For shame, Morocco January 10, 2007
Posted by Delilah in : General, Maroc, World, Media, human rights , add a comment
This is depressing - Driss Ksikes is one of my favorite journalists in Morocco (a tiny crowd, the other one Abubakr Jamai also persecuted) and his magazine Tel-quel one of my favorites too (the second of 2: Le journal hebdomadaire). These two guys and their colleagues have radically transformed the media landscape and one had hoped - indeed expected, although, sadly, not demanded!) that the so-called “opening” of the late 90s would actually mean something in terms of freedom of speech.
Sadly - as long as these guys have been operating - they have been persecuted by the very individuals and government services they cover. They’ve been financially ruined by prosecution after prosecution and now - these bight young energies - are threatened with jail! It’s disgraceful and depressing.
Moroccan war criminal? August 3, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : General, Maroc, Lebanon , add a comment
From Haaretz:
Three Jewish Moroccans have submitted Rabat’s high court with a petition against Defense Minister Amir Peretz, accusing the Moroccan-born Israeli of war crimes.
Leftist activist Abraham Tsarfati, author Amran al-Malich and human rights group official Zion Asidon claim Peretz may be tried in their country due to his Moroccan citizenship.
“The criminal terrorist, Zionist Amir Peretz, has retained his Moroccan citizenship and is still registered in Morocco’s census,” the three told reporters during a press conference. “Moroccan law allows the trial of any Moroccan national who has committed war crimes in or out of the country.”
Here’s Morocco’s opportunity to show the world what a great system of justice if has or would US pressure just be too much?
Moroccan Americans: what are our responsibilities? June 30, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : General, Maroc, US, World, US Congress , add a commentAs I indicated earlier, although unacknowledged in the invites or the agenda, the issue of the Sahara was front and center throughout last week-end’s Moroccan Americans Convention - and although a formal denial was offered, visibly stage-managed by various officials of the Moroccan government. Ironically, when all the official speech-making was over and we were invited to break into discussion groups, the one dedicated to “territorial integrity” was, by far, the smallest and the networking group the biggest. Says it all, really: people aren’t interested in having issues forced down their throat.
Still, there was a definite attempt to convince the audience that the Sahara issue is the foremost issue for Moroccan Americans and that we should all mobilize around it to lobby Congress to - I suppose - support whatever position the Moroccan government holds at any given time. We were repeatedly told - not so much by the Moroccan Ambassador, but certainly by the paid PR/communication (sic) flacks - that the Sahara is our only, and most critical , issue to discuss with Congress. One of the flacks - the clownish, patronizing former US Amb. to Morocco - even went as far as acknowledging that the “POW issue is a clever way of bringing Congresspeople to our side”. He went ahead and even brought up Darfur as a “model” of effective mobilizing - as if we didn’t know the kind of manipulation that issue has been subjected to.
So - let’s see here, about these responsibilities of ours as Moroccan Americans: (more…)
When Moroccan Americans get together… June 28, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : General, Maroc, US, World, US Congress , add a commentLast Saturday, I attended a day-long gathering of Moroccan Americans advertized as focusing on “opportunities and responsibilities”. The email invite came from a former colleague that I respect and have known for a long time and I had time, so I went - if only to catch-up with old acquaintances and maybe meet new people. That, I did but the rest was pretty much old school, to say the least.
I got there mid-morning, just as the Ambassador of Morocco was wrapping-up his speech. I had no clue who he was, until I asked the guy sitting next to me, in the back of the room who turned out to be an official at the embassy too. Next to him, was another embassy official. This thing was starting to look “official” to me - which didn’t surprise me at all, although I wished the invite had mentioned it and saved me the trip. I turned my attention again to the Ambassador who was going on about “territorial integrity” (ie the Sahara issue). He even introduced a few former POWs.
Then the MC explained that we would hear from former US Amb. to Morocco, under Bill Clinton, Edward Gabriel whose exceedingly patronizing tone was matched by the hollowness of his presentation. He started off joking that he “knew he was at the right place when he saw signs for the conference room pointing in both directions” - which was a damn lie actually - basically telling the organizers to their face that they are incompetent by virtue of being Moroccan. And the room laughed along with him… He also interjected “couscous” numerous times, basically to indicate how Moroccans do business. And the Moroccans in the room laughed with him. (more…)
China on the move, people. April 14, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : General, Maroc, World , add a commentCheck this out: The President of China is going to Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya. This, people, is a hell of a big deal - without a doubt. China has been steadily stepping up its investments in the Middle East and Africa and is now building up the more visible diplomatic angle. The message: not only does the world not revolve around the US, it is moving away from it.
Some folks in Kenya seem to think so, for two main reasons:
Stop making her a martyr February 13, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : Maroc, Political Islam , add a comment
Nadia Yassine - a Moroccan far right activist woman - is addicted to publicity, especially in the international press. That’s been her trade in life. This articulate fundamentalist (and her father before her) advocates in favor of hard core Islamic law to replace Morocco’s secular political system and social values. She is a manipulator of the first order and the Moroccan government ought to know better than to give more ammunitions to her posturing.
She is now being prosecuted for uttering her wish to see Morocco become a republic. That’s playing into her hands and just plain old stupid. It makes a mockery of Morocco’s attempts at political reform towards democratic principles , including freedom of speech. (more…)
Not impressed February 12, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : Maroc , add a commentAccording to UK based Times Online, Morocco is going out of its way to lend a helping hand to the US’ rendition policy.
I don’t know how this is supposed to be good for Morocco, given that it is just now starting to - ever so cautiously - deal with its own recent history of human rights abuses, including torture and arbitrary detention.
