WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Walking alone on a rather well-lit street in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in D.C., I make my way home at around 11 p.m. Headphones in my ears, I’m minding my own business when I pass a young man on a bike. As soon as I make eye contact, I regret it. Please don’t turn around, I will him in my head.

Too late. He turns around and starts following my footsteps. “Hey beautiful” I hear over my music. I’m annoyed, but also scared. Nobody is around. It’s late. My only defense is an almost-dead iPhone.

He eventually left and I got home safe, but I continued to constantly look behind me to see if he, or anyone else was following again. Just a couple of days before this incident, Elliot Rodger went on a killing rampage in California because he wanted retribution for all the girls who had refused him. In his final YouTube video online, he says, “You girls have never been attracted to me. I don't know why you girls aren't attracted to me, but I will punish you all for it.”

Yes, I know that every man who follows me or catcalls or asks for my number isn’t a misogynistic mass murderer or a rapist. But the paranoia is there. When statistics show that 1 in every 6 girls in the U.S. is a victim of rape or attempted rape, how can I walk comfortably alone anywhere without the fear of being assaulted?

And why should I or any other woman be walking with that fear?

Casey Alt, an American who has lived abroad shares an experience she encountered while living in Palestine: “My friend got her hair pulled for blowing a guy off, whom she then punched in the face. He retaliated by driving by later and throwing liquid on her.”

Alt also talked about the night she went to Tahrir Square in Cairo. “I was supposed to wait for my friends in the metro, but it was really crowded so I wanted to wait outside near a restaurant. The stairs out of the metro got bottlenecked and I ended up squished in the center of a throng of men. I started to feel hands all over my body. They were grabbing at my clothes, trying to pull off my shirt-dress, pulling my hijab off and putting hands down my pants. One of my best friends had it a lot worse months before. She was dragged around for hours naked.”

A recent study by Stop Street Harassment, a nonprofit working to end harassment in public spaces, finds that approximately 65 percent of women in the U.S. have been victims of street harassment. Two-thirds of those women said that they feared escalation in those situations. The numbers are even higher in Egypt where a 2013 United Nations report found that 99.3 percent of Egyptian women have experienced some form of sexual harassment. A study done in Pakistan showed 96 percent of girls experienced harassment, 99 percent in Croatia, 93 percent in Turkey, and 43 percent in London. In India, a survey found that 95 percent of women said their mobility was restricted due to the fear of male harassment. In Korea, Japan and China the figures ranged from 50 to 70 percent of harassments occurring on public transportation.

The SSH defines street harassment as “catcalls, sexually explicit comments, sexist remarks, homophobic slurs, groping, leering, stalking, flashing and assault.”

Three years ago, I went on my first study abroad trip to Morocco. I was absolutely shocked at the level of street harassment girls experienced there. We couldn’t walk anywhere without guys catcalling, following us, groping us, or practically-- as we would call it-- “eye raping us.”

I was told by other Moroccans, men and women alike, that this was just “part of the culture.” Many men I talked to didn’t even see this as harassment. In fact, I’ve been told that I should regard it as a compliment.

It is exactly this idea that makes societies and cultures see harassment as a norm. Young boys grow up learning that they are entitled to comment on a woman’s body as if she is a piece of meat.

“There are commercials, print ads, cartoons, TV shows and movies that make light of street harassment, often portraying a stereotypically beautiful woman being verbally harassed by a man. In many cultures, street harassment is not talked about, so these are the only messages kids are receiving about it. Often they internalize that it’s okay and a compliment,” says Holly Kearl, founder of SSH.

A male friend of mine who traveled to Morocco with me says that there needs to be a common understanding among all cultures about women’s rights. “In the East they think the billboards, the Playboy magazines, the way women dress are all violating women. Conversely in the West, many believe that hijabs and niqabs and other forms of covering are curbing women’s rights. Both need to understand that whatever the culture, the woman has the right to decide what she puts on her body and the right to walk out wearing whatever she wants without being subject to harassment.”

Kearl brings street harassment into the broader conversation of women’s equality in society and says that street harassment is simply “one more manifestation” of the inequality in modern society between men and women. We live in a culture where women have less power and respect than men.

It’s not just Morocco or Egypt, but all over the world. And I’ve found that I am always met with the same response by both genders—“Men will be men. Just ignore it.”

And for years that’s what I did -- I ignored the men who followed me in broad daylight, making sexual comments while I pretended not to hear. I ignored the cars that would stop and ask “How much?” if my girl friends and I were standing at a corner alone. Later, in Jordan, I’d hold my head up high and look away from all the leering men, many who would stare and others who would follow and hiss. In India, even when wearing niqab for religious purposes, I’d walk away quickly when I sensed the devouring eyes of men staring as my sisters and I passed by. I didn’t chase the guy who walked up beside me, groped me and ran for it. I ignored it in France, England, Germany and the U.S.

I soon realized, however, that to eradicate street harassment, I couldn’t just pretend it wasn’t happening; I was only enforcing it by not saying anything.

“We will never end street harassment without first talking about it: what it is, how it impacts us and why we need to address it. And we need to end it because it is a human rights violation. It prevents people from having equal access to public spaces and the resources and opportunities there,” Kearl says.

So what can we do to help fight? Women, if you feel safe, assertively respond to harassers. Let them know their actions are unwelcome and wrong. If, however, you don’t feel comfortable talking to them, report the harassment to police or transit workers. To both men and women, if you see someone else being harassed, intervene. Don’t be an enabler.

On a larger scale, we need to bring awareness to our communities and countries. We need our governments to recognize this ongoing struggle women face everyday and help to fight harassment. We need to educate our youth for the future generations so that our daughters can walk on streets and ride on metros without the fear of being assaulted, and so that they can live in a world where men do not objectify them, but rather, see them as equals.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy

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Taroudant, Morocco- The Ministry of Equipment and Transport has introduced a new procedure to renew driving licenses: the old paper-based driving licenses are being replaced with new electronic licenses.

Article 309 of Law No. 52-05 requires all paper-based driving license to be replaced by electronic licenses by the following deadlines established by the Ministry:

1. October 1, 2010 to June 30, 2013 — paper-based licenses issued before January 1, 1980;

2. January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013 — paper-based licenses issued between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 1996;

3. From January 1 to December 31, 2014 — paper based licenses issued between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2002;

4. From January 1, to September 30, 2015 — paper-based licenses issued after 1 January 2003.

To facilitate the procedure, the Ministry has announced that those wishing to convert their driver's licenses from paper to electronic, can now make appointments online on the company Assiaqa Card website.

The Ministry is urging all citizens who have not yet begun the process of renewing their licenses to book their appointments online in accordance with the schedule to avoid overcrowding at the offices in charge of renewing the driving licenses.

The Ministry has also made it possible for citizens to track the progress of their applications via text message (SMS) by texting 3535 any time.

Edited by Elisabeth Myers

By Assim Al Moussaoui

Nador - During World War I & II, propaganda won the wars as much as firepower did.

Nowadays, propagandists fight an unorthodox war: no bloodshed, no artillery and surely no soldiers. The media is the weapon, journalists are the soldiers, the target is the viewer’s mind and the bullets are news bulletins and entertainment programs. The mass media have becomethe platforms through which twenty-first century wars are fought. Countries no longer colonize by means of the gun. Now they colonize by means of the satellite disk. Wars that once spilled blood have been replaced by newscasters that spill words, flooding the world with the 'soft power' of Western culture.

What is it that these neocolonialists of the mind wish to gain? They seek to understand and change the perceptions, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of their viewers. No small thing, this! Changing viewers minds in order to favorably serve strategic goals is the cornerstone in this war of ideas. Co-opting rather than coercing is an essential factor in the success of soft power. The most common instruments of persuasion are various forms of media, including radio, television, movies and the print media. Satellite TV channels, radio stations, newspapers and magazines are weapons today.

The Arab world has recently become the target of diverse foreign government owned-media outlets scrambling for political and cultural influence over the region. Major powers like America, Britain, Russia, Germany, France and China have established Arabic version satellite television channels to speak to Arabs and explain to them their viewpoints about their foreign policy in the Middle East. Al Hurra, DW Arabic, BBC Arabic, Russia Today, France24, Sky News Arabic, CNN Arabic etc, all of which are directed towards Arab audiences only. Spending millions of dollars on such projects cannot be considered an ordinary enterprise. There must be convincing reasons for the creation of these foreign outlets. Most of these channels broadcast news programs. Although there are private entertainment channels beaming western culture, akin to MBC4, MBC action, MBC Max, Fox series, Fox movies, Panorama, their goals of ‘perception-management’ are complementary with those under governments’ control.

The United States of America capitalizes more than any other country in the world on the power of its sophisticated media to launch its persuasion campaigns in the Arab world. After the 9/11 attacks in New York, the American Department of State launched a Rapid Response Unit. The task of this team, which works around the clock, is to gather any information about America being broadcast on major Arab satellite channels. Summarized reports and recommendations are sent to US embassies worldwide in the early morning instructing American diplomats on measures which should be taken to address current challenges. The goal of this unit is to counteract negative perceptions Arabs receive from other media outlets. This unit is a case in point of what is referred to as ‘public diplomacy’.

In short, Arabs in the MENA region should be aware of the foreign media blitz targeting their very existence and identity. Arab nations have become like a platter of food that contemporary powers sit around to eat from. The attack on the Arab and Islamic values is carried mainly through news and entertainment programs, which are part and parcel of the modern public diplomacy. So don't sit around and allow yourself to become a tool of these powers--be aware of your media choices, and consume with care. Otherwise, one day the platter being served up will be you!

Edited by Ilona Alexandra

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy

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Fez- French President Francois Hollande recently appointed a Moroccan as his adviser for Culture and Communication.

According to French daily Le Figaro, the newly appointed adviser of the French president is Audrey Azoulay, daughter of Andre Azoulay, adviser of King Mohammed VI.

Born in 1972, Audrey Azoulay is a graduate of the "Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris" and the "École Nationale d'Administration". She has, among others, worked at the general direction of media and was magistrate of the Court of Auditors.

Since 2011, she has been Assistant Director of the National Film Board.

Audrey Azoulay is expected to take office in September.

Taroudant, Morocco - A new study published recently revealed that Western countries are most respectful of the values of Islam than Arab and Muslim countries. 

Morocco ranks 120^th in the “Islamicity Index,” a study conducted by two academics at George Washington University in the United States.

Scheherazde S Rehman and Hossein Askari, both professors at the George Washington University School of Business, examined 208 countries and ranked them according to their adherence to the fundamental tenets of Islam in the social, economic, and political spheres.

Surprisingly, the study did not list any majority-Muslim country in the top 25. Even more puzzlingly, no Arab country, except Kuwait, was in the top 50.

However, Israel ranked 27^th, scoring higher than all majority-Muslim countries.

The Iranian-born academic Askari said that the countries that are most faithful to the values of the Koran are Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Ireland, Denmark, Luxembourg, Sweden, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Singapore, Finland, Norway, and Belgium round up the first ten, respectively.

Malaysia is the top Muslim country, which ranked highest on the list at 33^rd. Kuwait is the only Arab-Muslim country in the top 50, ranking 42^nd.

According to the findings of the study, “Muslim countries do very badly,” Hossein Askari said in a BBC interview, and accused these countries of “using religion as an instrument of power.”

“We must emphasize that many countries that profess Islam and are called Islamic are unjust, corrupt, and underdeveloped and are in fact not ‘Islamic’ by any stretch of the imagination,” Askari added.

Contrary to the findings of this study, a Pew Research Center survey published last year stated that adherents of Islam in most majority-Muslim countries are “deeply committed to their faith and want its teachings to shape not only their personal lives but also their societies and politics.”

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Fez- There was a time when there was no difference between the artisan, the craftsman performing the most menial tasks and the artist who devoted himself to art. It was the Amien, Simon Marmion, who in 1449 painted and gilded the weather vanes of a turret in a large dock. Marmion was a painter of pictures that contemporary criticism likens to Memling. Marmion was a manuscripts illuminator of sumptuous quality.

That was in the past! Today everyone claims to be an artist or artisan but nobody recognizes the craftsman. We all trust the anonymous work of mechanics and it is surprising that the resulting objects do not touch our personal lives. They simply lack out the human touch though they come out of human hand. They cannot maintain that indefinable thrill of life, supporting gouge or punctuating the route of the brush printed decisively to the most inert things. (Daniel Coutourier) It was this thought that came to Daniel Coutourier’s mind when he first stood before the so original work of Driss Oumami in 2007. El Oumami presented his work at the festival of contemporary art. He painted on animal skin which is a unique material in the community of other works painted on canvas or wood, or even plywood.

Driss El Oumami is of Berber origin, of Southern Atlas Mountains, land of his ancestors and a crucible of Morocco’s vernacular roots. Born in 1962 in Casablanca, today El Oumami is a decorator at television shows, designer and producer of models for buildings, residential edifices, ports, airports, exhibition stands, and artisan with an almost mystical respect. He considers art in its various manifestations knowing that the artist can convey a message of joy and culture, and better self-knowledge.

Daniel Coutourier proceeds by saying that Driss El Oumami instinctively reflects his art which is based upon an Amazigh family heritage. He maps out a path line for his works which he borrows without restraint or constraint because he knows he does not belong to any school or master. He venerates the traditional and looks down on the imitational. He rather innovates constantly especially taking into account the environment in which we, human beings, are immersed and using culturally-rich material. He creates his works by translating the needs and the gestures of his contemporaries, taking into account how the used material will evolve artistically.

The harmony of lines, the richness of the material and the work on the naturally- tanned skin leave a dominant artistic symbol. This sleek but noble simplicity is precisely the marking quality of El Oumami’s works. If the theme of work is meant to be modern, he processes his work manually. This embodies the artist character at the final work.

It is not a requirement to be a genius in order to have a high state of sense and sensibility. It is necessary, though, that thought should be consistent with the excellence of the sensory faculty. Only then as Leo Arnoult notes in "The work of art: the infinite and the perfect” that the artist’s intelligibility and moral order became full. It is irresistible taste that leads a perfect to a passionate idealist. They are qualities that the artist generally mixes with a creative imagination to be able to "take a fragment of the world, redesign and then make all possible and perfect."

Driss El Oumami is a simple but an aspiring man seeking the truth. His truth seeking quest is processed through technical procedure, construction and execution of his work. His masterpieces are characterized by a beauty of form and a color harmony. He acquired a style of beautiful form, subject only to a higher spiritual principle. His ornate style activates the assets of any judgment. Yet, style remains what impresses most among others professionals of art or even among those with sensitive taste to beauty and form.

Abderrahman Benhamza, equally, sees the work of Driss El Oumami as unique in the world of art. According to Benhamza, Driss El Oumami uses skin as an ideal receptacle for his pictorial language. The artist strives to keep the skin’s spectacular aspect. The skin, from El Oumami’s point of view, has no artistic limit. It preserves initial configurations and geography encountered during the preparation of work forms. The hair that covers the fleece, sometimes partially shaved, plays a major role in the color issue; its natural pigmentation is an integrated subject, which helps to define shapes and flow direction.

The coloration of the skin is performed to create an impressionist mode. Nonetheless, the process of coloration counts but little if the artist prefers the expression and movement. The tones have a complementary role; they derive their side features from an acquired celebration atmosphere.

El Oumami oversimplifies his topics and themes yet his artistic memory remains overloaded. His typical genre scenes target the development of a social aspect deeply- rooted in the Moroccan landscape; they maintain a constant dialogue with the roots, sometimes putting in relief character models, which the artist assigns a symbolic dimension.

El Oumami ensures adjusting the context of representations in relation to the present. He does not hesitate to raise high the banner of the Amazigh identity and ethnic paradigm that he integrates into the framework of his work respecting traditions. He enhances the rendering of visual elements such as kernels of the Argan tree, jacket buttons, and shards of traditional jewelry….etc. He makes a kind of "editing", sticking the material just mentioned to the skin and sewing these "recovered" elements. Successful contrasts and a sense of depth are raised to attention.

The art critic, Sheikh Abdullah, from his part described the exciting world of the colorist alchemist, Driss El Oumami as a universe both pictorial and scriptural which presents itself as a harmonious blend of form and tonality. This deep plastic sensitivity makes this artist a reference in contemporary Moroccan painting. His chromatic tones loaded with a naturalistic symbolism refer to a well-structured macrocosm that emanates from the inner nature of the artist.

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Casablanca-Mi Fettouma, a 90-year-old Moroccan woman who receives only 179 DHs ($21) a month in a retirement pension from the government, recently decided to relinquish it and give it to the Head of the Moroccan government, Abdel-illah Benkirane.

Mi Fettouma, in a video recently uploaded to YouTube by Andalouss news outlet, said that with her meagre retirement pension of just 179 DHs, she cannot afford even her most basic needs.

“Give it to the Head of the State to play with it,” Mi Fettouma told her interviewer in the video. “This monthly sum is not enough for me to live on. I can’t afford medicines, or even the most vital needs, like food, the public bath, and medicine.”

With her noticeable visual impairment, Mi Fettouma cannot do much without the assistance of someone else to guide her. Her eight married daughters and her son, who appears in the video, are all jobless.

“Without our neighbors, I wouldn’t have been able to afford medicines,” she states in the video.

According to her son, Mi Fettouma went on a hunger strike in Fez, eventually ending up in hospital.

“We called on all the authorities,” Mi Fettouma’s son declared in flawless standard Arabic. “We incessantly called upon the Head of the government and the Ministry of Solidarity, and we also sent letters to Princess Lalla Meriem, in charge of many social initiatives, as well as to HM the king.”

Mi Fettouma’s cries for help fell on deaf ears, according to her son, who is now unemployed after he quit his work in a company.

The son, on behalf of his mother, calls on HM King Mohammed VI to lend his caring and supportive hand to Mi Fettouma, who has been psychologically traumatized by her family’s dire financial situation.

MAD 1000 is the lowest retirement pension that is supposed to be paid to Moroccan retirees. Mi Fettouma and her son are asking for this very basic entitlement.

$1= 8.20 dirhams

Edited by Elisabeth Myers

Tinejdad, Morocco- At the opening of the World Cup 2014, millions of football fans travelled to Brazil to watch and support their teams. Muslim Da’wah groups from all over the world did not miss this global event to spread the teachings of Islam, in hope to get more people to embrace it as a religion.

The Team Mission Da’wah from the British Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA) led a campaign in the Brazilian capital Sao Paolo to spread the teachings of Islam.

In a video posted by the Da’wah group on YouTube, a Brazilian young man took the Shahada, the Muslim profession of faith and the first pillar of Islam, after a short talk with members of the Da’wah groups.

After a brief conversation with the preachers, Analdino, a Brazilian young man, “took the Shahada with John Fontain,” according to the same video.

Analdino said “Muslims are the best,” and gave a special message to other Brazilians about Islam in his own language.

Under the theme “What's Your Goal?” the members of the Muslim group spread in the crowded streets of Sao Paolo distributing copies of the holy Quran and flyers, trying to enlighten more people about Islam.

“What's Your Goal?” is the first question they ask people they meet in an attempt to help them believe that “worshiping God directly is the main reason of life.”

“Islam says you worship God directly. You don’t go through Jesus,” said one of the preachers.

The Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA) announced in their official website that the campaign, which has already started, “will lead up to a Global Da’wah Day (#GlobalDawahDay) on Saturday 5th of July.”

The Da’wah team said that there are people in Brazil who do not know about Islam and they never heard about it.

Casablanca- According to a report recently issued by UN’s Special Rapporteur on human trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Joy Ezeilo, more than 2,500 Moroccan women have fallen preys of human trafficking networks in the Gulf countries between 2002 and 2013.

The UN’s Special Rapporteur’s findings are based on a report elaborated by the Observatoire de la communauté marocaine à l'étranger (Observatory of the Moroccan Community living abroad).

According to the report, these Moroccan victims are initially lured to the Gulf through job contracts. Once there, they are kidnapped and forced by dangerous human trafficking gangs to work as prostitutes.

“Most of the time, the contracts issued did not correspond to the originally agreed upon job duties and that many Moroccan women found themselves trapped in situations of exploitation by prostitution networks,” says the report.

The same source added that the overwhelming majority of victims of this human trafficking is found in the United Arab Emirates “where the share of Moroccan female employment is around 70 per cent of the total Moroccan expatriates.”

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Casablanca - Having celebrated the marriage of Princess Lalla Soukaina, the daughter of King Mohammed VI’s sister Princess Lalla Meryem in 2013, the royal family is now celebrating the marriage of Prince Moulay Rachid with Ms. Boufarès, who is the daughter of a former governor of Marrakech, Moulay Mamoum Boufarès.

The Moroccan daily Annas reported in its Monday edition that Morocco’s Southern Pearl, Marrakech, is preparing to host the wedding celebration of Prince Moulay Rachid. But the date of the event has not yet been announced by any official sources.

Numerous Moroccan news outlets reported on the ceremony, and photos of Prince Moulay Rachid’s new bride, surrounded by the royal family all attired in splendid traditional Moroccan dress, are going viral on Moroccan social media.

Mohammed VI presided over the ceremony concluding the act sealing the marriage of his younger brother Prince Moulay Rachid to Umm Kulthum Boufarès on Sunday, June 15, 2014 at the Royal Palace in Rabat.

Ms. Boufarès’ father, Moulay Mamoum Boufarès, is the son of Princess Lalla Khadija, daughter of Sultan Moulay Youssef, who is the father of the late king Mohammed V, the grandfather of King Mohammed VI. Moulay Mamoum Boufarès retired in 2009.

Edited by Elisabeth Myers

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By Said Hanin

Taza, Morocco- Child labor is still a backbreaking cause to be dealt with in Morocco, though a newly issued report by the High Commission of Planning (HCP) brings some hope.

The new study shows that more than 86,000 children between 7 and 15 years old are employed in both rural and urban areas.

The HCP's report says that the child labor phenomenon is on the decline compared to the number of working children in 1990, which was 517,000 children.

Morocco seeks to put an end to this problem in rural areas. According to the HCP, 76,000 working children are in rural areas, compared to 10,000 in urban areas. The study also reveals that 57% of working children are male.

The HCP declares that most rural children work in agriculture and forestry (94%), while in the city the proportion of children doing industry-related jobs was 87.7%.

The issuance of this report coincided with the celebration of Anti-Child Labor Day on June 12th under the slogan "Expansion of Social Protection: Eradication of Child Labor."

Edited by Jessica Rohan

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Rabat- Spanish TV channel "La Sexta" broadcasted a video clip on Monday of a Spanish priest involved in an alleged sexual abuse of a Moroccan woman who worked for him as maid.

Speaking to the Spanish channel, the woman declared that the priest had been exploiting her for four years, sexually abusing her and subjecting her to psychological and physical torture.

Answering the reasons behind her silence all these years, the Moroccan victim stressed that she was afraid of deportation. “Due to the economic recession in Spain, it had been hard for Spanish job seekers to land a job, so for me as an immigrant it is worse,” she said.

“He dominated me, humiliated me, insulted me and kept me dirty,” she noted. The alleged victim gave details of the way the priest continuously abused her, adding that whether she accepted or not he forced her to bow to his demands.

The alleged victim depended financially on the priest, which pushed her to think twice before deciding to uncover him.

To catch him red-handed, the Moroccan woman decided to install a hidden camera in front of the kitchen where he used to sexually abuse her.

While he was allegedly abusing his defenseless victim, the priest was conducting weekly mass in the Santa Monica church, in Madrid’s Salamanca neighborhood.

In his confession to the police, the priest admitted to having engaged in sexual relations with the alleged victim, but added that they were conducted with her consent.

The priest is now enjoying his freedom pending the beginning of the prosecution.

Edited by Sahar Kian

Meknes, Morocco - “Teacher, why did you come to Morocco?” The topic in my English language class is immigration and culture. I opened my mouth to answer and then paused, “Too general” I said. “I want you to work with your partners and think of the reasons that people migrate.”

The list my collective class came up with was impressive. We put them on the board, pull factors on one side, pull on the other. Employment, family, adventure; famine, war, natural disasters.

In 2009 I graduated from college in one of the worst job markets the United States has ever seen. I took the first job I was able to find, an internship that paid next to nothing. I was a signature collector. On a list of jobs I have done in my life, signature collector sits below waitress, well below teacher, and just above my loathed first job as a teenager: cleaning public restrooms.

No one wants to talk to a signature collector, but we want to talk to you. On a busy tramway we enter, and slowly move from person to person. “Hi! How are you today? Great! Me too. Hey, do you know about the proposed tax on soda? No? Well…” I had seconds to make a personal connection, and seconds more to convince them that the soda tax was a bad idea, bad enough that they should sign their name the petition I was carrying in my hand. I had to collect 1000 signatures a day. American politics is a funny thing. The signatures were all going to be sent to the State government, proof that the American public did not support the tax. As I moved through the tramway, another man got in behind me, “Hi! How are you today?! Great! Me too. Say, do you have a few dollars so I can buy some food! Just a dollar, please.”

Just to shatter any misconceptions you might have about wealth in American, the homeless are everywhere. I can count far more walking downtown in my home city in the U.S. then on an average day in Meknes, Rabat, or Casablanca. Most are desperate, some are crazy, and a small few are curiously homeless by choice. No one wanted to talk to them either, so I found we got on fairly well. Being commonly disliked brings people together. I talked to one man about choice.  He was young, mostly clean, and educated. “I was working in New York”, he told me. “I had everything. Amazing job, crazy house, cars. I had a boat too.” I wanted to know what happened, “did you lose your job when the economy crashed?” I asked. “No. I just woke up one day and realized that it wasn’t worth anything. I wasn’t a good person. I left. My parents aren’t very happy about it.”

With the list my students made above, and my signature collector story, you might think I left Morocco for better job opportunities. But better job opportunities came along a few months later. I found a great job as a project manager in a local marketing firm. The people I worked with were great, the money was great, and people smiled back at me when I looked at them on the tramway. Best of all, people thought I had accomplished something. Americans value independence and successful careers. I had both.

Our cultures hold standards of success above our heads to achieve. The ones yours tell you to attain have similarities with and differences from mine, but the expectation is the same. Mostly we conform to them. Ask young Moroccans what they want to do when they grow up and they will give you one of three jobs: doctor, engineer, pilot. Wealth. Ask young Americans where they want to go to school, and every school on the list will be a few hundred miles from their families. Independence.

I was independent, had a good job and a nice apartment. I worked 65 hours a week. I never saw my family or friends. After a few years, my life started to feel a lot like the young homeless man I spoke to that day on the street.

So I left.

Even when you can achieve it, the American Dream isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Considering the successful but unhappy individuals I know in Morocco, the Moroccan Dream isn’t necessarily the pinnacle of life either.

Quite a few people I know think I’m crazy. Some of my family members aren’t very happy with me. My Moroccan students think I’m pretty nuts too, especially if I ever tell them exactly how much money I was making on that marketing job.

The one word reason that pushed me from the States and pulled me to Morocco? I’m not sure. A lot to do with adventure, some to do with a career, a lot to do with family. Mostly, it was about rejecting the dream my culture told me I should have and deciding for myself what life I wanted to build.

“Teacher,” my students asked me, “are you happy with your life here?” The bell rang. “We’ll talk about that next week” I answered. “Prepare three questions to ask me as homework. See you next Sunday.”

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Casablanca - A member of the Istiqlal Party sparked commotion after allegedly expressing a positive opinion about prostitution before the House of Councilors during its monthly parliamentary session in Rabat.

The first segment of the parliamentary session was devoted to women’s issues in Morocco. The session was held in the presence of Head of the Government, Abdel-Ilah Benkirane.

During a speech, Khadija Zoumi, member of the Istiqlal Party, allegedly expressed a positive opinion about the prostitution in the kingdom. “Prostitution contributes to the growth of the national economy,” she said. “We must have the courage to admit it.”

The Istiqlali MP also attacked the female cops who patrol the streets of Marrakech to arrest underdressed, provocative women, as well as prostitutes.

Zoumi’s controversial statements during the parliamentary session provoked laughter from the bulk of present MPs.

However, Zoumi affirmed that she was not encouraging prostitution in Morocco, but was rather suggesting a different way to approach the problem.

Zoumi referred to a verse from the Quran to illustrate that God makes no distinctions between men and women, and that God has reserved equal punishments for all of those involved in prostitution, regardless of their sex.

Zoumi’s take on prostitution in Morocco dumbfounded many Moroccans, especially the fact that it was expressed by one of the members of the Istiqlal party, which many view as an ideologically conservative party.

Edited by Timothy Filla

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Fez - Prime Minister Benkirane made an impassioned plea for the importance of the work Moroccan women have done in the past in helping educate generations of Moroccans and caring for their wellbeing.

In a statement that did not go unnoticed, especially among women’s organizations, the head of government said, there is a “problem with the role of women in modern society.”

During the monthly hearing in the second chamber, Prime Minister Abdedilah Benkirane said,"when Morocco's women went out for work, houses grew dark. Before that, you lived in houses equipped with chandeliers (mothers), there you felt the warmth of your mothers.” That is in contrast, he continued, to "today's children who have to depend on themselves from an early age as their mothers are out at work."

Benkirane also criticized those who consider women unemployed when they devote themselves to their house work and care for their children.

“Why don’t you count a woman as employed when she cares for her house and the upbringing of her children?,” he went on.

Benkirane sent a clear message to the opposition that the government should not be criticized for valuing the role of women who stay at home and look after their families. He stressed that "today many women cannot find time to get married, be a mother, or bring up children."

“Why do we refuse to acknowledge this sacred role?” he said.

The Prime Minister's statements followed questions raised by deputies concerning the status of Morocco's women in relation to the government's public policy.

Edited by Elisabeth Myers

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Casablanca - El Houssaine Ichen, known to friends and family as Houssaine, lives in Tounfite in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Houssaine’s family was not able to vaccinate him as a baby because of high costs and, as a result, he caught Polio at the age of three. The disease left his legs paralyzed, changing his life forever.

Houssaine was able to go to an institution for the physically challenged in Khemisset, which at the time was run by the organization Save the Children. He attended this school with the help of foster parents in the UK who sponsored him. He told MWN, “The experience that was life changing for me was that I was fortunate enough to have a chance to learn and be educated. I am very grateful for the opportunity I had.” After finishing high school, Houssaine got his B.A. in Modern Art, a diploma in Informatics Management and a specialized diploma in Informatics Development.

Today, Houssaine has a company called the Disabled Tourist Guide. He started the company because of his love for traveling combined with his frustration with the lack accommodations for people with special needs throughout Morocco. “Traveling is something that I have always loved. Morocco is a very beautiful place with lots to see and discover. I can show tourists around and teach them about our culture, while keeping their vacation fun and safe,” Houssaine says.

The situation with Moroccans who have special needs is not taken seriously and there is a stereotype around people with special needs that they are unproductive in the workplace. Houssaine has surpassed those stereotypes, admitting, “I have overcome these obstacles by proving that I can do anything I put my mind to and I will never give up.” The message Houssaine is trying to spread is very clear – he wants the government to acknowledge the discrimination of those with special needs and for everyone to come to the realization that businesses should hire based only on qualifications.

Houssaine invites any travelers, regardless of the need for special accommodations, to come explore Morocco and have a true Moroccan experience. He says, “I love learning new things and I am always ready for an adventure.” Houssaine serves as an inspiration to everyone. Despite his paralysis and constant discrimination, he created a successful travel company offering tours and accommodations unlike any other tour group. More importantly, he is a voice fighting for those with special needs in Morocco.

By Sahar Amarir

Paris - The Israeli online newspapers "Walla" and "Yediot Aharonot," some of the most read in the country, published an article on June 17th reporting about Palestinians rejoicing at the latest kidnapping of three Jewish teenagers, but wrongfully used the picture of a Palestinian peace activist.

On June 12th, three Jewish teenagers were kidnapped while hitchhiking in the hills in the southern area of the city of Hebron in the West Bank, prompting strong condemnation and reactions from the Israeli public and national forces. The city and its immediate surroundings were put under curfew, while Israeli forces were deployed and have arrested so far more than 80 Palestinians.

Meanwhile, some fringe of the Israeli society accused the Palestinians of celebrating the brutal kidnapping, despite the official condemnation made by the Palestinian Authority. Indeed, a campaign called "3 Shalits" was started by individuals online, to support the kidnapping and call for more of them. The articles published on both media outlets reported about it by publishing several pictures either of the slogan and hashtag linked to it, of Palestinians raising three fingers, as a sign of condoning othe ruthless act.

The articles used the picture of Mohammad Al Qadi, a Palestinian peace activist, raising three fingers.

Al Qadi, a 24 year old Palestinian who has been living in France for the past couple of years, has acquired some notoriety after climbing a mountain in France and putting the Palestinian flag on top of it to raise awareness against the ongoing occupation of the Palestinian territories.

However, it has appeared that the picture dates back to the previous year, during the massively broadcasted Arab Idol TV show, in which contestants were attributed a specific number to be used for public votes. Mohammad Assaf, a Palestinian contestant, quickly became the public's favorite with Palestinians throwing massive online campaigns to get people to vote for him, including pictures of them smiling and raising three fingers to call on people to type "3" to vote for Assaf who eventually won the contest.

Mohammad Al Qadi, a long time peace activist, says that the picture being used in the Israeli newspapers is intact a picture he took a few years ago in order to support Assaf, and denies any link with the "3 Shalits" campaign, adding "I am against violence because it brings even more violence. I support peace and justice because I don't want to lose more friends, I already lost my best friend when I was 14. I am extremely upset that my picture was used in the wrong place, having 120,000 followers on twitter makes me have more responsibility to help my people and show the truth so I hope the 3 Israelis will be freed as well as the 196 imprisoned Palestinian children."

Edited by Ilona Alexandra

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Tangier - The Moroccan passport is frequently criticized for a particular sentence, especially when compared to Canadian or American passports. Now, it has been classified among the worst passports in the world for promoting the rights of its holder.

The American passport clearly provides for the protection of its bearer. It reads, “The Secretary of State of United States of America hereby requests all whom it may concern to permit the citizen/national of the United States named herein to pass without delay or hindrance and in case of need to give all lawful aid and protection.”

The British passport requires the same care from hosting countries and authorities: “Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State Requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.”

The Moroccan passport, however, reads, “Any amputation, deletion, modification or change of information, papers, or content of this passport must lead to a judicial punishment in accordance with the law.”

It is clear that orders and advice are strictly directed toward the bearer. No request for protection of the bearer is mentioned.

The international Heleny report rated Morocco’s passport at 75, the same ranking as Mongolia and worse than Mali, Nigeria, and Guinea. Many neighbouring countries had better rankings, such as Tunisia, which was given a rating of 65.

On the top of the list were the Swedish, British, and Finnish passports. These countries’ passports best provide for its citizens’ rights.

The United States and Germany ranked 2^nd.The French, Spanish, Japanese and Canadian passports ranked 3^rd.

The ranking is based on the imposed limits, extent of the freedom of traveling, and rights given to citizens by their passports.

In addition, the number of the countries each passport allows its holder to visit without hindering restrictions or difficult procedures was taken into consideration.

Therefore, this ranking shows that the Moroccan passport offers very limited freedom without a visa and provides little protection for its citizens.

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Casablanca- Spanish authorities have recently arrested 25 Moroccans for generating 126 fraudulent labor contracts and defrauding €750,000 from the Employment and Social Security Public Services, according to El Pais.

The 25 Moroccans were arrested in Lleida, a city in northeast Spain. However, the leader of the group is still on the run.

According to the same source, the suspects had created a partly fictitious service company between 2008 and 2010, which employed around 126 people, mostly of Moroccan origin, who had never worked nor reported their work to the authorities.

The company subsequently claimed contracts for its Moroccan employees so that they could legitimize their legal situation in Spain and enjoy unemployment benefits or subsidies.

According to the same source, the police of Lleida are still on the lookout for the head of the fictitious company. In the meantime, the arrested suspects are accused of fraud and counterfeiting between 300,000 and 450,000 Euro.

The investigations that led to the arrest of the 25 Moroccans began after some irregularities were spotted by labor inspectors and social security services in Lleida. The fake company showed no capital movement that would justify normal commercial activity.

Edited by Jessica Rohan

Rabat - Children of Moroccans living in Belgium may be given their mother’s surname instead of their father’s, under a new bill in the Belgian government. The new rules may cause legal and religious problems for the Muslim community in Belgium, including Moroccans.

The Justice Commission in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives recently approved a proposal to amend Article 335 of the Civil Code regarding the free naming of children.

Under the amended Article 335, parents will be able to choose whether to give their child his or her mother’s surname, father’s surname, or both. If parents do not come to an agreement, the child will have both surnames by default.

The rule may cause religious problems to the Moroccans and Muslims living in Belgium, because Islam requires the father’s surname only.

Legally, the rules may also cause some inconvenience to children with one Belgian parent and one Muslim parent or with both parents from a Muslim state, where individuals must go by their father’s surname. This change could potentially hinder their right of free movement and their rights in places where only father’s surnames are recognized.

Initial statistics say that Belgians rarely use the new law and give children their mother’s surname. Only 8 cases have been registered thus far, according to daily Alyaoum 24.

Many Belgians currently inquiring about the possibilities the new law provides without actually using it. This includes a Moroccan who requested doubling his child’s surname, before changing his mind to avoid legal problems in Morocco.