· July, 2008

Stories about Morocco from July, 2008

Arabeyes: Mourning Youssef Chahine

Tributes are pouring in from bloggers from around the Middle East and North Africa, mourning the death of renowned Egyptian film maker Youssef Chahine. Born in Alexandria in 1926, Chahine has left behind a legacy, and millions of fans and followers across the region.

29 July 2008

Morocco: Rural Life

PRÈS DU PUITS, a French transplant to rural Morocco, blogs about ten things that would make her family's life in Ouled Mgatel, a village outside of Fez, easier. The list...

28 July 2008

Morocco: Another perspective on Faiza Silmi

Last week, Global Voices covered the story of Faiza Silmi, the Moroccan woman denied French citizenship for her beliefs and actions (which included, among other things, wearing the niqaab or full facial veil). Today, Moroccan blogger ...xoussef [FR] chimes in with another perspective on the issue.

26 July 2008

Morocco's Smoking Ban

The View from Fez reports that Morocco has banned smoking in public places. It remains unseen how the law will be enforced.

25 July 2008

Arabeyes: Moroccan woman refused French citizenship for burqa

Last week a French resident was refused citizenship on the grounds that she was “insufficiently assimilated.” The woman, referred to in the Press as “Faiza M.,” is a Moroccan citizen but has lived in France since 2000 with her husband, a French citizen, and three children, all born in France. The incident has set a precedent and has stirred up the feelings of bloggers around the world, reports Jillian York.

20 July 2008

Morocco to send imams to Europe

Daily Maghreb reports that Morocco will send 176 preachers to Europe to “answer the religious needs of the Moroccan community abroad, to protect them from any speeches of an extremist...

17 July 2008

African bloggers react to ICC charges against Sudanese President al-Bashir

Bloggers from around the world are reacting to the International Criminal Court's recent recommendation that Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir be charged with multiple counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Many of those bloggers are criticizing the potential indictments, claiming they are difficult to enforce and that they will bring more unrest to an already unstable nation.

16 July 2008

Morocco: Bring on the Gnaoua!

Every year in June, thousands upon thousands of tourists from around the world and Moroccans from all over the country flock to Essaouira, a small coastal city about 200 kilometers from bustling Marrakesh, for the annual Festival of Gnaoua and world music. The town, made famous by the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix (Castles in the Sand is rumored to have been written about Mogador), is a year-round hot spot for Moroccan musicians of all kinds, but truly livens up during the festival. This year, many bloggers were in attendance.

16 July 2008

Morocco: Fashion Island

Myrtus discusses fashion in the Middle East and tells us about Isla Moda (Fashion Island), a new fashion-conscious community in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

14 July 2008