Fez ~ Putting Crime in Perspective

Since yesterday's attack on three German tourists in Fez, visitors are naturally concerned about crime in the city. While an attack on anyone is despicable, an attack on tourists hits at the livelihood of the entire community

Three German tourists, walking in the Fez Medina, were attacked by two youths wielding knives, and suffered cuts. Word on the street has it that the young men were high on drugs. The quick response of local Moroccans saw the perpetrators caught on the spot, and handed over to police.

As a local shopkeeper said, "An attack on a tourist is an attack on all of us. They are guests in our city". It is particularly true in regard to German tourists as, due to some great promotion, there has been an upsurge in tourists from Germany.

The reality is that, despite this recent deplorable incident, Moroccan cities (perhaps with the exception of Casablanca) remain safe places for locals and tourists. The number of knife crimes is lower that cities of comparable size in Europe, and Australasia, and almost totally free of gun crimes in comparison with the United States.

It is unfortunate for the tourist industry in Morocco that even a relatively minor incident is almost always drawn into the ongoing narrative about the dangers of Islamist violence and security threats.

This is not to deny that crime exists, but rather to put it into perspective.

Police authorities still have work to do

In the case of petty crime, police in Fez have recently increased their efforts and are quick to point out that between September 15 and October 5, local authorities arrested 2,664 criminals. However, as this latest incident shows, police authorities still have work to do.

Morocco World News commented on the need for more assistance from the state. "Fez inhabitants have for long complained about the successive Moroccan governments’ lack of political will to reinstate the city to its erstwhile glory and their total focus on other cities, such as Tangier, Marrakech, Agadir, Tetouan, Casablanca and Rabat".

Morocco is a country known for its hospitality and where the safety of foreign tourists is a priority for the government. While these kinds of violent assaults are definitely regrettable, they are, thankfully, extremely rare. As a visiting English woman told The View From Fez, 'It is sad this happened, but it is the kind of thing that happens in London every day".

Figures from the UK released recently and reported in The Mirror show the north-east of the country to be the nation's knife crime capital with hundreds are being caught carrying blades every week.

New Home Office statistics show more than 16,000 cautions or sentences were handed out for knife crimes between April 2014 and March this year - around 45 crimes a day.

In London itself, knife crime is up by at least 18%, after years of falling, and 10 youngsters have been stabbed to death in the city in the past nine months.

As far as security incidents go, Morocco has an enviable reputation for busting Islamist cells before they can cause problems. An international risk assessment body actually lists Morocco as a safer destination than France. (See story here.)

Last summer, Morocco launched "Hadar", a new security initiative to counter security threats facing the Kingdom. The focus was on most of the Morocco’s major cities and tourist destinations.

In the UK, The Times has praised Morocco's security measures, describing Morocco as a "safe haven" and commending the Moroccan authorities and their vigilance in keeping the Morocco safe and secure from the threats of Daesh, the so-called “Islamic State”. It is estimated that 500,000 British citizens visited Morocco each year.

Security in Morocco keeps the Kingdom safe for tourists

“Morocco, a tourist destination for Europeans, remained immune against the convulsions experienced by other countries in the region,” The Times said and added that intense efforts by the Moroccan security services have recently dismantled terrorist cells recruited by the so-called “Islamic State”.

The American government travel warning website lists problems in Libya, Mali, Syria, the Ukraine and other hotspots, but makes no mention of Morocco as a country where tourists are more at risk than they are in any other place.

Common sense dictates that travellers should always be alert, but this applies just as much to Sydney, New York, London or Paris, as it is does to Marrakech or Fez.

See also: Morocco's Crime Rate Drops 9%

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Call for Blood Donation in Fez

Blood Drive 3rd Edition - Wednesday, 11 November 2015  09:00–14:00

In collaboration with the Blood Transfusion Centre - Fes, the Community Service Club ALC-Fes & ALIF  is holding its 3rd Edition Blood Drive on Wednesday, November 11th 2015, from 9 AM to 2 PM

Donate blood ~ save lives

ALC Fes & ALIF: American Language Center & Arabic Language Institute in Fez
2, Rue Ahmed El Hiba, 30000 Fès-Ville-Nouvelle, Fès.

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New Zealand PM Visits Morocco

The Kiwi Prime Minister, John Key, has made a flying visit to Morocco - the first New Zealand PM to do so in decades

Executive Committee of the International Democrat Union

The purpose of the trip to Marrakech was "to chair a meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Democrat Union", according to a New Zealand government statement issued on October 12.

New Zealand is seeking to improve economic ties with African countries. The New Zealand Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade describes the current relationships with African nations as "thin" and "based on Commonwealth and sporting ties, historical support for African independence, and a long history of humanitarian and development assistance. Although these ties will remain important, New Zealand is seeking to move beyond our current level of contact with Africa, to develop trade linkages and find fresh ways of connecting with African interests."

African countries offer opportunities for increased bilateral trade. Although New Zealand’s trade with most African nations remains modest, exports to the continent have increased steadily since 1998. The North African markets, in particular, have shown rapid growth and are now of significant value. The recent upheaval in the Maghreb countries has sparked a process of transition which will give rise to new challenges and opportunities for New Zealand. After many years of pessimism, a core of African economies – the “African Lions” - are starting to show signs of strength and sustainability - NZ Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 

Links are already being forged, as is shown by the trip to New Zealand earlier this year by a Moroccan delegation led by Amine Mounir Alaoui, head of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University. The university was set up by Moroccan phosphate exporting company, Office Chérifien des Phosphates. During their visit the group visited Waikato, Auckland, Massey and Lincoln universities, as well as meeting with government agencies, Universities New Zealand and research partners in the new Lincoln Hub. Education New Zealand facilitated the visit.

Outside Lincoln University L-R Dr Driss Ennaanay, Head of School of Agriculture (in back), M Fahd Benkirane, Head of Sales, Oceania, OCP, Amine Mounir Alaoui, Head of Delegation, M Talal Zouaoui, Executive VP Communication and Public Affairs, OCP (behind) and Mohamed Belhoussain, Executive Vice President, Commercial, OCP.

The main purpose of the visit was to explore the potential for cooperation in the agriculture and agri-tech area for the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University’s new School of Agriculture. They were impressed with the capability and applied/industry-based approach of the New Zealand universities, and were especially interested in research cooperation and the potential for student exchange, study abroad, PhD study and teacher training.

While in New Zealand the delegation promoted Morocco as a secure gateway to Africa and a bridge to western countries.

Now that links have been made, the focus will be on identifying some key areas of research collaboration and gradual expansion of the education partnerships.

John Key meets with Benkirane

It appears John Key enjoyed his brief sojourn, describing it on his Facebook  page, he noted: "Chaired the latest meeting of the International Democrat Union in the amazing setting of Marrakech." The International Democrat Union (IDU) is the global working association of more than 80 Conservative, Christian Democrat and like-minded political parties of the centre and centre right.

John Key also travelled to Rabat and met with the Moroccan PM Benkirane.

I had a great discussion with Morocco Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane in Rabat yesterday. John Key ‏@johnkeypm on Twitter

The meeting was described as fruitful and resulted in John Key being invited to stay for lunch.

The Prime Ministerial lunch in Rabat

Other "high level meetings"include chatting with President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels. “The EU is a key trade partner for New Zealand with two-way trade totalling more than $19.5 billion,” said John Keys.

Sadly, the New Zealand Prime Minister did not make it to Fez to meet with the Kiwi expats. However, we can report some good news for him. Our local supermarket now sells New Zealand butter in 5 kilo blocks.

Hard as it is to imagine, some New Zealanders think John Key's trip was not so much about diplomacy, but rather a crafty way of getting to see the final of the the Rugby World Cup.


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Child Rearing - Moroccan style

Moroccans have a great reputation for being child friendly. So, The View From Fez was amused by this tale from a recent trip to the Carrefour Supermarket in Fez

A female friend was shopping and found herself following a grandfather and his badly-behaved 3-year-old grandson.

It was obvious to her that he has his hands full with the child screaming for sweets in the sweets aisle, biscuits in the biscuit aisle and for fruit, cereal and soft drinks in the other aisles.

However the Grandfather was working his way around, saying in a controlled voice, "Easy, Hamza, we won't be long . . . . easy, boy."

A couple of aisles later there was another outburst and she heard the grandfather calmly say: "It's okay, Hamza, just a couple more minutes and we'll be out of here. Hang in there, boy."

At the checkout, the little terror was throwing items out of the cart and yet the grandfather appeared unruffled. Once again he spoke softly, in a controlled voice, "Hamza, Hamza, relax buddy, don't get upset. We'll be home in five minutes, stay cool, Hamza my boy.

Very impressed by his tolerance, our female friend went down to the car park where the grandfather was loading his groceries and the boy into the car. She approached the man and said, "It's none of my business, but you were amazing in there. I don't know how you did it. That whole time you kept your composure, and no matter how loud and disruptive he got, you just calmly kept saying 'things would be okay'... Hamza is very lucky to have you as his grandpa."

"Thanks," said the grandfather, "but I'm Hamza, This little blighter's name is Rachid.

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Al-Andalus - Restitution - A musical and poetic tale - Free Concert

The French Institute in Fez presents a free concert this Friday - In the footsteps of Al-Andalus - Restitution - A musical and poetic tale

Friday, October 30th, 19h, Dar Batha. Entry is free

Fréderic Calmes/Narrator. Leo Fabre Cartier/Oud. Milan Otal/lute and composer Vincent Trollet.

Vincent Trollet was born in Pau in 1978. He began his musical studies in his hometown and continued at the Conservatory of Toulouse and Paris. In 2007 he joined the High School of Music of Geneva where he obtained a Bachelor and a Masters in Composition. Aware of the new opportunities that open up with computer music, he decided to complete his training by studying the musical acoustics at the National Conservatory of Music in Paris and at IRCAM in Paris.

Inspired in many of his works by medieval music, he collaborates with researchers, particularly medievalists, and ethnomusicologists.

Artist in residence, Vincent Trollet is sponsored by the French Institute of Morocco

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Storytellers Raise Funds For Medina Children's Library

PHOTO ESSAY

A Deep Travel Workshop with Erin Byrne and New York storyteller Doug Cordell (seated right)

Deep Travel is a unique venture, combining writing, storytelling workshops and travel in Morocco. This week they were based in Moulay Idriss Zerhoune, where they held a special evening hosted by Mike Richardson (Cafe Clock - Marrakech and Fez). Not only was the evening a sensational success, but the storytellers raised a generous donation for the Medina Children's Library in Fez

While Mike Richardson and his Scorpion House team put the final touches to the feast, the workshop storytellers gathered around a fire on the balcony to savour the poems of poet and artist Anna Elkins.

Anna Elkins  poems as delicate as her paintings

Anna Elkins, one of the workshop leaders, is the author of the illustrated vignette The Heart Takes Flight, the novel The Honeylicker Angel and a collection of poetry, The Space Between.

Following the poetry reading and a display of Omar Chennafi's fine photographs, the storytelling took a backseat as Mike and his team worked his famous culinary magic.

Mike, Hamza and Rachida  provided fabulous food and hospitality

Tour organiser, Christina Ammon was in fine form

Workshop tutor, Erin Byrne receives a birthday surprise

Novelist and storyteller, Sandy McCutcheon, wrapped up the night

Top photo: Omar Chennafi. All other photographs: Suzanna Clarke

Donations to the Medina Children's Library are welcome! Please contact:  medinachildrenslibrary@gmail.com 

Info: https://www.facebook.com/medinachildrenslibrary

Deep Travel:  https://www.facebook.com/DeepTravelWorkshops

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World Cup Croquet - Sunday Satire

Our Sports Editor Ibn Warraq reports from Fez, where he gained access to the finals of the Croquet World Cup - fought between Spain, Italy, India, Australia, France, England and Morocco

Entry to the North African Croquet Association (NACA) is phenomenally hard to gain. Thankfully, I knew a man who had a cousin who knew another man who secured me a ticket for just a few hundred Dirhams.

The English team warming up pre-match

The Italians were disqualified

The Australians were dismissed due to dress code violations

By the time I entered the hallowed grounds of the NACA, the preliminary finals were over. The Australian team, "The Fruit Bats", had convincingly trounced Morocco two games to three. However, they were later disqualified for violations of the dress code. This resulted in the Moroccans automatically progressing to the finals.

The American team, (Custer's Volunteers), failed to appear. It was later discovered that their Royal Air Maroc flight had been delayed by a couple of days and then diverted to Qatar.

 The Italian team, "Morbido Frutta" (The Soft Fruits), were disqualified for attempting to play with a pomegranate and an orange rather than the hard balls. Che disgrazia!

The Italians were disqualified for attempting to play with fruits

The first semi-final was a bitter battle between France's Battlers de Balzac and Spain's Ceuta Piratas, that went to a sudden-death fourth game. France emerged victorious (with a score of four to three) after the Spanish team collapsed in the final game, succumbing to an overdose of something called Blue Sapphire - apparently a re-hydrating sports drink. The Spanish appeal on the grounds that the croquet pitch was actually Spanish territory was rejected by the Rules Committee (5,000 Dirhams to 20).

'Banger' Cameron-Smythe's Chukka Punt

The second semi final between India's Sultans of Swing and England's The Pommy Toffs was a one-sided affair ,with the English displaying their unorthodox skills and calculating every detail.

To the delight of the capacity crowd, English Captain, 'Banger' Cameron-Smythe, performed the double-handed "Chukka Punt", a shot derived from polo, involving rotating the mallet several times at high speed above head height before leaping in the air while striking the ball with a cry of "Tally-ho, old bean, wot wot".  The Indians had no reply to these intimidating tactics, and despite burning copious amounts of incense and adopting aggressive yoga poses, went down three to one to the Poms.

The British paid attention to every detail

In a surprising move, the French team withdrew from the Final when being informed that only Darija (Moroccan Arabic) could be used on the pitch as French contained too many irregular verbs.

Morocco, as hosts, claimed a place in the finals and immediately courted controversy by slaughtering a sheep and sprinkling rose-flower water over the pitch. A protest by the British was overturned by 2,000 dirhams to 100 by the impartial rules committee chaired by the Moroccan Team leader, Salahdeen Idrissy. The games were then halted for a three hour tea and cake break.

NACA provided a sublime cake and tea service

The final was thrown into disarray when the Moroccans protested that British players had been studying local Arabic, speaking it without a permit and, worse, could understand the Moroccan coach's instructions. The rules committee informed the visitors that they needed a signed and witnessed proclamation giving them the right to speak Darija. Despite causing a 48 hour delay while the proper form was found in a small room at the rear of a Rabat police station, the Brits stubbornly stuck to their guns and arrived back on the pitch triumphantly waving the form (in triplicate and with the appropriate stamps) above their heads.

Ball tampering? The British were fined 10,000 Dirhams

The Moroccans, who had been relying on bureaucracy to save them, went into a huddle in the pavilion. They emerged several hours later with a demand that they be permitted time out to go and visit their sick grandmothers.  The British acquiesced but then, to their dismay, when the Moroccan team returned, they had switched to speaking the Amazigh language Tashelhit.

The triumphant Moroccan team

The contest went down to the wire at three games to three, before a ball tampering incident that the British denied, but later confessed to, and paid a 10,000 Dirham fine.

In the sudden-death playoff between the two captains, Salahdeen Idrissy won a convincing victory three to zero over 'Banger' Cameron-Smythe, having unnerved the Brit by whispering to him that Morocco would be part of the European Union after the British left the EU; Croquet was actually an Amazigh invention and that they had never lost a game since they defeated the Roman Empire at at the Battle of Volubilis  (four games to two) in 163 AD.  He concluded that the Romans were so demoralised that they upped stakes and returned to Rome.

Congratulations to Morocco !

Ibn Warraq would like to thank NACA and the friend of a friend's cousin for providing him with the ticket to the competition.

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Royal Air Maroc Partner with Qatar Airlines

Last Wednesday Royal Air Maroc (RAM), Morocco's national airline started direct flights from Casablanca to Doha. After signing the new partnership deal Qatar Airways (QA) says it is now considering buying a stake in the Moroccan company

On Thursday, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker, said Qatar Airways is evaluating the case for buying a stake in the Moroccan airline to help it extend its reach into the under-served travel markets of West Africa and the Sahara.

“We’ll evaluate if we can be a partner, a stakeholder, in Royal Air Maroc in the future,” Akbar Al Baker was quoted as saying by the Bloomberg website. “Qatar Airways is always open to investing in airlines with strong synergy,” he concluded.

Akbar Al Baker made the statement during a press conference in Doha to welcome the first direct flight of (RAM) to Doha, as part of the code sharing partnership between the two careers to mutually benefit from seamless service between Qatar and North African market.

Through the new partnership signed between the two companies, QA will gain access to around 40 new destinations in western African region. Being as one of the fastest growing markets, the African market is expected to grow at a rate of 6.6 percent annually.

At present RAM’s network offers links to 40 African destinations, with Qatar Air promoting the Moroccan cities of Agadir and Marrakech, as well as Dakar in Senegal, Accra in Ghana and Nouakchott in Mauritania, as attractive connections. Al Baker said he’d also like to start flights from Doha to Marrakech through the code-share with RAM.

Royal Air Maroc CEO Driss Benhima said separately in an interview at the Doha event that he’s studying an Airbus Group SE A380 purchase to replace Boeing Co.’s 747. The superjumbo would be deployed on trips including the Haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. RAM aims to expand its total fleet to 105 planes by 2029 from 53 currently, and will issue a tender for narrow-body jets that could include the Airbus A320Neo and A321 and Boeing 737 Max, as well as some freighters, by end of 2015.

RAM’s maiden direct flight to Doha included a Moroccan delegation who are visiting Qatar in order to hold discussion with the Qatari airline officials.

Under the newly signed partnership, RAM and QA will operate three and 10 flights a week respectively between Casablanca and Doha.

At a  press conference attended by the Moroccan delegation, Morocco’s Minister of Transport and Logistics, Aziz Rabbah said, “This venture will go a long way in strengthening cultural, economic and social relations between the two countries.”

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Sijilmasa ~ The Last Civilised Place - Lecture in Fez

The Last Civilized Place: Sijilmasa and Its Saharan Destiny is a new book by Ronald Messier and James Miller. It is also the subject of a lecture by the authors at the ALC/ALIF Annex Auditorium on Monday October 26th at 6 PM

Many people know the word, "Sijilmasa," and regard its existence as merely legendary. What was the reality of Sijilmasa, perhaps the most important forgotten place in Moroccan history?

Set along the Sahara's edge, Sijilmasa was an African El Dorado, a legendary city of gold. But unlike El Dorado, Sijilmasa was a real city, the pivot in the gold trade between ancient Ghana and the Mediterranean world. Following its emergence as an independent city-state controlling a monopoly on gold during its first 250 years, Sijilmasa was incorporated into empires — Almoravid, Almohad, and onward—leading to the "last civilized place" becoming the cradle of today's Moroccan dynasty, the Alaouites. Sijilmasa's millennium of greatness ebbed with periods of war, renewal, and abandonment. Today, its ruins lie adjacent to and under the modern town of Rissani, bypassed by time.

This account of the Moroccan-American Project at Sijilmasa (1988 to 1998) draws on archaeology, historical texts, field reconnaissance, oral tradition, and legend to weave the story of how this fabled city mastered its fate. The authors' deep local knowledge and interpretation of the written and ecological record allow them to describe how people and place molded four distinct periods in the city's history.

Messier and Miller compare models of Islamic cities to what they found on the ground to understand how Sijilmasa functioned as a city. Continuities and discontinuities between Sijilmasa and the contemporary landscape sharpen questions regarding the nature of human life on the rim of the desert. What, they ask, allows places like Sijilmasa to rise to greatness? What causes them to fall away and disappear into the desert sands?

About the authors:

Professor Ron Messier is professor emeritus at the Department of History at Middle Tennessee State University and his interest in numismatic history led to him organising the project to excavate Sijilmasa, which began in 1987 with a visit to the site and continued over six seasons of digging from 1988 to 1998,

James Miller, Director of the Moroccan-American Commission in Rabat, is a cultural geographer who taught in the Department of History and Geography at Clemson University in South Carolina for 29 years before coming to Rabat in 2009 to run the Fulbright Program.

The ALIF Annex is at 22 Rue Mohamed Diouri in the Ville Nouvelle.

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Tasting the Fine Food of the Fez Medina

Steven Raichlen, an American journalist and TV host, is enraptured by Fez and its food culture. Over the last few days he and his wife Barbara have been exploring the Medina and treating themselves to some of the Medina's culinary delights

Barbara and Steven

Steven's television credits include TV shows such as Primal Grill and Project Smoke on PBS and Le Maitre du Grill (in French) in Quebec.

Steven has written 30 books and many articles for the New York Times, Esquire, GQ, Bon Appetit and more. His books, Barbecue Bible and Planet Barbecue were listed as 'New York Times Best Sellers'.

Starting their Fez tasting adventure at the renowned Ruined Garden Restaurant, Steven and Barbara sat down to a feast of fine food: a selection of Moroccan-style tapas followed by spicy daghmyra tart, cork-oak acorns, smoked salmon, and the superb mechoui lamb (slow cooked for seven hours) and washed down with a glass of date milk with orange blossom water.

Najia presents her mechoui lamb

The meal at The Ruined Garden was a special treat as it gave Steven a chance to chat with his host, Robert Johnstone, and to discover that Robert smoked his own fish in a special cold smoker built into one of the chimneys. He later tried the smoked salmon and pronounced it "delicious".

Spicy daghmyra tart

Steven has an interest in smoked food as his next TV series is "Project Smoke" which will go to air on America's PBR network. Project Smoke is the first how-to show to focus exclusively on smoking. From hot smoking and smoke-roasting to cold-smoking and smoking with hay, Steven shows you how to get creative with smoked food and make the iconic smoked foods, such as Texas brisket, Jamaican jerk ribs, and Scandinavian smoked salmon, plus new twists on old classics including smoked cheesecake and cocktails!

Robert and Steven swap notes at The Ruined Garden

While in Fez, Steven and Barbara tried a range of culinary experiences from street food at Thami's  to a traditional couscous feast with Fred Sola and Cathy Belafronto at the beautiful Riad Laaroussa. The couscous, was, Steven said, one of the highlights of their Fez experience.

It would be easy, at first encounter to categorise Steven as simply another TV food host, but this is a man who has a degree in French literature, is a published novelist, studied medieval cooking in Europe and even beaten the famed Tokyo Iron Chef.  Yet, when pushed, he declines to accept the label "chef" for himself!

As maestro de grill (to coin a phrase) Steven has come up with innovative recipes for grilled treats from coffee-crusted chicken to ginger mint lobster roast. Hopefully his short sojourn in Fez will be the first of many visits and that we will get another chance to enjoy his company and taste his grilling and smoking expertise - inshallah!

Story and photographs: Sandy McCutcheon

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