Archive: morocco
3rd July 2011
The new Moroccan constitution, endorsed by a referendum on Friday, has had a generally warm and uncritical reception from the US and the EU.
A joint statement from the EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, and commissioner Stefan Fule described it as "a significant response to the legitimate… Read more
18th June 2011
The clear message from the Arab Spring is that the region's leaders must initiate swift and far-reaching reforms or risk being overthrown. So far, though, the only country that seems to be heeding that message with anything close to the level of determination that the situation requires is Morocco… Read more
21st March 2011
Aside from Libya, which is getting wall-to-wall media coverage, here are some other noteworthy events from the weekend:
SYRIA:
In the southern city of Deraa, protesters clashed with security forces on Sunday, for the third day running. Numerous buildings associated with the regime… Read more
10th March 2011
Amid continuing popular discontent in the Arab countries, King Mohammed of Morocco promised constitutional reforms in a speech yesterday (full text here).
Among other things, he talked of consolidating the rule of law, enhancing the independence of the judiciary and making the prime minister "fully… Read more
16th December 2010
The problem of Arab governments restricting the choice of namesthat can be given to children is an issue that I've discussed here before. It arises particularly among ethnic groups such as the Berbers in Morocco and the Kurds in Syria.
Human Rights Watch, which has been working on this issue in… Read more
5th December 2010
Two attempted coups in Morocco during the 1970s (which came close to succeeding) continue to cast a long shadow over relations between the king and his military, according to a Wikileaks document.
The document – a memo from the US embassy in Rabat dated August 2008 – says Mohammed VI has slightly… Read more
30th October 2010
The Moroccan authorities yesterday suspended al-Jazeera's operations in the country by withdrawing press accreditation its staff who are based there.
A statement from the communications ministry said the Qatar-based TV station had "seriously distorted Morocco's image and manifestly damaged its… Read more
28th October 2010
The World Economic Forum is currently meeting in Marrakesh and the photograph above, showing an odd but official-looking banner, is being passed around on the internet.
The wording says: "Wolrd [sic] Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa. Can We Cut to the Chase? Show Me the… Read more
3rd October 2010
Another Moroccan magazine bites the dust. Following the closureof Le Journal Hebdomadaire earlier this year – driven out of business by an advertisers' boycott and crippling libel fines – the publishers of Nichane (the first weekly magazine in colloquial Arabic) have announced that it, too, is to… Read more
9th July 2010
Once corruption becomes institutionalised, it is very difficult to eradicate. Morocco, ranked 89th worldwide in last year'sCorruption Perceptions Index, is a typical example and a new report from the kingdom's Central Authority for the Prevention of Corruption (ICPC) examines the nature of the… Read more
ARAB ART ONLINE: Susan Hefuna: Al Sabr Gamil (Patience is Beautiful) 2007. Ink stained on wood 140 x 170 cm. More information | Click to enlarge
