Imprisoned Reporter Rachid Niny Defense Atty Protests

NEWS

12/05/11

Mr. Reda Oulamine, The attorney for the imprisoned reporter Rachid Niny, has issued a statement on his client's arrest and subsequent persecution and conviction in Moroccan courts.
He states that "While Mr. Niny was originally charged with being "a threat to national security", he is currently being charged with denigrating judicial rulings and publishing information regarding a crime he knew didn't exist under Morocco's Criminal Code. In this critical period of change for Morocco and the MENA region, this act casts doubts on the legitimacy of Morocco's national press dialogue and its commitment to freedom of speech and the press. "

Can Morocco become a standard for good governance?

NEWS

12/05/11

Othmane Rahmouni

Let's take a few minutes and imagine if in Morocco things were just a little different. Imagine that when it came to engaging with public institutions across the country, your last name or your social status did not matter. Imagine that whether one needed a birth certificate or a police report or any other service, all citizens were treated the same and were provided with a prompt service by a friendly staff who really cared about their satisfaction as citizens. 

Cartoon By "Front National" On Morocco's Islamists

NEWS

12/04/11

The French Extreme right party "Front National"  is commemorating, in it own special way, the ascent of the Islamist Party PJD in Morocco's latest election.
It latest caricature, by a "Front National" member cartoonist, Stéphane Poncet, is an attempt to help Morocco's National tourism office and suggest new ideas on how to attract new tourists to Morocco...

A New Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Morocco Axis ?

NEWS

12/03/11

Washington / Morocco Board News--    The GCC announcement about talks for accession of Morocco and Jordan to the Gulf Cooperation Council has developed a hitch. The United Arab Emirates is apparently apprehensive about the adhesion of both countries, a project that is being pushed through by both Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The UAE position has taken the Moroccan Government by surprise.

Morocco Islamist PJD Party: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

NEWS

11/29/11

Jonathan D. Halevi
The Justice and Development Party (Hizb Al-Adala Wa At-tanmia), which is identified with the Muslim Brotherhood, has won the elections in Morocco held on 26 November 2011. The party won 107 of the 395 parliamentary seats. The party said in an official announcement that, according to not-yet-final results, it had won over 100 of the 395 parliamentary seats. According to a constitutional amendment, King Mohammed VI will have to assign the task of forming the government to the leader of the largest party – Abdelilah Benkirane, head of the Justice and Development Party.

Islamist victory a ‘political electroshock’ for Morocco’s homeopathic democracy

NEWS

11/28/11

Michael Allen

 Morocco’s Justice and Development Party (PJD) has emerged as the winner of the weekend’s parliamentary elections after securing 107 seats in the 395-seat assembly. The result is the latest indication sign that Islamist parties are emerging as the prime beneficiaries of the political openings arising from the Arab Awakening.
“It is the breeze of the Arab spring that has blown on Morocco,” said Saad Eddine Othmani, the party’s deputy leader, eager to highlight the PJD’s moderate credentials.

Morocco: Islamist PJD party won parliamentary election

NEWS

11/28/11

Nabil Arrach, Ph.D
Washington / Morocco Board News -    Morocco's moderate Islamist PJD party won the parliamentary election with 107 seats, followed by the Istiqlal party with 60 seats, the National Rally of Independents took 52 seats, the Authenticity and Modernity party received 47 seats, and the Socialist Union of Popular Forces 39 seats. The G8 coalition, PJD’s strongest competitor, accounts for 154 seats.

Starbucks to Open Stores At Morocco Mall

NEWS

11/22/11

Casablanca / Morocco Board News--  Feeling Homesick for the states, or is it that bad habits are hard to die. Are you used to while away your time in Starbucks this side of the atlantic, now you can do it on the other side of the pond as well. Tall, grande or vente? single, double, triple or quad, iced or hot, no matter how you say it, you can have it your way. 

Conference: Morocco, Prospects for Genuine Reform?

NEWS

11/19/11

Washington / Morocco Board News--   MoroccoBoard TV Has recently covered a major conference on Morocco in Washington that was organized by The Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED). The MBTV coverage followed up with interviews with conference participants...

Morocco: The Horses, Mules & Donkeys Clinic

NEWS

11/16/11

Suzanna Clarke

Fez / Morocco Board News--The American Fondouk, an animal hospital specialising in horses, mules and donkeys, has operated in Fez since 1927. A new director, Dr Gigi Kay, took over in August and renovations have begun. Suzanna Clarke visits and gets more up close and personal than she bargained for.

To Muslim Americans: Be Wary Of Police

NEWS

11/14/11

New York (AP) ----- Fed up with a decade of the police spying on the innocuous details of the daily lives of Muslims, activists in New York are discouraging people from going directly to the police with their concerns about terrorism, a campaign that is certain to further strain relations between the two groups.

Morocco: Ex-Executive Turned Critic Speaks About Corruption

NEWS

11/13/11

In a Conference at The Dutch city of the hague,  the ex-executive Ahmed Benseddik, spoke on governance and corruption, that he says, plagues the top  power structure of Morocco.
Mr. benseddik denounced the mismanagement and corruption that plagues Morocco's power sphere. He Had written a controversial open letter addressed to the king.

A World First, Massive Hydro-Wind power Project, In Morocco

NEWS

11/11/11

A massive new renewable energy project is being planned in Morocco that will combine hydropower and wind power in one single location — a world's first, at least at this scale. The 1 gigawatt project will double the existing hydropower capacity of Morocco.

Brookings: Peril in North Africa From Al Qaeda And Western Sahara Separatists

NEWS

11/10/11

WASHINGTON -- Foreign policy experts at Brookings and the Atlantic Council noted encouraging signs in changes sweeping North Africa and the Middle East, most notably reforms and elections in Morocco and Tunisia. But they also warned of looming threats from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), now strengthened by a flood of Libyan weapons and ties with other militant groups in the region, including the Polisario Front, whose members last month reportedly helped AQIM kidnap Western aid workers from a Western Sahara Polisario refugee camp in Algeria.

Libya NTC Leader: Algeria next to Explode

NEWS

11/08/11

Libya's Berbers, or Amazigh, played a crucial role in the battle against the Gadhafi regime. Now they say they feel let down by the transitional government which has as yet to recognize them and their language.
 Fathi Ben Khalifa is a well-known Amazigh dissident from Libya. He lived in Morocco for 16 years until he left for The Netherlands to escape the pressure from Gadhafi on Rabat to hand him over.

Western sahara: The Story Behind The Kidnappings

NEWS

11/03/11

Joseph K. Grieboski

 Sometimes it takes the world a little while to catch on.
Like John the Baptist, many of us working on the issue of refugees in southern Algeria felt like lone voices in the wilderness when calling attention to the dangers and threats facing the people imprisoned in "refugee" camps in and near Tindouf, Algeria.

Preparing for Eid al-Adha in Morocco, The E-Sheep

NEWS

11/03/11

Fez / Morocco Board News--   Buying a sheep for Eid has never been easier. You can purchase them in a nearby souk, go to the country and negotiate with a farmer, or to the local supermarket where they have erected tents and sell the rams by the kilogram.  Then of course, there is the Internet and buying on-line.