Ben Harper ~ Live at Fez Sacred Music Festival

The Disappearing Cats of Fez

One of the wonderful things about living in the old Medina of Fez is the speed with which rumours spread. the latest one appears to confirm what several people have noticed: there are fewer cats in the Medina.

The rumour is that there has been a cull of cats. Because of the huge number of Medina cats, a cull may have been necessary. Of course this is the time of year when all the kittens start their hazardous journey towards adulthood and with fewer competitors probably stand a better chance of survival.

However, as one Fez resident told us, some of her favourite cat characters are no longer to be seen. Thankfully a majority of the people of Fez are particularly kind to cats. Our neighbours here at The View from Fez have all been feeding the street cats. One kind soul even provided an old bag as a bed for a family of four kittens.

"Is it safe to come out?"

According to one of our readers there has been a round-up of alley cats. What is certain is that the evening feline get-together at our local fountain is a much diminished affair.

So, if anyone knows the "real" story, do let us know. In the meantime, be kind to your local cats, after all, if it was not for them, we would probably have a problem with rats and mice.

The enchanting Moussem of Moulay Idriss Zerhoune

Guest contributor New Zealander Rose Button reports for The View from Fez on a much anticipated festival in a sacred Moroccan town.

Moulay Idriss Zerhoune is special - not only is it a peaceful hilltop city resting against the Zerhoune mountains, just five kilometres from the roman Ruins of Volubilis, 20 minutes from Meknes and 90 minutes from Fez – most importantly it is one of five Holy Cities in the Islamic world. For it is here that the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss I is located.

Moulay Idriss I ruled between 788 to 791 AD. A descendent of the Prophet Mohammed, he was the founder of the Idrisid dynasty, considered responsible for the early Islamization of Morocco and Spain. He also initiated the building of Fez.

In Morocco, thousands of Muslims make a pilgrimage to Moulay Idriss Zerhoune during the month before Ramadan. During this ‘Moussem’, or religious festival, they pray, celebrate, sing and dance. This year the Moussem was held on July 7th and occurs again on the 14th and 21st.

I have been part of the Moulay Idriss community for two years, since I opened my guesthouse Dar Zerhoune. When I heard that the Moussem was happening, I leapt at the chance to go as I wanted to learn what it was about, to understand more deeply the people of Moulay Idriss and their local traditions and be part of the community. So last Thursday I headed over. I was the only Westerner in town and it was an amazing and enchanting experience and a privilege to be there.

In the late afternoon, I arrived at Moulay Idriss from Fez by train and grand taxi. The streets were lined with gorgeous Moroccan flags and a high number of security guards. There was a stage in the main square with banners, men selling popcorn and balloons. It resembled a western ‘fair’, Moroccan style. I felt excited!

I gained prime position by sitting on the main square outside a coffee shop and waited as the anticipation built. By about 5.30pm local dignitaries had gathered outside the Mausoleum, dressed in their flowing white djellebas. Police cleared the main square of locals and we all waited outside the barriers as something was about to happen.

 It was not long. First a security van came whizzing by, sirens blaring, followed by a motorcade of sleek black cars through the market street of Moulay Idriss. They stopped in the main square and from each car a security man leapt out, followed by dignitaries from around the Meknes area. The dignitaries greeted their counterparts from Moulay Idriss and they all quickly went into the Mausoleum.

During this time hundreds and hundreds of men, from Moulay Idriss and further afield, were gathering in the streets around the main square, waving flags and carrying offerings and pictures of the King. They were jovial and celebratory and all wore striking white djellebas; their usual attire for Friday prayers. The coffee shops were packed with men and women greeting one another; drinking; laughing, with their children playing. I constantly scanned every direction, as I wanted to know what was going on, and what would happen next.

After a short time, the dignitaries returned from the Mausoleum and took a seat in the stand, where they observed as each group of about 100 men came and made an offering at the Mausoleum, singing the Quran in beautiful voices, and praying. While some had flags and pictures of the King, others simply prayed and sang as they were waiting in the glorious sunshine. Then they, too, would enter the mausoleum. The musicians and sound of singing created a jovial and enchanting atmosphere.

Singing the Quran

After all the groups had been presented, the dignitaries were whisked away and the main square was free for locals and visitors to chat together and enjoy. I realised I had been sitting outside the coffee shop for five solid hours, mesmerised by so much happening around me: families returning to Moulay Idriss to greet old friends; ladies having henna designs painted and lots of families out in the cafes and restaurants, enjoying the vibrant atmosphere. I was struck by the the way the beautiful traditions I had seen contrasted with modern symbols of celebration, such as the children running around with balloons introduced by the western world.

About 11.30pm, I headed home. Through the night I continued to hear the beautiful soft music, singing and chanting, even at 4am. I have been told that they stay up all night.

“This is just the beginning,” someone said. The Moussem on July 14th and 21st promise to be bigger, as each surrounding town brings over a group to join the fun. I will definitely be there, to be part of this extraordinary event again.

Story and photographs: Rose Button

Beating the Ban ~ Moroccan Popular Culture Wins Again

From time to time, conservative groups in Morocco have called for performers to be banned because of their provocative style of dress, their jaunty lyrics or even their lifestyle. Regular readers of The View from Fez will well remember the fuss over Lebanese singer Haifa Wahbi and the attempts to ban Sir Elton John. In the latest incident calls were made to stop a performance by Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram. Ibn Warraq reports.

Nancy Ajram

Back in 2010,the head of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) parliamentary group, Mustapha Ramid, lead the attack on Sir Elton John's appearance at the Mawazine Festival "We categorically reject the appearance of this singer because there is a risk of encouraging homosexuality in Morocco," Ramid said at the time. "The problem is not with the singer himself but the image he has in society," another leading party member, Lahcen Daoudi, added. "Moroccan society has a negative perception of this singer and we must take it into consideration."

The PJD even went as far as requesting the Moroccan parliament ban Sir Elton from performing in the festival.

Most commentators saw the call as a rather naive attempt at playing popular politics and the move backfired when the party was roundly ridiculed.

"Sir Elton is one of the world's top pop singers and composers,and the Mawazine organizers invite artists on the basis of the quality of their performance on stage and according to their artistic career… [John's] private life is none of our business." said festival artistic director Aziz Daki. He defended the pop icon and refused to cancel the concert, saying that banning an act because of sexual orientation would "undermine the respect and privacy and breach certain values that the international Mawazine festival is based on."

Then, back in 2006, there was the Haifa Wahbi saga. Moroccan authorities denied the Lebanese singer Haifa Wahbi entry to the Kingdom where the popular singer was to to hold a charity concert for HIV research. After submitting a request for permission to enter the country, Haifa was surprisingly denied.

Haifa Wahbi

Then, barely a month later, the ban was overturned and Haifa arrived in Morocco after an invitation from the Red Badge Organization.

And now, one of Haifa's rivals, was the centre of another attempt to censor who Moroccan young people can watch perform. Islamist groups called for the concert last Saturday in Tetouan by the Lebanese singer, Nancy Ajram, to be cancelled. Again they have misread the mood of the country and their call was ignored.

Nancy Ajram

Morocco's constitutional referendum may not have gone as far as many would like, but the country is on the move and the decision makers in Rabat have no intention of turning the clock back. As journalist Martin Jay put it so eloquently in Al Arabiya, "The problem is that democracy has broken out in Morocco."

Martin Jay is a veteran of the Moroccan scene and his thoughts on reform are worth noting. In part he says... "Let’s not forget who is really driving Morocco’s reform -- the European Union – which gave Morocco a special status three years back and continues to encourage it financially with reform, which, in Euro-jargon means shaping up human rights. In all fairness, Rabat has made some progress, in particular with women’s rights and a slight, but noticeable change, in freedom of speech for hacks here. But the fact the European Union is behind the reform plan is scary at best." (read Martin's article here: Martin Jay )

But for the young people of Tetouan, this means little. What was important was that they had a chance to see Nancy Ajram perform.  What the groups calling for performers to be banned fail to get is that people in Morocco have the freedom to watch and listen to what they like and that attempts to ban simply act as great publicity for the artists.

What next for women's rights in Morocco?

While the recent referendum enshrines equality for women in the Moroccan constitution, further action is needed to ensure reforms for female equality are implemented, says a leading campaigner for women’s rights.

Quoted in The Guardian last week, Rabéa Naciri is the former president of the Association Démocratique des Femmes du Maroc, one of the largest non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Morocco focused on women's rights, and now sits on its steering committee. She is also a professor at the University of Rabat, and served on the progress advisory group for the UN Women justice report published on Wednesday.

Despite the Mudwana Family Code (2004) which saw important changes to marriage, divorce and property laws and the recent "yes" vote on the constitution which will cement women’s equality, Ms Naciri says there are still significant barriers for women seeking justice in Morocco.

"Many women aren't literate and so obviously their understanding of the judicial system is weak," she says. "Poverty is an issue too – legal fees, transport costs, the means to get around. In fact, many women don't have freedom of movement. As well as the social issues, there's also cultural practice. For example, it can bring shame if a woman takes a member of her family or her spouse to court – it can be a difficult experience to go through and can be perceived badly."

There's also the attitude and outlook of the legal professionals. "I don't mean to generalise, but some have a tendency to take sides and moralise. The whole patriarchal system kicks in. Some will position themselves against the woman as they don't believe she should be asking for a divorce. Even if she has the right to ask for a divorce, if her husband doesn't beat her and still provides for the family, magistrates may be against divorce and make women provide concrete reasons to justify it."

Since the Family Code was adopted, efforts have been made by the state and the government to provide better access to justice especially through family tribunals – steps such as information centres for women, training for lawyers on women's rights and recruiting social workers to advise and support women. But the bulk of the work is being done by NGOs - women's organisations and feminist groups - which have set up their own advice centres in addition to the government ones.

These services are still thin on the ground but are a crucial support, according to Naciri, who describes the implementation of the Family Code as "a social and political challenge for Morocco", especially on issues like violence. Official statistics show that, as is so often the case, those who carry out violence are usually the husbands. What is needed now is a network of services for women who've suffered discrimination and violence, to guide them through the whole process from the complaint to the police, through medical checks and right to the courts, says Naciri.

You can read the full article by Lucy Lamble in The Guardian:

Morocco's Increase in Street Vendors

In the aftermath of the bombing in Marrakech and uncertainty caused by the unrest in North Africa, tourist numbers have declined and the economy is suffering. Hardest hit are the small traders and many are selling whatever they can in order to feed their families. In Fez, Casablanca and Marrakech, this has resulted in an increase in the number of stalls and carts. This growth in the informal sector does not come without problems, as Hassan Benmehdi and Siham Ali, writing for Magharebia in Casablanca, report in an interesting article on the surge in street vendors in Morocco. Here is an edited extract...

Law-enforcement officers once confiscated street vendors' wares and forbade them from occupying public spaces. With the threat of arrest and loss of goods now gone, however, merchants have pushed their barrows into the busiest spots.

In Morocco, the situation is becoming critical.

"These traders have installed themselves along the alleyway beside the mosque, preventing motorists and pedestrians from passing," says Moussa, who lives in Casablanca's Oum Rabia I.

"After the vegetable sellers with their carts, the kitchen utensil sellers appeared on the square, and they were followed by the live chicken sellers, who even dare to slit their throats and pluck them on the spot, causing inconvenience for the neighbourhood," he tells Magharebia.

Photo - Hassan Benmehdi

The informal traders are also having an impact on local businesses. Si Arroube, a public-sector worker, says that ever since street vendors in Casablanca's Belvedere and Roches Noires districts began offering items at rock-bottom prices, some small shops have been forced to close.

"These mobile traders don't pay rent or municipal tax," he explains. "The small retailers can't survive the competition."

Ahmed Ktiri, an economist, agrees that the phenomenon of street vending is having negative repercussions on the formal sector, due to illegal competitive practices.

"The youngest people should be offered training, and at the same time, jobs offering acceptable and viable conditions should be found for them," he suggests.

It is more than just price wars. Hassan, who lives in the city centre of Casablanca, says that the streets are no longer as clean as they used to be. "The goods are inexpensive, but these carts are a nuisance," he tells Magharebia.

For unemployed young Moroccans, however, they provide an income.

The government recognises the urgent need for a solution. "We must accept that we now need a new approach to integrate these people better into the formal sector," Trade Minister Ahmed Reda Chami told legislators in May.

"We need to create and set up new markets and spaces, but we also need to involve other departments, such as the interior ministry, and local authorities," Chami said.

Economic Affairs Minister Nizar Baraka said that the Moroccan government is paying particular attention to the issue and that help is on the horizon: "The main thing is to bring about a transition from the informal to the formal sector, that's what needs to happen."

A recent study commissioned by the Ministry of Trade revealed that Morocco now has 238,000 street vendors, 90% of whom are men. And since some 70% of them never went beyond the primary level in school, their employment options are limited.

The government report's recommendations will be implemented soon, Trade Minister Chami said in June. The aim, he said, is to integrate street vendors into the formal sector in order to improve their standard of living.

Absorption and integration of the informal sector would reduce poverty and exclusion, agrees Abdeljalil Cherkaoui, the president of REMESS (the Moroccan Network for Solidarity and Social Economy).

Read the full article here: Magharebia

See the Fez Medina Through New Eyes

Tomorrow at 9am, photographer Omar Chennafi invites anyone who likes taking pictures to join him exploring the ancient city of Fez.

"This session will be about the discovery of the Fes médina layer by layer through the lenses of our cameras," Chennafi said.

It's the second session of the ALIF photography club and members of the public are welcome to join the tour.

"The tour is dedicated to enriching your life, helping you see the world with new eyes, and creating images that express your unique experience to others," he said.

Omar Chennafi was selected this year as the official photographer for the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music. Last year he received the 'Highly Commended Award' for his photo Fez Doorway in The View from Fez Photographic Competition.

Details
When: Saturday, July 9 from 9am to noon.
Where: Meet close to the Batha Fountain near the Fez Medina.

High-tech opportunities for Moroccan girls in the US

Young women from Fez or anywhere in Morocco who are keen on making a career in the rapidly expanding area of new technology now have the chance to improve their skills in the United States.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton launched TechGirls, an educational program for girls from Muslim countries with an interest in technology.

“It will bring teenage girls from the Middle East and North Africa for an intensive month of educational activities here in the United States,” Mrs Clinton said, as quoted by UPI.

She made the announcement at the closing luncheon honoring the first class of participants from TechWomen, a public-private partnership that brought emerging female leaders in technical fields from predominately Muslim countries to the U.S. for one-month.

The women were paired with 24 leading, American-based technology companies in Silicon Valley and the greater San Francisco area, including giants Google, Facebook and Intel, for a project-based professional mentoring

“Being a woman in the field of technology is not always easy. Being a woman in any field is not always easy, but there are so many opportunities in technology that we just have to forge ahead,” Clinton told the group of 37 Muslim women and their American mentors.

The participants came from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories. TechWomen will expand next year to include Tunisia and Yemen. Select U.S. mentors will complete the professional exchange program and travel to Lebanon and Morocco later this year to conduct workshops for women in the technology sector as well as for young girls who have expressed an interest in tech-based careers.

TechWomen, a State Department initiative, was first announced by Clinton at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship last spring. The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs awarded a $1 million grant to the Institute of International Education. The IIE, in partnership with the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, implemented both the exchange in the U.S. and the exchange in Lebanon and Morocco, according to a State Department spokeswoman.

Clinton encouraged the first class of TechWomen to help other women in their home countries, stressing that the work between TechWomen and the U.S. is just beginning. “We will continue to work with you, we will continue to support you and we will continue to look for ways that we can empower women and girls through technology,” Clinton said.

Moroccan Culture Workshop

A new workshop offers visitors to Fez an insight into Moroccan culture.

When tourists first arrive in Morocco, they can feel overwhelmed by the difference in cultural expectations. What is the right way to greet people? What do they do if they are invited to dinner at someone’s house? What should they expect if they go into a hammam?

Khalid, 29, who works in administration at Cafe Clock, is holding a series of workshops called Fez Download, which aim to enlighten the culturally curious.

“I tell tourists to greet people in Arabic, even if they don’t know them,” he says. “It makes Moroccans smile and feel good and then they smile with them.”

Khalid has lived in Fez for a year. He was brought up in Sefrou and, after finishing a university degree in English, worked with Peace Corps volunteers in the region.

He says he sees the need to give visitors to Morocco a better insight into the culture and language from an insider’s point of view.

“I talk about things like food and feasts; marriage; clothes; Islam and going to a hammam. I tell them a few useful phrases and give advice about what they should and shouldn’t do. For example, if they are invited to someone’s house, they shouldn’t just start eating and drinking – they need to wait for the father (of the house) to start.”

Khalid says, “I am ready for their questions.”

The workshop lasts one and a half hours and will be run on demand, depending on the number of people and when they want to do it.

“At the end of it, I do a little test,” he says. “But I try to make it fun.”

Details:

The Fez Download workshop is available on demand. Cost 150 dh for 1.5 hours.
Bookings and info: 0535637855.