Arty Days - Music and Dance in Casablanca

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Through the Peacock Gate - Now Available

The long awaited new novel from Sandy McCutcheon is now on sale. In Fez Through the Peacock Gate is available from the American Language Center Bookshop. On line it can be purchased direct from the publisher, Beacon Books

Through the Peacock Gate is also available from Amazon

“Sandy McCutcheon’s latest novel Through the Peacock Gate is the kind of book those of us who live between Occident and Orient have waited an entire lifetime to read. The interweaving layers, the quality of the prose and, most of all, the raw bedrock of cultural knowledge on which it is founded, makes this an invaluable handbook to the mysteries and complexities of Eastern lore. Its pages conjure the mesmerising, magical heart of secret Morocco.” - Tahir Shah, author of The Caliph’s House

Where to Buy a copy:
The Arabic Language Institute in Fez,
2 Rue Ahmed Hiba, Fes, Ville Nouvelle 30000
Beacon Books
Amazon

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Spring in the Moroccan Countryside

The arrival of spring in Morocco heralds a profusion of beautiful flowers everywhere from roadsides to mountainsides. It is also the favourite foraging season for those keen on the abundant herbs which can be found 

The View From Fez accompanied Miriam Hicklin of Atlas Apothecary on an expedition to Mt Zalagh to collect marigolds, which will be turned into calendula cream.

"Morocco has a huge number of herbs. There is a cross-over of about 40% with those that grow on the other side of the Mediterranean. For reference, I mainly use texts from the 16th and 17th centuries, which was when most of the research on medicinal herbs was done."

Miriam Hicklin runs introductory workshops on herbs, as well as ones on herbal preparation for children and foraging expeditions to the Middle Atlas. 
For more information, CLICK HERE. 

Photos and story by Suzanna Clarke. 

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Photojournalist Wanted for Fes Sacred Music Festival

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music is on from the 22nd to 30th of June and The View From Fez needs a photojournalist to join our team in Morocco!

If you have the necessary skills to work fast and efficiently, love music and can speak English, French or Arabic, then this is a chance to be part of a fabulous festival.

This is an unpaid gig, but a wonderful chance to visit Fez with accommodation and meals provided as well as a media pass to all concerts and possibly assistance with an airfare from Europe. You will need your own camera and computer as well as a heap of energy.

Our small team covers all the major concerts and publishes a review on the same day.

If you are interested please email us at theviewfromfez@gmail.com with "photojournalist" in the subject line.

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Airbnb and Booking.com to be Taxed in Morocco

According to the US site Bloomberg, Airbnb and Booking.com will be taxed in Morocco from 2019. It is seen as a victory for Moroccan hoteliers and travel agencies, and will result in a possible price increase for users of both booking platforms

The new tax, effective in 2019, is expected to delight professionals in the Moroccan tourism sector who have been denouncing the lack of tax fairness for several months.

According to Medhi Taleb, central director in charge of regulation, quality and development at the Ministry of Tourism, quoted in the article of our colleagues, "undercover inspectors will work in collaboration with officials of the Ministry of Tourism as well as responsible for the tax authorities to ensure the application of this measure".

According to the same source, the authorities will also help Moroccan online travel platforms to offer attractive offers to strengthen their presence on international sites such as Booking.

A tax that has proven itself in Europe

With the implementation of this new measure, Morocco will join the list of countries that apply taxes to such platforms. A list that already includes France, Spain, Germany or the United States.

In large cities in France for example, where the number of nights is limited to 120, professionals who provide a booking service or rental of accommodation online are subject to the tourist tax. For the year 2017, Airbnb will for example pay €13.5 million to local authorities in France.

On December 8, the French National Assembly decided that from January 1, 2019, municipalities may increase the tourist tax on this type of accommodation.

Such a tax should, eventually, bring money back to the Moroccan state, as 60% of the 10 million tourists who arrive in Morocco plan their trips on the Internet.

But, as in France, the collection of this tax will inevitably have repercussions on the users. The site of Airbnb states: " In the cities or regions where Airbnb has agreements with local authorities, Airbnb calculates the applicable local taxes and removes them from travellers at the time of Airbnb then pays the collected taxes to the relevant tax authorities on behalf of the hosts ".

The tax is welcomed by hoteliers and travel agencies in Morocco who have denounced the present situation as unfair competition. For Samir Kheldouni, CEO of Chorus Consulting, specialising in supporting tourism investors, this tax is a victory.

" Airbnb is an indispensable tourist actor in Morocco, but it is perfectly normal that it be taxed in the same way as the conventional hotel business.This situation of unfair competition was no longer acceptable, " he says.

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Fez International Festival of Amazigh culture - Full Programme

The 14th Fez International Festival of Amazigh culture on the 11th, 12th and 13th of May. It is a rare chance to learn more about Amazigh (Berber) culture

The festival features an international forum as well as concerts at Bab Makina

Concerts: BAB MAKINA 21:30 - 00:00

FRIDAY 11th MAY 2018
- AHIDOUS OULMES (Morocco)
-AICHA MAYA (Morocco)
-ORCHESTRA FAISAL (Morocco)

SATURDAY 12th MAY 2018
- CARISHTO GROUP (Italy)
- SAMI RAY (Morocco)
- FATIMA TACHTOUKT (Morocco)

SUNDAY 13th MAY 2018
- MAREA FLAMENCA GROUP (Catalogna, Spain)
- HOUSSA 46 (Morocco)
- DOUNIA BATMA (Morocco)

INTERNATIONAL FORUM

Forum Venue: Mérinides hotel       11-13 MAY 2018

Amazigh Culture and the Future of Democracy in North Africa

Program of the Forum
Friday 11 May
16:30 Arrival of participants
17:00: Opening of the Forum and the Festival
-Speech by the President of the Fes-Saiss Association
-Speech by the President of South North Center and the President of the Festival
-Speech by the honorary President of the Festival
-Speech by the President of the BMCE Foundation
-Speech by the President of the Fez-Meknes Region
-Speech by the Wali of Fez-Meknes
-Other Speeches
17:30 Tribute to the distinguished Moroccan writer Tahar Ben Jelloun
Testimonies: Mohammed Kabbaj, Nouzha Skalli, Abderrahman Tenkoul
18 :15 Inaugural speech: Amazigh Culture and democracy
Hassan Aourid
Moderator: Moha Ennaji
18 :30 Reception and Exhibitions Tour

Saturday 12 May
Morning
9 :00 – 12 :00
Room 2
Parallel Session: Workshop on Tifinagh Alphabet
By Amina Majdoub (General Inspector of the Amazigh language)
9 :00 - 10 :30
Room 1
First Session: The Amazigh Cultural Movement: review and prospects
Moderator: Fatima Sadiqi (INLAC, Morocco)
Speakers : Mohamed Arji (University of Fez), Abdallah Boumalek (IRCAM), Abdelouahad Mabrour (University of El Jadida), Ali Fertahi (University of Beni Mellal), Mohamed Chtatou (International University of Rabat), Driss Bouyahya (University of Meknes)
10 :30– 11 :00 Coffee break
11:00– 1 3:30
Room 2
Parallel Session: Workshop "Life and death of a book, from writing to oblivion"
Hosted by Jean-Marie Simon (French writer)
Room 1
11 :00 – 12 :30
Second Session : Amazighity, citizenship and democratic culture
Moderator: Omar Marrakechi (Fes Sais Assocation)
Speakers : Tarik Mira (Algeria), Moha Ennaji (INLAC, Fez), Driss Maghraoui (Al-Akhawayn University), Maria-Angels Roque (IE Med, Spain), George Joffé (Cambridge University, U.K), Filippo Bignami (University of Southern Switzerland- SUPSI)
12:30 – 13 :30
-Presentation of the general dictionary of the Amazigh language by Meftaha Ameur (IRCAM)
-Presentation of the novel "Funny Spring" by its author Youssouf Amine Elalamy
Moderator: Juliane Tauchnitz (University of Leipzig)

Saturday 12 May
Afternoon
15 :00 – 16 :30
Room 1
Third Session : Amazigh Culture, democracy and Literature
Moderator: Johan Goud (University of Utrecht)
Speakers : Jilali Saib (Morocco), Alberto Tonini (University of Florence), Abdelkader Benali (Amsterdam), Bouthaina Ben Kridis (University of Carthage), Juliane Tauchnitz (University of Leipzig), Hamid Bahri (City University of New York)
16:30 – 17 :00 Coffee break
Room 1
17:00 – 18 :00
Poetry reading: Saida Khiari, Bassou Oujebbour, Hammou Khalla, Mohamed Akouray
Moderator: Mohammed Moubtassime (University of Fez)
Room 2
17:00 – 18 :30
Parallel Session: Painting Workshop
Supervised by Khadija Madani Alaoui (University of Fez) and Tarek Sadki (University of Fez)

Sunday 13 May
Morning
9 :00 – 10 :30
Room 2
Parallel Session: Clown theatre for children (8 years plus)
By Annick Renault (France)
9 :00 – 10 :30
Room 1
Fourth Session : Amazigh Culture and Women’s Movement
Moderator: Fouad Saa (University of Fes)
Speakers : Loubna Amhair (Morocco), Aziza Ouguir (Morocco), Enza Palamara (François Rabelais University, Tours), Jean-Marie Simon (France), Fatima Sadiqi (INLAC, Morocco), Mohamed Taifi (United States)
10 :30 – 11:00 Coffee break
11 :00 – 12 :30
Room 1
Fifth Session : Amazigh Culture, Multiculturalism and Democracy after the "Arab Spring"
Moderator: Mohamed Bokbot (Dean of the Faculty of Letters, University of Fez)
Speakers : Diederik Vandewalle (Dartmouth College), Johan Goud (University of Utrecht), Noha Bakr (Egypt), Madina Touré (University of Nouakchott), Rachid Raha (The Amazigh World), Mino Vianello (University of Rome)
12:30 – 13 :00 -Photos Exhibitions "Ait Séghrouchen, Hommes Libres" by Michel Rissoan (France) : Commented by Jean-Marie Simon
Moderator: Mohand Rguig (Faculty of Letters, University of Fez)
13 :00 Recommendations and closing

Sunday 13 may
Afternoon
17 :00 – 19 :00 Guided Tour of the Medina (optional)

Commentators:
Souad Slaoui—El Hassan Hjiej-- Driss Rhomari--Rachid Elouardy--Kebir Sandi--Mohyiddine Benlakhdar--Khadija Hassala-- Mohammed Yachoulti--Fouad Saa--Fatima Hnini--Said Gafaiti--Mohand Rguig--Abdelmounaim Azzouzi--Abdeslam Jamai --Mustapha Aouine-- Kamal Elaissaoui-- Mounia Slighwa -- Karima Nour El Aissaoui—Assia Bouayad --Ahmed Falah

Photos Exhibitions by Michel Rissoan (France) OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE FESTIVAL
Paints Exhibitions by Khadija Madani Alaoui and Tarik Sadki



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