Morocco's New Law to Protect Domestic Workers' Rights

On July the 26th, 2016, Morocco’s new law regulating conditions for domestic workers was adopted by the House of Representatives and will go into effect one year after publication in the official gazette

Photo Credit : FADEL SENNA / AFP

In 2005 and 2012 Human Rights Watch investigated conditions in Morocco for child domestic workers – those under 18 –  finding that girls as young as eight had endured physical abuse and worked long hours for little pay.

Child domestic workers – known locally as “kheddamat” – told Human Rights Watch that their employers frequently beat and verbally abused them, wouldn’t let them go to school, and sometimes refused them adequate food. Some child domestic workers worked for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for as little as US$11 per month. All that is thankfully to change.

Ahmed Benchemsi, Middle East and North Africa communications and advocacy director at Human Rights Watch says, “This new law is groundbreaking for domestic workers in Morocco, so many of whom have been exploited and abused, but wage and working hour provisions still fall short, especially the new minimum wage for domestic workers, which is much lower than the legal minimum wage for other workers.”

The new law requires written contracts and sets 18 as the minimum age for domestic workers, with a phase-in period of five years during which girls between 16 and 18 are allowed to work. It limits working hours for 16 and 17-year-olds to 40 hours a week, and for adults to 48 hours a week, though Morocco’s labor law for other sectors sets the limit at 44 hours. It guarantees 24 continuous hours of weekly rest, and a minimum wage of 1,542 dirhams (US$158) per month, 60 percent of the minimum wage for jobs covered under the country’s labor law. The law also provides for financial penalties for employers who violate the law.

“Domestic workers, who are most often poorly educated women and girls from the countryside, work in urban environments where they are isolated,” said Benchemsi. “By providing domestic workers with legal, enforceable protection, Morocco is delivering the message that even the most vulnerable workers deserve humane conditions.”

Human Rights Watch first investigated the use of child domestic labor in Morocco in 2005. A follow-up investigation in 2012 found that the number of children working in domestic work had dropped, but that many children were still working below the minimum age, then set at 15, under terrible conditions.

In a recent article published in Le Monde  and on the Human Rights Watch site, Ahmed Benchemsi looked at the impact of the new law. It is reprinted with permission.

“L’kheddama” (“The maid.”) That is how many Moroccan families refer to the domestic worker in their employ, whom they call by her first name. As for her last name, maybe the housewife remembers it, from the day she hired her and made a photocopy of her ID (you never know, in case she steals something ...) Or maybe she doesn’t. Why would she remember the maid’s surname, after all? Nobody ever uses it.

The abuse against domestic workers in Morocco starts with profound discrimination: almost invisible to society. Until recently, they also didn’t exist in the eyes of the law. Excluded from the Moroccan Labor Code, these women, who are most often from the countryside and have little or no education, had no legal rights in terms of minimum wages, working hours, or even days off. Their employers could overwork or underpay them, and suffer no legal consequences.

But things will change now. On July 26, the Moroccan parliament passed a law that regulates domestic work in Morocco. The new law, which will enter into force one year after its publication, requires proper labor contracts for domestic workers, limits their daily working hours, guarantees days off and paid vacations, and sets a minimum wage. The law also provides financial penalties for employers who violate these provisions, and even prison sentences for repeat offenders.

As part of its research on child domestic workers – under age 18 — in Morocco in 2005 and 2012, Human Rights Watch gathered damning evidence. Some "petites bonnes” (“little maids”), as they are called in Morocco, stated that their employers frequently beat and insulted them, prevented them from going to school, and sometimes refused them adequate food. Some worked for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for no more than US$11 per month.

The new law sets 18 as the minimum age for domestic workers, with a phase-in period of five years during which 16 and 17-year old girls will be allowed to work. This last provision was strongly criticised by Insaf, a collective of Moroccan nongovernmental organisations that opposes child labor.

That is not the only debatable provision of the new law. Adult domestic workers must work 48 hours per week, while the Moroccan labor code provides for a maximum of 44 hours for other sectors. Another source of inequality is the minimum wage. The wage guaranteed for domestic workers is only 60 percent of the minimum guaranteed by the labor code. Some say that since many domestic workers live with their employers, the food and shelter they get is for a partial in-kind payment. But that is not enough to justify a 40 percent difference. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) allows for in-kind payments, but specifies that such payments should be limited, to allow for a salary that guarantees a decent standard of living for the workers and their families. It is also worth noting that living at their workplace is rarely a choice for domestic workers, as such an arrangement mainly serves the employers’ interests.

Despite the limitations of the new law, however, it will provide legal protection for the first time to some of the country’s most vulnerable workers. This is a real success, for which we should congratulate the government and also—perhaps especially—Moroccan nongovernmental organisations that campaigned for this ground-breaking reform for many years.

Now that the law exists, the next challenge will be making sure it is carried out. For that purpose, the next government (elections are scheduled this fall) will have to establish enforcement mechanisms, in particular labor inspectors who will visit homes where domestic workers are employed. The government will also have to open a broad public awareness campaign, preferably on national television and in Moroccan Arabic – the language most likely to be understood by everyone concerned–so that employees will know their rights and employers they duties.

Enforcing this law will create a social shock wave in Morocco. After decades of quasi-forced servitude, hundreds of thousands of "kheddamat" will finally raise their heads and be recognised for what they are: citizens with rights.

The ILO Convention

In 2011, the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted the Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers (Convention 189), establishing global standards for domestic workers. The convention specifies that working hours for domestic workers should be equivalent to those for other types of work, and that domestic workers should be covered by minimum wage requirements.

Morocco voted to adopt the Domestic Workers Convention in 2011, but has not yet ratified it. To date, 22 countries have ratified the convention, including countries from every region of the world except for the Middle East and North Africa.

“Now that Morocco has established legal protections for domestic workers, it should ratify the ILO Domestic Workers Convention,” said Benchemsi. “By ratifying the convention, it can be a leader for other countries in the region in protecting domestic workers.”

Ahmed Benchemsi is the Advocacy and Communications Director for Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa division. Ahmed is also a career journalist. The founder, publisher and editor of Morocco’s best-selling weeklies TelQuel and Nishan, and the webmagazine FreeArabs.com, he was awarded twice Best investigative Journalist in the Arab World by the European Union. Ahmed was published in Time magazine, Newsweek, The new Republic, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, Le Monde, and other publications. 

A co-author of “Taking to the streets: The Transformation of Arab Activism” (2014, Johns Hopkins University press), he also produced articles for academic institutions and think tanks including the national Endowment for Democracy, the Middle East Institute, and the Cato Institute. He is also regularly interviewed or quoted in media outlets such as CNN, PBS, NPR, BBC, Al Jazeera, The New York Times, and more. Ahmed has an MPhil in Political Science from Sciences Po (Paris), an MA in Development Economics from the Sorbonne, and was a fellow at Stanford University’s Program on Arab Reform and Democracy.


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"No Woman No Drive" - Satire On Saudi Driving Prohibition Goes Viral in Morocco

Ibn Warraq reports from Casablanca that a musical satire on YouTube has tickled the funny bone of local Moroccans 

The video - No Woman No Drive - by Hisham Fageeh takes a Bob Marley song and with a change of lyrics makes it the perfect response to the Saudi prohibition on women driving. He also manages to get in a line mocking the Saudi Imam who has been ridiculed around the world for saying driving would effect women's ovaries!

Walking past cafes in Casa you can hear the song and the chuckles as people watch it on their phones or iPads. The Marley song has been a Moroccan favourite for years especially with the Gnawa. It seems that the new lyrics may catch on.

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive. The ban is informal, rather than enshrined in law.

Activist and writer Tamador Alyami said clarification was needed from the authorities: “They are giving us confusing messages. There’s nothing clear about it, no clear law, no clear punishment, so the message is not clear and that’s why we’re fighting for it.”

The campaign has sparked a wider debate in Saudi society over how women are treated. Social activist and comedian Hisham Fageeh's ironic video, ‘No Woman, No Drive’ was posted ion YouTube on the day of the protest.

Fageeh’s unique twist on Bob Marley’s ‘No Woman, No Cry’ had been viewed more than 140,000 times within hours of being posted online.

While Morocco enjoys good diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, there is a view amongst young Moroccans that Saudi society is repressive and behind the times - especially with its treatment of women. The campaign to allow women to drive in KSA is gaining ground and in the recent protest some 60 women drove in public. Sixteen of them are reported to have been fined around $80. This is a far cry from a few years ago when a woman was jailed for driving.

As part of the latest campaign, dozens of women have posted online videos of themselves driving in different Saudi cities. No-one has been arrested.

The activists behind the campaign believe the public mood is changing, with many more people - including an increasing number of men - publicly supporting the lifting of the ban.



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Unmarried Mothers in Morocco - a Cry for Help

More than 210,000 pregnant Moroccan women are calling on the head of the Moroccan government, Abdlilah Benkirane, to legalize their pregnancies.   Omar Bihmidine writing for Morocco World News says that the phenomenon of babies being born outside marriage is growing and the mothers involved are making their voices heard: especially as the babies they give birth to usually end up becoming street children with no basic rights.

Such women bear different stories behind their illicit pregnancy. While some of them have fallen prey to empty promises of marriage from irresponsible men, others admit that they have been seduced into indulging in a sexual relationship. Whatever the story, the common denominator is that they continue to suffer day in and day out because of the merciless society where they live.

In spite of the sympathy and understanding evinced by some associations that defend the rights of women, these women still feel alienated in this society where they are looked upon as “impure and dirty”. Owing to lack of maternity centers in Morocco, a number of these women only have recourse to the street, the last resort, where they rear their babies and live by begging.

Feeling neglected, some of these women turn to prostitution to earn a living because they feel compelled to provide their babies with some basic needs, such as food, clothing, education, health. Others have chosen to work as maids, especially after their families have disowned them.

As sexual relationships outside of marriage are considered unacceptable in Moroccan society, some of these women seek assistance from associations that can claim their children’s biological father, recognize their rights of motherhood and help them overcome their problems. In the same vein, these women have recently called on the government to integrate them socially.

Rajae Elmaskouri, a social activist, attributes the frequent occurrence of unwanted pregnancies to the absence of sex education. Elmaskouri explains that these women “have not chosen illicit pregnancies of their own accord. They have rather fallen prey to the ignorance that still characterizes this ‘patriarchal’ society.”


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Anne Frank exhibition opens in Fez

In a first for the Arab world, Fez is to host an exhibition on the life of Anne Frank, the teenage Holocaust victim who would have been 81 this year, had she lived.

Anne Frank: A History of Today opens at the Fez Centre for Human Rights this week.

Marietje Peters of Radio Netherlands takes up the story:

Despite her famous diary, many Moroccans have never heard of Anne Frank. Now an exhibition about the teenage Holocaust victim is being premiered in the Arab world for the very first time, set against the backdrop of anger and frustration at ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

Anne Frank: A History of Today will open in Fez this week, after two days of training for young Moroccans who will act as guides during the event. A handful have heard of the Holocaust, but for most the story of the secret annex in an Amsterdam canal house - where the Frank family were in hiding - is new. Anne Frank's diary, in which she reflects on daily life during the Nazi occupation until her family was deported to a death camp, was only recently published in Arabic.

volunteers in training (photo: Ahmed Laghrissi)

Hafsa Aloui Lamrani (19) says she had been told millions of Jews were killed by the Nazis, but before the training, questioned whether it was true or not.

'Here in Morocco we're always shocked by what we see on television, the Palestinians, Iraq, Afghanistan', she said. 'We're always shocked, so this isn't something new. But we still experience this story of Anne Frank.... That there's nobody to help you, that you're all alone in the world and that you're always attacked. One’s race is like a terrible thing.'

CRIMES
The exhibition features 36 panels on the young Anne Frank and her family, as well as photos showing Jews being deported. There is also a focus on other crimes against humanity including the genocide in Rwanda and ethnic cleansing in former Yugoslavia. During the training, participants are shown video clips of anti-Jewish protests in Berlin, followed by a violent anti-Islam film, and are challenged on whether freedom of speech should apply to both examples.

It's a different way for these young people in Morocco to learn about a delicate topic that clearly provokes emotional reactions. As well as expressing scepticism about the aims of the organisers and concern about pro-Jewish propaganda, they ask why Anne Frank has been singled out from all the other victims of discrimination.

HISTORY
History lessons in Morocco focus little on World War II, and in the past have tended to skim over the subject of the Holocaust, according to teacher Hassan Moussaoui:

'The reason for this is primarily political, and secondly, religious', he explains. 'The Arab-Israeli conflict is a conflict Arabs feel is unfair. They're mistreated, they're marginalized. It's normal that there are negative repercussions. Of course we don't teach this history because the ministry of education is responsible for the curriculum .... It's not that they don't want to include it, but they're hiding from repercussions on the street, from parents.'

Amsterdam's Anne Frank Museum has already taken the exhibition to more than 60 countries, and works with local partners to adapt it where necessary - in this case, the Fez-based Moroccan Centre for Human Rights. Director Jamal Chadhi admits it was a difficult decision to become involved. There were calls for the project to be scrapped after the recent Israeli attacks on aid ships bound for Gaza in which people were killed.

Mr Chadhi expects criticism in the national press if, and when, it attracts more publicity. But he says the time is ripe for a dialogue on these kinds of issues in Morocco thanks to a change in the political climate in recent years:

'There's also work that needs to be done alongside this exhibition, education, work on improving knowledge of rights', says Mr Chadhi, 'to root out stereotypical images that exist in traditional culture. Because at the same time, we also have extremists who use sophisticated techniques and have more money... They are there to spread an anti-human rights culture, a discriminatory culture.'

SENSITIVE
Despite invitations from other Arab countries, this is the Anne Frank Museum's first experience of working in such a sensitive environment. 'If, out of a group of 16, three youngsters are more open to learning about the Holocaust and the complexity, then you've achieved something. And you hope that they will be kind of ambassadors,' says organiser Karen Polak.

The trainees say they've learned a lot from Anne Frank's story. Most importantly, says Hafsa, it is just one of many tales that needs to be told:

'There are also other children who haven't written anything', she says. 'There are always Anne Franks... in the past, in the present - I hope there won't be any in the future.'

A setback for Moroccan press freedom.

Le Journal Hebdomadaire was known throughout Morocco for its strong stand against corruption and for its defence of freedom of the press. Now it is gone and on Saturday a court sealed its offices for failing to honour its financial commitments. Insiders say that the magazine owed over 5 million dirhams in social security contributions, taxes and bank loans.



Le Journal was first published in 1997 and soon made a name for itself with brave attacks on the dubious behaviour of some public officials. When the magazine began to expose the interior minister at the time, Driss Basri, who for 20 years controlled Morocco through a web of informants and ruthless security forces, commentators thought the magazine would be forced to close. However, in what was seen as a very positive sign, the new king dismissed him.

Issandr El Amrani, writing in The Guardian says, "Most of all, Le Journal tried to keep officials honest about the democratisation that they promised in speeches. It relentlessly campaigned for constitutional reform that would shift political power from the palace to parliament. For many of my generation of Moroccans, it provided a political education and an inspiring example of outspokenness".

Supporters and staff say that they had fallen victim to "finanical asphyxiation" and that the "authorities had spent years discouraging companies from advertising in Le Journal".

According to some sources a plan for a wealthy Moroccan businessman to buy the magazine then fell through at the last minute.

The government has defended its actions saying that a series of legal actions and fines against Morocco's press in recent years have nothing to do with freedom of expression but are simply a natural response to bad, poorly-sourced journalism and slander.

However, a statement press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said, "This judicial liquidation heralds the end of the first independent title in Morocco."

Romantic Morocco?

Looking for romance in all the wrong places? Going to the movies, or the bars, or the gym may be all the wrong places to find romance. Sometimes one has to travel farther, search longer, follow our hearts to strange and far-away places to find romance. Romance is an intangible sense of passion, of being alive...even of history ~ Carlanne McCrystal, Romance Travel Examiner

The quotation above comes from a tacky piece of "advertorial" travel writing just published in the USA. One wonders what experience Ms McCrystal has of Morocco but so you can enjoy the "thrill" for a moment longer here is a little more...

Morocco as it turns out, is a location made for romance in the most exotic of ways. While the capital of Morocco is Rabat and that might not echo "romance" in your soul, does not the simple pronouncement of Casablanca make one’s heart leap as we remember Humphry Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Her face is burnt into memory as she looks at him, her huge eyes filling with unshed tears. Oh, Play it, Sam! How can Morocco be anything less than one of the most romantic places in the world!

Now, purple prose and misquotes aside, you can strike out romance in Morocco if you happen to be gay. According to a flurry of press reports there is to be a new crackdown on the gay lifestyle. This is surprising at a time when many thought that the Kingdom of Morocco was on the road to modernisation with an increase in the rights of the press and freedom of speech.

Several independent media last week urged Morocco to grant more freedom of speech to gay activists. An Interior Ministry official, speaking only on condition of anonymity because of ministry rules, said Tuesday that the statement referred to the promotion of homosexuality.

"Certain media are taking a stand for certain ignominious behaviors, which is a provocation for the national public opinion," the statement said on Saturday. "Any act contrary to moral or religious values will be repressed."

Rights groups have denounced the clampdown, saying it is an unusual step for Morocco — a nation mostly known for tolerance and openness within the Arab world.

The interesting linkage here is that it coincides with Morocco's government alleged Shiite propaganda, saying it will tackle any group that threatens moral and religious values in the Sunni Arab kingdom.

Government sources say this is a counter-attack against articles in the press calling for greater tolerance of homosexuality in Morocco. The government regards homosexuality as contrary to social values and Islam, and Islamists, in particular the Justice and Development Party , have condemned the campaign and called for firm action.

Newspapers report that about 20 gays were recently arrested in the centre of the country. A French feminist organisation was earlier this year refused permission to open a branch in Morocco.

In a broader political context we agree with Fouzia Assouli, a women's rights campaigner, who suggests that the new emphasis on moral values is linked to local elections due to take place in June and the government's determination not to give Islamists an issue around which to rally. This is analogous to the "law & order" campaigns that political parties in most countries adopt prior to elections.

Hopefully, sane heads will prevail and realise that discrimination of any sort against gays and religious groups is not a good look for a country trying to increase its tourist potential. Nobody has analysed the value of pink tourism, but the monetary value, while probably considerable, takes second place to the damage done to the country by taking a backward step on human rights, simply for political expediency.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Women's Care Centre in Fez - Opened by King.

On Tuesday,King Mohammed VI inaugurated the Batha Multidisciplinary Centre for the integration of women in difficult situations, and was briefed about the program for the large-scale anti-poverty National Initiative for Human Development (INDH) in the prefecture of Fez for the period 2005-2008.

The $ 1 million (usd) centre, whose works were launched in January 2007 by the King, is part of a network of three multidisciplinary centres for the integration of women. It aims at hosting women in difficult situations, listening to and accompanying them for their social and economic integration.

The centres, which include training, hosting, listening, accommodation (300 beds), and nursing rooms are also meant to improve the quality of care for women and maintains a regional database on this category.

The monarch also heard explanations on the program of the INDH in the prefecture of Fez for the period 2005-2008, which required $ 43 mln, including $ 24 mln provided by the INDH.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Human rights on the agenda

Morocco intends to make respect for human rights a central part of governmental policy, Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa told the Human Rights Advisory Council in Rabat.

Sarah Touahri reports on Magharebia.com that the meeting, held on December 23, was timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Benmoussa outlined the 2008-2012 action plan and assessed Morocco's progress in safeguarding public interests and personal rights.

"There can be no development without democracy and no democracy without respect for human rights," he said, adding that further measures are on the way.

While admitting that the forces of law and order may sometimes overstep their mark, the Interior Minister said Morocco's new five-year plan to balance public safety and personal freedoms was off to a good start.

Benmoussa said that measures have been taken to train new officers at the Royal Institute for Local Administration in communication techniques, good governance and human rights policies. And a committee to oversee the role of ethics and human resources development has also been put in place. Action will be taken against officials who fail to perform their duties.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

A blogger is released but a new storm is building.

There was widespread relief at the decision to release blogger Mohammed Erraji. This changed quickly when news spread that Erraji is to be retried. And at the time this drama was playing out an other has been unfolding over the publication of The Jewel of Medina. Both cases are worth examining in the light of ongoing unease over limits to free speech

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A court released an Internet blogger Thursday while he appeals a two-year prison sentence for allegedly criticizing Morocco's king, the official news agency said.

Mohamed Erraji was fined and sentenced to prison earlier this week for "lacking respect toward the person of the king and the royal family," the MAP agency said. It said prosecutors at the appeals court in Agadir, on Morocco's southern coast, agreed with giving Erraji a provisional release.

Other media said the blogger had criticized state-funded programs in this North African nation, including those sponsored by King Mohammed VI, for not being well-run.

The Paris-based rights groups Reporters Without Borders said in a statement Thursday that Erraji was "not guilty of insulting the king" and praised the decision to release him.

"The Moroccan judicial system must now hear his appeal in a proper manner," the Paris-based watchdog said in a statement. "We hope the outcome will be fair."

Meanwhile blogger support is growing around the world.

It still remains to be seen if his retrial will go ahead. Between now and then it is to be hoped that saner heads prevail and the entire sorry business is dropped and also that the Moroccan authorities will take time to think a little more carefully before launching ill-considered attacks on the freedoms that bloggers are entitled to enjoy.

Trouble brewing over Jewel of the Medina

The issue of free speech has been widely debated around issues such as Rushdie's The Satanic Verses and the the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons crisis. Now it appears a new storm is brewing.

Sherry Jones is a journalist turned novelist who thought she was on to a good thing when Random House paid her $100,000 (USD) and offered a two book contract. The first of her contracted books was The Jewel of Medina which was scheduled for publication in 2008.


The Jewel of Medina has been described as a racy historical novel about Aisha, the young wife of the prophet Muhammad. The novel tells Aisha's story from the age of six, when she was betrothed to Muhammad, to his death.

Ms. Jones had done her homework, reading scholarly books, learning Arabic and spending a great deal of time and effort "getting it right". But in April, when a galley copy was sent to Denise Spellberg, an associate professor of Islamic history at the University of Texas in Austin, the trouble started.

According to Asra Nomani, writing in The Wall Street Journal, Ms Spellberg said the novel was a "very ugly, stupid piece of work." It should be mentioned that this Ms Spellberg has also penned a book about Aisha with the very worthy if somewhat awkward title - Politics, Gender, and the Islamic Past: The Legacy of 'A'isha Bint Abi Bakr.

Ms Spellberg raised the alarm about the more populist book by Ms Jones, going so far as to call it "softcore pornography". According to Nomani, Spellberg informed Random House that publication would expose Random House employees to Islamic terrorism and that Muslims would react with the kind of violence and Random House ducked for cover. Their response was to withdraw the book from sale.

What is interesting in this case is that the initial objections to the publication did not come from within the Muslim community but from an American academic. Nomani was dismayed.

"All this saddens me. Literature moves civilizations forward, and Islam is no exception. There is in fact a tradition of historical fiction in Islam, including such works as "The Adventures of Amir Hamza," an epic on the life of Muhammad's uncle. Last year a 948-page English translation was published, ironically, by Random House. And, for all those who believe the life of the prophet Muhammad can't include stories of lust, anger and doubt, we need only read the Quran (18:110) where, it's said, God instructed Muhammad to tell others: "I am only a mortal like you."

So what did others think? According to Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses,"This is censorship by fear and it sets a very bad precedent indeed." Andrew Franklin, who worked for Penguin Books when they published The Satanic Verses and is now the publisher of Profile Books, described the decision as "absolutely shocking" and called the Random House editors "such cowards". Geoffrey Robertson, who received terrorist threats for representing Rushdie, said that Random House should pay Jones "substantial compensation" and recommended that the book be placed on a website "so everyone can read it".

It has been announced The Jewel of Medina will be published by Beaufort Books in the United States and by Gibson Square in Great Britain. Translation rights have been sold to a number of languages and a Serbian version has been withdrawn after protests. It is expected more protests will follow.

While almost without exception writers and bloggers are staunch advocates of free speech, the questions that need to be addressed in relation to publications that can cause offence are these: Are there boundaries, cultural and religious sensibilities, that deserve respect? Are there "sacred spaces" where one should tread more lightly?


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

King inaugurates USD-300K social center for children

On Monday the Moroccan King, Mohammed VI, visited Fez and dedicated a USD-310,000 social centre for children, set up by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity.

Located in Ghassani Hospital, the social facility hosts 80 abandoned babies and offers them a set of services through various spaces, notably four dormitories with a capacity of 80 beds and a medical check-up room.

Also in Fez last Friday the sovereign inaugurated a USD-350,000 training centre for children, set up by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity.

The facility will accommodate street children as well as children from poor areas. It will provide them with pedagogical studies and training programs aimed at enabling them to have right professional qualifications to join the job market. It will also provide medical care through an emergency medical unit.

The centre includes workshops of hairdressing, electricity and aesthetics, an IT room, two classrooms, a library, an administration and a room of first aid.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Journalists arrested in Morocco over security leak.

Al Watan Alaan (The Homeland Now)Editor-in-Chief Abdul Rehim Ariri and Editor Mustafa Hormatallah, were arrested on July 17 after publishing information in the Arabic-language weekly that quoted a military intelligence document. An unnamed Royal Armed Forces officer was put under arrest on Thursday.

The published article claimed Al Qaeda had plans to send twelve Arab and four Pakistani fighters to carry out attacks in Morocco and other Maghreb states.

"The officer and several other officers have been heard over the case," said a government official. The unnamed officer will go on trial when the probe into the leak of the information was completed, he said.Officials declined to comment on charges the two journalists could face or when they would be released or put on trial, citing the secrecy of the ongoing investigation.

Early this month, Morocco raised its security alert level to the highest rating of "maximum", suggesting an attack was imminent. The Interior Ministry has said it had obtained recent intelligence information on a threat but gave no details.

Online journal Magharebia is quoting a Reporters without Borders (RSF) report that says the internal memo "seems not to have contained any confidential information, as it only referred to online posts that anyone can access". In conclusion, RSF wrote, "It seems as if this is meant to be a warning to any journalist who might be inclined to investigate Morocco's ability to defend itself against terrorism."

Secretary-General of the Moroccan National Press Union (MNPU) Younes Moujahid condemned the journalists' arrest, and said that they did nothing but their job in receiving information and publishing it to inform the public.


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Morocco Facts: Population distribution

"In 2008, the world reaches an invisible but momentous milestone: For the first time in history, more than half its human population, 3.3 billion people, will be living in urban areas. By 2030, this is expected to swell to almost 5 billion. Many of the new urbanites will be poor. Their future, the future of cities in developing countries, the future of humanity itself, all depend very much on decisions made now in preparation for this growth."

Ever wondered where most Moroccans live? Well according to Moncef Fadili, a UN housing expert, six out of every ten Moroccans live in urban areas. The problem with this is that they live in areas where poverty and exclusion are rife and unemployment rate reaches 16%. Speaking to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) State of World Population Report (2007), Mr. Fadili listed the main development programs adopted by Morocco: e "Millennium Goals development," "Free-Slum cities program", and the large-scale anti-poverty program "the National Initiative for Human Development."

"All these programs are meant to guarantee decent housing for Moroccans and ensure sustainable development," he explained.

Speaking on the same occasion, UNFPA Representative to Morocco, Georges Georgi affirmed that urbanization is "a natural process which comes as a result of natural growth and not only rural migration."

Quoting the report, he said that it was "erroneous" to believe that the rural population is better off in the countryside and that rural migration should be monitored.

The UN Coordinator in Morocco, Mourad Wahba, warned that this data-rich report "raises questions that must not be ignored." He called upon world leaders to provide social services and infrastructure to urban populations and invest for the good of women and young people.

According to this report,dubbed "Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth," 3.3 billion people, will be living in urban areas. By 2030, this is expected to swell to almost 5 billion. The report also notes that cities embody the environmental damage done by modern civilization, however, it concedes that experts and policymakers increasingly recognize the potential value of cities to long-term sustainability.

Commentary

According to Alexander G. Rubio editor of "Bits of News" in "One problem is that a bit too much thinking coming out of the environmental movement is informed by the sensibilities of a Western urban middle class, nostalgic for a rural idyll that was partly never there, or would not be sustainable today, and least of all in the parts of the world where the problems are the most pressing.

Most of the world's poor, now and in the past, relocate to the cities of their own free will, and for perfectly rational reasons. While urban poverty might be more concentrated and obvious, it nevertheless represents hope of a better life for them and their children, in parts of the world where the countryside is subject to periodic famines. Hard as life may be in big city slums, you seldom see masses of starved people with distended bellies littering the streets.

One reason is that, like the street proletariat of ancient Rome, even the slum population in the cities wield more political clout than their relations in the countryside. Living practically cheek by jowl with the urban poor, the political and economic elite can not afford to disregard the danger of riots and organised action by people so close to home and the centre of power."


Read the State of the World Population Report here: English, French, Arabic, Spanish.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

King grants pardons on Id Al-mawlid

King Mohammed VI granted pardon to 710 people, some in detention and others free and condemned by various courts of the kingdom, on the occasion of Id Al-mawlid (Prophet's birthday).

According to a Justice Ministry communiqué issued on Saturday, total pardon was granted to 17 over their remaining prison term or reclusion, reduction of imprisonment term or reclusion to 313, commuting of life imprisonment to time term to 10, total pardon over the prison term or its remaining time to 61.
The royal pardon also concerned writing off the fine to 170, total pardon of the imprisonment term and the fine to 15 persons, total pardon of imprisonment term with maintaining the payment of the fine to 123 and total pardon on remaining imprisonment term and fine writing off to 1 person.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Disabled graduate protest in Rabat

Reuters humanitarian alert service Alertnet is reporting that around 100 disabled Moroccan graduates blocked roads and a rail line by chaining themselves together in the capital Rabat on Thursday to demand public sector jobs.

Dozens of protesters sat on the northbound rail line at Rabat's central station, drawing hundreds of onlookers and bringing trains to a standstill for half an hour before they were removed by police, witnesses said.

A smaller group blocked one of the city's busiest road intersections and chanted their demands for work until firemen separated them with cutting equipment and police drove them away in ambulances and riot vans.

Witnesses said some protesters at the station were kicked, beaten and threatened by members of the security services.

"For about 30 minutes we managed to stop the Rabat-Fez train leaving but the police intervened violently against us," said Abdelkrim Boukhari, a member of Morocco's National Committee of Blind, Jobless Graduates.

"We've suffered from unemployment for seven years. The government promised four times to solve our problems but never kept the promises," he said.

Around 1 million of Morocco's 30 million population are officially unemployed and joblessness is especially high among graduates after state payroll cuts led to a dearth of public sector jobs.

Some graduates have been severely injured after drinking petrol and insecticide or setting themselves alight to protest over their plight.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Beggars in Morocco - a new approach

Approximately 15% of beggars under the age of seven are hired workers and are paid between 50 and 100 dirhams per week to beg for their employers.

A new programme by the Ministry of Social Development, Family and Solidarity has been created to try and reduce the number of beggars on the streets of Morocco. In a recent report on the situation, a government spokesperson claimed that up to 15% of the beggars under the age of seven are in fact hired to work the streets.y 15% of beggars under the age of seven are hired workers. The total number of beggars in the country is estimated to be close to 500,000.

The new programme will encourage the assimilation of beggars into society through family integration, institutional sponsorship and economic integration.

According to an article in Magharebia, the programme calls for a "social approach" - that includes the integration of beggars into their family sphere by helping them find work, helping them locate an institutional sponsor, and by creating legal consequences such as the arrest of beggars that return to the streets.

A parallel approach involves raising public awareness of the need to discourage begging and to inform beggars of the options available to them. However, as alms giving is one of the pillars of Islam and giving to the poor, blind and infirm, part of everyday life, it is hard to see how people could be convinced to give less.

However, the Minister of Social Development Abderrahim El Harouchi says "The phenomenon of begging is an epidemic that weakens Moroccans’ honour and human rights and tarnishes the country’s reputation. Begging has become a circulating culture that eats away at the root of the social and economic reform efforts Morocco has made."

According to Magharebia, the programme groups beggars into three different categories: deviant beggars, beggars of need and beggars out of work. A 2004 Moroccan Childhood Protection League study showed that 56% of beggars are men and 44% are women. El Harouchi noted that approximately 15% of beggars under the age of seven are hired workers and are paid between 50 and 100 dirhams per week to beg for their employers.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Morocco moves to ban child maids.

"We aim to create a Morocco that is worthy of its children." - Yasmnia Baddou

As we reported last year, Morocco has been active in the fight against all forms of child labour. For some time concerns have been raised about the number of very young girls being taken from their rural homes and put to work as domestic servants.



Yasmnia Baddou (pictured above), Morocco's secretary of state for family, childhood and the disabled, last year said that the new law she was introducing aimed to "create a Morocco that is worthy of its children" and would focus on "regulating domestic labour and punish all use of little girls as maids."

According to the US rights group Human Rights Watch, Morocco has one of the highest child labour rates in the Middle East and North Africa. This is despite the fact that Moroccan law bans children under 15 from working.

However, a survey carried out by Morocco's employment ministry, the rights group International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) and the World Bank, found that some 600,000 children between the ages of seven and 14 work in Morocco - 11 percent of the country's children in that age group.

The Human Rights Watch's report issued in December 2005 said that "girls as young as five work 100 or more hours per week, without rest breaks or days off for as little as six and a half Moroccan dirhams (about 70 US cents) a day. These girls are often exposed to physical and even sexual abuse and denied schooling."

New Initiatives

Morocco has now launched a national program to fight employment of little girls as maids and help them enjoy a better life.

Dubbed Inqad (rescue in Arabic), the programme provides for an array of measures and calls for pooling efforts to reach the goals of the ten-year National Action Plan for the Childhood aiming to eradicate the employment of little girls, through opening new vistas for a better future where they can enjoy all their rights.

Yasmina Baddou said employment of children under the age of 15 decreased from the 2004 level of 600,000 to 177,000, and pointed out that at the heart of the problem was illiteracy, school drop-out, illegal immigration and large network of intermediaries involved in the illegal activities.

Baddou highlighted the efforts made by her department to encourage girls' schooling in rural areas, increase the minimum ages of children's access to employment from 12 to 15 years, prohibit the use of children under the age of 18 to carry out dangerous work and consolidate coercive laws.

Inqad, which was devised by the State secretariat in charge of Family, Childhood and the Disabled, also aims at re-integrating these domestic servants into society.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Moroccan newspaper bans itself!

If you thought the media in Morocco was in a mess, you could well be on to something. Hot on the heels of the international embarrassment caused by the poor handling of the Nichane fiasco and the furor over the treatment of Aboubakr Jamaï, - comes the bizarre story of a newspaper suspending its own publication.


Assahifa, the Arabic language sister publication of the French language Le Journal Hebdomadaire, announced yesterday that it was going to suspend itself temporarily. Where the idea for this strange behaviour came from is not clear, but the paper has indeed sent itself to "the naughty corner" over an article they published on Tuesday about an oil discovery in the eastern town of Talsint.

In a press release, the daily said it suspends publication for "dysfunctions in its management" and apologized for the article after realizing that the letters, upon which the article was based, "include ambiguous and contradictory information, which remove their credibility."

The daily, which had earlier promised to publish on Wednesday, "the content of the letter sent by Michael Costin, President of the US oil company Skidmore," said it has finally decided not to publish it after the Moroccan Federation of Press Editors and the Press Union denounced the article as harming "press deontology and a violation of the laws in force in Morocco."

Aboubakr Jamaï, the publisher and al-Iraqi, a journalist from Assahifa's sister French-speaking weekly “Le Journal Hebdomadaire” were sentenced nine months ago to pay 3 million dirhams (US$354,000) in damages to Claude Moniquet, head of the Brussels-based security think tank European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center. Moniquet claimed Le Journal Hebdomadaire defamed him and his institute when it published a six-page critique in December 2005 that questioned the independence of the center’s report on the disputed Western Sahara. The two journalists were also fined 100,000 dirhams (US$11,800) as part of the judgment, which observers criticized as politically motivated.

Earlier this month, Aboubakr Jamaï, resigned in a move designed to shield the magazine from the damages he was ordered to pay last year in the controversial defamation suit.

His resignation was described by the Executive Director of the Committe to Protect Jornalists, Joel Simon, "...as a sad day for Morocco, which is losing one of its best and most courageous journalists.”

In recent weeks, court officials have visited Le Journal Hebdomadaire’s Casablanca office demanding payment of the damages and fines. Jamaï and al-Iraqi remain personally liable to pay the damages awarded to Moniquet. “I have no formal way of earning a wage in this country,” Jamaï told CPJ. “Any kind of revenue or property I acquire can be seized.”


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Feeding the news hungry in Fez, Morocco.

Our Special Affairs editor, Lumen, was musing out loud the other day about how difficult it was to get news in English. And a lively discussion ensued - the gist of which was that we need an English language daily in Fez - or a weekly.

Of course I pointed out that as far as news went we were like Meknes - not a lot happening. Well, you can imagine the outpourings of anger from all those Meknesophiles, standing up for their much underrated city. I say "imagine" - because in fact nobody said a word. But was it true? How much is really happening that is news. Just how much news do you really need?

Then Madam Zany said - what about international news?
"Why stop there?" interjected El Glaoui glumly, 'Why not the galactic news - the universe..."

So, dear reader - just for once, an exclusive look at the news through the eyes of the team at The View from Fez as we present ... ( drum roll optional)...

THE DAILY PLANET -
All the news that's fit to eat.

Fès and Marrakech among world top ten tourist destinations in 2007

Dateline London, Jan. 23 - Morocco's imperial cities of Fès and Marrakech, were once again listed in the world top ten tourist destinations for 2007. Once again, Meknes did not get a mention.

The survey by the well known internet site, Trip Advisor , places Marrakech in the fifth rank after Pamukkale, Turkey; Parga, Greece; Ayr, Scotland; and Campeche. Fès closes the list.

The two cities have thus outranked traditional destinations such as Miami, Honolulu and Acapulco, noted Trip Advisor, which conducted the study through information compiled from 4,000 world tourists.

A spokesperson for Meknes, who chose to remain anonymous, claimed it would have been different if any of the 4000 world tourists had been to the city. "Meknes has a lot going for it. Really. Truly. Look, trust me."

King Dedicates Urban Projects in Meknès

Dateline Meknès, Jan. 23 - There was much excitement on Tuesday in Meknès (60km from beautiful Fez ) when HM King Mohammed VI dedicated a number of urban projects aimed at fighting unhealthy housing, upgrading the city infrastructure and creating green spaces.

The sovereign handed property deeds to the beneficiaries of the operation aiming to relocate the inhabitants of unhealthy housing in the city and was briefed on the USD 40Mn "Slum-Free City" program in Meknès, which has allowed, so far, for relocating some 5,5039 households, i.e. 76% of the population living in unhealthy housing.

King Mohammed VI also launched several projects to upgrade the city of Meknès and revamp its historical monuments. The sum of 4.5 million USD has been dedicated to improve public lighting and roads, to promote the cultural and civilizational dimension of the city and take up the challenges of national and international tourism competitiveness.

The sovereign also inquired about the USD 8.5Mn project to upgrade green spaces, create a large green center and several gardens, and improve public lighting in these spaces.

Landmines kill girl and two officials in Sahara

Dateline Laayoune, Jan. 23. A rare succession of mine blasts has prompted Moroccan newspapers to speculate that the attacks could be part of a plot by the Polisario Front to end a 16-year U.N.-sponsored ceasefire. A young girl and a town mayor in Sahara died in two landmine explosions, four days after a member of parliament was killed in a similar blast.

But government officials in the territory and in Rabat dismissed such speculation, saying desert winds and rain unearthed some of the thousands of mines planted close to populated areas during decades of conflict.

On Monday, 8-year-old Fatima Bent Ibrahim died when a landmine exploded while she played outside her house in al Haouz 200km to the north-east of the town of Smara. The blast seriously injured her six year old younger brother

Hours earlier Mohamed Joumani, mayor of Gueltet Zemmour town, died in a similar blast. Another three people, who were accompanying the victim, were also injured in the accident.

Morocco's upper house parliament member Mohamed Laroussi was killed four days ago when a landmine explosion hit the car he was travelling in on Bir Inzarane area, about 160 km (100 miles) northeast of Dakhla coastal town,

The Southern Provinces, a former Spanish colony, were retrieved by Morocco under the Madrid Accords, signed with Spain and Mauritania in 1975. During the period from the late Seventies to 1991, the Polisario declared war against Morocco and placed thousands of mines in the Moroccan southern territory. The armed conflict was stopped under a UN-brokered cease-fire concluded in 1991.

A delegation of ministers and senior officials traveled to Laayoune to deliver the condolences of King Mohammed VI to the families of the people killed and injured by the landmine explosions.

The delegation included Interior minister Chakib Benmoussa, Delegate Interior minister Ali El Himma, Education minister Habib El Malki and chairman of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS).

Second cold snap is a killer

Dateline Settat, Jan. 23 - Two girls from the same family perished, on Tuesday in the region of Ben Ahmed (157km south of Rabat), by a cold snap. This is the second deadly chill this winter with around a dozen deaths coming from a previous event.

This time, the two sisters, aged 7 and 10, died of pneumopathy due to extreme cold that has gripped the region, where temperature dropped to reach 2 and -6 Celsius degrees at night. The local medical authorities, who paid a visit to the region, noted that death was ascribed to pneumopathy caused by cold and lack of heating, ruling out the hypothesis that death might be due to meningitis. Medicines against pneumopathy were handed out to the region population.

Libya in the firing line

Dateline Europe: Jan 23. The European Parliament has requested that the European Union review its relations with Libya unless Tripoli releases five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor, jailed and sentenced to death in a controversial HIV infection case.

If Tripoli fails to take steps towards a positive resolution, the EU should consider "a revision of the common policy of engagement with Libya in all relevant fields as the Union would deem appropriate," members of the EP (MEP) said in a joint resolution, adopted by a 567-1 vote with seven abstentions.

In a retrial that ended on December 19th, the six medics -- Bulgarian nurses Kristiana Vulcheva, Nasya Nenova, Valentina Siropulo, Valya Chervenyashka and Snezhana Dimitrova and Palestinian doctor Ashraf Ahmad Jum'a -- were sentenced to death for deliberately infecting 426 Libyan children with HIV.

The health workers were arrested in February 1999, less than a year after they arrived in Libya to help care for patients at the Al-Fateh Hospital in Benghazi. Their first trial ended in May 2004, when they were first condemned to death by firing squad. Following a wave of outrage, Libya's Supreme Court overturned the ruling and ordered a retrial.

Expressing their "serious concern" about the grounds on which the foreign medics were prosecuted and about the way they were treated while in custody, the MEPs condemned the verdict. They also stressed that, with Bulgaria's EU entry on January 1st, the case now concerns five citizens of the 27-nation bloc.

Maintaining their innocence, the Bulgarian nurses have retracted the confessions they made early on, insisting they were extracted by torture.

Leading AIDS experts, including French Professor Luc Montagnier, one of the co-discoverers of the HIV virus, say the outbreak in the Benghazi hospital preceded the medics' arrival in Libya by at least a year and was likely caused by poor hygiene at the facility.

Urging Libyan authorities "to take the necessary measures to review and annul the death sentence," the MEPs said this would help meet the requirements for the continuation of the common policy of engagement with the oil-rich country.

They also urged Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi "to exercise his powers and bring about the release of the imprisoned medics as a matter of urgency".

In an address at the end of last year, Qadhafi said the six medics would only be released if a Libyan national serving a prison sentence in Scotland for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing were set free and if Libya received financial compensation for the HIV infections.

Libya has demanded that each of the families of the 426 infected children be paid 10m euros as "blood money". Under Islamic law, this would allow the victims' relatives to pardon the nurses.

Bulgaria has ruled out such a move, saying it would amount to an admission of guilt.

"There isn't the slightest proof that these people are guilty and the EU will not allow any other case to be used as leverage," EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva told Reuters. "It is intolerable."

For its part, Libya has said it will not give in to EU pressure aimed at securing the early release of the prisoners. The EP resolution also prompted a reaction from one of Qadhafi's sons, who heads an organisation that has been involved in the HIV infection case. In a statement issued on Friday, Seif al-Islam Qadhafi warned EU lawmakers that attempts to politicise the case could prove counterproductive.

"Calls from European members of parliament for pressure to be put on Libya, and any EU measure against Tripoli, could have negative consequences," the AFP quoted the Qadhafi Goodwill Foundation's statement as saying. "Such pressures are of a nature that would undermine mediation aimed at resolving this affair."

Qadafi's uses of the doctor and nurses as a bargaining chip comes very close to extortion and has justifiably been condemned around the world.

Campaign against child maids kicks off

Magharebia: Jan 23. A month-long nationwide awareness campaign to prevent the employment of child maids has been launched in Morocco, part of a national project to raise awareness about the phenomenon.

"We hope that this campaign will raise public awareness of the dangers of this social problem, which is denying several thousand girls of their human rights and jeopardising them and their futures," Yasmina Baddou, the secretary of state for the Family, Childhood and the Disabled in Rabat.

Baddou said the campaign marks the beginning of project Inqad, which is part of the Childhood National Action Plan adopted by the government last year.

The campaign, which runs from Monday through February 23rd, will feature a series of radio and television awareness and information spots. Discussion forums with a wide range of information materials targeted at people who employ child maids will be held in each of the four regions covered by the project -- Casablanca, Rabat, Fes and Marrakech. A publicity caravan will roam in the target cities, distributing awareness materials to families who employ child maids and families considered likely to contract their daughters to do domestic work.

It is difficult to estimate how prevalent the phenomenon is in Morocco since it happens within families, and there is a severe lack of statistical data on the employment of child maids. Human Rights Watch says there may be as many as 66,000 in Morocco. A study carried out in the Grand Casablanca region put the number of child maids in the city at 25,000.

Lebanon protest leaves 60 wounded

Dateline Lebanon.Jan 23. Clashes in Lebanon pitting pro-Syrian Opposition supporters against those of the Government have left about 60 people wounded in Beirut and elsewhere. Some of those hurt suffered gunshot wounds.

The violence marked the start of a general strike led by the militant group, Hezbollah, which is demanding a new government. The protesters used burning tyres to barricade major routes in and around the Lebanese capital and other centres.

Air traffic to and from Beirut has also been disrupted.

The economy and trade minister, Sami Haddad, says the Government will not give in to the opposition. "The Prime Minister has accepted many weeks ago the principle of changing the Government into a government of national unity, it's only the terms and composition of the government that remainl to be decided]," he said.

"And obviously since the majority is the majority, it is not acceptable to be dictated to by the Opposition."

Apartment renovation? Go micro!

Dateline London. Jan 23. If you think that the cost of purchase and renovation in Morocco is steep, spare a thought for the poor old poms. In England, an apartment the size of a snooker table has gone on sale in London's up-market district of Belgravia. This table-sized apartment for sale is a converted basement storeroom and has not been used in 15 years, and real estate agents estimate, despite its tiny size, that it is still expected to fetch 170,000 pounds - more than $425,000. Interior design specialists say it will take a further $75,000 to renovate.

Consumer madness

Dateline; Netherlands Jan 23. At a time when the world is short of food, people in many countries face drought and natural food security disasters and the Americans are taking huge amounts of grain and using it to make bio-fuel, a small brewery in the Netherlands has launched what the world really needs - a beer for dogs.

The beverage, made from beef extract and malt is the creation of pet shop owner who wanted to share her refreshment with her dogs after a day's hunting. The beer is non-alcoholic and fit for human consumption but comes with a bite. It costs four times as much as a normal beer.

Tourism coup for Meknes!

Dateline: Sublett, Idaho. American tourist, Jack Langerhorn, thinks Meknes is the best. From the US state of Idaho, Jack(61) and his wife, Dotty (36) and daughter Lolita(17) spent an entire weekend in Meknes recently and can't wait to return. "It was the best two days of relaxation we have ever had," chirps Dotty, who says her favourite pastime is knitting. 'We walked around and had a look and I finished a book I have been reading."

"The cafe we went to was clean and friendly," enthuses Jack, a retired pump attendant. "And the Coke tasted great, just like home."

"Meknes is way cool,' says Lolita. 'Lots of people and lots of walls with gates. You don't get that in our town."

The family come from Sublett, Idaho, in the Minidoka Ranger district. "Our town has seven camp sites and 6 vault toilets. So this was pure luxury," says Jack. He is hoping to raise support for a twin town arrangement with Meknes. However a local official said that the Meknes authorities couldn't find Sublett on the map. We will keep you posted.


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Moroccan Cabinet adopts new citizenship draft bill

On Thursday the Moroccan Cabinet adopted a new citizenship draft bill that will grant Moroccan citizenship to children of a Moroccan woman and non-Moroccan father.



Moroccan Communication Minister and government spokesman, Nabil Benabdallah, speaking at a press briefing following the weekly Cabinet meeting, explained that this bill aimed to promote the legal situation of women and children and to dedicate gender equality, through granting Moroccan women the right to transfer their nationality to their children born to a non-Moroccan father.

Implemented in accordance with Royal instructions, this reform responds to "a persistent request of political parties, women’s NGOs and of Human rights organizations in Morocco," he added.

By virtue of the amended citizenship code of September 6, 1958, a Moroccan mother's citizenship shall be immediately transferred to her children, born to a non Moroccan father, on the condition that the Marriage contract comply to the legal provisions stipulated in the Family Code.

The family Code requires that the husband of a Muslim Moroccan woman must be of Muslim faith while Moroccans of Jewish faith abide by provisions stipulated in the Moroccan Hebraic Personal Status.

The former personal-status law established in 1957, stipulated that Moroccan citizenship could only be transmitted to children born to a Moroccan father, to a single mother or a stateless father.


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Nichane verdict - a win for moderation?

Nichane Case was handled 'with a lot of wisdom,'- Ksikes

The Verdict: In the Casablanca First Instance Court, presiding judge Noureddine Ghassin, handed down a light sentence. As well as the two-month ban, he fined Nichane 80,000 Moroccan dirhams and sentenced the two journalists, Ksikes and Al-Aji to three-year suspended jail for publishing an article described as "harmful to Islam."

The case against Nichane was always going to be a tricky one for the Moroccan courts. Pushed on one side by the conservative forces and the other by the popular reform movement, there seemed little hope of an easy outcome. Undoubtedly the international outcry over the crazy call by a prosecutor for convictions and tough punishment has played a role in bringing commonsense to the situation.

The blogosphere can take credit for running with the story and not letting go. However, apart from the Public Prosecutor (who hopefully will be given a small talking to by someone further up the food chain) the local media need to ask why they did not take a stronger line in defence of press freedom.

For his part, Nichane editor Ksikes hailed the court's decision "not to follow up the claims of the Public Prosecutor, which were for the most unjust mainly those related to banning journalists from practicing journalism." Taking into account "the context in which the case was held," he deemed "positive" the suspended sentences, noting, however, that "it is high time to embark on debates over the enforcement of custodial sentences against journalists."

Ksikes stressed that the two-month ban of Nichane would have a heavy economic and psychological impact on the publication and its journalists, adding that lodging an appeal "is still under discussion."

Sanaa Al Aji
As to journalist, Sanaa Al Aji, she described her reaction as "being overwhelmed with shock."

Nichane had recently published a long article about Moroccan jokes, namely on Islam, sex and politics which prompted Moroccan Prime Minister, Driss Jettou to,..."in his name and in the name of the government," ban Nichane.

Driss Jettou possibly regrets the way he played the politics of the situation and may now be a little more cautious about attacking the media. He would do well to follow the line of Morocco’s Communications Minister, Nabil Benabdallah, who has been quick to make public the fact that he is "satisfied that the two journalists have not been sentenced to serve prison terms."

Last year, two journalists of sister French-speaking weekly “Tel Quel” were sentenced to two suspended months in a slur case and to a USD 86,500 fine.


IN RELATED NEWS: Morocco "lifts taboos"!

Ironically and in what can only be described as "good timing" a report presented in Amman describes the the Moroccan media, and especially the print press, has having witnessed an important evolution and substantially developed in terms of quality and quantity.

The report, written by journalists Boubker Jamai and Ahmed Elbouz and presented at a conference on "The role of the media in building democratic systems", noted that the print press in Morocco ranks second in the Arab world in terms of publications, and has made large steps in "lifting taboos."

The paper speaks particularly of the "new and important" evolutions this field has seen in the 1999-2006 period, citing inter alia, the liberalization of the audiovisual sector, the increase of the grants given to the press, and the preparation of a new Press Act, which the report says, includes important proposals that meet the demands of the professionals.

However, the report deplores what it called "events that hinder the evolution" of the press such as the "trials and restrictions" that involved some publications, the resort to the criminal code in treating lawsuits relating to the press, and the "economic embargo," which the document describes as a "new phenomenon."

To remedy this situation, the report makes some proposals including the right to access information, the nullification of prison terms against journalists, except for criminal cases.

At the Amman meeting Moroccan journalists and their colleagues from Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon called for the closure of the information ministries in their countries and for the implementation of a law guaranteeing media freedom. Some 80 journalists and media professionals discussed national and regional reports regarding the situation of media, at the conference organized by the Beirut-based Arab Centre for the Development of the Rule of Law and Integrity, Washington-based IFES and the UNDP. Attendees agreed on necessity of issuing of media-related licenses under independent authorities. gathered scores of media groups from Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news