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MOROCCO. Approximately 4.3 million tourists visited Morocco in the first seven months of 2007, an increase of 10% year-on-year with over 1 million tourists visiting the country in July alone, Morocco's Department of Tourism announced last week.

The largest number of foreign visitors came from France (1.7 million), followed by visitors from Spain (795,000), Belgium (285,000), the UK (261,000), the Netherlands (211,000), Germany (182,000), and Italy (164,000).

The Department of Tourism also said that the total number of local tourist nights in classified hotels increased by 7% year-on-year for the same period, reaching 10 million. Marrakech remains the most attractive tourist destination with a growth rate of 11% year-on-year, followed by Casablanca (10%), Tangier (9%), Fez (7%), Rabat (6%), and Agadir (3%).

http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?id=13353&t=1&c=33&cg=4

A witness has told police he believes he saw Madeleine McCann in Morocco.

It has been revealed that a British tourist contacted police to say he saw a little girl, resembling the missing four-year-old, at a petrol station in Marrakesh.

His testimony was identical to that of another tourist, Norwegian Marie Pollard, 45, who claimed she was "100 per cent convinced" she saw Madeleine at the same spot.

Both accounts of a little blonde girl standing near a man and asking him in English: "When can I see my mummy?" were given to the police independently without knowledge of each other.

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The police failed to follow up either at the time they were reported.

When they did finally check out the leads, they found the garage's CCTV tape had been erased and didn't bother interviewing staff, according to the Sunday Mirror.

The second witness, who is from Yorkshire, was on holiday in Morocco days after Madeleine disappeared in Portugal on 3 May.

It was only when he returned to Britain that he realised the significance of what he had seen and called the police.

Pollard told the Sunday Mirror last night: "I still haven't been interviewed by Portuguese police and we're four-and-a-half months on.

"If this man saw Madeleine as well it adds weight to what I saw and proves I'm not going mad."

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Though both witnesses were guests at the Ibis hotel, there is no connection between Pollard and the Yorkshireman.

"Gerry and Kate McCann have always believed the Morocco sightings were vital," a friend said.

"Kate said her instinct from the start has been that Madeleine was smuggled into North Africa.

"The couple believe the information from the two witnesses is crucial and should have been released to the media immediately."

Pollard, who lives in Fuengirola, Spain, explained: "I didn't know about Maddie's disappearance then.

"I went in the shop to buy some water. My attention was drawn straight to her.

"She was a sweet, blonde-haired girl with a very cute face.

"She was wearing blue pyjamas with a little pink-and-white pattern, maybe flowers, on her top.

"She was standing alone with a man. She looked sad and a little lost.

"The man didn't look like her father. He was between 35 and 40, with dark brown hair, not very tall.

"She looked at me and then spoke to him, something like, 'Can I see Mummy soon?'. I don't think he responded."

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This follows reports that British forensic experts have sent Portuguese police an email angrily complaining at the way evidence in the inquiry has been "wildly misused", according to sources close to the investigation.

The Forensic Science Service criticises detectives for overplaying the results of its tests and leaking information - most of it inaccurate, it claims - to the Portuguese media.

The relationship between the FSS and the Policia Judiciaria has now deteriorated to such an extent that it is unlikely any further forensic tests will be carried out in Britain.

What most troubled scientists was the way the Portuguese interpreted "inconclusive" DNA evidence from the Renault Scenic hired by the McCanns 25 days after Madeleine disappeared.

Portuguese police are still understood to want forensic psychologists to analyse Kate's Bible.

They are said to be suspicious that passages relating to 'forgiveness' have been underlined and may be incriminating.

But a source close to the McCanns' legal team said: "Most of the references to forgiveness in the Bible relate to forgiving other people.

In any case, Kate maintains that she did not underline the passages herself.

The Bible was given to her in Portugal and they were already underlined."

Police also want graphologists to analyse handwriting in the Bible's margin which they feel is suspicious and could belong to Kate.

Madeleine McCann's parents have "known for months" that there were two possible sightings of their missing daughter in the same city on the same day, their spokesman has revealed.

Norwegian Marie Pollard gave them fresh hope when she reported seeing her at a petrol station in Marrakech, Morocco, just days after her apparent abduction from their holiday apartment in Portugal on May 3.

There were two 'sightings' of Madeleine McCann in Morocco

It has now emerged that Kate and Gerry McCann were also told of a British tourist contacting police on his return home to say he thought he had also seen the four-year-old.

This second, separate sighting - passed on to the Portuguese and Moroccan authorities but not disclosed to the media - was in the same part of the city and at a similar time on May 9 as the first.

Ms Pollard claimed she saw Madeleine outside a petrol station, while the British witness, unnamed but said to be from Yorkshire, said he saw a young girl with a close resemblance outside the Ibis Hotel opposite.

The Briton was unaware of the other sighting, meaning police had two independent reports in the same place, a source close to the McCanns told reporters.

Family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "We have been aware of it for months. It was made known to us when it happened. All I can say is that any possible sightings, if credible, we hope would be examined thoroughly, whether it's in Portugal, Spain or anywhere else."

A top legal team has been assembled to help the couple, who have been named official suspects, or "arguidos" in their eldest child's disappearance.

In Portugal, Robert Murat, the first person to be declared an arguido in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, is reportedly set to be cleared by police.

British expat Mr Murat was taken in for questioning by police 11 days after the youngster vanished from Praia da Luz and later declared a suspect, but he has never been formally arrested or charged. Portuguese newspaper Sol reported that Mr Murat had now been told that police have no case against him.

Doctors have discussed the health benefits of fasting and how it can help us in learning to manage our diets. At times, doctors even prescribe fasting for various reasons. Without a doubt, these are at most secondary benefits of fasting. The same can be said for the physical benefits of prayer, pilgrimage, and other aspects of formal worship.

Still, the real reason that a Muslim does any of these things is for the sake of worshipping and obeying Allah. He would do so even if there were no health benefits. Indeed, were it proven to be injurious to his health, he would still do so. However, Allah never commands us to do anything that would harm us in the least except when the benefits of doing so far outweigh the harm.

http://www.islamtoday.net/english/showme2.cfm?cat_id=29&sub_cat_id=713

This is why the Prophet gave the following advice: “O assembly of young people, whosoever among you has the wherewithal to marry should do so, as it will help him to lower his gaze and safeguard his chastity. And whoever is unable to do so should fast, because it diminishes sexual desire.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (5066) and Sahîh Muslim (1400)]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) points out that fasting withholds a person from responding to his passions.

Some scholars have discussed this hadîth in conjunction with another, where the Prophet (peace be upon him) says: “Indeed, Satan circulates through the descendant of Adam as blood circulates through the body.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (2039) and Sahîh Muslim (2174)]

Even though the phrase “…so restrict his circulatory paths by fasting” that is sometimes quoted along with this hadîth is baseless, the fact remains that fasting does put our passions in check, and it is quite possible that one way in which it does so is by restricting Satan’s ability to circulate within our persons, as stated by some scholars.

What is more likely is that fasting keeps our compulsions in check by keeping us involved in a specific act of worship. This continuous connection with an act of worship helps us to refrain from unlawful acts, including those acts, like the forbidden gaze, that incite our desires.

http://www.islamtoday.net/english/showme2.cfm?cat_id=29&sub_cat_id=713

Another benefit of fasting is that it develops our character by strengthening our willpower and bolstering our patience. This is why fasting is sometimes referred to as patience and Ramadan is sometimes called “the month of patience”.

Allah says: “Seek help in patience and in prayer.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 45]

Some commentators of the Qur’ân have said: “The word ‘patience’ here refers to fasting. It means ‘Seek help in fasting and prayer’.”

This is because fasting forces us to exercise our willpower and practice patience. Many of us need to constantly exercise our willpower to keep it strong.

There is a psychological benefit in operation here. Researchers into the causes of success say that success requires three ingredients:

1. Desire: All people wish to be strong, successful, and financially well of. Desires like these exist for everyone.

2. Strength or ability: Most people have the mental and physical wherewithal and the skills that they need to succeed if they properly put their minds to it.

3. Willpower: Strong willpower is one of the greatest reasons for success in both this world and the next.

Fasting strengthens the will and conditions a person to cope with difficulties in all aspects of his life. It helps to develop the very quality that only successful people possess, the quality of those people who can turn their desires into a reality by using skills and abilities that they have.

http://www.islamtoday.net/english/showme2.cfm?cat_id=29&sub_cat_id=713

Fasting conditions us upon the fear of Allah. This is why Allah says: “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard against evil.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 183]

When a person fasts, whether it be a voluntary fast or an obligatory one, he is constantly reminding himself not to eat or drink This is in spite of the fact that eating and drinking are perfectly lawful for him at other times. He abstains from these otherwise lawful acts on account of Allah’s promise, in hopes of attaining Allah’s reward. It naturally follows that he will abstain from sin, from those acts that are prohibited to him at all times.

A Muslim needs to understand that this is the whole idea behind fasting. How can a person abstain from food and drink – though they are lawful to him at other times – and then go on to backbite people, spread rumors, tell lies, and engage in all sorts of other sins?

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever does not leave off false speech and evil deeds, then Allah has no need of his leaving off his food and drink.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (1903)]

We know that Allah has no need for us to leave off eating and drinking in any case, even when we abstain from false words and false deeds. What this means is that fasting has not been prescribed because Allah needs us to do so, it has only been prescribed to assist us in restraining ourselves from false words and evil deeds. Therefore, if we do not abandon these things, then to what avail is our fasting?

If fasting does not awaken in us this consciousness, then it is to no purpose. We must work to cultivate this consciousness. Fasting needs to bring us to the point where we can easily give up sinful deeds like backbiting, spreading rumors, slander, licentiousness, and all ignoble, destructive traits.

http://www.islamtoday.net/english/showme2.cfm?cat_id=29&sub_cat_id=713

Fasting brings to fore the reality of our subservience to Allah and it helps in our submission to Him. This is why fasting has been made one of the pillars of Islam, so that Islam itself is incomplete without it. Fasting conditions the worshipper upon obedience and upon carrying out his religious duties. It also reminds him that he is the servant of Allah Almighty and of no one else.

We see that Allah orders His servants to eat at certain times, so that if they were to fast at those times, they would be sinning. This is the case for the two `Îd celebrations. This is also the case for someone who fasts consecutive days without breaking his fast at night. At other times, by contrast, the worshippers are ordered to fast, so that if they were to eat at those times, they would be sinning.

We see the same thing when a pilgrim enters into the sacred state of ihrâm. While he is in that state, he is prohibited from certain things that he is commanded to do at other times. In this and many other ways, the worshipper continually reminds himself that he is the servant of Allah who complies with his Lord’s command and who keeps to the limits set by his Lord.

This is a concept of great significance that if people would only realize it in their worship, their devotions would then have a far greater impact upon them. The state of a believer should be that of a dutiful sentinel standing at attention, whose hand is ever poised to action and who is ready to advance and go forth whenever he is commanded to do so.

The importance of our worshipping Allah is one of the greatest objectives behind our fasting and behind all of our acts of devotion. Unfortunately, many Muslims fall short in their appreciation of this fact. Though they adhere to the performance of these acts of worship, their devotions are bereft of spiritual meaning and consequently fail to have the desired effect of bringing about true devotion and subservience to Allah.

http://www.islamtoday.net/english/showme2.cfm?cat_id=29&sub_cat_id=713

Ramadan: The Fourth Pillar of Islam: "A day in the life of a Muslim: During Ramadan By Mohammed Zaoud A wise old man once told me 'You need to sacrifice to achieve great things'. Ramadan to me, is a reiteration of this same saying. When the month of Ramadan approaches, the world witnesses mixed reactions. Some people are very arrogant, they see fasting as a burden upon them. They see this month as a time of grief, a month that can't pass quickly enough. For many other people like myself, Ramadan is a month that is a mercy from almighty God. It is not a burden at all. I mean, I have to admit that there can be times when a person may wish this month had never come, like having to face the smell of 'bad' breath from sunrise to sunset; but generally, the advantages and beauties of Ramadan in a Muslim's life certainly rise above the disadvantages. It all starts at 3am. I wake up at three in the morning everyday. The whole street is quiet enough that I could hear the leaves moving on the trees. While the average Joe is nice and comfortable in his warm bed, I wake up to wash and have breakfast. Yes breakfast. This is probably the most interesting part of the day. Every morning, the question is posed in my head… 'To eat or not to eat?' Do I eat cheese? Do I drink tea? Are these foods going to make me thirsty during the day? Do"

http://ramadan.com.au/mylife.asp

"But, Mum, I do not want to eat. I am a big boy and I can fast," Thabit told his mother.

"But you are fasting, Thabit. 7-year-old children eat in the morning and a little in the afternoon and then they don't eat anything else till evening."

"But you do not fast like that, Mum," the little boy insisted.

"I am older, Thabit. Grownups fast that way."

The young gentleman sat deep in thought and then asked, "Mum, why do we fast?"

"That's a good question, Thabit." She got up and went to the kitchen cupboard. She removed something from it.

"Do you know what this is, Thabit?"

"It's a blender."

"Do you know what it is supposed to do?"

"It blends passion fruit for juice." His mother laughed. "Yes, it does blend. Our body does the same thing. It grinds the food we eat; it takes what it needs and removes the rest. It does this everyday, day in day out."

"Doesn't the body get tired, Mum?"

"It does. Just like the blender. When we have blended juice for too long, it refuses to work. Then it needs fixing. So we have to give our body a rest so it can work better for us. That's why we fast in Ramadan and some other days in the year."

"Does everybody fast, Mummy?"

"Not everybody. If you are ill or expecting a baby or if you are old and weak like Daddy's grandpa or if you are 7 years old then you don't fast.

The little boy thought some more. He ate the food his mother had set before him without much fuss. "What if you don't want to fast?"

Hijab Stories"What is your sister Nur's favorite color?" "Pink".

"And what is the color of her uniform for Madrassa (School)?" "Blue".

But she says she'd like to wear her pink hijab when she goes."

"And why doesn't she?"

"She is afraid Ustaadh (Teacher) will punish her."

"You see, she was afraid Ustaadh would punish her. Ustaadh will punish her because she has broken the rule of the madrassa by wearing pink.

You see, Thabit, Allah knows what is good for us and so we have to do as He commands, because He sees and knows everything. We love Him and fear Him and we don't want Him to be displeased with us."

"But don't you get hungry, Mum?"

"Of course we do. But we keep ourselves busy on other important things to take our mind away from the food. We read the Qur'an, or we visit the sick people or we go to the mosque and listen to dars. You see there's plenty to do and before you know it, it's time to eat!"

"Is there another reason why Muslims fast?"

"Yes. You are lucky, Thabit, because you have food everyday. Not everyone has food to eat."

"Like the poor people at Baroda Road?"

"Yes, like them. If we go hungry like them, we will be able to understand that they need help."

The little boy seemed satisfied with the answers, his mother had given him. "Mum, can I go with you and Daddy to help the poor?" "By the Grace of Allah, you can."

http://www.ezsoftech.com/ramadan/ramadan15.asp

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and a time when Muslims across the world will fast during the hours of daylight.

Pilgrims on Hajj in MeccaDuring Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the time when the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This time begins on the night the first verses were revealed, a night known as Lailut ul-Qadr ('The Night of Power') which falls within the last 10 days of the month.

The month of Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, prayer, doing good deeds and spending time with family and friends. The fasting is intended to help teach Muslims self-discipline, self-restraint and generosity. It also reminds them of the suffering of the poor, who may rarely get to eat well.

Reading the Qur'an is an important part of Ramadan, and many Muslims will attempt to read the whole of the Qur'an at least once during the Ramadan period. Many will also attend special services in Mosques during which the Qur'an is read.

The Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, PakistanIt is common to have one meal (known as the suhoor), just before sunrise and another (known as the iftar), directly after sunset. This meal will commonly consist of dates, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Because Ramadan is a time to spend with friends and family, the fast will often be broken by different Muslim families coming together to share in an evening meal.

At the end of the month, once fasting has been completed, a big celebration takes place known as 'Eid-ul-Fitr', the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. During this celebration Muslims dress in their finest clothes, give gifts to children and spend time with their friends and family. At Eid it is obligatory to give a set amount of money to charity to be used to help poor people buy new clothes and food so they too can celebrate.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/religion/islam/ramadan.shtml

By SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER
Associated Press Writer

Fasting and festive meals might seem unusual partners to many Western sensibilities, but for Muslims around the world the monthlong celebration of Ramadan weds the two gloriously.

The daily fasts of Ramadan, intended as a time to reflect and regroup, are broken with celebratory evening meals where friends and family gather in homes, cafes and tea houses.

"In fact, it is generally observed that food consumption during Ramadan goes up, not down. People even gain weight," says Sami Zubaida, co-editor of "Culinary Cultures of the Middle East."

And thanks to globalization, the traditions and practices of Ramadan are becoming increasingly universal.

"You see that because there is this kind of easy communication, satellite television, all kinds of media that spread this information, that things are becoming standardized throughout the world for Muslims," says Zubaida. "I wouldn't be surprised if people in Indonesia and Nigeria are picking up on some Middle Eastern patterns of behaviors and foods."

Daily fasts during Ramadan - from September 13 to October 13 this year - often are broken by the eating of a date, a widespread practice that follows the example of the Prophet Muhammad.

After the date, the iftar meal is taken. The foods still vary by region, but there are similarities across populations.

One example is a dense soup made from wheat and typically lamb, chicken or turkey. It can be sweet or savory, and is known as halim in Iran, India and Pakistan; harissa in parts of Syria and the Persian Gulf, and kashka in Iraq and Turkey.

Traditionally, the early morning meal, taken at dawn before the fast begins, is substantial. In Morocco, a dish called harira is a thick soup of beans, meats and dried fruits. It is intended to sate one's appetite until dusk.

"People try to stay awake until almost sunrise where they will have the second meal which is the sahor. Then they can do the morning prayers and go to sleep," says May Bsisu, author of the cookbook "The Arab Table."

A wide array of sweets, pastries and puddings also are traditional, such as Iran's sholeh zard, a sweet rice pudding with saffron, cinnamon and blanched almonds. In fact, in Turkey, the slang for Eid al-Fitr is the feast of sugar or shekar bayram.

http://www.wral.com/entertainment/dining/story/1846874/

Most Berbers are at least nominal followers of Islam, and many strictly observe Islamic traditions. Most of the feasts are observed and celebrated, but the fasting that is required during Ramadan is often excused for those who travel. Like most followers of Islam in northern Africa, many Berbers believe in the continuous presence of various spirits (djinns). Divination is accomplished through means of the Koran. Most men wear protective amulets which contain verses from the Koran.

Amazigh society was divided between those who tended the land and those who did not. At one time, tilling the land was considered the work of the lower classes, while the upper classes were merchants. Usually, groups of sedentary Berber paid allegience to a locally appointed headman, who in turn reported to the noble who considered the village his domain. As time has passed, however, these sedentary farmers have been able to accumulate wealth while the trans-Saharan trade routes diminished in importance. They were also given political status by colonial and postcolonial administrations.

Contrary to popular romanticism which portrays Amazigh as nomadic peoples crossing the desert on camels, most actually practice sedentary agriculture in the mountains and valleys throughout northern Africa. Some do, in fact, engage in trade throughout the region, and such practices certainly had a tremendous influence on the history of the African continent. Trade routes established from western Africa to the Mediterranean connected the peoples of southern Europe with much of sub-Saharan Africa thousands of years ago. There are basically five trade routes which extend across the Sahara from the northern Mediterranean coast of Africa to the great cities, which are situated on the southern edge of the Sahara. Berber merchants were responsible for bringing goods from these cities to the north. From there they were distributed throughout the world.

These people call themselves Amazigh. "Berber is a name that has been given them by others and which they themselves do not use. Amazigh history in North Africa is extensive and diverse. Their ancient ancestors settled in the area just inland of the Medeterranean Sea to the east of Egypt. Many early Roman, Greek, and Phoenician colonial accounts mention a group of people collectively known as Berbers living in northern Africa. In actuality, Berber is a generic name given to numerous heterogeneous ethnic groups that share similar cultural, political, and economic practices. Over the last several hundred years many Berber peoples have converted to Islam.

Berbers

People living in North Africa, from Morocco's west coast to the oasis Siwa in Egypt, from Tunisia's north tip to the oases in mid-Sahara.
Berbers comprise a clear majority of the population of North Africa in terms of race, but in terms of identity, a considerable minority. It is essential to understand this difference between race and identity in order to grasp the meaning of being Berber. The influx of Arabs in North Africa has been far too insignificant throughout history to justify those large numbers of people now claiming to be Arabs. And the influx of other peoples in North Africa has not been of any significance since the Vandals in the 5th century.
Thus, in terms of race, Berbers represent 80% of the population in Morocco and Algeria, more than 60% in Tunisia and Libya and 2% in Egypt, making up more than 50 million people. In addition there are about 4 million Berbers living in Europe, primarily in France.
But as the Arabization has swept away the indigenous language from many regions and, along with it, the Berber identity, many people with Berber ancestry, are now claiming to be Arabs. In terms of identity, Berbers represent 40% of all Moroccans, 30% of all Algerians, 5% of all Tunisians, 10% of all Libyans and 0,5% of all Egyptians, making up more than 20 million people. An estimated half of the ethnic Berbers living in Europe regard themselves as Berbers, making up 2 million.
Berbers, just as most other peoples in the world, easily blend in with other people. There are visible differences between Berbers reflecting a surprising past – European slaves and war prisoners were transported and sold to North Africa, and with them blond hair and red hair as well as green and blue eyes were introduced into the Berber face. Estimates go as high as 1 million Europeans arriving in North Africa this way, but many returned to Europe and how many actually reproduced and had children that would live among the Berbers is impossible to assess.
The origin of Berbers is not certain either, some believe they may have come from Europe, but it is safest to consider the Berbers as the original population of North Africa.
The Berber communities are scattered around in the North African countries. They often live in the mountains and in smaller settlements. There are around 300 local dialects among the Berbers. Berbers are Muslims, but there are many traditional practices found among them. Since Berbers typically outnumber Arabs in rural areas, traditional practices tend to predominate there. The conversion of Berbers to Islam took centuries and in many areas Islam was not dominant until the 16th century. This has resulted in Berber Islam being somewhat atypical in its incorporation of traditional beliefs, preserving more traces of former religious practice.
Of major cities in North Africa, only Marrakech has a population with a Berber identity. The Berber dominance in the mountains can be traced to the days of Arab conquest, when the Arabs took control over the cities, but left the countryside to itself. The number of Arabs being too small for a more profound occupation. Berbers in those days had the choice between living in the mountains, resisting Arab dominance, or moving into the Arab community, where Arab language and culture were dominant.
Until a few years ago, being Berber was considered to be second class (like in many societies in the West: Indians in America, Aboriginals in Australia, Lapps in Norway). For example, in the most modernized society in North Africa, Tunisia, being Berber has been (and still is to some extent) synonymous with being an illiterate peasant dressed in traditional garments.
As with other indigenous peoples in the world, Berbers are now protesting against the undervaluation of their culture and identity, and specifically about the absence of a written language and the lack of political influence. This has been most clear in Algeria but also quite evident in Morocco. In Algeria the situation has been so tense, especially through the 1990's, that foreign commentators have speculated about the prospects for a civil war and a partition of the country. Algerian Berbers are often unfamiliar with Arabic and use French as second language. Arabs in Algeria and Morocco object very much to the blossoming of Berber identity in their countries, but so far there has been little aggression between the two groups.
Throughout history, Berbers have founded several dynasties strong enough to threaten countries in Europe. Numidia in Algeria was so strong in the 2nd century BCE, that Rome feared that it could become a new Carthage. In the 11th and 12th centuries, the Almoravids and later in the 12th and 13th centuries, the Almohads, were Berber dynasties strong enough to control major parts of Northwest-Africa and Spain. At the dawn of colonization, Abd al-Qadir in the Algerian Kabyles halted French occupation for many years (until 1847).

Though Moroccans are advancing fast, they are still for the most part a very traditional nation. This is clearly reflected in their dress. As tourists, it would be wisest to pay attention to your own dress as what you wear could offend locals or cause harassment. Legs and shoulders are considered to be ‘private body parts’ in most parts of morocco, and men and woman should do their utmost to keep these areas covered. Woman are generally covered from wrist to ankle and men are covered elbow to below the knee. This sort of covering will be accepted in most areas of Morocco and woman not covered sufficiently will often get harassed.

It may be that some women in the cities will tend towards more modernized dress and don short-sleeved tops with knee lengths skirts, but it is not suggested that you follow this trend since these woman often get unwanted attention. Both sexes should stay away from sleeveless T-shirts, ordinary T-shirts (worn as underwear in Morocco) and shorts. They should also avoid tight clothing.

If a man does approach you and gets too friendly, it is suggested that you keep conversation polite but very formal. Stay confident and never tolerate bad and rude behavior. If you feel that the man has crossed the line, you should make a scene and shout “shooma!” (shame on you!). Usually, other people will then come to your aid and the situation will not go any further. It is also wise to avoid smoking in public.

Though you might feel as though you are inundated with offers and deals in many Moroccan souks, it would be wisest if you avoid rude or aggressive behavior. If you are genuinely not interested in making any purchases at the time, a friendly decline and your body language will likely tell them this. In general, never keep silent if you are offered something. Silence is considered to be rude and can be offensive. Rather talk your way out of the situation.

You will often find yourself confronted by numerous Tour Guides in the bigger cities. Some of these are official and can really enhance your trip. Many more, however, are unofficial. You need to be cautious. If you do not have an official guide and you would like someone to show you around, try to determine if the person is genuinely interested in showing you around. Some guides prey on tourists and take you into unsavory areas or pester you into hotels or cafés which are not appealing. Always avoid people offering to take you to a hotel or restaurant. They usually have a deal with the people at these establishments which results in you being charged more. Also, avoid offers for a ‘tour of the town’ – especially if you do not know where they intend to take you. In general, it is best to affirm that this is your second visit and to give the feel that you know what you are doing. If you get this right, most bargain hunters will decline and leave you alone. Never allow a guide to bully you into using his services and if you are interested, you could suggest sharing a cup of tea to get to know them better before hiring them. If you decide to go ahead, you should get an idea of what rate you will pay and what your guide is planning to show you before you actually hire him. You should also have a look at our Getting There and around section before deciding.

Also beware of conmen. These individuals take advantage of unwitting tourists by conning them into giving them money, or taking them into a shop where they drive a sale down your throat. Their stories can be anything from 'please translate this letter for me' to 'I need money to help get a passport/help a sick relative'. Some even act as though you are racially prejudiced to act on your conscience. Don’t allow yourself to fall victim to these scams. If a guide ‘just wants to take you to his uncles for tea’, decline politely. Or if someone wishes you to ‘take a parcel to a relative in your country’ you will likely be unwittingly smuggling drugs.

Often you might encounter begging children. Their demands can get quite overwhelming and you can even feel as though you are being harassed. Always try not to give them anything, as this only encourages them. Instead, keep your sense of humor, smile, laugh and find a way to brush them off.

Always watch for pickpockets in market areas as these are rife in certain parts of the country. Rather leave you money in a safe place when going out, and take only what you need with you. Also, mugging, although rare, is not unheard of. Do not go to areas that you are unsure of.

British Passport holders do not need any visas to get into Morocco. Your stay as a visitor is restricted to 3 months, but may be extended at a Moroccan police station. The Currency of Morocco is the dirham (dh). It is divided into 100 centimes (c). Centimes exchange hands at market places more often than dirhams. This money is available in 10c, 20c, 50c, 1dh, 5dh, 10dh (all coins) and 10dh, 20dh, 50dh, 100dh and 200dh (all notes). Because of the various potential dangers to your life and Health while visiting Morocoo, full health Insurance is recommended.

Moroccan Music This vibrant fusion of traditions, beliefs, and history has given Morocco a brilliant tapestry of music, intricately woven with the rich, multi-colored threads of her diverse peoples. Berber music is a highly percussive art, joining complex rhythms with limited melodic lines that are often repeated. Whether it is the tradition of the Tarafite Berbers of the Rif Mountains, the Tamazhirte of the Middle Atlas, the Tachelhite of the High Atlas, or the Soussi of the Anti-Atlas, the effect of Berber music is to harmonize all the participants into a unified whole. With their conquest in the 8th century, the Arabs introduced a musical style far different in its aim to enlighten the individual with philosophical reflection, using sound to embellish words and ideas. Sufi brotherhoods - mystical orders of adepts such as the Gnawa, Aissaouia, Jilala, Hmadsha, Deroqa, and the now forbidden Haddaoua - perform music in the service of Islam so that those present may become united to Allah, the Prophet Mohammed, the founder of Islam, and the saints, by attaining a state of ecstasy through trance. The Andalusian heritage came to Morocco by way of the Arab Moors of Cordoba, Spain, and flourished between the 10th and 15th centuries. Very stylized in melody and poetry, these medieval Iberian suites are preserved in the classical style in which they were originally performed. For centuries, cities in the south of Morocco served as trading posts for caravans dealing in gold, salt, spices, and slaves, which traveled the desert. Music, the arts, and the customs of the nomadic peoples with roots in the Sahara have a distinctive influence on Moroccan culture. At one time, a thriving Jewish community populated Moroccan cities, from Marrakech to Tangiers. Their numbers have diminished throughout the centuries, but the Sephardic melodies of modal blues remain a testament to an exquisitely archaic Iberian form of Hebrew. Into these diverse musical traditions are interlaced the cyclical constants that influence Moroccans’ lives. Foremost is the enduring presence of the Islamic faith, which, though it discourages displays of singing and dancing, provides the regular refrains of Qur’anic recitation. This melodious chant can be heard in every city and village quarter - inside the mosque when the Imam offers the Muslim holy verse and from the minaret tower when the Muezzin calls the faithful to prayer five times a day. The cycle of seasons establishes a timetable of recurring rites that correspond to changes in the earth, from summer to winter, from planting to reaping. These annual events inspire music that synchronizes labor and celebrates seasonal festivals during periods of leisure. The phases of the moon inspire events that are distinctive from those based on cycles of the sun. Many Muslim festivals follow a lunar calendar that is shorter than the solar cycle. Religious celebrations rotate through the seasons arriving nearly 11 days earlier each year. In the daily rhythms of the family are found those liminal musical experiences that become imprinted in the subconscious of all Moroccan lives – the familiar melodies sung by mother to baby, socializing games of children, songs that welcome guests, spontaneous chant that breaks the monotony of long days of labor. Finally come those pivotal passages – birth, initiation, marriage, and death – commemorated in music and ritual, which define a new phase in the existence of every individual. These are the momentous occasions that are cherished and recounted time after time in life and will be for generations to come. From a baby in the womb until its last living breath, music is ever-present and important on life's journey. “The Music of Morocco and the Cycles of Life” travels from mountains to desert to fertile river valleys, from imperial souks to remote villages, to witness rites of passage embedded in memory, heralded by ancient melodies: birth and infancy, courting and marriage, work and play, thanksgiving, healing and mysticism, death and life everlasting. From the very first breath until the last, music surrounds and shapes the lives of all Moroccans.

Through the arabic language,Morocco received from the Orient an important artistic heritage.He was enriched after that with the Andalus culture(hispano-maurish).
Nowadays,a part of the musical tradition of this precious heritage appears in the countries of the Maghreb under the name of ala,çan'à gharnati maluf and recently the andalus music. Cordoba, Sevilla, Granada all shared in the boost of the language,the poetry and the andalus music .
The andalus music reigns as master of all events, weddings, romantic evenings...etc.
Despite of the beautiful melodies of the instruments it is the singing that prevails in this art and it is made of two genre :
*The melismatic solo with a free and improvised rythm backed up by a single instrument.
*The syllabical singing,whose melody is set and predetermined,sang by a choir sometimes punctuated by solo performances.
Our group was formed within the "Al Moussilia Association",it is made of 16 members divided into instrument players and singers (male and female),our group has dedicated itself to the spreading of this music throughout Morocco.
The Al Gharnati music,which how is called the music coming from the Andalus,forms the main basis of our repertoire that also includes other types of Moroccan and arabis music types.
Our group has taken part in several events and festivals national and internationnal: Greece; Holland; Spain; Portugal; Syria, Jordan; Algeria

Sincerely

HASSAN B

One of the richest aspects of Morocco’s culture is its music. Made up of more than twenty-five different types, Moroccan music reflects the richness of its diversity and echoes its present and past history. Depending on which region of the country you visit, you will be sure to hear the sounds of Andalusian, Berber, Raï, Chaabi or Gnawa permeating the air.

Andalusian music, as its name indicates, comes from Al-Andalus or Andalusia. It is a blend of Arab and Spanish music which Moroccans call El-Ala and is considered to be Morocco’s classical music and sung in classical Arabic. Andalusian music dates back to the 9th when the famous Persian singer and musician Ziriab made this type of music famous. It uses many musical instruments such as the violin and lute, among others. In Morocco, Andalusian singers and musicians are mostly men who perform in traditional clothing. Moroccans usually listen to Andalusian music during religious ceremonies.

The second type of music is Berber music. The three different Berber regions in Morocco each possesses their own language and, in turn, their own Berber rhythms. Berber music has survived thanks to a few Berber musicians and poets. Many Arab Moroccans do not listen to Berber music since most do not speak or understand Berber. The main instruments of Berber music are the round drum or Bendir, and the banjo. Berber music has undergone many changes during the past twenty years, notably the presence of more and more women performing it.

Another type of Moroccan music is Rai. With its origins in Algeria, it has been adopted by Morocco and is associated to the eastern region of the country, especially the city of Oujda. Rai music gained a lot of popularity in Morocco in the 90s with the death of the famous Algerian Raï singer Cheb Hasni. Since then, Raï has blossomed in the North East of Morocco.

Chaabi is probably considered pop music since it is indeed the most popular music listened to in Morocco. It is another form of Moroccan music that is widely listened to because it is sung in Darija, Moroccan Arabic. In the 70s it was the music that was used to express people’s overall political views and feelings via groups such as Jil Jilala and Nas El Ghiwane. Chaabi can be heard at weddings and other festive occasions or group gatherings.

Even if you speak Moroccan Arabic, do not be surprised if you cannot understand the lyrics of Gnawa music. For Gnawa music is a fusion of Arab, Berber, and African rhythms. It is powerful trance music that goes back to the 16th century and has gained international popularity over the last few years. If you are in Morocco during the month of June, don’t miss the three-day Gnawa festival in the city of Essaouira, in the south of Morocco. The main instruments of Gnawa music is the double-headed drum or tbal, and metal castanets or qerqbat. Gnawa has also gone through changes and can be heard mixed with different musical styles such as Jazz.

If you are planning to visit Morocco, be sure you get informed of the music festival taking place during your visit. There are many of them in different cities and it is most likely that your visit coincides with one of them. There are, for example, a festival of Rabat called Mawazin, another in Fez called sacred music (or la musique sacrée), and another one in Chefchaouen called Allegria, among others.

Dr. Chouki El Hamel received his doctorate from the University of Paris-Sorbonne in January 1993. His training in France at the Centre de Recherches Africaines was in precolonial African History. His interest has focused on the spread and the growth of Islamic culture and the evolution of Islamic institutions in Africa. His research is evidenced in his published articles and a book concerning intellectual life in precolonial Islamic West Africa. He taught courses in African History at North Carolina State University in Raleigh and at Duke University from 1994 to 2001. In 2001-2002 he was a scholar in residence at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City and in 2002 he joined the History Department at Arizona State University. He is currently finishing his book entitled "Ethnicity, “Race/Color “and Gender in Moroccan Slavery." He contributed this essay to Afropop Worldwide for the program African Slaves in Islamic Lands.

Westerners who have visited Morocco have likely encountered Gnawa musicians. In the coastal Atlantic town of Essaouira, where an annual festival of Gnawa music takes place, and in Marrakesh, at its spectacular central square called Jamaa el-Fna. The colorful gowns and caps of Gnawa musicians, covered with cowry shells, coupled with the distinct sound of their instruments - metallic castanets, heavy drums and a three-stringed bass lute (guembri) – provide both visual and audio confirmation of the Gnawa presence.

Some of the best known genres of music to all Moroccans come from the classical Andalusian legacy, and reflect Morocco's historic relationship with Spain. Andalusian music is recognized as a national music and is repeatedly featured on national audio-visual media. By contrast, the Sephardic music and folksongs from the Jewish communities in Morocco are unfortunately vanishing because Morocco lost its Jewish population to help create the state of Israel. Another important but often neglected genre of music is that of the Gnawa, who came from West Africa to Morocco by way of migration, both voluntary and forced. Although the Gnawa are now fully integrated in Moroccan society, the Gnawa still remain a cultural and a social distinctiveness.

The term Gnawa has three important meanings. First, it refers to black people who were enslaved in West Africa. It is commonly believed that Gnawa of Morocco were originally black slaves and who over time had become free under various historical circumstances. Historians believe that the Gnawa population originated from black West Africa - from Senegal to Chad and from Mali in the north to Nigeria in the south. Many of these enslaved people are thought to come from Old Ghana (a kingdom north of Mali) in the 11^th through the 13th century. These enslaved groups were called “Gnawa.” There is also some historical evidence that a large enslaved population came from the great market of Djenne in Mali, and that Gnawi is a slight deformation of Jennawi. The term Gnawa is thus a color designation. It historically means “the black people.”

Second, it defines both a religious/spiritual order of a traditionally Black Muslim group. The Gnawa are traditionally a mystic order which marks their exclusiveness within Islam and the religious and spiritual components of Gnawa practice incorporates references to their origin and their enslavement.

Third, it denotes the style of music associated with this order. The ancestral memory (turath) of the displaced and enslaved people that were brought to Morocco is preserved mainly in their songs and dances.

Not all blacks in Morocco were slaves that originated from black West Africa. Some blacks were actually native to southern Morocco. Some sources suggest that groups of black people were indigenous of the Draa valley. They were sedentary agriculturists. With the advance of the Romans into the Moroccan interior in the 3^rd century B.C.E., the Berbers, who inhabited the coastal areas of the Maghreb of North Africa, may have been forced to move towards the south and competed with the blacks inhabitants in the oases of the Draa, entering into an interdependent or clientele relationship with the Blacks, with the Berbers assuming the patron role.

Etymologically speaking, the meaning of Gnawa likely derives from the Berber word aguinaw, which is connected with skin color. It means “black man” in contrast with the white Berber. This word could be itself the origin of the name Guinea because akal n-iguinamen in Berber means the “land of the black men” just like the Arabic term bilad as-sudan, which means, “land of the black people.” The term was also adopted by the Portuguese and appeared mainly as “Guinea” on European maps dating from the 14th century.

Arabic sources indicate that there was a steady flow of human trafficking across the Saharan desert from the 10^th to the 19^th centuries. Since the Almoravid dynasty in the 11^th century, enslavement, conscription and trade brought people from West Africa (mainly from the area of present-day Mali, Burkina Fasso and Senegal) to the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia). These enslaved groups were usually called `abid or sudan, both Arabic words, or else haratin or gnawa, Berber words. We can thus name among the ancestors of the black Moroccans of today the Soninke, the Bambara, the Mossi, the Fulani, and the Hausa. Archival sources indicate the use of blacks in the armies of the Makhzen, the central authority of Morocco, and in many cases, entire garrisons consisted solely of black soldiers. Many dynasties relied on black soldiers to maintain their power.

The first ruling dynasty in Morocco to use a large number of black slaves in the army during the Islamic era was the Almoravids (al-Murabitun). During the Almoravids, the ruler Yusuf Ibn Tashfin “bought a body of black slaves and sent them to al-Andalus.” With the additional troops provided through the slave trade, Almoravids defeated Alfonso VI of Castile in 1086 A.D. at the crucial battle of Zallaqa (near Badajoz). Arabic sources indicate that 4000 black soldiers participated in this famous battle. During the succeeding Almohad dynasty, the rulers had a private garrison of black soldiers, who also served as royal guards and during the rule of Muhammad an-Nasir, around 1200 A.D., their numbers reached 30,000. During this dynasty, the recruitment of enslaved blacks in the government became institutionalized, known as `Abid al-Makhzen, meaning “servants to the government.”

A third dynasty that used a large army of blacks was the Sa‘dis, who under the rule of Mawlay al-Mansur, invaded the Songhay Empire (in present day Mali) in 1591 A.D., which allowed them direct access to acquiring more black slaves for military purposes. In the late 17^th century, Mawlay Isma`il gave orders to enslave all blacks including free black people to create his own army. Of course an act completely against the Islamic law, but he did it anyway.

In addition to the conscription of the blacks in the army, enslaved Black West Africans were assigned numerous occupations, including tasks in the home, farm, mines, oases, and ports. In many towns, slaves were primarily women who performed domestic labor or were concubines to the affluent class, while rural slaves were mainly male and worked in farming. Gradually, enslaved black people were freed either by manumission, by running away, or because their masters were forced to grant them freedom under different circumstances. After many generations, these freed black slaves eventually formed their own families and communities, such as those of the Gnawa mystic order.

Elements of pre-Islamic West African animism such as the belief in the spirit world are fundamental to the Gnawa order. For the Gnawa, the spirit world is inhabited by ancestral spirits who, among other spiritual creatures, can be used for either good or evil purposes. Ancestors are believed to act as intermediaries between the living and the supreme god, and the Gnawa communicate with their ancestors through prayer and sacrifice. The spirit world is also invoked through special ceremonies, constituted by drumming, clapping, the sound of the castanets, and dances, all designed to enlist the aid of ancestral saints to protect human beings from evil spirits and other predicaments, such as helping persons recover from an illness or a misfortune. These rites often involve spectacular trances through which contact with and appeal to ancestral spirits may be gained.

Even while adopting Islam, Gnawa did not totally abandon their animist traditions but rather continued to observe ritual possession. They combined Islamic tradition with pre-Islamic African traditions, whether local or sub-Saharan West African. After their conversion to Islam, while probably still in their country of origin, the Gnawa adopted Bilal as their ancestor and saint patron. Bilal was the first black person to convert to Islam and to become a companion of the Prophet Muhammad. Claiming Bilal as a patrilineal figure was not only to emphasize the nobility of belonging to Bilal but also an attempt to legitimize their identity in Islamic terms.

Historically, as a racial minority, the Gnawa suffered much discrimination and injustice at the hands of the Arab-Berber majority within the regions that the Gnawa inhabit. Conscious of their difference and their blackness, they chose Bilal a black man as agnate. Bilal was a special man. Originally from Ethiopia, he was born into slavery. He converted to Islam while still in captivity and was tortured for his conversion by his master Umayya b. Khalaf. When Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, a very close friend to the Prophet Muhammad, heard about the valor of Bilal, he bought him and set him free in the name of Islam. Bilal became the personal servant/assistant of the Prophet. He was also the first muezzin—meaning “caller to prayer”—of the newly established Islamic community in Medina. This special relationship with the Prophet brought Bilal a special Baraka (a divine blessing). The Gnawa have constructed their Islamic identity by emphasizing a privileged status among Muslims - they converted to Islam even before Quraysh, the tribe to whom Muhammad belonged. Hence, it is not surprising to find the name of Bilal in many Gnawa songs. Additionally, to honor their spiritual and emotional link with Bilal and Islam, the Gnawa built a unique shrine in Essaouira dedicated to Bilal: the Zawiya Sidna Bilal, a place to celebrate their culture. Bilal is the symbol of the dialectic between Diaspora and homeland.

The Gnawa are a diasporic culture and one finds artistic and spiritual parallels between the Gnawa order and other spiritual black groups in Africa such as the bori in Nigeria and the stambouli in Tunisia, the sambani in Libya, the bilali in Algeria, and also outside Africa as in the case of the vodoun religion practiced in Caribbean countries (vodoun is a mix of Roman Catholic ritual elements and traditional rituals from Dahomey). The similarities in the artistic, spiritual and scriptural (e.g. related to Abrahamic written traditions) representations seem to reflect a shared experience of many African diasporic groups. The belief in possession and trance is crucial to Gnawa religious life. Music has served a patterned function in this belief and it is intrinsically linked to the Gnawa religious rituals and to their specific historic and cultural memories. It is their specific historic and cultural memories celebrated and invoked in songs, dances and musical chants that the Gnawa claim to provide access to the spiritual realm.

The Gnawa have influenced other Berber/Arab mystic orders or brotherhoods, as in the case of the Issawiya (16^th century) and Hamdushiya (17^th century). These brotherhoods added new elements to the usual sufi devotional rituals, such as trances and contacts with spirits, most likely influenced by contact with the Gnawa order. But these Zawaya and other sufi Berber or Arabic orders have been far more socially accepted within the regions where they are found than that of the Gnawa. The Gnawa, as a spiritual order within Moroccan Islamic society, was marginalized and is still marginal. Through their musical ceremonies and trances, they claim to cure insanity and free people from malign influences. They believe that God is too powerful for bi-lateral communication and direct manifestation and thus God can only be reached through spiritual manifestations in our world. Hence, the Gnawa are generally not considered a mystic order proper because they do not seek the conventional personal union with the divine but rather contact with the spirit world which acts as an intermediary through which contact with the divine may be accomplished.

The Gnawa have found legitimacy for their cultural distinctiveness within the regions and societies they inhabit even given their unusual and often marginalized religious rites, ceremonies, and musical practices. The images conveyed in their songs construct a coherent representation of displacement, dispossession, deprivation, misery and nostalgia for a land and a former life kept alive through their unique musical and ceremonial practices. The historical experience of the Gnawa sketched in this essay is very similar to those found in all forced diasporas. Through their ceremonies, their songs and gatherings, these people made restitution not of an "imagined community" but a real one to reconcile a fragmented past. The Gnawa provide a fascinating story of how they re/constructed their identity against a broken cultural continuity.

The Gnawa have, over many generations, productively negotiated their forced presence in Morocco to create acceptance and group solidarity. Unlike the conventional question in Black America, "Who are we?," the Gnawa ask, "Who have we become?” Similar to the model of “creolization” – the integration of freed black slaves into the French cultural landscape of the American state of Louisiana , the Gnawa have created a model of their own creolization and integration into the Moroccan social landscape. This is one of the most crucial and striking differences between blacks in America and blacks in Morocco.

Over the past fifty years in North Africa, Gnawa music, like the blues in America, has spread and attracted practitioners from other ethnic groups, in this case Berber and Arab. Although most present-day Gnawa musicians are metisse and speak Arabic and Berber, some West African religious words and phrases do survive even though their meaning is lost. In Morocco, Gnawa music is found mainly where black people live in a relatively large number; large enough to form a distinctive community like the ones in Marrakech and Essaouira. These two cities are known historically to have had slave markets connected to the trans-Saharan slave trade.

Gnawa people have created a distinct space in Moroccan society. They play a social and spiritual role and in recent decades have become well-known public performers. Public, non-ceremonial performances outside the Gnawa mystic order is a recent development. In order to survive, the Gnawa have turned the mystical aspect of their music into a musical art. In the 1970’s, when the only popular music available was the Middle Eastern type, some Moroccan artists start to look into other Moroccan traditions. Some of the best examples are Nass al-Ghiwan who were inspired by the Gnawa mystic order to create an original Moroccan pop music. One of the members of the band was Abd er-Rahman Paco who was himself a Gnawa master musician from Essaouira. Gnawa music has engendered a popular style of pop music for mere entertainment such as Nass al-Ghiwan and Jil-Jilala. These two bands were the most listened to in Morocco in the 70’s and 80’s. In the 90’s, other groups emerged such as Nass Marrakech who blend traditional music with new songs that connect with contemporary themes and audiences. Yet, for the Gnawa, their music is primarily spiritual and used for healing purposes.

However, curiously, Gnawa music, similar to jazz in America, is not recognized as a national music. The national Moroccan music is the Andalusian music, which developed, in "Muslim" and came to with the expulsion of the Moors in 1502 A.D.. Gnawa music has inspired the development of popular Moroccan music in general and is analogically similar to the African-American spirituals, gospels, and eventually the genre known as “the blues,” also founded by former slaves. Gnawa music provides a perspective through which we may view the history of blacks in . It is a medium to discover and recover the African roots that still live on in Morocco.

Recently, Western musicians interested in African traditional music, have “discovered” the music of the Gnawa. As a result, many collaborations have ensued with famous jazz artists such as Randy Weston. The Gnawa are modernizing their style to make it more secular and with more commercial appeal. With these recent developments and their appeal to tourists, the Moroccan government in 1997established The Gnawa and World Music Festival in Essaouira.

Q&A with Banning Eyre

B.E: What do we know about slavery in Morocco before the Arabs came, even before the Romans came?

Chouki el Hamel: There was always slavery. Berbers were slaving blacks. Blacks were also enslaving other people. But before the coming of the Arabs, black West Africa was not perceived like a huge pool of slaves. It did not have great slave markets. That was a development that came with the Islamization of Africa. So with the Islamization of Africa there was an increase of the trans-Saharan trade. It is the conquest, actually, that stimulated this need for black soldiers. So there was a huge demand for enslaved people from West Africa. And why? It is because, legally, you can slave only people perceived to be “pagan.” And the area that was perceived to be “pagan” was the area of the Sudan and beyond that.

The race question came during the Crusades where Europe emerged as a strong power, and basically, the enslaved people who came from areas in Europe were diminishing. So the Arabs and Berbers dynasties that ruled North Africa turned, of course, south. And then slowly it became color slavery. So that is why I have said that in many dynasties, that ruled Morocco for instance, they relied on black soldiers. And during Mawlay Isma`il, it went even further because he enslaved all blacks, including the free ones, including the Muslims. That is an act that is actually outright illegal in Islam, but he did it. But the muftis, judges and scholars of Islam in Fez were against that. They went against the voices that had influence on the society, they were sometimes killed. We have evidence that one of them was killed. His name is Gassus. He was a very strong voice against the enslavement black Muslims.

B.E: How, ultimately, did slavery disappear from Morocco?

Chouki el Hamel: I don't know of any text that formerly and officially abolished slavery. Slavery just went away with the coming of the colonization in 1912. Slowly, and gradually, slavery just died. It stopped existing because it was no longer needed. For instance, I'll give you just one example. In the south of Morocco, until recently under colonialism, the black people, especially Haratin in the southern oases, in the area of Aqqa or Tata, blacks did not own land. The Berbers owned the land. Some were not slaves, but they worked as sharecroppers. And they were called khammasin. They worked as farmers on the land that belonged to the Berbers, and they got a fifth of the harvest. But they never owned the land. And it is through colonization, when the capitalist system was introduced, and cash was introduced, some of these black people who worked as sharecroppers went to Europe. They were able to have enough cash to buy the land. So it was through colonialism and the general capitalist system that these people who were marginalized, who were not entitled to own land, they suddenly had cash. And cash of course is power. So they bought land, and this has created a social mobility in the south of Morocco.

B.E: When Afropop Worldwide went to Morocco in 2004, we found the very first two CDs by Nass el Ghiwan. They were just bootlegs, but rare stuff?

Chouki el Hamel: Nass el Ghiwan emerged, actually, from very poor neighborhoods. Their songs were what we call engaged, engaged for social causes. They were singing basically for the voiceless people. They represented them, their oppression and their misery and also subjects that were taboos. Some of them actually suffered for that. They went to jail because of that. They really reflect the cultural legacy in a way of the Gnawa. Because of the times, when there were Egyptian songs playing on the radio all the time, and these people came along, and said, we have to look at Moroccan traditions, what is authentic. And they looked into the Gnawa. And some members of Nass al-Ghiwan and Jil-Jilala were actually Gnawa.

B.E: They were widely influential also. I remember interviewing Khaled in Algeria, and him saying that Nass el Ghiwan really inspired him when he was young. To hear this local sound elevated to this level of high popularity. That's an interesting collateral effect that you would not necessarily predict?

Chouki el Hamel: And now, there is a step even further, because we have westerners involved, right? You have a lot of jazz and even popular music artists they come and collaborate with the Gnawa. Randy Weston comes to mind, but he is not the first one. Dizzy Gillespie went to Tunisia, right? So they all look for this, the African roots. Even in the early sixties. They were aware of this Diaspora. I think the artists were onto something. The artists, they are pioneers in making the other Diaspora actually known to the world. By the “other Diaspora,” I am talking about the internal African Diaspora, which is the Diaspora of black Africans in North Africa and the Mediterranean.

B.E: So it was not so much historians and writers who led the way on this. It was musicians?

Chouki el Hamel: If you like, hearing music is more powerful, more influential, than reading books sometimes.

…Just the same, if books are your cup of tea, here’s Chouki el Hamel’s Selected Bibliography:

Abu, Madyan, and Vincent J. Cornell. The way of Abu Madyan : doctrinal and poetic works of Abu Madyan Shuayb ibn al-Husayn al-Ansari (c. 509/1115-16-594/1198), Golden palm series. Cambridge, U.K.: Islamic Texts Society, 1996.

Brunel, Rene. Essai sur la confrérie religieuse des 'Aissaouas au Maroc: Paris: Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner, 1926.

Diène, Doudou. La Chaîne et le lien : une vision de la traite négrière, Mémoire des peuples. Paris: Editions Unesco, 1998.

Diouf, Sylviane. Servants of Allah : African Muslims enslaved in the Americas. New York: New York University Press, 1998.

El Hamel, Chouki, “Blacks and Slavery in Morocco: The Question of the Haratin at the End of the Seventeenth Century,” in Disaporic Africa. A Reader, ed. by Michael Gomez, New York University Press, 2006.

Ennaji, Mohammed. Serving the master : slavery and society in nineteenth-century Morocco. 1st ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999.

Laroui, Abd Allah. The history of the Maghrib : an interpretive essay. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1977.

Pâques, Viviana. L'Arbre cosmique dans la pensée populaire et dans la vie quotidienne du Nord-Ouest africain, etc, [Université de Paris. Travaux et mémoires de l'Institut d'Ethnologie. no. 70.]: pp. 702. pl. XVII. Paris, 1964.

Pâques, Viviana. La religion des esclaves : recherches sur la confrérie marocaine des Gnawa. Bergamo: Moretti & Vitali, 1991.

Willis, John Ralph, ed. Slaves and Slavery in Muslim Africa. Vol. 1: Islam and the Ideology of Slavery. Totowa, N.J: Frank Cass, 1985.

Contributed by: Banning Eyre

Mint tea

300ml (1/2 pint) water 5 tsp sugar 1 tsp Maroque mint tea blend OR 300ml (1/2 pint) water 5 tsp sugar 1 tsp green tea bunch of fresh mint leaves

1. Bring the water to the boil. Put the sugar and the mint tea (or green tea with fresh mint leaves) in a small traditional Moroccan tea pot, and add the boiling water.

2. Leave to steep for 5 minutes, serve hot.

Makes enough for 2 glasses

Minus their most famous ingredient

250g (9oz) blanched almonds 125g (4oz) walnuts 250g (9oz) raisins 125g (4oz) clear honey 65g (2oz) butter 5ml (1 tsp) Ras el Hanout 5ml (1 tsp) ground ginger 60-75g (4-5oz) sesame seeds

1. Finely chop the almonds, walnuts and raisins in a food processor or blender until they form a coarse, slightly sticky mixture.

2. Melt the butter in a large heavy pan and stir in the honey, Ras el Hanout and ginger.

3. Add the nuts and raisins and stir over a gentle heat for a few seconds until the mixture is thoroughly combined, firm and sticky.

4. Cool a little, then shape into about 30 balls.

5. Roll the balls in sesame seeds to coat completely.

6. Serve as an after dinner sweet with strong coffee.

Makes about 30 balls

A creamy luxuriant dessert with subtle flavours reminiscent of Morocco.

600ml (1 pint) milk 115g (4oz) sugar, plus 4 tsps for caramel Good pinch of saffron threads 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) cardamom seeds 5-10ml (1-2 tsp) rose water 4 eggs lightly beaten 60ml (4 tbsp) boiling water

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Heat the milk, sugar, saffron and cardamom in a pan until the milk is just about to boil.

2. Set aside to cool. Add the rose water, the gradually pour the mixture into the eggs, beating all the time. Set aside.

3. To make the caramel, heat 60ml/4tbsp sugar in a small heavy pan until melted and dark brown.

4. Stir in the water, holding the pan at arm's length as the caramel will spit. Let it bubble before tipping it into individual dishes. Swirl the dishes to coat the base and sides evenly. Leave to cool.

5. Strain the cooled custard, pour into the dishes and stand them in a roasting pan. Pour cold water around the dishes to two-thirds of the way up.

6. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour, or until the custard has set.

7. Cool, then chill for several hours or overnight.

8. To serve, run a knife around the edges of the creme caramel dishes and invert on to plates. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

This recipe was kindly given to me by a very good Moroccan friend, and has become a firm favourite in our house. It's a fantastic way to have broad beans.

500g (1 1/4lb) broad beans (frozen are fine) 1/2 preserved lemon, chopped Good handful of fresh coriander, chopped Vegetable stock enough to cover the beans 4 gloves of garlic crushed 1 tablespoon olive oil Pinch of paprika Pinch of cumin

1. Add the olive oil to a pan and very gently fry the garlic, just enough to remove the raw taste.

2. Add the beans, preserved lemon and coriander to the pan and stir to coat

3. Pour in enough stock to cover the beans.

4. Simmer gently until beans are done, this should only take a few minutes

5. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with a pinch of paprika and cumin

6. Serve with lots of bread to soak up the lovely juice

Serves 4

You will need a large shallow pan or pot that can go on the table. In Morocco the cooking is finished in a shallow earthenware tagine, which goes on top of the fire (although we do not recommend placing our tagines over a direct heat source).

For the meatballs: 750g (1 1/2 lb) minced lamb or beef 1 onion finely chopped 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley salt & pepper a pinch of chilli powder to taste 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon of ground cumin sunflower oil for frying For the tomato sauce: 2 onions chopped 2 tablespoons of olive oil 2 garlic cloves crushed 750g (1 1/2 lb) tomatoes, peeled and chopped (I used tinned) 1-2 teaspoons of sugar 1 small fresh chilli pepper, seeded and chopped (optional) 3 tablespoons of chopped flat-leaf parsley 3 tablespoons of chopped coriander 6 eggs

1. For the meatballs, mix all the ingredients together except the oil, and knead into a soft paste (I whizzed the onions, herbs and spices until chopped finely and then added the meat and gave it another quick whiz: it saved all the chopping finely).

2. Roll into marble-sized balls and fry them briefly in batches in shallow oil, shaking the pan to colour them all over. Lift out with a slotted spoon.

3. In a large shallow pot, which you will bring to the table, prepare the sauce. Fry the onions in the oil until soft. Add the garlic, tomatoes, sugar, salt and chilli pepper and simmer for 20 minutes until reduced.

4. Add the parsley and coriander, put in the meatballs and cook for 5 minutes.

5. Break the eggs over the sauce and cook until the whites are set. Serve with plenty of warm bread.

Serves 6 (easily reduced)

This tagine is a firm favourite in our house.

1kg (2lb) shoulder of lamb, in 4cm (1 1/2 ") cubes 2 spanish onions, coarsely grated 3 plump garlic gloves, crushed 4 tablespoons of olive oil large pinch of dried chilli flakes 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon paprika pinch of crushed saffron threads 2 x 400gm (13oz) cans of tomatoes 1 strip orange rind 2 cinnamon sticks bunch of coriander, chopped 24 large ready-to-eat prunes 3-4 tablespoons clear honey 75gm (3oz) toasted blanched whole almonds pepper mint leaves to garnish

1. Put the lamb into a bowl. Add the onions, garlic, oil, chilli flakes, ginger, cumin, paprika, saffron and plenty of black pepper. Stir to coat the meat well. Cover and leave to marinade in a cool place for at least 2 hours, or in the refrigerator overnight.

2. Heat a large, heavy frying pan. Add the lamb in batches and brown evenly. Transfer to a tagine or heavy casserole. Put the marinade into the frying pan and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes then stir in the lamb. Add the tomatoes, orange rind, cinnamon and half of the coriander. Mix well then cover and cook in a preheated oven, 160C (323F), gas mark 3, for 1 1/4 hours.

3. Meanwhile, put the prunes into a saucepan with the honey and just enough water to cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Add the prunes and the cooking juices to the tagine and cook for 15 minutes, adding the remaining coriander after about 7 minutes.

5. Scatter almonds over the tagine, garnish with mint leaves and serve with couscous.

Serves 6