeur Diego Morissou partageait des micro-trottoirs sur le même sujet. Dans la rue, il demandait aux personnes qu'il croisait avec quelles nationalités elles ne "sortiraient jamais".

"Les réponses sont effarantes", souligne-t-il au début de sa première vidéo, vue plus de 1,5 million de fois: "Je ne sortirai jamais avec un Congolais par rapport à la fidélité", "Pardon mais pas d'Asiat', pas de Roumains", "Je ne pourrai jamais sortir avec un Arabe parce que c'est des voleurs, en plus de ça ils battent beaucoup leurs femmes", "J'aime pas les Français, je les trouve trop mous. Et radins", "Un Asiat encore moins qu'un 'babtou'"... Les clichés ont la vie dure.

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Plus de la moitié des Parisiens ne veulent pas être en couple avec quelqu'un d'origine africaine ou arabe

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ENQUÊTE - "Coucheriez-vous avec un mec du 9-3?". L'Institut français d'opinion publique (Ifop), a publié une nouvelle enquête pour le moins étonnante, ce 17 décembre. Il s'est intéressé au poids des origines et du lieu de résidence dans le choix du conjoint des Parisiens et des Parisiennes.

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Le Maroc vient de former la première promotion d'imams français

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Le Maroc vient de former la première promotion d'imams français

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Article réservé aux abonnés

L'institut Mohammed VI, en plein cœur de Rabat, accueille 1 400 élèves formés pour devenir les futurs cadres du culte musulman sunnite. YORIYAS YASSINE ALAOUI POUR "LE MONDE"

On n'entend que l'eau qui s'écoule par la fontaine du patio et le chuchotement des disciples. Les étudiants sortent tout juste d'un cours de soufisme. Des jeunes femmes et des jeunes hommes, en tenue traditionnelle, discutent de leur prochain examen. Tout autour, les murs et les plafonds sont rehaussés de zellige, une mosaïque typique de l'architecture marocaine. Les balcons en bois ouvragé et les imposantes portes en arcade rappellent la traditionnelle médina. Dans ce havre de sérénité, niché en plein cœur de Rabat, la capitale marocaine, 1 400 élèves sont formés pour devenir les futurs cadres du culte musulman sunnite du Maroc, de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Et de la France.

Au milieu des élèves marocains, maliens, nigérians ou ivoiriens de l'Institut Mohammed VI de Rabat, Morgan Callet, longue barbe, djellaba et baskets, se fond comme un caméléon. A 30 ans, il a laissé son travail, sa femme et ses deux enfants à Avion, dans le Pas-de-Calais, pour apprendre à être imam en trois ans.

Au programme : cours d'arabe, jurisprudence islamique, dogme, sciences du Coran, explications des versets et récitations. " Je veux me former ici et revenir en France pour transmettre l'esprit de l'islam tolérant et apaisé aux musulmans de mon pays ", raconte ce Français converti à l'islam, arrivé en janvier 2016 à Rabat.

Pietro Roberto, 24 ans, souhaite devenir entrepreneur et prêcher bénévolement dans une mosquée à Lyon, sa ville natale. YORIYAS YASSINE ALAOUI POUR "LE MONDE"

Formation prise en charge par le royaume

Morgan fait partie des soixante-sept étudiants venus de l'Hexagone pour obtenir un diplôme d'imam professionnel et, pour les dix Françaises présentes, de morchidate (prédicatrice). Les dix-neuf élèves de la première promotion doivent terminer le cursus en décembre.

Envoyés à l'initiative de l'Union des mosquées de France (UMF), une fédération liée au Maroc qui revendique quelque 700 mosquées, la plupart de ces jeunes n'avaient pas trouvé de formation adaptée : les quelques instituts privés proposant des formations en France sont trop chers et pas forcément de bonne qualité.

A Rabat, l'intégralité de la formation est prise en charge par le royaume. Tous les disciples sont logés, nourris et perçoivent une bourse de 2 000 dirhams (185 euros) par mois. Les Français ont même droit à un complément de 150 euros mensuels payés par l'UMF. " Aujourd'hui, en France, nous n'avons pas les moyens de former les imams. Et l'Etat laïc ne peut le faire, reconnaît son président Mohammed Moussaoui. C'est pourquoi nous avons demandé à Mohammed VI d'accueillir des étudiants français au sein de son prestigieux institut. "

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Le Maroc au défi de former les futurs imams français

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Article réservé aux abonnés On n'entend que l'eau qui s'écoule par la fontaine du patio et le chuchotement des disciples. Les étudiants sortent tout juste d'un cours de soufisme. Des jeunes femmes et des jeunes hommes, en tenue traditionnelle, discutent de leur prochain examen.

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Rabat - Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita has explained Morocco's approach to migration, terrorism, South-South cooperation in Africa, and returning ISIS jihadists.

In an interview with BBC journalist Said Shehata following the migration conference in Marrakech on December 10, Bourita clarified misconceptions about African migrants and migration in general.

The minister said that "migration is a natural, universal phenomena" and treating migrants as criminals is "wrong" because they are victims of circumstances or human trafficking networks.

Bourita considered that one of the forms of misinformation or "exaggerations" about African migrants is the belief that "migration is a raid from the south toward the north, or that Africa is the primary source of irregular migrants."

There are an estimated 256 million migrants globally, both documented and undocumented.

From the 256 million migrants, 13 percent, or 36 million, are Africans. "From those 36 million, 80 percent or 30 million people immigrate within Africa," Bourita said.

Bourita added that from the remaining 6 million migrants, many immigrate to different parts of the world, but 80 percent of them are documented.

Only the remaining 0.1 percent are irregular African migrants who leave Africa. "African irregular migrants represent only 0.1 percent of world migrants in the US, Arab countries, and Europe."

Why does Morocco accept migrants?

During the discussion about Morocco's campaign to improve the situation of African migrants in the country, Bourita reported that "in 2016-2017, Morocco approved 50,000 (90 percent) of 60,000 requests from migrants wishing to improve their situations, especially in the case of women, children, and people with special needs."

Today Morocco is "no longer just a transit country," for migrants seeking European countries. "Morocco is also a migrant destination."

Morocco wants to improve the lives of African migrants and give vulnerable, irregular migrants the opportunity to live in the country legally. Regularized migrants are now able to go to schools and access health care and the job market.

Why does Morocco do all that?

Bourita asserted that there are five million Moroccans who live abroad, and Morocco wants African migrants in the country to enjoy rights and good quality of life as much as it wishes for Moroccans abroad to do so.

"Morocco is an African country with African roots and history," stated Bourita. He added that Morocco's relationship with the continent is that of solidarity and a sense of belonging rather than one built on "benefits."

Why is Morocco interested in investing in Africa?

Morocco wants to invest in Africa "because Morocco believes in Africa's future and in South-South cooperation" said Bourita, quoting King Mohammed VI's saying that "Africa must first believe in Africa."

"South-South cooperation is an important part of any development strategy in Africa, and it is not about small projects." Bourita added: "Morocco and Africa now cooperate on military training and security to counter crime and terrorism."

While many reckon that "Africa is a hopeless continent with nothing but problems," King Mohammed VI has emphasized Morocco's relationship with African countries in terms of economic, political, and security cooperation ever since he ascended to the throne.

Bourita noted that "King Mohammed VI is perhaps the only leader who made 50 visits to Africa, to more than 30 countries."

"Morocco also shares a spiritual relationship with eastern Africa, in terms of spreading a moderate Islam." When it comes to cooperation on education, Bourita said that every year, 10,000 African students arrive in Morocco to study on scholarships.

Bourita said Morocco wants the world to know that Africa today is "an opportunity and not a problem as it is now on the brink of evolution."

"Africa shoulders its responsibility and does not want to become a burden to the world. Africa is a chance for the world. Morocco's approach to Africa is like no other because it is built on trust and a sense of belonging. It is complete in all sides including political, spiritual, economic and humanitarian ones," Bourita told BBC.

How does Morocco deal with the competition?

Morocco invested MAD 3 billion in Africa in 2015. Compared to other countries investing in the continent how does Morocco compete?

"We are not in a competition with anyone," Bourita said.

The official explained that Morocco "belongs" in the continent and does not "compete" with it. "Other countries investing in Africa are from outside the continent, while Morocco's relationship with Africa has a direct influence on the country."

Yet, Morocco's strategic relations are diversified and do not stop at the continent. It is proved through visits and partnerships with other Arab countries, China, Russia, South America, and the UK.

Morocco is also no longer only reliant on exports because it is developing in the domain of communication. Bourita gave the example of Morocco's growing telecommunication company, Maroc Telecom, and the national airline company, Royal Air Maroc, which makes 30 trips to Africa.

Bourita added that "Moroccan banks also became open to other countries in the continent."

How does Morocco excel in countering terrorism?

According to Bourita, the efforts of the Moroccan security forces, and Morocco's spreading of a moderate Islam have played a role in curbing terrorism in the country.

"Fighting poverty has also played a big role in making Morocco a leader in fighting terrorism since 5 years ago."

He also spoke about Moroccan "control" of social media.

"There are countries that are stronger than us technologically, but curbing terrorism is not about control only. We use social media to spread moderate Islam against ISIS," Bourita explained.

The 2018 Global Terrorism Index listed Morocco among the countries least impacted by terrorism. Morocco now ranks 132nd out of 163 in the 2018 terrorism index, gaining nine places compared to the 2017 report when it ranked 123rd.

How does Morocco deal with returning ISIS jihadists?

Around 1,200 Moroccan jihadists came back or want to come back to Morocco from Iraq and Syria, according to Bourita.

Morocco monitors how they get travel documents, where they depart from, who receives them, and where they get training. Morocco also believes in reintegrating women fighters, the wives of jihadists, and their children.

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Bourita: Treating Migrants as Criminals Is Wrong

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Rabat - Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita has explained Morocco's approach to migration, terrorism, South-South cooperation in Africa, and returning ISIS jihadists. In an interview with BBC journalist Said Shehata following the migration conference in Marrakech on December 10, Bourita clarified misconceptions about African migrants and migration in general.

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Rabat - Spanish news outlet shared statistics from the Spanish Ministry of Interior, saying that at the end of October, 10,060 of irregular Moroccan Diarodesvilla migrants arrived in Spain, against 1,310 in 2016.

The news outlet reported that 90 percent of the migrants arrived in Spain by sea to Andalusia and the rest to the Canary Islands.

The news outlet also added that some of the irregular migrants returned to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and Melilla, where they asked for asylum.

Moroccan migration might increase in the coming years as a new Gallup survey has estimated that Morocco would lose 19 percent of its adult population and 29 percent of its 15-29-year-olds if migration was completely possible.

To help ease the pressure of migration on Morocco, the European Union said that it will grant financial aid to Morocco to help combat irregular migration.

The EU will give Morocco €148 million in the coming days, according to a statement from the EU Commission.

The statement issued on December 14 said that the EU is currently "stepping up its assistance to Morocco to combat irregular migration in a context of increased migratory pressures along the western Mediterranean route."

According to , S pain's National Statistics Institute (INE) said that Moroccan immigration "peaked 10 years ago as there were 70,000 arrivals of migrants. In 2017 39,000 migrants arrived in Spain from Morocco.

Spanish and Moroccan news outlets reported today that Spain has dismantled a Moroccan human trafficking network operating between Spain and Morocco.

The suspects involved in the network, all of which were Moroccans, were arrested. EFE reported that network has been labeling itself as a "travel agency" based in Larache, a city in the region of Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima in northern Morocco. The suspects charged the irregular migrants a minimum price of €2,500 per passenger.

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Number of Irregular Moroccan Migrants in Spain Increases by Eight-Fold in 2 Years

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Rabat - Spanish news outlet shared statistics from the Spanish Ministry of Interior, saying that at the end of October, 10,060 of irregular Moroccan Diarodesvilla migrants arrived in Spain, against 1,310 in 2016. The news outlet reported that 90 percent of the migrants arrived in Spain by sea to Andalusia and the rest to the Canary Islands.

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Rabat - CTM broadcasted a nine-month advertisement to promote the company's transport services which excluded Morocco's southern provinces in Western Sahara.

The advertisement, which was displayed in French, included a presentation from CTM's CEO, Ezzoubeir Errhaimini, who spoke about the company's achievements since its creation in 1919.

The advertisement also included details about trips offered by the company from Casablanca to Agadir, clients' statements, and the services provided to them.

The advertisement says that the company "respects all international standards adopted in the field of urban transportation, whether about safety or respect for the environment."

Moroccan media referred to CTM's decision to exclude Western Sahara as a "crime" against Morocco's territorial integrity, considering it "a negligence that requires accountability and prosecution."

They also called on authorities to take legal action against the company.

Morocco World News contacted CTM hoping to hear their side of the story from Sahar El Guetbaoui, the marketing manager. However, El Guetbaoui has not yet responded.

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Moroccans Slam CTM for Excluding Western Sahara from Morocco's Map

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Rabat - CTM broadcasted a nine-month advertisement to promote the company's transport services which excluded Morocco's southern provinces in Western Sahara. The advertisement, which was displayed in French, included a presentation from CTM's CEO, Ezzoubeir Errhaimini, who spoke about the company's achievements since its creation in 1919.

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Rabat - In October, Government Spokesperson Mustapha El Khalfi said in response to a World Health Organization (WHO) call that virginity tests are not legally required in Morocco. However, Spanish outlet EFE raised the issue of virginity tests in Morocco, saying that the government has ignored the WHO 's call to "prohibit virginity tests."

The Spanish news agency noted that virginity tests are still common "every time there is a report of rape" and before marriage. In October, WHO called for a ban of virginity testing for women and girls worldwide, including in Morocco.

"There is no examination that can prove a girl or woman has had sex-and the appearance of girl's or woman's hymen cannot prove whether they have had sexual intercourse, or are sexually active or not," WHO said.

According to EFE, El Khalfi repeated his statement that virginity tests are "not obligatory."

The Spanish news outlet also quoted WHO representative in Morocco Maryam Bigdeli, who said that pre-marriage virginity tests are not imposed as an obligation.

According to Morocco's family code, a bride and groom are asked for a medical certificate as a required document before marriage but not a virginity test.

The medical certificate is to prove the health status of a couple before marriage, as well as to check for any infectious diseases that may need treatment before marriage.

Virginity has been under debate for years. Activists and associations have called on the Ministry of Health to exempt medical doctors from giving virginity certificates.

In February, the Moroccan Association of Sexology said that the test violates both doctors' oaths of medical confidentiality and the right to privacy of women and girls.

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Spanish Media: Morocco Ignores WHO's Condemnation of Virginity Tests

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Rabat - In October, Government Spokesperson Mustapha El Khalfi said in response to a World Health Organization (WHO) call that virginity tests are not legally required in Morocco. However, Spanish outlet EFE raised the issue of virginity tests in Morocco, saying that the government has ignored the WHO 's call to "prohibit virginity tests."