المرآة

Farewell

2008-11-16T12:42:00.014+01:00

Handing Over to the Mirror on WordPress...This is the Mirror on Blogger Signing Off.Good Night and Good Luck Everybody!This is my Closing Theme:The Journey Continues Here.Picture Courtesy of "daveknapik"

The Mirror is Moving

2008-11-15T12:42:00.005+01:00

I’m in a process of moving this blog permanently to another location… if you're not too bothered by the rubbish I've been beaming here for almost -gosh!- one an a half year now (man, time runs fast!) please go pay a visit and make yourself at home whilst I’m constructing it!All suggestions are welcome by the way.See you!

What the... ?

2008-11-07T17:34:00.010+01:00

I'd be very interested in knowing your reaction to the very first appointment made by Mr. Obama. I may sound a bit over the edge here, but forgive me if I'm a bit sceptical. Indeed I'm more than that: My blood was boiling and I was deeply frustrated to the announcement of Rahm Israel Emanuel as chief of staff. Yes! because I somehow secretly hoped that this guy (Obama) would deliver and that -as

The Case For Obama

2008-11-04T19:09:00.013+01:00

From an Arab perspective, foreign policy is paramount as far as the next American president's intentions are concerned. Of course there is the ambivalent approach on Iran, the position on Israel (read this too), the condescending interventionist stance on Pakistan and all the rest of it. But let's face it: The question here for anybody who has the privilege to vote in this crucial election and

The Sting

2008-10-13T19:04:00.006+02:00

Socialising Risk, Privatizing ProfitWhat happens when a democracy gets hijacked? When the pillars of justice metamorphose into pillars of sand and salt? When what was intended to be the Land of the Free, Home of the Brave transforms into a open battlefield for mean private rascals who don't give a damn about public interest and social justice let alone justice in international relations?I have to

Last Man Standing

2008-10-04T15:13:00.010+02:00

"One man with courage makes a majority." Andrew Jackson Who said that all Jews are Zionists?Who said that all Americans are brainwashed?Who said that America has lost its soul completely?Who pretends that no one American today dares criticizing Israel's crimes?Judaism IS NOT Zionism...Israel doesn't represent all Jews...the Holocaust industry is a monumental fraudulous scheme (apart from the

2008-09-15T08:02:00.011+02:00

This blog will be on a symbolicSTRIKEtoday, September the fifteenth in solidarity with Mohamed Erraji who might be momentarily free, but who hasn't yet got off the hook. Moroccan bloggers and their friends around the place are joining efforts to name and shame the Moroccan government and put pressure on those who can put an end to this parody of justice. Please join this effort by publishing

9/11, Seven Years On: Safer? Freer?

2008-09-12T03:06:00.012+02:00

Yesterday was an interesting discussion on BBC's World Have Your Say on the subject matter of whether the American reaction to the 9/11 attacks "has made the world a safer place?" in which I had the chance to participate.Much to my surprise, I discovered that one of the architects of American policies in the immediate aftermath of the shock was invited to answer the questions of anonymous

Thou Shall Not Blog

2008-09-11T17:35:00.019+02:00

Another prisoner of opinion, Mohamed Erraji, has been jailed (then released) in Morocco, and again for a crime of lèse-majesté.A Moroccan court in the coastal city of Agadir has sentenced in September 08, 2008, Mohamed Erraji, a journalist and blogger, to two years in prison and to a fine of around 600 US dollars. Erraji was convicted for "failing to respect the sacrality of the monarch" under

Ramadan Kareem

2008-09-01T14:03:00.001+02:00

Picture Courtesy of "laNDN."

Moroccan Extraordinary Renditions

2008-08-31T17:13:00.015+02:00

The British high court has Friday, given David Miliband, the foreign secretary, a week to disclose documents related to the detention in 2004 (abduction shall we say) of a British resident, Binyam Mohamed currently detained at Guantánamo Bay.As reported by the Guadrian.co.uk and according to Mohamed's team of defense, the man "was detained in Pakistan in 2002 and secretly rendered to Morocco,

Viva La Vida* (Slightly Modified)

2008-08-28T08:27:00.011+02:00

Especially dedicated to Arab dictators.I used to rule the worldSeas would rise when I gave the wordNow in the morning I sleep aloneSweep the streets I used to ownI used to roll the diceFeel the fear in my enemies eyesListen as the crowd would sing:"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"One minute I held the keyNext the walls were closed on meAnd I discovered that my castles standUpon

2008-08-14T21:49:00.006+02:00

By traveling freely across cultures those in search of the human essence may find a space for all to sit... Here a margin advances. Or a centre retreats. Where East is not strictly east, and West is not strictly west, where identity is open onto plurality, not a fort or a trenchMahmud Darwish1941 - 2008

Agnostic What?

2008-08-14T19:30:00.011+02:00

I've been touring Morocco this summer and I spent quite a pleasant time rediscovering my own country. I thought I would embark into an intellectual as well as physical journey, setting about to enquire into how much change has occurred since I've been away. I was interested in the subtlest forms of change, shifts in attitudes, the trends, amongst the youngsters of course and in details of

Ragged Trousered Blogger Calling

2008-08-02T21:35:00.020+02:00

He - Ibrahim ferrer & compay segundoHot summer night down here. I'd like to share this elegant and refreshing song of the late Ibrahim Ferrer with anyone who's passing by. Anyway I'm not sure if the adjective 'blogger' applies any longer since I haven't been blogging for quite a substential amount of time now. I've turned to some kind of a lazy bohemian. I've been away for longer than I expected

Just a Little Break

2008-05-23T16:39:00.007+02:00

"Most people are mirrors, reflecting the moods and emotions of the times. Some people are windows, bringing light to bear on the dark corners where troubles fester. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows." Sydney J. HarrisThe Mirror is pausing because of damn-important exams. I'll be back very soon. In the mean time, I'll continue tracking and avidly reading all my

Pity the Nation

2008-05-12T02:32:00.007+02:00

The puppet regime in Beirut -officially led by Mr Seniora but remotely controlled by Mr Saad al-Hariri and his Western mentors-, which now has become a laughing-stock in the whole middle-east, has been forced to back down in the face of a perfectly organized Lebanese resistance led by Hezbollah, but comprising elements from all parts and groups of the Lebanese society.Here is the account of the

Of Mice and Men, Part II

2008-05-12T01:38:00.008+02:00

The US War on JournalistsIf one wants to begin to understand the folly behind the abduction, torture and imprisonment of a man like Sami al-Hajj read this analysis of Amy Goodman, the host of "DemocracyNow," one of the few left independent news outlets in North America.

Smile for Palestine

2008-05-11T21:56:00.014+02:00

Sixty years after the Nakba the picture in Palestine is depressing, to say the least. But over the last decade or so, we've witnessed a dynamic of renaissance and awakening amongst the justice and peace camp, and the breaking down of some important taboos which served so far, helping Israel get away with its crimes against not only the Palestinian people but also against justice and History.Many

Need Some Breath of Fresh Air?

2008-05-10T01:21:00.007+02:00

For those who need a break away from the ongoing chorus of sycophantic praise to the State of Israel throughout the mainstream media, here is what Uri Avneri remembered 60 years after the Nekba and the creation of the state of Israel, in an article relating his early commitment to Zionism (he even -surprisingly- participated at some point in attacking Arab villages, i.e. the early stages of the

Candid Jamaï

2008-05-02T17:51:00.012+02:00

Aboubakr Jamaï, the former editor and publisher of Le Journal Hebdo (Casablanca), was hosted yesterday by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars under the subject matter: "Morocco: A Stalled Democratization Process?"Excerpts from the candid discussion that ensued can be found here.

Of Mice and Men

2008-05-02T15:42:00.008+02:00

After six years in an American gulag called Guatanamo, Aljazeera cameraman Sami al-Hajj has just been released according to an Aljazeera.net report."Rats are treated with more humanity", al-Hajj said to his Aljazeera colleagues."But we have people from more than 50 countries that are completely deprived of all rights and privileges."And they will not give them the rights that they give animals,"

May Day

2008-05-01T15:24:00.006+02:00

Remembering the dead of Casablanca and wishing for a better and more dignified tomorrow for all fellow workers around the place.

"How Do Arab Regimes Modernize Authoritarianism"

2008-05-01T12:08:00.028+02:00

"Since when have you compelled people to enslavement, since their mothers birthed them free."Omar Ben al-KhattabThe Arab world is the one single region in the world that has little if not changed at all since François Georges-Picot and Mark Sykes determined its majors outlines according to their government's respective spheres of influence, prior to the downfall of the Ottoman Empire. Throughout

Cruel

2008-04-28T15:53:00.008+02:00

“Fascism is capitalism plus murder.” Upton Sinclair.A fire destroyed the lives of 55 Moroccan workers, among which 35 women, in a mattress factory in Hay Hassani, an industrial district of the city of Casablanca.According to aljazeera.net, "Civil protection officials said it had become clear that safety norms had not been applied in the Rosamor factory in the south-west of Morocco's biggest city.

History Written by Those Who Hanged the Heroes

2008-04-25T17:54:00.014+02:00

"Honesty has a beautiful and refreshing simplicity about it. No ulterior motives. No hidden meanings. An absence of hypocrisy, duplicity, political games, and verbal superficiality. As honesty and real integrity characterize our lives, there will be no need to manipulate others."Charles SwindollAccording to Electronic Intifada, the pro-Israel, gutter propagandist group, CAMERA, "[has been]

Cartoon I Do

2008-04-23T20:39:00.002+02:00

From now on I'll try to punctuate my posts on this blog by some humble, mostly political cartoons of mine inspired by current and past events.This one I drew in august 2007 with an epithet in Arabic deploring the calamitous Arab leadership. This other one is a bit older, december 2006. And this last one I made last august just before Moroccan legislative elections. More to come.

Spy Game: Who's Playing Whom?

2008-04-23T15:00:00.013+02:00

Another American citizen arrested on "suspicion of passing classified defence information to Israel during the 1980s, according to the justice department." (Aljazeera.net).This story far from surprising me, has yet again revived the old torturous question about who's playing whom? who's getting the upper hand in this supposedly "special relationship" between Israel and the US?Many have read the

All Aboard!

2008-04-18T16:28:00.020+02:00

Non Violent Initiative to Free GazaThis may, marks the 60th anniversary of the Nakba (or the Catastrophe) which saw the creation of Israel on the land stolen from the Palestinians. This injustice engendered a permanent state of tension and violence which often spills over to other regions of the world. Sixty years of:Insults, incursions, illegal and immoral occupation...Slaughter, siege,

You've Had Enough of AIPAC? ... Here Comes J Street

2008-04-16T12:29:00.018+02:00

"The world is pretty awful today, but it is farbetter than yesterday."Noam ChomskyAn interesting article was published yesterday on the New York based Jewish newspaper, The Forward, titled "For Israel’s Sake, Moderate American Jews Must Find Their Voice" by Jeremy Ben-Ami, executive director of the newly formed Jewish lobby group, J Street.According to Antiwar.com, the movement, allegedly aimed

Cartoons for Justice: the Other Way to Fight

2008-04-15T12:29:00.017+02:00

I've come across some great cartoons recently dealing with issues close to my heart. Artists have covered issues with an audacity and growing courage seldom manifested in the past, denouncing Zionist ongoing crimes in Palestine, depicting the absurdity of the Iraq occupation and praising liberation and resistance struggles everywhere.But the one artist who caught my eyes most is the Brazilian,

Speaking French to a... Cradle!

2008-04-12T11:39:00.013+02:00

The Sad Story of a Culturally Alienated SocietyWhen I first decided to start blogging, it was clear in my mind that I wouldn't in any way write in French. And yet French has accompanied me for most of my life and is practically a second mother tongue. I decided to write in English and Arabic. The first because it is the world's language and the latter because it's supposed to be my own language,

Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité... Terms and Conditions Apply!

2008-03-26T13:45:00.018+01:00

Paris, 3 days ago, the news dispatch from the AFP reads:A French senior civil servant has been sacked for publishing a violent anti-Israeli diatribe on a web site, the interior ministry said. Bruno Guigue, deputy prefect of the south-western town of Saintes, wrote in an online column this month that Israel was "the only state where snipers shoot down little girls outside their school gates." The

Five Years of Protectorate

2008-03-21T13:53:00.012+01:00

Five years after the US-led invasion of Iraq and the installation of a puppet regime, Iraqis are still waiting for the seventh heaven promised by Bush and Co.The slight decline in the inter-ethnic violence must be the result of the almost now complete segregation of the Iraqi society. Iraq has been fragmented, shattered according to the whim of the invaders. Divide Et Imperia.The stooge

Non-Violent Dissent Pays

2008-03-19T12:41:00.013+01:00

Fouad Mourtada reportedly freed yesterday after being granted royal amnesty, having spent nearly two mouths in prison for no tangible reason other than committing a crime of lèse-majesté. Even in Morocco, resilient, perseverant and honest non-violent dissent pays.The news from Morocco (if confirmed) is a real sigh of relief for many bloggers, and HR activists who campaigned hard to make the case

Chutzpah & Rekindling Hope in Obama

2008-03-09T22:13:00.015+01:00

According to the Israeli TV and to Al-Quds Al-Arabi (as translated by the Missing Link and reported by eatbees), the Israeli cabinet has decided to forcibly evacuate northern Gaza. "[Defence Minister Ehud] Barak intends to plan for the removal of tens of thousands of Palestinians from the northern Gaza Strip, namely from the region that the resistance uses for the launch of these rockets, and to

The Politics of Sorcerer's Apprentices II

2008-03-07T15:36:00.002+01:00

Inside Story - The backfired plan - 05 March 08. Courtesy of Aljazeera.

The Politics of Sorcerer's Apprentices

2008-03-06T17:30:00.014+01:00

At the Roots of Today's Catastrophy in Gaza is the Old-New American Doctrine: My-Enemy's-Enemy-is-My-Friend.The Magazine Vanity Fair, publishes a reminder on how the American strategy of trying to topple the Hamas-led, though democratically elected government of Palestine has failed and eventually back-fired. "the White House cooked up yet another scandalously covert and self-defeating Middle

Stating the Obvious

2008-03-06T13:31:00.008+01:00

Amnesty International, CARE International UK, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Médecins du Monde UK, Oxfam, Save the Children UK and Trócaire - say that "Israel’s blockade of Gaza is a collective punishment of the entire Gazan civilian population of 1.5 million" and that "the Israeli government's policy of blockade is unacceptable, illegal and fails to deliver security for Palestinians and Israelis alike.""

Who Does He Think He's Fooling?

2008-03-05T12:09:00.019+01:00

Change, We Can('t) Believe In!For those who got mesmerized by Obama's speaking skills or his quite charming character, this is a reminder of what he pledged in march, last year in front of the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC):[...] At the same time, we must preserve our total commitment to our unique defence relationship with Israel by fully funding military assistance and

Beautiful Faces

2008-03-05T08:39:00.005+01:00

> HelpFouad.com > Watch pictures of Fouad supporters here.Thanks Amine for keeping me updated... as always!

Gazan Holocaust Continues Whilst the World Doesn't Give a F...

2008-03-04T12:03:00.008+01:00

The World is watching while Israel collectively punish the Palestinians... The dirty work of getting rid of Arab Untermenschen continues unabated. Concerning the visit of Condee to the region, I've come across this quite funny invective:"Give all Arab Leaders a Visa, and Take them with you Misses Condoleeza"

Free Fouad! Free all Political Prisonners!

2008-03-02T02:23:00.011+01:00

The Moroccan community in France, mobilized yesterday, in support of Fouad's cause and that of all political prisonners in Morocco. > related post.

Zionism in Action

2008-03-01T20:55:00.015+01:00

A 24/7 Massacre-Courtesy of Aljazeera.And in the mean time, what do you think Arab leaders might spend their Saturday night working at? Those incompetent, gutless jackasses wouldn't be able of finding their way out of a paper bag let alone defend the rights of the Palestinians. Arab leaders are guilty of dishonouring their function; guilty of letting us all down.While the gangster called Mohamed

They Need Support!

2008-02-23T12:36:00.004+01:00

Check those links and support prisoners of thought in Morocco:> Prisoners of May the First who demanded constitutional reform in their country got harsh sentences and were fined heavily for daring to challenge the regime.> Fouad Mourtada, who maybe stupidly usurped the identity of the Prince Rachid when he created a fake profile on FaceBook, but he received disproportionate sentences. I don't

The Good Arab Department

2008-02-22T08:51:00.006+01:00

If you read papers like those of Oriana fallacci, Daniel Pipes, Alain Finkielkraut, Bat Ye'or and others about a so-called Arab/Muslim conspiracy to take over Europe, and some other complicated theories about a hypothetical European-Arab Axis (Eurabia) aimed at crushing... guess who... Israel (surprise! surprise!), you have the feeling that their arguments are so ludicrous that it is unlikely

Grains of Folly

2008-01-16T13:20:00.000+01:00

Watch this well informed video about the origins of today's misunderstandings and suspicions. Extremists on both sides have common roots and campaign mostly for each other. > See Parts III, IV, V & VI.The Power of Nightmares - BBC 2004

Grotesque Institutionalized Feudalism

2008-01-02T15:25:00.001+01:00

The ceremony hastily organized to "choose" a successor to Benazir Bhutto at the head of the Pakistan "People"'s Party, was a complete masquerade. A tragic-comedy, glorifying the Bhuttos and celebrating nepotism and the feudal system which kept this region of the world as backward as it is! I have to admit, I was myself naively dragged into thinking (hoping) that the PPP was a kind of

Time to Use the F Word

2008-01-02T14:06:00.001+01:00

And Part II.Amy Goodman interviewing Naomi Wolf (November '07), best-seller author of "The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot," in which she explains how Fascism has been steadily creeping over America. Learn how in just ten steps, a democratic society can be literally shut down. See Also:> Democracy Now's Year in Review

Zeroes & Heroes

2007-12-31T12:42:00.001+01:00

Many actors played different roles in shaping the ups and downs of last year events. Some usual suspects who left already their print in previous years have proven to be resiliently present in 2007. Others have emerged as new figures. Here are the makers and breakers who caught my eye in '07.The ZerosThe gangster administration in WashingtonResponsible for the killing (in a way or another) of

What a Real Happy New Year Would Mean

2007-12-30T01:21:00.001+01:00

One Answer Would Be: Getting Rid of Poverty and Child LaborThis is not meant as a miserabilist attempt to hamper the joy of those who, legitimately, want to forget about the ills and miseries of our society. But it is a reminder of the kind of obstacles still ahead.Thanks for Amine, my indefatigable and tremendously resourceful correspondent and friend.Short movie by a young Moroccan director (

Qui Bono?

2007-12-28T08:25:00.001+01:00

Benazir Bhutto 1953 - 2007Multiple Choice Question:Who benefits from the murder of Ms. Bhutto?A. The Pakistani ruling junta ready for anything to maintain the status-quo?B. The fundamentalist nutcases and their nihilist and cowardly vision of the world?C. Some external forces who might find some benefit in keeping Pakistan as volatile and unstable as possible?Ms. Bhutto has been accused of

Meditations on Mary, Jesus and the Wall

2007-12-24T08:59:00.002+01:00

If Mary was to give birth to Jesus Christ today, she would have to go through Israeli checkpoints and be harassed by I'D'F soldiers, only to find herself blocked by the apartheid wall from making her journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem!Merry Christmas to all, especially those living under occupation in the holy land of Palestine.

Keep Walking America

2007-12-21T11:46:00.002+01:00

A Reflexion on What Comes NextStudying the rapacious behavior of US governments one after the other and in the face of the utter helplessness of most of the ordinary people to even beginning to curb or influence any of these American policies despite the -often- detrimental effects on these same people's lives, security, sovereignty and independence, many resort to a passive and fatalistic state

It's the People We're Talking About!

2007-12-05T12:11:00.001+01:00

It's always refreshing to find that someone out-there is sticking the argument right on the correct place and making the good diagnosis and proposing the right answer:No to imperialist war!No to the theocratic regime!The immediate and unconditional withdrawal of US/UK troops from the Gulf region!Opposition to Israeli expansionism and aggression!Support to all working class and progressive

Bang on Target

2007-11-26T14:57:00.001+01:00

The Political CompassEconomic Left (-5.38)Social Libertarian (-6.10)I've been pleased to discover on Ibn Kafka's blog (Obiter Dicta) that most of the usual progressive bloggers I've been meeting there and who submitted themselves to the "Political Compass Test" proposed by the blog's author, were that close to my own results on the same test (insofar as the test is as accurate and credible as the

Strange Encounter

2007-11-21T07:59:00.003+01:00

There she stood in the darkest corner of the room, looking dazed, probably altered by some earlier sipped doses of heavy alcohol but still looking terribly handsome. The room was saturated by a thick fog of cigarette smoke, some rock music was beaming out of the loudspeakers connected to a laptop reading some "illegally" downloaded mp3 files and everybody was speaking and laughing out-loud.

Sunlight at Midnight

2007-11-14T08:38:00.004+01:00

News coming from Palestine those days are quite depressing. Nothing new one might argue, but the deepening divisions amongst the Palestinian society have made it painful for the so many supporters of the noble cause of liberation in Palestine to keep on fighting. So I was delighted to hear (a bit late I have to admit) about this play called "Sunlight at Midnight." Created by the Palestine

Musharaf Mounts a Coup Against Musharaf

2007-11-05T08:30:00.001+01:00

Gen. Pervert... Oh Sorry! Pervez Musharaf has cancelled democracy in Pakistan, put journalists, Human Rights Activists, lawyers and secular political opponents in jail, dismissed irreverent judges and imposed a de facto martial law. All this, amidst almost complete silence apart from some timidly pronounced half-condemnations from the major western capitals, most of which are heavily involved in

Is There Anybody Alive Out There?

2007-11-02T18:51:00.001+01:00

Yes, the Boss is still alive and kicking. I bought Springsteen's latest album (perfectly titled): "Magic," which is only just that. Now I hate promoting anything or anyone, but that one Album is worth the publicity, I can tell you; and not just for the astounding songs quality but also for the power of the lyrics.Wondering whether "there is still anybody alive out there" he only echoes (or at

Bring Mehdi Back! (Part III)

2007-10-26T18:05:00.001+02:00

Mehdi Ben Barka & the Tricontinental(Final Part)René GallissotOctober 2005In Le Monde Diplomatique[If you find this (paraphrasing) translation poor or inappropriate, you can read the original piece in full here (fr).]There is little doubt that the Moroccan state (up to high ranking officers and officials) bears a heavy responsibility in the abduction and subsequent murder of Mehdi Ben Barka. The

Bring Mehdi Back! (Part II)

2007-10-24T08:21:00.001+02:00

Mehdi Ben Barka (1920-1965) is the charismatic leader (amongst others) of the anti-colonial movement which led Morocco to formal independence from France in 1956. He founded the National Union of Popular Forces (UNFP) in 1959. He later was accused of plotting against the regime and forced to exile. The Moroccan authorities condemned Ben Barka to death in absentia in 1964. He was kidnapped in

Bring Mehdi Back!

2007-10-23T17:47:00.001+02:00

A French judge, Patrick Ramaël, launched yesterday five international arrest warrants against high-ranking Moroccan personalities, well established in the State Apparatus and the Moroccan army. They are suspected of being involved in the abduction (in October 29, 1965 in Paris) and subsequent murder, of the historic Moroccan opposition figure, Mehdi ben Barka. The suspects are namely: Gen. Hosni

Wishful Thinking

2007-10-12T17:46:00.001+02:00

As each day goes by, I wonder if I should give it up all together. I'm beginning to have some headaches because of all this mumbo jumbo about democracy, elections and so on and so forth... I had these thoughts for a moment now and I can't help thinking and wondering: What if elections in my country were free and fair? What if the PM of Morocco and the government-elect were from a progressive,

Chatting With the Prince, Final Part

2007-10-10T17:38:00.001+02:00

He may look like Che Guevara (who, by the way, died forty years ago this week), but he obviously doesn't espouse the same revolutionary visions as those of the Argentine doctor.

Tutu Too?!

2007-10-05T21:20:00.003+02:00

The Israel Lobby Goes Nuts on Desmond Tutu.Supporters, within the United States, of the Apartheid regime in Israel have recently shown higher and unusual sensitivity toward academics, political commentators and world figures who dared criticizing the ongoing criminal actions of the Zionist State. The witch hunt campaign to stifle public debate and to muzzle journalists have been going on for

Chatting With the Prince, Part II

2007-10-03T21:24:00.001+02:00

Praising EvolutionThe advent of the new Monarch in Morocco has raised a lot of hopes in the future; maybe too much. But the dreams and illusions have been terribly dashed after two electoral shams in 2002 and 2007. Many Moroccans (especially the young) may have lost hope in changing the system in an evolutionary way (from the inside, by participating in the political system and by using the

Capitalism: the Latin American Experiment

2007-09-29T20:06:00.002+02:00

The War on Democracy by John PilgerJohn Pilger is an award-winning independent journalist and a renowned documentary film-maker. "The War on Democracy" is his latest opus. A startling reminder of the ravages that capitalism has already caused in Latin America, considered for decades to be the American (USA) preserve. Based on an arrogant imperial vision of the world and on the so-called

Democracy Next Time

2007-09-28T21:38:00.002+02:00

A New Cabinet has been Unveiled in Morocco: Cards Reshuffled, the Game is Still the Same.After an impassioned legislative election, followed by -sometimes- frenzied wranglings about the democratic nature of the "Righteous State" in Morocco, the process yielded a dazzling arrangement of faces at unexpected positions.It's "mission accomplished" for the Moroccan power: the elections meant primarily

The Great Oil Robbery: Second Phase?

2007-09-25T21:56:00.001+02:00

There is something in the air those days, something strange, that resembles the climate of fear and agitation which was prevailing back in the beginning of the year 2003 when the American administration's propaganda reached it's climax in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. This time the smear campaign is directed against Iraq's neighbour: Iran.In France, the foreign minister of the newly

Finkelstein or the Dangers of Criticizing Israel in Today's America - Part II

2007-09-24T21:39:00.004+02:00

Interview with Riz Khan of Aljazeera- June 2007. Since this interview, Pr. Norman Finkelstein has (as it has officially been formulated) reached a negotiated settlement with DePaul University allowing him to resign in exchange of the university recognizing that Finkelstein had met the University's tenure and promotion requirements.In his departure statement Finkelstein declared:"It is time for me

Maid in Morocco

2007-09-21T22:08:00.003+02:00

"Zahra has married an honest, hard working and loving man. She's obviously overwhelmed with joy even if she's blushing each time she realizes we've noticed her rejoicing." That's what my mother announced to me on her last evening call.Zahra was a maid working in my parent's house. They brought her when she was still a little child girl, aged about eleven, from the rural area of Shiadma, located

Al-Fassi: Capo Di Tutti Capi

2007-09-19T19:43:00.001+02:00

It's been announced today that Abbas al-Fassi, the leader of the Istiqlal party (made up of a bunch of rich and influential businessmen and landowners, close to the palace, who describe themselves as conservatives and 'nationalists,' and who came first in last september 7th legislative elections) has been chosen by the King of Morocco to lead the next government.Al-Fassi and his party are the

Wonder Why Muslims are Getting Radicalized

2007-09-16T23:09:00.002+02:00

Not a single mainstream western paper commemorated the massacre of Sabra and Shatilla, today. As Robert Fisk, the doyen of foreign correspondents in the Middle East and probably one of the latest honest western reporters still around, wrote this morning (and I'm paraphrasing): if 3700 Israelis were slaughtered in the same way as the Palestinians were in Sabra and Shatilla, we would probably had

Armistice... Not Peace

2007-09-15T21:59:00.003+02:00

Why Paying the Price of Peace When You Can Bully Arabs for an Unfair, Unjust Open-ended Ceasefire. This week is the twenty fifth anniversary of the Sabra and Shatilla massacre, the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. I'm not going to go through the details and the usual Historical fact reminder, there is enough data out there (and fortunately so) for anyone interested. All one needs to know is

Ramadan Ramblings

2007-09-14T16:15:00.003+02:00

Today I had quite a philosophical chatter with one of my colleagues (not a Muslim). He wondered how were agnostics and atheists coping in this holy month of Ramadan within their overwhelmingly practicing Muslim countries. I replied that most of them have to hide their non-practice of Islam or non- abidingness with it's rules, unless they are really looking for trouble!I think there is a big

Six Years After 9/11

2007-09-12T14:27:00.001+02:00

Stereotyping and Preconceived views and imagery on Arabs/Muslims, still poison intercultural relations. A lesson on Orientalism by the late Edward Said...

We're There Because We're There!

2007-09-11T15:51:00.001+02:00

The first impression of a hypothetical extraterrestrial observer, listening to yesterday's presentation by Gen David Petraeus before the American Senate, would much probably be: "there is a troublesome country on this planet called Iraq, where another country called the US of A, is trying to help."The USA, also known as America, is very compassionate and altruistic: they went into big trouble

The Awful Picture

2007-09-10T17:14:00.002+02:00

What kind of consistent, homogeneous government can come out of this awful balkanization of the Moroccan political spectrum? No further comments.(Graphic from "Intikhabat 2007")

Dont follow Leaders, Watch the [Abstention] Meters

2007-09-09T01:33:00.002+02:00

Let's give our selves (I mean, those who have been through the painful electoral non-sens in Morocco) some slack. Listen and relax. ("Subterranean Homesick Blues" Bob Dylan; 1967)

And the Winner is... the Party of Abstention & Disafection

2007-09-08T20:27:00.001+02:00

The main figure of significance to come out of the Moroccan legislative elections has been the rate of abstention: around 60% of those registered to vote have not bothered casting their votes yesterday (bear in mind that very few people registered in the first place). The minister of interior himself couldn't deny what he called "a rate of participation lower than expected."The first results

Chatting With the Prince

2007-09-07T22:19:00.001+02:00

I'm afraid I'm about to do a real narcistic thing: This is a post about me (and that of others: namely Lamiaa, Hajjar, Kareem, Abdelilah and Jane) having a chat on today's Moroccan legislative elections with Hicham Ben Abdallah Al Alaoui, the cousin of Mohamed VI (the king of Morocco), on the BBC's phone-in program, World Have Your Say.Call me egoistic, self-centered, self-loving, stuck-up, vain,

Put Them Face to Face and They'll Realize, They're All the Same

2007-09-06T20:29:00.006+02:00

FACE 2 FACE PROJECT trailer by JR AND MARCO.

Vote for the PSU?

2007-09-06T15:45:00.002+02:00

Being a Moroccan expat, I'm deprived from my inalienable right to vote. As are all Moroccans living outside their country of origin. However, the Moroccan constitution provides the right, in principle, for Moroccans abroad to cast their votes. But even if I had the opportunity to vote indeed, I would still wonder whether to do it or not, under the current constitution which is anything but

Palestine... Still in Our Hearts: Part II

2007-09-04T16:05:00.004+02:00

A Very Nice Evening It was probably the best Saturday night I spent for years (not for the reasons one might assume!). We first gathered in a small and humble restaurant in downtown Le Havre (north-western France). About thirty (maybe less) people showed up. I first thought: that's not a good start... it seemed first that people had snubbed the gathering. The meeting was never meant to be

Waiting for Democracy

2007-09-03T15:34:00.001+02:00

Yesterday I phoned an old friend of mine back home in Morocco. We talked about the old days and of course we chatted about the elections to come. When I inquired about the enthusiasm for the upcoming legislative poll (if any), the answer of the old friend was:"ما كاين لا ديموقراطية و لا يحزنون... بنادم غير كيتصطى عالوقت"(There is no such a think as democracy in this country... they are just

Palestine... Still in Our Hearts

2007-09-01T21:17:00.005+02:00

While the protracted ethnic cleansing continues unabated in the West Bank, with settlements growing larger everyday, the squeezing of the other half of the Palestinian people living in the concentration camp called Gaza, continues to produce more misery and hardship.Despite the fact that Western media has now shifted its focus from the Palestinian struggle -as it periodically do, hence playing in

My 5 Absolute Favorites

2007-08-31T23:00:00.001+02:00

Today is the International Blogging Day. I've come across some wonderful and inspiring blogs throughout the last year to the point that some bloggers have become a primary source of information for an expat like me, thirsty of news about Morocco, the Arab-Muslim Worlds and all other centers of interest.Morocco Savvy: the absolute portal for news on the Moroccan blogosphere. It's run by Global

Basri Gone... The Makhzen Still Alive and Kicking

2007-08-28T19:05:00.001+02:00

The Demise of the Right-Hand Man of Hassan II.Driss Basri died yesterday in Paris, after a long illness. He was the architect of the repressive policies of what is widely known in morocco as the "Lead Years". His ruthless rule over the all-mighty Ministry of Interior & "Information," was marked by waves of unlawful abductions, torture and disappearances. An awful period that almost two

Nichane Reloaded

2007-08-19T01:58:00.003+02:00

Morocco is Definitely Backtracking!If you ask publicly a fortune teller in Marrakesh mythic place, "Jama' L'fna," about the future and present of his country, his answer would much probably be: "Everything is good and well under the reign of Sidna (our Lord the King)." Later in the same day if you meet the same fellow, and if he trusts you enough, he would most certainly confess how life is

The Kings Walked Past Here

2007-08-19T01:10:00.002+02:00

Celebrating the Memory of Two GiantsThis week many across the planet celebrated the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. He was a hell of a performer. He set the world on fire like no other before or after him. Although he never wrote or composed his own songs, he boldly reached out to different communities across the world and most importantly, within the troublesome America he lived

the Slaughterhouse ** المَسْلَخ

2007-08-18T23:45:00.003+02:00

Crimes Against Feminity in the Arab WorldArab poets have been worshiping women from time immemorial. The Islamic Era has produced a plethora of authors who dedicated their work to feminity and beauty. Today's radicalization of Arab and Muslim societies, together with the totalitarian regimes they live under has yielded a "Culture of Ugliness" which describes almost everything that is beautiful as

DIVIDE ET IMPERIA

2007-08-18T19:49:00.001+02:00

Sponsoring InstabilityYou don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand the US strategy in the ME. Divide and Rule, as the old adage goes, has been at the core of American policy towards a region considered as early as 1945 as "a stupendous source of strategic power, and one of the greatest material prizes in world History." Eisenhower later described it as "the most strategically important

The New French Cuisine

2007-08-05T21:10:00.001+02:00

In the Menu: French Fries, a Lot of Lies and Some MissilesSarkozy has wasted no time in showing his contempt for democracy both at home and abroad. Acting as an elected dictator, he recently decided, without any consultation with the french parliament, to sell weapons to the Libyan despot Khaddafi. It's no secret that Sarkozy has very close links with French arms dealers like Dassot, Lagardère...

Satire Therapy

2007-08-05T00:46:00.003+02:00

The Necessary CatharsisThe least that religious extremist murderers deserve, is to be mocked, ridiculed and laughed at.These psychopaths have tarnished and destroyed the image and reputation of Muslims around the world and have given the opportunity to widespread bigotry and racism to flourish across the Western world."Jihad the Musical" is a comedy that opened last Wednesday in the Edinburgh

Stevie Wonder Superstition

2007-07-28T22:28:00.002+02:00

For all the superstitious minds in this heavy Saturday night, especially in Morocco and Northern France

State of Alert, State of Exception

2007-07-28T20:54:00.003+02:00

Two journalists, Mustapha Hormatallah and Abderrahim Ariri, of the Moroccan weekly Alwatan Al-An, were arrested last week (July 17), after the publication of a story about "the Secrets Behind the Enhanced State of Alert in Morocco," reproducing documents that the Moroccan police described as "classified".After 96 hours under police custody, both journalists were charged, and while Ariri was

Logical Illogicality Number#2

2007-07-27T14:54:00.001+02:00

Guilty of Honesty, Integrity and Defiance to the British Establishment, George Galloway Got Expelled From the House of C(omm)ons.The Pro-Zionist, unelected "Commons [double-]standards and privileges committee" suspended the Respect member of Parliament for having brought (as they put it) the House into "DISREPUTE."His crime: Political DissentHe was expelled by a committee composed mainly of

Logical Illogicality

2007-07-25T15:01:00.001+02:00

How to Turn a Brutal Dictator Into a Respectable Statesman & a War Criminal Into a Peace DoveThe release of the Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian doctor from their Libyan nightmare is undoubtedly good news. The children infected by HIV in the Benghazi hospital and their families payed a heavy price for the lack of basic hygiene and accountability in the Libyan health system. In fact, many

The Rise of Muslim-Democracy

2007-07-23T15:15:00.003+02:00

Reading my July 21st Post (titled "pretentiously" I have to admit: mini-Manifesto) may suggest that I oppose any religious interference in matters of politics. I wrote that Muslims should be aware of the dangers of conflating religion and politics and that the public should have his say in all matters of public life. The resounding victory of the AK Party or AKP (described as 'rooted in political