By Tarik El Barakah

Morocco World News

Agadir, July 12, 2013

Whenever you hear the word “mother”, it probably brings to your mind meanings of compassion, kindness and gentleness, especially towards their children. But this Chinese mother who stabbed her eight-month-old because he bit her while breastfeeding is definitely an exception to this rule.

The mother has been reported to stab her baby boy Xiao Bao, 8-month old, 90 times with scissors, mostly in the face, for biting her while she was breastfeeding him, the Dailymail said on Thursday.

Doctors said the baby is “ lucky” to be alive after the brutal stabbing by his mother and he needed 100 stitches to overcome the trauma.

The boy who lives with his family in Xuzhou, eastern China’s jiangsu province was found in a pool of blood by one of his uncles who immediately rushed him to the hospital for urgent medical intervention.

Neighbors of the family said that the mother does not suffer from any sort of mental illness that might be the explanation behind the attack and they urged the local government to take care of the baby.

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By Omar Bihmidine

Morocco World News

Tangier, July 13, 2013

According to Al Akhbar newspaper, controversial Moroccan “cleric” Abdelbari Zamzami recently issued a fatwa, which states that physical contact between men and women on buses does not break the fast.

"Touching and physical contact do not break the fast even in the case of ejaculation," Zamzami said in an interview.

The fatwa which went viral on Facebook social network sparked much uproar and received harsh criticism from a number of Moroccans.

"Ejaculating semen intentionally breaks the fast. How come this cleric said it does not?" a Moroccan adult who opposed the cleric so-called fatwa told MWN.

“This person is a disaster,” a Moroccan journalist from Tangier posted on her Facebook page upon learning of Zamzami’s statement.

“A complaint should be filed in the court against this category of human who sully religion with their so-called Fatwas,” a Moroccan resident in New Jersey city, who was outraged by Zamzami’s statement, told MWN.

"Despite arousing sexual desire, this physical contact does not lead to breaking the fast," Zamzami was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

"Because men and women get on crammed buses, they can not help touching one another. Yet, there is no harm in that as touching and ejaculating won't break your fast," Zamzami added.

The cleric based his fatwa on the fact that "the act of touching is not meant to satisfy one's sexual desire" and that "kissing one's wife during the holy month of Ramadan doesn't spoil the fast."

This is not the first time Zamzami comes up with statements, considered by some as fatwas, that stir uproar in Morocco.

In early 2012 he said that a Muslim is allowed to make love to his dead wife, a form of necrophilia, and that it is strictly forbidden for Moroccans to take to the street after the king’s speeches. In another “fatwa” he said that women are allowed to have recourse to masturbation to satisfy their long-repressed sexual desires.

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By Youssef Sourgo

Morocco World News

Casablanca, July 13, 2013 

Ten days after celebrating their marriage, two French soldiers of Moroccan and Algerian origins, were the target of a far-right newspaper, which exploited their wedding to repose the issue of immigration in France.

After Sofiane Ben Ahmed et Yamina El Attari’s wedding took place in Orange (Vaucluse, France) last June 22, the far-right French newspaper, Minute, published an article with the couple’s picture and titled it “The Wedding that Shames France.”

According to many sources, the article derogatorily described the couple’s union, initially attacking the ceremony as a whole, and then moving on to depict the couple in unpleasant light.

The article also claimed that an anonymous individual lodged a complaint against Sofiane and Yamina with the chief law officer, in which he claimed that the invitees to the wedding causesd significant physical damage to their immediate entourage.  

It also described the wedding atmosphere as a “souk” (traditional market).

The “Font de Gauche” and the departmental federation of MRAP (Movement against Racism and for Friendship among People) described the article published by daily French newspaper Minute as “a media lynching.”

“It’s lamentable to see a 23 year-old young man’s reputation tarnished right after his marriage”, said Fabienne Haloui, city councilor and regional advisor in Vaucluse’s Font de Gauche, as quoted by the French newspaper Le Point.  

Sofiane lost one of his legs while he was serving in with French military in Mali, something the far-left newspaper Minute allegedly obscured in its exploitation of his wedding ceremony to retrigger a fuss about immigration in France.

“Immigration is constitutive of the French Identity, Fabienne further argued. “It’s made up of Algerian, Belgian, Moroccan, and many other foreign identities,” she added.

The young couple intends to lodge a complaint against the newspaper for “false statement and incitement of hatred,” according to Jean-Jacques Longuenesse, co-president of the MRAP federation.

By Loubna Flah

Morocco World News

Casablanca, July 13, 2013

Although he was underestimated by the bulk of the Istiqlal party, Hamid Chabat has made a steady ascension to power. He forged his populist image throughout as a secretary general of one of the most powerful unions in Morocco: the General Union for Moroccan Workers known as the UGTM.

Chabat succeeded in dethroning the long standing “al Fassi” hegemony and reach the highest position in the Istiqlal party. His persistence to bring about a cabinet reshuffle earned him not only the wrath of many IP members, but most importantly the antipathy of the head of government, Mr. Benkirane.

Chabat’s decision to pull out from the coalition marks an unprecedented twist in the tale. Chabat’s bold move pushed many parties to reconsider their political calculus. But the IP has also its lot of predicament in this story. Indeed, the IP will have to decide about Al Ouafa’s membership. The latter has refused to submit his resignation along with other IP ministers.

This will pose a real challenge to the IP’s internal cohesion, which is severely debilitated with the disagreement over the withdrawal from the government and the eligibility of Chabat as a secretary general to the party.

If Mr. al Ouafa remains seated in his position, he is likely to be expelled from the Istiqlal party. Nevertheless, the party is already polarized over the issue and the forced departure of such an influential member will certainly exacerbate the divisions within the IP.

There are indeed, two possible scenarios for the IP.  Sources close to the Istiqlal party informed MWN that the anti-Chabat camp may try to rally more IP members to their ranks and call for the dismissal of Chabat from his position. Though it remains a farfetched plot, any disavowal of Chabat’s legitimacy would not go unnoticed by his followers and sympathizers, which may implode not only the Istiqlal Party. It will probably cause a real chasm within its affiliated union: the UGTM.

The second possibility is that Chabat will lobby for the expulsion of al Ouafa. This is likely to cause a real split in the party especially if Chabat remains undeterred in his obstinacy to align the IP with the opposition. Thus, the Istiqlal Party is already polarized and may run the risk of a real crack in the forthcoming days.

The Istiqlal party has been battling for many years to maintain its unity despite rampant nepotism and the aura of suspicion surrounding some of its members. The current crisis is unlikely to leave Allal Al Fassi’s party without scars and blemishes.

By Youssef El Kaidi

Morocco World News

Fez, July 13, 2013

With the advent of Ramadan every year in Morocco, numbers of foreigners, men and women, seeking internal peace and spiritual home flock the most prominent mosques where the tarawih prayer is made such as Al-Kotoubiya mosque, Al-Hady mosque and Amat Allah mosque in Marrakech, Al Karaouine mosque in Fez, Al-Andalus mosque and Hassan II mosque in Casablanca, Ali Ibn Talib mosque in Agadir, Al-Imam Malik mosque in Salé etc. These people announce their conversion to Islam and pronounce shahada (confession), the first pillar of Islam - usually with eyes brimming with tears before worshipers.

Right before Friday's Tarawih prayer- a non compulsory prayer performed by Muslims at night during the month of Ramadan- Al-Kotoubiya mosque in Marrakech witnessed the conversion of two women who choose a different faith path; the path of Islam and submission to God. The First lady chose Atika as a name and was taught the shahada by the reciter Wadih Chakir who welcomed the young lady to Islam, praising God that “inspired her to the religion of truth and took her out of darkness to light.

The second young lady has chosse Hiba as a name and reiterated the shahada amidst a tumult of delight by her fellow sisters and brothers.

On Wednesday, the first days of Ramadan, a Frenchman and another woman, who did not reveal her nationality, converted in the same mosque.

The number of foreigners converting to Islam in Morocco is remarkably on the rise according to the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs. While the number of converts was only 300 in 2010, it amounted to 1947 converts from different nationalities in 2011.

It is worth mentioning that the French occupy the first rank of the number of nationalities embracing Islam in Morocco followed comes Italy, Spain, Belgium and the USA.

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By Youssef Sourgo

Morocco World News

Casablanca, July 13, 2013

Recently in Casablanca, a mentally ill person took hold of a bus replete with passengers and drove it aimlessly through some of the city’s crowded boulevards, wrote daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia today.

The actual bus driver was allegedly compelled to get out of the vehicle in order to check the minor damages caused by an insignificant incident his bus had with a small car.

The individual, who turned up from nowhere, seized the opportunity to sneak in the bus, and then drive it away aimlessly and speedily with a number of passengers aboard it.

Surprisingly enough, the mentally ill person was quite familiar with the driving system of the vehicle and managed to get away with it to a considerable distance before ending his trajectory near a tramway passage.

According to the same source, some of the passengers who could not wait until he eventually causes irreparable damages with his reckless driving forced him away of the steering wheel.

After austere panic, the actual driver could rejoin his seat and regain his trajectory with this peculiar occurrence engraved in his mind as a memory of carelessness and lack of vigilance. 

By  Mohamed Mouad Chahbane

Morocco World News

Marrakesh, July 16, 2013

Ramadan is known for showering Marrakech and its people with its various blessings day and night. And the Koutoubia Mosque in Jamaa Lfna Square is no exception, as new people convert to Islam almost every night during the Taraweeh prayers.

This evening, two Spanish young men converted to Islam amid the presence of thousands of worshipers.

The first young man named himself “Mehdi” and repeated the “Shahada” by the Mosque’s Quran Reciter Wadii Shakir, while the second chose the name “Yunus.” They both joined the Muslim community following the example of other Non-Arab converts, who feel inspired by the sight of thousands of worshipers standing and prostrating at the same time, and in full submission to the Creator.

It worth noting that since the start of this holy month, five other Non-Arabs converted to Islam in the same mosque.

Reporting by Houda El Mouatassim Billah

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By Radia Baiti

Morocco World News

Rouen, France, July 16, 2013

Morocco suffers from a high illiteracy rate—30% in 2013—but the problem is most predominant among the rural population of Morocco. This segment of society has an approximate illiteracy rate of 55%. Within these regions, children do not receive a quality education or do not even complete their studies. Ultimately, those who leave lack the education and qualifications for a successful future. In order to determine the shortcomings of the educational system within villages, a group of volunteers contributed their time to assess the learning capabilities of the children of Ighil N'baha village. As a group of volunteers, Hasnaa Alami idrissi, Nadir Naji, Houssine Moubtakir and I had a great experience at Ighil N'baha village which allowed us to analyze this problem and to make our contribution to handle the educational shortcomings of Morocco’s small towns.

We highlight several factors which contribute to such shortcomings. The primary source is the working conditions. The school is several miles from the village and the children do not have a mode of transportation to go to school, especially during difficult weather conditions, such as heavy rain. Najlaa. Z is an Elementary student expressed her frustration: "I find it hard to get to our school since it is far from our village, about 1 hour walk. And sometimes during Winter we might miss school up to a week." This problem is more common for high school students whose school is one hour from home. In addition, students sit at crowded tables, initially intended for only two students. This lack of structure is a source of discouragement for both the students and the instructor.

Another negative aspect of the educational system within a rural setting is the constant absence of the instructor, according to the students. Because of this absence, the children only receive about two months of formal education within an entire school year. Therefore, the level of learning is minimal and basic learning of subjects such as language and mathematics is not acquired. For example, after giving French lessons at different levels, the volunteers observed that the level of understanding among these students is globally alarming—elementary students have nothing to envy of their peers in secondary school, as the level of learning is extremely low for all students. Ideally, hiring additional instructors would alleviate the issue as it is impossible for one instructor to take on such a difficult task alone.

Additionally, the students do not benefit from supervision. As mentioned previously, they are frequently left to themselves and go from one class to another without having acquired a sufficient knowledge base. They have no real source of inspiration and find it difficult to look forward and consider their futures. The lack of extracurricular activities exemplifies this as they do not have an outlet for exploring other skill sets. This has a negative impact on their motivation and dynamism. Thus, the girls return to the house and start housework and the boys spend their time playing football.

All of these problems observed during this mission, such as the amount of children dropping out of school, can be traced back to other factors. For example, the girls leave studies to do housework for the mere prospect of marriage in the future. The family pressure on these girls is high because culturally girls are not expected to be financially independent. "Most of the girls drop out of school after college and stay at home. Also our parents fear to let us finish our studies far from home and culturally don't want us to work," said Naima, a student at the university of Ibn Zohr in Agadir.

The current challenge is to make education available to the rural population of Morocco and to reduce the national illiteracy rate. Therefore, there is a responsibility to ensure favorable conditions for both children and instructors, to adapt the Arabized educational program depending on the region (in this case Amazigh) and invest into the future of these children as they are the future of Morocco. Our experience in the field allowed us to revive their thirst for knowledge and accomplishment, but we also hope the government and civil society will take an active role in the prioritization of education in the development of Morocco.

In addition to the aforementioned volunteers, volunteers from United for Service and Volunteer Morocco, US based nonprofit organizations, have collaborated with their Moroccan counterpart, Jamiaan Association to establish a one-year pilot program, the Teacher Endowment Fund. Through financial support, they created such a program specifically for the children of Ighil N'baha to support the salary of an after school tutor for French and mathematics in order to ensure they receive additional education and ultimately impact their desire for knowledge.

As an immediate solution we need: students in college, young professionals or teachers who can volunteer their time to teach in rural areas during breaks or weekend. If you are interested you can contact: info@volunteermorocco.org

Radia Baiti is a Moroccan student at Rouen business school in France

Photos by Ayoub El Madi

Any failure to accurately interpret the Islamic movements, either in part or in full, as a central constituent in the shaping, directing and framing of the political identity of Muslim nations, is certainly a bridge too far.  Although the mass opposition that has overthrown some of the centennial Arab dictators off their supposedly ever-lasting forged democratic republics has been catalyzed by and through independently non-aligned movements, the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood is obviously irrefutable.

In Egypt, for instance, the heavy presence and persistent intervention of the Muslim Brotherhood and their partisans was the potent lubricant that fueled, sustained and accelerated the size and scope of the protestations in almost all Egyptian Squares. Charles M. Sennot observed, “it was the Muslim Brotherhood that quietly sustained the real fires of protest until they engulfed Egypt in an all-out revolution that would topple the corrupt and brutal 30-year reign of Hosni Mubarak.”   Such a surprising truth, as Monica Duffy Toft concludes, “would have garnered guffaws among Western intellectuals only four decades ago” since they had all belonged to the “grip of secularization theory: the belief that religion was a dying supernova, enjoying its final glow before disappearing history.”

The then-spread logic behind secularization theory had certainly fed on the emergent postcolonial realities which by definition entailed the establishment of secular (capitalist or communist) but dependent and undemocratic states across almost the entire world, including the Muslim newly decolonized nations. More was that the leaders across the Islamic  continent, except for Tunisia, where religion was annihilated from mostly all life walks, and Iran, where religiosity is in the heart of the state, have managed neither to establish secular states nor to emphasize religion in the core of their politics. Instead, they have used secularization and religion as means to balance the interests necessary for the survival of their systems.

It is within these conditions that Western thinkers would believe in the death of God, as Nietzsche had once proclaimed, and in the resurrection of the Northern enlightening modernization basics across the developing Muslim South. However, the insurgencies that have miraculously extracted dictatorships in the Arab world, and the role Muslim Brotherhoods played in them only mean that, as phrased by Toft, God’s Partisans are Back; were it possible to assume that they have been away ever, for Muslim political ideologists were latently awaiting a blatant hunting ground to mobilize their cavaliers in and for the seize of political power.

Their history of hidden and not manifest oppositional resistance against the notoriously secular rogue states, sharing of the same ideology and religious aspirations as the majority of the people, and the incessant failure of the other active political parties to prove their worth have all been factors to pave a quick and sure way for the Brotherhoods to grip the major state offices and departments. It is henceforth quite safe to conclude that democracy has benefited no political party more than it did to the Muslim Brotherhoods. Worth mentioning is that the decision of the Egyptian Army to oust Mohamad Morsy, a president being elected after fair democratic election, is a blow to the heart of democracy and its institutions.

And this refers us to the American-led Western policy where the striking political banner was to justify their recurrently unremitting intervention in the Muslim world from within the perspective of establishing democratic states and terminating, especially, electoral frauds that concentrate the election and reelection of rogue leadership. It is therefore inevitable that spokesmen of the Western capitals during the Arab Spring would every now and then show up reiterating “Mobarak … Saleh … Qaddafi …and al Assad have to quit office.” Whilst they were highly electrical picking the words and phrases to reveal and to conceal their genuine feelings regarding the street protestations, none might have yet forgotten about how supportive they were to the systems of these leaders just a couple of years ago.

Now that history has proved the ability of moderate Muslim Brotherhood to seize power in almost every Muslim country, the West has only one option: it is to act supportively and that is for the following reasons:

The Islamic governments that have been elected at the aftermath of the Arab Spring conform to the Western norms of democracy, and thus, the West has literally no pretext to oppose them.

None of the moderate Islamic parties seems to constitute any strategic threat to the interests of the West in the countries they lead. The main logic behind this is that the Muslim Brotherhood know, understand and act according to the reality that the interests of their nations are indispensable to those of the West.

The failure of moderate Islam will give rise to radicalism. At least, the current moderate Brotherhoods absorb and/ or prevent further fundamentalism amongst the Muslim youth who constitute the roots of "terrorism" inside and outside Muslim nations.

The already experiences in the Arab countries have proved the failure of secularization to ascertain democracy; instead, it has only concentrated despotism. This does, by no means, assure that a Muslim leadership will work for full democratic practices, for there should always be a new political model of the form of check and balance of powers.

The bottom line is that the West has to support in all terms political legitimacy no matter who the authority in hold of the power is. The era of siding with the wills of the leaders, be they military or civilian, against the wills of the peoples is history; power is at the hands of the people - secular or religious - makes no difference in democracy; power is thriving in the mob; power is empowered with righteousness; power is worked for, not mugged in daylight.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy

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It is widely acknowledged that social networks have become important parts of our daily life. Social networks unite people from different backgrounds to share their life concerns, experiences, and aspirations. Yet, in the recent years, social networks have gone beyond the expected level of impact, and have started affecting our daily language. Since the rise in popularity of social networks, new words have been added to our urban dictionary; words like Bouzebal, 3Niba, and Moustasha.

In late 2010, the character of Bouzebal was created to reproach a specific social phenomenon that is deeply related to some individuals’ life style.  It is formerly acknowledged that this term has been used before. However, is has never gained so much sensibility and effectiveness as it has since being promoted by media outlets. Interviews have been organized in national channels in which they host the creator of the idea or the character, aiming to underline the significance of the character and the reasons of its emergence. Basically, Bouzebal, as it is defined in our society, is a person whose concerns are only materialistic pleasures, always economizing his share while consuming the others. Therefore, these Facebook pages have been launched to attract attention to this shameful behavior, and at the same time, to convince people to drop these habits.

Also new terms, 3Niba & Moustasha are now more common to youngsters than the names of their teachers. These terms are two slightly different faces of one coin. The words made a huge Facebook controversy in the last two years. Their appearance was a direct reaction to the moral dissolution of the Moroccan society. Its adherents possess this idea of confronting the immoral acts of some individuals by the usage of these offensive words. Yet, we can sense an inclination of envy or alike, towards people who enjoy wealth, prettiness…etc.

The question to be asked is, does this matter go beyond language? Does it reveal the gap and the attitude between social classes (one attacking the others using only language). Certainly, these questions need more time to be answered, but the inevitable fact is that social networks have become the perfect platform to inflate microscopic topics, and smoothly inject them in our youth.

By Loubna Flah

Morocco World News

Casablanca, July 16, 2013

The liquidity strain is still looming over the Moroccan banking sector. Its inimical effect on commercial banks since the beginning of the current year is increasingly noticeable.

The Moroccan banks need for liquidity soared from MAD58,1 billion recorded last May to MAD60, 8 billion recorded last June.

In order to ease the liquidity strain, Morocco’s central bank increased the frequency and volume of its interventions through the injection of MAD63 billion.

It is noteworthy that the liquidity strain has not caused any steep rise in the interest rate for Moroccan banks. As a matter of fact, Bank al Maghrib report reveals that the interest rate is stable around 3, 03 %.

On the other hand, the liquidity shortage contributed in the decrease of the funding opportunities provided by Moroccan banks starting from the end of May.

Bank al Maghrib report reveals also that the number of loans offered by commercial banks during the first five months decreased from MAD719,2 billion  offered at the end of 2012 to MAD705, 3 billion offered during the current year.

It is obvious that the liquidity strain lingers despite Bank al Maghrib’s efforts to reinvigorate the financial market with recurrent assets injections.

The shortage of liquidity is likely to undermine the commercial banks’ ability to deliver their services appropriately and more importantly the attribution of loans.

By Youssef Sourgo

Morocco World News

Casablanca, July 16, 2013

Raouia, the 12-year old Moroccan schoolgirl allegedly offended by El Ouafa last October, was among 7 girls awarded with the UN Special Envoy for Global Education’s Youth Courage Award during the Malala Day ceremony, held last Friday, July 12 at the United Nations headquarters in New York in the presence of the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon and former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, UN Special Envoy for Global Education.

Seven girls were awarded for standing courageously and perseveringly against the odds impeding their education. Some were awarded for standing with firm determination against patriarchy and female oppression, others for transcending their physical impairment to harness their intellectual capabilities, all for the sake of having an education.

Raouia, was awarded for saying “no” to degrading statement allegedly uttered by the Moroccan National Education minister, Mohammed El Ouafa.

Her staying at school in spite of the psychological trauma El Ouafa’s statement had caused her her is what UN’s Malala Day organizers saw as a promising act of courage, way ahead of Raouia’s age and remarkably worthy of recognition and celebration.

El Ouafa’s name was brought up during the ceremony along with his alleged notorious statement to the Moroccan schoolgirl: “Your time would be better spent looking for a man.”

The Moroccan minister’s alleged statement has now echoed internationally, reportedly considered as one more manifestation of oppression against children, and positing a huge question mark on Moroccan national education and the place of children in it.

By Youssef El Kaidi

Morocco World News

Fez, July 16, 2013

The controversy over the legalization of the cultivation of cannabis (marijuana) in Morocco may be on its way to reach the parliament after a law proposal was presented to a number of parliamentarian for the first time by the Rifian activist Chakib El Khayari, president of the Rif Association for Human Rights. The Moroccan Coalition for Medical and Industrial Use of Cannabis and the parliamentary group of PAM met Monday, July 14, in the parliament to discuss the proposed law.

Cannabis legalization bill presented by Al-Khayari focuses on therapeutic and industrial use of cannabis plants. In a statement issued by the Moroccan Coalition for Medical and Industrial Use of Cannabis Mr. Chakib Al-Khayari, the coordinator of the coalition, says that the coalition “believes in the role of the parliament, as a representative and legislative institution, in defending the interest of cannabis farmers and their families and in enacting a law that would legitimize the cultivation and exploitation of cannabis.”

In a video posted on YouTube in 2011, Mehdi Ben Said, parliamentary member of PAM and proponent of the legalization of cannabis, said “we have to open a debate over cannabis to reach a consensus and a legal and realistic situation for cannabis farmers.”

“Morocco produces cannabis in its northern provinces and most of the hashish is consumed in Europe. So, Morocco is the only country which pays the price; Morocco makes campaigns (against the trafficking of hashish), funds the alternative crops projects, etc. There is a European aid but it is very little and it does not live up to the size of requirements.,” he noted.

The Moroccan Coalition for Medical and Industrial Use of Cannabis in its statement said that the coalition received a call from a representative of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) in which he stressed his party’s involvement in the dynamic efforts to find a legal and realistic solution to the situation of cannabis farmers and their families, noting that the PJD representatives would effectively support an open discussion on the use of cannabis for medical and industrial uses.

By Omar Bihmidine

Morocco World News

Tangier, July 16, 2013

According to the statistics recently disclosed by “Don’t touch my Child” Association, 70 children are raped every day in Morocco. The rampant phenomenon of pedophilia, the association warned, must be curbed before more children fall prey to this plight.

“The government must take more serious measures to combat the spread of pedophilia in Morocco as the initiatives taken aren’t enough. Otherwise, the number of victims will double sooner or later,” members of the association said in an interview with the daily newspaper Akhabr Al Youm.

According to a report to the same source more than 26,000 cases of pedophilia are reported every year in the country.

The National Council for Human Rights, along with other associations, are currently preparing a report that will feature the minute details of pedophilia in Morocco, reported Akhbar Al Yaoum.

“We must face this bitter reality with all the weapons we have before this phenomenon plagues our society and endangers our children’s lives, “a Moroccan father told MWN.

“Children are the apples of our eyes; touching them in any way is like touching our eyes,” a Moroccan mother told MWN.

It is worth noting that the Democratic Progress group in the parliament has recently urged the government, and all associations concerned with the issue, to intervene and put an end to the daily sufferings of Moroccan children as a result of pedophilia.

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By Rania Mjahd

Morocco World News

Fez, July 17, 2013

As everybody may know, we are living in a world where millions of events are taking place everyday. We have never witnessed the Arab Spring in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria or Libya and we have never seen the wars in Iraq or Palestine with our own eyes, but journalists tell us about the daily events and changes taking place ‘out there’ in the world beyond our immediate experience. Therefore, we have no assurance or guarantee that what is represented by media institutions is an accurate picture of the world because whatever is written or said about the world is a second hand reality created and depicted by media institutions.

The hidden ideologies and agendas of the media can be summarized into three major points: discrimination, commercialization and bias, but I will focus mainly on discrimination and commercialization.

Discrimination

I believe that Moroccan media professionals are the promoters of gender discrimination when they deprive female journalists of discussing and debating serious issues. If you read our newspaper, we find that female journalists report only trifle topics such as fashion and cooking. Through this they automatically confirm the idea that journalism is a ‘man’s job’  due to a belief that women would be put into situations where they would not know how to react, which I find  unfair.

Discrimination does not appear only among media professionals, but even in the language used in press, which maintains discrimination against a specific group. In the world of the press, language plays a crucial role in reproducing and facilitating discrimination against certain “groups.” Besides, it creates a sort of binary line or boundaries between those groups through categorizing them as Roger Fowler revealed: “The power of discourse in facilitating and maintaining discrimination against ‘members’ of ‘groups’ is tremendous. Language provides names for categories, and so helps to set their boundaries and relationship… Vocabulary divides ‘actress’ from ‘actor’, the ‘ess’ ending making actress as a special and unusual case; classifies ‘immigrant’ as a special and deviant group… vocabulary which contributes to the reproduction of discrimination in discourse.”(Fowler, 1991:94). In light of what has been clearly demonstrated by Fowler, one can say that media professionals may maintain discrimination against “members” of “groups” via the clever use of language.

Commercialization of the press

Nowadays, one may notice that the majority of our newspapers start accommodating the features of “down market” press (tabloids). This means that our newspapers become pictures-based rather than words-based newspapers. Also, they start giving extra attention to sensational issues like sex, rape, gossip columns about celebrities and providing huge sections for advertisements so as to achieve a high rate of circulation.

This bitter reality pushes me to say that our press is no longer an informative institution that preserves the right of citizens to discover what is happening around them but rather it is an “entrepreneurial institution” based on profit and  money-making.

In conclusion, as educated people, we should not be passive consumers who swallow everything said or written by media. We should rather get rid of our naivety to be able to interact with this clever institution. By the same token, we should advocate for a media that is based on freedom of expression. A media that promotes democracy and preserves people’s rights to know what is happening around them with impartiality rather than a media that serves the ideological and political affiliations of its owners.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy

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By Youssef Sourgo

Morocco World News

Casablanca, July 17, 2013

In the last couple of years, there has been a discernible tendency to misrepresent Moroccan women in popular media, especially in those produced in some of the Gulf countries. While misrepresentation usually stems from lack of knowledge and familiarity with the represented object, person or group of people, the misrepresentations of Moroccan women appear an exception to this assumption, since the misrepresenters here are other Arab countries, which share a considerable cluster of cultural vlaues with Morocco.

Recently, the image of the Moroccan woman has been subject to one more popular media distortion. A soap opera exclusively designed for broadcast in Ramadan in Saudi Arabia, entitled “Kalam A’nass” (people’s talk), joined the list of Gulf countries’ TV products that distort the image of Moroccan women.

Episode number 6 of the series, specifically titled “Al Khirfan (the sheep), depicted Moroccan women in the most derogatory fashion. The episode depicts an ambitious young woman who sets up a call-center business and hires Moroccan girls to work in it.

The Moroccan girls’ task in this episode consists in duping Saudi young men by seducing and selling them illusory promises of love via phone calls in exchange of money. Such practice has been described as “love trading.” Also in the same episode, a Moroccan woman is depicted as leading other girls within the call center in their sordid endeavors, by instructing them on how to dupe “the sheep.”

The image of the Lebanese woman also had its share of distortion in Saudi Arabia’s Kalam A’Nass. The Saudi series also tarnished the image of Saudi young men. Their portrayed happy-go-lucky attitudes towards women has further fostered the unsavory distorted image other mediatic forms of expression had propagated about them.

 Like among popular culture products generated in Gulf countries on Moroccan women, Kalam A’Nass radiates undertones of direct attack not only on Moroccan woman, but also beyond on the Arab world at large. Ironically, Moroccan women, being a constitutive fragment of the mosaic of female Arab identities, are being misreprepresented by their fellow Arabs, who are supposed to respect the cultural and religious values they have in common Morocco.

By Larbi Arbaoui

Morocco World News

Tinejdad, Morocco, July 17, 2013

According to the ministry of education, the Baccalaureate results of the catch-up session (June 2013) are expected to be announced in all exam centers, as well as on the website of the Ministry of Education on Friday 19 June.

According to the official website of the Ministry of Education, the results of the resit exams will be announced on Friday at 10 am, and they will be accessed through other electronic supports and websites from 5 pm on the same day.

Like in the regular session of June 2013, candidates can also access the results of the examination and check their marks, as well as information about their orientation after the baccalaureate through the website http://www.bac2013.taalim.ma.

Candidates may access their results also through many other means, including emails or even sms.

The email of each candidate is simply his/her CNE (national code of student) in the form CNE@bac2013.taalim.ma and password is the date of birth of the applicant in this form: date/moth/year.

The resit exams took place on July 9-11, and, as scheduled earlier, the deliberations of the catch-up session will take place on July 18.

According to a press release by Ministry of National Education, the number of students who passed the exam in the regular session reached 146, 979 out of 484, 780 candidates, and the overall success rate didn’t exceed 37%.

By Loubna Flah

Morocco World News

Casablanca, July 17, 2013

A video showing an Emirati official beating a driver from Asian background with his “agal “and punching him because of a minor traffic accident, went viral on the social media and through mobile software like What’s app.

The Emirati official was arrested in connection with the attack, said Maj Gen Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, deputy chief of Dubai Police. Gen Al Mazeina said the actions shown in the video were not representative of the UAE’s culture and tradition, and that despite the alleged attacker being a government official, “no one is above the law”. Many Emirati condemned the official violent behavior shown in the video on social media. One of them said talking about the official : “He has also brought shame to us all. People will see this video and use it to stereotype Arabs and Emiratis as heartless, racist snobs.” A case has been filed against the Emirati official and further investigations will be conducted today by public prosecutors.

On the other hand many Emirati internet users hailed the police’s firm handling of the matter. “This shows that we do not tolerate such shameful behavior,” said Mariam Nasser. “I just hope that news of his arrest spreads as wide and as fast as the video did.” The UAE penal code stipulates that any assault that does not result in serious injury is punishable by a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of up to Dh10, 000. The family of the arrested official has reportedly filed a case against the man who filmed the incident and uploaded it into YouTube.

The legislation about video sharing in the UAE is rather strict. Under the UAE's cybercrime laws, recording videos in public without the permission of those being filmed is illegal and constitutes defamation.

By Youssef Sourgo

Morocco World News

Casablanca, July 17, 2013

Seven days have now elapsed since the start of Ramadan and Moroccans are criticizing the Moroccan TV programs that are exclusively dedicated to the holy month because they have thwarted their positive expectations. The public has almost blacklisted all Ramadan TV programs, except for a scarce few.

Jar ou Majrour, the Moroccan hidden camera show, seems to top the blacklisted Ramadan TV programs. Analysis videos scrutinizing the tiniest details of the show have turned viral on the net. These videos have unveiled a bitter reality behind this genre of TV Shows in Morocco: most of them are merely fabricated!

In one of the scrutinized episodes of Jar ou Majrour, in which Idriss Roukh, a Moroccan actor, was supposed to be the victim, the victim and entire staff seem to have faked the entire scene. A Moroccan internet user, who posted the recorded episode with added remarks, pinpointed the blatant technical mistakes made by the staff and highlighted the absence of creativity in Moroccan TV this Ramadan, raising the question, “Are we this stupid?”

Hence, Moroccans have become more aware of the content of TV shows they watch. The analytical videos have directed vigilant lenses towards anything broadcasted on Moroccan Channels in Ramadan.

Recently, a Moroccan YouTube Channel posted a video, which was ostensibly shot discretely and from a distance, of a TV staff fabricating a hidden camera scene in the street. The video’s title and notifications claimed that the scene was shot for 2m, and that the hidden camera was allegedly part of the Ramadan hidden camera show, Jar ou Majrour.

In the video, the camera operators seemed to collaborate with the actors, who are supposed to be random victims in the street. The video shows a cameraman directing the scene and asking the actress (so-called victim) to go ahead and start the comedy. The gorilla-disguised guy who was supposed to crop up and scare her had already taken his position awaiting the signal of the cameraman.

Comments on the video ranged from sarcastic remarks to boiling attacks at Moroccan TV. One of the comments read, “Do they think we’re that dumb?”

“I think this is the funniest hidden camera show ever, not because the idea is original or well put together, but rather because it’s a fail, and fails are funny,” read another, more sarcastic comment. Other comments were so offensive towards the content of the video that it would be inappropriate to quote them.

While a segment of Moroccan public opinion focused on the cons of Moroccan TV programs for this Ramadan, another segment shed light on the pros despite their scarcity. Moroccan comic show, “Al Couple”, featuring Moroccan talented comedian Hassan El Fad and Dounia Boutazout, seems to have preserved the last glimmers of hope remaining for Moroccan TV to appeal to its unpleased audience in Ramadan.

Episodes of the hilarious TV duo have flooded the web, and comments of satisfaction and recognition have outnumbered those of criticism and disapproval. Al Couple appears to have granted Moroccans a dose of humor that has substituted the disapproval of other TV shows.

In Al Couple, humor has an idiosyncratic appeal unlike any other comic show designed for the Moroccan public. Most positive impressions result from the simplicity of the dialogue between El Fad and Boutazout, and its laughter-inciting affect on the Moroccan audience. El Fad’s well-known, child-like facial expressions and circular reasoning mingle perfectly with Boutazout’s assertive personality and comic facial expressions.

While each episode of the comic duo barely lasts 3 minutes, this laconic span of time has been enough to elicit the positive impressions of the bulk of Moroccan audience. “My daughter and I can’t stop giggling when El Fad utters a word,” said a Moroccan mother. “He looks hilarious, sounds hilarious…well, everything about him is hilarious,” confirmed her daughter.

One more signal of the success of Al Couple is that some of his gags are now in everyone’s conversations. I myself have heard a number of the jokes, that I personally find myself unconsciously blurting them out.

El Fad’s sense of humor, at least in Al Couple, is based on the probing of banalities and facts taken for granted. His circular reasoning, absurd conclusions and contradictory actions and utterances incite the Moroccan spectator to deploy, what could be named “humorous reasoning”, to decode his gags. After decoding the joke, the spectator enjoys a sense of accomplishment coupled with a dose of humor that eventually result in spontaneous, and sometimes ceaseless, laughter.

Other similar TV Shows lack this appeal to people’s sense of “intelligent humor.” The sensation of a déjà-vu alters a great percentage of the humorous effect on the audience. The predictability of humor has always been its antithesis. El Fad’s jokes and gags in Al Couple reflect a discernible handwork invested in the dialogues between both comedians.

The humorous effect is well calculated in terms of positioning, as each scene in the show ensures to leave the spectator with a dose of humor before transiting to the next scene. What other Moroccan TV Shows have to take into account is the dynamism of the spectator’s intelligence, or I would personally call “TV intelligence.” TV intelligence develops gradually with continuous exposure to TV content.

Hence, TV programmers have to take into consideration the increasing TV intelligence of the Moroccan audience. Creativity is the only way to thwart audiences’ expectations and surprise them. Moroccans need to be challenged in their thoughts and tested in their intelligence, rather than their mental abilities being mocked.

Edited by Allison Kraemer

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy

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