Gnawa Soul

Sarah Palin Speaks Out (CBS News)

2008-09-26T13:14:00.002-07:00

Is she seriously going to become the next VP? I don't know if it is sad or funny...either way just the fact that she is up for this position shows that there is something seriously wrong in this world.

P.S. Henry Kessinger confirmed that he is for direct diplomacy without any preconditions

Yes, We Can!

2008-06-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

45 years ago martin luther king had a dream that one day people will be judged by the content of their character and not by the colour of their skin. Martin luther king was assassinated but his legacy lived to resound never as loudly with the nomination of the first african american as a candidate to the presidency of the united states of america. few decades ago blacks and women alike did not even have the right to vote. this nomination represents a victory for the civil rights movement and symbolizes the new face of america as a multi-ethnic society where anyone with enough character can aspire to anything he or she wishes. it has been a long journey marked by years and years of oppression, discrimination, and even death. the journey is not over, there is still a lot of things that need to change, but it has reached a historic mile stone with obama clinching the nomination to the candidacy for the position of commander in chief. and commander in chief he will become in november, neither mccain nor the republican party will be able to stop his march to the whhite house because he is not marching alone. millions of young americans who represent the new face of america and who were never interested in politics before have come to join him in making things change. he gave them hope, they are giving him their voices. however, with great powers come great responsibilities. he has no other choice but to perform outstandingly and to hold his promisses of a better future regulated by the power of moral values and not the power of money and that of savage capitalism. of that, i am sure he can and alongside him millions are chanting: yes we can!

I'm done (almost)!

2007-05-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

Ouf! I’m done! The semester is over! I can finally enjoy the feelings of not having something on the back of your mind, the feeling of nothing to worry about even if it’s only for two weeks since I will be taking the summer session!

Looking back at this semester, there are some things that I would have done differently and many other things that I would not change them an inch. I learned a lot academically, but I learned more on a personal level. I met several good people that I now consider as true friends, and I met a lot of people who are “double-faced”. I experienced feelings of extreme ecstasy as well as feelings of extreme depression. I made new relations and I broke other few.

More importantly is that it’s one more semester that is behind me and I have one few ahead of me.

Looking forward for relative peace of mind that the vacation promises as and I really need to refuel for the summer session!

Hopeless (1)

2007-04-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

“Where am I? What is this around my waste?” These were Hakim’s last words before his body went into pieces, killing in the process tens of innocent lives.

Hakim was born in one of the slums of Casablanca. His dad was a shoemaker who could barely afford the basic needs of his family of eight. Hakim is the eldest among his siblings. As years went by, Hakim’s father fell more and more sick and as a result Hakim had to drop out of school in order to provide for his family for whom he felt responsible. Hakim tried his hand in a lot od different little jobs but always ended either quitting or fired. Faced to this situation, he decided to take on the great journey. He decided to immigrate illegally to the other side, the other continent, the Eldorado. Hakim managed to gather the money he would need to pay the passer, the person who owns a small both that would take him to the Promised Land where in order to gather money you just have to kneel. Hakim left for Tangier where he met the passer who took him to a safe house, a kind of waiting area for illegal immigrants. Hakim always dreamed to be sitting in a waiting area but what he imagined as a kid is far from what he is now living as a responsible adult. Hakim’s concept of the waiting area was that of a VIP lounge where he could smoke his Cuban cigars while waiting for his private jet to take him from London to New York and then to Tokyo. As he was daydreaming about his fantasies, the passer showed up and told everyone that their time has come and that they would set sail very early next morning, he then proceeded to collect the money. As Hakim handed the money to the passer he felt as if he already put one foot in his dream land. He slept that night with great hope in his heart. He woke up with much anger and disgust. Disgust at himself for being such a naïve person. Disgust at himself for failing his family. What happened is that the passer turned out to be a con artist who took the money and fled…he also took with him hope out of Hakim’s heart. Hakim felt so much despair that he did not even attempt to neither look for the passer nor complain to the police. Instead he went back to his family’s house with much anger and shame. For the rest of his short life, Hakim could never look for more than a glimpse in his mother’s eyes...

To be continued

El Morro

Revealing thoughts

2007-04-12T04:09:00.000-07:00

Everyone ought to worship God according to his own inclinations, and not to be
constrained by force.

Flavius Josephus, Life

Jewish-Roman historian & turncoat (37 AD - 100 AD)

Check Point

2007-03-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

Loin du stress de la vie quotidienne et plongé dans le stress de la vie virtuelle je me suis mis à contempler ce qu’à été ma vie jusqu’à là. Non je ne fais pas de crise de conscience. J’ai rien à me reprocher mais c’est toujours rafraîchissent de faire un constat de ce qu’à été la vie jusqu’à là. Qui sait ça pourrait permettre d’éviter de refaire les mêmes erreurs du passé…une fois de plus. Lmouhim, je disais que j’étais entrain de réaliser un constat sur mes 23 années écoulées. Résultats ? Pas très satisfaisant mais pas aussi catastrophique que je ne le pensais avant. Faut savoir relativiser de temps à autre ça aide à limiter l’auto-flagellation…mais passant comme même je veux pas vous saoulez avec mes déambules fantaisistes…

L’autre jour j’étais entrain de jouer du billard avec des amis quand soudain elle était apparut de je ne sais quel horizon. Le pire c’est qu’elle était venue me faire la bise comme si de rien n’était. Comme si tous ce qui s’est passé ne s’est vraiment passé que dans ma cervelle. Heureusement, qu’il y avait mes amis qui étaient aussi surpris que moi…on le voyait l’effet surprise clairement sur Omar qui avait la bouche entre ouverte pour une assez longue période. Mis au pied du mur, j’ai rien su faire comme si ça ne me concernait pas. J’étais comme un policier entrain de constater les dégâts d’un accident grave…seulement je constatais les dégâts que j’ai causé…un peu de débris parmi tant d’autre que j’ai généré pendant mes 23 ans de vie sur terre.

Mais croyez-moi, le bilan c’est vraiment pas aussi terrible que ça...vue de mon angle !

El Morro

Just my luck

2007-03-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

And it is still rolling! My bad luck span is far from over. The latest on the victim’s list is my laptop. Yes my dear laptop, with all the music, pictures, movies, and important stuff, is gone. Gone is not the most appropriate word, I should probably say broken, literally broken that is. How did it happen? Doesn’t really matter right now the fact is, I don’t have a laptop anymore. It really sucks considering that I used it a lot in my school (programming major) and to communicate with friends and family. Now the only thing that I am wondering about is what will be next? After my glasses, my hand, my foot, and now my laptop (oh and my girlfriend in between), I can’t imagine anything worse (I don’t want to imagine anything worse). I guess I just have to wait and see what happens next…ah if only I could control the future!

El Morro

Snowflakes!

2007-02-21T07:53:00.001-07:00

It is that time of the year again when you just feel like staying in the warmth of your room and drink some hot chocolate while listening to good music. Yes, it is winter in Ifrane and it is snowing. As I was sitting by my room’s window watching the snowflakes fall down graciously and then disappear gradually into the ground I thought to myself that each snowflake went individually through an amazing journey to finally become one snowflake among a million other insignificant snowflakes of which we quickly grow weary and wish for the sun to shine again to take them all away. Then it hit me! There are billions of people on this planet who went through amazing journeys during the course of their lives and maybe if we take them individually they will be equally interesting. However, when put in the middle of his/her peers, a person is just as meaningless as a snowflake. So what can a person do to stand out and not be a snowflake among others anymore? I honestly don’t have an answer to this question but I am sure that there are people who definitely found the answer throughout history. These people are the ones that we learn about in history books and that shaped our present and maybe even our future. Their influence leaped over the boundaries of time to shape our present day lives in all its aspects. It’s only when you stand out that you achieve eternity! Don’t be a snowflake because one day or another the sun will shine again and you will melt down and be forgotten!

El Morro

A keychain story

2007-02-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

Everyone who knows me very well knows that I have had the same keychain (among other things) for over a decade now (the word decade makes me feel actually old). The keychain in question had the name of my brother Rabie inscribed on it as well as Ayat Al Korsi (verses from the Coran). That keychain traveled with me everywhere I went. It’s a sort of a lucky charm to me. I can’t imagine loosing it one day.

I lost my keychain last weekend in a nightclub in Ifrane. I was having fun until I realized that my keychain was not in my pocket. I started looking for it everywhere. I didn’t leave no stone (bottle) unturned. I didn’t find my keychain. That was definitely a party pooper for me. I sat down on the couch of our table looking brokenhearted. Everybody started asking what was wrong and I had to explain to each one what it was all about and that it’s not just a keychain. Few minutes later I regained hope of finding it since everybody in the nightclub was looking for the “damn thing” as Lamiaa put it. However it was not found. I returned to campus really upset despite the amounts of free alcohol that I was offered as a consolation “prize”.

As I was walking up the stairs of y building towards my room I realized that I also lost the keys to my room. My roommate was in the room however so I didn’t mind that. I walked in (the door was open) and I sat down on my bed looking down at the previously flooded floor of my room. I stared and stared at a shiny point on the floor without realizing what it was. I didn’t care at that point. I lost something very important to me that night and I just didn’t care if my room went up in flames for all that I care. But then it hit me that my roommate was sleeping when I left the room and that I usually lock the door behind me when I am leaving. The door was open. I didn’t lock it. What’s that bright thing on the floor? I took a step towards it and I removed the piece of cloth that was partially covering it. It was my keychain! I found my keychain!

…that was close!

El Morro

La Poisse

2007-02-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

It all began last Friday at 4 AM in the morning. I woke up to the sound of security guys knocking at my door. At first I thought they were coming to inspect my room for drugs and alcohol but it turned out to be something else…totally different but just as equally upsetting. “Come in!” I yelled at whoever was knocking. One of the security guys let himself in and I couldn’t help it then but notice that his shoes were making some kind of a weird sound. I look on the floor but all I could see was the ceiling. Hein? How could that be? Maybe I was too sleepy. “Really am I this disoriented?” I thought to myself. It turned out that I was really looking at the reflection of the ceiling on the water that has flooded my room. First reaction was to reach underneath my bed and reach for the most precious thing I got…my laptop. Thank god it was still working despite the amounts of water it swallowed…those guys at IBM make good laptops. I will spare you the details of what happened next but in a nutshell I ended up spending the night as a refugee in some other building. The next day my room was all clean…very clean but also very smelly because of the wet carpet.

Then later on Friday I was trying to clean my glasses when all of a sudden they broke into two pieces. I stared at them thinking to myself that I was lucky to carry with my an extra pair.

Sunday I went to play some basketball, everything was going well until I tried to reach for that rebound when the ball slammed against my fingers making them look kind of funny. I didn’t think of it much then and continued playing. Another rebound and my second pair glasses, the last ones, fell and instantly broke into three pieces!!! That’s not good.

Monday I couldn’t see more than three feet ahead of me but I could really feel a pain in my right hand’s fingers. I tried to overlook it but it was just too much. By 2 PM I was in an ambulance going to Fes for some X-rays. The good thing is that I didn’t break anything the bad thing is that I sprained my fingers so bad that they would need at least three weeks to heal.

Today, as I was walking from downtown to campus, I sprained my ankle…Just as simple as that.

So in five days I found myself half-blind, handicapped (right hand and right foot), and with a smelly room from where I am writing these few lines.

And that’s the definition of la poisse if you are not a French speaker.

Mon signe chinois

2007-01-30T12:22:00.000-07:00

Je viens de découvrir que mon signe chinois c'est en fait le cochon. J’ai tout de suite googlé pour savoir ce que cela veut dire et voilà ce que j'ai trouvé :

Honnête et droit, vous avancez dans la vie comme un bulldozer tranquille. Vous êtes hostile au mensonge, à l'hypocrisie et aux comportements artificiels. S'il vous arrive de faire une chose répréhensible, vous vous en voulez terriblement et ressentez durant longtemps un sentiment de culpabilité. Pour vos proches et vos amis, vous vous montrez généreux et serviable. Parfois même un peu trop car vous ne savez pas dire non et d'aucuns n'hésiteront pas à profiter de votre apparente bonhomie pour essayer de vous rouler. Mais sous votre peau épaisse se cache une détermination farouche à faire respecter votre loi, et nul ne parviendra à vous imposer un état de fait auquel vous ne souscrivez pas. C'est en solitaire que vous prenez vos décisions et en solitaire également que vous assumez vos éventuels échecs. Vous n'êtes pas du genre à rejeter la faute sur les autres. En cas d'hostilité, vous vous repliez sur vous-même en attendant que l'orage passe. On vous reprochera peut-être de préférer la fuite à l'affrontement, mais les éclats de voix, les bagarres et les rapports de force vous répugnent. Si l'on vous met au pied du mur, sans d'autre issue que l'affrontement, vous devenez un adversaire implacable et violent. Derrière une apparence débonnaire, vous dissimulez une sensibilité à fleur de peau et une âme de jouisseur. Votre goût du plaisir font de vous un expert en amour, surtout physique...

Nass El Ghywane - Lahmami

2007-01-10T16:33:00.001-07:00

Especially dedicated to Omar!

Happy New Year

2007-01-06T17:17:00.001-07:00

Dumbest s**** ever!

2006-12-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

2004 05 04 - Men & Women talking - Sub

In your face!

2006-12-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

George Galloway Lebanon

Nothing to talk about

2006-11-21T05:49:00.000-07:00

Sitting by the cafeteria today, I was asked by my good friend Mira why I haven’t updated my blog recently. I wanted to say that I was busy etc…but it’s not actually true…I just feel disoriented right now and lack any kind of inspiration. It’s the dry season for me...but I will try to write something just to see where I end up…

Last week was Moroccan film days on campus. It lasted three days during which several short movies were presented the AUI community. Of course they saved the best for last and it was really the best. la symphonie marocaine was the movie that was projected last and it was to say the least the best Moroccan movie I have ever seen. It is such a great piece that it’s hard not to want to watch again and again. Before the movie I was invited to a VIP dinner with the director and actors in the movie as well as the university president and the deans of the different schools on campus. It was a great opportunity to chat a little with all these VIPs. That’s for what happened last week.

Tomorrow is going to be even better. How couldn’t it be if you know that tomorrow the amazing Nas Lghywane are scheduled for a concert on campus starting at 9PM? I am already getting ready for it by listening 24 hours non-stop to their amazing music. Nas lghywane are more than a music group they represent a generation that lived through very hard political and social circumstances but always kept their heads up and never gave up their dignity. It’s the generation that is allowing me and my peers to live in this relative freedom that we are enjoying now. They broke so many taboos and defied so many wrong conceptions and that’s why they are loved by everyone in every generation.

So what did I answer Mira when she asked why I wasn’t updating my website? I just shrugged my shoulders and said I don’t know…but I guess she will know now when she reads this entry…

Break is over!

2006-10-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Ça fait déjà 2 mois et quelque que j'attends le break du semestre et le voila qui s'est envolé comme si rien n'était. Seule consolation il ne reste plus que 6 semaines jusqu'a la fin du semestre. Qu’est ce que j'ai fait durant ce break? Pas grand chose même mes escapades nocturnes était un peu rangées au goût de ma mère (ramadan et fête de l'eid obligent). Et alors que les nuits casablancaises s'apprêtent à s'illuminer de milles feux me voila entrain de revenir à la petite ville d'Ifrane où on apprend vraiment le sens du mot routine. Mais je ne me laisserai pas faire dés mon arrivée je vais essayer de…ah je vais laisser tomber y a rien que je puisse faire pour alléger mes tourmentes sauf peut être….naaa je ne crois pas…ou peut être ? Je sais pas vraiment je délire en cette fin de soirée je vais aller me coucher et me reposer je dois prendre la route demain et la dernière chose que je veux c’est d’arriver a Ifrane tout épuisé (même si ça ne changerai rien puisque j’aurai tout le temps de me reposer)

Que justice soit faite!

2006-10-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

La France, le pays des droits de l’homme. La France, berceau de la démocratie et de la « civilisation » au monde. La France et sa capitale Paris, ville des lumières. La France, l’eldorado auquel aspirent des millions d’Africains et d’habitants du tiers monde. Cette France autoproclamée conscience mondiale. Cette France qui se dit fière et se veut importante. Cette France est au fait un pays ingrat. Oui un pays ingrat au bord même du racisme.

Lors de la seconde guerre mondiale, lorsque les forces françaises ont été mises en échecs par les forces allemandes, et lorsque le pays a été sous occupation de ses dernières, la France a fait appelle aux soldats des pays qu’elle occupait dans le temps et qui faisait parti, selon la France, de l’empire Français. Ses soldats braves venus principalement des colonies Françaises en Afrique et surtout de l’Afrique du nord, ont combattu à côté des soldats français pour la liberté de la France mais aussi pour sa devise promise de Liberté, Egalité, et Fraternité. Leurs exploits héroïques sont restés à jamais gravés dans les anales de l’histoire de la seconde guerre mondiale. Si la France a la mémoire courte, les soldats eux même et les pays d’où ils proviennent ne souffrent pas du même symptôme. Ses braves soldats qui ont combattu pour la France souffrent aujourd’hui de l’ingratitude des autorités françaises exactement comme ils en ont souffert quand ils étaient engagés dans les lignes de front contre la machine allemande. La Liberté ils l’ont eu à force de leurs foies et détermination, l’égalité et la fraternité demeurent cependant et jusqu'à nos jours un rêve lointain. Plus que soixante ans après la fin de la guerre, les soldats, les indigènes comme ils étaient appelés par leurs camarades d’armes français, attendent toujours réparation des préjudices qu’ils ont subis. Ils ne demandent rien plus que l’application du principe d’égalité pour lequel ils ont combattu et jusqu’à présent tout ce qu’ils ont récolté c’est des promesses vides de politiciens démagogues. Les faits sont là et la France est coupable d’ingratitude envers ses hommes qui ont combattu pour que la France redevienne libre, pour que la France soit ce qu’elle est maintenant.

Le film « indigènes » retrace le parcours de quatre soldats « indigènes » qui ont cru aux promesses Françaises d’égalité et de Fraternité et qui ont combattu dignement sur les lignes du front mais qui ont subi et subissent encore de nos jours l’indifférence de la France et des Français (« de souche ») vis-à-vis des sacrifices qu’ils ont fourni. Alors qu’une montée du racisme et de la xénophobie est enregistrée dans le pays des droits de l’homme, ce film vient comme un rappel à l’ordre pour ceux qui prétendent que la France n’est que pour les Français. Et comme a dit Ali, un des caractères du film, « si je libère un pays, c’est mon pays ! »

« Indigènes » c’est un film très émouvant que je recommande très vivement pour tout le monde sans exception. Un film qui enlève le masque esthétique de pays de droits de l’homme que s’est offert la France après son indépendance.

Site Officiel du film Indigènes

El Morro

Jeu de miroirs

2006-10-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

"Les médias reflètent ce que disent les gens, les gens reflètent ce que disent les médias. Ne va-t-on jamais se lasser de cet abrutissant jeu de miroirs ?"

Amin Maalouf, Le premier siècle après Béatrice

«Sunny, modern Morocco»

2006-10-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

On regrettera que la MAP et «Le Matin» n’aient pas repris en chœur ce formidable coup de pub, Cela a dû donner du baume au cœur à tous les «marketeurs» du royaume : les deux newsmagazines

généralistes les plus populaires des Etats-Unis, Newsweek et Time ont commis la même semaine deux articles très laudateurs sur le Maroc dans leurs éditions européennes. Time ouvre le bal avec un reportage fort sympathique sur l’attrait de plus en plus prononcé du royaume sur tous les porteurs européens de carte vermeille. Il faut dire que le phénomène s’est accentué ces dernières années à la faveur de l’arrivée, au seuil du troisième âge, d’une cohorte de baby-boomers argentés et de l’envolée des prix de l’immobilier en Europe du Sud, notamment sur la très bétonnée Costa Del Sol. Le Maroc est donc devenu par sa proximité géographique et son légendaire soleil le nouvel Eldorado d’une génération de retraités qui y achètent à tours de bras riyads, villas et appartements aux superficies de rêve. La hausse vertigineuse des prix des produits de première nécessité qui lamine plus que jamais une classe moyenne paupérisée (lire notre dossier en pp. 28-31) n’est pour eux que broutille tant leur pouvoir d’achat est, comparé à la moyenne nationale, stratosphérique.
Quant à Newsweek, qui reprend cette bonne vieille thématique du soleil dardant ses rayons 300 jours par an, son analyse sur le royaume chérifien est à tomber à la renverse. Un reportage, étalé sur quatre pages à l’iconographie bien léchée, nous raconte, dans un style que les Orientalistes du XIXème siècle n’auraient pas désavoué, que le Maroc a «adopté des réformes politiques, judiciaires et économiques aux normes européennes». Pour le prouver, Newsweek cite le patron local de la Banque mondiale qui n’hésite pas à affirmer que le royaume est «complètement intégré au reste du monde». Ce n’est pas tout. Emballé par les «signes de l’Occidentalisation que l’on voit partout», l’auteur du reportage se risque à dire sans nuances que «le gouvernement actuel est le plus démocratique qu’a connu le pays dans toute son histoire». Et d’ajouter : «l’année prochaine, des élections porteront au pouvoir, et pour la première fois (sic !) , un Premier ministre populaire, alors que jusqu’ici le gouvernement a été directement nommé par le roi». Enfin, Newsweek s’extasie de relever que les cas de torture et d’arbitraire «ne sont plus qu’occasionnels». «Nous nous sommes tous jurés plus jamais ça !» dira même un Driss Jettou enthousiaste. Pour finir, l’hebdomadaire s’interroge même sur l’éventualité de voir le Maroc rejoindre l’Union européenne, un rêve caressé en son temps par Hassan II et qui serait aujourd’hui «envisageable». On regrettera que la MAP et «Le Matin» n’aient pas repris en chœur ce formidable coup de pub…

d'Ali Amar

Morocco

2006-10-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

Morocco

El Morro

Moroccan Fusion

2006-10-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

Darga is one of the leading and most talented groups of Fusion Music in Morocco. Fusion is a mixture of traditional Gnawa Music, Rock, Reggae, and African music. You can download their first album from the following link.

Darga

Enjoy!

El Morro

Let’s All Imagine

2006-10-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

2007 will be election’s year in Morocco. The actual government is a wide-coalition government composed of right wingers, independents, and left wingers. Speculations have already started about which party is the favorite to win the majority in the parliament and thus to be in a position of “power”. It seems like the right wing religious Party of Justice and Democracy (PJD) is the big favorite. Western and local liberal observers are skeptic about the image of tolerance the PJD is trying to project and have doubts about the actual intentions of the PJD. The PJD has already been in the middle of too many controversies over the past few years that threw even more shade on its political agenda. However this paranoia over what would happen if the Islamist party was to be in power by next year is highly unjustified taking into account that the Moroccan constitution doesn’t allow much field of action to the government. There have been some talks about constitutional amendments with the aim to give more power to the government which implies less power for the king. The prospect of such a radical change seems at hand reach if the rumors about the king himself being for such amendments are confirmed. But to what extent is king willing to give up power knowing that any constitutional amendment would be almost impossible without his consent? This question is hard to answer by anyone except for the king himself. However, I invite you all to think of what’s wrong with our constitution and what changes should be made to make it “better”?

I imagine a secular Morocco where the state doesn’t have a say on personal matters such as religion. I also imagine a Morocco where finally its majority ethnic group would be duly recognized in the constitution as part of the Moroccan identity and not as a folklore. I imagine a Morocco where everyone would be subject to criticism and therefore would be responsible for his/her actions. I imagine a Morocco where on election’s day Moroccans would elect their own prime minister who would be in charge of managing the daily life and problems that the Moroccan society faces. A prime minister that would have the right to compose his own government as he sees fit for the mission he was elected for. I imagine a government working for the Moroccans and the betterment of daily life independently and autonomously from any royal commission. I imagine a Morocco where the king would be a judge and not a party; A king that would act as the protector of the new Morocco and not as its “owner”. I imagine the Moroccan society more knowledgeable about its rights and of course its obligations. I imagine a more transparent Morocco and a more prosper Morocco. I also imagine a freer and responsible Moroccan press that doesn’t publish just about anything in the name of the freedom of the press.

All of this and more is totally feasible if we believe. As the saying goes, “Every Generation Needs a Revolution”

El Morro

Peace is real

2006-10-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

Perhaps a dream
Even maybe a mirage
Another lie we have been told
Common fixation of optimists
Erotic dream of idealists

Illogically I still believe
Some day we will find peace

Redemption from our sins
Enter paradise
Award from the far above
Live as a chosen one

El Morro

Dix-sept parlementaires déférés devant le parquet pour corruption

2006-10-13T03:42:00.000-07:00

Dix-sept parlementaires marocains de la majorité ont été déférés devant le parquet pour "corruption" après le scrutin de septembre pour le renouvellement du tiers de la Chambre des Conseillers (Sénat), a indiqué jeudi le ministère de la Justice à Rabat.

Parmi ces personnes figurent douze vainqueurs de ces élections, un candidat malheureux et cinq (bien cinq) députés siégeant déjà à la Chambre des représentants, selon la même source qui ajoute que les enquêtes sont en cours pour 166 autres plaintes de corruption ayant entaché le scrutin indirect du 8 septembre

Le parquet a par ailleurs notifié au douze nouveaux sénateurs et au cinq députés en exercice, qui appartiennent quasiment tous à des partis gouvernementaux, l'interdiction d'assister vendredi à l'ouverture solennelle de la nouvelle année législative que le roi Mohammed VI doit présider à Rabat, selon une source judiciaire.

Au total, 67 personnes sont poursuivies par le parquet de "corruption, obtention et tentative d'obtention des voix d'un ou de plusieurs électeurs en contrepartie de présents ou de dons dans l'objectif d'influer sur leur vote".

Au lendemain du scrutin indirect du 8 septembre, l'Association marocaine des droits humains avait signalé une série de cas de corruption, appelant le gouvernement à prendre des mesures coercitives contre les candidats qui ont fait usage de l'argent pour l'achat des voix.

Le 3 octobre, le parti travailliste marocain, nouvellement créé, a annoncé sa décision de faire de la "lutte contre la corruption son cheval de bataille" notamment en vue des élections législatives de 2007.

"Pour consolider un Etat de droit, il faut assurer des élections honnêtes, crédibles, et démocratiques", avait déclaré à l'AFP son secrétaire général Abdelkrim Benatiq.

Le Maroc a un système parlementaire bicaméral: une chambre des Représentants (députés) élue au suffrage direct et une chambre des Conseillers, dont les membres sont désignés par un corps de grands élécteurs.

source

Morocco’s Golden Mile – new development plans unveiled soon

2006-10-13T03:36:00.000-07:00

Detailed plans are expected to be unveiled soon for what has been dubbed Morocco’s Golden Mile.

Alcudia Smir near Kabila, a beachfront development of new homes and tourist accommodation on the north African country’s Mediterranean coast, will comprise a mix of around 2,000 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and villas, as well as a hotel and leisure facilities.

The resort, a mixture of residential and touristic apartments, penthouses and villas, pre-installed for air-conditioning, will benefit from a commercial centre with shops, bars and restaurants as well as the facilities of the resort hotel. Currently more details of the development proposals are awaited.

Alcudia Smir is located 45 minutes by road from Tangier International Airport, midway between the coastal towns of Fnideq - a small typically Moroccan town with fishing activities and eating areas - and M’diq. This is already a bustling area for tourists, due to its location between the Rif mountains and a stunning beach.

Alcudia Smir has golf courses and marinas within easy reach. It will also have easy access to the new Mediterranean port close to Ceuta, the Spanish enclave.

The development of Alcudia Smir is being undertaken by FADESA, Spain’s second largest developer which is also behind Morocco’s first Plan D’Azur resort at Mediterrania-Sadia. FADESA, which has a reputation for building quality properties in Morocco at affordable prices, has just pre-launched the new resort.

Prices are expected to rise as the resort progresses, reports Gerry Jones of Newbury-based Saffron Villas Ltd, the UK’s leading Morocco property specialist which has been appointed to sell the properties. They are expected to appeal both to second-home buyers and investors.

Currently off-plan prices start at €75,000 for a 48 sq m one-bedroom apartment, rising to €112,000 for a three-bedroom home with a floor area of 87 sq m. For more information visit saffronvillas.com.

Source

Pictures

2006-10-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

Sefrou

Oct 6, 2006 - 24 Photos

AUI

Sep 16, 2006 - 34 Photos

I Love You by Omar Faruk

2006-10-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

click Here to enjoy this marvelous piece of music

Dealing with Death

2006-10-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

My friend passed away last Friday. We grew up together in the same neighborhood in Casablanca and were really close to each other. We spent 14 years together going to the same school and to the same classroom. She died at the age of 22 from a car accident. The other driver has had apparently too much alcohol and could not control his car when it slammed against my friend’s bare body. She didn’t have a chance to survive. I like to think that she is now in a better place. Dealing with death is not easy. No matter how ready you think yourself are, it always hits you like a rock. I am no psychologist but I will talk from my experience. First you will be shocked and will you get into the denial mode. You refuse to believe that a person with whom you shared so much is gone…forever. Then you will, hopefully in a short time, come to peace with that and you start thinking about how fair it is that that person in particular should die at such a young age. But then you will realize that nothing guarantees you that you will live until an advanced age. You will then start thinking that everyone around you including yourself could die tomorrow or at that same instant. You might start thinking then that life is too short anyway and that you should take advantage of it while it lasts. I went through all of this and a little. I realize now that what’s important is not your life but what you make of it and what kind of legacy you are going to leave after you are dead. I will always remember my friend smiling. I can’t help it but that’s the image that comes to my mind every time I think of her. People go away but their memory and legacy will be carried forever. RIP my friend, RIP sunshine.

Metissage Culturel

2006-08-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

« Moi, Hassan, fils de Mohamed le peseur, moi Jean-Léon de Médicis, circoncis de la main d’un barbier et baptisé de la main d’un pape, on me nomme aujourd’hui l’Africain, mais d’Afrique ne suis, ni d’Europe, ni d’Arabie. On m’appelle aussi le Grenadin, le Fassi, le Zayyati, mais je ne viens d’aucun pays, d’aucune cité, d’aucune tribu. Je suis fils de la route, ma patrie est caravane, et ma vie la plus inattendue des traversées […] De ma bouche, tu entendras l’arabe, le turc, le castillan, le berbère, l’hébreu, le latin et l’italien vulgaire, car toutes les langues, toutes les prières m’appartiennent. Mais je n’appartiens à aucune. Je ne suis qu’à Dieu et à la terre. »

Amin Maalouf, Leon l'Africain.

Dream on

2006-07-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

Derrière chaque rêve se cache l’espoir d’une réalité désirée

Fouad Laroui encore et toujours

2006-07-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

Un matin, au réveil, cette évidence : et si on allait à la rencontre du Maroc « d’en bas » ? Après tout, c’est ce Maroc-là qui votera l’an prochain pour des législatives cruciales. Aussitôt dit, aussitôt fait : nous voilà en route pour un périple de quelques semaines où nous ne verrons pas un seul responsable, pas un seul ministre, pas un seul politicien. En revanche, tous les jours, des rencontres instructives, émouvantes ou insolites…

la suite

A state of mind

2006-07-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Il faisait très chaud cette nuit là et j’étais là devant mon PC entrain de faire n’importe quoi. J’ai ouvert les fenêtres mais la chaleur n’a fait qu’augmenter. Je suis retourné sur mon PC à faire n’importe quoi. Et puis elle est apparue telle une légère brise de fraîcheur que j’ai senti de l’intérieur. Cette brise s’est accentuée au fil du peu de temps que je suis resté scotché devant mon PC. C’est devenue une vraie tempête de fraîcheur. J’ai froid. Mes pieds et mes mains sont glacés. J’ai peur. Je ne sais pas où tout cela va m’emmener. J’ai éteint le pc non sans peine pour aller enfin me coucher. J’en ai rêvé. Je me suis réveillé et je me suis surpris entrain de sourire devant le miroir de la salle de bain. Je ne croyais pas mes yeux. Je n’avais plus peur. Je n’ai plus peur.

Nass El Ghywane in Trans

2006-06-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

Ce documentaire est le plus réussi de tout ceux sur Nass El Ghiwane jusque la ...

Nass El Ghiwane ont eu une personne hors normes, ALLAH yer7am L3arbi Batma

Avant étant beaucoup plus jeune j'aimais trop Nass El Ghiwane mais je pensais toujours que les paroles relevaient uniquement d'une simple protestation populaire sans aucune profondeur, c'était oh combien méconnaitre L3arbi et son talent et sa profondeur ... Un vrai écrivain et un vrai zejal, un vrai leader et je n'ai pas le moindre doute de dire un vrai penseur ...

Car ses paroles ne faisait pas uniquement partie de l'instint mais d'une vraie réflexion profonde ... Ca c'est la vrai musique

Téléchargez le documentaire en très bonne qualité a partir des liens suivants:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Enjoy!!

Genius!

2006-06-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Who said Russians were good in Math?

The Netherlands sinks a little lower

2006-06-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

A political party with a paedophile agenda has been registered in The Netherlands, prompting outrage among many parts of society.

The party plans to push for a cut in the legal age for sexual relations to 12 from 16 and for legalisation of child pornography and sex with animals.

The Charity, Freedom and Diversity (NVD) party says it promotes freedom of speech and will stand in May elections.

MPs say they will ask the government to do something to stop the new party.

The Charity, Freedom and Diversity Party says it intends to "shake The Hague awake".

Taboos

The party says its aim is to break taboos and fight intolerance. Its members say they want paedophilia to be freely discussed, arguing that a ban just makes children curious.

They claim the subject has been a taboo since the 1996 Marc Dutroux child abuse scandal in Belgium.

They also want to break the "negative" stigma surrounding paedophilia by getting into parliament.

But the NVD says it is not just a one-issue party. It also wants children from the age of 12 to be able to vote; it promotes the legalisation of hard and soft drugs and free train travel for all.

Source

Owned!

2006-05-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

A guy sold a deffective laptop on ebay and refused to refund the money gets owned big time by the buyer. check it out!

http://www.amirtofangsazan.blogspot.com/

Appel vibrant : Il faut sauver le soldat Lahcen

2006-05-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

Lahcen Ould Lhaj. Un anonyme parmi tant d’autres dans ce pays. Un nom qui ne nous dit rien, mais que nous allons devoir aider. Un nom qui n’évoque rien pour nous, ou presque, mais dont le sort dépendra en grande partie de notre action.

1998. Lahcen Ould Lhaj, originaire de la ville de Taroudant, quitte sa ville et son pays natal pour aller ailleurs. Chercher du travail, et donc de meilleures conditions de vie. Il part comme ces milliers de jeunes qui tentent la traversée chaque année.

Il part et imite une jeunesse désemparée vivant une situation économique précaire et ayant un futur sans avenir. Quand la majorité choisit l’eldorado européen, il opte, lui, pour une autre destination. Loin, très loin. Le bout du monde. L’Australie.

Chronique d’un tragique périple

Lahcen part avec un ami. La destination étant à l’autre bout du monde, les arrêts et les escales s’enchaînent, avec, à chaque fois, des fortunes diverses. Par un jeu de hasard et une série de coïncidences, il se retrouve à Port Moresby, en Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée. Avant dernier arrêt, selon toute vraisemblance. Ce qui devait n’être qu’une escale, un lieu de relâche, prend finalement l’allure d’un enfer. Un cauchemar que même l’intéressé n’arrive toujours pas à comprendre.

En effet, à Port-Moresby, il contracte une maladie rare et grave : L’encéphalite japonaise. Une maladie virale sévissant à l’état endémique dans l’Extrême Orient. L’agent causal (un virus) est transmis suite à une piqûre de moustique, réputée d’évolution imprévisible car mortelle dans 25% des cas.

Cette maladie n’a pas de traitement curatif, seule la prévention est efficace. Atteint de cette maladie depuis 1998, Lahcen Ould Lhaj présente des séquelles neurologiques irréversibles : trachéotomisé, il respire et parle par un trou au niveau de la gorge ; tétraplégique : il ne bouge plus ses 4 membres. Complètement grabataire et dépendant d’une tierce personne.

Silence étourdissant

Á quelques milliers de kilomètres de sa ville natale, Lahcen fait l’actualité. Post Courier, un journal de la place, lui a consacré un article, dans son édition du 26 mai dernier. En titre : « In bed and nowhere to go » (Alité et n’ayant nulle part où aller).

En effet, en arrivant à l’Hôpital Général de Port Moresby, Lahcen n’avait sur lui que quelques photos d’identité et quelques reçus de billets d’avion achetés en Indonésie. Les responsables de l’hôpital où il est admis (depuis 1998, rappelons-le !) ont essayé de prendre contact avec le Haute Mission du Maroc en Australie, afin d’organiser son rapatriement. Ils ont obtenu une réponse la première fois, puis silence radio.

Lahcen risque aujourd’hui de mourir, dans l’anonymat total, à des milliers de kilomètres de chez lui. Sans doute, sa famille est restée sans nouvelles de lui depuis 1998. Une action urgente s’impose. Il en va de la crédibilité de cette nouvelle ère qui sera résolument humaniste et universellement citoyenne ou ne le sera pas.

Condamné à mourir dans son lit d’hôpital, Lahcen a eu droit à une nouvelle chance. Un citoyen marocain arrivé en Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée pour y occuper son poste au sein de l’Organisation Mondiale de la Santé a retrouvé l’article en question et a cherché, spontanément, à venir en aide à son concitoyen. Une fibre patriotique s’est mise en marche.

Une chance inouïe. Une lueur d’espoir pour ce citoyen que les infirmières donnaient mourant dans son lit, sans que son sort n’intéresse personne. Ou presque. L’information, rapportée par ce fonctionnaire international marocain, a aussitôt suscité un élan de solidarité. Un forum a été créé sur Internet (http://soldatlahcen.easyforum.fr/index.forum) afin de coordonner et de centraliser l’action. En cas de mutisme de la part des autorités compétentes, un appel aux dons sera lancé.

Tout le monde peut contribuer à forcer le destin, à permettre à ce citoyen marocain de retrouver les siens. Le destin a posé la pierre angulaire de cette épopée, à nous de la concrétiser !

Jaafar AMARI et Dr. Said MEZGUI

Baraka

2006-03-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

Baraka mouvement

Never give up

2006-02-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

Jason is amazing, he is Autistic. He was finally allowed to play with his team. Never abandon a dream.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/79325/scored_20_in_4_minutes/

The new Lara Croft...a Moroccan

2006-02-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

La tâche ne sera assurément pas des plus aisées. Mais Karima Adebibe a accepté de relever le défi : prendre la succession de la superbe Angelina Jolie pour revêtir le mini-short accessoirisé d’armes en tout genre de la célèbre Lara Croft. Karima, un jeune mannequin inconnu de Londres, vient d’être catapultée dans le monde des superstars, avant d’être envoyée dans une jungle du bout du monde à la recherche d’un nouveau trésor.

More Pics

The power of soccer

2006-02-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

Video

Enjoy!

How to escape cops

2006-02-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

Chased by cops? Don't worry here is a video that will show how to escape.

Video

Enjoy!

Google Vs. Google China

2006-02-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

I guess they are just trying to please everyone

Google China: http://images.google.cn/images?q=tiananmen

Google: http://images.google.com/images?q=tiananmen

Crazy Mollah!

2006-02-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

Can anybody please explain to me what the @#$%& is going on in this video?

Video

The 99

2006-02-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

Divine nouvelle annoncée aujourd'hui dans le Herald Tribune : Naif al-Mutawa, un Koweïtien de 34 ans diplômé de psychologie clinique et fan de BD, s'apprête à publier aux Etats-Unis "The 99", une série de comics représentant autant de super-héros "s'insurgeant contre l'injustice et combattant contre le mal"... dans le monde musulman. Pourquoi 99 ? Parce que tel est le nombre des qualités qui, réunies, forment l'unité de Dieu en Islam... même si celui-ci possède en plus 30 traits de caractères que nul être humain ne saurait revêtir. Jabbar (illus. centre), le Saoudien très "hulkien" qui incarne la force, dialoguera donc avec Noora (illus. droite), l'Emiratie qui porte cette faculté si spirituelle de lire la vérité en les êtres. Evidemment, tout ceci pose problème à des autorités religieuses estimant qu'une qualité divine ne peut être représentée sous des traits humains voire selon ceux de super-héros, figures d'inspiration occidentale. Il n'empêche que "The 99" verront bien le jour, imposant une grande nouveauté : désormais, même les musulmans pourront être sauvés de l'injustice !

For more information visit the official website at
http://www.theninetynine.com

Pictures from Casablanca

2006-02-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

Casablanca looked as beautiful as ever during my month stay over there. Here are some pictures i took while there...

Click here

Enjoy!

Family Guy

2005-12-15T02:04:00.000-07:00

Brian proves Peter's fatness using the laws of gravity

Click here to see video

"Best" soccer misses ever!

2005-12-11T23:54:00.000-07:00

We always talk about the best soccer goals in history but we never took the time to "appreciate" the misses even though in soccer more goals are missed than they are made.
With this compilation of the "best" soccer misses of all times I am sure you will feel a lot better about your soccer skills. So enjoy!
Click here

Connecting continents

2005-12-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

United States architect, Eugene Tsui, has designed the longest bridge in the world spanning the Strait of Gibraltar and connecting the continents of Europe and Africa. This revolutionary design does not resemble any existing bridge and features an original floating and submerging concept while creating a three mile wide floating island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. From this newly created island a person could view both the European and African continents for the first time in human history. When construction begins it would be the biggest architectural project in the world—and the most ecological—dwarfing Three Gorges Dam in China and Ground Zero in New York City-- and would instantly become the greatest tourist destination on Earth. Spanning about 9 miles the 14.5 kilometer floating bridge contains 150 windmills and 80 underwater tidal turbines generating 12 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. Windmills and turbines can be easily added to the design as needed.

The bridge can generate enough electricity to power the southern Spanish province of Cadiz and the entire nation of Morocco making it the largest wind and water power farm in the world. This feature allows the bridge to pay for itself many times over in electrical generation not to mention tourist dollars. This is the first truly viable design in a long history of attempting to connect both continents. The design utilizes the natural current flow of the Strait and its constant winds and does not disturb the existing ecology and marine life of the site. Cost to build the bridge is ten billion U.S. dollars and would be a joint governmental partnership between Morocco, France and Spain.

The bridge is designed to float gracefully on and under the water like a giant, elegant serpent anchored to the cities of Tarifa on the southern coast of Spain to Point Cires on the northern tip of Morocco. The first mile of the bridge extends out from the coast line and then gradually slopes under the Mediterranean for two miles at a maximum depth of 200 meters or 658 feet. The bridge then slopes upward to a center floating island of three miles in length and continues down underwater again to slope up and come out onto the neighboring continent. The design allows very large ships to pass unimpeded within a four mile width where the bridge is submerged and leaves marine currents undisturbed.

Eugene Tsui’s Strait of Gibraltar Floating Bridge, as a tourist attraction, would potentially double Spain’s 50 million annual tourists and significantly increase Morocco’s current 2.3 million annual tourists to a whopping 60 million, a potential increase of 2600% or 26 times the current annual influx. This amounts to over 8 billion U.S. dollars to each country annually not to mention the significant increase in tourism to both continents. In other words, Tsui’s bridge design has the potential to jump start the entire economy of north Africa and possibly the entire African continent in one project. No doubt it would be the Eighth Wonder Of The World.

What about traffic congestion for the 60 or more million travelers who will cross the bridge? There are 24 lanes total for motor vehicle traffic; 8 lanes for automobile traffic in each direction and 4 lanes for trucks and buses. 4 standard train tracks and 2 high speed trains complete the motor vehicle accommodations. In addition, 5 elevated 30 meter wide pedestrian lanes accommodate people who wish to walk, bicycle, ride camels and horses. Lush gardens, trees, flowers, waterfalls, rest areas and drinking fountains surround all pedestrian areas which are raised one meter above motor vehicle lanes for safety. The bridge is designed to be an experience and destination in itself with an estimated 150,000 to 300,000 traveling daily and 500,000 persons at peak seasons and special days of the year.

At the three mile wide center of the bridge is a floating island which contains 150 windmills, the world’s largest enclosed convention and exhibition area 2 kilometers long (a little over a mile long), 140 meters high, 250 meters wide with 23 floors at 20 meter ceiling height with 500,000 meters squared on each floor and 1 million square meters of total parking space. The island is a veritable city flanked by 120 meter high light houses, outdoor performance plazas, theatres, giant outdoor bazaars and food markets, rolling hills of grass, flowers, trees, parks, water lagoons, bays, 50 meter high waterfalls and fountains, drinking and feeding troughs for animals, bathrooms, giant tented markets and kiosks, two large marinas for boats and tourist ships, photovoltaic solar electricity farms, constructed wetlands for raw sewage and grey water and ecological desalination plants. Similar accommodations are located at the bridge ends as it joins Tarifa and Point Cires.

The bridge is made of waterproof concrete, electrolytic concrete, stainless steel and anodized aluminum. Air passes rapidly through the underwater sections through a phenomenon called the Venturi effect where higher air is attracted to closed spaces and accelerates through these spaces to create a natural airflow and constant exchange of air with no mechanical power needed. All along the bridge are many areas for rest, music and dance performances, kiosks and open market bazaars. Flowers, trees, pools and waterfalls separate pedestrians from motor vehicles. It is a true extension of both African and European cultures come together on a road 14.5 kilometers long (9 miles) in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. A spectacular setting with the smells, sights and sounds of European and African cultures stir the imagination.

David "Elsewhere"

2005-12-04T00:51:00.000-07:00

David "Elsewhere" Bernal (born August 2, 1979) is a dancer from Santa Ana, California. He became known through a video clip recorded at the talent show Kollaboration, in 2001. Showcasing Bernal's characteristic style, it became popular and circulated on the internet. David combines elements from different styles of modern dance, such as liquid dancing, popping, and other forms of breakdance.Bernal has been hired to participate in advertisements for Heineken, Volkswagen, iPod, and 7-Eleven.Elsewhere also made a cameo appearance in the movie "You Got Served".

Check out his videos

Robot Dance
Kolla 2003

This guy is amazing!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, Larbi is back

2005-12-02T00:45:00.000-07:00

After a 3 years absence, our favorite taxi driver is back on the streets of Casablanca and more importantly he is back on the net. This time Larbi has his own website which you can visit at the following link: http://www.larbi.ma

Welcome Back Larbi

Caught on tape this weekend

2005-11-21T23:56:00.000-07:00

the magic trio

Much to my delight, caught on tape this weekend was the public humiliation suffered by the Real Madrid team in their home stadium against, their forever rivals and sworn enemies, FC Barcelona. Lead by the spectacular Ronaldinho, Barcelona didn't only win by a large score (3-0), but they literally made "The Galacticos", as they (ironically?) like to call themselves, look like nothing more than a second zone team that was doing everything it could to limit the damage.
You can download the whole game here:
The first half
The second half

Visca Barcelona!

The right to rule themselves

2005-11-21T23:49:00.000-07:00

Haifa Zangana is an Iraqi-born novelist and former prisoner of Saddam's regime whose recent article about the situation in Iraq I most definitely recommend.

Check out Haifa Zangana's article

Saïd*, le temps d'un concert ...

2005-11-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

Présents lors du festival de luth à Bruxelles, Saïd Chraibi, Naseer Shamma et Marcel Khalifé ont livré une prestation remarquable, digne des maîtres qu'ils sont.
Abritant le festival de luth, Bruxelles vibre désormais au rythme des cordes de cet instrument mythique dont les notes chantent une humanité oubliée, presque jetée aux oubliettes, sacrifiée sur l'autel de la " libre circulation des marchandises et des capitaux ". Cherchant l'art dans la vie et la vie dans l'art, chaque note se liait à celle qui la précédait et anticipait celle à venir, dans une mysticité légendaire du temps où la foi ne portait point les armes.

La musique, transmise par des passeurs de savoir, aide à construire des ponts, à établir des liens entre plusieurs rives, plusieurs civilisations, afin de converger vers une culture universelle, symbole de l'unité dans la diversité. Prononcé avec véhémence et éloquence, ce discours musical soulignait ce qu'il y avait de plus intangible chez l'être humain : la créativité spontanée.

Diplomates d'une autre trempe, nos musiciens livrent un message d'une importance cruciale, au moment même où la République française vit une série d'émeutes marquées par une violence rare. Au-delà des tenants et aboutissants de ces troubles, ils ont mis en exergue cette phrase de Malraux, toujours aussi véridique : " l'objectif de l'art est d'ouvrir les yeux du peuple à la beauté comme aux liens entre l'art et la liberté. " La musique adoucit les mœurs, représente un rempart contre la haine, la violence et le racisme, rejette la xénophobie et stigmatise l'enfermement, le communautarisme.

Les morceaux se suivent, toujours chaleureusement applaudis par un public ouvert d'esprit -une humanité sur laquelle on pourrait éternellement parier, tellement elle serait incapable de fabriquer une bombe. En ces temps d'amalgames et d'incompréhensions, de peurs et de malentendus, la musique vient éclairer la voix de l'entente et du vivre ensemble harmonieux. Elle vient concilier des pôles et des forces aux tendances différentes, presque contradictoires : la profondeur et la vitesse, la spiritualité et les impératifs de la vie, la contemplation et l'action. On sent qu'il y a quelque chose. Quelque chose que l'on n'a pas invité et qui survient ; quelque chose qui ne se reproduira pas, même si on la répète, et qui n'apparaît que pour révéler une autre réalité inattendue et surprenante, dévoiler une frontière incertaine où la vie se conjugue au mystère du temps qui s'écoule, afin de rompre son protocole. Les notes se jouent (de nos esprits !), l'atmosphère est paisible, le temps suspendu et le silence audible : le culte et l'amour du beau deviennent une éthique, un code de conduite, une médiation agissante...

Naseer Shamma, voix d'un peuple meurtri, injustement occupé et spolié de ses terres et de ses richesses, offrait à un public émerveillé certains de ses meilleurs morceaux. Alors que Bagdad subit les humiliations de l'occupation, son enfant éternel essuie ses larmes, la cajole et l'aime par le biais de son luth. L'artiste se distinguera également grâce à un morceau dédié à un Garcia Lorca qui écrivait, dans sa Casida de la rose : " la rose ne cherchait ni science ni ombre ; Confins de chair et de songe, elle cherchait autre chose. "

Puis c'est le tour de Marcel Khalifé, artiste carrefour, à la croisée des chemins. Cet infatigable combattant de la liberté promène sa voix pour chanter la paix, exhorter les gens à refuser la misère, la tyrannie et son corollaire, l'injustice. Á l'instar des grands compositeurs et artistes, Marcel n'a pas vu l'âge avoir prise sur sa ferveur militante.

Point commun de marque entre les trois artistes : le concert commence toujours par une phase où ils caressent leurs instruments ; peut-être ils les provoquent, pour se réconcilier après. Après, quand la fusion et l'amalgame auront eu lieu, l'artiste et l'instrument devenant maîtres l'un de l'autre, pour ne briser ce lien qu'à la fin : ayant atteint un sommet de l'aveu, du désir ressenti, exprimé et partagé, ils ont besoin, afin de se retrouver, d'un refuge dans la solitude, pour que, séparément, ils puissent recouvrer l'autonomie, la souveraineté.

Naseer allait clore son concert par un morceau sublime, intitulé 'Enfance', qui est le témoignage musical d'un crime : la mort de milliers d'enfants irakiens, tout au long des quinze dernières années. Hymne à une enfance déchirée, ce morceau est une diatribe contre tous les responsables du drame actuel : les Etats-Unis, l'ancien régime irakien, l'ONU, le Conseil d' (in)sécurité… Diatribe, mais surtout message d'espoir, derrière un sourire serein, 'pour que l'écho de notre musique dépasse celui des bombes'. Certes, Naseer. Certes…

*: Saïd, prénom de l'artiste Saïd Chraibi, signifie 'heureux' en arabe. Le titre étant un jeu de mots, utilisant le prénom de l'artiste pour faire référence à une joie ressentie.

Par Jaafar AMARI

Moors: Who are they?

2005-11-16T23:11:00.000-07:00

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moors, "In modern usage, Moor or Moorish ( Spanish: moro, French: maure) is used to designate people whose native tongue is the Hassaniya dialect of Arabic. These Moors live mainly in Moroccan Sahara and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, from which the latter country derives its name."
Also according to wikipedia, "Hassānīya is a Bedouin dialect of Arabic derived from the Arabic spoken by the Beni Hassān tribe, who extended their authority over most of the Mauritanian Sahara between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries"
So the Moors are descendants of the Beni Hassan tribe...the same tribe my family is descendant of...so i hope this explains my nickname. I am the true El Morro!

PS: Thanks to my brother for all the investigative work!

Music: Souad Massi, The voice of Algeria!

2005-11-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

Born in Algeria, Souad Massi spent her childhood in the North African country before immigrating to France and starting her Music career. Somewhere between Tarab Gharnati, a musical genre found mainly in Algeria and East of Morocco, Spanish guitar, and French Pop, Souad Massi's music is heavily influenced by her immigration experience. Souad Massi's voice is so enchanting and filled with emotions you will have a hard time taking the headphones away from your ears.
Here is a temporary link where you will be able to download some of Souad Massi's songs http://s11.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2I2GJ0Y2JVB9B27NL5CHDME9FN
Enjoy!

Morocco: 50 years of Independence

2005-11-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

Today Morocco celebrated its 50th year of independence. For the occasion, King Mohammed VI gave a speech that commemorate the legacy of his grand father, his Majesty the late king Mohammed V, the original founder of modern days Morocco. You can download the speech from the following link. http://www.map.ma/mapfr/independance/discours161105.wmv

To commemorate this event, "16 November square" was inaugurated in Rabat by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in Rabat.

Present at the celebration were many national and international political figures, like Senegalese President Abdullay Wade, Madagascar's President Marc Ravalomanan, Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, and French Prime Minister Dominique Devillepin.

Also Present was Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Salma, His Majesty's wife, and Crown Prince Moulay Hassan as seen in the picture above.

Dima Maghreb!

Sports: Morocco tied against Cameroon

2005-11-15T23:02:00.000-07:00

In an empty stadium today, Morocco played its first friendly game under the new management of Phillipe Troussier against Cameroon. The game ended in a goalless draw between the two sides. However, it was a great opportunity for the new coach to test players some of which proved without a shadow of doubt that they definitely deserve to wear the national jersey, while other proved totally the opposite. Here are the links from which you will be able to download the game.
Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , Part 7 , Part 8 , Part 9
Enjoy!

Alae's Movie Pick: Paradise Now

2005-11-15T01:02:00.000-07:00

"From the most unexpected place, comes a bold new call for peace" said the generic for the movie. Directed by Hani Abu Assad, a West Bank native who grew up in the Netherlands, and shot in both Ramallah and Nazareth in a little over 5 moths, "PARADISE NOW" is the story of two young Palestinian men as they embark upon what may be the last 48 hours of their lives. Official Selection of many great film festivals from New York to Toronto, "Paradise Now" is a critically acclaimed motion picture that goes where no movie has ever gone before, a suicide bomber's head!

Visit The official Website for "Paradise Now" for more information and trailers!

Watch 2M Live!

2005-11-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a link where you can watch 2M Live!

2M Live

Enjoy!

Amazing Video

2005-11-13T03:07:00.000-07:00

Check this video out. It's called The Thousand-hand Bodhisattva Dance and it's performed by the 21 deaf girls and boys from China's Disabled Peoples Performing Art Troupe. It is really a must see!!!

Alae's Pick

2005-11-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a cool website a came across while surfing the net. It has the Best 40 magazine covers of the past 40 years.

Le Festival du film de Marrakech commence

2005-11-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

Marrakech abritera, durant neuf jours, la 5e édition de son festival international du film. Ainsi, du 11 au 19 novembre prochain, les cinéphiles auront à apprécier à leurs justes valeurs pas moins de 124 films (68 films en 2004) qui seront projetés dans plusieurs salles de cinéma de la ville ocre.

Martin Scorsese sera décoré le 11 novembre par le roi et le Festival du film de Marrakech pour l'ensemble de son oeuvre. Catherine Deneuve lui remettra l'Étoile d'Or.C'est le metteur en scène français, Jean-Jacques Annaud qui sera le président du jury de cette 5e édition. Il sera assisté de l'écrivain marocain Abdelkébir Khatibi, la réalisatrice et scénariste indienne Deepa Mehta, la comédienne italienne Stefania Rocca, la tunisienne Hend Sabri, la portugaise Leonor Silveira, le réalisateur burkinabais Idrissa Ouedraogo et la productrice, monteuse et scénariste américaine Mary Sweeney.

Les stars attendues : Leonardo Dicaprio, Sharon Stones, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Monica Belluci, Rossi de Palma, Victoria Abril, Olivier, Yvan Attal, Faouzi Bensaïdi, Michel Blanc, Sandrine Bonnaire, Patrick Braoudé, Maggie Cheung et Daniel Day-Lewis. Mais aussi Emma de Caunes, Judi Dench, Catherine Deneuve, Hassan El Fed, Jilali Ferhati, Stephen Frears, Marie Gillain, Valeria Golino, Yasmine Kessari, Blanca Li, Olivier Martinez, Mohamed Miftah et Kelly Reilly. Sans compter Ines Sastre, Ousmane Sembene, Terence Stamp, Ana Torrent, Charlotte Valandrey, Gus Van Sant, Michelle Yeoh et bien d'autres…

Les 16 films en compétition

Seize films sont en compétition pour le grand prix du 5e festival international du film de Marrakech, dont 10 premier ou deuxième films et de 15 nationalités différentes, à savoir : - "A Glopes" de Juan Vicente Cordoba (Espagne) ; "Alex" de José Alcala (France), " Passion" de Mohamed Malas (Syrie-France), "Saratan" de Ernest Abdyshaparov (République du Kirghizistan), "Frozen Land" de Aku Louhimies (Finlande), "Mongolian Ping Pong" de Ning Hao (Chine), "Man Push Cart" de Ramin Bahrani (Etats-Unis), "L'Iceberg" de Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon et Bruno Romy (Belgique), "Chinaman" de Henrik Ruben Genz (Danemark), "Frozen" de Juliet Mckoen (Royaume-Uni), "Kekexili" de Lu Chuan (Chine / Hong Kong), "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" de Rebecca Miller (Etats-Unis), "The City of the Sun" de Martin Sulk (République Tchèque), "C.R.A.Z.Y" de Jean-Marc Vallée (Canada), "Kinamand" (Chinaman) de Henri Ruben Genz (Danemark) et "El Ayel" (le gosse de Tanger, une enfance rebelle) de Moumen Smihi (Maroc).

About the riots in France

2005-11-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

The Arc de Triomphe did not reek of victorious glory. The view from the Eiffel Tower did not seem too serene. The bastion of nationalism and culture seemed to recoil in reflection, rather than swell with pride.

It's not quite 1789 all over again. Even so, the streets of France burned.

Riots that started in French suburbs 12 days ago have exposed a social structure that is imperfect at best and deeply fractured at worst.

Burning cars have been extinguished, but it will take more than water to extinguish the feelings of intense frustration.

The riots started in Parisian suburbs where most of the population is comprised of African and Muslim immigrants.

The violence began as a protest over the deaths of two north African youths who were electrocuted while jumping over a fence surrounding a high-voltage transformer. Relatives allege that the youths were running from the police.

Of course, it didn't help that French interior minister and President Jacques Chirac's heir-impatient Nicolas Sarkozy used words like "scum" and "thugs" to describe the rioters.

Several lessons emerge from these riots.

First, immigration does not work without integration. African and Arab rioters in France complain about discrimination and second-class status.

The moment employers notice their non-French names or their addresses, they are not considered for jobs. The unemployed youth often live and socialize together. Their intense isolation can be understood by observing that the rioters are not immigrants, but second- and third-generation French-born children of immigrants.

The second lesson is about national identity. France has about 6 million Muslims, mainly of African descent, with ethnic minorities comprising 10 percent of its population.

It is possible that the fear of losing France's traditional white European identity caused voters to reject the European Union constitution earlier this year. Similar inferences are being drawn from France's opposition to admitting Turkey into the EU.

Immigration at its best is a dual process. Immigrants become part of their adopted culture and acquire its identity. Simultaneously, they add their own identity, reshaping culture in their new homeland.

Somehow the French lost the script on this one. If new entrants are persecuted and seen as a threat, they will never become part of the national identity.

Fortunately, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has shown common sense in his response. He called the incidents, "a crisis in France's cities." He outlined a clear plan to help rectify the social structure.

The prime minister intends to send police reinforcements to curb violence and investigate the deaths of the two teenagers. He also proposed scholarships and job training for children of immigrants, lowering the age kids can take on apprenticeships and unspecified measures to counter discrimination in the job market.

Rather than deliver handouts to rioters and keep them at bay, he intends to bring them into the mainstream and assimilate into French society.

This Article appeared in the State Press

Entre chiens et chats

2005-11-10T00:12:00.000-07:00

Le bonheur d’un homme, d’un couple, ne dépendent pas tant de la démocratie, de la séparation des pouvoirs, du choix homérique entre république et monarchie, et tutti quanti. C’est parfois plus simple, une question de chats ou de chiens que l’on décide d’adopter. Comme l’histoire de ce couple dont la fille voulait un chat, alors que le garçon avait jeté son dévolu sur un méchant toutou. Comment arbitrer entre les deux ? Les parents ont fait appel à leurs parents, à leurs amis. Résultat : des résolutions magnifiques où santé, religion, culture et pouvoir (désolé) se sont télescopés comme dans une partie de billard. “Oui aux chats puisqu’ils sont fiers comme des rifains et puisque le prophète avait laissé une chatte accoucher sur ses genoux (…) Non puisqu’ils donnent la lèpre comme le disait le bouquin de Guy Des Cars (…) Oui aux chiens puisqu’ils sont serviles comme certains d’entre nous (…) Non puisque les anges n’entrent jamais dans une maison où il y a un chien, etc”. Certains ont accordé leur préférence aux chiens “parce que même notre roi les aime”. D’autres ont opté pour les chats pour la même raison. Les explications de ceux qui ont dit non aux chats et aux chiens, n’en sont pas moins intéressantes : “Ce ne sont que des animaux (…) Leurs poils sont une source d’asthme et d’allergies (…) Ils sont insupportables en période de rut, etc”. Le couple a même posé la question, très discrètement, à un fqih. Le saint homme a usé des mêmes arguments que tout ce beau monde, avançant une chose et son contraire, regrettant “la
libido exagérée des animaux en général et des chiens et chats en particulier”, et concluant : “Heureusement, la sexualité de ces pauvres bêtes n’égale pas celle des lapins dans sa fureur !”. Oui, heureusement.

Par Karim Boukhari

Today's News Recap

2005-11-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

Mohammed Bennouna, Morocco's ambassador to the UN, was elected on Monday to the panel of judges at the International Court of Justice in La Haye. This is the first time in history a Moroccan is elected for such a position. Way to go...visit http://www.albayane.ma/Detail.asp?Article_id=49634 for more info.

Also today, Morocco has reached an agreement with the European Union on its participation in the GALILEO program. The agreement will cover industrial and scientific cooperation and the development of specific GALILEO applications for Morocco and its region, said the EH executive European Commission in a statement.
GALILEO is Europe's satellite radio navigation program. It was launched at the initiative of the European Commission and developed jointly with the European Space Agency (ESA). Basically a sort of European GPS. For more info on the GALILEO program visit http://www.esa.int/esaCP/index.html

And in sports, Morocco's friendly soccer game that was expected to take place this saturday in the suburbs of Paris against Cameroon was finally canceled due the riots that have been taking place in France for the past couple of weeks. Click Here for more info

Happy Birthday to Meee!

2005-11-09T02:12:00.000-07:00

In the time before times, a brave woman by the name of Fatima, who also happens to be my mom, gave birth to a now full grown man of 22 years of age.
Well to cut it short, yes i feel old and weird and kind of worried about what everybody is telling this means. "You are not 18 anymore", said my evil brother, who not only spoke words of "wisdom" but also took away my joy of doing stupid things and blaming them on my young age and lack of experience.
Now that i am 22, i understand that i will be held more responsible than ever for any decision i take or don't take. I also understand that i will be expected to behave like an adult and speak like an adult....and it sucks to realize that. However, and unlike my evil brother who is even older than i am, i still have my 25th birthday to look forward to (for those of you who don't know, you get to rent cars for a cheaper price when you are 25...i am guessing that it has something to do with being even more responsible or some other nonsense). So i think i finally found a reason to celebrate this year!

PS: Thank you to Ana, Natalie, Nabila, Omar, and of course my evil brother Rabie who were the first people to wish me a happy birthday and remind me that i am not a kid anymore...thanks guys!

Mrahba Bikom at Gnawa Soul

2005-11-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

In Morocco, we welcome guests by offering them a cup of Moroccan mint tea. And i just couldn't find a better way than this to start out with. Mrahba!