"Stop Throwing Your Butts Out!"

Daniel and I have learned a valuable lesson recently: being accused of something while innocent is no fun.

For some reason, the Moroccans who live around us are convinced that we are heavy smokers, and, furthermore...that we throw our cigarette butts into the courtyard. GASP! We're pretty awful human beings, right?

Now, first of all, these Moroccans don't have a good grip on fundamental cultural differences between America and Morocco. If they knew anything about America and its anti-tabacco crusade, they would know that smoking has become decidedly uncool where we come from.

But beyond mere conjectures based on cultural stereotypes, surely, they would want to check out the facts before making accusations. Right?

A while back Daniel was in the elevator with the super of our building. Suddenly, the middle-aged Moroccan man launched into a tirade about the disgusting habit of throwing cigarette butts on the apartment grounds. Daniel listened for a while and then protested that he didn't smoke. The super was nonplussed and continued his lecture, assuming it had to be someone from our apartment.

A few days ago, the concierge stopped me with the same accusation, lecture, and request. I informed his that the accusation was false, the lecture unnecessary, and the request illogical. He seemed satisfied with my explanation, "ma kankmish" ("I don't smoke"). So I thought the issue was settled. Daniel and I had both asserted our innocence against slanderous claims. What more is needed?

Yesterday, though, the concierge confronted me again about the same topic. I thought that he wasn't grasping the logical connection between being a smoker and producing cigarette butts that could be distributed on the apartment premises. But then I learned the real reason for his persistence.

He led me up to the first floor (in Morocco, like in most countries in the world, the first floor is the floor above the ground floor) to the apartment of the Hajja, a respected widow whose sons live in Casablanca. When the concierge introduced me she proceeded to lecture me in French on the disgusting habit of tossing cigarette habits into the courtyard. I used my apparently inefficient rebuttal, "Ma kankmish" yet once again to explain my innocence. I also added for good measure "Sahibi ma kaykmish" ("My roommate/friend doesn't smoke"). She seemed undeterred. She merely moved her discourse into Darija.

After another full minute she stopped, but not after having thoroughly indoctrinated me in the filthiness of my habit. I explained that if I ever saw the person responsible for the cigarette butts, I would inform him about his disgusting habit. The Hajja didn't seem terribly satisfied with my offer of help.

So I have two questions:

How do accusations of these type arise? A well-propagated assumption that is not based whatsoever in the facts must come from somewhere.

And, secondly, is this issue over? Or are we going to continue to have to deal with lectures about bad habits we don't have?