Morocco on alert for Swine Flu

Morocco's Health Ministry has assured that there is no case of swine flu in the country, even as the disease is confirmed to have spread from Mexico to other parts of the world.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, the ministry said it had put in place a series of measures to activate the national bird flu control commission, that was set up in 2005, to tackle the swine flu.

It said the measures were also aimed at strengthening health control operations in the main entry points (airports, ports and frontiers) and operating the flu detection materials at international airports.

Over 152 people have died in Mexico alone since the swine flu outbreak was reported, while the US has also recorded its first death.

The UN's World Health Organization has raised the alert over swine flu to level five - indicating human-to-human transmission in at least two countries. It is a "strong signal that a pandemic is imminent", the WHO says. After Mexico, the US has recorded the next highest number of confirmed cases, with 91.

A senior health official in Europe says it is not a question of whether people in Europe will die, but how many - perhaps hundreds or thousands. Meanwhile in Mexico, President Felipe Calderon has announced the partial suspension of non-essential work and services from 1 to 5 May. The efforts of the government were concentrated on containing the virus, Mr Calderon said, urging people to stay at home with their families during the shutdown.

CONFIRMED CASES

Mexico: 168 suspected deaths - eight confirmed
US: one death, at least 91 confirmed cases
New Zealand: 13 confirmed cases
Canada: 19 confirmed cases
UK: 5 confirmed cases
Spain: 10 confirmed cases
Germany: 3 confirmed cases
Israel: 2 confirmed cases
Switzerland: 1 confirmed case
Austria: 1 confirmed case

Moroccan airports power up for detection

A few African countries have already announced precautionary measures. Here in Morocco, close to Spain, where the first European case of the disease has been reported, the Ministry of Health has stated that provisions against the introduction of A/H1N1 viruses on its territory have been made.



A device already in place since 2005 has been reactivated. An earlier plan to combat an outbreak of the avian flu is still pertinent in the fight against the swine flu, according to the authorities of the Kingdom of Morocco. The main measures concerned, basically, involve the strengthening of health checks at land borders, ports and airports. Fever detecting cameras have also been installed at airports. Epidemiological surveillance, both clinical and biological, of the common flu and acute respiratory infections has also been strengthened.

The View from Fez reported on the response to Avian Flu in this report BIRD FLU and it is believed the same thermal imaging devices are now again in action at Morocco's airports.

The disease and symptoms

The disease, which appeared in Mexico April 24 and has already caused an estimated 150 deaths among thousands of cases, is spreading like wild fire the world over. Known or suspected cases have been detected in the United States, Canada, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, China to name a few of the countries. The disease, type A flu virus H1N1 is transmitted from person to person via the respiratory route. Last Sunday the WHO described the new virus as subtype A/H1N1 that has never been previously detected in pigs or humans.


The symptoms of the swine influenza are similar to those of ordinary seasonal flus. They are characterized by fevers, headaches, aching muscles... According to the World health organization, the virus responsible for recent human cases of swine influenza responds to oselatmivir molecules (marketed as Tamiflu) and zanamivir (whose trade name is Relenza). To be effective, Tamiflu must be taken no later than 48 hours after the onset of symptoms, indicated the manufacturing laboratory, Roche.

Morocco has stocks of Tamiflu for 1 million people and hopes to negotiate price reductions on further supplies, enough for 15-20 percent of the 34 million population. Is issuing gloves, surgical boots and masks to health and airport workers.

Face masks have become a hot sale item around the world

Several other laboratories indicate that the first doses of a vaccine will only be available in 4 months. But this time limit remains to be confirmed in relation to the characteristics of the virus. In the meantime, health professionals strongly recommend that basic hygiene rules (washing of hands, avoiding physical contact ...) be strictly adhered to.


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Into the Rif - Part Two - now posted.

The continuation of the photo essay "Into the Rif" - is now on The View from Fez Photo Journal - here:

INTO THE RIF, PART TWO

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Into the Rif - on The View from Fez Photo Journal.

The day The View from Fez received the invitation to make a journey into the mountains near Taza, the sun was shining and the temperature just perfect. It sounded wonderful. However, the next morning when we left from the taxi station at Bab Ftouh, the rain began to sprinkle down. An hour later, as we wove up a mountain pass it began to bucket down. Finally about 90 kilometres from Fez we turned off the main road and went north until we arrived at a tiny village near Beni-Frassen.

It was market day and because of the rain storm the café was packed with farmers and townsfolk who had settled down to watch The Flight of the Phoenix on a huge plasma TV. The irony of watching such a film while being rained on was lost on nobody. Eventually the rain eased enough for us to exit through the back of the café. Here a surprise awaited us. A donkey bus station is probably the best way of describing it - donkeys and mules for hire.

Although the rain was settling in and the temperature dropping, we set out - unfortunately with no idea of just how far we had to walk. A stroll through an olive grove and to a house that had been described as "large", sounded okay. Our companions, Driss, Msefer and Thami were in good spirits... at least for a while.

Once we emerged from the olive grove it became clear that the local mud was something special. It had the unhelpful ability to ball in larger and larger amounts beneath your shoes until you were wobbling on "platform-heels" that weighted several kilos each. Thami's instant response, despite the now biting cold, was to remove his shoes.

A young boy passing on a donkey stopped and watched Thami in amazement. He then continued on his way, but kept glancing back as if to confirm the crazy thing he had seen was actually real.


Thami lasted quite a long time on foot - which is not to say we had made huge progress. Going was slow and the climb getting steeper by the moment. From time to time we would round a corner and a house would come into view, accompanied by the thought that "at last, this must be it" - it was not. Not then and not for several hours.

Even though we were still within site of our departure point, Thami's feet needed a bit of a rest.

Once Thami transferred to a mule and looked considerably happier

You can see more photos and more of the story on The View from Fez Photo Journal



Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

British Embassy warns Brits about Labour Day.

Please be aware this post does not reflect the views of The View from Fez, but that of the British Embassy.

Please be aware that there are likely to be large scale demonstrations in Moroccan towns and cities this Friday, Labour Day. The crowds at last year's event were the largest for several years. Although they were mainly peaceful then, it's possible that the protests could turn ugly given the failure of the Social Dialogue with the Government and Employers Federation, union anger over the (postponed) Highway Code, and especially rising unemployment (although lower food prices may offset union/employee discontent to a degree). The unions are also likely to want to make a point ahead of June's municipal elections.

British Citizens should therefore take sensible precautions and avoid large crowds, marches, movements of people this Friday. In Rabat, please avoid Place Bab el Had (Avenue Hassan II), Place Bab el Rouah (Avenue ennasser), Parliament and the central railway station. In Casablanca, Avenue des FAR has traditionally been a focal point for demonstrations.

This will also be reflected in our travel advice at www.fco.gov.uk

Best Regards

Glyn Cartmell
HM Consul
British Embassy
Rabat

Tel: +212 (0)537 633333
Fax: +212 (0)537 633366
Mobile: +212 (0)661 200066
FTN: 8387 1000
E-mail: glyn.cartmell@fco.gov.uk
www.ukinmorocco.fco.gov.uk


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Fes Festival of Sufi Culture - an Overview

Aurora Borealis, reporting on the Fes Festival of Sufi Culture for The View from Fez, sums up the events of the last week.

Director Faouzi Skali with Flamenco singer Curro Pinana

Lots of Sufism, Not Enough Culture

To those of us familiar with the broad sweep of The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, the Sufi Culture Festival seems like a microcosm. If it could fulfill that core focus effectively -- sending its audience back to their everyday lives feeling inspired and elated -- it would be a resounding success. But people I spoke to who have known the festival since it started three years ago say that it is still lacks clarity and professional organisation. At present its ambition outstrips its capacity to deliver both a meaningful message and high quality entertainment.

The formula echoes the mid period of the Sacred Music Festival, between 2001 and 2006, when Faouzi Skali was Director General, before he took off to found the Sufi Culture Festival. It is a dual-track approach -- round table and forum discussion groups under the rubric "Giving Soul to Globalisation" -- and concert performances by both popular and more arcane Sufi musical ensembles.

Topics discussed by panels of distinguished academics, philosophers and activists like Edgar Morin, Katherine Marshall and Mohamed Berrada, included "The end of capitalism?", "Preventing a food crisis" and "Sufism and reform". The discussions are based in the application of spiritual values to material world issues and dilemmas, rather than mere intellectual speculation. In practice there's a measure of both, plus some examples where words have been translated into action -- Pierre Rabhi's Terre et Humanisme for example.

But the all-pervading, over-arching impetus is generated by Faouzi Skali's vision and his extraordinary capacity to articulate it in language which is accessible to most levels of mental agility. Faouzi Skali is The Sufi Culture Festival . He scurries about from one venue to another, from concert to forum to film show -- and yes, he does spread himself far too thin.

In my view Faouzi Skali's discourses were the most interesting aspect of the festival. The breadth and depth of his Sufi knowledge and experience is beyond a scintilla of doubt. For example, he explained the apparent paradox inherent in Sufism as both a grassroots, populist movement within Islam and a refined esoteric tradition that gives access to exalted states of altered consciousness. When Faouzi speaks about the sublime, the non-verbal, the spacious and the divine he does so while solidly rooted in mother earth. He is impressive in this role and one could suggest that he stick to it and delegate festival management to someone else.

And so to the music. Alas, the consensus among experienced festival goers is that as of now, the programme does not work. There were numerous organisational glitches, including bad sound quality, cancellations, venue changes and consistently late starts. There were some fine performances, notably from the Flamenco singer Curro Pinana, a Palestinian ensemble with Moneim Adwan and a deeply moving Samaa from the Tariqa Qadriyya Boutchichiyya. But the lineup relied heavily on Moroccan Sufi brotherhoods and as a result lacked a genuine international flavour. This apparent parochialism may reflect a tight budget, but if the festival is to make its presence felt further afield and with a wider, non-partisan audience, it will have to become more representative of Sufism as a global phenomenon. It will also have to find the means to showcase internationally recognised performers. The one I would crawl over a bed of nails to hear is Shiekh Ahmad Al-Tuni from Egypt. He was originally billed, but failed show up.

One loyal member of the festival audience made the point that the festival needs to be more festive. More fun, more drama, more of a spontaneous atmosphere. Less starchy, tight-lipped listening. Another insisted that Sufism is best understood through poetry so let's give Sufism's most famous poet the last word....

Not Christian, Jew or Muslim.
Not Hindu, Buddhist, Sufi or Zen.
Not any religion or cultural system.
I am not from the east or the west,
not out of the ocean or up from the ground,
not natural or ethereal,not made of elements at all.
I do not exist, am not an entity in this world or the next,
did not descend from Adam and Eve
or any origin story. My place is placeless,
a trace of the traceless, neither body or soul.
I belong to the Beloved,
have seen the two worlds as one
and that one call to and know:
first, last, outer, inner, only that
breath breathing human being.

Jallaluddin Rumi

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

A million pirated CDs & DVD's destroyed in Morocco

On Friday over a million bootlegged CDs and DVDs were destroyed in Rabat. The pirated copies had been seized in a recent series of raids and it is estimated that the value was around 10 million dirhams (1.18 million USD). The haul included audio CDS, computer programmes as well as foreign and Moroccan movies.

This operation was carried out, under the national campaign against piracy in coordination with the Moroccan office of royalties (BMDA), the Moroccan cinematographic centre (CCM) and the ministry of communication.

This "large-scale" operation, based on rulings issued by the Moroccan courts, is the first of its kind in Rabat, said CMDA managing director, Abdellah Ouadghiri.

Morocco's campaign against piracy is based on promoting the culture of respect for copyrights, ensuring coordination between departments concerned, and carrying out sting operations to clamp down on bootlegging.

While a million CDs and DVDs sounds like a like quantity, it is a drop in the ocean compared with the number of bootlegged CDs on the market. It will be interesting to see if the authorities go after those responsible for large scale copying, rather than those on the street who are simply trying to make a living. The people at the top of the pirating chain are making vast amounts from this trade and so they should be the target of future actions.


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Cooking in Fez: Launch of Clock Kitchen

Cafe Clock and Gail of FezFood have joined forces to launch a new Moroccan cooking school called Clock Kitchen.


Clock Kitchen is herer to help you gain access to and intensify your sensory experience of Morocco! From recipe to souk, through preparation to place, Clock Kitchen, located in the gastronomic capital of Fez, will chaperone you every step of the way.

Learn traditional Moroccan cooking with chefs Tariq and Souad, members of the team who have helped make Café Clock into ‘probably the best café in Morocco’ (Footprint’s Morocco Guide 2009). They have grown up with the secrets to traditional Moroccan cooking and are passionate about keeping them alive.

What better insight into the people of the ancient Fez Medina than by fully immersing yourself in the huge diversity of flavours that keep them going? If cooking is an expression of a culture, then Fez and Clock Kitchen are shouting out loud!!

Whether beginner, connoisseur or cordon-bleu trained, the workshop is for everyone who wants to jump into the melting pot of the medina and not just teeter on the side looking in.

If you want to know your brochettes from your brioutes, your chermoula from your chekchouka, and your harissa from your harira, let Clock Kitchen guide your way.

Mostly it is for anyone, individuals or groups, who want to have fun topped off with a feast!

Flavour is universal – so wherever you are from - let Clock Kitchen help set your taste-buds free!

Workshop Structure

Start the day at 10 am by choosing a personal menu that you want to learn to prepare and enjoy eating. Then it’s off to the souk, dodging the donkeys, bargaining with vendors, where Tariq will get you shopping for the freshest and best ingredients. For Clock Kitchen students it’s 'access all areas'!

Food sustains Fez and you can help sustain it too. By learning how to shop locally you will help traditional vendors stay that way.

By 3pm you will have practiced traditional techniques, understood the diversity of sumptuous flavours and enjoyed the 3-course feast that you have created. You will also have experienced the warm hospitality that’s at the real heart of Moroccan cuisine and is the essence of Café Clock’s Clock Kitchen!

Don't miss out on this unique sensory and cultural experience!

Book your place now by emailing Fezfood@gmail.com or calling Gail on +212 (0) 655 324 082.

Current workshop availability from 25th May 2009.

A one day cooking workshop costs 550 Dirham per person and includes ingredients, a goodie bag including a Cafe Clock T-shirt and recipe booklet to take away.

If you are interested in participating in a two-hour bread-baking workshop including a visit to the Feranne (600 year old community oven), or a one-day patisserie workshop, please also send your enquiry to Fezfood@gmail.com

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

The Galerie Chez Mehdi Opening Party.

Yesterday The View from Fez attended the opening ceremony of the new Galerie Chez Mehdi in Fez. Normally we would have had a report up the same day, but the celebrations went on until after 1 am at which stage none of us were capable of posting anything!


The event was blessed with perfect weather which contributed to an upbeat atmosphere that was truly festive and markedly different from the low key ambiance that has surrounded the Sufi Festival.

Cutting edge management - Jess Stephens with the scissors.

Gallery openings are often staid affairs that verge on the boring. This was not at all the case with Galerie Chez Mehdi. Under the eagle eye of the Culture Vulture Events Manager, Jessica Stephens, everything ran smoothly and on time. The street was blocked off and two Berber bands began a performance that went on for the duration.

Shihkat - the Amazigh group from Immouzer

The Tqiqia group from Fez drumming up a storm!

The view from atop one of the gorgeously caparisoned horses.

A tent was erected to provide tea and comfortable seating for those awaiting the cutting of the ribbon , but in the end it was the street itself that created the fiesta atmosphere with hundreds of guests, local onlookers and tourists packed in enjoying the spectacle. With drumming, ululating and blaring trumpets the scene was set for the arrival of the Pasha of Fez.

The Pasha arrives

Madame Ouafa, Mehdi Msefer and the Pasha

The gallery owner, Mehdi Msefer and his wife, Ouafa, mingled with the crowd meeting and greeting old friends and newcomers.

Mehdi Msefer with Helen Ranger and Madame Ouafa

One very nice touch in the opening ceremony was the sharing of the honour of cutting the ribbon. The Pasha of Fez made a half cut and then graciously handed the scissors to Mehdi Msefer who completed the task.

Sharing the honours

Once the ribbon was cut the huge crowd flocked into the gallery where cakes, drinks and tea were served.

If you would like to have a look inside the shop, visit this link: Galerie Mehdi

The View from Fez would like to thank Mehdi and Ouafa for their wonderful generosity.

Photographs: Sandy McCutcheon
(You can click on images to enlarge)

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Rugby seven-a-side stars in Morocco

Moroccan rugby fans

According to The View from Fez sports editor, Dominick, Morocco will host seven-a-side rugby stars in a tournament in Tangier on May 8 and May 9.

This will be the sixth series of the "Tangier Sevens" rugby tournament.

The two-day event will bring together nine teams from Morocco, France, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya, as well as six local teams from France and Morocco.


Rugby sevens is a variant of rugby in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches.


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Chez Mehdi antique boutique opens today

And you are invited!

(click on images to enlarge)

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Fez Whispers Photographic Exhibition

An exhibition of the work of young Fassi photographer Omar Chennafi opens at 16h00 tomorrow, Thursday 23 April, at Cafe Clock, 7 Derb El Magana, off Tala'a Kebira, and runs for one month.

Between these stones blows the breath of
Time and dreams

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Fez Festival of Sufi Culture - Day Five

Moneim Adwan from Gaza with his group at Batha

Today's concert at the Batha museum was one of the best to date. It was presented by Moneim Adwan from Gaza. The title of the concert was very appropriate to the setting - Les Jardins de L'ame - or gardens of the soul.

The audience were totally captivated

Faouzi Skalli introduced the afternoon's performance with a detailed explanation of the states of altered consciousness experienced by Sufi adepts. This was a rare exposition of esoteric practices which would normally be reserved for initiates. Faouzi was obviously speaking from deep personal experience and this, combined with his eloquence and charismatic personality, made a profound impression on his listeners, who were spell-bound. It's probably fair to say that everyone present was totally engaged with his discourse.

Faouzi Skali was inspiring.

He elaborated on heightened states of awareness where relative world concerns dissolve, and where the devotee is present in the presence of the divine. There was a moment of wry humour when Faouzi said that this ecstatic state is known amongst Sufis as ivresse (intoxication), a strange word, he said, in a Muslim context.

Moneim Adwan

The "conversation" between violin and oud was superb

Moneim Adwan was born in 1970 at Rafah in Gaza. He started singing as a child, mainly popular and religious songs.

At 17, he began to play the oud and few years later, he left his country to go to Tripoli (Libya) where he got a Masters in Musicology at the University of Arts, with teachers Fateh el-Ramiz (singing) and Abdallah Sebaï (Oud).


After spending time in Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan and Iraq, he worked for 6 years performing at different events for the Palestinian government, the Ministry of Education, in the theatre and cinema. He composed the opening music for Bethlehem in January 2000. Since 1999, he has recorded 3 CDs in France : Chicha (with the musician Michel Montanaro and the music of Provence), Nawah (with the singer Françoise Atlan and her Sephardi songs), Motayem "ecstatic with love" (with the group Pêcheurs de Perles, music from Iraq).

In June 2004, he sang at the Fès Festival of World Sacred Music.

Spotted in the audience was the exceptional Moroccan singer Anass who trained for some years in Syria and Turkey.His recent international performances have taken him all over Europe including Poland where he has been a huge hit.

On previous days we have mentioned the international media, so it would be remiss of us not to feature our favourite Moroccan photographer (pictured below).


Photographs: Sandy McCutcheon.
Additional reporting: Aurora Borealis & Helen Ranger.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Fez Dreaming - a personal story

Today we have a contribution to The View from Fez by Céline Vlaminck. Hers is a personal story of how it came about that she is leaving Fez and moving to Paris.

Dreams are realized some times.

I would like to share with you a marvellous event in my life. No neither to tell you at this event, but also to remind you to leave a little space in your life for dreams.

I came to Fez, almost magically, a few years ago. For some, my decision to move here was crazy. I was realizing my "personal legend", to reference Paulo Coelo. I bought a house, I founded a well being centre , massage and retreat called Espace AUM. Everything was almost perfect.

As time went by, however, in both my personal and professional life, I became less happy and more tired. I questioned myself and the heavens why this had come to pass. Slowly, I realized that I changed, while the project had not advanced as far. For many months, I thought of this things. What to do?

One day, while giving a massage, a man who told me within five minutes that my place was no longer in Fes. A few minutes later, he suggested that I open a spa in Paris.

One day, one event, one chance meeting it convinced me to open a health centre for naturopathy, massage and energy in Paris.

L’espac e AUM exists already, and he helped at least an young girl, Fatim Zarah , to realize her dream of becoming a massage therapist.

One more thing: I have forgotten to tell you that all this fortuitous meeting happened on Christmas eve!


Les rêves se réalisent parfois.

Je souhaitais partager ce moment merveilleux de ma vie. Non pas pour parler de moi mais pour vous rappeler qu’il est important de laisser la place aux rêves.

Arrivée à FES comme par magie, d’autres vous diront par insouciance. J’y réalisais ma légende personnelle comme dirait Paulo Coelo : acheter une maison, la transformer en espace de bien-être et de ressourcement : L’espace AUM.

Alors que tout se mettait en place, je me sentais étrange. Moins joyeuse et fatiguée.

Je me questionnais et interrogeait le ciel sur cet étrange fatigue. Je pressentais que j »avais changé plus vite que le projet. Il devenait une étape dans ma vie qui me poussait vers d’autres directions.

Je souhaitais entretenir une relation de suivi avec les clients. Cela va sans dire que je m’interrogeai aussi sur ma vie privée. Pendant plusieurs mois, je m’inquiétais de cela sans réellement voir d’issue.

Puis, au cours d’un massage que je croyais comme bien d’autres. Mon client pressenti que ma place n’était plus à Fes. Après 30 minutes, il me suggérait de m’installer sur Paris.

Un dîner, des mails, des rencontres et puis l’ouverture d’un espace de Bien-être sur Paris début mai.

Un espace particulier puisqu’il regroupe plusieurs approches : la naturopathie, le massage indien et le soin énergétique. Un autre vieux rêve se matérialisait alors.

L’espace AUM existe toujours. Il aide maintenant une jeune fille, Fatim Zarah à réaliser son propre rêve : celui d’être masseuse.

Au fait, j’oubliais de vous dire que tout cela commença la nuit du réveillon de Noël.



Céline Vlaminck
L’espace AUM
9 Derb Moulay Ismael,
Talaa Sghira, FES Medina Maroc
RC 27455
tel France:+33.(0)6.32.74.31.99
tel Maroc:+212.(0)68.82.30.40


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news