Ramadan Diary ~ 2015 ~ Day Thirteen

Ibn Warraq continues his Ramadan musings...

The day started with a bang - literally. An initial explosion in Derb Bab El Hamra, just after 11am, sounded identical to the cannon shot that marks the end of the day's fasting. Except it was followed by another and then smaller sounds reminiscent of gun fire. Happily this was not the case. But, with Morocco having raised its alert level to the maximum following events in Tunisia, it was understandable that some of the Fez locals swore they could hear small arms fire. The incident caused the destruction of a gas depot selling bottled gas. See more details here

The drama on the hillside in Fez was not the first strange thing to happen in the last twenty-four hours.

Just before the end of the fast yesterday, my friend Hamid and I were on our adjoining rooftops chatting while waiting for the cannon and the call to prayer. To our surprise, a mosque in Laayoun began the call to prayer and then stopped. At the same time, from the fort up on the hill overlooking the Medina came a small puff of smoke and a less than impressive cannon shot. The misfire caused a few seconds of confusion, before a second cannon shot boomed across the Medina. It was good to know that the good folks on the hill have a backup shot ready. And in this case the problem was overcome quickly, unlike the incident in Agadir at the beginning of Ramadan when an over-eager Muezzin sang out the call to prayer seven minutes early.

Security in Morocco

All this talk of cannons and explosions reminds me that Abdellatif Hammouchi, a security heavyweight in the  Moroccan Security Service, has let it be known that his agents have strengthened surveillance around the resorts, hotel facilities and public sites known for their tourist appeal, as well as border crossing points to avoid any infiltration of terrorists.

Bombing threats were recently made via Twitter by a man named Al Mohcine Bidaoui.

"One of the immediate manifestations of this new security is a start strengthening the surveillance system at land borders and airports," says a security spokesperson, stating that firm instructions had been issued to ensure meticulous control of cars crossing land borders of the Kingdom, in order to  prevent the entry of vehicles carrying weapons.

Meanwhile the UK authorities have reassured travellers that while Morocco has the same potential problems as other countries, at the moment is it okay to visit.

What are the Brits smoking?

The misleading headline award for the day is shared by the WalesOnLine website and the Gazette in Gloucestershire.

Wales weather forecast: Country will be hotter than MOROCCO today as mercury tops 27C - WalesOnline

Temperatures in Gloucestershire to soar beyond those of Morocco as heatwave gets underway - The Gazette

27 degrees Celsius? Oh really? Then you read the small print and it becomes clear that they don't actually mean "Morocco" but rather "Casablanca".  Just to let those in Gloucestershire and Wales know, in Fez the temperature today was much cooler, down from 41 to 34.

A fountain of coolness

Chilling out Moroccan style

The strangest change to Ramadan!

Ramadan just got longer and you can blame the Time Lords. Sorry, but this is not a joke. It is also complex, so if you have been fasting, you may need to concentrate and read very slowly.

Today the world will experience a minute that will last 61 seconds, a weird event that is known as the leap second. It occurs when timekeepers adjust high-precision clocks so that they are in sync with Earth's rotation.

Few of the planet's 7.25 billion people are likely to be aware of the change and even fewer will have set plans for how they will spend the extra moment. But for horologists, the additional second is a big deal and there is much dispute as to whether it is vital or should be scrapped.

Service of the Rotation of the Earth (SRE) director Daniel Gambis admits "there is a downside", the poetically named branch of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), is in charge of saying when the second should be added.

hang on... er, wait a second...

The leap second is hardly a great leap forward, and is not something for most of us to stress over, but it's important for atomic clocks, as well as caesium and rubidium clocks which regulate of our Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, by sending synchronised signals so that sat-nav receivers can triangulate their position on Earth. Get it wrong and your car could take you to Figuig instead of Fez.

The internet, for instance, sends data around the world in tiny packets that are then stitched together in micro-seconds. Some algorithms in financial trading count on gaining a tiny slice of a second over rivals to make a profit.

There have been 25 occasions since 1971 when the leap second has been added in an effort to simplify  GMT. And it has not always gone well.

Airlines, trading floors and technology companies are braced for chaos today as world timekeepers prepare to add a leap second to global clocks.

When the last leap second was added in 2012 Mozilla, Reddit, Foursquare, Yelp, LinkedIn, and StumbleUpon all reported crashes and there were problems with the Linux operating system and programmes written in Java.

In Australia, more than 400 flights were grounded as the Qantas check-in system crashed.

Ramadan just got one second longer - El Humdullilah!


Another of Hamid's moderately funny jokes...

An elderly Moroccan lived close to New York City for more than 40 years. He would have loved to plant potatoes in his garden, but he was alone, old and weak. His son was in college in Marrakech, so the old man sent him an e-mail.

"Beloved son, I am very sad, because I can't plant potatoes in my garden. I am sure, if only you were here, you would help and dig up the garden for me.
I love you,
Your Father"

The following day, the old man received a response e-mail from his son:

"Beloved Father,
Please don't touch the garden. It's there that I have hidden 'the THING'.
I love you, too,
Ahmed"

At 4pm the US Army, The Marines, the FBI, the CIA and the Rangers visited the house of the old man, took the whole garden apart, searched every inch, but couldn't find anything. Disappointed they left the house.

A day later, the old man received another e-mail from his son.

"Beloved Father,
I hope the garden is dug up by now and you can plant your potatoes.
That's all I could do for you from here.
I love you,
Ahmed."

Saha Ftourkoum!

See Ibn's Ramadan Dairy
DAY ONE          DAY FIVE             DAY NINE   
DAY TWO         DAY SIX                 DAY TEN
DAY THREE    DAY SEVEN          DAY ELEVEN
DAY FOUR      DAY EIGHT           DAY TWELVE  

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Breaking News: Huge Explosion and Fire in Fez

UPDATE: The explosion is believed to have taken place in a hanout (shop) in Derb Bab El Hamra. The place was a gas depot for bottled gas. Reports say that all the stock was destroyed. There is still no word on injuries.

Shortly after 11.15 this morning a huge explosion was heard across the Medina of Fez. It was followed by a lot of smaller explosions. With Morocco on a high terror alert following events in Tunisia, people's first reactions were understandable concern over the cause of the incident. The smaller explosions sounded to many people in the area like gunshots. Happily this does not appear to have been the case.

Several other large explosions may well have been gas cylinders exploding.

It is not known if anyone was hurt in the explosion but given the extent of the conflagration it would be a miracle if nobody was injured.

The explosion is thought to be in the Bab Ftouh area. Security and rescue officers were on the seen within fifteen minutes. Flames were seen to the right of the giant clouds of black smoke billowing up into the sky.

Flames can be seen lower right of the smoke

We will update this post as more information comes to hand.

There appeared to be two major fires producing two plumes of smoke.

By 12.15 the fire to the right appeared to being brought under control but a wind of around 20km per hour from the NW had sprung up and was obviously fanning the fire. Temperatures in Fez at the moment are around 35 Celsius which will make fighting the fires difficult. There is also the added problem of a suitable water supply.

12:15 and smoke was casting a pall over parts of the Medina

The blaze was finally out by 1.15pm.

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Ramadan Diary ~ 2015 ~ Day Twelve

Ibn Warraq continues his Ramadan musings...

There is only one thing hotter than the weather in Morocco at the moment and that is the topic of a woman's right to wear a dress. Across the country, demonstrations were held in support of the two women arrested in mid-June in Inezgane, near Agadir and astonishingly, charged with "gross indecency". Their plight has galvanised Moroccan public opinion.

Hundreds of Moroccans, including politicians and political leaders, demonstrated on Sunday night in Casablanca and Rabat under the slogan "Putting on a dress is not a crime." in support of two women prosecuted for "indecency" after being arrested in outfits deemed too tight.

An internet petition to support the two women, launched just a week ago, has collected more than 18,000 signatures. Moroccan media outlets such as Bladi.net  have been surprisingly supportive of the campaign, running graphics with a slogan at the top of stories.

In the usually conservative Medina of Fez, a number of young women are wearing dresses and skirts in solidarity and others are taking photographs of themselves in short skirts and publishing them on the Internet.

As to the case against the two young women who were arrested, it is hoped that sanity will prevail and the ludicrous charges against them will be dropped. However, questions are being asked about why the police and a local prosecutor felt the need to bring charges in the first place.

Moroccan women wear bikinis at the beach or swimming pools. They bathe in mixed company and yet nobody arrests them. And, a final thought, why are Moroccan men not arrested for wearing shorts?

Ramadan News

While the news media are still concentrating on the atrocities in Kuwait City, Tunisia and France, the tragedy in Yemen continues unabated. Not just air strikes and shelling, but now there is an outbreak of dengue fever.

First night of Ramadan in Yemen - a car bombing and Saudi Air strikes hit 3 mosques

Thankfully, in other places, Ramadan is proceeding peacefully...

Serenity in the Grand Faisal mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan - Photo: Anjum Naveed

Resting before prayers in Jakarta, Indonesia - Photo: Tatan Syufiana

Reaching breaking point

Ramadan is a wonderful time for extended families to gather. The downside is the pressure people on low incomes are under in trying to provide food and drinks for large numbers of family and friends. Sometimes they crack under that pressure.

Today, in Fes Jdid, there came the sad news of a 36 year-old mother of five children who couldn't cope and, tragically, strangled three of her children. After her husband arrived home and discovered the bodies, he called the police. The woman told local police that she was desperate and couldn't feed her family. According to her relatives, the young woman was mentally ill and had been repeatedly held at the psychiatric hospital of Ibn Hassan.

Stupid? Ignorant? Or both?

Also in the news is the story of two men in their 30s who were not only eating in public, but drunk. The intoxicated pair were arrested by the Royal Gendarmerie on the highway in Skhirat, a seaside resort about 30 km from Rabat.

Security services say that the suspects were severely intoxicated and in possession of several bottles of wine.

The two men had already been the subject of complaints by local residents from the beginning of Ramadan, but it was only on Friday that the police caught them red-handed. They are accused not only of violating the sanctity of Ramadan, but also having consumed alcohol in public.

Last July, five young Moroccans were convicted, by the trial court in Souk El Arba Gharb, to six months imprisonment for drunkenness in public places and for eating during Ramadan.

A Moroccan gives "baraka" down under

Good news from Australia. "Baraka" is the term used to describe a blessing and it is also the name of another wonderful Moroccan.

Melbourne based Moroccan, Fatima Baraka, has been working to assist four year old Yahya El Jabaly who was born a severely deformed face.

Australian surgeons are gradually building Yahya a new face

A team of surgeons at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne have just completed a second round of reconstructive surgery, led by Professor Tony Holmes.  Holmes says, "We don't know what causes the condition. It is sporadic, it is not genetic and most children do not survive the pregnancy. But some, like Yahya, arrive here."

After the first operation 

Born without a true nose, with deformed eyes and also problems in the mouth, Yahya El Jabaly is gradually getting a normal face.

Dr. Andrew Rochford and Yahya

"Despite his deformity, Yahya is a beautiful, very sweet boy "says Dr. Andrew Rochford, another member of the team, "He deserves to have a face."

Yahya and Fatima Baraka - a Ramadan angel

For Fatima Baraka, this is the beginning of a commitment to child victims of certain diseases and who do not have the means to be cared for. "Inspired by the difference we can make, I will continue to work hard and establish a charity that provides medical care to children in countries where adequate health care is not available," she said.

Jam for Iftar?

An hour before the end of the day's fasting and with drivers wanting to get home, is probably the wrong moment to get stuck in a traffic jam. In a traffic jam, we are all equal. Even if you are royalty! On Sunday, HM King Mohammed VI and his wife, Princess Lalla Salma,  were out for a drive on the Corniche Ain Diab in Casa, an hour before Iftar and got stuck in traffic.

The much admired sovereign was assisted by Jaïdi Aziz, head of the royal security

Health Ministry issues hot weather warnings

The Moroccan Ministry of Health has urged citizens to take precautions especially as the rising temperatures coincide with the month of Ramadan. The Ministry has issued a special bulletin saying that children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic diseases, need to drink adequate amounts of water to avoid dehydration and also avoid physical activity during periods of peak temperatures, from 11am to 8pm.

The department also advises citizens to go to the nearest health facility if they develop the following symptoms: fever, thirst, weight loss, muscle cramps in the limbs and abdomen, migraine, vertigo - especially when this results in fainting.

Protect yourself against the hot weather

Another of Hamid's moderately funny jokes...

A distraught Jilali went to the police station to report that his wife was missing..."She went shopping yesterday and has not come home.
Sergeant: What is her height?
Jilali  Hmm, I’m not sure. A little over a metre and a half tall.
Sergeant: Weight?
Jilali : Don’t know. Not slim, not really fat.
Sergeant: Colour of eyes?
Jilali : Ooh…never really noticed.
Sergeant: Colour of hair?
Jilali : Changes a couple times a year. Maybe dark brown at the moment.
Sergeant: What was she wearing?
Jilali : Could have been a black kaftan - I don’t remember exactly.
Sergeant: What kind of car did she go in?
Jilali : She went in my sports car.
Sergeant: What kind of sports car was it?
Jilali : It's a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG 6.3 7G-Tronic Edition 125 Coupe finished in Magnetite Black Metallic with Black Leather AMG Sport Seats. Unmarked 19" AMG Multispoke Alloy Wheels; Tyre Pressure Monitoring; Panoramic Glass Electric Tilt/Slide Sunroof. Wide Screen Satellite Navigation, Bluetooth Telephone Connectivity, Multi-Media Interface. Superb Sound System With DAB and Harman-Kardon Sound  LED Daytime Running Lights; Cruise Control; Rear Privacy Glass..  (…at this point the Jilali started choking up, tears running down his cheeks.)

Sergeant: Don’t worry, sir…we’ll find your car.

Saha Ftourkoum!

See Ibn's Ramadan Dairy
DAY ONE          DAY FIVE             DAY NINE   
DAY TWO         DAY SIX                 DAY TEN
DAY THREE    DAY SEVEN          DAY ELEVEN
DAY FOUR      DAY EIGHT        

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Ramadan Diary ~ 2015 ~ Day Eleven

Ibn Warraq continues his Ramadan musings...

Back on Day Eight, I talked about the concept of Sadaqah, or voluntary giving. The Qur'an emphasises the importance of charity, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. 

Probably the biggest example of Sadaqah in Morocco is Operation Ramadan, an initiative of the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity. This national food support operation has been in operation every Ramadan since 1999.

King Mohammed VI, accompanied by Prince Moulay El Hassan, launch "Ramadan 1436"

The Foundation undertakes to help the poorest in the community. This includes the elderly, disabled, widows, and those from rural areas. It is estimated that this year "Ramadan 1436" will benefit 2.37 million people  from 473,900 households. The beneficiaries include  403,000 households in rural areas.

The operation "Ramadan 1436", has a budget of 55 million dirhams, but the success of the initiative is not about money but rather the efforts of thousands of people, social workers, students and volunteers, who assist in the massive operation.

This week "Ramadan 1436" arrived in the M'diq-Fnideq region. where the program was launched by Abdelkrim Hamdi, the governor of the prefecture of M'diq-Fnideq.

In M'diq-Fnideq region the initiative has benefited 329 families in need. Between them the families received around 9,690 kilograms of flour, 3,876 kg of sugar, 4,845 litres of oil and  242 kg of tea.

Meanwhile...

At the other end of the scale, this week I witnessed three great examples of events which made a positive contribution to their communities. Sadaqah in action...

Blash Mika! No Plastic!

This week visiting a supermarket brought a surprise. At certain hours, there were no plastic bags to be seen. Instead, young people, such as Ikram (pictured below), helped customers pack their groceries into reusable canvas bags, which had the slogan in Arabic, "We have to change our habits and use these bags."

Every year more than 5 million tons of waste is generated in Morocco, and that is growing annually by 3%. A significant proportion of this is plastic bags. So this year, over nine days during Ramadan, there is an initiative by the Moroccan Ministry of the Environment to give away canvas bags at the major supermarkets, including Carrefour, Acima and Marjane. It's hoped that the customers who receive them will get the message and take them when they shop in future.

Fez Medina Children's Library - Charity dinner

Friday night in Fez was the second last for chefs-in-residence, Canadians Oliver Truesdale-Jutras and Phoebe Oviedo (pictured below), at the renowned Resto 7. Wanting to give back to the community, the chefs contributed the proceeds from the evening's meal towards the Fez Medina Children's Library. 1,500 dirhams was raised.

"We've had an amazing time in Fez, and we'd like to contribute to the local community," said Oliver. "The library is just up the street, and it's a great opportunity for local kids to improve their reading skills."

Phoebe Oviedo and  Oliver Truesdale-Jutras

Donkey Clinic

I have mentioned this before, but it certainly deserves to be included in the list of Sadaqah in action.

Last Sunday, the first donkey clinic was held in Moulay Idriss. Twenty-five owners of donkeys and mules brought their animals to be treated for aliments such as flesh wounds, hoof and teeth problems. Considering there are only around 60 working equids in the whole town of Moulay Idriss, the owners were making the most of the opportunity.

The clinic was organised by local resident and owner of guesthouse Dar Zerhoune, Rose Button (pictured below). "My guests and I are always using donkeys. I have a great relationship with the drivers - they take care of us, and I want to take care of them."

Rose collaborated with the American Fondouk in Fez. She paid for the vet, Hamid and his assistant Ali to attend, while the American Fondouk paid for the medical supplies.

"It's taken a year to set up," she said. "But this is intended to be the first of the clinics to be held every month."

What is this obsession with the time?
Maghrib ~ is the name of the call to prayer that announces the end of the day's fasting. The most common sight in the ten minutes before the call comes is that of people checking their wristwatch - every thirty seconds.

A heatwave reminder

With temperatures on the rise around Morocco it is essential to avoid heat exhaustion and collapse. Remember, people do die of overheating.

This week will see temperatures oscillate between 31 and 36 degrees Celsius in Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier and Agadir. In Marrakech, Fez and Meknes, the mercury will hit 43 degrees.

Many Moroccan know the dangers and do take discrete sips of water during the day. To prevent you from finishing his day totally dehydrated, the nutritionist Salma Ibn Khayat gives these tips:

This goes without saying, but we often forget to hydrate: so do not hesitate to drink plenty of water.

In the hour of Ftour, avoid salty food, and especially not add salt.
Eat vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, fennel, lettuce.
Eat melon and watermelon which are rich in water, vitamins and minerals.
Each hour top up with water.

Expats and tourists respecting the fast

It has been particularly heartwarming to see the number of visitors who sit patiently in cafés awaiting the cannon and the call to prayer before eating and drinking.

Another of Hamid's moderately funny jokes...

A company, feeling it was time for a shake-up, hires Rachid as its new manager.

Rachid is determined to rid the company of all slackers, and, on a tour of the facilities just before Ftour,  notices a young man leaning on a wall.

The room is full of workers and Rachid decides it is the moment to let them know he means business! He walks up to the man and asks, "And how much money do you make a week?"

A little surprised, the young fellow looks at him and replies, "I make 1,000 dirhams a week. Why?"

Rachid then hands the lad 4,000 dirhams in cash and screams, "Here's four weeks pay, now GO and don't come back!"

Feeling pretty good about his first firing, Rachid looks around the room and asks, "Does anyone want to tell me what job that boy was doing here?"

With a sheepish grin, one of the workers mutters, "He came to deliver the pizza for breaking the fast. He's the pizza delivery guy from the pizza shop..."

Saha Ftourkoum!

See Ibn's Ramadan Dairy
DAY ONE          DAY FIVE             DAY NINE   
DAY TWO         DAY SIX                 DAY TEN
DAY THREE    DAY SEVEN          DAY ELEVEN
DAY FOUR      DAY EIGHT        

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Ramadan Diary ~ 2015 ~ Day Ten

Ibn Warraq continues his Ramadan musings...

The sound of Ftour

We all know the seductive smell of food in the lead up to the breaking of the fast, or the late night aroma of tagines in the hour before Suhoor. But what is the sound of Ftour?

The answer is silence.

Walking the main streets of the Medina in the last few minutes before the cannon and the call to prayer announces the end of the day's fasting, the streets are deserted except for a father and daughter hurrying home. Then comes the signal and silence descends across the Medina. In thousands of houses across the city, people are eating, and they certainly eat very quietly.

One of the main Medina streets a minute away from the call to prayer

For those who remain in the streets, a cardboard box is their table, and a stool or step is their seat.
Each small gathering calls to me offering to share their meagre breakfast. Dates, orange juice, milk, bread, boiled eggs - everything is there to be shared.

Street Ftour - "Marhaba"

In a couple of places I saw tourists being offered a seat and food. A young boy is patiently trying to teach a Japanese tourist that "marhaba" means welcome. This is the spirit of Ramadan. This is the way it should be everywhere.

Even restaurants that sell street food offer me food and drink for free. "Please, nothing is for sale. Chose what you like. B'saha!"

The essentials for breaking the fast

"Choose what you like. B'saha!"

The only awkward moment was when a couple of French tourists who had absolutely no idea of how to dress in the Medina on a Friday during Ramadan, walked down the street. Their appearance raised more than a few eyebrows, but didn't stop them being invited to sit and share a street vendor's Ftour.

How to raise a few eyebrows!

Fundamentalism and barbarism feed on ignorance. Daesh are not Muslims
L'intégrisme et la barbarie se nourrissent de l'ignorance. Daesh c'est pas des musulmans

Sadly, Ramadan is not so joyful everywhere. Yesterday's barbaric incidents in Kuwait City, Tunisia and France are stark reminders of the dangers of lone wolf terror attacks. But, more than that, they are a call to Muslims everywhere to demand that their religious and political leaders take more of a lead in condemning such acts. Let them loudly denounce Daesh (ISIS) and their ilk as apostates who have no claim to calling themselves Muslim.

It is doubtful such a thing will happen and it is a glaring omission that the Western world is very aware of. The Times of London today pointed out that the so called "Islamic State's call to arms during Ramadan has gone completely unanswered by the leading voices of state-sanctioned Sunni Islam in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. This plague of terror besmirches their religion and they must lead the fight against it."

We should go further. On many occasions I have spoken at inter-faith meetings that brought together, Jews, Christians Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. But where are the conferences that bring together Sunni and Shia and Sufi?

The sight of Sunni, Shia and Sufi, men and women, praying together, would be a positive first step towards ending the centuries long war between Sunni and Shia.

Few of the Moroccans I have spoken with disagree. As one woman told me, "It is our problem and we should be the ones to fix it".

Sadly, the problem with the silent majority of Muslims is that they are silent. It is time to speak up and show the world that Islam is a religion of love, compassion and tolerance.

Thank you...

A heartfelt thank you to those who sent messages and emails supporting my weirdly optimistic notion on Day Eight, of military drones  doing something peaceful during Ramadan. Drones Without Borders may be a simplistic dream, but such dreams are better than nightmares.

Another of Hamid's moderately funny jokes...

A man is taking a walk in Laleh Park in Tehran during Ramadan. Suddenly he sees a little girl being attacked by a feral dog. He runs over and starts fighting with the dog. Eventually, he succeeds in killing the dog and saving the girl's life.

An Iranian policeman is watching the scene unfold and walks over and says, 'You are a hero, tomorrow you can read all about it in the newspapers, 'Brave Tehrani saves the life of little girl'.

The man says, 'But I am not a native of Tehran!'

'Oh, then it will say in newspapers in the morning, "Brave Iranian saves life of little girl",' the policeman answers.

'But I am not an Iranian!' says the man.

'Oh, where are you from then?'

'The man says: - 'I am a Syrian!'

The next day the newspaper headline says, 'Islamic extremist kills innocent Iraqi dog.'

Saha Ftourkoum!

See Ibn's Ramadan Dairy
DAY ONE           DAY FIVE       DAY NINE
DAY TWO          DAY SIX
DAY THREE     DAY SEVEN
DAY FOUR       DAY EIGHT

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Fez Festival of Amazigh Culture - Updated Program

The FEZ Festival of Amazigh Culture

AN INTERNATIONAL Forum on the theme :

"Alliance of cultures and religions for peace."

July 24th to July 26th , 2015

With a Tribute to

The Amazigh Militant Moha Lyoussi

The South North Center, the Spirit of Fez Foundation and Fez Sais Association organised in partnership with the Region of Fes-Boulmane, the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture and BMCE Bank foundation the eleventh edition of the International Festival of Amazigh Culture from July 24th to 26th July 2015 in Fez on the "Alliance of cultures and religions for peace."

This festival is part of the national endeavours related to the promotion of Amazigh culture in particular and the Moroccan culture in general. The strongest side of this initiative is the emphasis on the historical, social, and civilisational significance of the alliance of cultures and religions of the world for peace. The festival focuses on the interdependence of cultures and intercultural and inter-religious dialogue and the role of culture in the process of democratisation and peace building.

This festival also includes a part is dedicated to Amazigh song and poetry. Well-known great artists and musicians participate in this festival, namely: Latifa Raafat, Khadija Atlas, Nadia Laaroussi, Rkia Demsiriya, Mustapha Oumguil, Flaminco from Spain, group Tagrawla from Algeria and other stars of the Amazigh song.

FIND THE PROGRAMME AND DETALS OF ALL THE MUSICAL EVENTS HERE

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Ramadan Diary ~ 2015 ~ Day Nine

Ibn Warraq reports on a black day in Ramadan...

Today's events have cast a pall of gloom over the usual joy of the Holy month. Around the Medina of Fez people were stunned by the barbaric beheading in France, the slaughter of thirty-seven beach goers in Tunisia and the bombing in Kuwait City that killed at least twenty-five people. As if the unfolding disease and famine disaster in Yemen, the ongoing ISIS insanity in Iraq and Syria was not enough misery, today was a very black day.

Imam Sadiq mosque bombing

Islamic State claimed responsibility for a deadly explosion that struck a Shia mosque in the Kuwaiti capital after Friday prayers.

A posting on a Twitter account known to belong to Isis said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt. The attack was claimed by an Isis affiliate calling itself the Najd Province, the same group that claimed a pair of bombing attacks on Shia mosques in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.

Friday’s explosion struck the Imam Sadiq mosque in the neighbourhood of al-Sawabir, a residential and shopping district of Kuwait City.

Kuwait’s interior ministry said at least thirty-seven people had died and more than two hundred people were injured.

In France, Police have launched a terrorism investigation after finding a decapitated body and a flag with Islamist inscriptions after two men attacked a factory near Lyon. The decapitated body found at the scene had a message written on it. One of the suspected attackers was arrested and named as 35-year-old Yassine Sali. He was known to the security forces over suspected links to to a Salifist group, but has no criminal record. He may also have been an employee of the victim.

In Tunisia at least 28 people have been killed in a gun attack on a beach in front of hotels in the Tunisian resort of Sousse, in the country’s bloodiest day since the 2010 revolution.

Tunisia’s health ministry said the dead include British, German and Belgian tourists, as well as Tunisians. The interior ministry said 36 people had been injured.

Witnesses reported that gunmen opened fire on the beach between the Soviva and Imperial Marhaba hotels. Officials said one gunman had been shot dead but there are unconfirmed reports that another may be on the run.

Police hold a suspect in Sousse

There is no moral equivalence when it comes terror attacks; one person killed or a hundred, it is still a tragedy. What does change things is the motivation and the timing. To commit atrocities at any time is wrong, but during Ramadan and on a Friday? And, in the name of Islam? That is undiluted insane evil.

Meanwhile, in the (slightly) saner world...

We are not even half way through Ramadan but already things are getting a little weird! Like Agadir.
Now, I have nothing against the good folk from down south, but they need to get up to speed  - by at least seven minutes.

Perplexed? Not half as much as those who were coming to the end of their day's fast, awaiting the call to the Al Maghreb prayer. The call came seven minutes early. Now, seven minutes may not sound like much, but it caused considerable consternation amongst those who broke their fast before realising the error. Was the day's fast valid, or was it not?

The Arabic language newspaper Akhbarona reported that the incident has caused doubt among many inhabitants as to the validity of their day of fasting.

In response, the management of the Regional Delegation of Islamic Affairs in Agadir said she was... "not authorised to comment on the situation."

Also in Agadir, following the storm in a teacup over wearing bikinis on the beach, the uproar over the case of the two young women who wore dresses to go shopping continues unabated. The women - hairdressers aged 23 and 29 - were surrounded by local shopkeepers who accused them of wearing flimsy and "immoral" clothes. Security forces intervened, wresting the women away from the angry crowd and placing them inside a police car before driving them to a police station where they were charged with gross indecency.

National Moroccan media has been quick to point out that the arrest of the girls is not only wrong, but plain silly! It has also been suggested that the police should have been protecting women's rights when they were surrounded by a mob.

Unfortunately, a local prosecutor took it upon himself to prosecute the women for "insulting public decency," a punishable offence which could result in imprisonment of one month to two years and a fine of 120 to 500 dirhams" under Article 483 of penal Code. However, lawyers have stated that Article 483 refers to "a voluntary state of nudity," but nowhere does it set criteria to judge a garment as constituting an infringement of morality.

Tel Quel magazine reacted strongly saying these case is an affront to the Moroccan Constitution, which guarantees equality between men and women. Article 19 stipulates that: "Men and women shall enjoy equal rights and freedoms in civil, political, economic and social life". The magazine says that the Moroccan government is working to achieve parity between men and women, and nothing in the law prohibits women from wearing a dress.

Fouzia Assouli, president of the Democratic League of Women's Rights, says, "It is outrageous to stop the girls instead of the criminals who surrounded them and assaulted them. This is sexual harassment and violence against women. Violence in the public arena is institutionalised and approved by justice."

Bouthaina El Makoudi, another activist for human rights says,"It is not just the story of these two girls but a general threat to individual liberties".  The young activist, whose video protest has been viewed nearly 10,000 times on Facebook, says the worst aspect of the business, "is that justice can show solidarity with this extremist thinking."

A protest will be held Saturday, June 27 at 2 pm in front of the the Agadir Wilaya office. Around the country other events are planned including in Sefrou which will be held at the same time in solidarity with the cause.

Ramadan heats up

Back on Day Four I mentioned “mremden” - the downside of Ramadan fasting. Being “mremden,” or being very unpleasant to people for no apparent reason, is one of the few negative behaviours you can see during the month of Ramadan.

With the hot weather arriving and set to get warmer still, expect an upsurge as dehydration and low blood sugar take their toll. Already we have seen fights outside a mosque in Meknes and sadder, the case of a heated argument between two brothers inside their family house, in the Bensouda district of Fez, during which the older one used a kitchen knife to stab his younger brother.

The brothers reportedly began arguing  over the younger brother’s attempts to take money from their parents to buy drugs.

With daytime temperatures heating up to 43 degrees celsius by Saturday, and around 42 on Sunday and Monday, a gentle reminder that keeping cool and hydrated is very important.

Tesco in Ramadan blunder after offering bacon Pringles to Muslims

A London branch of the Tesco supermarket chain has been left red-faced following the faux pas which advertised an offer on forbidden pork products during the holy month.

Reaction online has been swift and notably bewildered. For their part Tesco have responded through a spokesperson: "We are proud to offer a wide range of meals and products to meet the needs of our customers during Ramadan. We recognise these Pringles weren’t in the most suitable place and our store colleagues have now moved them.”

But Tesco couldn't get away from Ramadan issues. The following day, a Muslim shop worker refused to sell ham and wine to a mother-of-three because they were fasting for Ramadan.

Mum-of-three Julie Cottle had nipped into her local store to buy a few items when she was stunned the checkout employee insisted he couldn't serve her.

Julie was forced to use the self-service checkout in the Tesco Express, in Neasden, northwest London, after the worker walked off.

Julie said: "He pointed at the ham and wine in my basket and said 'I can't serve you that because I'm fasting'. When I told him he should be serving customers not turning them away he still refused, telling me to go to the self-service. I was furious."

According to the Independent, Tesco expects a sales increase of £30 million over Ramadan.

And, talking of food... Following on from our story on food waste during Ramadan, I discovered that some food being thrown away is not necessarily a bad thing - especially if it constitutes a danger to health. That's where the Moroccan office for National Food Products Health Security comes in.

During the first week of Ramadan the food security officers seized and destroyed more than 616,000 kg of food products deemed unfit for consumption.  This included a consignment of seafood from Casablanca destined for Fez. Much of the produce was seized at border crossings.

Another of Hamid's moderately funny jokes...

The Moroccan Taxation Office suspected that Omar, a Halal fast food restaurant owner wasn't paying proper wages to his help and sent an agent to investigate him.

Tax Officer: "I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them".

Omar: "Well, there's Driss, my hired hand, he's been with me for 3 years. I pay him 800 dh a week plus free room and board. Then there's the mentally challenged guy. He works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of the work around here. He makes about 100 dh per week, pays his own room and board, and I buy him a litre of soft drinks and a dozen sweetmeats every Saturday night so he can cope with life. He also gets to help my wife with the dishes and the ironing".

Tax Officer: "That's the guy I want to talk to - the mentally challenged one".

Omar: "That'll be me. What'd you want to know?"

Saha Ftourkoum!

See Ibn's Ramadan Dairy
DAY ONE           DAY FIVE          DAY TEN
DAY TWO          DAY SIX
DAY THREE     DAY SEVEN
DAY FOUR       DAY EIGHT

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