Don't touch my country

This blog has no intention to be a political one. It is written on the website of a company, and that's no place for political discussions. Nevertheless, it seems impossible not to speak about the lasts events in Morocco, Algeria, and the new terrorist wave that seems to raise in North Africa.
What happened in Morocco was far from being as murderous as in Algeria.
Everything started this time by an explosion in a cybercafé of Casablanca, in a popular neighbourhood, what happened was so absurd someone could ask whether the whole thing has been staged, or whether Laurel and Hardy entered Al Quaida.
To summarize the official version, young kids, with their explosive belts, were in a cyber to receive by internet instructions about where they were supposed to explode themselves. The boss of the cyber notices them (how?), police comes, and they explode themselves.
Shortly later, police finds a cache of explosives. There again the terrorists prefer to blow themselves than to surrender. Police is pursuing hide and seek in Casablanca.
Threats would be mainly targeted to Casablanca harbour, as economical centre. (In spite of Agadir or Tangiers being more important).

A strong contrast with the violence in Algeria, where a truce had been signed.

Even if Al Quaïda is responsible in both countries, even if it seeks to extend its influence on North Africa, even if threats already existed in Morocco, since the bomb that devastated a hotel in Marrakech in 1994, the situation is nothing alike in the two countries, neither it is comparable with Egypt, which was several times so severely stricken.

In the positive points :

• The first result of the bombing of 1994 was to unite the country behind his King in rejection of this violence. The illustration of this post is the adaptation of a hand of Fatima, which is over there a lucky charm. It mimics a French campaign against racism "don't touch my pal", and says "don't touch my country". Design made by Mehdi, and took on his French speaking blog, Mehdi7, a blog I particularly like for its tolerance, and intelligence. And this is why I took this drawing, instead of the official poster.
• Morocco is the sole country in North Africa to be governed by a religious leader. The King is at the same time Prince of the Believers. He is chorfa, meaning a direct descendant of the Prophet. Those who were in Morocco when Hassan II died remember still with some surprise how much the country mourned his King, with a real and deep sadness, in spite of all they could reproach him.
• Morocco is no fundamentalist country. Its history is more mingled, more opened than in Algeria, for example. "Bearded men" are not as numerous as in other countries.
• Morocco is no revolutionary country… a fighting one, and rebellious, that's true, able of explosions and riots, at least in the past, but somehow benevolent. I'm often told that the only thing that could push a Moroccan on the road to revolution is missing his bi-daily tajine. Maybe exaggerated, but I found in this country a real "douceur de vivre".
• Morocco likes its King. Morocco grumbles and complains that progresses are too slow, but, overall, finds it has a good King.
• It has rained a lot. Morocco is green, agriculture is flourishing, the yearly crop will be rather good. Do you know a lot of farmers who go out to cut heads and rebel when they have crops to harvest ? Scythes cannot be used on two different targets at the same time.
• Fight against poverty progresses, shanty towns replacement programs also, and literacy.
• I never met a Moroccan who approved suicidal bombings or terrorism. Opinion on the events in Palestine is of course in favour of Palestinians, but terrorism is "something else" (On the other hand, I'm certainly not the kind of person susceptible to acquaint with Salafists or other fundamentalists, I the impure, the unfaithful).
• Repression of corruption started, the worst ones are taken away.

In the drawbacks :

• Fundamentalists obviously progressed.
• Many Moroccans find that the reforms are not quick enough, and that the King could do better, quicker, and more.
• There is a lack of rain in the North, less agricultural than the South, but nevertheless, it makes some people unhappy (specially in the "special farming" area of the Riff).
• From what I can understand of Arabic speaking media, when they take part in a French speaking talk show on TV, there are in this language some newspaper that are real muckrakers, a very dirty and brown muck (or green-brown…). Do they have people listening to them ? Well, they have readers.
• There are still many shanty towns, and poverty.
• There is a fear, concerning the free-trade agreements with the States, and what they are, or not, going to bring to Morocco.
• Like in all Muslim countries, the international situation (Iraq and so on…) supports a feeling of solidarity in front of a "non-Muslim" world, resented at least as over interventionist.
• Morocco lacks high level administration and civil servants. And, lacking anything better, relegation of corrupted civil servants often brings back the former ones who receive forgiveness because there is a job to do.
• There is a very high unemployment rate, specially among the young people. Even someone with a doctorate has a lot of problems to find a job. The very low level of the public system, in primary, secondary education as well as in university prevents more and more children of the "non-upper class" to get a diploma with a real chance of getting a job. This is for main the main risk, this high number of educated people, who have nothing to do, and cannot get a normal life, getting married, having one's flat…
• Everyone thinks the fundamentalists will win the elections.

Because there are elections to the Parliament in September.
Their impact is totally different from European elections, or in any real democracy. Parliament discusses, and the King does whatever he wants, like he wants. Not a line of the Iron Constitution issued by Hassan II, making him the supreme leader of all armies, government and religious matters (hence, through government and religion, justice), not a word was changed. Mohammed VI wears a padded velvet glove, but the system is still at disposal.
Political parties are not free. The King negotiates now the result of the elections, deciding with the parties who is authorized to present himself, and therefore, who can be elected. Much more efficient and direct a method than any circumscription redesign.
Censorship is still in place, and monitors what is or not authorized. Government effectively controls religious speech, all imams, without any exception, are nominated and dismissed if necessary by the Habbous, of Ministry of Religious affairs. Every week, they receive a speech they have to read at the beginning of the Friday preach. They are free to add… as long as it fits in the line.

It is difficult to understand what really happens. Anything is possible, from an arrival of Al Quaida to a manipulation from the central power, letting some things happen to repress them and stir the same consensus against fundamentalists as after each bombing.
It could be clearer after the vote, and the month of Ramadan that starts just after.

But what I know for sure is that in the Morocco I know, going more or less from the north of Marrakech to the Saharan border, I feel well. I never felt assaulted, rejected, called at for any kind of reason. I see a few bearded men in the street (don't misunderstand : most of these bearded men are just religious people, not thinking any evil, and not being dangerous at all. This is just to summarize an atmosphere). I feel a strong will and hope for improvement, for moralization of political life (one of the greatest challenges), and at the same time, a general rejection of violence.

Police is everywhere. Tourism is the most precious asset of Morocco, all Moroccans living from it know that when it stops, the country is bankrupted. And the foreigner is, at first, a guest, and someone to respect, with all the implications the word "guest" has in this culture… I regularly meet Jewish tourists, coming back on their forefathers tracks, or making a pilgrimage on the grave of some Jewish Sidi. In the Morocco I start to know, there is little place for violence and intolerance. Risks exist, like everywhere. I could have died, 21 years ago, in the bombing at Tati general store, on 17th of September 1986. I left the store just ten minutes before it exploded. I lived in Paris without any problem nor fear all these years. Terrorism is a plague striking the whole planet now, but Morocco is no more exposed than France, Great-Britain, USA, nor any other country, and the count of victims is quite low in comparison with many others.

PS: this is not a call for political fight. This is what I experience and feel about Morocco. I'm no political expert, but I spend a lot of time there. I'm opened to any constructive discussion. Anything else will be removed.

Cycling the world

We met Hirsch in the Dades valley while we were having lunch in a wonderful hotel, over the river Dades.

This guy was impressive, with his bicycle, the small packed trailer, and huge collection of flags, which hintered he had travelled from far away.

I stepped by for a short talk with him (we were with customers, and he was with a friend) and he explained me he was now cycling for two years, started in Vanuatu, and was somehow making a tour around the world...

If you want to know more about him, pay a visit to his blog, "Make Some Day Today" and follow his track.

I hope we'll meet this summer !

Aissawas' Brotherhood

On the French version of this blog, someone mentioned the Aïssawas. Even if they are not as well as the Gnawas outside of Morocco, they are as important, even more, in the country. Like Gnawas, they are a constellation we can see under different viewpoints.

Tribe from the south, between Tafraoute and Taroudant, they are the origin of one of the most important brotherhoods of north Africa. Created in the sixteenth century by Sidi Mohammed ben Aïssa, it has its centre in Meknes, where the saint is buried.

One would need a whole website to really explain what are the Moroccan zawyias, and what they represent. To say – mutatis mutandis – that they are the equivalent of the abbeys of the Middle Age, in terms of political power and religious influence, would be a good summary. They are at the same time a religious centre, and an Islamic school, they host poor people and diseases, and take an active part as power and counter-power centres in the history of Morocco.

A zawyia is organised around a Muslim saint, a Sidi, as they are called, a pious man loving God, and who receives in return Baraka. Baraka became in French the equivalent of good luck, but it is more than that. It's is the power granted by God t make miracles, surge a source of water, cure the diseases, expel the djinns, and, in general, protect ones' people (hence the good luck that you have when you're tribe has a Sidi with Baraka). Baraka can be inherited. The Sidi transmits his powers to his sons and descent. That's how, over time, Gnawas, Aïssawas or other groups, became special people, with this inherited power. Most of the members of the brotherhood belong to the original tribe, but, in some cases, external people are also welcomed. They will be part of the brotherhood, but will not get themselves the Baraka.

Zawyia is the name of the central building of the brotherhood, as well as the brotherhood itself. Like the abbey is the building, the organisation, its members and its culture. The building is erected around the grave of the Sidi, or marabout, which is the centre of the Baraka, like a focus. Usually, there are also an inn, where pilgrims are hosted, a mosque, a Medersa, or Islamic school, with a library, and a hospital. Many mental diseases are cured there, through specific rituals.

Zawyias are impregnated with Sufism. Second topic which would need a whole website… and a third one about specificities of Moroccan Sufism. To make it short, Sufism is the esoteric, mystical part of Islam. The believer seeks the destruction of his own personality, the dissolution of the ego, through a constant reminder of God. This remembrance (dikhr) is made, among others, through long litanies leading to trance, the repetitions of the names of Gods, his praises, and the praise of saints. It can also be accomplished through other rituals, like dance (see the dervishes), and trance, which opens to other rituals, in conjunction with Baraka. This is how one can walk on fire…
Sufism is a mystic and ascetic movement. It is also feared by the central power, for its strength, and specially in south Morocco, zawiyas were essential players, pillars around which the resistance of the rebelled country (bled al siba) against the maghzen (central power of the sultan, which was sometimes a very small part of Morocco) was organized.
In an Islam country, where everyone is submitted to God, any religious leader is a potential threat for the political power…

Brotherhoods rituals also made place for pre-Islamic beliefs. Magical rituals forbidden by Islam are tolerated when then are the expression of God's power and will, through the Baraka given to the saint.

What remains of this spirituality depends of the people. Some see there only the sacrifice of a goat or a mutton, the power of the spell, like the one binding husbands on this grid (in Marrakech, one of the graves of the seven Holy Men). Others will be more sensitive to the mystic, this quest of self-oblivion in the divine. Very clearly, nowadays, what is openly spoken are the second part, rituals, dikhr, and songs. Magic does not exist, at least maybe for other people, the neighbour maybe ? … Then, what are all these hands of Fatima and other protections for ?

Aissawas are among the most feared in Morocco. Patrick had a wonderful sentence, "bogeymen of Morocco". Their rituals are terrible, they are even told to eat living snakes. Their power is as great. Their zawiya, in Meknes, is allied to Moulay Idriss, the Holy city where the assassinated founder of the first Moroccan dynasty is buried.

These rituals are not mentioned on their site. Because they do have a site where the religious part of their rituals is well detailed. Like one often says in Morocco, between tradition and modernity ! Pay a visit to their pages, and specially to the MP3 file, that gives a small extract of a sung praise. Imagine yourself there, in the heart of the night, in a small dark room. The rhythms of the drums started a long time ago, and you're a part of this deep and regular choir, for hours….

No fool's day but Mouloud

Today is the Prophet's birthday. So no fool's day, no stupid jokes, but a holliday, and also tomorrow.

In many villages, there will be a moussem. That's the case in Tazzarine, where Sidi Amrou is celebrated. It's marabout (mausoleum) is paint totally anew, and decorated. Singing and dancing will take place in the street.

Drums of the Gnawas

Gnawas are at the same time musicians, a brotherhood and somehow magicians. Descent of former black slaves, they are known for their hypnotic music, cymbals and drums....
Gnawas of Essaouira are the most well known, but they can be found everywhere in Morocco, with a World Music sound, or a deeply authentic one.

In Tazzarine, ithey are six brothers with deep voices that chant the blessings. They come sometimes in the Oasis, and you can see them walk through the desert, accompanied by the sound of their drums.

We light a fire, outside of our walls, with a big root of tamaris. And the night starts, the rythm quickens more and more, and suddenly stops. The leader hits his drum several times, very regularly, in the silence of the night, like before opening the curtain in the theater... and the music starts again.

Rose Festival in Kelaa M'Gouna

We finally officially know will the Rose Festival (or moussem) take place, in the first week-end of may, from Friday the 4th to Sunday the 6th. At least this is what Tourism Office told us, and I hope this information will be more accurate than the one about Erfoud last summer !

Practically, that means one more "institutionnalized" moussem (or festival). At the beginning, Roses Festival was linked to the harvest, and took place when the latest roses where cut. People could relax and celebrate.
To fix the date so long time in advance means the moussem will happen whatever the state of the harvest.. (Do you know farmers able to tell you three months in advance the exact day they will finish the harvest ?)

On one hand, it is quite logical, for such a touristic event, attracting so many people, it is quite hard to leave tourists and travel agency in the unknown: "you can come for a week and book your plane, but we can't promise you you'll see what you want, and come for."

This moussem was quite officialized already, with sponsors like Maroc Telecom, covering with advertisment boards the walls around the stage where the traditionnal dancing and singing takes place. And officials, all decorated and aligned, in the main stand. A Gouvernor has an agenda as hard to manage as a tourist booking, that cannot bear roses fantasies...

But, after Erfoud, after Imilchil, it is once again a piece of real tradition which fades away, pushed by the demands of tourist development...

Whatever, it is a beautiful time. The key point is undoubtedly on Saturday, with gnawa, ahwach, music,sabre dancing...

Kelaa's streets are covered with people, children are ckimbing on the lamp-posts, and people come from everywhere around to take part and sell something. The moussem is at the same time a huge souq, many people offer a few trinkets on a blanket on the ground. I often found there beautiful berber jewels... and many fake ones.

My advice would be to plan large around. The visit of the roses gardens is better made in the week, before every one is busy with the moussem. One has to loose himself in the small labyrinths, enter the gardens and take time to discuss with the people, that's the best way to enjoy Morocan hospitality.

Back to the sun !

The weather was beautiful today (finally !) and the boarding in Düsseldorf pleasant. Royal Air Maroc has fully renovated its planes, the seats are more comfortable. As I'm travelling for more than 28 days, I fully enjoy my 30 kilo luggage allowance. It's so good not to carry in my backpack all these heavy things I usually hide in its compact form.

Reading the newspapers, Morocco has three main topics of interest, preparation of elections, which will take place on the 7th of september, a few days before Ramadan, birth of Lalla Khadija, the first daughter and second child of the King, and the endless diplomatical complications with Algeria regarding Occidental Sahara. I just hope it won't get too difficult, as we pkan to go to Figuig. I dream seeing these high adobe houses...

The photograph of the King with his daughter was on all enwspapers and blogs. Mohammed VI cans be seen quite relaxed, in casual dressing (casual but green, color of hopen happiness and baraka in Islam), obviously totally besotted in love with his small one, a broad smile and very tender eyes. It's a simple image, perfectly fitting the communication of this King who opens secrets of the palace, and show his family.

I let you search it (should not be too difficult on Google) maybe you'll reach on of the many other moroccan blogs. According to "Le Matin" bloggers in Morocco would be around 20.000, and one of them, who, unfortunatly for me, writes in arabic, would be one of the best bloggers in the world.

Blogs are rpesented as a space of freedom. i'm really interested by the fact many people prefer reading the blog of a journalist than his official articles, because, as a private person, he has more freedom than a journalist.

One day, I have to tell you about schyzophrenia in Morocco....

A djinn in the swimming pool

The first time I discovered the desert, it was a too long time ago, in Tunisia. A week of holydays, in low-season, I was with a teacher invited to give lessons, nice moments, Tunis, Sidi Bou Said, La Goulette, all that, and during the week-end we go down south to see the sand.

Nice.

Big.

Yellow.

That's all. Return to Paris on the Monday, nice memory, but I preferred the beach.

The second time was in the south of Africa. A long journey, a month, and within this month, three weeks of semi-desert and varied deserts, one after the other, Karou, Damaraland, Moonscape, Etosha… and, at some point of time, after ten days of desert, we arrived on the coast, in Swakopmund.
Of course, we had never been thirsty, our bus was somehow air-conditioned (but not dust-proof), and that was winter there, so easy conditions.
But I will never forget the marvel of being able to simply see the water, this huge quantity of water, to feel again humidity on our skins, the change of the light, and our pleasure of a simple walk on the beach.

Desert is dryness and lack of water. Without the desert, there is no oasis, just a simple normal garden.

What does that have to see with the jinn ? Just a second …

In south of Morocco, I see more and more hotels and inns with swimming pools, whether in Merzouga, in M'hamid, or even in Tazarine, one has to offer a large swimming pool to attract tourists. And that's the same in the riads of Marrakech that must have at least a small pool.

Let us leave Marrakech apart for now.

Swimming pools in the middle of the desert, or just nearby, are an ecological nonsense. They use a large amount of water which would be much more useful somewhere else. The water, still, in the sun, evaporates much quicker than the running water of a small river. Swimming pool is not adapted to the living conditions of the deep south.

Morocco suffers from drought. South receives its water mainly from melting snows, and the rains, even when they are heavy and catastrophic like in Merzouga last year, are just a small part of the reserves.

And why do you travel in the south ? Just to be warm ? Or to experience the desert, and discover another way of life ?

You cannot experience the desert while swimming in a pool every evening. Desert takes you step by step, it needs several days, it is a dry and hot air, sounds, winds, lights… swimming pools do not belong to this world.

All Moroccan, Arab-Andalusian and Berber civilisation, architecture, gardens, traditional cultures were prepared and built in order to spare water. Fountains in the larges patios of the riads, irrigation canals are small running waters, moving, protected by the shadows of the plants. Water movement as well as the shadows prevent evaporation.

There is not still water in Morocco. It is avoided as much as possible, also because of superstition. One says that jinni, these spirits who share the world of humans, and can be simply tricky, or very naughty, jinni hide in still waters (and therefore, one is specially cautious of hammam, and always takes a shower with running water to protect itself).

Jinn in the Hammam, by Joumana Medlej(c).

Marrakech's swimming pools are another story.
There were no pools before in the riads. These quite large reserves of water are a call for mosquitoes and other insects. The few humid areas of Morocco, around Mohammedia and Agadir, suffer from malaria and mosquitoes. And in the same way, near the dam's lakes, like in Ouarzazate, there can be some "beasts of the swamps" whose bite will leave you a track for a few weeks. Programms to get rid of them have started. Without going so far, a riad with a swimming pool will attract mosquitoes. Prefer ones that have only fountains, small streaks of water running between the squares, and go swim in the sea, in Essaouira or Oualidia !

Joumana Medlej is a Lebanese artist whose site, Cedarseed will keep your attention for a long time. The Jinn in the Hammam is an illustration of one of her books, about olive oil. You can see all her publications on her site..

About salt caravans

In the reportage about Ousmane Dodo, I retraced in my last post, salt caravans are mentionned. They are one of the last ressources of nomads, after being one of their main wealth...

And it reminded me the impressive display of a Swiss artist, Not Vital, who spends a part of his life in Agadez. He built there many works, and developped a school and local artwork.

In an 2006 exhibition in Bielefeld Kunstahlle, I discovered "Salt", where he displayed 21 tons of salt, what a caravan brings back. And just beside, what the worth of these 21 tons in food, just a hundred kilo of spaghetti ! (Spaghetti which were sent to the country after the exhibition)

Photo found on artnet, ©2007 artnet - The art world online. All rights reserved. artnet is a registered trademark of artnet Worldwide Corporation, New York, NY.

Ousmane Dodo, doctor of the desert

Tonight on the international French TV (TV5) a reportage by Claudia and Günther Wallbrecht about a Tuareg doctor.

I was fascinated by the similarities and differences.

Many customers tols us Tazzarine and the desert around the Oasis (specially Serdrar) looks like Mauritania. I've never been there, but tonight I recognized it for true. The colors are very similar, the dark tones of the stones, that give a strange athmosphere to the landscape. Sand in yellow-ochre, but the light is somehow dimmed by the black reflection of all these stones. From place to place, a solitary tree, which is good enough to provide a small shadow shelter in the deep heat of the day.

Ousmane Dodo is a doctor who turns around this desert 10 months a year, spending very rare times with his own family. He can be up to three or four days alone, and needs to use his inherited knowledge of the desert to be able to direct himself. He went with caravans also when he was young, before being trapped in school (which is compulsory there, and nomad children are boarded in cities), and knows the real hardships and condition of life of the nomads, who trust him because he is one of them. A nomad of another kind, not looking for grazing fields for his cattle, looking for people to cure and help.

His patients don't know how to read, so he has to explain the drugs, and be simple. He often receives tablets from european people, and when he doesn't know what they are for, he looks at the latin names of the ingredients to understand the composition. He relies on drugs as well on traditionnal medecine, specially because most of the drugs, even the low priced one are too expensive. The average monthly earning in Agadez is of 30 euros per month...

Life is hard, the drought is important, and families have to move more and more to find places where they can stay a few days, maybe one week or two. Ousmane meets a clan where a young mother has lost her child, born too early, at seven month. No chance to survive for the baby, and the mother is worn out, because the family could not wait. No water anymore, and the day after they had to move again.

One child out of four, born in the desert, will die before reaching his fifth birthday...

But not everything is dark in this life.

Ousmane attends a traditionnal celebration, before the salt caravans leave for a 1200 kms over one month trip through Tenere. This is similar to moussems in Morocco, and I would love to see in Goulmine a camel beauty pageant as in Mauretania. The beasts are splendid, the men honour them, the place is out of time. Some Targui, in their best traditionnal clothes, protect themselves from the sun under modern coloured umbrellas, there is nothing but sand and rugs in the "center", nothing... but also micro, loud-speakers and an electric guitar to play the traditionnal sounds. I'm suddenly thrown back in Morocco, the orchestra of five young women singing traditionnal songs is so similar to Awach and other Berber rythms we here in the Draa valley... the rythm, the way they danse with the music, and even the voice, high and regular !

Words are different, Tamasheq is difficult to understand for a Amazight like Bilal, of a Chleuh (south of Morocco), and personnally I can't grab a word. Nevertheless, it sounds familiar. Names of places are familiar, Agadez, Aguelmane could be in Morocco.

Women are free. Women are not veiled, they can talk with men, Ousmane even explains how he met his wife : "I saw her, and I asked her if whe would accept to marry me, and then we discussed the whole night. And I was coming back and we where discussing tthe entire night, and we were making love, and I married her". Even if Muslim, women and men can have relationship before the wedding, and Targis are usually monogamist.

Two things I would retain, more than anything, because they really show how different our worlds are. Ousmane discusses with one of his friend who went to Europe "Over there, you have to pay for everything, you take the bus, you pay, and even when you park you caar you have to pay."

And his joy, before the celebration, when he can bath in the pool made by the cascade in Aguelmane. Because that happens to him only once a year to find a place with so much water. His few minutes in the water are his yearly treat....