Djebel Zalagh Photography Trip on Sunday

The ALC-ALIF Photography Club has organised a photography trip to Mt Zalagh this Sunday - visitors to Fez are welcome

Djebel Zalagh (900 metres) is the impressive mountain backdrop to the old Medina of Fez. It is a favourite place for picnics, hiking, mountain biking and horse riding. The scenery is beautiful and includes forests of pine, cedar, fig, almond and olive orchards.

The view from the top looks out over the Sebou Valley and Sais Plain to the Rif Mountains..

Details:  Photography Trip - Mt Zalagh - Sunday, November 13, at 9.30am. Meet in front of the Batha fountain.

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Moroccan Ingenuity - The World's First Electric Pickup

In just nine months and in time for the COP22 Summit in Marrakech, Morocco's National Transportation and Logistic Company (SNTL) has produced the world’s first electric pickup truck. The 100% electric vehicle is a 100% Moroccan, both in terms of concept and assembly

The prototype has been adapted for the Moroccan market in that does not require the creation of electric charging stations for a recharge. The pickup can be recharged in less than 7 hours at home using a 220V power outlet, or in as little as an hour if a supercharger is used.

The vehicle’s rechargeable batteries are placed in a balanced manner on the chassis allowing more stability and a range on a single charge of 180 to 200km. The designers of the vehicle claim that it is perfectly suited for urban journeys. On the highway it can reach 129km/h. Though small, the carrying capacity is impressive, with the rear bed able to carry a load of up to 800kg.

The most spectacular innovation is that the users of the electric pickup truck can upgrade their vehicles without having to purchase a new one. The modular design allows the owner to integrate a new version of a component on an earlier version of the vehicle, without it hindering any of its normal functions.

The electric pickup's features, such as temperature control, can be remotely controlled by the driver using a computer tablet.

Although designed, manufactured and assembled in Morocco, the electric pickup is intended to be primarily sold in the European market.

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Morocco's Sephardic Jews Can Gain Spanish Citizenship

Under a new law administered by the Spanish Ministry of Justice that recognises the expulsion of Jews during the period of 1492-98, the descendants of those families can qualify for full Spanish citizenship and apply for a Spanish passport

Spain's Federation of Jewish Communities praised the mass naturalisations, adding that most applicants were from Morocco, Turkey and Venezuela.

The new law gives Sephardic Jews and their descendants three years to seek a Spanish passport, with the right to work and live in the 28-nation European Union.

Like others seeking Spanish citizenship, applicants must be tested in basic Spanish and pass a current events and culture test about Spain.

They also must establish a modern-day link to Spain, which can be as simple as donating to a Spanish charity or as expensive as buying property.

The Spanish Jewish federation has received more than 5,000 requests for information about the Spanish law. No one knows how many people might be eligible, though some estimates run into the millions.

The applicants don’t have to be Jewish, but the process of tracing family history back to the group of Jews known as the Sephardim who lived in Spain at the time may not be easy. Applicants also need to pass an online test in basic Spanish language and civics. The period to apply is three years, ending Oct. 1, 2018. There is also a requirement for a criminal background check, and documents have to be submitted in a specific format. It allows you to live and work not only in Spain, but in any of the European Union countries, any place you choose. It’s a tremendous opportunity.

Spain also allows dual nationality for people born in countries that used to be Spanish colonies.

For further information please contact Pippa Smith at Carbray Law Firm Spain. Tel: 0034 934 880 972

Story thanks to Pippa Smith

Historical note

Moroccan Jews (Arabic: اليهود المغاربة‎‎ al-Yehud al-Magharibah, Hebrew: יהודים מרוקאים‎‎ Yehudim Maroka'im) are the Jews who live or lived in Morocco. The first Jews migrated to this area after the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem and settled among the Berbers. They were later met by a second wave of migration from the Iberian peninsula in the period immediately preceding and following the 1492 Alhambra Decree, when the Jews were expelled from kingdoms of Spain, and soon afterwards, from Portugal as well. This second immigration wave deeply modified Moroccan jewry, who largely embraced the Andalusian Sephardic liturgy, making the Moroccan Jews switch to a mostly Sephardic identity.

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What Moroccans Think of US Presidential Candidates

While the eyes of the world are on the American elections, the interest is particularly high in Morocco, especially in regard to the possible foreign policy differences of the candidates

In the latest survey Moroccans showed strong support for the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton. The survey result suggests that 78% of Moroccans prefer Clinton, whereas Republican candidate Donald Trump garnered only 4% support. Around 5% of respondents said they have no preference and 13% said that they simply didn't know.

The survey was conducted by the Arab Research and Centre for Policy Studies.

Of the Moroccans interviewed, 70% felt that the Democratic candidate will have the most positive impact on US foreign policy in the Arab world, against 13% who think that the election of Donald Trump will benefit the MENA region.

Also, in regard to US foreign policy, 30% of Moroccans consider the approach of the White House as very negative, 27% find it relatively negative, 7% consider it positive and 26% think successful.

Writing recently for Morocco World News, Ahmad Azizi, a Political Adviser in the United Nations in New York said... "Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, a pillar of U.S. foreign policy has been the fight against international terrorism. This, coupled with the (misguided) notion that arming rebels in Syria could put dangerous arms in the hands of terrorist, has lead to the U.S. shying away from providing more than symbolic support for the Syrian revolution. In addition, the fatigue that came about as a result of U.S. miscalculated intervention in Afghanistan and, particularly, Iraq, thereby over-stretching the U.S. military and budget, means only one thing: international intervention, regardless of whether it is warranted or not, would not be a popular proposition. Also, the arrival of conservative Islamists to the helm of power in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya only makes matters worse for the U.S. president who faces the daunting dilemma of supporting Arab people’s democratic choice knowing that it would lead to support for none other than those who supposedly show enmity towards the U.S".

According to the daily newspaper Al Akhbar Yaoum the survey also reveals that Morocco is the Arab country most favourable to the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the MENA region of the Middle East and North Africa. The recent opinion poll of citizens in nine Arab nations found a curious and dramatic range in support for Donald Trump’s candidacy. From a low of 4% (Morocco) to a relatively high 20% among Iraqi respondents. Almost 60% of all respondents said that they are following the US presidential election on a regular or occasional basis.

The survey was conducted among 3,600 people in Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia, with 400 respondents per country.

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41st Celebration of Morocco's Green March

The anniversary of the Green March on Sunday, November the 6th, is a special day for Moroccans. It is a day when the Kingdom unites are in stressing the renewed mobilisation of the King and people to not only defend but also continue the development of the Moroccan Sahara

The Green March was a popular march of enormous proportions. On November 6, 1975, approximately 350,000 unarmed Moroccans converged on the city of Tarfaya in southern Morocco and waited for a signal from King Hassan II to cross into the region of Sakiya Lhmra.

They brandished Moroccan flags and Qur'an as well as carrying banners calling for the return of the Moroccan Sahara, photographs of the King and the Qur'an; the colour green for the march's name was intended as a symbol of Islam. As the marchers reached the border, the Spanish Armed Forces backed down and Spanish troops also cleared some previously mined zones.

Last year King Mohammed VI visited the Sahara to mark the beginning of a new march for the development of the Saharan provinces.  Al Alam,  an Arabic-language paper, said at the time,"The country's advanced regionalisation is a democratic response from Morocco to the desperate attempts of those who want to challenge its historical and legitimate right to its southern provinces,"

This year is unusual in that King Mohammed VI is on a State visit to Senegal and a statement from the Ministry of the Royal Household, Protocol and Chancellery says that the Sovereign has decided to deliver his speech on the occasion of the celebration of the 41st anniversary of the Green March, from the city of Dakar.

"Having chosen a country other than Morocco, an African country, Senegal today, to give a traditional historical discourse is symbolic of the nature of the relationship between Morocco and Senegal, "said Senegalese President in a statement to the media, pointing out that this initiative shows "the choice of His Majesty to speak to Africa and Africans." President Macky Sall added: "His Majesty the King has a vision of Africa, and what should be the Africa of tomorrow. It also has ambitions for the continent."

The Moroccan media is united in reminding Moroccans that "there are very few events in the history of a country that transcend time and generations to remain vivid in the memory of all, old and young, there are few events that bear a historical grandeur and a sense of destiny and belonging. Morocco has such an event. That was the Green March, the unprecedented march, both symbolic and popular, of 350,000 Moroccans who walked hundreds of kilometres to peacefully recover a part of their country, the Western Sahara, which was under Spanish dominion."

No shots were fired, not a single drop of blood was shed and Morocco retrieved its Sahara. That was in 1975.

The North Africa Post concludes, "The centuries-old historical, geographical, and ethnical ties that existed between the Sahara and Northern Morocco that were broken by colonialism for decades were stitched again thanks to the genius idea of the late king Hassan II, the architect of the epic, who thought out and planned every detail of the March".

However, the Green March celebrations are not all about politics. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) is organising a “gala match” to celebrate the 41st anniversary. Festivities will take place at Sheikh Mohamed Laghdaf Stadium in Morocco’s Saharan Capital, Laayoune, with many legendary international footballers in attendance.

Maradona heads to Morocco for Green March match

Former Argentine football icon Diego Armando Maradona, Liberian George Weah, Ghanaian Abedi Pele, Brazilian Rivaldo, Italian Alessandro Altobelli, have announced as attending. Many former Moroccan footballers will also be participating.

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Official! Morocco's VoIP Ban Ends

Morocco's telecommunications operators have been instructed to proceed with the restoration of all VoIP services and telephony across their fixed and mobile networks

According to the National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ANRT), "this decision comes after the assessment by the ANRT of the  evolution, at both national and international levels, of the situation of the telecommunications markets and regulatory context, firstly, and, given the requirements of harmonious development of the sector, to the benefit of users on the other."

The ANRT says it will ensure consumers benefit from the best technological developments, in harmony with the requirements of development of the sector and Telcos in compliance with the regulations.

This is not only good news, but a win for commonsense and the people.

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Morocco Urgently Needs Blood Donors

While there is a critical need for blood products in Morocco's hospitals, there is also the need to create in the population a culture of regular blood donation

Morocco's present dire need of blood is due to a decline in stocks and the scarcity of donations. The idea of being a regular blood donor is not even considered by a majority of citizens. The Kingdom lags behind many countries in falling below the donor level suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

At present donor contributions in Morocco sit at around 3% of the entire population.

In the developed world a majority of blood donors are unpaid volunteers who donate blood for a community supply. In poorer countries, established supplies are limited and donors usually give blood when family or friends need a transfusion (directed donation). Many donors donate as an act of charity, but in countries that allow paid donation some donors are paid, and in some cases there are incentives other than money such as paid time off from work. Donors can also have blood drawn for their own future use (autologous donation). Donating is relatively safe, but some donors have bruising where the needle is inserted or may feel faint.

The WHO has developed a global framework for action to achieve 100% voluntary blood donation. The plan has been developed jointly by the WHO and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It is designed to provide guidance and support to countries seeking to establish effective voluntary blood donor programmes, phase out family/replacement blood donation and eliminate paid donation.

The vision embodied in this framework is the achievement of 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donation in every country of the world. It is based on the recognition that voluntary non-remunerated blood donors are the foundation of a safe, sustainable blood supply. Without a system based on voluntary unpaid blood donation, particularly regular voluntary donation, no country can provide sufficient blood for all patients who require transfusion.

At present the WHO statistics show a disparity between wealthy nations and low-income countries.

Of the 112.5 million blood donations collected globally, approximately half of these are collected in the high-income countries, home to 19% of the world’s population.

In low-income countries, up to 65% of blood transfusions are given to children under 5 years of age; whereas in high-income countries, the most frequently transfused patient group is over 65 years of age, accounting for up to 76% of all transfusions.

The blood donation rate in high-income countries is 33.1 donations per 1000 people; 11.7 donations in middle-income countries and 4.6 donations in low-income countries.

An increase of 10.7 million blood donations from voluntary unpaid donors has been reported from 2008 to 2013. In total, 74 countries collect over 90% of their blood supply from voluntary unpaid blood donors; however, 72 countries collect more than 50% of their blood supply from family/replacement or paid donors.

Only 43 of 175 reporting countries produce plasma-derived medicinal products (PDMP) through the fractionation of plasma collected in the country, whereas the majority of the other 132 countries import PDMP from abroad.

It is critical that Morocco promotes blood donation, retains donors, and most importantly, ensures a culture of voluntary and regular blood donation.

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"Premiers Pas" - Terril Murano Exhibition Coming to Fez

"Premiers Pas" or "First Steps" is the debut show of Terril Murano, an American ex-pat living in Morocco since 2014

This collection encapsulates Terril's first impressions of while traveling around this dynamic country from top to bottom and reflects her immediate and profound entrancement by it's people, culture and spirit. The opening is sure to be an evening of warmth and sharing.

The exhibition opening in Fez is at 6.30 pm on Saturday November 5th at Médin'ART (see map below) and is open to the public.

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Abderrahim El Hassani Exhibition to Open in Fez

The exhibition  by Abderrahim is titled FES GRANADA TOUTE UNE MAGIE and will open on November 3rd at 7pm at the Cervantes Institute Gallery, 5 rue Abu Tayeb al Moutanabbi. The exhibition will run until November 17th

Abderrahim El Hassani 

Abderrahim El Hassani has a reputation for pushing the boundaries beyond simply exhibiting. A notable example was a performance where he combined painting and contemporary dance in a performance at the Batha Museum in Fez. His "speed paintings", done with a musical accompaniment are exciting to watch and have been the highlight of various events in recent years.

The artist was born and raised in the Medina of Fes and paints still life, landscapes and people who are quintessentially Fassi. Abderrahim has always been creative, but didn’t start painting in earnest until around a decade ago.

Speed painting and contemporary dance

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