Stories about Morocco from September, 2009
Middle East: Arabisk, Blog Competition and Debate
Newly launched Arabisk is an annual competition to select the best Arabic blogs. First welcomed by bloggers, Egyptian bloggers are now complaining that they have been sidelined from the contest. Here is round up of their reactions.
Arab World: Artificial Virginity Made in China
Moroccan blogger Mounir writes on Des maux à dire [Fr] about artificial hymens, made in China, apparently much appreciated by a growing base of Arab customers. “In the Arab region, Syrians have seen this revolutionary ‘product’ invade the black market. In Egypt, investors are seriously considering its introduction,” alleges the...
Morocco: Teaching Tamazight
Jamal Elabiad, author of the blog A Moroccan Voice in English, discusses the limits of teaching the Tamazight language in Morocco.
Morocco: Rage Against the Sandwich Continues
Eating in public during Ramadan is often seen as a disregardful and disrespectful act and might attract the anger of the public. Moreover it is punishable by law. Moroccan Bloggers and cyber-activists react to the attempt by some non-observants to brave the ban on breaking the fast in public during Ramadan.
Morocco: Don't Blame the Rain
Recent flooding in Morocco has prompted bloggers to air their discontent with their country's lack of sanitation infrastructure. They went around taking pictures and shooting videos, sharing scenes seldom broadcast by the mainstream media. This is their citizen reporting.
A Halal Search Engine for Muslim Internet Users
ImHalal.com, a search engine in English launched earlier this month by a Netherlands-based company, only fetches results that are flagged as “Halal” and safe for Muslim users. Blogger Agharass [Fr] comments.
Morocco: Activists Break Fast in Public, Receive Punishment
During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating or drinking from dawn to sunset. A group of Moroccan activists was reprimanded for breaking the fast in public, an action that is punishable under the Moroccan criminal code. A divided blogoma reacts to the incident.
Morocco: Rage against the Sandwich
Larbi, in Comme une bouteille jetée à la mer, reports [Fr] on a manifestation that took place on Sunday 13 September in the outskirts of Casablanca, by young Moroccans who decided to organize a picnic braving the ban on eating in public during Ramadan, only to find hundreds of policemen...
Arab Diaspora: Shall I Marry a Non-Arab?
Arab women living in diaspora have hard questions to answer. Should they marry non-Arabs, non-Muslims or converts to Islam? Palestinian blogger Mona, who lives in Canada and blogs at Rebellious Arab Girl, opens a can of worms when she asks these questions in a post, which has attracted 162 comments so far.
Morocco: A Dangerous Flu
At least five Moroccan independent journalists will appear before a judge later this month in Rabat, after having published articles challenging the official announcement about King Mohammed VI's health. It is believed the monarch has contracted "a viral, benign disease." Bloggers have been debating this issue, mostly denouncing the attacks on journalists.
Arab World: Healing the Rifts of 9/11
As the United States remembers the tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001, the rest of the world is remembering too. For many Arabs, that day marked a change in mutual perception. It fundamentally changed how the world perceives Arabs and how Arabs see the world.
Morocco: Happy Ninepercent!
Larbi, blogging on Comme une bouteille jetée à la mer, writes a post [FR] on Wednesday 9/9/2009 at 9 hours 9 minutes PM, congratulating the “Ninepercenters,” a group of Moroccan bloggers created last August in protest against the banning of a poll showing 9% Moroccans unhappy of the first decade...
Morocco: Moroccan Recipes
The View from Fez shares some Moroccan recipes in this post.
Morocco: Child Labor Under the Spotlight
A young girl is suffering in a hospital, bruised and beaten. Sent to work as a domestic servant at the age of 10, Zineb Chtit knew no other life than the one she had, working for affluent employers who beat her and refused her food.
Morocco: Fashion on Show
From Morocco, Maryam holds her own fashion show at My Marrakesh. Click on the link to get a sneak preview.
Morocco: Syrian Calligrapher in a Secret Place
From Morocco, Maryam, of My Marrakesh, meets Syrian calligrapher Khaed Al Saai at “a secret place where artists and writers gather.”
Morocco: Bastard Modernization
eatbees assesses the modernization of Morocco and posts a conversation between himself and a reader.
Morocco: Casa Negra to Represent Morocco at Oscars
Moroccan film, Casa Negra, has been chosen to represent Morocco at the 2010 Academy Awards (Oscars). The blogoma reacts to the movie in this post.
Morocco: Teaching “Berber” in Schools
A BBC News piece on the teaching of "Berber" languages in Morocco has got the blogoma talking. The article, which outlines the educational options for learning and studying the language, prompted a variety of posts. Jillian C. York has the story.
Morocco: On Hijab
American expat blogger 760 Days in Morocco explains her motives for wearing hijab, in this post.
Morocco: Four Perspectives on Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is defined by intimidation, bullying, or coercion of a sexual nature and is, by all accounts, something that happens the world over. Of late, bloggers in Morocco have been assessing the situation, where they offer a variety of perspectives on the issue.
