Rabat - The General Directorate for National Security has suspended four security officials after a Range Rover belonging to one of King Mohammed VI's aunts was stolen in Rabat over the weekend.

According to daily newspaper Al Sabah, the luxury Range Rover was parked on the Palmiers Avenue in Hay Riyadh near a shopping center when it was stolen.

Three individuals armed with knives threatened two young women who were onboard before getting away with the car. They are believed to be part of a gang specializing in dismantling luxury cars stolen from the capital and elsewhere across the country before trying to ship them abroad.

The same source said that an investigation into the matter has been launched. The four suspended security officials will appear before a disciplinary committee to determine responsibilities, especially as the carjacking took place within their jurisdiction.

The post Four Security Officials Suspended After Car of King Mohammed VI’s Aunt Was Stolen appeared first on Morocco World News.

By Darren A. Raspa

Warm afternoon breezes blow the rich scent of earth and olive trees across the fertile plains of the Saiss Valley every summer as they have for thousands of years. On its journey between the Atlas and the Atlantic, the heated air brushes past the rolling hills and down the narrow lanes of the holy town of Moulay Idriss nestled at the base of Mount Zerhoun standing sentinel over the valley below. Standing alongside the elevated P7014 road just outside town, one may spy the glint of sunshine reflecting off a collection of crumbling white columns only a few kilometers below. These simple ruins belie a complex past stretching centuries into antiquity and beyond and are the physical remains of a history both rich and varied.

One of the earliest known names for this site was Oualili, the local Amazigh name for the oleander flowers that grow wild on the plateau between the Oued Fertassa and Oued Khoumane upon which the ruins sit. Artifacts uncovered at the site from the late-seventh-century Umayyad conquest of the Maghreb refer to the town as Walila, and later sources label it as “Ksar Faraoun”—the Castle of the Pharaohs. However, it is the region’s indomitable conquerors, the Romans, whose distorted name for the site—Volubilis—that most commonly remains with us to this day.

However, the Romans were by no means the first inhabitants of the site. Across the millennia, the Amazigh, who themselves have lived in the region for thousands of years, have been visited alternately by conquerors of Carthaginian and Phoenician origins as far back as the third century bce, and the warlord leaders of neighboring Maghrebi tribes before that. Indeed, the archeological record indicates that the fertile land and strategic position of the site have drawn people to its location as far back as the Neolithic period some ten thousand years ago.

The Carthaginians and Phoenicians were skilled at utilizing the entrenched class stratification of the local peoples to their strategic advantage, but it is the Romans who raised this skill to an imperial, if insidious, fine art. Many local rulers near Oualili were able to keep the iron talons of the empire of the Seven Hills along the Tiber at bay, brave leaders like the Numidian King Jugurtha. After the mighty Jugurtha was captured by the Roman Republic’s General Sulla in 106 bce and starved to death in Rome’s Tullianum prison over the next two years, the ruling class of the Amazigh kingdom of Mauretania quickly saw the advantages of alliance with the invaders.

Perhaps one of the most noteworthy of these local rulers was the Numidian prince Juba II. This son of the Numdian king Juba I was born in Africa but, for reasons of imperial strategy and state-making, raised amid the cool marble and whispering fountains of Emperor Augustus’s personal palace. Indeed, the young Juba claimed to remember the trumpet blasts of cavalry horns and war elephants and the scent of incense and sweat on the day he was paraded as a boy by praetorian guards before the throngs of eager plebs assembled to witness Julius Caesar’s African triumph in Rome.

Juba, perhaps with little choice, eagerly took to the culture of his pseudo-captors. The young prince embraced with equal enthusiasm the bride his benefactor, Emperor Augustus, selected for him. As fate had it, his bride was also an orphan of empires much like himself, a beautiful young woman by the name of Silene or, more formerly, Cleopatra Selenus— the daughter of the ill-fated lovers Cleopatra VII Philopator of Egypt and Roman general Marcus Antonius, who chose death rather than life under the yoke of Augustus, who annihilated their meager force during the Battle of Actium in 30 bce.

Five years later Emperor Augustus perceived correctly that his young pupil and vassal was ready to be delivered back unto to the land of his birth in North Africa, and there he returned with his wife to rule as king of Mauretania at the capital of Caesarea in what is now Algeria. It was under Cleopatra and Juba’s reign in the region that Volubilis thrived from the production of olive oil for the empire yielded from the many groves that covered the valley. The Roman town would continue to expand in both dividends and infrastructure in the ensuing years of Juba’s reign, but fate would not serve Juba’s son and heir as kindly. In 40 ce after a parade in Rome honoring the deceased King Juba’s son, Ptolemy, his cousin, the maniacal Emperor Caligula, had the young Mauretanian despot murdered.

The independent Amazigh kingdom was thus no more, and the revolt that followed led by Ptolemy’s freed slave was viciously crushed. Mauretnia was divided in twain, with Mauretania Caesariensis in the east with its capital at Caesarea, and Mauretania Tingitana to the west, with its capital at Tingi, or Tangiers. Volubilis in Mauretania Tingitana, well-versed in the power of the most powerful of Latin tribes, remained allied with Rome, and thus allowed to continue as a successful and productive Roman municipium. Under the protection of five forts (and a savvy alliance with the neighboring Amazigh Baquates tribe) Volubilis flourished for decades.

The reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the second century saw sturdy city walls erected, as well as eight monumental gates flanked by towers. The town at the crossroads of Roman and Berber power further expanded under the emperor (and native of North Africa) Septimius Severus and his heirs, when a new monumental center was established in the town. The growth of Volubilis continued under Emperor Macrinus in the third century with the construction of the civil basilica, reorganized Forum, and Capitoline temple, still partially intact today. The similarly intact Arch of Triumph is dated to Emperor Caracalla, who granted the town’s residents Roman citizenship and removed the burden of taxation.

The town began to decline economically in 285 under Diocletian, when the Roman army, feeling the stress of an aging empire, pulled out of the southern reaches of Mauretania Tingitana. Thereafter the town would become home to a mixture of peoples of Amazigh, Italianate, Romano-Berber, and Levantine Jewish and Christian descent.

It was during this period in the middle centuries of the first millennium ce that the name of Volubilis, the city of oleander flowers, was returned to Walila, and it was here in 788 that Moulay Idriss I—Arab protector of the Prophet Muhammed’s (Peace be upon him) great-great- grandson, Husayn—fled from the Abbasids, bringing Islam to and taking refuge among the town’s multiethnic populace. Before his assassination a few years later, Idriss would go on to found the town that carries his name using portions of the ruins of the decaying Roman town. Moulay Idriss would also found a city along the Jawhar River that took its name from the old Berber word for the Middle Atlas, Fazaz. Idriss called it Madinat Fas—today, we know it as Fez.

Vanished from time are the horizon-spanning states of Carthage, Phoenicia, and Rome. But as the setting sun of late spring dapples the fields beside a winding road below a holy town on the plains of Saiss with blood orange light, the marble knees may buckle but the grand crown of history remains held high amid the ruins of a town with many times but one remarkable past. I encourage you to visit the remains of the city amid the blooming oleander flowers at sunset and discover its past for yourself today.

Darren A. Raspa is a writer, historian, editor, and instructor at the University of New Mexico in the United States. He has lived and travelled extensively in the kingdom of Morocco while studying at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. He is a contributing historical editor for Morocco World News.

The post Sunset in the City of Oleanders: The Singular Past of Volubilis appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat - On Wednesday, Al Akhbar daily newspaper told the story of a Moroccan who was assigned boy at birth based on his genitalia but later decided to come out as transgender.

Adil Bourichi was born a man, but struggled with gender issues throughout his life. The 37-year-old university professor from the city of Kenitra had a gender reassignment surgery in the United States. As a child growing up in Sidi Kacem, Adil, who has now changed his name to Fadwa, loved playing with dolls instead of kicking a ball like the rest of his peers.

According to the newspaper, Adil/Fadwa admitted that his family has had difficulty accepting the fact that he had undergone a sex changing procedure to appear as a woman. In 2006, he was forced to cancel plans to undergo the gender reassignment surgery after it was deemed a health risk. Six years later he finally had the surgery in Florida, the United States in 2012.

He was married in 2009 under pressure from his family and friends. He is a father to a girl. However, the professor admitted having had sex with men in Morocco and abroad.

Besides his transgender journey, Adil has also decided to convert to Christianity, a choice he said stems from his desire to be closer to God.

The post Adil, Story of a Moroccan Transgender Who Became Christian appeared first on Morocco World News.

 Rabat- The Moroccan Air Force has reportedly sent special forces units to Yemen in search of the missing F-16 pilot after his aircraft  crashed last Sunday.

Although the Iran-backed Shia Houthi rebels in northern Yemen released the first images of what is said to be the corpse of Moroccan pilot, the death of the pilot has not officially been confirmed.

According to the Moroccan daily Al Massae, an investigation was under way by special forces into the whereabouts of the missing jet.

The same source said that the Army General Bouchaib Arroub has been ordered to personally supervise the mission in Yemen.

Amid the uncertain environment surrounding the case, some reports allege that a Sunni Yemeni tribe in support of the Saudi-led coalition is holding the pilot.

The father of Yassine Bahti, the missing pilot, told Al Arabiya News on Tuesday that “photos alleging to show his son’s body were not of him.”

“As a father, I have great hope that he will return to [us]. Our morale is high and in the end, we accept God’s predestination,” the father said.

The post Moroccan Special Forces to search for Missing Pilot in Yemen appeared first on Morocco World News.

Fez-The Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training has announced new modifications to its rules for teacher rotations in the 2014-2015 school year.

The ministry of education and vocational training announced on its official web site that it is introducing amendments to its rules for rotation of teachers. The reforms are being implemented after a series of consultations with stakeholders regarding recommendations resulting from a study day on teacher rotations held by the Ministry in December 2014.

These changes prioritize applications for family reunification received from applicants who have spent 20 years or more in their current positions.

Second priority is given to teachers who have spent 12 years in their current position.

The new reforms will allow teachers of primary school to apply for rotation after three years in their current position or after two years for those seeking family reunification.

High school teachers who pass vocational entry exams for promotion based on their university degrees are also permitted to participate in rotation if they have spent three years in their current position.

To guarantee equal opportunities, previous teachers of primary school who graduated from regional centers of education and vocational training professions and affected as teachers of middle school or high school teachers, outside their delegation of origin and who wish to return to it will also be allowed to participate in rotations as long as they have spent at least one school year in their current position.

The Ministry will issue further communiques setting the dates for the procedures governing the remaining rotations.

The post Ministry of Education: Married Couples to Receive Priority in Teacher Rotations appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat - The Moroccan pilot whose F-16 warplane crashed in northern Yemen is reportedly alive and under protection of a Sunni tribe, according to news site Rassd.

A lieutenant from the Saudi-led coalition told the Yemeni website that 26-year-old Air Force Lieutenant Yassine Bohti Moroccan is in safe hands with the Hamdan tribes allied to the Arab coalition in Ma'rib.

Following the crash of the Moroccan F-16, a special Moroccan commando and a squadron of radar-equipped F-16 warplanes have been reportedly deployed to Yemen to help with the search effort.

Brigadier General Ahmed Al-Assiri from the Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels in Yemen said on Tuesday that a technical fault or human error might of have caused the crash of the Moroccan F-16 warplane.

"We are definitely sure it was not shot down,” Al-Assiri told Agence France Press, adding that the Moroccan pilot was part of a formation and other fighter jets [which] “did not notice any firing from the ground."

The Iran-backed Houthis had claimed responsibility for the “downing” of the Moroccan warplane last weekend in the Saada region in the north of the country.

On Monday morning, the Royal Armed Forces said in a statement they had lost track of one of the F-16s made at the disposal of the coalition led by Saudi Arabia to restore the legitimacy in Yemen.

The post Moroccan Pilot in Yemen is Alive: Yemeni Source appeared first on Morocco World News.

Taroudant - Australian model Jessica Gomes posted on Instagram photos of herself relaxing at the beautiful Jnane Tamsna, a hotel in the Moroccan city of Marrakech.

Jessica appears wearing a white bathrobe with a statement that reads, “Woke up in the most heavenly place I've ever been to. @jnanetamsna @theluxenomad I can hear the birds singing & the smell of lavender.”

A photo posted by Jessica Gomes (@iamjessicagomes) on May 10, 2015 at 1:35am PDT

Gomes posed with Meryanne Loum-Martin, the owner of the Jnane Tamsna where the model spent her “unforgettable” holiday. The Australian model seems to have enjoyed her stay in Marrakech to the point of calling it her “home away from home”

Thank you @loum_martin so much for having me at your stunning hotel & home @jnanetamsna & to @steph_chai @theluxenomad it has been unforgettable & for sure will be my home away from home! I'll be back Morocco! Xx

A photo posted by Jessica Gomes (@iamjessicagomes) on May 12, 2015 at 7:14am PDT

"'It has been unforgettable & for sure will be my home away from home! I'll be back Morocco! Xx," sh wrote in an Instagram post,

The model posed on a Moroccan rug apparently in a store for traditional rugs and carpets.

In another snap, she posted a photo of a waiter pouring skilfully mint tea in the very Moroccan way.

A photo posted by Jessica Gomes (@iamjessicagomes) on May 11, 2015 at 7:15am PDT

During her stay at Jnane Tamsna, she explored the beauty of Moroccan Riyads and particularly doors.

Discovering all the beautiful door ways at the @jnanetamsna!

A photo posted by Jessica Gomes (@iamjessicagomes) on May 11, 2015 at 3:06am PDT

The Australian model didn’t miss the chance to visit the famous Majorelle Garden in Marrakech.

A photo posted by Jessica Gomes (@iamjessicagomes) on May 10, 2015 at 3:10am PDT

Created by the French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962), the Majorelle Garden is a twelve-acre botanical garden and artist’s landscape in Marrakech. It is has become of the best tourist attractions of the ochre city.

The post Photos of Jessica Gomes in Her ‘Second Home’ Marrakech appeared first on Morocco World News.

By Halima El Joundi

Stockholm- Next Thursday, the 21st of May, the world will celebrate the Day for Cultural Diversity, Dialogue, and Development. Mark your calendars! Or don’t, there will probably be no celebrations at all here in Morocco.

But if there are any – and that’s only wishful thinking - It is going to be either a conference discussing whether elementary schooling should be in Darija - as if it was in Classical Arabic in the first place – a Talk Show about the Moroccan Identity Crisis, and who came first: the Egg or the Chicken. And, with any luck, a televised musical soirée to wash away our differences through some hard culturally diversified partying.

I truly have nothing against partying or Darija or the Chicken, but sometimes it is simply frustrating how reductive we can be with such great concepts, skillfully stripping away any significance and killing their potential, by simply looking at things the wrong way. And boy, aren’t we good at it?

One of the earliest mottos of the United States dates back to the 18th century, and is still present today on its Seal. It is the phrase: “E pluribus unum”, which could be translated from Latin as “Out of many, comes one”.

The very existence of this One Identity is dependent upon the acknowledgment of and thrives on all the other distinct, dissimilar, and sometimes even opposing identities. Like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, they don’t look alike, but they must fit together to complete the picture: the more singular the pieces are, the more challenging the game is, but the more spectacular the results can be.

No wonder some of the most innovative nations in the world are those known to be culturally diverse. They have what they call in business a Diversity Advantage.

In Morocco we are culturally diverse. This is a fact. Just look at the food, the music, the clothing, the architecture, and nearly every single aspect of what makes home, home as we know it. But stating facts won’t help us. We need to acknowledge, respect, and believe in diversity’s potential for positive change, and most importantly, we need to act on it.

Keeping the fire of ethnic rivalry burning and holding grudges against languages, regions, cities, and neighborhoods won’t help, let alone the fact that it is ignorant and pathetic.

Above all, know that being culturally diverse is not a matter of the past. It is unfolding before our eyes with the arrival of the newcomers from the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, who, either compulsively or electively, temporarily or permanently, have decided to make Morocco their home. Like it or not, they are new pieces in the puzzle.

So, next time a nasty comment comes to you, just bite your tongue and remind yourself: E pluribus unum!

The post Morocco and the Diversity Advantage appeared first on Morocco World News.

By Zineb El Mechrafi

Boston- The press service of the General Inspection of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) on Wednesday has finally concluded that there is no concrete proof of the death of the pilot Yassine Bahri.

Two days after the announcement of the disappearance of the Moroccan F-16 jet in Yemen, the whereabouts of pilot Yassine Bahti remain a profound mystery. An analysis of multiple sources has demonstrated that efforts have been made to manipulate the story behind the crash by sharing false images on social media, according to a statement made by the Royal Armed Forces. The images published on social media and websites of the pilot is “unacceptable and irresponsible”, since they might endanger his life by making him a noticeable target.

The Bahti family and the rest of the nation are desperately hoping that Yassine has survived and will return to his motherland. The newspaper Akhbar Al Yaoum has revealed that Yassine’s father, Noureddine Bahti, has received a call from officials informing him that they are still trying to locate his son and that they will keep updating him throughout the development of the story.

His father later revealed that he learned the tragic news from Yassine’s friend the day after the incident. He told Akhbar Al Yaoum: “My son’s friend called me on the phone on Monday and has informed me that a jet has crashed in Yemen and that it was likely my son was involved in it.”

The enigma continues to be the main subject of discussion, as the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) have not yet confirmed the death of the pilot. Al Massae reported that a representative of the Royal Armed Forces said: “Even though the Houthis have instantly taken responsibility for shooting the jet, nothing is certain until the body is recovered.”

Many Moroccan citizens have expressed their sincere empathy toward the family of the pilot, and are praising him for being a “hero” and “the pride” of the nation. Many are praying for his safety and well being, as he undoubtedly demonstrated a remarkable act of courage.

A Moroccan F-16 taking part in a Saudi led strike against the Shiite rebels was shot down on Sunday, only a day before a five-day humanitarian cease-fire was set to begin and a United Nations envoy was to arrive to settle the conflict and promote peace in the area.

The post Uncertainty on the Fate of Moroccan Pilot Yassine Bahti appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat - Renault's subsidiary Dacia is by far the most popular automotive brand in Morocco.

According to the Association of car importers in Morocco (AIVAM), Dacia sold 11,719 units in the first quarter of 2015, affirming the company's position as the most popular car brand in the country.

The car brand that has won hearts of thousands of Moroccans mainly for its affordability sold 3,348 units in April. The Romanian car manufacturer now a subsidiary of the French car manufacturer Renault attained a 32 per cent share of the automotive market in Morocco.

The South Korean motor company Hyundai comes in second place with a total 800 units sold in April, while American automaker Ford sold 765 units during the same period.

The post Dacia, Most Popular Car Brand in Morocco appeared first on Morocco World News.

New York - After fifteen years of nations pursuing the Millennium Development Goals established by the United Nations, representatives of the member states, along with experts and private citizens, have defined Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to help set the course for the next fifteen years.

All told seventeen goals have been developed which together aim to end poverty and hunger; ensure access to health and education for all; achieve gender equality as well as greater equality between individuals and nations; and protect the environment, combat climate change and promote sustainable growth.

One critical SDG involves the strengthening of the means by which nations can implement the overall vision. Is there proven methodology that member states can consider and adopt in this regard, even as the challenges and opportunities they face are as diverse as humanity itself?  We suggest four specific factors that are applicable in this case.

First, we know from decades of global project development evaluations that people’s participation from design to evaluation is the primary factor in determining whether sustainability will be achieved. In order to promote effective community participation, an administrative system that is decentralized will empower local populations to make decisions and assume responsibility for implementing the social change they seek. Since sustainable development is a reflection of the extent to which people own their particular development process, it follows that institutionalizing local open spaces so that people can come together and build partnerships and shared action plans is of paramount importance in achieving the SDGs.

A fortuitous occurrence is that in global terms decentralization is on the rise, albeit for different reasons in different countries.  In a number of Arab Spring nations, for example, the promotion of human development and popular empowerment is - rightfully - part of a calculated attempt to avoid political instability.

A second necessary measure at the national level is capacity building among stakeholders to advance projects that achieve the SDGs. Specifically, there is a critical role to be performed by facilitators of local community meetings and dialogue in order to promote participation. Trained facilitators help to ensure that all voices are represented and heard. Further, they are aware of pre-existing power relationships and how to engage with these so as to guide a development process in a manner that is broadly based and just.

Third, it would be helpful if measures for sustainable implementation were described in culturally relative terms. In many societies the enduring precepts of people’s participation in communal life leading to sustainable societies are informed fundamentally by Islam. Integrated Islamic and developmental concepts include shura, itself the practice of participation and consultation; ummah is the global integration of individuals and groups with rights to solidarities and part of humanity as a whole (decentralization); baya in Islamic tradition holds leaders accountable; and tawhidi society is one that recognizes the indivisibility of mankind. Ensuring that participation and decentralization are explained in Islamic, rather than Western, terms would allow Muslim people to see their own outlook and values fully present and incorporated in the steps needed to implement the SDGs.

Developmental concepts are also present in the Biblical story of creation. “And God said, “Let us make Man in our image, after our likeness…” What is meant by us? Jewish Sages recording a tradition dating back at least two thousand years explain that God included the angels in the decision to create humanity in order avoid conflict between the angels and humankind (by being part of the decision, angels accepted the outcome). God in effect created the blueprint for consulting with others before embarking upon initiatives. Only then did God create humankind who – by virtue of being formed in the Divine image – are enjoined to follow the Divine example.

Finally, policy development embarked upon by nations in order to achieve the SDGs, occurs sustainably and most suitably as local participatory processes unfold and light is shed naturally upon policy opportunities that promote sustainable development.   People’s participation in a sense tests the social system. In this way for example, restrictions to the growth of civil society are clarified and the necessary roles that could be played by public agencies, in order to bring to fruition projects determined by local communities, may be defined in greater detail. In sum, the most effective policy development emerges from lessons gained from the experience of community participation in development.

In the same way as laws and policies to advance the human condition, the SDGs find their efficacy only in their processes of implementation.  Indeed, in development and social processes generally, the means are the ends (or at least they determine them to a large extent). While there are no absolute preconditions to sustainable human development there are undoubtedly conditions conducive to such development. Enabling local communities to plan and implement their future in an empowering decentralized environment is a recipe for success on an historic scale in this respect.

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

The post Implementing the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat - Morocco said it was hopeful to find 26-year-old Air Force pilot Yassine Bahti alive after his F-16 crashed while on a mission for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the “downing” of the Moroccan warplane last weekend in the Saada region in the north of the country.

Rebel news channel Al-Massirah has shown debris of what appears to be a plane with a Moroccan flag on its flags and other gruesome images of a body in the wreckage.

However, the Royal Armed Forces denied the rebels' claims saying there was no evidence to support "the theory of the pilot's death."

"Analysis of the photos and images relayed by websites and social networks showed that it might be a montage," the FAR said in a statement quoted by the MAP news agency.

"The search continues by various means, and in the absence of tangible proof, the hope of finding the pilot alive remains our major concern," the FAR added.

The Moroccan Air Force has reportedly sent Special Forces units to Yemen in search of the missing F-16 pilot. Army General Bouchaib Arroub has also been ordered to personally supervise the mission in Yemen.

The pilot's family, who live in Casablanca, hoped he was alive.

"I hope my son is alive and will return to his native land as soon as possible," his father Nordine Bahti, told AFP.

“As a father, I have great hope that he will return to [us]. Our morale is high and in the end, we accept God’s predestination,” the father was quoted by Al Arabiya as saying.

The post Morocco Hopeful Its Air Force Pilot Is Alive appeared first on Morocco World News.

By Mohammed Azaouibaa                                                                            

Rabat - It goes without saying that teaching is the noblest profession in the world. Teachers, as a result, are glorified and given great care and attention in many cultures for the great and noble role they play in educating future generations and the growing citizens of tomorrow.

The responsibility that is placed on the shoulders of teachers, however, is a heavy burden that very few teachers manage to take as seriously as it should be. As their profession entails, teachers are increasingly called upon to promote leadership in the classroom and foster student-leaders with certain competencies and standards that will enable them to compete in the real world. As a teacher-leader, I can say that there are many ways in which one can promote leadership in his or her students.

The concept of leadership has always been a controversial issue that has caused and is still causing debates and controversy among scholars. It has always been a fuzzy concept, and all attempts to define it have been tentative. However, it is necessary to highlight the characteristics of a successful teacher-leader and bring to the surface the roles that are assigned to him or her so as to promote leadership in the classroom.

To begin with, a teacher who sees his or herself as a leader should try to keep a balance between what is theoretical and what is practical inside the classroom. That is to say, he or she should try always to provide his or her students with the theoretical background of a certain topic, and later have them practice with that topic in realistic situations. In this way, students can make sense of what they are learning and retain it for a lifetime, rather than learning only for exams.

One of the most essential aspects that a teacher should possess is critical thinking. A teacher with no critical thinking skills is going to instil in his or her students laziness, dependence on others, and a tendency to believe anything they read or watch. Therefore, these students are going to be vulnerable to mass media and its agenda. Thus, a teacher should promote in his or her students the skill of critical thinking by challenging students with difficult situations and providing them with the time and space to overcome these challenges on their own.

Believing in students’ abilities and capacities is one of the most important characteristics of a teacher-leader. It is necessary for a teacher-leader to regard his or her students as active and free individuals who are able to take up responsibilities on their own and make a difference in their societies. Moreover, the teacher-leader is required to develop in his or her students the habit of giving feedback and thinking critically about what they are studying, and also evaluate their progress by themselves.

Finally, despite all the difficulties that teachers face in their jobs, there are many ways in which a teacher-leader can positively influence his or her students and instil in them the spirit of challenge and the sense of citizenship that will enable them to become leaders, on their part, who can contribute to the development of their society.

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

The post Leadership within Moroccan ELT Classrooms appeared first on Morocco World News.

El Jadida - Historically, Ashura does not belong to the solar agrarian calendar. It is held on the tenth of Muharram in the lunar calendar which commenced to be used in 638 CE when Umar b. al-Khattab conferred with his advisors on the starting date of the Islamic Year and it was agreed that the date of the migration (hijra) of the Prophet to Medina would be taken as the big event and appropriate reference point to start the Muslim chronology. Muslims did as their neighbouring societies living in Arabia, the Jews for instance, whose calendar was reckoned from the big event of the exodus marking the deliverance of the Israelites from bondage and their safe passage through the sea of Reeds. The Muslims like the Jews seemed to be influenced by the Sumero- Babylonian calendar based on the recurrence of lunar cycles. Those lunar years like their solar counterparts were hallowed by observed beginnings.

It seems that Muslims were also influenced by the Jews in legitimizing Ashura as a New Year festival similar to Yom Kippur. In fact, Ashura coincides in timing with Yom Kippur. The latter occurs on the tenth of the first month of the lunisolar Jewish calendar. Besides, the Prophetic tradition confirms that the Prophet met the Jews in Medina fasting on Ashura and asked them about it. “They told him that the day was a great day since God saved Moses from his enemy. The Prophet replied that he was much closer to Moses than the Jews and so decreed to his disciples to fast on that holy day” (as cited in al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud).

The Muslims like the Jews developed their calendar with new year ceremonies reminiscent of the Jewish Rosh Hashanah on the first day of Tishri and Yom Kippur on the tenth of the same month. Was there any resemblance between Ashura and Yom Kippur in practice though the theory of borrowing is unexciting in this context? The end-of-the-year festivals are culturally practiced worldwide and Ashura could have even existed for Quraysh under a different appellation as an annual celebration commemorating the end-beginning transition of the year, especially if the Prophetic tradition confirms that Mohammed fasted on such day in Mecca before revelation.

Ashura and Yom Kippur are opportunities during which people seek penitence and forgiveness. For Muslims, Ashura is a fasting day during which people have to reconcile with their friends, neighbors, families and the dead, and supplicate God to relieve their sins. Similarly, Yom Kippur is a fasting day full of penitence and forgiveness services. In the Jewish tradition, Yom Kippur is considered the date on which Moses completed his instructions from God, and the Israelites were granted reconciliation for the sin of the Golden Calf, and so its designation as the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur is a celebration during which the Jews purify themselves and their temples from the accumulating impurities of the old year and welcome the new year morally clean. The scapegoat symbolically loaded with the Jews’ sins and thrown in the wilderness to die and hence to rid the nation of its inequities is a symbolic purifying ritual by the use of sacrifice. Ashura and Yom Kippur therefore share a lot of affinities as new year purifying rituals, a reason why Moroccan Jews used to observe Yom Kippur on the occasion of Ashura.

Ashura in Orthodox Islam is a new year ritual par-excellence. A close reading of the stories yarned round the ritual and recorded in ulema’s archives may lead to the conclusion that the ritual is a symbolic act of the beginning of a new era, which concurs with the spirit of the New Year festivals. It is believed among Muslims that God created the cosmos, Adam and Paradise on that holy day. God also made Adam enter Paradise and forgave him. Abraham was also born and was then saved from Fire. Jesus Christ was born and then lifted to heaven on the same day. The Jews were also saved from their enemy. Such great sacred events evince transition in the life-cycle of the community. It is the end of one state of being and beginning of another. This may be juxtaposed to the transition that occurs in the cycle changes of nature for the period of which the vegetation undergoes parallel weather vicissitudes of life, death and rebirth.

Ashura, the Meccan ceremony, once marked by the New Year spirit of fasting and penitence, would undergo a turning point in its historical trajectory as a result of the murder of the Prophet’s grandson al-Husayn, slayed by Yazid b. Mu‘awiya in Karbala’ on an Ashura day in 680 CE. It was a real tragedy commemorated by Shiite communities in sorrow, mourning and lamentation. Sunni communities have kept faithful to the abstaining spirit of Ashura and considered the Shiite celebrations as heterodox for the reason that Islam prohibits the commemoration of death even if it is that of Prophets.

The Shiites observe Ashura in mourning and woe for the death of al-Husayn. In Iran, as Gobineau observes, the whole nation turns into mourning for ten days starting from the first of muharram. The King, ministers, civil servants, and the rest of the population wear black dress and enter a period of mourning. Condolence gatherings (majalis ta‘ziya) are held to echo the atmosphere of death. Researchers speak of the existence of a commodified culture of Ashura especially in Iran and Lebanon. Condolence gatherings recruit a number of actors and skillful reciters performing the sacred drama of al-Husayn’s martyrdom composed of narration, pantomime, lamenting poetry, texts stirring intensive emotions, and the practice of flagellation.

The Shiite influence migrated to wherever there were Muslims. In Morocco, Shiism grew with the first Berber converts who discovered in Shiism and Kharijism some guarantee for the survival of the Berber identity. Because the Arab conquerors treated the Islamized Berbers as second-class Muslims and exposed them to heavy taxation, slavery, and social segregation, Berber leaders advocated Kharijism that puts Muslims on equal footing irrespective of race, or color, and insists on piety as a requirement for being the commander of the faithful in the Muslim community, which indeed manured the ground for the Berbers to participate in Islamic politics.

Berbers also advocated Shiism that insisted on the leadership of the Prophet’s lineage (ahl-al-bayt), which would cut the way on oligarchs of Arab origins to enslave the non-Arab populations. It was with the arrival of the Idrissids (788-974) that sympathies with Imami Shiism spread in some regions in Morocco. They were the first sharifian dynasty that incorporated both Arabs and Berbers. Prophetic lineage would be established as the basic requirement for monarchic rule, since every dynasty which has ruled afterwards—with the exception of the Almoravids and Almohads—has claimed its descent from the Prophet.

During the Almoravid period, Moroccans embraced the Malakite School and adhered to a Sunni Islam. Yet, some of the Shiite aspects have been retained. The celebration of the Prophet’s birthday (al-Mawlid), a Shiite custom ushered during the Marinid epoch has become a Moroccan national celebration. The veneration of the shurfa has been established as a deep-rooted custom with the spread of sharifian mysticism and the belief in the shurfa’s baraka. The invocations of intercession addressed to the Prophet and his daughter Fatima have been chanted in Sufi litanies and even intermingled with Moroccans’ everyday language. The commemoration of Ashura in mourning ceremonies has also been observed especially in sanctuaries and among sharifian communities. For Shiites, Ashura commemorates the death of al-Husayn, and is observed in ritual physical pain. It is a day of mourning and expression of strong emotions reflecting the agony Muslims felt on the rebound of the murder of al-Husayn.

Commonly, the Shiites observe Ashura in mourning and woe, in ritual physical pain for the death of al-Husayn. The custom has generally been incorporated in the construction of masculinity within Shiite communities everywhere. It revitalizes the concept of martyrdom incarnated in al-Husayn whose persona is elevated to the model of courage and resistance against tyranny. Thus, the celebration of Ashura involves self-flagellation of the male Shiites who inflict pain on their bodies to the rhythm of a chant in a sadomasochistic ritual of masculinity to attain a manly disregard of pain.

The Shiite influence might have been transferred in general to the practices of Sufi orders in Morocco such as Hamadsha, followers of Sidi Ali b. ?amdush in Meknes, whose adepts go in extravagant public exhibitions wherein they chop their heads and flagellate themselves, and to ‘Isawa, another maraboutic order following al-Hadi b. ‘Isa also in Meknes, whose adepts perform varied rites of self-flagellation, including eating spiny cactus and raw, freshly sacrificed, sheep. Such rites are performed by members of the Riff-raff like in the past when “. . . craftsmen of every sort, cobblers, blacksmiths, soldiers, charcoal sellers, coarse country folk from the Gharb and Sais Plains, uncouth highlanders from the Rif and Zerhoun, in short, the rabble” (Brunel 1926, 51-2) participated in the ceremony.

Until now, similar social groups of underclass maraboutic adepts from peasants, small dealers, roaming sellers to hand laborers of every kind are widespread in Morocco. Their coarser ways serve the needs of the lower uneducated strata in society. Self-flagellation does not only offer those subalterns a test of masculinity but may also fulfill their desire for “magical emancipation” from the contingencies of social life.

In sum, Ashura, the tenth of the first month of the Islamic New Year, has been observed in Mainstream Islam in a way totally different from what people think about the New Year in other cultures. Instead of considering the New Year’s as a day of drinking and dancing, Muslims have followed the tradition of their Prophet and seized the opportunity to spiritually observe the day in fasting and repentance. Like the Jews on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Muslims spend much of the day in prayers going to mosques and cemeteries, and thinking that every soul stands to be examined by God in a trial for its actions of the past year. To further purify themselves, they visit friends and relatives and abstain from the pleasures of life, all in an attempt to supplicate Allah to forgive their wrongdoings and offer them another chance to do better the coming year.

Photo courtesy: Iman Belhaj 

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

The post Ashura in Mainstream Islam appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat- Moroccan researcher Adnane Remmal was announced winner of the 2015 Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) which includes US$100 000 cash prize, according to the African Press Organization (APO).

In a ceremony hosted by the African Innovation Foundation (AIF) in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry, Trade, Investment and Digital Economy in Skhirat, Remmal was awarded the Innovation Prize for Africa in recognition of his research that provides solutions to farmers to improve livestock production whilst taking into account consumer health needs.

Remmal impressed the expert panel of judges, competing with 10 innovations spanning the health, environment, technology and agricultural sectors.

He developed an anti-microbial formula that will reduce health hazards in livestock, preventing the transmission of multi-resistant germs and carcinogens to human being through consumption of milk, eggs and meat.

On the occasion, Remmal said: "My innovation provides farmers with solutions to improve their production; it is cost effective and can be easily adopted, giving farmers increased benefits without the side effects of anti-biotics."

Alex Mwaura Muriu of Kenya won the Second Prize, and Lesley Erica Scott from South Africa was awarded the Special Prize for Social Impact, receiving US$25 000 respectively.

The IPA 2015 Awards ceremony was attended by more than 400 people that included high level African dignitaries, ministers, ambassadors, AIF partners, past IPA winners, venture capitalists, innovators, entrepreneurs, local and international media, and young people.

Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

The post Moroccan Researcher Wins 2015 Innovation Prize for Africa appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat- An Italian medical assistant, who is believed to have contracted Ebola in Sierra Leon, arrived in Italy via Morocco’s Casablanca airport.

According to media reports, the Italian had volunteered with a treatment center in Ebola-stricken Sierra Leon before returning to his country via Casablanca on May 7th.

The same source said the patient was put in isolation for three days after he was diagnosed with the Ebola virus. He was transferred in a military plane from the city of Sassari to the capital Rome.

Passengers on the flight the Italian medical assistant was on from Casablanca to Italy were assured that the patient had only shown Ebola-like symptoms 72 hours after the trip.

Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

The post Italian Nurse Who Traveled Via Casablanca Tested With Ebola appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat- A man who was attempting to rob two girls in Casablanca was shot and wounded by police Thursday after he pulled a knife and tried to attack the police.

According to news website Al Yaoum 24, police fired warning shots after the man started swinging the knife at them. As he was trying to attack them with his knife, they fired another shot striking him in the leg.

The man was hospitalized with a gunshot wound in his leg.

Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission

The post Casablanca police Shoot Man Who Was Assaulting a Woman with His knife appeared first on Morocco World News.

New York

Sura 114

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, I seek refuge in the Lord of people, The King of people, The God of people, From the evil whisperings of the sneaking whisperer; Who whispers into the hearts of people, From among jinn and people.

The last chapter of the Quran, Surat An-Nas, is a protection sura that I love very much. It is seven verses long and each of them is enormously powerful if we reflect upon its meaning deeply and regularly, personally connecting it to our lives. I use this sura to ask God to safeguard me from codependency and help me avoid putting human beings on a pedestal.

Codependency, writes Melodie Beattie in “Codependent No More,” “is a dependency on people—on their moods, behaviors, sickness or well-being, and their love. It is a paradoxical dependency. Codependents appear to be depended upon, but they are dependent. They look strong but feel helpless. They appear controlling but in reality are controlled themselves…”

In this unhealthy psychological condition, a person becomes addicted to another, lacks boundaries in relationships, is unable to tell where his own person ends and the other begins, and feels that without this person he or she would fall apart and life would have no meaning. In codependency, life is lived to please others and their approval or disapproval determines the codependent’s self-worth and happiness.

Codependents give away their power to others, essentially worshipping people. They are unable to grasp the fact that the source of happiness is within us and can never be found elsewhere. In Islam, worshipping false idols, i.e., anything other than God, is the biggest sin, and there is deep wisdom in this. Islam seeks to protect our overall well-being and when we worship people or objects we suffer tremendously and live miserable, anxiety-ridden lives that are far from the peace that is possible for us.

Surat An-Nas encapsulates the central tenet of Islam: there is no God but God. What does this mean in practical terms? It means that no thing, no person, no job, no financial situation, no government, nothing in this world has power over us, only God does. This principle is tremendously empowering and the key to inner strength and peace. We submit to God only and by doing so, we are free, we are never slaves to other human beings or to false gods, such as money or fame.

When we internalize this principle, we live grounded in God and therefore in our higher selves. We live in deep peace, rather than chasing people, wealth, celebrity, entertainment, intoxicants, or disturbed by external events.

I suffered from codependency in the past and know many people who do. Surat An-Nas is my shield against it. You can use this sura as protection from anything you struggle with. For instance, if you tend to make money the central focus of your life and spend most hours of your day preoccupied by finances or working an excessive number of hours to accumulate money, you are essentially worshipping wealth. Reflecting upon this sura, saying each verse with concentration and meaning will help you overcome this condition and find peace.

Surat An-Nas taught me reliance on God, as opposed to reliance on people, by making me trust my own intuitions as coming from God. I use it for protection from self-doubt, fear and self-criticism because these are “evil whisperings” that lead to paralysis and to waste one’s potential, faculties and talents. It is also a refuge from inferior ideas that come into the heart from the external influences of the society at large.

When negativity comes, and it often does, I recognize it immediately as a “whispering.” Hence, I do not pay attention to it. I observe it the way I would observe a cloud passing by. I let it go and replace it with a short prayer followed by the opposite positive statement about myself. For instance, if the “whispering” tells me I am a failure, I tell myself that God wants me to succeed, He is helping me at all times, and I ask for God’s help by reciting this sura or simply praying for assistance. I then bring into my mind a major success I attained in the past that seemed completely out of reach at the time and I thank God for it. By doing this, I recognize these ideas are not real; they are mere evil whisperings trying to sabotage me. I remind myself they have no power over me, only God does.

An exercise that shifted my codependency issues was writing a commentary on Surat An-Nas as an exercise for one of Dr. Sultan’s Quran Discussion sessions. The assignment was this: Select a short sura from the Quran. Study its explanation in three different tafseer books. Then, ask yourself what useful lesson you found in the Quran passage, how does it help you in your life? Write a commentary in these steps, each on a different day: 1. Note the main points. 2. Write a rough draft. 3. Write a second draft. 4. Write a final commentary.

I strongly recommend you do this exercise for any passage from the Quran that attracts you because it helps understand and internalize its principles. After you have done this and you say the sura during prayer, you will know specifically what you are praying for and you will experience a shift.

I chose this sura because it helped me clarify my codependency issues and steer clear from them. Reflecting upon what each aya means to me, writing about it, and then reciting it during prayer drastically curtailed my people-pleasing tendencies. I became less concerned with others and more in touch with my inner self and therefore, with God. I also stopped explaining myself so much to people. Here is exactly how this sura helps me combat these debilitating issues:

In the name of God, the Merciful the Compassionate

God is the ultimate Compassion, the ultimate Mercy. God is truly what we seek when we look for compassion, mercy and love from others. We experience a glimpse, a reflection of God’s attributes, when we have these feelings in our hearts and when others show us mercy and compassion.

I seek refuge in the Lord of people

I ask God for help because only by His will are my spiritual development and growth possible. Only with His help can I triumph over “evil whisperings” such as self-doubt, lower motivations, negative influences, etc. and accomplish higher objectives. I acknowledge I am not sovereign and through will alone I cannot do much. I ask God, who is Most Merciful and Most Compassionate, to guide me and protect me from internal and external evil, which comes in many forms, such as shirk, self-sabotage, laziness, distraction, or what we traditionally view as sin.

The King of people

Only before God shall I bow. Only to God I shall submit. Only God I shall obey. There are no human kings. All of us are simply people, equal under God’s eyes (except for knowledge and piety). I shall not take a human being as my king, nor seek to please others at the expense of my truth. Remaining quiet about what I think is true for fear of people’s disapproval or anger is a form of shirk.

The God of people

I adore and worship God only, never another human being. The results of making another human being one’s higher power are disastrous and produce inner hell.

This is a remembrance of our Muslim declaration of faith: there is no god but God. Many evils come from looking to another person as one’s Lord, King, or God: when we make a human being the main support of our lives, or slavishly surrender to his false authority, we lose ourselves.

This happens today in many forms: in romantic relationships, in idolizing and adoring teachers, scholars, sheikhs, or writers, or maybe for some people, in worshipping celebrities or athletes. This is destructive to our well being because it takes us away from God and from our higher selves, confuses us and makes us dependent on that person for things that no human can ever give us. It also makes us lazy and unable to think for ourselves.

Worshipping people makes us false, causing us to follow and imitate ideas and behaviors that may be right for that person, but wrong for us. It prevents us from following the Quran’s repeated instructions to think, read, reflect, and decide for ourselves:

“If you follow the greater majority on earth they would lead you astray. They follow nothing but the conjectures of others and mislead those who follow them. Your Lord knows best who stray from the path of Truth; He knows best who are the rightly guided." (6:117-18).

Adoring people is also lack of faith because we are effectively saying we don’t believe God can satisfy our needs and instead look to this person we worship to do so. While God employs people to help us, we have to always remember that the source of people’s qualities is God. Without God’s will, power and mercy, nobody can be kind, brilliant, noble, or even alive. God blesses people with sublime qualities, and it is appropriate to thank them when they use them in our favor, but we must mainly thank God for those qualities we are benefitting from.

Worshipping another human serves as an escape and avoidance of self-responsibility for our lives. Coming to know our own soul is likely the most difficult task in life and so, we often avoid it.

From the evil whisperings of the sneaking whisperer;

If we are unconscious, if we are heedless, if we do not mindfully and purposely direct our thoughts by praying for God’s help and engaging in continuous personal and spiritual development, the sneaking whisperer takes over and feeds us all kinds of negative thoughts and self-destructive ideas, making us feel inferior, unworthy and incapable. We need God’s protection to avoid this. We need to remember who God is to us: God is Most Powerful, Most Merciful; God is always with us and guides us; we are highly valuable in God’s eyes; God wants us to succeed. Through prayer, we communicate with Him and He gives us what we ask for.

God gave us talents we are responsible for using for the highest good. We must not squander them. And the evil whisperings of self-doubt and fear lead us to waste our talents and faculties.

Who whispers into the hearts of people,
From among jinn and people

The evil whisperings can come from within ourselves, in the form of negative, self-sabotaging, self-defeating thoughts that later become crystallized as beliefs and direct our actions, and also from without, that is, from other people, from our external world.

The ‘jinn’ represent our spiritual challenges, our own self-destructive beliefs, doubts and lack of faith. ‘People’ refers to the society at large. The evil whisperings (lowly, pessimistic, evil ideas) can enter our hearts through the company we keep, media, books and music we consume. If these have inferior motivations and lower energy, they will influence us and the negativity will seep into our hearts, and with the passage of time, our lives will reflect this. We will find ourselves in a low station in life because of this. If we do not engage in spiritual growth, the external ‘evil’ influences will overpower us. We will come to believe these ideas and false principles and act accordingly. Then we will wonder why we are not at peace.

The post How the Quran Helped Me Defeat Codependency appeared first on Morocco World News.

By Zineb El Mechrafi

Boston- A remarkable young Moroccan has become the leader of the Green Party in the Netherlands.

Jesse Klaver, a 29-year-old politician, defeated Bram Van Ojik in the Green Party elections. Originally from Morocco, he is now the youngest politician in the Netherlands.

Jesse Klaver was born on May 1, 1986 in Roosendaal, located in the south of the Netherlands to a Moroccan father and an Indonesian mother. Jesse did not live with his father during his childhood, and instead lived in government housing in the Westrand neighborhood.

Before being elected as chair of the GreenLeft Party, Jesse attended Waldorf School Michael College in Prinsenbeek and was a member of the board of DWARS, the youth organization of the GreenLeft party. He received attention when he criticized the practices of the ABN Amro, such as its remuneration policy, and by inviting the economist Thomas Piketty to the parliament.

The left wing party was defeated during the legislative elections in September 2012. The party received 2.3% of the votes and 4 seats out of 150 in the National Assembly. In 2010, Jesse Klaver’s GreenLeft party obtained 6.6% of the votes and 10 seats.

The post Dutch of Moroccan Origin Becomes Leader of Green Party appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat - Despite progress over the years, there are considerable deficits in early childhood development (ECD) in Morocco, according to a new report by the World Bank issue late Tuesday.

Morocco has substantial gaps: just 68 per cent of births received parental care and only 31 percent regular parental care (at least four visits), the World Bank’s “Expanding Opportunities for the Next Generation: Early Childhood in the Middle East and North Africa” report said.

The study said there are a number of shortcomings that need to be addressed in terms of children's social and emotional development in Morocco.

For instance, only two thirds (63 per cent) of births had a skilled attendant at delivery, while in the first month of life, 2.5 per cent of children die, and 3.8 per cent in the first year of life.

66 children under the age of one die every day. In 2004, infant mortality, which refers to children dying before their first birthday, was 38 deaths per thousand births. This is above the 2012 average rate for the Middle East and North Africa region (24 per thousand.)

25 children out of every thousand die during their first month of life, which is above the 2012 regional average of 15 in every thousand (UNICEF 2014), the report said.

In terms of immunization rates, Morocco is doing fairly well with 90 per cent of children age 1 fully immunized. Children are considered fully immunized if they have received immunizations for all six major preventable childhood diseases: tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping, cough, tetanus, polio, and measles.

Malnutrition is a problem in Morocco, where 23 percent of children are stunted, 10 per cent are underweight, and 12 per cent are wasted.

Children's nutritional status is measured by stunting (height-for-age), underweight (weight –for-age), and wasting (weight-for-height).

In 2004, 23 per cent of Moroccan children under five were stunted, 10 per cent were underweight, and 12 per cent were wasted, the report said.

According to the report, the health status of Moroccan children is examined through indicators of early mortality, pre-natal care, having a skilled attendant at birth, and immunizations.

A number of background characteristics at the child, family, and community levels affect ECD outcomes: gender, parents', education, household socioeconomic status (wealth), geographic location (region or governorate), and residence (urban or rural).

The post 66 Children Under the Age of One Die Every Day in Morocco: the World Bank appeared first on Morocco World News.