Tinejdad, Morocco- In conformity with Islamic teachings, Muslims are required to fast from dawn to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. Yet, in some parts of the world, this rule is not always realistic.

While Muslims around the world break their fast at sunset (having fasted 20 hours maximum in some places), the Muslim minority living in Kiruna, the northernmost town in Sweden, would have to wait weeks to break their fast.

Aljazeera has shed light on the problem facing “an estimated 700 Muslims who are spending Ramadan in the mining town of Kiruna” where “the sun stays up around the clock from May 28 to July 16”

In the absence of a definite religious edict (fatwa) regarding this issue, “Muslims in the north are using at least four different timetables to break the fast,”said Aljazeera.

Aljazeera interviewed some of the Muslims living in Kiruna, many of them are recent asylum-seekers.

According to Aljazeera“a majority of those who fast in Kiruna follow the timings of the capital Stockholm, 1,240km south, after being advised by the European Council of Fatwa and Research (ECFR)”

However, GhassanAlankar from Syria follows the timing in Saudi Arabia, "because it's the birthplace of Islam".

"I started Ramadan by having suhoor with the sun shining in my eyes at 3:30 in the morning," he said.

The chairman of the Islamic Association in Kiruna Abdulnasser Mohammed, of Somali origin, sticks to the fasting times of Istanbul in the summer, “since Turkey is the Muslim country closest to Sweden.”

Muslim scholars should issue a religious edict to settle this problem for Muslims living in such places where the sun cannot be a time indicator for prayers and Ramadan fasting.

However, "Ramadan is not about starvation or about inflicting injury on yourself. People must choose what works for them," Abdulnasser said.

Rabat - Following the Israeli aggression against Gaza, Moroccan Muslims and Jews have mobilized to launch an appeal to the international community to stop the Israeli "murderous madness."

"We call, with our modest and powerful voice at the same time, all those who have the power to stop this murderous madness, to use that power," reads the petition relayed by community activist Ahmed Ghayat and signed by Moroccan Muslims and Jews.

“We Moroccan Muslims and Jews, our common history, our culture, our lives, and our common community life, give us a right to face the Israeli horror, hatred and violence. And it is our duty to spread the word,” stresses the petition published on Facebook. It has already collected over 696 signatories.

The signatories, led by men and women who believe in peace, urged all individuals who support this initiative “to spread the word in order to call for peace, and use the power of social networking to promote a letter that says ‘stop the massacres, for peace, for the benefit of everyone’.”

Similarly, over ten Moroccan associations and human rights organizations called on Moroccans to take the streets on Friday, in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

The Moroccan associations and human rights organizations stressed in a press release that this protest is to “to denounce the Israeli racist andterrorist attacks on the Palestinian people. It also condemns the continuation of the Israeli policy of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians.”

The protest is to take place on Friday at 10 pm in front of the Parliament in Rabat.

 It will be  led by the Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights (LMDDH), Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH), Moroccan Organization for Human Rights (OMDH), and Moroccan Association for the Support of Palestinian Struggle (AMSLP), as well as other associations and human rights organizations.

Dakar -  A donation composed of batches of the holy Quran, issued by the Mohammed VI Foundation for holy Quran publishing, was handed, on Friday in the Senegalese capital, to the Tijanes association in Dakar.

The donation, put at the disposal of the Moroccan embassy in Senegal by the ministry of endowment and Islamic affairs, is made on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.

This action is part of a global donation of batches of the holy Quran for the different Senegalese brotherhoods and religious families.

Rabat - Answering the call of Islam, 19 football fans converted to Islam after meeting team Mission Da’wah from the British Islamic Education and Research Academy during the World Cup.

As the World Cup is nearing its end, the number of football fans who have converted to Islam continues to grow. Since the World Cup kicked off on June 12, nineteen people of various nationalities converted to Islam.

Talking to the Anadolu Agency, Sheikh Khaled Taky El din, President of the Supreme Council of Imams and Islamic Affairs in Brazil, announced on Friday that three more football fans, “including a Briton, a Spaniard, and a Brazilian have taken the declaration of faith (shahada) within the past couple of days after getting introduced to the teachings of Islam by the campaign launched by the Council.”

“The three fans knew about Islam from the da`wah stalls following “Know Islam” campaign before expressing their wish to join Islam,” he added.

Along with the three fans that converted to Islam recently, the World Cup has seen the conversion of sixteen more fans of different nationalities, according to Sheikh Taky El din.

While Brazil was getting ready to host FIFA world Cup, staff members at the Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil (Fambras) were preparing their own warm welcome forforeign football fans that were expected to attend the tournament.

A written guide entitled “Salam (hello) Brazil” has been produced for the World Cup. According to Sheikh Taky El din, over 65,000 copies of the 32-page booklet have “been published by the Union of Islamic Associations of Brazil, in cooperation with the Omani embassy in the South American country.”

The 28-page booklet details everything from prayer times and mosque locations in each of the country’s 12 host cities to information about Islam in Brazil.

The 28-page booklets were being distributed by a branded “Salam Bus” that has been travelling around the country. The bus carries the slogans “Conheco o Islam” (Know Islam) and “Islam é Paz” (Islam is peace).

Casablanca - The latest toll of the collapse on Friday of three residential buildings in Casablanca climbed to 15 as a woman and a man were unearthed this Sunday morning from the rubble.

Rescuers have temporarily stopped the search because of the subsidence risk of the fourth floor of one of the buildings, pending the arrival of a long arm backhoe.

Five corpses were unearthed on Sunday from the rubble, including the corpses of actress Amal Maarouf and her mother, a young man aged between 18 and 20 years and two kids, says the source.

Some inhabitants of the three buildings are still reported missing. The previous death toll had said 13 people perished and 17 persons were still in hospital. Three other adjoining buildings were evacuated for safety reasons.

Rabat - The Moroccan community in Belgium has doubled over the past 20 years.

In 2012, the number of Moroccans living in Belgium reached over 429,580, representing 3.9% of the country’s general population, according to the latest report released by the Centre for Research in Demography and Societies at Louvain University.

Fifty years ago, the first workers of Moroccan descent arrived to Belgium. “During the 1970s, the Moroccan population in Belgium grew to reach 105,000. The Moroccan population continued to grow during the 1980s, reaching the historic maximum of 145,600 Moroccan residing in Belgium on January 1, 1992,” according to the report.

“Today, 429,580 people, or 3.9% of the Belgian population, are of Moroccan origin,” the report added.

The report noted that since the arrival of Moroccan immigrants, the Belgio-Moroccan population has gradually feminized and remained relatively young.

During the 70s, the gender ratio of the Moroccan community in Belgium reached 80 women for every 100 men. The process of feminization ofMoroccan migrants in Belgium continued increasing during the 1990s and 2000s, reaching 94 women for every 100 men in 2009.

Moroccan immigrants remain young and demographically dynamic, with new generations of children who are brought to Belgium at a young age. Belgio-Moroccan community is concentrated in the young and working age (between 25 and 44 years), but also in young children (under 15 years).

The report also emphasizes the unfavorable position of the Moroccan population in the labor market and in education. "The descendants of Moroccan immigrants tend to improve their social position relative to that of their parents, but this improvement is less marked than for Belgians of the same socio-economic level.”

The report said that most of Moroccan migrants in Belgium settle in the big cities and in the industrial or mining regions of the country. Statistics says that in 2009, 47.9 % of Moroccans in Belgium live in Brussels, 5.0 %  in the Eastern Flanders, 3.4 %  in Limburg and 18.7 % in Antwerp.

The report stresses that the challenge for the Belgian authorities is to reduce the socio-economic problems of the Moroccan population that will continue to grow with the arrival of new generations of children born in Belgium with Belgian citizenship.

Edited by Timothy Filla

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

Tinjdad, Morocco - Moroccan Rabbi Moshe Ohayon was brutally attacked Friday, July 11 around 6:30pm by a young man in Casablanca, near the Windsor Hotel, over Israel’s deadly air offensive on Gaza, according to TelQuel.

The Moroccan French Magazine said that while Moshe Ohayon walked toward the synagogue, as usual, to his prayers, an unidentified young man "well dressed," stopped him.

The unidentified assailant asked the Rabbi: “nta ihoudi? (are you a Jew?) What’s the Tsahal (Israeli army) doing to our brothers?” the weekly quoted the rabbi as saying.

“He gave me a violent punch which made me lose balance,” the Rabbi said.

After the attack, the rabbi returned to his home and called the police.

"I filed a complaint and now I am waiting to see what will happen," he said.

The aggression took place hours before a demonstration held in the economic capital of Casablanca  and other Moroccan cities in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Rabat - A suspect was arrested on Monday morning following an assault against Rabbi Moshe Ohayon last Friday in Casablanca.

According to Maghreb Arab Press (MAP), Casablanca’s authorities stated that the “suspect’s behavior indicates that he suffers from mental disorder.”

According to the same source, the suspect was arrested while he was attacking another Jew by stoning him in Al-Khawarizmi Avenue, Casablanca.

Investigations are underway, under the supervision of Public Prosecution, to determine the circumstances of these assaults.

The suspect violently attacked the Moroccan Rabbi Moshe Ohayon, breaking his ribs, last Friday near the Windsor Hotel, Casablanca.

The assault happened while Israel is conducting a deadly offensive against Gaza, which has led to over 172 victims so far, causing emotions to run high.

The Rabbi, and many Moroccan and international media believe that this was a retaliation over the ongoing conflict in the Middle-East.

By Malak Mihraje

Rabat - As the streets fill with people after Iftar, cafes swarm with hungry families. At a side-café in Agdal, Moroccans and foreigners alike gather around the small wooden tables, spooning Harira into their mouths with speed. Adriana, a Norwegian woman in her forties sits, murmuring pleasantries and sipping coffee with her Moroccan husband Mohammed. When asked about Morocco during Ramdan, her eyes shine with a childlike excitement.

“I find it a bit difficult not to smoke during fasting hours,” she said while lighting a cigarette, “but it is not a big deal, I got used to fasting during my vacation in Morocco; respecting my husband and his family. Besides, I adore the Harira soup we have during Iftar.” Her husband, who seemed to be in his forties as well and who lives in Norway, said that he doesn’t push her to fast; it is something she doesn’t mind doing.

The café is full of customers reveling in their Iftar meal. This traditional break-fast meal is composed of dates, Chabakiya (Moroccan sweets) Harira, boiled eggs, pancakes and juice. Most of the café’s patrons were enjoying Iftar, so the two American men who were anxiously waiting for a pizza immediately stood out as different. This is our first time in Morocco and the situation is not good. It is difficult to find an open café or restaurant during the day to eat well.” Then the pizza came, and the Americans focused on their food.

Although Ramadan may inconvenience some visitors, many travelers enjoy the changes Ramadan brings to Morocco.

Marilyn, a young American studying at the Qalam Wa Lawh Center for Arabic Studies, enjoys the unique aspects of Moroccan life during the holy month. She has been living with a Moroccan host family for two years. She says that she finds the atmosphere of Ramadan enjoyable: “I spend my day normally. I don’t fast but I like the traditions of Ramadan, especially the unique Iftar meal.” She added, “it is normal for restaurants to be closed, during the fasting period in Ramadan, and foreigners must get used to respecting others’ customs and traditions.”

Not far from Mohammed V Street in the old medina, we met Joseph, a twenty- year-old student from Cap Verde. It was apparent from his facial expression that he was exhausted. He said that, at the beginning, he found it very difficult to get used to Ramadan; “I have been studying in Morocco for three years. In my first year here, everything around me changed. The most difficult thing for me was that the trams and taxis seemed to stop running, but now I don’t face any problems as I used to.”

It is very rare to see foreigners eat or smoke during the day, in public. But a sixty year Marine broke the tradition by smoking on the street, so we asked her if she was ever harassed for this behavior during Ramadan. She replied “I live in Morocco, and it is rare when I’m harassed and it doesn’t disturb me much. Morocco is a Muslim country and it has its own customs and traditions which I accept.”

This article was first published at Morocco World News Arabic and translated into English by Ihsane Kh'Leeh

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

Azrou - On Wednesday during the Netherlands vs. Argentina soccer match, commentator Jean-Michel Larqué allowed himself a regrettable moment in which he made an unbecoming racial comment.

Though often difficult to filter thoughts on air, Jean-Michel Larqué's comment during the first half of the match, “this is the first time I have seen a white man running faster than a black,” upset many listeners.

His inappropriate comment referred to Ezequiel Lavezzi (Argentina) who at the time was evidently outrunning Bruno Martins Indi (Netherlands). In attempt to save the situation, Larqué's co-commentators attempted to spare Larqué further embarrassment, noting, “I think Christophe Lemaitre runs faster than Claude Makelele.”

However, the comment was far from unnoticed.

On Twitter, @ParcSociosGroup said: “Larqué was surprised to see a white man who runs faster than a black, at least he could avoid saying so on the radio!” Other Tweets described him as the worst commentator in sports.

This is not the first time Jean-Michel Larqué has faced criticism for his comments. In August of 2011, on his show “Larqué Foot” on RMC, he made inappropriate remarks about Jews, following the departure of Samir Nasri from Arsenal to Manchester City.

Despite his apologies later in the program, the National Bureau of Vigilance against Anti-Semitism (BNVCA) filed a complaint for defamation. The Movement against Racism and for Friendship between Peoples (MRAP) also filed a complaint against Jean-Michel Larqué for inciting discrimination, hatred, and racist violence.

Furthermore, the duo he formed with Thierry Roland on TF1 was often subject to criticism for sexist comments and racist connotations.

Tinjdad, Morocco - Meriem Bourhail, a Moroccan high school student in Dumas city, who received the highest Baccalaureate exam score in France, have received an invitation from the King Mohammed VI to attend the celebration of the feast of the throne, which will be held on July 30. 

"I am very happy to receive this invitation to attend the celebrations of the throne day. I'll will attend this event before I go back to prepare for enteringthe university in the coming year," Meriem said as reported by Alyoum24.

After Meriem was the guest of a number of television programs in the past few days, including the famous French "le grand journal" and the program "on n'est pas couché." She is now receiving invitations from heads of states to attend a number of official events.

According to Alyoum24, the Moroccan young student was also invited by the President of France, François Hollande, to take part in the festivities of the National Day that took place yesterday in Paris.

Bourhail was also invited to the French National Assembly to honour her for her excellent results as the holder of the highest Baccalaureate degree in France.

By scoring 21.03 out of 20 (799 points out of 760), Meriem has honoured herself, her family and her home country.

Casablanca - "Bastards," a documentary film on child marriage in Morocco, shows women in their battles to gain legal recognition for their children, as well as for their forced marriages.

One of these women is Rabha El Haimer, who openly shared her story with the award-winning documentary film maker, Deborah Perkin.

On July 11,”Bastards” was released in the United Kingdom by documentary film maker, Deborah Perkin. In her documentary, Deborah focuses on the women’s perspective concerning the of underage in Morocco.

The protagonist, Rabha El Haimer, fights against her family and Morocco’s legal system, who consider her young daughter to be a “bastard.”

Rabha El Haimer was forced to marry at the age of 14 without a marriage certificate. After 2 years, mistreated, raped and pregnant, Rabha decided to leave her abusive husband.

Once she gave birth to her daughter, Rabha faced issues with the legal system, she is regarded as a single-mother and her daughter Salma as illegitimate child.

Although Rabha is illiterate and is deprived of any family support, her dedication to fight for her right, but most importantly her daughter’s right to be seen as a “normal” citizen is unstoppable.

She is willing to do what it takes to compel the father of her child to take his responsibility. But her efforts are to no avail, since Salma’s father continues to deny the existence of his daughter and the marriage.

As a result, Rabha relies on a legal system that is very inclement with her. To this day, Rabha’s daughter is not allowed to go to school or receive vaccinations.

With this documentary film, which was shot for two years in remote areas of Morocco, Deborah Perkin highlights the fate of these single mothers who are constantly stigmatized and discriminated against in Morocco.

Rabat - Egyptian actor, Khaled Al Sawi’s portrayal of a Moroccan sorcerer in the Ramadan serial drama "Tufahat Adam" (Adam's Apple) has offended Moroccans through its portrayal of Morocco as a country of sorcery and its mockery of the Moroccan Amazigh people.

Khaled Al Sawi, playing opposite Egyptian actress Hanan Suleiman _ who plays the role of Sheikha Sabah _ agreed on her plan to impersonate a sorcerer from Morocco, in order to trick Egyptians by virtue of his supernatural powers of sorcery.

In the 22^nd minute of the 13th episode, Sheikha Sabah says,“The sorcerer is named Sheikh Radwan. He lived in a total solitude, worshiping at the Moroccan Atlas Mountains for 10 years.”

In the same scene, Sheikha Sabah describes Moroccan Amazighs as “Berber people who believe in myths.”

“Once upon a time, Berber people accused sheikh Radwan of practicing sorcery on one of their daughters. Therefore they killed the Sheikh and claimed that he had been taken up to heaven and will return,” Sheikha Sabah added.

When the 13^th episode went viral on social media, Moroccans expressed their anger, stressing that the series mocks Moroccans and portrays Morocco as a country of sorcery and superstition.

They have called upon the Moroccan Ministry of Culture to stop inviting Egyptian artists to Moroccan film festivals.

Adam’s Apple is not the only Arab film to have offended Moroccans in recent years. In 2010, the Kuwaiti Ramadan drama Abou Katada and Abou Nabil portrayed Moroccans using sorcery witchcraft to seduce and lure Kuwaiti youngsters to marry them.

By Yassine Makhou

Rabat - According to Alahram Al-Arabi Magazine, the commander of the Israeli attack on Gaza, Samy Tordjman, is of Moroccan origin.

Tordjman leads of the so-called ‘Southern Command’ of the Israeli Defense Force. He was appointed successor of Rousseau, who spent 20 years in the position.

Samy Tordjman bears the full responsibility for the recent Israeli attacks on Gaza after being appointed leader of the most influential military zone in Israel.

The aforementioned commander was born in Marrakech, and speaks fluent Arabic. He was the commander of the armored forces before taking a new job as a member of the operating room in the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

Major General Tordjman served as commander of the ground forces and is currently the Southern Commander of the Israeli army. After serving in the Operation division, Samy was also the commander of the Armored Division that works in the north of occupied Palestine.

Samy Tordjman emigrated with his family to Palestine in 1965 when he was 6 months old, and received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical engineering after a military service in the institute Ilan. He has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Tel- Aviv.

Fez - Latest news report that at least 400 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of Israeli war on Gaza on July 7th.

It seems that political instability will continue indefinitely in the Middle East. Palestine is the world’s most vulnerable state to war and armed conflicts. Particularly in Gaza Strip, war  has been the rule rather than the exception, and innocent people have paid a high price. Since the beginning of the conflict, enormous numbers of Palestinians have been either killed or seriously injured and handicapped. Similarly, large numbers have been seeking refuge in neighboring unstable countries like Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Meanwhile, thousands are behind bars in inhumane circumstances.

Since July 7th, 2014, the international community has watched merciless air strikes bombing populated neighbourhoods in Gaza. Dismal pictures of violent attacks using destructive weapons have occupied the screens of international television and newspapers. Pictures and video footage have shown the international audience the ongoing suffering of a powerless people. Victims, most of whom are children, are being killed very ruthlessly. Some were not more than three weeks old. In an interview with Aljazeera, an Israeli army spokesman put the blame on Hamas Movement as leading the war to the present levels of violence. However, he could not respond convincingly to the newsreader’s question ‘why are you killing children playing at the beach?"

In the same respect, Human Rights Watch has reported that Israeli airstrikes have killed hundreds in Gaza for more than a week. The notable human rights NGO has declared that more than five hundreds tons of explosives have been thrown at Gaza strip. Human Rights Watch has called on Israel to stop assaulting civilians in the occupied land after casualties numbers seem to continue to rise in the callous status quo.

Human Rights Watch reported on July 16th that ‘unlawful’ Israeli airstrikes continue to kill civilians by bombing their homes and shelters. According to the prominent NGO, Israel has deliberately been targeting civilians in a form of collective punishment. Human Rights Watch has reported UN figures claiming that "Israeli attacks in Gaza since July 7th had delivered more than 500 tons of explosives in missiles, aerial bombs, and artillery fire, killed at least 178 people and wounded 1,361 as of July 14, including 635 women and children."

The same report revealed that the violent attacks had destroyed 1,255 homes, displacing at least 7,500 people. It added that Palestinian armed groups have launched rocket attacks toward Israeli communities, and have killed one citizen since July 7th. Given the insignificant effect of these rocket attacks, media agencies have documented that they had repercussions on Israeli economic stability and social security. The ongoing military offensive in Gaza is yielding escalating civilian casualties. As of Friday July 18th, at least 270 civilians were killed as result of military attacks.

So far, the situation in Gaza remains very heated and tense as apartment buildings are being entirely destroyed by Israeli missiles. Many families have moved their kids to shelter schools, hoping to avoid mass deaths. ‘What should we do in such a situation?’ screams a women whose family was killed in the beginning of the missile attack on Gaza.

Children’s houses and schools were destroyed and families were murdered. Today, Palestine has the largest numbers of orphans in the world, according to the NGO’s numbers. This unfavorable situation has been intensified by violations of both states’ bilateral interests, such as prisoners, humanitarian aid, and Israeli settlements.

The world nowadays, Western and Eastern alike, seems to be motionless vis-à-vis Israeli crimes against innocent citizens in Gaza and Palestine at large. The Israeli lobby, which dominates most influential countries, governments, and human rights bodies, has succeeded in foiling anti-Zionist proposed actions. The Arab League is an exemplary model of a lethargic political body which has remained speechless during this deadly episode in Gaza. UNICEF is a UN-affiliated child protection organisztion whose reaction could not go further than condemning child-killing.

The United States, the world’s most influential country, has denied the painful events taking place in the occupied lands. President Barack Obama, whose election was a distinctive event in the US political history, did not have a clear reaction in regard to the issue. Neither did his Secretary of State, John Kerry. The African American President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been subject to much criticism by peace and human rights’ activists worldwide for his indifference to the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Meanwhile, signs indicate that the situation in Gaza will worsen more and more after a short ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to advance toward the Gaza strip and destroy the tunnels that Palestinians are using for their resistance plans. Wider Israeli operations are taking place after high authorities’ orders for air, soil, and sea invasions, along with warning Palestinians to evacuate their homes.

Palestinian leaders, be they from Fatah or Hamas, repeatedly warn the universal public of more bloodshed in the Gaza Strip as Israeli attacks intensify. On Friday, Palestinians were attacked with gas bombs and rubber bullets in Al Aqsa Mosque while performing their Fajr (Dawn) and Duhr (Noon) prayers, killing three and injuring many.

By Azz-eddine Diaouni - Driouch city, Morocco

As is customary with my fellow Moroccans, whenever Israel attacks Gaza, Moroccans take to the streets, protesting against Israeli crimes in Gaza. However, despite our religious similarities, I believe these demonstrations are not in the name of God, but rather ideologically-based.

I firmly believe that the Palestinian question is not our primary national issue since our country faces its own challenges. Our education is at infancy, Moroccan external debt has breached the limits of the imagination and corruption haunts the country. Despite all this, we are unable to overlook Palestinian issue which makes me wonder, are we born with Palestinian issue fixed in our minds?

Let’s be democratic in our thinking, if we are to support Palestine, the obvious step to take is to strongly condemn Israeli crimes against Palestinians; in other words, donating 5 million dollars to Gaza doesn't cut it. What I mean by this is that we don’t need to donate grand sums of money to Palestine at a time when we have dire improvements to address at home. Furthermore, I fail to understand why the Moroccan government ‘challenges’ Gulf countries to donate 5 million dollars to Palestinians. While I am not against these donations, I am against the two-faced pan-Arabists whose sympathy is selective.

These donations are ideologically-based. After all, pan-Arabists, turn a blind eye to Algerian crimes against their Amazigh citizens in Ghardaia. Is it not hypocritical then, to organize ‘mass demonstrations’ in favor of Palestinians, while we ignore (on purpose) the atrocities taking place in Algeria? Are these not ideologically based demonstrations? Why do we not express solidarity with Gardaya whose Amazigh citizens having been subject to all forms of ethnic cleansing?

Ghardaia has been under siege for months; a siege led not by Israel, but by the pro-Arabist government under the supervision of police forces. For months now, a number of citizens have been killed and others injured. Is it not human to condemn these racist practices? Why have pan-Arabists not spoken out against these crimes? But now that Israel has been attacking Gaza pan-Arabists, dressed in humanitarian clothing, have been rallying against Israel since the attack.

The truth is that the Pan-Arabists' rhetoric toys with people's emotions and is not based on humanitarian intentions as they claim. They focus on getting like-minded on the streets, serving their sacred ideology and causing Moroccans to forget about their own issues at home. I would say that the pan-Arabist discourse has lost its brightness and that there is no harm in helping human beings based on humanitarianism, but it is a grave error to help Palestinians only because they are Arabs.

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 - Gazan singer Mohammed Assaf released his latest song “Raise Your Head High” on Thursday in solidarity with his home country of Palestine while it is under attack.

The song had almost half a million views on YouTube only two days after its release.

Amid the ongoing Israeli attack on Gaza, Palestinian singer and 2013 Arab Idol winner Mohammed Assaf released a new song in support of Palestinians.

Entitled 'Raise Your Head High', Assaf’s song urges Palestinians to stay steadfast in the face of the blatant Israeli aggression.

"Lift your head high, it is your weapon,” the song says.

The song, which was released 17 July, has already scored almost half a million views on YouTube.

The song goes on to add, "Your son Gaza will not be disgraced, Gaza is calling but who is to hear ... Take my blood and give me freedom, My land is from river to sea ...," in reference to historic Palestine that spread from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea until 1948.

Born in the Gaza strip, Assaf is known to stand for Palestine in his songs. Since he won the television talent show Arab Idol, Assaf has become a national hero in Palestine, where he was named an ambassador of culture and arts.

His latest solo song, performed in the 2013 Arab Idol finale, has a political edge, asking for the Palestinian traditional scarf to be raised and calling for reconciliation.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

“For the people who asked me about what is happening in Palestine right now: I thought of finding the strongest words to describe how it feels to have your people being murdered and punished by an occupation that has been continuously committing crimes against civilians. But I found that words will never make people know how I feel when I call my family members who live in Gaza and they tell me they can’t sleep at night because they don’t know if they are going to wake up alive the next morning.” –Muath Ibaid, Facebook status.

For Ahmad Saleh, a young man who lives in northern Gaza, there is nowhere to run.

“Where do I feel safe? I don’t know how to answer that…all I have is my house, and even that is not safe. There is nothing else,” he said in a Skype interview.

Part of his house has been damaged. He constantly hears bombs, some landing as close as 100 meters from his home.

Since the start of the offensive, more than 500 Palestinians—mostly civilians—have been killed and more than 3,000 injured, according to Gaza health officials. Twenty Israelis, including two civilians have died. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA has opened 61 of its schools for more than 80,000 people.

Sunday, Gaza endured its deadliest day, with the death of at least 120 Palestinians as Israel continued to escalate its military onslaught.

“The corpses of women and children were strewn in streets of Shujai’iya as people fled on foot and packed into vehicles,” according to The Guardian.

Protests around the world call for Israel to end this massacre, yet Israel continues to expand its offensive, blaming Hamas for using civilians as human shields. However, reports indicate that more children have been killed than Hamas militants.

Tyler Hicks, a New York Times photographer who captured the aftermath of an Israeli missile targeting four children on the beach wrote, “A small metal shack with no electricity or running water on a jetty in the blazing seaside sun does not seem like the kind of place frequented by Hamas militants, the Israeli Defense Forces’ intended targets. Children, maybe four feet tall, dressed in summer clothes, running from an explosion, don’t fit the description of Hamas fighters, either.”

The United States remains supportive of Israel’s “right to defend itself,” as both President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have said repeatedly.

“The world thinks that we are terrorists, but we are not. We are humans like everyone else, but we are lacking our human rights. Gaza is striving to survive. This is not a war, this is genocide,” said Christina Yousef, a young woman living in the West Bank.

She said the life Palestinians live is one of constant fear and terror. “We try to live our lives normally, but we know that settlers can come and abduct or kill us any time.”

Since the 2007 siege on Gaza, they virtually have no way of leaving what many now call an “open-air prison.” Or as Noam Sheizaf writes in +972, the West Bank is like similar to a minimum-security facility, while Gaza is a maximum-security facility.

“The world must care not only because what is going on right now, but because of the daily life of Palestinians, especially in Gaza. We are the only people in the 21^st century who are under military occupation with no control in any aspect of our lives. The world must care because their foreign policies and the Western double standards hurt the Palestinians,” said Zain Jarrar, a resident of Ramallah.

As of now, there seems to be no end to the fighting, although attempts to reach a cease-fire continue.

As Saleh writes in a Facebook status, “The smell of death is in every corner of Gaza.”

Fez- Amid the ongoing Israeli shilling on Gaza, some Israeli newspapers dedicated some lines in their July 21 issue to the Moroccan waiter who was gunned down on the same day of 1973 by the Israeli secret service.

Several Israeli newspapers retold the story of Morocco’s Ahmed Bouchiki in their “Today in History” section on Monday.

On July 21, 1973, Israeli agents in Lillehammer, Norway, killed Ahmed Bouchikhi, a Moroccan waiter, in a case of mistaken identity.

Israeli agents allegedly thought they were killing Ali Hassan Salame, a Palestinian official with Black September, the group that attacked Israel’s delegation at the 1972 Munich Olympics and killed 11 athletes.

On the evening of July 21, a team of Israeli agents shot dead the Moroccan waiter as he walked home from the cinema with his pregnant wife at the resort city of Lillehammer, 110 miles north of Oslo.

Ahmed Bouchikhi, had been living in Lillehammer for nine years and his wife, Torill Larsen, a local woman, was expecting their child. Bouchiki’s murder caused a diplomatic crisis between Norway and Israel. The Norwegian government considered this case more than a murder case, stressing that it was a violation of Norwegian sovereignty.

In January 1996, Israel paid undisclosed compensation to Bouchikhi's family, but did not admit responsibility for the killing.

An article from the New York Times archives was quoted as saying that Israel “will not take responsibility, because Israel is not a killing organization." Norway closed the case in 1999, saying it would be impossible to get a conviction.