Welcome to the MoroccanCulture Blog

Image by oNico® via Flickr

Aug 24, 2008

CASABLANCA, Morocco — This is an overwhelmingly Muslim country, but you wouldn't know it from the music festivals.

The Casablanca festival turns the commercial capital into an urban Woodstock, with masses of young people clogging the mosque-filled streets and partying to the pulse of hip-hop, rock, pop and Arab music. An estimated two million people attend free concerts at a dozen venues, many snapping up the action on their cellphones.

And Casablanca is only one of about 400 yearly festivals sponsored by authorities across the country, not to mention the sports, dancing and singing contests organized on popular beaches every summer.

The promotion of culture and leisure by Morocco's moderate government has a political undertone. The country's increasingly powerful Islamist groups view it as a deliberate attempt to deviate youth from traditional Islamic values. Even some government officials admit the aim of the merrymaking is to promote the liberal values they'd like to see society embrace rather than radical Islam.

Most youth don't see it that way. They just enjoy the free music and the opportunity to party in this country of 34 million where unemployment is particularly high among young adults and where parents usually keep a tight grip on their children.

"I like these concerts ... the artists are role models for young people," said 19-year-old Fadoua Hakki at a hip-hop event in Casablanca. Oumaima, 17, praised the "big strides" made by the new generation of homegrown Moroccan rap singers. "They're very good, and they voice our concerns," she said.

The streets full of trendy teenagers dancing to the Tecktonik craze that has swept Europe stand in striking contrast to the near-medieval living conditions in Morocco's countryside or the sprawling slums around Casablanca, which have become a hotbed of Islamism.

Such festivals would be unheard of in more rigorous Muslim states, where the mixing of boys and girls, free sale of alcohol or even dancing in public can be forbidden. But Morocco, a strong U.S. ally and a major tourism destination, prides itself on a cultural diversity that allows scantily clad girls to attend a concert side by side with women wearing Islamic headscarves.

Artists in Casablanca this year included international reggae and hip-hop stars. The yearly Gnaoua mystical music festival in the resort town of Essaouira attracts top jazz and rock players, and in Rabat, Morocco's capital, this year's edition of the Mawazine world music fest included Whitney Houston for her return to the stage, jazzman George Benson and French electro DJ David Vendetta.

Mawazine takes place a stone's throw from King Mohammed VI's palace and under his direct patronage.

Organizers say bringing in big names to festivals reflects Morocco's traditions of mixing cultures and people from Europe and Africa.

"That openness can only continue if there is an exposure to cultures from the rest of the world," said Ahmed Ammor, the head of the Casablanca festival organizing committee. "It's part of the king's project for society, that's why you see a festival in nearly every town."

With a budget of about $3.18 million, Ammor's festival remains the largest. Like many official events in Morocco, it is half funded by public money and half by large companies close to the government. Ammor himself works for free, presiding the rest of the time over a subsidiary of the national carrier Royal Air Maroc.

Massive police presence can been seen around most festivals, as at any other public event in Morocco. Organizers say unruliness is rare, noting that parents often attend with their children and then take them home.

But many have qualms with all this revelry. Some critics say funding the stars' contracts costs the state a fortune. Others deplore the import of western music such as rap, which they accuse of corrupting Moroccan youth. Others still say the large spring festivals are badly timed because they interfere with exam periods.

"There are too many festivals in Morocco... as soon as one finishes, another starts: No wonder young people don't read anymore," said Zine Eddine Bekkal, a Casablanca shopkeeper.

The most vocal critics are usually affiliated with the Islamists, who hold growing sway in Morocco. The gap between the educated, wealthy and westernized elite and the vast majority of the impoverished population has been widening.

"We stand against the debauchery observed during these festivals," the leader of Morocco's biggest authorized Islamist group, the Justice and Development Party, Abdelilah Benkirane, said on a state TV talk show. "Have you seen the type of groups they invite? The suggestive, scantily clad women?" he was quoted as saying by the liberal-leaning TelQuel weekly magazine.

More hardline Islamist groups, like the semi-legal Justice and Charity movement - viewed as the largest in Morocco - see more than bad morality to the partying.

"It's not only dissolute, it's cynical," said Nadia Yassine, spokeswoman for the movement and the daughter of its founder, Sheik Yassine.

"It's like ancient Rome: bread and circus to keep the masses happy," she said, accusing the government of trying to divert public attention from Morocco's lasting problems, such as unemployment, poverty and corruption.

Moroccan government officials say the drive for culture comes within a wider plan to improve public education and build new infrastructure throughout the destitute hinterland.

But they also gingerly admit they are waging a struggle for the hearts and minds of the country's youth.

One high-ranking Interior Ministry official, who spoke anonymously because this is not a publicly avowed government policy, recalled how some Islamists began speaking out against public beaches. Groups walked the seafront to preach for better morals and fewer bikinis, or set up segregated areas.

"No one wants to be bothered on the beach, so people began shying away," the official said.

He said the government's reaction was to promote sports and leisure activities as well as song and dance contests on beaches during the summer.

"Sure, this bothers the 'bearded ones,"' grinned the official, using a slightly derogatory slang to refer to Islamists because of the long beards they often grow.

Ammor, the festival organizer, said the government is on a mission to make Morocco a place where Arab and western cultures can interplay, rather than dwell on the growing tensions of the last decade.

"People call it a clash of civilizations," he said. "I think it's a clash of ignorance."

Associated Press writer Hassan Alaoui contributed to this report.

"The Canadian Press: Muslim Morocco's music festivals promote liberties; youth enjoy chance to party." 7 Sep. 2008 .

Ann Herbert is living on the eastern coast of Africa, volunteering in Morocco with the Peace Corps.

The Peace Corps, an independent federal agency of the United States, works in more than 70 countries around the world. The volunteers work with governments, schools, nonprofit organizations, nongovernment organizations and entrepreneurs in the areas of education, health, business, informration technology, agriculture and the environment to help those people meet the need for trained workers and gain a better understanding of Americans.

Herbert graduated from Mitchell High School in 2002 and Butler University in 2006 with a major in religious studies and minors in Spanish and business. She is the daughter of Christy and Hank Wintczak of Mitchell and Rod and Bridgett Herbert of Fort Wayne.

The past 16 months have been filled with new experiences for Ann, but also for her family.

The following is an account of some of them from the perspective of her mother, Christy Wintczak of Mitchell, and includes a description of her biggest project so far. The project has been planned for and with women in the community.

“For the past 16 months, our family has had the experience of having our second-oldest daughter, Ann, living and working in Morocco as a Peace Corps volunteer. I, myself, couldn’t imagine what was driving her to live in such a far away, foreign place, but this is what she wanted so we supported that decision not knowing what was in store for her or us.

“The first thing that became apparent to us was the dress code that was required of her in order of be respected and acceptable in Morocco’s Islamic society. She called home telling us about the women covered from head to toe and was worried the clothes she had taken weren’t conservative enough. I rushed her a package of lightweight, yet very conservative, shirts that would be bearable in the scorching hot summers. The shirts were cut so that the bottom went to mid thigh, the top went up to her neck and the sleeves went at least to her forearm.

“The relationship between men and women and their roles in society is very different from what we are used to. Ann’s work for the most part has been with girls and women, partly because as a woman, men are less accessible to her, but mostly because her work as a health volunteer is best accomplished when women are reached. Women are the ones taking care of the household and are therefore in charge of their family’s overall cleanliness and diet, both of which are crucial in preventing the utmost culprit of infant deaths in Morocco — diarrhea.

“Diet has been one of the most difficult things for Ann while abroad. In the states, she was spoiled with all the products we have available to us. She enjoyed living a healthy lifestyle by eating lots of whole grains, vegetables and fruits. All of these are available in Morocco, the difference being only convenience. Because she is an avid cereal addict, I have sent many boxes of pumpkin flax seed crunch or some other fiber rich cereal which gives her a break from cooking and a refreshing reminder of home. While there, she has learned to cook because things aren’t available in the ready-made form that we are used to. She has learned how to make her own goat cheese, peanut butter, bread, hummus, soy milk, tortillas and other things we just go to the store and buy. Besides ‘American food,’ she is also learning Moroccan cuisine, which consists mostly tagines and couscous. Tagine is a mix of meat and vegetables cooked in a special clay volcano shaped cooking contraption. t meal time, the tagine is set in the middle of the table where all can reach it. The volcano shaped top is removed and everyone tears off a piece of the bread sitting in front of them and uses it to scoop up some of the well cooked food inside. I hope that she will cook it for us when she comes home. Although all of this cooking can be an inconvenience, I get the idea she thoroughly enjoys this aspect of her life there.

“In working with these women she has developed many close relationships, especially with her host family. Ann suggested I send presents for her to share with those people close to her. Simple things like shampoo, lotion, toothbrushes, chocolates, Betty Crocker cakes with a container of icing are special and exotic to those she lives with. In an attempt to share her culture and nurture the most meaningful relationships to her she hosted a Thanksgiving dinner at her house (one of the days when the electricity and water were suddenly turned off in the entire village ) gave her host sisters Christmas presents, and celebrated their birthdays — none of which they had ever done before. I’ve also sent simple work supplies such as tape, transparent laminating paper, pens and pencils because these everyday work essentials are mostly out of reach for people in her town. She has used these to hold health classes for girls and women at their local health clinic and schools as well as holding trainings on association development and grant-writing for the local women’s association.

“From my understanding, she has multiple projects going. The first is a Tashlhate video project. She has worked with another nearby volunteer to develop a series of educational health videos in the local language, Tashlhate, that will be used by Morocco’s ministry of health as well as future Peace Corps volunteers. Although she is proud of the final videos, she mostly boasts about the process in which they were made. She held class for girls and women in the community on various topics such as tooth-brushing, diarrhea, purifying water, etc. After the class, they filmed educational skits featuring Moroccan girls that pertained to that day’s topic. Then the health clinic staff added a professional, detailed run-down of each topic. Some of the pictures were drawn by another volunteer who had studied art and then they put all those components together to produce the video. They now have 12 videos.

“... Currently her time is occupied working with her local women’s association to develop their baking project. Last year, with her help, they held their first Ramadan Bake Sale. Ramadan is a time of year in the Muslim calendar when all Muslims fast from sun up to sundown for an entire month. When breaking the fast as sundown, Moroccans eat various traditional delicacies. The women’s association saw this as an income-generating opportunity and therefore made and sold the customary baked goods. Last year’s project was a success, especially considering all equipment was thrown together by women temporarily donating their various cooking supplies. The money that they made went toward paying for sewing classes, Arabic classes for the illiterate women and to help start up their community-wide trash disposal program. Because of this project, women are taking a leading role in their personal and communal development. However, the project needs improvements. They don’t have good, or enough equipment to sustain the project and therefore have worked with Ann for months on planning a bigger, better version for this year and years to come.

“Although I miss Ann, I have come to see why she has chosen to pursue this adventure. She is getting to do, learn and see things she never would have otherwise. She has developed close relationships and adapted to a different way of living. I sometimes still find her experience hard to relate to seeing that it is so different from anything I have experienced. Ann’s family supports her in any way we can: through sending letters, pictures, packages, calling and donating to the causes she is working hard for. By doing this, I have learned a little about Morocco, about Islam, about my daughter and even a little about myself and the country in which I live. I know most of all, that we have so much to be thankful for.”

Times-Mail Staff Writer Krystal Slaten welcomes comments and suggestions at 277-7264 or by e-mail at krystal@tmnews.com.

english: Articles

Music: Heavy Metal finds hearing in Islamic societies

Richard Cimino
8 Jul 2008

Heavy metal music and other forms of rock and rap have become increasingly popular in the Islamic world, often as a protest against corruption in government, according to a recent article in the "Chronicle of Higher Education" (July 4).

Heavy metal guitarist (© Andreas Gradin | Dreamstime.com).

Mark LeVine, the author of a recent book called Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam (Three Rivers Press, 2008), writes that just as the raw-sounding music with angry lyrics found a hearing among disaffected American and British youth in the 1970s and 80s, this form of rock serves as a similar means of escape and protest in countries from Morocco, Pakistan and Egypt to Indonesia.

LeVine, a professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of California, adds that the music is different in Islamic societies because it is often mixed with Islamic themes and music. For instance, in Morocco, which has the most Muslim “metalheads,” the music weaves together Sufi- and Gnawa (Moroccan blues-style Sufi music)-inspired rhythms with the “hardest metal around.” Other heavy metal musicians and fans in Islamic countries consider themselves “secular Muslims,” or separate their religious beliefs from their music and politics.

Because Sufi practice and worship goes against the grain of the Saudi-inspired orthodox Islam in many countries, these musicians and their fans may face both religious and cultural restrictions. The Moroccan government has cracked down on its “homegrown metalheads.” At the same time, the Government has realized the popularity of the music and sponsored a metal festival organized by American evangelical Christians, according to LeVine.

But metalheads in some countries have been arrested, jailed and even tortured for being “Satan worshippers,” LeVine adds. In a much publicized trial in 2003, the government court convicted 14 heavy-metal musicians of Satanism and undermining morality. After followers held rallied and appealed for French support, the government overturned the sentences.

LeVine claims that despite fears of a crackdown, heavy metal and other forms of dissenting pop music and its performance in public is helping to create a new social space in Islamic societies where politics, religion and identity can be discussed.

Richard Cimino is the founder and editor of Religion Watch, a newsletter monitoring trends in contemporary religion. Since January 2008, Religion Watch is published by Religioscope Institute. Website: www.religionwatch.com.

URL: http://religion.info/english/articles/article_384.shtml