The Festival of Gnawa and Music of the World in Essaouira, Morocco ended on Sunday.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
US Loses
On Saturday the U.S. national team lost in the World Cup. It was a good game and Ghana deserves to be proud. They played well.
I was in Essaouira, on the Moroccan coast, for a festival of traditional Moroccan music called Gnawa.
We found a place in a restaurant overlooking the beach. A group of Americans, who it turned out later were all Fulbright scholars doing research in Morocco, sat in front of us. To our side a group of three Moroccans rooted mercilessly for Ghana.
We argued about a few calls. Sometimes we agreed on how bad the refs were, but it was mostly antagonistic.
When the result became clear, I stood up and shook their hands. I told them Ghana played well and deserved to win. I wished the last remaining African team the best of luck in this African World Cup. Then we paid and left the restaurant.
I didn't want to be an ugly American.
As we headed out to the next Gnawa concert, I received a text message from my Arabic tutor.
It read, "What i really like in the American team is that it keeps playing till the last second of the match even if they are defeat with 10! they never waiver."
I was in Essaouira, on the Moroccan coast, for a festival of traditional Moroccan music called Gnawa.
We found a place in a restaurant overlooking the beach. A group of Americans, who it turned out later were all Fulbright scholars doing research in Morocco, sat in front of us. To our side a group of three Moroccans rooted mercilessly for Ghana.
We argued about a few calls. Sometimes we agreed on how bad the refs were, but it was mostly antagonistic.
When the result became clear, I stood up and shook their hands. I told them Ghana played well and deserved to win. I wished the last remaining African team the best of luck in this African World Cup. Then we paid and left the restaurant.
I didn't want to be an ugly American.
As we headed out to the next Gnawa concert, I received a text message from my Arabic tutor.
It read, "What i really like in the American team is that it keeps playing till the last second of the match even if they are defeat with 10! they never waiver."
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Scenes From Morocco: Coffee Moroccan Style
Most Moroccans drink their coffee from a glass. However, if you are a foreigner and you do not specify, most Moroccan waiters will serve you coffee in a cup.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Best Day
Early in the game, after Algeria's first scoring opportunity, it became clear just how alone our American table was. A low rumble of enthusiasm from the crowd of Moroccan men surrounding us crescendoed into cries of hope, and then died into scattered bursts of vocal disgust. And then emerging from those bursts came the counterpoint of supportive applause from our table.
When the U.S. attacked, the mini-symphony reversed itself.
And it continued like that the entire game.
When the Clint Dempsey goal in the first half was disallowed for a suspect offsides (AGAIN!!!), only the volume of this community musical changed.
However, when Landon Donovan put home the winner in the 91st minute, the repetitive motif of the past two hours was superseded by ecstatic shouts of joy, high-fives, and straight-up hollering.
Two minutes later when this climax had still not subsided, the cafe owner (who knows me) motioned, with a shake and a grin, for me to sit down and quiet down.
The last 24 hours have been by far the best here in Morocco.
Everywhere I go people come out to congratulate me. It's as though I recently got married or had my first child or won a special award. The usual greetings from the Moroccans who work along my street have turned into celebratory hails. My nation's soccer team won an amazing game in amazing fashion. And in the process they extended their stay in the greatest tournament in the world. People respect that here.
One of the waiters in my favorite cafe told me today that since the U.S. had won, I should buy him a gift. I told him that when the U.S. wins the entire World Cup, I would buy everyone a gift.
In retrospect maybe that's something I shouldn't have said.
When the U.S. attacked, the mini-symphony reversed itself.
And it continued like that the entire game.
When the Clint Dempsey goal in the first half was disallowed for a suspect offsides (AGAIN!!!), only the volume of this community musical changed.
However, when Landon Donovan put home the winner in the 91st minute, the repetitive motif of the past two hours was superseded by ecstatic shouts of joy, high-fives, and straight-up hollering.
Two minutes later when this climax had still not subsided, the cafe owner (who knows me) motioned, with a shake and a grin, for me to sit down and quiet down.
The last 24 hours have been by far the best here in Morocco.
Everywhere I go people come out to congratulate me. It's as though I recently got married or had my first child or won a special award. The usual greetings from the Moroccans who work along my street have turned into celebratory hails. My nation's soccer team won an amazing game in amazing fashion. And in the process they extended their stay in the greatest tournament in the world. People respect that here.
One of the waiters in my favorite cafe told me today that since the U.S. had won, I should buy him a gift. I told him that when the U.S. wins the entire World Cup, I would buy everyone a gift.
In retrospect maybe that's something I shouldn't have said.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The Moment of Truth
After days of consistent jibes from Moroccans, after countless discussions about Moroccan support of Algeria, after dozens of requests to watch the game...the moment is here.
In a few minutes we will leave to watch the Algeria-US game. If Algeria, a Muslim and Arab nation like Morocco, wins, my life will change here. Walking into all the cafes and restaurants that I frequent will not be the same. I will be the object of ridicule.
If America beats Morocco's neighbor, then Moroccans will treat me with more respect. I will be able to show my face in public. I will strut the streets with pride.
My arguments to support America have fallen on deaf ears. Moroccans say they share blood with Algerians. I point out that Moroccan blood has been spilled in Western Sahara because of Algerian arms and money. They don't care. When it comes to politics and military issues vs. blood and religion, you can guess which issues are more important.
Now I leave to watch the game surrounded by a handful of ex-pats. The chips will fall where they may. And I will bear the consequences.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Scenes From Morocco: World Cup Viewing
The second World Cup match every day coincides with Moroccan lunchtime. So the cafes are unusually empty. For the third and last match of the day, the cafes are usually packed.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
US Congressmen Criticize Morocco, US Ambassador
Earlier this week, Representative Frank Wolf held hearings about the state of human rights in Morocco.
The hearings seemed pretty one-sided. One witness mentioned positive aspects about the legal status of women, but no one from the Moroccan government (or supporting the Moroccan government) testified to defend their actions. Of course, it's quite understandable. When you expel dozens of people from your country without presenting evidence and giving them scant time to pack their bags, you are going to have a lot of witnesses willing to testify against you.
I'm not defending the Moroccan government here, but I think that their clear explanation of the events would be beneficial to all involved. So far, the only statements they have released can be disproved by spending a few hours with Moroccans, are patently ridiculous, or are couched in silly meaningless language. (What does it really mean to "shake someone's faith"?) With the exception of Tel Quel, Moroccan media has done little to question the official narrative. Instead it has actively promoted the government's line, and in some cases has printed incendiary rhetoric against foreign residents. Since the press had dropped the ball, probing questions about the events would be welcomed from anyone.
But I also think the government's answers to such questions would have helped guide the discussion away from the direction it took during Representative Wolf's hearings.
On the one hand, the Moroccan government actions are pretty reprehensible according to any conception of the rule of law, empathy, or liberal democracy. And these hearings seemed to cover those flagrant violations pretty well.
But on the other hand, there seemed to be a remarkable lack of historical and regional context, based on the summary I read of the hearings. Morocco did not develop like European countries or like the United States. It consisted of a bunch of unruly tribal areas until very recently. It was colonized. It is a Muslim country, not a secular country based on Christian principles and culture. These are all important differences.
Morocco has attracted so many missionaries mainly because it is so open. College students can come on vacation; they're not that different from other tourists. Many people speak English, and since Americans by and large don't speak Arabic, that enables conversation about religion. Despite recent crackdowns on political dissidents, the press and on non-Sunni Muslims, Morocco is still a better country to be a Westerner or a Christian than almost any other Arab country.
It seems to me we need to stop pretending that all countries come from the same Western mold (liberal democracies based on rule of law and certain fundamental rights). Sure, that would be nice if all countries were. But they're not. And these congressional hearings start from the premise that all countries should be, and when they don't meet the standard, something is terribly wrong.
On another note, it's interesting that all the members of Congress quoted in the coverage of the hearing are Republicans. Their criticism of Obama and his foreign policy cannot be separated from their desire to score some political points, even at the expense of the American ambassador.
As I recall, Kaplan pretty roundly denounced the way in which the deportations were carried out while trying to respect Moroccan law as it stands. Not telephoning all the deported Americans strikes me as poor criteria for being "AWOL".
In the end, there are many more important issues in U.S.-Moroccan relations than due process for expelled American missionaries: the Western Sahara question, Islamic terrorists in the Sahara, business and economic links, etc. So it's hard to see the Obama administration taking a firm stand on this small issue at the expense of those others.
Thus, even if the Republicans are correct in pointing out a sad situation, the lack of contextualization, the absence of a Moroccan voice, American political partisanship, and more pressing foreign policy matters all substantially reduce these hearings' significance.
Rep. Wolf opened the discussion, expressing his concern about the “precarious situation” of the Christian minority in Morocco. Chairman Wolf focused primarily on the deportation of over 40 American citizens and other foreign nationals from Morocco in recent months on charges of violating Morocco’s law against proselytizing. Observing that the Moroccan government did not provide documented evidence for the charges or submit to due process of law, Rep. Wolf stated that the action “calls into question” the longstanding friendship between Morocco and the United States.
The hearings seemed pretty one-sided. One witness mentioned positive aspects about the legal status of women, but no one from the Moroccan government (or supporting the Moroccan government) testified to defend their actions. Of course, it's quite understandable. When you expel dozens of people from your country without presenting evidence and giving them scant time to pack their bags, you are going to have a lot of witnesses willing to testify against you.
I'm not defending the Moroccan government here, but I think that their clear explanation of the events would be beneficial to all involved. So far, the only statements they have released can be disproved by spending a few hours with Moroccans, are patently ridiculous, or are couched in silly meaningless language. (What does it really mean to "shake someone's faith"?) With the exception of Tel Quel, Moroccan media has done little to question the official narrative. Instead it has actively promoted the government's line, and in some cases has printed incendiary rhetoric against foreign residents. Since the press had dropped the ball, probing questions about the events would be welcomed from anyone.
But I also think the government's answers to such questions would have helped guide the discussion away from the direction it took during Representative Wolf's hearings.
On the one hand, the Moroccan government actions are pretty reprehensible according to any conception of the rule of law, empathy, or liberal democracy. And these hearings seemed to cover those flagrant violations pretty well.
But on the other hand, there seemed to be a remarkable lack of historical and regional context, based on the summary I read of the hearings. Morocco did not develop like European countries or like the United States. It consisted of a bunch of unruly tribal areas until very recently. It was colonized. It is a Muslim country, not a secular country based on Christian principles and culture. These are all important differences.
Morocco has attracted so many missionaries mainly because it is so open. College students can come on vacation; they're not that different from other tourists. Many people speak English, and since Americans by and large don't speak Arabic, that enables conversation about religion. Despite recent crackdowns on political dissidents, the press and on non-Sunni Muslims, Morocco is still a better country to be a Westerner or a Christian than almost any other Arab country.
It seems to me we need to stop pretending that all countries come from the same Western mold (liberal democracies based on rule of law and certain fundamental rights). Sure, that would be nice if all countries were. But they're not. And these congressional hearings start from the premise that all countries should be, and when they don't meet the standard, something is terribly wrong.
On another note, it's interesting that all the members of Congress quoted in the coverage of the hearing are Republicans. Their criticism of Obama and his foreign policy cannot be separated from their desire to score some political points, even at the expense of the American ambassador.
Rep. Smith joined in, commenting that the U.S. embassy in Morocco has been “AWOL” regarding its response to the issue, and tied the problem in Morocco to what he called the “feckless” and “ineffective” human rights policy of the Obama administration. Smith said that the fact that the administration has only recently appointed an Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom indicates President Obama’s “lack of prioritization” regarding these issues.
Regarding what kind of assistance the deported Americans had received from the U.S. State Department, Cloud indicated that he had not been contacted by U.S. Ambassador to Morocco Samuel L. Kaplan, whereas Boonstra stated that Ambassador Kaplan’s Dutch counterpart had called him personally on the phone to discuss the deportation.
As I recall, Kaplan pretty roundly denounced the way in which the deportations were carried out while trying to respect Moroccan law as it stands. Not telephoning all the deported Americans strikes me as poor criteria for being "AWOL".
In the end, there are many more important issues in U.S.-Moroccan relations than due process for expelled American missionaries: the Western Sahara question, Islamic terrorists in the Sahara, business and economic links, etc. So it's hard to see the Obama administration taking a firm stand on this small issue at the expense of those others.
Thus, even if the Republicans are correct in pointing out a sad situation, the lack of contextualization, the absence of a Moroccan voice, American political partisanship, and more pressing foreign policy matters all substantially reduce these hearings' significance.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Exam Answers: Tom Cruise Edition
Occasional humorous answers are the one consolation to grading final exams.
Here is a paragraph from a reading on one exam:
"Tom Cruise, like his mother, suffered from dyslexia and he was placed in remedial classes at school. He is right-handed when writing, but does most other things left-handed. As he was not an academic success at school, he focused on athletics and completed in many sports, including wrestling. A knee injury derailed his hopes of a promising athletic career."
The question about this paragraph read:
One student was a sentence off:
And another misinterpreted the phrase "like his mother":
Here is a paragraph from a reading on one exam:
"Tom Cruise, like his mother, suffered from dyslexia and he was placed in remedial classes at school. He is right-handed when writing, but does most other things left-handed. As he was not an academic success at school, he focused on athletics and completed in many sports, including wrestling. A knee injury derailed his hopes of a promising athletic career."
The question about this paragraph read:
Why was Tom Cruise placed in remedial classes at school?
One student was a sentence off:
Because he is right-handed when writing and does most other things left-handed.
And another misinterpreted the phrase "like his mother":
Tom Cruise was placed in remedial classes at school because he likes his mother.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Exceptions To The Rule
One of the first things you learn when you come to Morocco is how to haggle. After nine months, I am by no means an expert, but I do have a grasp of bartering basics.
So now I'm constantly on the lookout for Moroccans who want to cheat me out of a dirham or two...or five or a hundred. And there are many of those Moroccans. In some restaurants, the prices fluctuate mysteriously depending on the customer or the waiter. In other situations, a quoted price often isn't the paid price unless you remember it and hold the Moroccan to it.
It's tempting to say that as a rule Moroccans are always looking to make a buck off of you.
However, this isn't always the case, as two recent events have revealed.
Item number one
A month or so ago, I started standard Arabic (Fusha) lessons with a new tutor. Although he has no experience teaching or tutoring, he was highly recommended by a Moroccan friend who studied English with him in college.
"One time when we got our papers back in class, I read his, and it was just like a newspaper editorial. The style was amazing."
On top of this, he does something few Moroccans do: "He has even read novels in Arabic."
So now I have a Moroccan tutor who speaks fluent English, writes eloquent Arabic prose, and has even read novels in Arabic. But since he has no experience tutoring, he was hesitant to set a price for our sessions. He said he was happy just to help me. I pressed four, five, six times. He wouldn't even give me a range of prices.
Finally I just set a range of prices. He picked a number towards the upper end, but not the maximum amount I said I would pay him.
I think it's a good deal, but I don't really know. I've never done bartering that way before.
Item number two
In another case of Arabic lessons, a French woman I know is also looking for an Arabic tutor, but for a Darija (dialect) tutor. She is working with the regional administration as part of an exchange between Meknes-Tafilat and the Centre region in France, but hasn't found anyone willing to tutor her for a reasonable price with regular meetings.
So I asked one of the brightest students in my classes if she wanted to tutor this French woman. I explained the situation, and I asked how her French was. She hesitated at first, but finally she told me that she always had the highest grades in her Arabic-French translation class. But then she laughed, in a strange gesture that was meant to deflate any hint of pride that might have come across in the sharing of such information.
The big concern for the French woman was money. So I asked my student how much she would charge.
She replied, "Oh, I don't need the money. I'll just do it for free."
"But couldn't you use a little extra money on the side? What if you want to buy something special? A computer or something?"
"I already have a computer."
"But for anything else?"
"My parents give me enough money for what I need."
My student is so isolated from the rest of Moroccan society that she can give away a valuable service, something that many people would pay a great deal of money for. She just wanted to meet first to make sure she was good enough. Such a humble, financially-disinterested mindset blew me mind.
This isn't just about money, though. In the first case, my tutor is a college graduate who is currently unemployed. He does not have a great deal of money. But my student comes from a wealthy and influential family in Meknes.
Both show a disregard for financial gain that is, at once, typically Moroccan in its hospitality and unusually oblivious to the time-honored Moroccan custom of bartering for monetary gain.
So now I'm constantly on the lookout for Moroccans who want to cheat me out of a dirham or two...or five or a hundred. And there are many of those Moroccans. In some restaurants, the prices fluctuate mysteriously depending on the customer or the waiter. In other situations, a quoted price often isn't the paid price unless you remember it and hold the Moroccan to it.
It's tempting to say that as a rule Moroccans are always looking to make a buck off of you.
However, this isn't always the case, as two recent events have revealed.
Item number one
A month or so ago, I started standard Arabic (Fusha) lessons with a new tutor. Although he has no experience teaching or tutoring, he was highly recommended by a Moroccan friend who studied English with him in college.
"One time when we got our papers back in class, I read his, and it was just like a newspaper editorial. The style was amazing."
On top of this, he does something few Moroccans do: "He has even read novels in Arabic."
So now I have a Moroccan tutor who speaks fluent English, writes eloquent Arabic prose, and has even read novels in Arabic. But since he has no experience tutoring, he was hesitant to set a price for our sessions. He said he was happy just to help me. I pressed four, five, six times. He wouldn't even give me a range of prices.
Finally I just set a range of prices. He picked a number towards the upper end, but not the maximum amount I said I would pay him.
I think it's a good deal, but I don't really know. I've never done bartering that way before.
Item number two
In another case of Arabic lessons, a French woman I know is also looking for an Arabic tutor, but for a Darija (dialect) tutor. She is working with the regional administration as part of an exchange between Meknes-Tafilat and the Centre region in France, but hasn't found anyone willing to tutor her for a reasonable price with regular meetings.
So I asked one of the brightest students in my classes if she wanted to tutor this French woman. I explained the situation, and I asked how her French was. She hesitated at first, but finally she told me that she always had the highest grades in her Arabic-French translation class. But then she laughed, in a strange gesture that was meant to deflate any hint of pride that might have come across in the sharing of such information.
The big concern for the French woman was money. So I asked my student how much she would charge.
She replied, "Oh, I don't need the money. I'll just do it for free."
"But couldn't you use a little extra money on the side? What if you want to buy something special? A computer or something?"
"I already have a computer."
"But for anything else?"
"My parents give me enough money for what I need."
My student is so isolated from the rest of Moroccan society that she can give away a valuable service, something that many people would pay a great deal of money for. She just wanted to meet first to make sure she was good enough. Such a humble, financially-disinterested mindset blew me mind.
This isn't just about money, though. In the first case, my tutor is a college graduate who is currently unemployed. He does not have a great deal of money. But my student comes from a wealthy and influential family in Meknes.
Both show a disregard for financial gain that is, at once, typically Moroccan in its hospitality and unusually oblivious to the time-honored Moroccan custom of bartering for monetary gain.
Scenes From Morocco: Education Protest
This protest passed by on Sunday. I'm not sure why they had a sign in English as I was the only foreigner nearby.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
World Cup: First American Game
It appears as though I've caught the fever.
Despite my earlier protestations, I have watched 9 of the first 11 matches of the World Cup.
I knew more about soccer than the average American beforehand, but watching so many games all at once has definitely given me an excellent perspective to better understand the game. The best performance so far was clearly Germany's destruction of the Australian side on Sunday night. German efficiency in soccer, paralleling their efficiency in industry, is often described with the word "machine" in conversations here. Their passing and control were phenomenal. Right now, the consensus seems to be they are the team to beat.
The worst matches so far were likely the scoreless Uruguay-France matchup or the sloppy Algeria-Slovenia one.
Though, my favorite match by far was the American draw against an excellent England squad. Daniel, Chelsea and I headed to a local bar to watch it. The bar was mostly empty as Moroccans generally use cafes to watch sports games and bars to find prostitutes. A couple from Reno, Nevada on their honeymoon trip through Morocco sat behind us, but otherwise there was only a smattering of Moroccan men in suits only mildly interested in the game.
I walked in three minutes late coming from church. One minute later, Gerrard scored England's only goal, and Daniel told me to leave the bar. Fortunately, we discovered over the course of the match that my arrival had no causative effect on England's goal. I watched the rest of the game and England didn't score again.
When Clint Dempsey scored his goal, Daniel started jumping around and screaming his excitement. The couple from Nevada just laughed, but the prostitute sitting near him got so scared she almost left her seat. All in all, it was a great game. Both sides played well and mounted good attacks. Both goalkeepers had excellent saves. There were no stupid mistakes that plagued Algeria's side.
This is only the fifth day. We're only 12 matches in. It's going to be an exciting month!
Despite my earlier protestations, I have watched 9 of the first 11 matches of the World Cup.
I knew more about soccer than the average American beforehand, but watching so many games all at once has definitely given me an excellent perspective to better understand the game. The best performance so far was clearly Germany's destruction of the Australian side on Sunday night. German efficiency in soccer, paralleling their efficiency in industry, is often described with the word "machine" in conversations here. Their passing and control were phenomenal. Right now, the consensus seems to be they are the team to beat.
The worst matches so far were likely the scoreless Uruguay-France matchup or the sloppy Algeria-Slovenia one.
Though, my favorite match by far was the American draw against an excellent England squad. Daniel, Chelsea and I headed to a local bar to watch it. The bar was mostly empty as Moroccans generally use cafes to watch sports games and bars to find prostitutes. A couple from Reno, Nevada on their honeymoon trip through Morocco sat behind us, but otherwise there was only a smattering of Moroccan men in suits only mildly interested in the game.
I walked in three minutes late coming from church. One minute later, Gerrard scored England's only goal, and Daniel told me to leave the bar. Fortunately, we discovered over the course of the match that my arrival had no causative effect on England's goal. I watched the rest of the game and England didn't score again.
When Clint Dempsey scored his goal, Daniel started jumping around and screaming his excitement. The couple from Nevada just laughed, but the prostitute sitting near him got so scared she almost left her seat. All in all, it was a great game. Both sides played well and mounted good attacks. Both goalkeepers had excellent saves. There were no stupid mistakes that plagued Algeria's side.
This is only the fifth day. We're only 12 matches in. It's going to be an exciting month!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Kas al-3alam
Today begins the month-long march to World Cup glory. Here they refer to the tournament that provides that glory as the "Kas al-3alam" (literally, "Cup of the World") or the "Mondial".
Unfortunately, Morocco did not make the tournament, but Moroccans will still be watching a number of games, particularly those of Spain, Portugal, Argentina, and Algeria. Spain because Moroccans' preferred soccer league is the Spanish one. Portugal because Real Madrid star Ronaldo is Portuguese. Argentina because Barcelona star Lionel Messi is Argentine. And Algeria because it's a neighbor and the only Arab team in the tournament. (Moroccans assure me the two nations really have a lot in common even if they have a closed border and have been in conflict for decades because of the Western Sahara question.)
Currently we have two couchsurfers here, one of whom is from Brazil. Like my roommate Daniel, he wants to watch all 64 games of the World Cup. When this came up in conversation, I told them that I would like to conduct my life in peace for the next month and not have it held hostage by a soccer schedule.
Daniel responded, "But you might miss THE GOAL of the tournament. And then how would you feel?"
I didn't respond. Honestly, I'm not sure that I would be that torn up about it.
The first match starts at 3 PM Moroccan time. If nothing else, I will be in a cafe watching South Africa and Mexico go at it. And then tomorrow night, I will resume my seat to watch the epic struggle between England and the United States. After that, I'm not making any promises.
Unfortunately, Morocco did not make the tournament, but Moroccans will still be watching a number of games, particularly those of Spain, Portugal, Argentina, and Algeria. Spain because Moroccans' preferred soccer league is the Spanish one. Portugal because Real Madrid star Ronaldo is Portuguese. Argentina because Barcelona star Lionel Messi is Argentine. And Algeria because it's a neighbor and the only Arab team in the tournament. (Moroccans assure me the two nations really have a lot in common even if they have a closed border and have been in conflict for decades because of the Western Sahara question.)
Currently we have two couchsurfers here, one of whom is from Brazil. Like my roommate Daniel, he wants to watch all 64 games of the World Cup. When this came up in conversation, I told them that I would like to conduct my life in peace for the next month and not have it held hostage by a soccer schedule.
Daniel responded, "But you might miss THE GOAL of the tournament. And then how would you feel?"
I didn't respond. Honestly, I'm not sure that I would be that torn up about it.
The first match starts at 3 PM Moroccan time. If nothing else, I will be in a cafe watching South Africa and Mexico go at it. And then tomorrow night, I will resume my seat to watch the epic struggle between England and the United States. After that, I'm not making any promises.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
US Congress Investigates Moroccan Expulsions
Frank Wolf will be leading U.S. Congressional hearings into the recent deportations from Morocco:
The House of representative Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, which is chaired by James McGovern (D - MA) with ranking republican congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA), will hold a hearing on human rights and religious freedom in Morocco on Thursday June 17th, 2010.
The hearing will be open to the press and the public. The reason for the hearings, according to the commission, is the deportation of approximately 40 American citizens and scores of other foreign nationals on charges of proselytism, thus “it has raised serious concerns about the status of religious freedom in Morocco”.
The individuals deported, according to a statement from the commission, ran a wide array of humanitarian organizations, which provided services vital to the community. One of the organizations targeted was the Village of Hope, an orphanage that takes in children that have been abandoned by their parents.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Scenes From Morocco: El Hedim
El Hedim, Meknes' main plaza, is located in the old city across from the gigantic gate Bab Mansour.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Scenes From Morocco: Construction Workers
These guys accosted me from a few stories up. They got a real kick out of the fact that I spoke Arabic.
The Gaza Flotilla Seen From Morocco
As in much of the world the intercepted Gaza-bound "Peace Flotilla" has also been in the news in Morocco the past few days.
The first time I heard about the event, I didn't really understand what was going on. As I was leaving the cafe in the morning, one of the waiters approached me and started talking to me quickly. All I could understand was the word "Israel". He kept motioning towards the TV, where Al-Jazeera news plays non-stop except when soccer games are on. He didn't seem happy, but that's about all I could gather.
Only when I returned home and read the news online did I realize what had happened. Israel had boarded a ship in international waters and killed a number of activists who were trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza in order to deliver humanitarian supplies. The following coverage of the event from sources on three continents has been interesting.
Some American sources are reflexively pro-Israel to an extreme, and some American and European coverage was quite balanced. I suppose it goes without saying that Arab media is reflexively pro-Palestine. However, the coverage by Al-Jazeera has been in general quite good. They had reporters aboard the flotilla and were able to give a perspective other news organizations couldn't. Of course, on the other hand, they were also confused about the legality of boarding a ship trying to break a blockade in international waters.
Naturally, people who only view one source of media are convinced everyone else is misled. When I spoke with the same waiter a few days later, I explained that I didn't understand what he was referring to when we first spoke, but that since I had read much about the subject. His first question was a suspicious one: "But from American news?" I told him I read a little from a number of sources and he seemed slightly more satisfied.
The general perception here tends to be that American (and to a lesser extent European) media is controlled by Jews and gives a biased picture of the Middle East. Without getting into conspiracy theories, I will concede that, for whatever reason, you are much more likely to see scenes of Palestinian suffering in the Arab media than you are in the United States. And the lack of such stark imagery does have its effect. Most Americans in their support of the much persecuted Jews fail to realize the plight of the Palestinians.
In one of my classes, we were studying passive modal statements ("...should be done...", "...must be established...") So I asked my students to propose what should be done in response to Israel's raid. The responses were tepid at best. My Moroccan students, like much of the Arab world, are disgusted with the impotence of Arab governments and world deliberative bodies to do anything to relieve the suffering of Palestinians. So while they had a very strong moral outrage at the events, their answers lacked an earnest belief that anything they proposed could actually happen.
As is usual, I just let them speak, correcting their grammar errors. But at the end one student asked me what I thought. I hesitated at first, but then I explained my view. I pointed out that I thought Israel's response was disproportionate and politically counter-productive, but that the activists had attacked the Israeli soldiers--they were not Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr.'s by any stretch of the imagination. I also tried to draw attention to the issue of the blockade itself. If you admit that Israel has a right to keep Hamas from getting any sort of building materials because they can be used for purposes of war, then Israel clearly can stop boats. That's what a blockade is all about. However, if the blockade is unjust (and it does keep an awful lot of things out of Gaza that Palestinians could use for non-military purposes), then breaking the blockade is morally permissible and then we can start talking about the way it should be done. My students didn't seem to agree. They were pretty sure anything the Israeli military did was unequivocally wrong. Eventually I had to just cut off the discussion and move on to a boring grammar exercise.
This event had personal ramifications for some Moroccans. One of the teachers at the center had a brother-in-law aboard another ship of the flotilla. A handful of other Moroccans were on board and were received back in Morocco later in the week with a hero's welcome.
On Thursday, a noisy march a few streets away disrupted my night class. The only other time I had heard such a din was after soccer games. I asked my students what was up and they told me it was a march in support of the Palestinians. I nodded my head and continued my regularly planned lesson.
The first time I heard about the event, I didn't really understand what was going on. As I was leaving the cafe in the morning, one of the waiters approached me and started talking to me quickly. All I could understand was the word "Israel". He kept motioning towards the TV, where Al-Jazeera news plays non-stop except when soccer games are on. He didn't seem happy, but that's about all I could gather.
Only when I returned home and read the news online did I realize what had happened. Israel had boarded a ship in international waters and killed a number of activists who were trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza in order to deliver humanitarian supplies. The following coverage of the event from sources on three continents has been interesting.
Some American sources are reflexively pro-Israel to an extreme, and some American and European coverage was quite balanced. I suppose it goes without saying that Arab media is reflexively pro-Palestine. However, the coverage by Al-Jazeera has been in general quite good. They had reporters aboard the flotilla and were able to give a perspective other news organizations couldn't. Of course, on the other hand, they were also confused about the legality of boarding a ship trying to break a blockade in international waters.
Naturally, people who only view one source of media are convinced everyone else is misled. When I spoke with the same waiter a few days later, I explained that I didn't understand what he was referring to when we first spoke, but that since I had read much about the subject. His first question was a suspicious one: "But from American news?" I told him I read a little from a number of sources and he seemed slightly more satisfied.
The general perception here tends to be that American (and to a lesser extent European) media is controlled by Jews and gives a biased picture of the Middle East. Without getting into conspiracy theories, I will concede that, for whatever reason, you are much more likely to see scenes of Palestinian suffering in the Arab media than you are in the United States. And the lack of such stark imagery does have its effect. Most Americans in their support of the much persecuted Jews fail to realize the plight of the Palestinians.
In one of my classes, we were studying passive modal statements ("...should be done...", "...must be established...") So I asked my students to propose what should be done in response to Israel's raid. The responses were tepid at best. My Moroccan students, like much of the Arab world, are disgusted with the impotence of Arab governments and world deliberative bodies to do anything to relieve the suffering of Palestinians. So while they had a very strong moral outrage at the events, their answers lacked an earnest belief that anything they proposed could actually happen.
As is usual, I just let them speak, correcting their grammar errors. But at the end one student asked me what I thought. I hesitated at first, but then I explained my view. I pointed out that I thought Israel's response was disproportionate and politically counter-productive, but that the activists had attacked the Israeli soldiers--they were not Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr.'s by any stretch of the imagination. I also tried to draw attention to the issue of the blockade itself. If you admit that Israel has a right to keep Hamas from getting any sort of building materials because they can be used for purposes of war, then Israel clearly can stop boats. That's what a blockade is all about. However, if the blockade is unjust (and it does keep an awful lot of things out of Gaza that Palestinians could use for non-military purposes), then breaking the blockade is morally permissible and then we can start talking about the way it should be done. My students didn't seem to agree. They were pretty sure anything the Israeli military did was unequivocally wrong. Eventually I had to just cut off the discussion and move on to a boring grammar exercise.
This event had personal ramifications for some Moroccans. One of the teachers at the center had a brother-in-law aboard another ship of the flotilla. A handful of other Moroccans were on board and were received back in Morocco later in the week with a hero's welcome.
On Thursday, a noisy march a few streets away disrupted my night class. The only other time I had heard such a din was after soccer games. I asked my students what was up and they told me it was a march in support of the Palestinians. I nodded my head and continued my regularly planned lesson.
Friday, June 4, 2010
I Live In A Partly Free Country
According to Freedom House, Morocco is a "Partly Free" country. It joins a handful of countries such as Lebanon, Kuwait, and Yemen (!?) as the only Arab countries not classified as "Not Free".
The report covers a large number of topics. Here is the paragraph on religious liberty:
The report covers a large number of topics. Here is the paragraph on religious liberty:
Nearly all Moroccans are Muslims, but the small Jewish community is permitted to practice its faith without government interference. However, Moroccan authorities are growing increasingly intolerant of social and religious diversity as reflected in arrest campaigns against Shiites and Muslim converts to Christianity. Authorities have also detained several members of the Moroccan Alternative Movement for Individual Freedoms for planning a public “picnic” during the month of Ramadan to protest against the law that forbids eating during fasting hours. While university campuses generally provide a space for open discussion, professors practice self-censorship when dealing with sensitive topics like Western Sahara, the monarchy, and Islam.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Scenes From Morocco: Our Former View
The view of the old medina from our apartment has recently been obscured by a new building.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Expulsion vs. Proceedings
In light of recent events, I should rethink my criticism of the Moroccan government.
Two months ago, I wrote about the expulsion of Christian orphanage families:
Well, as it turns out, Morocco is not the only country that expels non-citizens rather than giving them a hearing in court. Other countries curtail the right of non-citizens to defend themselves and deprive them of a fear hearing on what they have done. Italy recently expelled two Moroccans under those same circumstances.
Both stories have received little news coverage. Morocco's first major expulsions of foreigners in March raised some media awareness, but quickly died down. But the government has learned its lesson and has continued the expulsions more discretely. The case of the Italian expulsions of Moroccans has also received little media exposure as GetReligion points out.
The one major difference between the two sets of expulsions: the expelled Moroccans were attempting to obtain explosives to blow up the pope, the expelled foreigners from Morocco were Christians trying to take care of orphans.
Two months ago, I wrote about the expulsion of Christian orphanage families:
It is becoming clearer and clearer that the serious issue in this case is due process of law. The laws were not consistently applied, and excessively severe measures were taken. If there had been consistent standards throughout the process, either The Village of Hope would not have been allowed to be established in the first place or certain activities would have been curtailed since the refounding of the orphanage over 10 years ago. Furthermore, if there had been due process of law, the families would have been allowed a hearing in a court of law or in a real public forum before their deportation.
Well, as it turns out, Morocco is not the only country that expels non-citizens rather than giving them a hearing in court. Other countries curtail the right of non-citizens to defend themselves and deprive them of a fear hearing on what they have done. Italy recently expelled two Moroccans under those same circumstances.
Both stories have received little news coverage. Morocco's first major expulsions of foreigners in March raised some media awareness, but quickly died down. But the government has learned its lesson and has continued the expulsions more discretely. The case of the Italian expulsions of Moroccans has also received little media exposure as GetReligion points out.
The one major difference between the two sets of expulsions: the expelled Moroccans were attempting to obtain explosives to blow up the pope, the expelled foreigners from Morocco were Christians trying to take care of orphans.
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