Miami - Moroccan nationals who choose to live abroad are making Brazil their new destination. The South American country is attracting the Moroccan diaspora due to its multicultural approach and economic opportunities.

Brazil has become a top economic power in Latin America and its benefits are being recognized by Moroccans who immigrate to cities like “Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Recife and Porto Alegre”.

Since 2013, Brazil-Moroccan relations have been growing such as the Rabat-Rio economic axis. Moroccan nationals do not require a visa to enter Brazil, although there is a lengthy legal process to establish residence in the nation.

A report by Yabiladi said that several trade and industrial agreements have been signed between the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) and the Association of Brazilian Employers (LIDE). Also, the creation in 2014 of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Brazil-Morocco (BCCM) has reinforced the economic ties between both countries.

According to the same source, the Moroccan Embassy in Brazil estimates over 3,000 Moroccan nationals live in Brazil. They have preferred the Portuguese-speaking nation over other countries in Europe and North America.

In late August 2015, the “Brazilian Senate approved the creation of a Parliamentary Group Brazil-Morocco in the Brazilian Parliament” which will examine both countries’ “political, legal, social, technological, environmental, cultural, economic, and financial” sectors, the report notes.

Moroccan French journalist, Wafaa Essalhi, visited Brazil and produced a video interview in which Moroccan nationals express their satisfaction living and working in the South American country.

In the video, one of the Moroccans who works at a restaurant says that the majority of Moroccans have a job in Brazil. He reiterates that the situation is better than in Europe and he foresees great development in the next 5 years. The young Moroccan also feels safe in the South American nation and attempts to clarify the negative image of violence associated with the country.

[video width="700" height="500" id="KtiKPy_sjNw" type="youtube"]

Another advantage according to MRE in Brazil is the ease of learning Portuguese. Essalhi interviews another Moroccan immigrant who raves about Brazil’s weather, its beauty, moral values, and how he has been treated with respect and not felt discriminated. In his opinion, secondary education in Brazil is still lacking strength and foreign immigration aids its development. He also indicates the interest in Moroccan cuisine at Brazilian hotels, which becomes a source of employment.

As far as social adaptation, Moroccans feel welcome in Brazil despite the differences in religion. According to those interviewed, even though they live comfortably in Brazil and are grateful for their success, they miss Morocco, their homes and traditions.

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Rabat - On Friday August 28, Moroccan kickboxing champion, Badr Hari, visited the Kenitra central prison to celebrate his last victory over Ismael Londt.

Accompanied by Moroccan artists Latifa Raafat, Abdelali El Ghaoui, Adil Miloudi and Zineb El Adaoui, Badr Hari expressed his sympathy towards the inmates.

He began his speech by saying, “I experienced the same thing, I know exactly how you feel but nobody is perfect and to err is human.”

He continued to express the difficulties he has faced in jail and his strong faith and belief in hope. “Once I was released from prison I strongly believed that there was another beginning and it’s time to show people that I am not that prisoner anymore.”

He went on to add that he never expected to address the prisoners. “We don’t know what may have happened in the future. Yesterday, I was a prisoner like you and today, I am addressing you.  The point is, never loose hope and tenaciously defend your dream. Never allow others to demoralize you,”  he strongly concluded.

Badr Hari, also known as the ‘Golden Boy’, made a strong comeback with a knockout punch against his opponent Ismael Londt out on August 22.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Yy9gHHK9mc

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Rabat - Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Shaikh has slammed Iranian movie on the prophet “Muhammad: The Messenger of God”, saying its screening is not permitted from a religious point of view.

The most expensive film ever produced in Iran, “Muhammad: The Messenger of God,” by Iranian director Majid Majidi has angered Sunni Muslims since it depicts the Prophet on screen.

“This is an obscene work... It is a distortion of Islam”, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Shaikh told the London-based Al Hayat daily newspaper, adding that "It is a hostile act against Islam.”

“Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be upon Him, had well-known and specific physical traits and moral qualities, and the movie makers insist on something that is not realistic,” he said.

“The Prophet is well above the movie. This film is a sacrilege…” Sheikh Abdul Aziz pointed out that this movie is a “mockery of the Prophet and a degradation of his status."

He added that anyone who wants to highlight the life of Prophet Muhammad should spread his sayings and teachings, and not through a movie made by “spoilers”.

“People are warned against watching the movie because those behind it are not trustworthy and rely on lies. They are not honest,” he said.

Iran's government was critical of the satirical cartoons of Prophet Muhammad depicted in French magazine Charlie Hebdo, which saw 11 of its staff murdered in its offices because of their polemic publication, in January 2015.

Nevertheless, Iran’s Shiite community is reportedly not as anxious about the depiction of religious figures as are the Sunni community.

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Meknes - After replying to a letter questioning the authenticity of his humanitarian mission, Steve Maman received no feedback from its signatories, causing Maman to doubt “the credibility of this document.”

Steven Maman has garnered international attention in recent weeks for his organization The Liberation of Christian and Yazidi Children of Iraq. Dubbed “the Jewish Schindler”, Maman has worked to raise money to free children in Iraq from ISIS.

On August 26, he received a letter from several Yazidi leaders calling into question the accuracy of his claims. "To call this a request from leaders, we must be able to confirm the validity and credibility of this document, which we received without header, no email address, no cover page with information of the sender. Is it a legal document, an official letter, a real demand, does it represent all the signatories mentioned in the letter? I still doubt it," Maman said.

However, the letter, whose signatories include Yazidi supreme spiritual leader Babasheikh Kherto Ismael and Via Dakhil, a Yazidi member of the Iraqi Parliament, raised issues with the way Maman has conducted his work. "Nobody responded [to my reply] far. Even Via Dakhil, to whom we sent a reply, did not answer us," Maman said to Morocco World News, adding that journalists will accompany him on future trips so that they can bear witness to his work.

Despite the letter, Maman continues to rescue children from ISIS. According to him, he has rescued 130 children, despite the donation obstacles his foundation met following the reactions before the public inquiry to supply proof of his work. "We were not warned; we were in full campaign. Apologies were provided after verifying our work, but it was too late. We decided to continue our actions with the resources we have left," Maman said.

Regarding the letter from Yazidi leaders, Maman asked for more clarification on September 2. The letter reads, "All signatories to this letter welcome any legitimate assistance provided to the Yazidi community and any legitimate project that serves the health and wellbeing of the Yazidis will receive our support. However, it is imperative that any organization claiming to conduct such a high-level project, especially one that deals so visibly with such sensitive problems, recognize the need for accountability and open itself to the scrutiny of the leadership of the Yazidi community."

Maman told Vice News on August 25 that he did not reveal the names of the 128 rescued people in order to protect their identity and preserve the integrity of his team’s work. He said that naming and listing information about the children could place them in danger, especially if such information were to be published by the media, but it is still legitimate to officially ask for facts. "My lawyer gave a reply to this on Thursday (August 27) with a supplied response, a proposal to disclose everything to a credible source, the Kurdistan office, it is offered to the president or the prime minister," Maman said.

Vice News was the first and the only media source reporting on the August 26 letter from Yazidi leaders, which it had exclusively received and published. The week before, the media conducted an interview with Via Dakhil, who has been working with rescue issues.

Edited by Timothy Filla

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Miami - Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PPV), will be facing trial in 2016, for “inciting discrimination and hatred” against Moroccans living in the Netherlands, announced the spokesman assigned to the case at The Hague Court.

On Tuesday the Court informed the Dutch media that no specific date has been set for the trial, and clarified there are no delays in the process; however, it is a “special case” that requires further examinations.

Wilders is known for his hostility against immigrants, especially Muslims. The ‘far right’ populist leader delivered a ‘hate speech’ against Moroccans in the Netherlands, in 2014, for which the Dutch Prosecutor said he would be tried for “discrimination and incitement to hatred”.

Wilders is accused of “insulting a group of people based on their race”.

Last May, the Dutch Prosecutor had summoned the Defense to “work faster” to commence the trial before summer 2015, yet it did not occur.

Meanwhile, Wilders lawyer Geert-Jan Knoops rejected the Prosecutor’s accusations saying his client has to defend himself of “over 6,000 complaints, and he has the right to take his time”.

According to the prosecution side, “politicians can go far in their statements thanks to freedom of speech, but such freedom ends with the prohibition of discrimination”.

Wilder’s trial is set to commence in early 2016.

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By Mohamed Lakdali

Fez - The election campaign has really caught my attention recently. Not a single day goes by without my being bombarded with a variety of labels and leaflets, each time by a different group representing a particular party. But the funny part is that the people who work for these parties don’t even explain their future plans or programs; they just hand you a label and leave. What does this mean? Don’t we deserve an explanation? I really think we do.

Election campaigns have proven to be the only occasion when we have the chance to meet politicians. How nice and cool they look! You might ask yourself whether they are really bold enough to be standing here again and giving artificially enthusiastic speeches that simply pull the wool over people’s eyes. Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Actually, many other questions come to mind, but I just let go of them. I am simply one among millions of Moroccan youth who face the same situation and have the same feelings towards politics and politicians.

One of the shrewdest politicians, Charles de Gaulle, said that “politics is the art of fooling people.” This is exactly what is happening to us as Moroccan citizens. These politicians who have imposed themselves upon us think that the masses won’t figure out what the bare reality is and that politicians can keep stupefying the electorate as if they were morons. However, I would like to state that from now on these politicians will no longer wheedle votes out of Moroccans with their smirky smiles, because the people have simply lost trust in politics and their leaders.

In an opinion poll conducted by MWN, 50 Moroccan youth from different cities were asked about their opinions of politics and whether they would vote or not. Almost all of them answered in the negative, stating that they don’t care about politics. Realizing that voting is a right and a national duty, they expressed their apathy not only towards elections but towards the whole political process. According to them, this does not mean they are bad citizens, but it is their way of showing the people in charge that they have utterly lost trust in their politicians.

When asked about the main reasons for their indifference toward politics, they ascribed their apathy to many factors, the most important of which is that the policy of politicians has repeatedly been only about winning the battle and disappearing. Walid Charai, a BA student, said, “I do not trust politics anymore, because all political speeches are devoid of credibility.” Similarly, Mouhcine Alaoui, an MA student in Casablanca, stated that he has “personally lost faith in politics and that all politicians work only for their own benefit and not for the benefit of common people.” In the same vein, a person who preferred to remain anonymous wondered why the number of ministers exceeds the number of ministries. “I think that all of this is a kind of wasting of public money,” he concluded, adding that “in developed countries political parties do not exceed a limited number, while here in Morocco there are more than 33 political parties. Draw your own conclusions about why we need 33 political parties for a population of 33 million.”

Throughout my interviews with Moroccan youth, I sensed a kind of soreness and melancholy in their voices and in the way they were talking about this topic. The bottom line is that the youth have lost faith in politics; they will not participate or even vote because the situation has become unbearable.

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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Rabat - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could give the green light to Israeli Police and the IDF to use live fire on young Palestinians who throw stones and Molotov cocktails.

A report by Times of Israel said Netanyahu is considering sharper measures against Palestinian protesters throwing stones and firebombs.

This includes allowing more use of live ammunition and creating legislation that would impose minimum sentences on youth convicted of such actions.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu called emergency security meeting with several Cabinet Ministers and Security Chiefs to discuss the increase of stone-throwing in Jerusalem and on a highway in the occupied West Bank.

"We cannot accept a situation in which stones and firebombs are thrown along a main route to - and within - Jerusalem. The policy is zero tolerance for stone-throwing and zero tolerance for terrorism," Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office.

Netanyahu ordered to raise the number of police along Road 443, connecting the capital city of Tel Aviv with the city of Modi'in, as well as in the cities of Judea and Samaria. He also called to enhance intelligence-gathering methods and observation posts in the area.

The Prime Minister also ordered his security officials to consider changing the rules governing the intervention of soldiers to fire at young Palestinian stone-throwers.

“Since the legal system is finding it difficult to deal with stone-throwing by minors, changing open-fire orders regarding the throwing of stones and firebombs will be examined, as will be the imposition – by law – of minimum sentences for those who throw stones and firebombs,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

Palestinians have criticized the potential new policy, labeling it a ‘criminal policy’.

The Guardian quoted Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee saying, “This rightist Israeli fanatic government is pursuing its criminal policy to kill Palestinians. “

“The new regulations would mean more escalation, killings and crimes against our people,” he added.

The Israeli Human Rights group B’Tselem lists 12 Palestinian minors who were shot and killed by Israeli forces during protests and clashes in the West Bank in 2014.

According to B’Tselem, in at least four of those incidents, Israel said the youngsters had been throwing stones or petrol bombs.

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By Otman Boukhzar

Fez - To encourage Moroccans to partake in the coming elections in large numbers, the Moroccan King Mohammed VI devoted a large part of his speech on 20 August to the issue of elections.

In an unprecedented move, the king addressed Moroccans openly and put the responsibility of choosing honest candidates on the shoulders of Moroccan citizens alone. The king also warned Moroccan people against boycotting the elections, lest they leave the road empty for corrupt candidates to succeed. But the legitimate question that poses itself here is this: Is urging Moroccans to vote all Morocco needs for a real change?

While it is only a matter of a few days before Moroccans go to the polls in order to choose those who are supposed to represent them in both the municipal and regional councils, we see fierce competition between all participating parties. They all chant mottoes of change; they all make grand promises of bright futures and present ambitious programs that will never materialize in reality; and they all accuse each other of corruption. This situation disturbs the minds of Moroccans and makes them unable to distinguish between honest and dishonest politicians. As a result, there is a divide between those who still see a hope in voting and those who insist on boycotting, since for them voting will change nothing.

Though it is true that dealing with the issue of elections in such a frank and serious tone marks a drastic shift in the discourse of the Moroccan king, unfortunately it does not provide a clear vision of how to deal with elected officials who embezzle public funds or turn out to be corrupt politicians. Put another way, there are no guarantees that the state will take responsibility for fighting and punishing corrupt officials. Instead, the speech puts unnecessary burdens solely on the poor and powerless citizens to shoulder the responsibility for any bad consequences that might result from their choices.

By calling on people to vote, they will certainly do that out of respect, but not because they are convinced that Morocco would become a better place by so doing. This is so because most of them are cognizant of the fact that by voting they will only end up choosing the same corrupt faces and, therefore, the same story of stolen and failed projects of change will be retold.

This has made most Moroccans pessimistic about the upcoming elections. Many Moroccans are boycotting the elections simply because they strongly believe that it will not bring about any change and that most, if not all, political parties campaigning for the election are corrupt to the core, interested only in gaining power and serving their vested interests.

 Instead of putting all the responsibility on Moroccans to choose competent and diligent candidates and to assume the responsibility for any failure, it would be preferable to strengthen the rule of law and bring to court all the names mired in the mud of corruption. It is true that voting is a crucial duty of each and every Moroccan citizen, but it is also true that it is the state’s duty to hold accountable those corrupted officials who have robbed the wealth of Morocco for the past two decades or so. T

he baffling question here is why those corrupted officials are still being nominated for elections while their normal place is prison. If those corrupted officials who have accumulated huge wealth and smuggled billions of dirhams abroad are not held accountable, Morocco will never move forward nor will it be a democratic country. And voting would always be of no value at all.

 Urging the powerless Moroccan people to vote so that they will not complain in the future is not a realistic approach. Some of them seize the opportunity created by the elections to work with any party ready to offer them money, and others sell their votes because of their extreme poverty.  They do not care about who will succeed because they have lost any hope of real change.

 Having said that, a more realistic approach would be to strengthen accountability and punish any politician who happens to get involved in illicit acts, make fake promises or rob one cent from the public funds. Only then would we come and ask Moroccans to vote and would their votes be of some use.

Most Moroccans have become acutely aware of the fact that so long as the same faces are running for the election, the corrupt officials are still wandering in the streets freely, and there is leniency and lack of seriousness when it comes to dealing with corruption files, nothing will change and the same scenario will repeat itself once again. It is high time we stopped selling people illusions of change, worked towards a real democratic state and purged Morocco from all corrupt politicians by reinforcing the rule of law.  Only then, would our votes be of value and have some weight in bringing about change.

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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Casablanca - The German city of Munich is currently facing an outburst of local generosity towards refugees.

On the September 1, Munich’s police station started an invocation on their official Twitter page for volunteers and donations in order to supply incoming refugees with all the necessities. In the first post, they informed the public that around 560 refugees are expected in the morning and that anyone who wants to help is welcome.

After a few hours, more and more volunteers and donations arrived, in response to which the Munich police commented on Twitter: “More refugees are arriving at the Central Station in Munich- help from the public isn’t stopping! Great!”

By noon, the police and local authorities that took care of the refugees in reception centers already had all they needed. For this, the Munich police kindly asked the public on Twitter to not bring anymore donations. The post read:“The existing donations for the refugees present and those still coming are sufficient. Thank you Munich.”

In the past days, Munich has welcomed thousands of asylum seekers and migrants, many of whom are from Syria and Iraq. Moreover, the country’s government is expecting that 800,000 refugees will arrive this year. Meanwhile, Angela Merkel is constantly urging citizens to welcome each and everyone of them.

Equally important to note, Germany is currently the leading European country for taking in asylum seekers. Germany received more than 73,000 refugees in the first three months of this year alone, compared to the UK with only 7,300.

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Rabat - Following a YouTube video gone viral in which 10-year-old Syrian refugee Haider appeals to King Mohammed VI to grant him a visa to enter Morocco and join his father, the young boy will get his petition and reportedly receive his visa.

According to a post on the official Twitter account of Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Salaheddine Mezouar, Haider will be reunited with his family.

The Tweet posted on Sept Monday, was sent in response to a question an individual by the name of Issam Eddine Abail asked the Minister if he was aware of little Haider’s case. The tweet posted in French reads: “yes SM (Salaheddine Mezouar) has given instructions to facilitate his visa and he will join his own [family] on Wednesday, God willing [inchallah].”

@issamed oui SM a donné des instructions pr faciliter son visa il sera parmi les siens mercredi inchallah

— Salaheddine Mezouar (@Salahmezouar) September 7, 2015

The Syrian child has tried to join his father Bashar Jalabi (38) in Morocco since last June. Jalabi is married to a Moroccan woman and they live in Morocco. Haider has been held in Istanbul, Turkey ever since, for not having a Moroccan residency permit.

The story has made the news all over the world. According to Yabiladi News, Dutch-Moroccan journalist Boutaina Azzabi and Haider’s supporters have created a Twitter hashtag #MoroccoLetHaiderEnter, which has had great impact among social media users.

Also, Azzabi has been personally taking care of Haider since mid-July when his father had to return to Morocco.  She had previously told Middle East Eye, “I spend all my time with him because I don’t want him to feel lonely. He has no relatives in Turkey now, and I have been supporting him financially”.

Haider has had his visa petition denied 3 times by Moroccan authorities.

The child’s public appeal to the King and continued lobbying from his supporters have moved the hand of Moroccan officials to grant his permit. The Syrian refugee will soon join his father in the Kingdom.

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Rabat - Moroccan Salafist, cheikh Abou Al Fadl Omar Haddouchi, claimed that he received a ‘very high’ offer from the Islamic State to be their “official mufti,” in Morocco. He said ISIS offered him huge sum of money in return but he refused.

Omar Haddouchi,  who was released from prison by royal pardon after having received heavy sentences for being implicated in the Casablanca bombing of 2003, said he has been the target of murder threat from ISIS over turning down the offer.

Sheikh Omar Haddouchi, considered the most hard-liner Salafist, refused to switch his allegiance from al-Qaeda to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s group. He has fiercely attacked IS on several occasions and mocked its declaration of a caliphate, calling it a “mockery.”

In a recent interview with Kuwaiti daily Al Ray newspaper, Haddouchi said his constant attacks against the Islamic State prompted ISIS to announce him an ”unbeliever” or kafir and issued a death threat against him.

“I was among the firsts who warned against the danger of ISIS,” Haddouchi said, adding that he urged the organization to treat people “nicely and not harshly.”

In 2013, Omar Haddouchi issued a fatwa to young people in Morocco and Tunisia, urging them not to travel to Syria because of the emotional and financial damage their move would cause to their loved ones left behind.

In his attempt to demonstrate the illegitimacy of any allegiance made to IS "caliph" Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Haddouchi quoted a hadith of the Prophet that says: "anyone pledging allegiance to a stranger without approval from, or consultation with, the entire Muslim community, is eligible for the death penalty.”

The Salafist cheikh told Al Ray that ISIS’s so-called Caliphate will fail “because most Jihadists who were recruited are westerners who don’t even speak Arabic, while the others who came from Arab countries are ignorant and know nothing about Islam.”

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Taroudant - A group of Moroccans lay face down in Udayas beach in Rabat, Morocco’s capital city, in a position similar to the image of the drowned Syrian toddler who was washed up in one of Turkey’s beaches last week.

In an act of solidarity with the Syrian refugees, the Moroccans wore a bright red T-shirt and shorts, similar to those worn by the drowned little boy Aylan Kurdi, and lied face down for 15 minutes in the Udayas beach in Rabat.

Several artists took part in this humanitarian act including Saida Fikri (singer), Latifa Ahrar (Actress), Ouassila Sobhi (actress), and Halima ElAlaoui (singer).

"I have a heart for humanity. I think that, as an artist, it is my duty to respond and come here with my colleagues to say that a small gesture can mean too much," said Latifa Ahrar, one of the organizers of this gathering.

The image of the lifeless body of the little Syrian boy lying face down in the sand went viral on social media causing an uproar internationally.

At least 12 presumed Syrian refugees died trying to reach the Greek island of Kos, after their boat drowned.

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Rabat - Six members of the Royal Gendarmerie were put into custody following the death of a person during a total sanitation campaign in Oued Amlil in Taza, about 110 kilometers from Fez.

The head of the Royal Gendarmerie in Oued Amlil, Taza, along with five other members under his command, allegedly caused the death of an arrested person.

“The act was committed during a sanitation campaign on September 1, 2015,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement relayed by the Maghreb Arab Press (MAP).

The same source said that the victim was tortured to death.

"The deceased, who was brutally mistreated by gendarmes, died on the way to the hospital of Taza after hemorrhagic shock," the source added.

The same source added that the six members of Royal Gendarmerie will be brought before the court at a later date.

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Casablanca – German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters at a joint news conference with Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel that the uncontrollable influx of refugees will “occupy and change” Germany in the coming years.

Chancellor Merkel promised that Germany would do everything in its power to speed up asylum procedures and provide the refugees with suitable shelter. Therefore, Germany will spend an additional €6 billion, of which states and local governments will provide €3 billion while the federal government will contribute the remaining €3 billion.

Nevertheless, the chancellor made it clear that Germany will not be able to solve the conflict on its own, and that “it is time for the European Union to pull its weight.”

In the meantime, Chancellor Merkel praised all the local volunteers and citizens who have helped and are still helping refugees to feel welcome in the federal republic of Germany. Thus, she proudly said that this has "painted a picture of Germany which can make us proud of our country."

Chancellor Merkel firmly stated that refugees in need of protection would receive it. On the other hand, refugees that do not have any rights for asylum will be sent home immediately.

Although Germany is currently the leading country hosting refugees, Mrs. Merkel told the reporters that “[Germany] will only manage to cope with these challenges if we rely on European solidarity.”

French President Francois Hollande recently declared that France will take in 24,000 refugees in response to the ongoing crisis. Equally important to note, Chancellor Merkel and President Hollande both want the EU to develop a plan for each country to participate fairly.

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Miami - Morocco has been long known as a transit country for human trafficking but the real problem of exploitation is also experienced in the Kingdom for which the government believes a new anti-trafficking law will regulate such acts of human rights violations.

According to the UN Women’s website, a seminar was conducted last May that exposed the results of a “study on the trafficking of women and children in Morocco”. The study was done by the UN Women, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation of Switzerland and Morocco’s Ministry of Justice and Liberties.

The current Penal Law definition of “crime” in Morocco is considered ambiguous by the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, which has caused a recurring problem in the prosecution of human exploitation in the Kingdom.

The study found that Morocco is more than a transit country, it is also in fact a country of origin and destination for human trafficking. Due to the inadequacy of addressing the problem, it is defined as “legally invisible” in domestic law making it unreliable to properly estimate the number of violations associated with it.

A bigger problem raised by UN Women due to the Kingdom’s vague crime law is the impossibility of “Moroccan officials to intervene across borders” when Moroccan nationals undergo human trafficking abroad.

Since 2013, the UN Special Rapporteur has been raising the need for more concrete anti-trafficking laws to “simplify the processes of investigation, data collection and prosecution”. The Moroccan Government has approved such new law earlier this year and it is expected to be in effect by October.

For example, in the current law, “the police do not consider instances of trafficking as cases. They treat women as prostitutes, they think they can be forced [to have sex]. It is difficult to prove. The man will lie; he will say he does not know that his wife does that, even if he forced her into prostitution. She can even be accused of adultery,” shared an anonymous source dedicated to help women survivors of violence.

Leila Rhiwi, UN Women’s Maghreb’s Representative said Morocco has made great advancements in recognizing the problematic and assisting its victims but much more needs to be done. She is hopeful the new anti-trafficking law will help adopt better measures.

In order to aid victims of trafficking in persons violations, UN Women has opened “counseling rooms within courts of justice in eight Moroccan cities”.

According to the US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report 2015, “human trafficking, trafficking in persons and modern slavery have been used as umbrella terms for the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, coercion.”

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Rabat - As foreigners living in rural Morocco, we often struggle to make sense of our current environment and culture. We constantly strive to align our preconceived notions with the realities of our daily  lives. For example, we believed that under Islam, causing harm to one’s body was forbidden. However, countless cigarette smokers fill cafes and streets in Morocco, a country that is over 99% Muslim. That statement being a fact, we are left with the original question and the title to this article, is cigarette smoking haram or halal?

In Islam, hurting, destroying or killing oneself and others is forbidden. According to the American Lung Association, there are approximately 600 ingredients in cigarettes. These include arsenic (used in rat poison), butane (lighter fluid) and tar (used for paving roads). Using common sense, inhaling these things into the human lung day after day cannot be healthy. Among other things, smoking causes lung and mouth cancer, heart disease and tuberculosis and the science is indisputable. In fact, according to the World Health Organization:

1- Tobacco kills up to half of its users.

2- Tobacco kills around 6 million people each year. More than 5 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while more than 600,000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.

In Islam, a wasteful person is a brother of evil and charity is required of all Muslims. The cost of a pack (20 cigarettes) of a popular brand in Morocco is MAD 25. The current minimum wage for the private sector worker is MAD 13.46 per hour. That means that the lowest paid worker in Morocco must work 2 hours to buy one pack of cigarettes. Milk costs MAD 7 per liter. So, for every pack of cigarettes a person buys, he could instead buy 2 liters of milk for a poor person. The 2014 unemployment rate in Morocco is 8.7%.

Cleanliness is emphasized as part of Islam and no one is allowed to smoke in or near a Mosque. Smoking makes breath smells unclean. That same smell soaks in to the upholstery of vehicles and the walls and furniture in houses. It yellows and then blackens the smoker’s lips, gums and fingertips. In time it changes the voice of a person from clear and clean to harsh and raspy. It can also cause tar-like phlegm that many spit out onto the ground.

Anyone can confirm the facts and statistics stated here. The real issue is whether buying and smoking cigarettes is haram or halal under Islam. Certainly, this question begs an answer from someone more learned than we.

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Rabat - At least 65 people were killed after a crane collapsed on Friday at Masjid al-Haram, The Holy Mosque, in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca, due to strong winds.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior said at least 65 people died in the incident while more than 154 people were injured, according to Al Arabiya News Channel.

BREAKING: Death toll in #Makkah crane collapse climbs to 65, 154 reported wounded - http://t.co/qUDoVg4CM4

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) September 11, 2015

Local media reports said the carne collapsed due to strong winds and heavy rainfall, at around 6 P.M. local time.

Footages and pictures of the incident flooded the internet showing the bodies of the victims lying motionless on the crane crash site.

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— ??? ???? (@seifnews) September 11, 2015

???|| ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ????? ????? #????_?????_??????_????? #?????_????? #???_???? #???????? pic.twitter.com/iNxSpRFadM — ??? ???? (@seifnews) September 11, 2015

Thousands of Muslim pilgrims from all over the world are currently in Mecca, Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which is due later this month.

[video width="700" height="500" id="7cTTxKziHuU" type="youtube"]

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Casablanca - The ongoing civil war in Syria has forced many citizens to flee for their safety. Their flight is full of dangers, uncertainty, and fear. As Syrian refugees look for shelter and protection, it has become clear which countries support the homeless migrants and which countries have remained indifferent or limited.

According to Time.com, more than four million Syrians have left their country. Not so long ago, the tragic death of Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi put Europe’s refugees crisis in the spotlight. Pressured by the global response, Europe is taking more action towards housing refugees.

Since Germany currently has the largest share of Syrian refugees, Chancellor Angela Merkel is urging the other EU members to take in more refugees in order to prevent chaos.

Although countries like Sweden are showing similar resolve to Germany and are taking responsibility in the crisis, more help and a Europe-wide solution for hosting refugees is still needed.

The list* below shows an approximate overview of the numbers of Syrian refugees or offers asylum in each country.

Countries that have taken Syrian refugees:

Turkey: 1.9 million

Lebanon: 1.1 million

Jordan: 629,000

Iraq: 249,000

Egypt: 132,000

Countries that provide Syrian asylum requests:

Germany: 98,700

Sweden: 64,700

France: 6,700

United Kingdom: 7,000

Denmark: 11,300

Hungary: 18,800

According to the United Nations, these countries offer asylum:

5,500 in Spain

14,100 in the Netherlands,

18,600 in Austria,

8,300 in Switzerland

15,000 in Bulgaria,

2,143 in Italy

3,545 in Greece

North America:

United States: 1,500 resettlements

Canada: 10,000 resettlements

Other wealthy nations:

Australia: 12,000 resettlements

Equally important to note, according to Amnesty International, other high-income countries, such as Russia, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea have not offered any resettlement to the Syrians.

Gulf Countries:

According to the United Nations, the Gulf nations have been supporting Syrians financially, but have not taken any refugees.

Saudi Arabia: 0

United Arab Emirates: 0

Kuwait: 0

Qatar: 0

Bahrain: 0

The Gulf states are among the few countries of the world that haven't participated in the 1951 United Nations treaty on refugees. Furthermore, the agreement reads that it is mainly the West's job to provide asylum to refugees from anywhere in the world. Therefore, countries like Saudi Arabia cannot be legally forced to provide refuge. Regardless of this fact, people all around the world point their fingers at them due to the lack of humanity they have shown.

*Source of numbers by CNN

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Rabat - No Moroccans victims were found among the 107 people who were killed after a crane collapsed in Mecca’s Grand Mosque on Friday, announced the Moroccan embassy in Saudi Arabia.

Morocco’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Abdeslam Barak told Le360 that “there were no Moroccan nationals among the victims who were killed in the incident.”

He went on to add that two Moroccan citizens were slightly injured and hospitalized.

On Friday, a crane crashed through the ceiling of the Grand Mosque of Mecca, the largest mosque in the world, killing 107 people and injuring 238 others.

Major General Suleiman Al-Amro, director-general of Saudi's civil defence authority, told Saudi TV that a storm with severe rain and wind speeds as high as 83kmh caused the tower crane to collapse.

"The crane collapsed near Al-Salam gate on the upper side of Al-Masaa area and that caused the collapse of a small part of Al-Masaa and another section of Al-Mataf, the bridge area around the holy Kaaba,” Al-Amro said.

Saudi Arabia authorities said on Saturday that this year’s Hajj will be observed despite the disaster.

Mecca is Islma’s holiest site. Pilgrims from around the world have been converging on the city and the mosque for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which starts on September 21.

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