Morocco Referendum: TV debate in the US

Moroccans go to the polls tomorrow, Friday 1 July, to vote in a referendum on the King's proposed new constitution. Moroccans living abroad are also able to vote.

In Washington DC yesterday, the Morocco Board organised a televised debate on the question, where some Moroccan Americans called for a boycott and others plan to vote 'yes'.

The Morocco Board News sends this report:
Mr. Hajjouji Ahmad spoke about the process of producing the new constitution. "This draft is an improvement, no doubt, but this package was put on the table and we were told to vote on it in two weeks, there was essentially no debate, no chance for people with conflicting views to come to the table, and discuss and inform the voters. You want that vote to be based on solid information..."

Mr. Masiky, a writer and a former spokesman for Amnesty International USA, said "the new constitution includes some important reforms that will improve things, particularly reforms relating to Justice, providing that they are implemented properly."

Mr Adil Naji , an entrepreneur and community activist, said "The majority of Moroccans, most political parties, have accepted the new constitution, they want to move forward, they regard this as the foundation for more reforms in the future".


The program was produced by Said Zairi and hosted by Mostapha Saout, editor of the Morocco Board News. The program will be broadcast on line and on Morocco Board TV. You can watch the YouTube video here.

Oued Fes Golf Resort appoints management team

Back in August 2009, The View from Fez reported on the new golf resort Oued Fes, situated on the Meknes road (see the story here).

We can now report that Troon Golf of Arizona has been appointed to manage the resort. Troon Golf is the world’s largest golf management company, overseeing operations at top-ranking properties located in 31 US states and 26 countries, including Australia, Italy and Spain. In Morocco, they already manage the course at the Mazagan complex near El Jadida.

The all-new Fez resort, residential and leisure development has chosen Troon Golf not only enhance the region’s leisure attractions, but to assist in the progression of making Morocco a major golfing destination.

The project is being developed by MEDZ, a subsidiary of the holding company CDG Development as part of its overriding mission to implement government policies aimed at the economic and social development of the country.

Bruce Glasco, of Troon's Europe, Middle East and Africa division, said, “We are delighted to have been appointed to manage the golf operations at Oued Fes, which will not only attract golfers from far and wide, but will also become one of Morocco’s finest leisure destinations.”


“Seeking the services of international experts such as Troon Golf has been a key part of our strategy, as quality remains of utmost importance in our development as a recognized tourism hub,” said M. Abdellatif Hadj Hamou, chairman of the executive board of MEDZ.

Internationally-renowned golf course designer, John Gaunt, says of the project:
"The design of this large golf course features three main characteristics: woodland, wetland and grassland (including some “desert-like” features). The result is a varied and memorable course for golfers of varying abilities, all within view from the golf villas, apartments and 5 hotels."

In order to keep the golf course in play throughout the year and prevent any risk of flooding, Gaunt Golf Design raised the level of the fairways, greens and tees, 300m driving range and practice greens to an elevation 1.5 metres above 100 year flood level. These levels will be achieved by importing subsoil from other sites near Fes and by excavating subsoil during the creation of water features. Those areas not built up are crossed by timber boardwalks, buggy tracks and bridges.

The grassland areas comprise bold, flowing and undulating features with some water channels that flood when levels rise in winter and become wetland/marshland during the drier seasons.

The result will be something golfers in Morocco or travelling there on holiday might not expect - a lush green oasis.

Gap & Banana Republic to open stores in Morocco

When Morocco Mall, Africa's largest shopping centre, opens in Casablanca later this year, Moroccans will be able to shop in Gap and Banana Republic stores just like their European neighbours.

summer fashions at Gap

As part of its global expansion strategy, Gap Inc. (which includes both brands, amongst others) announced plans to open its first Gap store in Egypt this July and its first Gap and Banana Republic stores in Morocco this October. These store openings will mark the company's first entry into Africa and will house Gap, GapKids and babyGap collections and Banana Republic's accessible luxury clothes and accessories for men and women.

While Gap products have been available to Moroccans through on-line shopping since last year, the company has confidence enough to invest in the country. "We are thrilled to be taking another important step in our franchise business and global expansion strategy by bringing our store experience to consumers in Africa for the first time," said Stephen Sunnucks, president of International, Gap Inc. "The rapidly growing consumer base in North Africa provides an ideal environment to introduce both Gap and Banana Republic to the continent."

The company has signed a new franchise agreement with the Aksal Group to open its first Gap and Banana Republic stores in Casablanca, Morocco. Both stores will be located in the city's new Morocco Mall and will open at the same time as the mall's grand opening this October.

Styled as a 'destination mall', the centre will have cinemas, including Morocco's first IMAX theatre, restaurants and an aquarium as well as retail outlets. The finishing touches are being put to the site on the coast, just south of the Hassan II mosque.

Gap Inc. is a leading global specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, children, and babies under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime, and Athleta brands. The company was founded in 1969 in San Francisco by Doris and Don Fisher.

High-tech solution for ancient problem

A clever invention offers an easy solution for reducing humidity in the walls of traditional houses. The words “rising damp” are enough to send a chill through any owner of an ancient house. As renovators of riads or dars know, getting rid of damp patches in the walls can be time consuming, difficult and expensive. Now an invention is available in Morocco that has been used successfully in Europe to protect thousands of heritage buildings.

Riad Fes

Thierry Dutrannoy, who manages the renovation branch of Fes Real Estate, has recently recommended the installation of the Mur-tronic device in two local houses, including Riad Fes.  “Old houses here were almost always built without a damp course,” he explains. “If the ground beneath the structure is wet, the walls absorb it like a piece of paper soaking up ink. The damp often rises about a metre and a half up the wall.” This not only leads to an unpleasant feeling of humidity in rooms, but to an increase in the deterioration of plaster and furnishings and a rise in insect pest activity.

Architect Bertrand Tezenas, who represents Mur-tronic in Morocco, says since he moved to Marrakesh eight years ago he has been aware that damp walls in old Moroccan houses are a significant problem. “There is nothing you can do to the wall itself to treat it. Coating it with a waterproof material, or building a second wall, simply traps the humidity. There is another product, which involves drilling a hole in the wall every 15 cms and injecting it with a chemical, but you can’t do this in all cases and it is very expensive.”

Architect Bertrand Tezenas

Tezenas said he came across the Mur-tronic system when he did a workshop in ecological building in France in 2009. “It was invented 27 years ago by Bernard Stumpp from Alsace...It’s been used in Europe in more than 10,000 buildings, mainly in France.”

The Mur-tronic device consists of a black box, which can be retro-fitted.

So how does the system work? Tezenas explains that the mineral salts in groundwater are electrically charged. The Mur-tronic device emits a small electric current which changes the polarity of the moisture in the wall, so it repels rather than attracts the water beneath a building.

However, the device does not require being hooked up to mains power. “Electromagnetic energy is also the source of power for this box,” said Tezenas.

When The View from Fez expressed some incredulity, he responded, “I don’t understand exactly how the internet works, but it works. The source of power for the device is the variation of the electromagnetic field and this variation amplifies the electrical current already present in the wall, which makes the water rise higher in the walls. The device acts as a receiver of this variation and emits back a counter-variation, for lack of better word, and therefore stops the water from ascending which, then by gravity, goes down.”

Although it is too early to tell the results from the two Fez houses where Mur-tronic has been installed, Tezenas cites an example of a Marrakesh property where the moisture in the walls has been reduced from 17% to 11.5% in the six months since installation. “A correct humidity reading would be a maximum of 6%,” he said. He estimates it will reach this in another few months.

Although retro-fitting is possible, the best time to have the device fitted is during construction. And the cost? “Depending on how big the area is we need to treat, it ranges from 15,000 to 70,000 dirhams for a house, which includes monitoring after installation. It’s 30% cheaper here than in France.” And the bonus is happy neighbours – those with shared walls benefit as well.

The Details:


Bertrand Tezenas, director of Dream Haouz, can be contacted on 0667 047 969 or contact@murtronic.ma. Website: www.murtronic.ma

Restoration of the Moulay Idriss Mausoleum, Fez Medina

This week's L'Economiste carries an interview by Youness Saad Alami with esteemed architect, Rachid Haloui, concerning the current restoration of the most venerated building in the Fez medina, the Moulay Idriss Mausoleum.

Rachid Haloui

M Haloui studied architecture in Toulouse, and is a former chief architect of Fez. He is now in charge of the restoration of the shrine of the founder of Fez which has a budget of Dh52.5 million.

Haloui explains that the work covers the entire site of the sanctuary, not just the mausoleum. The mausoleum itself comprises the qoubba (dome), the prayer rooms for both men and women and the minaret courtyard, while the rest of the complex includes the Lamgalga Mosque, the latrines, the abbatoir, Dar Qaïtoune and two massriyas.

Part of the Moulay Idriss Mausoleum

Such work, continues Haloui, costs a lot more than building from scratch. For example, a new building might cost between Dh3000 and Dh6000 per square metre, depending on what's required. However, restoring a building will cost around Dh20 000 per square metre or more, depending on the decoration. But it's not just the decoration - the height of the ceilings is also a factor as they can be twice or three times the height  as those in a modern building. Then there's the cost of transport, in this case by donkey or mule through the medina, as well as the materials. The most complicated part of this project is the cupola which measures 16m to the ceiling and 22m at its highest point.

M Haloui explains that the Minister of the Habous (religious affairs) is sensitive to the heritage value of the buildings he manages. The Moulay Idriss shrine will be restored with total respect towards the materials and decor. It's a case of general consolidation of the buildings and protection against the risks of water damage, safety, plumbing and insect control. Then any decoration that is damaged will be replaced or modified.

As an example, if there's a zellij (mosaic tile) panel that's damaged, it will be restored in situ, supported by mortar behind it that will be laboratory-controlled. Only missing pieces or those badly damaged will be replaced, and in these cases the quality of the materials, the firing of the tiles, the enamel and the colour of each mosaic will be scrupulously controlled. The time envisaged for this work is 24 months.

Asked what kind of difficulties could be encountered in this type of work, M Haloui said that restoration of such buildings is very complex. He has restored many, both in Morocco (in Fez and Essaouira) as well as in France, and says that as a rule, there are always unpleasant surprises. He's never found a pot of gold; it's more likely to be cracks, various degradations, and subsidence. An ancient building often doesn't show its problems on the surface but there will cracks, infiltration of water and damage to decoration. As the mausoleum is a place of worship, the floors are covered by carpets which hide deformations. Difficulties are caused by lots of factors: the very nature of the building, the materials used, what's next door, the nature of the soil as well as lack of maintenance. Very often it's water that causes the greatest problems particularly if there's rising damp.


And the risks involved? M Haloui lists them as being safety and stability during the work, and protection against collapse. This is very serious, of course, and all precautions are taken to protect the building and the workers. Scaffolding is already in place and looks pretty impressive. The other risk is that decoration such as zellij and carved plaster might be further damaged during the work.


See the full article here (in French)

Buying a Parrot in Fez !

One day Sidi Driss went to an auction in the Fez Medina wanting to buy a parrot. he saw one he loved and decided he really wanted this bird. Unfortunately he got caught up and thoroughly involved in the bidding.
He kept on bidding, but kept getting outbid, so he bid higher and higher and higher.

Finally, after he had bid much more than he had intended, Sidi Driss won the bid; the parrot was his at last. As he was paying for the parrot, he said to the auctioneer, "I hope this parrot can talk. I would hate to have paid this much for it, only to find out that he can't talk!"

"Don't worry." said the auctioneer, "He can talk. Who do you think kept bidding against you?"

Morocco - making the animals anxious?

If you are taking a day trip out of Fez, or coming back from a day in the cool up in Ifran, it might be a good thing to heed the warnings about the Macaques (Barbary apes). Some years ago, coming through Tizi Tioumliline and on the track beside the Oued Sebbab that leads you back to Azrou I stopped for a quiet Macaque chat and while I was thus engaged another launched itself onto my back. This not an experience to be recommended.

But now, according to the journal Biological Conservation, a study reveals that Macaques at a site regularly visited by tourists showed signs of anxiety when people got too close, fed them or tried to attract their attention for a photograph.

The scientists monitored the monkeys' behaviour and also tested the animals' droppings for stress hormones.

"There's been a lot of interest, recently, in tourism and how it affects wild animal populations," explained Dr Stuart Semple, a scientist who specialises in the study of primates at the University of Roehampton in London, UK. "But while there are studies that show tourism does affect animal behaviour, we've tried to look at it much more directly, and to actually measure their levels of anxiety."

Macaque taking a time-check

Laetitia Marechal, also from Roehampton, led the study.

She and her colleagues studied 50 days of tourist-monkey interactions at Ifrane National Park in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

A population of macaques here has become habituated to the regular visits of tourists for at least five years.

"The more tourists there were, the more anxious the macaques would become," said Dr Semple.

"Just like humans, macaques scratch themselves when they're nervous or anxious, so we use this [scratching behaviour] as a measure of their level of anxiety."

The researchers divided the interactions into three categories: feeding; neutral, which included taking photographs of the monkeys; and aggression, including the less common incidences of tourists throwing things at the macaques or physically striking them.

My opinion? Nah, I'm sitting on the fence...

"All three types of interactions seemed to make the monkeys anxious," said Dr Semple.

For the record,i t is thought there are fewer than 6,000 Barbary Macaques left in the wild. They are found mainly in mountainous regions of Algeria and Morocco.

While I agree with the scientists, I have to say that having a Macaque on my back, holding on to my ears and riding me like a small jockey on a pony, also made me anxious.

Sunday's Protests in Morocco

Another 42 degree Celsius day in Fez - not the sort of weather to encourage people to get out and protest. However, the hardy were not discouraged and at 5pm, several hundred, mainly young women, turned out in central Fez to show their support for the constitutional changes. Later in the march they were joined by others.

Pro-royalists in Fez

The demonstration was well organised, with, ambulances, volunteer medical groups on hand and buses supplied to bring people to and from the event. There was very little sign of police or security and the mood of the demonstrators was one of high spirits. As a series of mini-buses arrived, bringing more young women, the shrieking and excitement was reminiscent of a pop concert.

"I love the king...he is the best king in Africa," ~ demonstrator, Hamsa Tchnouti

Fatima Rais (red cap) one of the rally organisers and Mehdi Lamnini (in the cape)

"We feel it is very important that the King's proposed changes to theconstitution should be supported and we have come today to show this," ~demonstrator Mehdi Lamnini.

One of the organisers of the march, Fatima Rais, told The View from Fez that she was happy with the turnout of the march, despite the more than 40 degree heat. At the beginning of the rally Fatima said she expected the rally to grow to around 1000. And, with the addition of school children and their teachers, as well as car-loads of young men, she was proved right. Another rally official reported to us that the number was over 1000 by the time the march arrived at the royal palace. The event was without incident.

Around the country other demonstrators,  both for and against Morocco's new constitution, took to the streets. In Rabat a march of at least 1,000 calling for the boycott of the referendum on Sunday was blocked by police as well as a few hundred government supporters. The two groups, separated by riot police, chanted rival slogans. Activists reported brief scuffles and some injuries.

In  Casablanca, government supporters also blocked a pro-democracy march of thousands in downtown.
Videos posted on the Feb. 20 website also showed demonstrations in the cities of Tangiers, Marrakech and Tetouan.

Extreme sports event in Morocco

Morocco's first Djebelya Grand Raid is an extreme endurance test. Competitors have 200 hours to cover 2500km throughout Morocco, over four weeks, from 28 June to 28 July. Events include a 120km kayak across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Tarfaya in southern Morocco, 2100km of mountain biking, a 40km desert trek, 150km on horseback, a 20km swim and an optional mountain climb.

Billed as 'from one sea to the other' the Djebelya Grand Raid will end at Cabo Negro on the Mediterranean, not far from Tangier after traversing the High Atlas mountains and the Sahara. The project was initiated by Mounir Essayegh, a natural sports aficionado, and Arnaud Mollaret, a horse riding teacher in Casablanca. So for a month, this competition which aims to lead the raiders from a sea to another, using only natural sports (ie no polluting, motorised vehicles), will cross more than 13 provinces in 24 stages. Presented as a "race against oneself" which stresses endurance, the objective of the raid is also to promote citizen tourism through natural sports. It highlights the natural and cultural riches of Morocco, emphasising green tourism and our social and environmental responsibility. Children in rural schools along the way will benefit through the NGO Amis des Ecoles.

If you're feeling energetic, find out more at www.djebelya.com.

Morocco Rallies Sunday ~ for and against constitutional change

Moroccan officials are organising local inhabitants to confront pro-democracy demonstrators planning a peaceful protest on Sunday. In Fez, a rally in favour of the "Yes" vote will take begin at 5pm in Place Florence and march to the Royal Palace.

"Violence targeting the youth of the February 20 movement backed by local authorities is dangerous and is worrying," the Moroccan Human Rights Association (AMDH) wrote in a letter to the interior ministry.
"Authorities are taking advantage of the inhabitants' socio-economic hardships to set them up against the young people who demonstrate peacefully," it added.

Communication Minister Khalid Naciri rejected the claims, writing to AFP of "spontaneous gatherings of people who support the government's project for constitutional reform." And, also reported by AFP, most political parties have called for "massive" counter-rallies every day across Morocco until June 30 to support the king's proposals, which are to be put to a referendum on July 1.

For the government, Naciri said of the statement protesting against the counter-demonstrators: "It is unfair to describe them in such a negative way.""We are so confident about the support we have from the majority of the population that these are just some dissonant voices trying to shake us."

The French-language weekly Tel Quel responded sceptically to the proposed reforms in its Saturday publication. The Islamist Justice and Charity group has also rejected the proposals and said it would participate in Sunday's rally.

Morocco's Referendum ~ another view

Ahmed Charai is Publisher of the Moroccan weekly magazine L’Observateur as well as the French edition of Foreign Policy magazine. He sits on the Board of Trustees of the Foreign Policy Research Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. Here is an extract from an article he wrote for Eurasiaview.com (note: their website appears to be experiencing difficulties)

While many observers expected the king to announce a new power-sharing relationship with the parliament, few expected him to go this far, this fast to full democracy. The new constitution moves far beyond striking a new balance of power—it makes Morocco a wholly modern state.

The new constitution also establishes the primacy of international conventions and U.N. treaties, and, thus the necessity of adapting Moroccan laws to them. This is a huge step forward, especially for the rights of women. For too long, the full recognition of women’s equality has been mired in religious objections. Now that will change.

The king also called for a fully independent judiciary to combat corruption and safeguard human rights.

The proposed constitutional changes are the latest in a long line of pro-democracy developments. Morocco has a history of political pluralism. The kingdom has 12 major and regional political parties, an independent and free press, and human rights protections.

Morocco also has a record of respecting elections. The March 1998 election brought to power a coalition of center-left parties, known as the Socialist Union of Popular Forces—the first time an opposition party took power after an election in the Arab world. As for past abuses of human rights, the government acknowledged those wrongs and initiated a process called reconciliation in 2002. Victims are being compensated and wrong-doers punished.

These reforms were hailed in their time, but ten years later, other more ambitious demands are being heard. When the 2007 elections were marked by a record low turnout (37 percent), the king and the government realized that more needed to be done. The Socialist Union of Popular Forces, once again in opposition, called for a constitutional monarchy at its 2008 party convention. Calls for democratic reform accelerated in 2011 following the largely peaceful demonstrations, known as the movement of February 20.

Unlike in other Arab countries, protesters did not call for the fall of the monarchy, but simply for the end of absolutism and corruption. The protests were continuous, almost weekly, and largely peaceful. The police did not intervene. Instead, the demonstrators hoped to exert a calm, steady pressure—much like Martin Luther King’s nonviolent protests in 1960s America.

Only under the leadership of Al Adl Wal Ihssane, a radical Islamic group, did the protests become violent and the police swarm in. One protester died. The reaction of the king was telling. He immediately ordered the National Brigade of the Judicial Police, the governing body of the national police, to investigate police brutality.

Most political parties support the king’s proposed constitutional changes, but two forces seemed to be gathering strength in the public protests: the Islamists of Al Adl Wal Ihssane and the Maoists of Annahj. The former are in principle banned but tolerated, the latter are a legal party. Both essentially oppose the existence of the monarchy.

The Islamists hope to reestablish the seventh century caliphate and aim to use democracy to achieve their ends. In the long-term, however, a multi-party democracy will not exist in their Islamic caliphate. Their literature speaks of denying the power of the parliament to make law, replacing it with a judiciary that rules through unchanging Sharia law. Meanwhile, the Maoists want an anti-capitalist revolution.

These two movements are a distinct but vocal minority, although Al Adl WalI hssane has a vast membership and a disciplined hierarchy.

The king, by heeding the demands for democratic reform by the February 20 movement, has created a channel to direct the energies of the demonstrators away from extremism. Referenda can be more powerful than police batons.

Thanks to Morocco’s unique history, the king’s gambit may well succeed. In Egypt and Tunisia, which had small, fractured and repressed political classes, the only thing that demonstrators agreed on was the departure of their ruler. By contrast, Morocco has a vast and vibrant political class to debate and shape the future of the country. Violence is the last refuge of the voiceless; in Morocco, people are free to gather, publish dissenting views and call radio programs or use online social media to express themselves. So violence is unnecessary and rare.

Nearly every one will have a say in the debate over the constitutional referendum planned for July and offer counter-proposals for new political institutions. But the debate will be had with strong opinions, not Molotov cocktails.

The Moroccan experience stands as a model for the rest of Arab world, with peaceful yet dramatic political change coming from the top and bottom of society simultaneously. It took almost 15 years of steady reforms and the enlargement of civil society to get to this turning point. This embrace of full-bodied democracy is the hard-won return on a long-term investment. Other Arab leaders would feel safer if they made similar, patient investments. It is not too late to start.

The Unusually Hot Weather in Fez

There is heated (and we use that word advisedly) debate about the weather in Fez. Last month we had cooler and certainly wetter May weather than usual. Now Fez is experiencing a hot spell with temperatures reaching 38 or 39 degrees Celsius. And, if the weather boffins are to be believed, July will continue this trend.

Old-timers tell us that this is far hotter than usual at this time of year. So we decided to check the averages over the last decade. What we discovered is that the old-timers are right. Over the last few days the temperatures have exceeded what we expect in August!

Fez Temperature Averages

Below is the forecast for the next five days. The promised thunderstorm tonight comes as something of a surprise as it is not forecast on some weather stations.

Click image to enlarge

UPDATE: Temperature in Fez today reached 42 degrees Celsius.

Gnaoua Festival a Tourism Boost

Gnaoua Musicians reach new heights in Essaouira

At a time of low tourist numbers, the Moroccan authorities must be encouraged by the international coverage of the Gnaoua Music Festival in Essaouira. Even that stately old auntie, the BBC has given it a splash, including the fabulous photo (thanks BBC) above.

The final day of the festival is tomorrow and hopefully the organisers will have reached their estimated audience of 200,000.

Contemporary dance in Meknes

Moroccans do not get to many opportunities to see contemporary dance as too few dance productions tour Morocco. Tomorrow night, June 25, the National Ballet of Lorraine will perform in Meknes.

Fourteen dancers will present a contemporary work, Etcetera. It has been choreographed by Andrea Sitter, who has re-interpreted works from choreographers such as Pina Bausch, Merce Cunningham and Michael Jackson.

The National Ballet of Lorraine is one of the premier French dance companies in the creation of new repertoire. Since they began in 1978, they have developed a large number of pieces which show an extraordinary range of richness and diversity. They have already appeared in Marrakesh and Casablanca and this will be the finale of their Moroccan tour.

Details

The National Ballet of Lorraine performs on Saturday June 25 at 8pm at the
théâtre de l'Institut Français de Meknès at

Place Farhat Hached, Meknès. Ph: 0555 52 40 71.

Essaouira Gnaoua Festival Kicks Off

The picturesque port of Essaouira, painted in blue and white, is a tourist favourite and the perfect destination for a festival devoted to the feats of the Gnaouas, best known for their tasselled hats, which spin wildly as the musicians rock. Yesterday the Gnaoua Festival kicked off. It runs until the 26th

Perhaps North Africa’s biggest music festival, the Gnaoua and World Music Festival has been going on for over a decade, and last year drew 400,000 fans to Essaouira.

Now in its 14th year, the festival is not surprisingly more stylistically divergent than western festivals, not only in the styles of music represented, but the number of instruments played. Numerous open-air stages host Gnaoua musicians as well as numerous international acts.

Gnaouas are musical brotherhoods; more than a band, less than an orchestra. They are descendants of African slaves who were transported across Africa’s northern deserts to serve sultans and wealthy families. And given that one can trace the musical lineage of the banjo and other instruments viewed as “traditionally American,” the styles of music may be closer to the blues and gospel than the sounds of Morocco’s neighbors 3,000 miles to the east.

Originating through this cross-pollination of African magic and Islamic rituals, the Gnaoua brotherhoods form a structured unit around a master or Malaam. He leads the music and dancing until the participants are in a trance induced by the mesmeric rhythms of the drums, the guenbri (a form of lute) and the hand-held garagab (metal castanets). During religious ceremonies, Gnaouas have been known to impale themselves on swords or beat their heads with iron balls without sustaining visible external injury.

Faint-hearted visitors have nothing to fear, the Essaouira Festival does not feature such extreme performances: the programme focuses on the purely musical elements of Gnaoua tradition and its influence on African-inspired musicians.

So will the music effect you? Yes, hopefully it will! In a Gnaoua song, one phrase or a few lines are repeated over and over throughout a particular song though the song may last a long time. In fact, a song may last several hours non-stop. The norm, though, is that what seems to the unintiniated to be one long song is actually a series of chants, which has to do with describing the various spirits (in Arabic mlouk (sing. melk)), so what seems to be a 20 minute piece may be a whole series of pieces, a suite for Sidi Moussa, Sidi Hamou, Sidi Mimoun or the others. But because they are suited for adepts in a state of trance, they go on and on, and have the effect, that they provoke trance from different angles.

The melodic language of the stringed instrument is closely related to their vocal music and to their speech patterns, as is the case in much African music. It is a language that emphasizes on the tonic and fifth, with quavering pitch-play, especially pitch-flattening, around the third, the fifth, and sometimes the seventh. This is the language of the blues.

Morocco's Referendum - divided opinion

Reaction to the proposed constitutional changes on which Moroccans will vote can be summed up in one word. And, as our correspondent Ibn Warraq reports in his opinion piece from Casablanca, that word is "disappointment".

The editorials across the world have overwhelmingly called the proposed constitutional changes as disappointing. Though, it is fare to say that almost every one has also found the changes, small as they are, to be a step in the right direction.

Opinion from the respected global think-tank, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, has this take: The constitution King Mohammed VI announced to his country on June 17 has been greeted by Moroccans with a great deal of ambivalence. Although it appears to be a foregone conclusion that a majority of Moroccans will vote “yes” in the referendum announced for July 1, many will do so with reservations.

The Moroccan viewpoint on the streets, and in the cafes, is more varied. Because of the very strong support for the King, some people find it difficult to decide which way to vote. In the very short time allowed for discussion, public debate and campaigning, little will shift the views of the populace. It was almost too hard to imagine what such a campaign could do in the time alloted. To quote the official line "As part of the referendum on the new draft constitution to be held on July 1, Morocco's Interior Minister informs citizens that the referendum campaign will run from Tuesday 21 June till Thursday June 30."

I expect the referendum to be won by the "yes" vote by a considerable margin. Unfortunately I do not think this is a healthy outcome for the country. There is no doubt change will come, but if the "yes" vote prevails, change will take a lot longer and wonderful chance may well be missed.

One of the most succinct pieces by a Moroccan writer appeared in the Guardian newspaper in England. In it, the author Larbi also reflects the widely felt disappointment:

While bringing some improvements, Morocco's proposed new constitution takes us back to the same institutional structure for the country. It matches neither Moroccans' aspirations nor the new regional context.

Reform of the constitution has been conducted in an anti-democratic manner, quite unlike what the king, Mohammed VI, claimed in his speech on 17 June. The ad hoc commission tasked with preparing the new constitution was appointed by the king and composed almost entirely of men and women whose loyalty was to him.

The palace, deaf and blind, chose to royally ignore the wave of contestation that pushed him to reform and leaned on an aging and subservient political class, which in any case had never asked for change.

It ignored the protests of the 20 February movement, which rejected this imposed process and considered that the conditions necessary for the drafting of a democratic constitution were not met. Self-assured and arrogant, the regime stubbornly continued in this vein.

This "consultative" approach turned into a farce when the commission refused to allow the heads of political parties to see the draft constitution, finally allowing them only 24 hours to prepare their remarks. This reform has been concocted in secrecy, without real concessions, and under the strict supervision of the king's political counsellor. These are the facts.

The palace followed this approach to its logical conclusion. At the end of the exercise, we were presented with a fait accompli, particularly as the new constitution is being put up for a referendum as a whole and not on a per-article basis. The result is therefore disappointing.

It must be acknowledged that the draft presented by the king includes some improvements. The preamble of the constitution, lyrical and replete with homilies, recognises for the first time the diversity – of culture and heritage – of Moroccan society. Amazigh is recognised as an official language, answering a historic demand of the regions of the north. The constitution guarantees in its text a number of rights and freedoms, starting with the right to life and freedom of speech. One cannot but think that the current constitution already guarantees such rights, without really implementing them.

Read the complete article (in French)

A more positive view came from Arabic News Digest which quoted Asharq al Awsat's Othman Mirghani:

There was three days between the speech of King Mohammed VI of Morocco and that of the Syrian president Bashar Al Assad, yet the difference between the two was huge, wrote Othman Mirghani, a columnist with the pan-Arab Asharq al Awsat newspaper.

"On the one hand, we've listened to a king using the phrase 'my dear people' five times as he addressed his nation, describing himself as his people's 'first servant', before announcing concrete and detailed constitutional reforms, expanding the prerogatives of the government and the parliament and promoting the independence of the judiciary.

"On the other, we've listened to President Al Assad's speech at the University of Damascus, in which he alternated calls for national dialogue and talk about conspirators and vandals, without presenting concrete proposals or clarifying the picture, rather leaving everything up in the air."

The conditions in these two countries being so different, some might suggest that comparing these speeches is inappropriate. Yet,there are cogent reasons for this comparison. Both leaders came to power around the same time - at the turn of the 21st century - and amid similar fanfare about "new and young leadership" carrying the promise of reform, which both nations needed badly.

Until now, if there is any reform process under way, it is happening in Morocco, not Syria.

For the record: Morocco has opened over 520 polling stations in its Embassies and Consulates to enable the Moroccans living abroad to vote on the proposed new constitution on July 1.

The referendum is open to all the Moroccans abroad who are over 18 and registered in the Kingdom’s Embassies and Consulates.

The polling stations will be presided by the Consul or any other official appointed by the Consul or the Ambassador.

A Moroccan Poet, Born In Fez, Honoured in France

The Academie Francaise, official guardian of the French language, announced yesterday (Thursday) thaT it will recognise 70 people in its 2011 round of prize giving, including Moroccan Abdellatif Laabi and the Algerian writer Yasmina Khadra.

The main literature prize, le Grand Prix de Litterature Henri Gal worth 40,000 euros (448,000 Moroccan Dirhams), will go to Khadra, whose real name is Mohammed Moulessehoul,

Abdellatif Laabi

Abdellatif Laabi will be awarded a prize worth 22,500 euros (252,000 Dirhams).

Abdellatif Laâbi, a Moroccan poet, born in 1942 in Fes, was a recent visitor to the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music where he took part in the forum discussion on "The Arab spring: new horizons in the Maghreb". He won Le prix Goncourt in 2009.

"Everything which the Arab reality offers that is generous, open and creative is crushed by regimes whose only anxiety is to perpetuate their own power and self-serving interest. And what is often worse is to see that the West remains insensitive to the daily tragedy while at the same time accommodating, not to say supporting, the ruling classes who strangle the free will and aspirations of their people." ~Abdellatif Laabi

Laâbi, started work in the 1960's as a French teacher and was responsible in 1966 for the founding, with other poets, of the important artistic and literary journal, Souffles. It quickly crystallized all Moroccan creative energies: painters, film-makers, men of theatre, researchers and thinkers. It was banned in 1972, but throughout its short life, it opened up to cultures from other countries of the Maghreb and those of the Third World.

Abdellatif Laâbi was sentenced to ten years in prison for "crimes of opinion" (for his political beliefs and his writings) and served a sentence from 1972-1980. He was then forced into exile in France,.

Laabi has lived in Paris since 1985, and since 1988, is a member of the Académie Mallarmé. Laabi is respected as a defender of other writers who are persecuted for their writing, including Salman Rushdie.

Buying Moroccan Carpets in Fez

Tales of carpet scams in Morocco, of unethical salesmen, and of mint tea overdoses are popular post-holiday dinner party chat. But are they really all as bad as that? Is every Moroccan carpet salesman a con artist and are most tourists simply gullible? When we did some digging around we discovered the truth is not that simple.

Tale the first

Dale (name changed) would describe himself at the time of his visit to Morocco as "naive". It was his first trip outside Australia and, as he puts it "I really hadn't done my homework." Dale was travelling with his elderly mother, a formidable woman with a passion for carpets.

Their initial experience with a carpet salesmen was on their first day in the Fez Medina and was enjoyable until they returned to their hotel. As the sugar-high from the mint tea wore off, they checked their receipts and calculated the exchange rates. Somehow, in the buzz and excitement, they had managed to spend three times their budget and spent around 21,000 Australian Dollars (175,000 Dirhams). "I felt physically sick at my stupidity," Dale's mum recalls.

a typical Fez carpet showroom

Now in most travel horror stories, that's where it ends. But while naive, Dale wasn't stupid. He contacted a friend in Fez, who rang the carpet shop and made an appointment for the following day. The next morning Dale and his mother used a guide to find the shop again and after a little haggling, had the carpets returned and the credit card bill annulled.

The story ends happily with Dale's mother going shopping again two days later, armed with a pocket calculator. As she tells it, "I bargained like a Berber andspent exactly what I intended, got the rugs I wanted and the nice man even threw in a small runner for free."

Tale the second

Deb and Dave are the folks behind the popular site The Planet D: Around the World Adventure Couple, Last winter their friends Gail Burgin and her husband, Frank Marino (who took the photographs below), travelled to Morocco and while in Fez had what can only be described as a "carpet adventure". Luckily for us, Gail shared her experience in a guest post on Planet D.

Gail described her experience as "one of the most  frightening and expensive experiences of my life". A link to the full story is below, but here is an edited extract:

When you arrive in Morocco you know you must leave your Western ways and assumed certainties behind, but no matter how prepared you think you are, nothing prepares you for the carpet sellers.

Abdul, our tour guide, a pleasant, knowledgeable guy, who seemed very western to us, despite wearing a traditional djellaba (caftan) and bernousse (cap), led us through a very small door into a large room with a gorgeous skylight, its walls covered floor to ceiling with carpets. Within two strides of our entering the room we are introduced to Mohamed, who seemed to appear from nowhere.

In one complete breath he asks – “Where are you from? Do you like Morocco? What are your names?, he gives orders to the ceiling for mint tea, and he yells something to the walls in Arabic. In four seconds two people arrive and simultaneously throw carpets at our feet; a cacophony of colour unfurling before our eyes.

"Four women worked on this carpet"

Mohamed scoops up one of the carpets and brings it to my face, “Can you see the detail in this carpet? Four women worked on this carpet at the same time. Look! Look at the stitching, one woman went blind while making this carpet. If you buy this carpet, you will be helping 1000 people – a whole village!! Every stitch is done by hand. It is only 6,000!”

I squeek out – 6000 dirhams? ($1,800. Canadian dollars). No, not dirhams, Euros. 6000 Euros!! That’s 8000 Canadian dollars!

By this time we are surrounded by no less than six people, one person is guiding us to walk on the carpets, someone else is serving us tea, two people are continuously throwing carpets at our feet. Mohamed is IN MY FACE repeating over and over the value and provenance of the carpets, and Abdul, all pretense of westernism tossed aside, is speaking into my ear – “How much do you want to pay? 4000? 3000? You can trust these people, they have the best carpets in Morocco!!”

Then I am separated from Frank who is immediately engulfed by his own team of carpet sellers. I blurt out, “How can 1000 people be involved in this carpet – I can’t believe it”.

Without missing a beat, Mohamed pushes the carpet back up into my face – “Look at the stitches, look at the colours. The four women who made this carpet support eight families, LOOK AT THE STITCHES every one made by hand!! 100 people take care of the sheep, 100 people work the land, 100 people take care of the donkeys, 100 people take the wool from the sheep, 100 people spin the wool, 100 people dye the wool. THE WOMEN, THEY GO BLIND MAKING THESE CARPETS!! And Abdul keeps repeating into my ear – “Buy two carpets, you’ll get a better deal, two is better, yes, two!”

I shout: “Two!! How much for two?” From across the room Frank is mouthing the word “TWO??”

I say, “1000!!! We can only afford 1000 Euros.” Abdul is by my arm and he has switched sides again to support my efforts. From the high of 6000 Euros for one carpet, we are haggling over 1000 Euros for two. Mohamed retrieves Frank who is dragged forward and asked, “What is wrong with your wife, how can I sell two carpets for 1000 Euros. It has to be 2000 – I am beggaring myself, think of the blind women, 2000 it must be.” Frank and I look at each other, acknowledging that we should just give in, so he nods his head in assent and is immediately whisked off by Mohamed to pay.

We ended up paying 4000 Euros or $6000 Cnd for two carpets, — it turns out it was 2000 Euros per carpet that Mohamed beggared himself for — and we comforted ourselves with the knowledge we improved the lives of a thousand Moroccans. (I wish)

"... our gorgeous Moroccan carpet"

And as the months and the sting of spending $6000 have passed by, whenever we walk on our gorgeous Moroccan carpets, we are filled with nostalgia for more travel.

SO, WAS IT A SCAM?

When we read the post, we were intrigued by the sense that their "carpet experience" had been a scam. While everyone who has experienced the wild theatricality of the carpet sellers will talk about the pressure and the polished selling style ("Madam, buy this side and you get the other side for free"), in the end, a good deal is when seller and buyer are both happy. So, armed with Frank Marino's photographs, we went carpet hunting.

Three local experts in Fez agree that the carpet pictured above is fine example from the High Atlas. More specifically, from the Taznakt region and probably from A'it Ougherda. They also say it would NOT have been made by four women, but by one.

When it comes to the price, although there was some disagreement, all the estimates put the resale value at between 15,000 and 21,000 Moroccan dirhams (1300 Euro - 1800 Euro). As one carpet expert put it. "It could actually be a bit higher. This is a fine example and such pieces can be a little bit expensive."

At the end of the day, while Gail and Frank probably paid more than they intended, they were not totally ripped-off and have ended up with a beautiful reminder of their time in Morocco ... and a great story to tell.

Thanks to PlanetD for sharing, and to Si Mohammed Bouzidi for canvassing the prices and provenance for us. You can read Gail's full story here:  PlanetD Morocco.

If you intend buying carpets in Morocco, we suggest you follow this link and  read : The Beginners' Guide to Buying Moroccan Carpets.

Meanwhile, on a road far away...

Habibbullah and Jallaluddin were riding their donkeys along the dusty road to Kandahar when they found three grenades on the road. After some discussion they decided that the best course of action was to take them to a police station.

After riding a little way, Habibullah stopped, struck by a sudden thought. "What if one explodes before we get there?"

Jallaluddin, nodded, smiled and kept riding. "We'll lie," he said "and say we only found two."

Is the grass greener? Emigrating from Morocco

The US State Department grants roughly 50,000 permanent resident visas annually, through the Diversity Visa Lottery, to people from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.

The Morocco Board news service carries this article written by Joe Sciarrillo of the African Immigrant Refugee Resource Center in San Francisco. It highlights the case of Benyounes from Rabat, who met the criteria and in 2006 was able to apply with his wife and two children, allowing them to work and reside in the U.S. as legal permanent residents. Most of the 10 million participants in this lottery come from Asia and Africa, and must meet specific educational or occupational requirements.

Benyounes makes pizza

Benyounes speaks of his experience as an immigrant coming to San Francisco as if he’s reciting poetry, reminiscing on his adjustment to his new life in the Bay Area. Arriving in 2006, he went to the African Immigrant Refugee Resource Center seeking assistance with employment and housing. More importantly, he was looking to connect with friends to guide and support him in navigating his new home.

The obstacles began to mount when his family could no longer comfortably stay at his sister-in-law’s house after the first month. Tempers flared between his relatives, sparked by conflicting expectations on living arrangements, and personal differences. The complex social dynamics of living in an unfamiliar city with new expectations were just his first barriers.

Benyounes’s first steps were to apply for a Social Security card, a California ID, and start a new life. He explained to the caseworkers his frustration in finding affordable housing and livable paying jobs that do not require high-levels of English. The Center provided listings of affordable housing and signed him up for several housing wait-lists. Instead, he preferred to avoid the backlog of public housing and found a more comfortable, personal setting at a Tenderloin apartment with an Algerian friend. The Center referred him to a technological training at Cartridge World, but no related jobs panned out.

One of this biggest obstacles was navigating through the red tape and bureaucratic barriers to employment, housing, and qualifying for certain medical benefits as a legal permanent resident. Yet, he was gaining a familiarity with such obstacles after having gone through the rough fourteen month process of the Lottery.

While attending prayer services at the Attawhid mosque on Sutter and Polk in the Tenderloin, Benyounes met Abdel Mokrani, the manager at Volare Pizzeria. He recalls their first encounter in 2007, “I was looking for any work - part time. Abdel needed someone to open and to start the oven and clean up. I made fish one day for him - he found out I was a good chef so he pushed me to try cooking pizza. He even gave me his secrets (for sauce and pasta) and I improved them because I’m a chemist.” Together, Benyounes and Abdel altered and improved their recipes as well as the restaurant’s interior and exterior design.

He shares memories of bustling in the kitchen of Volare Pizzeria on Haight Street, serving slices of pizza over the hot oven, while welcoming customers in his native Moroccan accent to “Enjoy while it’s hot.”

Since leaving Volare Pizzeria, Benyounes has moved on to search for teaching jobs, similar to his profession in Morocco as a high school chemistry and physics teacher, but openings are limited, and many only hire applicants who are fluent in English.

Like countless other immigrants in the Bay Area, Benyounes’s story is similar to many who hop between jobs in the service sector while searching for the right fit. Yet when he reflects on his personal journey, he looks you in the eye and recalls his rocky struggles, first with unemployment in San Francisco to the odds he faces now competing for jobs in the US’s economic recession.

Benyounes reflects on the unexpected skills he has picked up, “Je ne savais rien,” meaning that he had no experience in managing a restaurant whatsoever, crediting Islam and his spirituality for this. “You must have, above all, faith,” explaining that patience is one of its main virtues. Patience, he attests, is the first thing that helped him when it seemed all solutions and support were gone as a newly arrived immigrant in the U.S.

Volare Pizzeria stands out as one of the many city hot spots that is run and staffed by African immigrants. Most staff are Maghrebis, which makes it a resource for news, celebrations and connections among San Francisco’s Maghrebi community. In fact, the number of Africans in San Francisco still remains “countless” and unknown because there is little conclusive census data - only extensive statistics on the number of residents who consider themselves “black.”

“I need to learn English, to help my position as manager,” Benyounes states just after one month and a half on the job. Often working along at the pizzeria late at night, managing the cashier and kitchen, he would find time to practice his English. “I study English when it’s slow…I practice English with customers. I understand a little but it’s hard.” He notes that picking up on the slang of customers and nearby residents has been the hardest part of the language.

He says, “I noticed that Americans are really polite…that really makes me happy. When they know I don’t understand, they try to help me.”

Benyounes says, “I never thought I’d be giving so much of my life to pizza!” Though he has moved on to look for higher-level jobs, his eyes squint with melancholy, speaking with gratitude about the support he has received at Volare Pizzeria and the African Immigrant & Refugee Resource Center. “I can’t tell you how much this has done for me. They are some of my only friends in the US. They’re my support system.”

Moroccan midwives plead for help

While Morocco forges ahead in investment in industry, tourism infrastructure and technology, the country's record on provision of health facilities lags behind. In 2007 the World Health Organisation reported that Morocco’s health expenditure appears insufficient to ensure access to an acceptable level of care. Currently, around 78% of expenditure favours urban hospitals and clinics. In addition, 18% of the population does not have access to drinking water, 25% of rural populations are located more than 10km from the nearest health facility and 35% of Moroccans do not have access to essential drugs. And importantly, maternal mortality remains a problem with somewhere between 132 and 228 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.



Afrique en Ligne reports that Moroccan nurses and midwives have called for attention and appreciation for their roles in society. In the Moroccan kingdom, although the number of midwives has increased significantly from 1,400 in 2008 to about 3,000 today, it is considered too low for a population of about 35 million. Despite this, Moroccan birth attendants say the Ministry of Health and civil society activists do not seem to give this profession and those who practice it the recognition they deserve.

Midwives particularly are reeling under the burden of underpayment, the lack of respect for their profession, the non-provision of facilities, like ambulances, and the absence of gynaecologists during childbirth complications.

The Chief Midwife in a maternity centre in Rabat, Mme H. Fatima, says that the conditions under which the profession is practised in Morocco is deplorable. Among the many ills facing Moroccan midwives, Fatima pointed out the low wages paid out to her colleagues considering the long hours they put in daily. She said that a midwife could work sometimes between 12 hours and 24 hours per day in Morocco. She deplored the non-allocation of ambulances to maternity centres and the absence of a gynecologist, whose services are necessary during complications in childbirth.

Besides the obvious lack of qualified human resources and equipped maternity centres, Fatima also listed the need to provide emergency training for midwives in ultrasound techniques, so they can play their role fully, essential in safeguarding the lives of mothers and children.

With this relatively high risk of death during childbirth, Morocco faces a major challenge, given the large number of women giving birth without any medical supervision, especially in rural areas.

According to the Moroccan Minister of Health, Yasmine Baddou, her department has set a target to have 500,000 births taking place in an effectively-assisted environment by 2012 and in the longer term, a national programme to reduce maternal mortality to 50 deaths per 100,000 births.

Baddou, while recently responding to questions from MPs, also stressed that additional training programmes for the midwives would be conducted and recalled that since 2007, only 700 midwives and 63 obstetricians had been hired.

According to a 2009 UNICEF report, Morocco occupied the 81st position worldwide in deaths of children under five years, which is 34 cases per 1,000 in 2007 and 26 per cent of childbirths in the kingdom take place without any supervision of midwives and medical examination.

Fatima recalled that long ago, the midwifery profession was practiced by old women who had managed to learn some techniques on the job, while present-day workers are currently required to hold a university degree and to undergo a three-year training before being qualified to practise. However, only with recognition of midwives as competent, skilled and valued partners can midwifery practice in Morocco progressively evolve into women-centred maternity care.

Erich Maria Remarque Peace Prize Goes To Morocco's Tahir Ben Jelloun

The Moroccan writer Tahar Ben Jelloun has been  awarded the Erich Maria Remarque  Peace Prize for his work to promote peaceful coexistence between the Christian and Islamic cultures. His French publisher, Gallimard, announced the award  today..

The Peace Prize, which will be presented to Ben Jelloun on Sept. 16 in Osnabrück (northwestern Germany), is awarded every two year to the author of the best journalistic essay, or the best text or best novel on the theme of "internal and external peace."

In 2009 he was awarded the Swedish author Henning Mankell.

The jury for this year praised Tahar Ben Jelloun for his work "promoting peaceful coexistence between Christian and Islamic cultures, especially through the last trial of the Arab spring," said Claus Rollinger, jury chairman and president of the University of Osnabrück.

In his essay "The spark, in  the Arab Revolt," published June 6 in France, Italy and Germany, the author analyses the revolution in progress in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria..

This essay is accompanied by a short fiction, "By the fire," in which Tahar Ben Jelloun makes a superb tribute to the Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi, the vegetable seller who was slain Dec. 17, 2010, sparking the revolt that ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali a month later.

Visiting Small Moroccan Towns - A Cautionary Tale

If you are travelling solo in towns you don’t know well, it’s best to keep your camera tucked away until you wish to use it – particularly during festival periods.

Last Sunday a disturbing incident happened in the usually charming town of Sefrou, located about 30 kilometres from Fez. A Fez gallery owner was assaulted and his camera stolen while attending the end of the Cherry Festival.

“I’m well travelled and usually I feel safe in daylight, especially in the mornings,” said the gallery owner. (Name withheld on request.) “However, this happened at 10.15 in the morning.”

After crossing the bridge, “I lined up for a drink and to wash my hands at a fountain inside the medina. Before I realized what was happening, a young man of about 23 grabbed my camera strap from around my neck. When I held onto it he pulled out a sizeably sharp knife and proceeded to slice my arm - quite deeply in one place. An artery shot out a considerable quantity of blood. I quickly became soaked in blood as he continued to slice away at me.”

The victim's sneakers after the assault

After the owner let go of the camera - a Canon Rebel with a 40-50 mm lens - the young man ran off into the medina with it.

The gallery owner said the thing that shocked him most about the assault was that between 40-50 other people, both men and women, stood by passively as he cried for help.

Just outside the medina he managed to find two policemen who called an ambulance. He was then taken to a hospital where he received seven stiches for the wound to his hand.

Some of the stitches needed

A Sefrou resident told The View from Fez, “Sefrou has three times its normal population during the festival. The people come from the mountains and are desperately poor. Pick pockets come to town... Nobody here would walk around with a camera on their shoulder...I don't blame the festival, but Sefrou is normally not like that....At this time of the year, we even take the pot plants off our roof.”

The gallery owner suggests that, particularly if travelling alone, “you only take your camera out when you are going to do a shoot.”