Rabat- The U.S. State Department has rejected the inclusion of two prominent Muslim American groups as terror organizations by the United Arab Emirates.

In a move that drew immediate rejection from various Muslim organizations, the UAE released on November 15 a list of 83 terrorists and terrorist organizations.

According to Voice of America, “A State Department spokesman Tuesday said officials are following up on the designation made Monday by the UAE.”

The UAE named the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based group known as CAIR, as well as the Muslim American Society, on the list along with the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS), Al Qaeda, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Immediately after the release of this controversial list, the two US Muslim groups protested their inclusion on UAE terror list, demanding instant clarifications on its "bizarre and shocking" addition to the list.

"There is absolutely no factual basis for the inclusion CAIR and other American and European civil rights and advocacy groups on this list," CAIR said.

The UAE included the names of several prominent Muslim leaders like Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the Egyptian Islamic theologian and chairman of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, and Moroccan cleric Dr. Ahmad Raissouni.

Rabat- Figures released by the Department of Epidemiology and the fight against infectious diseases suggest that more than half a million Moroccans are drug addicts who consume various kinds of drugs on a daily basis.

The shocking figures showed that there are 600,000 Moroccans who are addicted to drugs, including 16,000 who consume 'hard drugs' such as heroin and cocaine every day.

According to the findings, extreme poverty and the lack of a sense of security as well as unemployment are believed to be the main reasons which explain why significant numbers of Moroccans are addicted to drugs.

The study also found that the fact that drugs, especially cannabis, are so easy to get has led to a rise in the number of Moroccans who consume drugs.

The rise in numbers of addicts, however, is faced with a decline in the number of centers that provide treatment for those struggling with addiction.

Currently, there are only 5 centers for addiction treatment while the Ministry of Health announced that it is working on creating 16 new centers by the year 2020.

The figures also show that drug addiction is widespread among young people aged between 18 and 28. Children under the age of 15 who consume drugs have also seen a rise in numbers and they are mostly located in underprivileged neighborhoods.

Morocco is the country with the highest addiction rate in comparison to other Maghreb countries such as Algeria and Tunisia both having figures revolving around 300,000 addicted people. In the MENA region, Egypt topped the list with an estimated 6 million of its population are into drugs.

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Fez- Aside from those who have had accidents that deformed their faces, there are many who hide disgraceful stories of sorrow and anger behind the scars that mark them.

Brutal attacks using blades after minor altercations harm Morocco’s image. Misunderstandings or small problems can develop into gruesome fights involving blades, but they could be easily nipped in the bud just by resorting to communication.

In other cases, cuts on the face or body are the results of resisting attacks by a mugger.

When roaming around Morocco’s cities, you bump into many people who have scars on their faces, which makes one wonder what on earth the problem that caused the incident was. Whatever it is, the practice should be eradicated and severely punished.

Giving someone a scar on his or her face is a malicious act. It stains our image as Muslims, whose religion promotes peace and tolerance. The Prophet said, “If any one of you has a fight with his brother, let him avoid the face.” (al-Bukhaari, 2560; Muslim, 2612).

Victims who have been slashed on the face may suffer long-lasting trauma. The scar reminds them of grief and failure they have had in their life. Moreover, they are stigmatized in our society, since the gash looks repulsive and implies a criminal background to most people. Victims of this tragedy have significant obstacles in their lives. The grotesque, hideous view of their face gives a demotivating aura. Consequently, they are rejected and marginalized. On buses, people think they are pickpockets, and when they apply for a job, they are rarely hired. They are, as a matter of fact, always prejudiced and disenfranchised.

Recently, two women have been slashed by their husbands. Samira and Khawla suffered deep wounds on their faces that required stitches. Media outlets have made great endeavors to make their cases known, aiming at drawing awareness about the issue, yet responsibility is on the shoulder of all civil society.

Samira’s and Khawla’s lives, as is the case for all victims, be they male or female, have turned into nightmares. The scars are permanent, and the victims’ chances to find jobs are very weak, let alone finding a spouse. Now they are vulnerable to exploitation and delinquency. Who is going to select these people as life partners with multiple scars on their faces? Who might even want to walk or have a casual conversation with them? Though they are victims, society is outright ruthless and inexorable to change views about them.

Perpetrators of these malicious attacks seem defiant to the law because assaults are repeated frequently, as if punishment does not deter criminals. Some people always carry blades, and do not hesitate to use them as a threat to their opponents while having fights.

Using blades should be severely punished, and assailants must be discouraged. The Moroccan law is lax in dealing with these criminals. Cutting someone’s body or face can result in a maximum of five years imprisonment, depending on the intentions and the degree of harm caused, yet the implementation of this punishment remains impossible due to crowded jails and the expenses the government must spend to pay for the prison inmates. Hence, convicts sometimes get less than two years in jail.

Khawla and Samira will be prisoners all their lives, with no respite. Because of their disfigured faces, they will be objects of scorn, while their attackers will spend some time in jail and then start anew. The law seems unable to stop these kinds of crimes. Otherwise, many would think twice before attacking with a blade.

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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By Paola Garcia

New York - In order for the Quran to become a real source of guidance in our lives rather than just a religious symbol, we need to approach it with the awareness that “deep insight is not gained by cursory effort.”[1] The Quran’s wisdom can steer us in the right direction and deeply transform our lives. However, for this to occur, we must read it slowly, reflecting upon each verse for an extended period of time. In this way, its meaning will gradually unfold until we gain clarity and its message becomes a personal revelation and, in fact, the dynamic word of God advising us directly.

Dr. Sultan Abdulhameed explains that a frequent misconception that blocks people from understanding the Quran is the assumption that it is a continuous reading. It is common knowledge that the Quran was revealed at irregular intervals over a period of twenty two years. These revelations came as God’s answers to the prayers, supplications and various challenges of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and they arrived at different periods of his life, with large gaps of time passing between them. Consequently, the Quran is not meant to be read from beginning to end as a regular book.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) spent many years in contemplation before receiving the first revelation at the age of forty, while he was on one of his usual retreats at the cave of Hira, in the hills outside Mecca. Many months passed between the first five revelations and the subsequent ones.

This first revelation is Sura 96, which commands the pursuit of knowledge, a message that is repeated throughout the Quran[2], but, unfortunately, heeded by few:

Read! In the Name of your Lord Who created (all that exists). Created man from a clot Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous Who taught by the pen Taught man that which he knew not[3]

Sura 96 is one of the many instances in the Quran where God urges us to think deeply, to read, write, reflect and generally, to exercise our intellect. As the majority of Muslims know, the most frequently used word in the Qur’an is “Allah.” However, what many of us ignore, is that the second most common word “deals with a cluster concerned with knowing, reasoning, intellect, pondering, reflecting, meditating upon, and thinking.”[4] It is therefore very clear that God has placed an enormous significance, one could say, the utmost weight really, on our responsibility to think, to use the intellectual faculties He gave us and which distinguish us from rest of the creation. How is it then that we collectively ignore these instructions and instead imagine that we will benefit from reciting the Quran’s words with no understanding of their meaning?[5]

Unfortunately, the Quran has become an idol we ritualistically worship instead of the live word of God directing our daily lives. The Quran was sent to us by God to teach us how to live. It is not meant to be quickly skimmed over or read hastily in order to cover as much content as possible in the shortest amount of time. This approach causes its powerful message to completely elude us.

A professor of mine, Dr. Ali Mermer, who teaches at the NYU Islamic Center, gives an excellent analogy. He says reading the Quran in a mindless fashion is equivalent to receiving an envelope with a check for a million dollars. Upon receiving this envelope, we tear it apart without bothering to open it. This is what we do with the Quran when we fail to meditate on its meaning. We disregard its wisdom and do not benefit from it.

The Quran’s ayas are signs to deeper truths. They are invitations to reflect upon their individual meaning and to form our own firm conclusions about them. They are meant to be read independently, separately, and to be pondered for a long period of time, applying them to our own life circumstances. With perseverance and deep thinking, we can make the Quran our life book; we can organize and transform our lives according to its teachings. The Quran is a gift of God to humans, who need guidance; we will receive this guidance only through deep understanding. God did not send the Quran to our beloved Prophet (PBUH) so that with the passage of time, people all over the world could produce identical sounds which meaning they do not comprehend. Neither did He send it for us to stare at its paper and ink as a goal in and of itself, while its insights elude us. This is an absurd way to act; it is an insult to God’s teachings and, consequentially, it is deeply harming our Muslim community globally.

Paola Garcia is a writer and translator from Chihuahua, Mexico. She received her J.D. from Columbia University School of Law and her B.A. in psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso. She works as a lawyer and consultant in New York City. She accepted Islam in 2013.

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[1] Abdulhameed, Sultan, The Quran and the Life of Excellence. Denver: Outskirts Press, 2010. 237. Print.

 [2] Other examples, just to cite a few, for there are many more, are found in 3:190-191 (extolling us to think deeply); 39:9 (stating that those who have understanding can grasp Allah’s message); 39:29 (instructing us to reflect upon the Quran’s verses); 2:164 (stating the message in the Quran is for people who use their reason); 16:69 (stating the Quran is a sign for people who think); 30:8 (warning us against failing to think deeply); 22:46 (instructing us to use our intellect); 7:176 (inviting us to reflect); 7:184 (warning us against failing to reflect); 59:21 (stating the Quran’s parables are for humans to reflect); 74:54-55 (instructing mindfulness); 2:269 (stating the Quran’s message can only be grasped by those of understanding and that wisdom is a “benefit overflowing” granted by God to whom He wills); 20:114 (telling us to pray for God to increase our knowledge).

 [3] Quran 96:1-5

[4] Safi, Omar, Memories of Muhammad. New York: HarperOne, 2009. 77. Print.

[5] The Quran noticeably contrasts Truth (Haqq) and ignorance (Jahiliyya), or, to put it differently, “knowledge of God arrived at through God’s revelation and genuine spiritual inquiry versus the fanciful imagination that leads one to ignorance.” Safi, 67.

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Marrakech - Iraqi American women's rights activist Zainab Salbi said that it is very critical to include women in all the aspects of society, noting that 'Morocco is a very important country that invested in having women be part of both the political establishment and the religious interpretation.'

Speaking at the Global Entrepreneurial Summit taking place in Marrakech, Salbi, who is founder and former CEO of Women for Women International (USA), said that 'Morocco does provide a good example from a Muslim perspective and from a predominantly Muslim country of how important it is to incorporate women in different aspects of society, including the religious sphere.'

Salbi stressed that education is very important to women yet it should not be their last door, adding that although women make up 60% of university graduates across the Arab world, they drop their economic opportunities and as a result only 10% end up participating in the marketplace.

"It's cultural," she said, highlighting the fact that women tend to give up their professional aspirations after becoming mothers and having babies.

"But culture for me is not a rigid point, you change culture, culture evolves," she added.

She also said that at this moment in the region's history there is a need to get more women out working, earning money and creating jobs.

Citing the World Bank in her intervention, Salbi added that while men who start a business only invest 40% of their income back in their families and don't necessarily hire other family members, women spend 90% of their business earnings on their families and immediately start hiring family members.

"Access to knowledge is important, but if you do not have access to money you cannot change your life," she concluded.

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Rabat- Moroccan society is known for its openness to the outside world and its adoption of many trends coming from the West. But when it comes to topics that are considered taboo, the overwhelming majority of Moroccans still hold conservative views.

According to a survey conducted by the TNS Foundation for Morocan magazine Telquel, 83 percent of Moroccans hold negative views regarding homosexuals.

The survey, which interviewed a sample of 1000 Moroccans aged 18 and up, revealed that 83% of Moroccans are against homosexuality, while 11% hold a favorable view of it.

The survey shows that the anit-homosexuality law in force in Morocco reflects the opinion of most Moroccans.

Under Article 489 of the Moroccan penal code, sexual acts between people of the same gender are punishable by between six months and three years in prison.

Last May, on the occasion of the International Day against Homophobia, a group of people called “ASWAT”, a group for sexual minorities, launched a campaign for the defense of gays and lesbians in Morocco.

The group, whose motto is “Love is not a crime”, called for the protection of the rights of same-sex couples in the kingdom. The group started a petition entitled “Say No to homophobia in Morocco” to demand the abolition of Article 489 of the Criminal Code, which criminalizes “licentious acts against nature with an individual of the same sex.”

Edited by Timothy Filla

Marrakech - Polygamy is a legitimate right in Islam, but about 40 percent of Moroccans are against it. 46 percent of women object to polygamy at a great extent, while only about 22 percent of men share them the same attitude, according to an opinion poll accomplished by TNS Foundation for Tel Quel magazine.

40 percent of men are in favor polygamy and expressed their objection to the idea of banning polygamy, compared to 27 percent of women who rejected a ban.

When it comes to sexual freedom, the majority of respondents are against. About 90 percent of women and 78 percent of men reject the idea.

These resulted are related to religious and psychological taboos that still limit people’s desire to change or open their views, according to those who conducted the poll.

Many women refused to even to take part in the opinion poll, as many Moroccans are conservative when issues that are related to religion or sexual issues.

In accordance with the 2004 Family Code, which replaced the Personal Code of 1957, a husband should obtain the consent of his first wife if he ever wants to marry another woman.

The Moroccan Family Code has rendered polygamy nearly impossible. According to the text of the code, “the judge shall not authorize polygamy unless he has verified the husband’s ability to guarantee equality with the fist wife and her children in all areas of life, and there is an objective and exceptional motive that justifies polygamy.”

PRAMBANAN (Indonesia) – A Tunisian woman called for a free Palestine as she won a pageant exclusively for Muslims in Indonesia Friday, seen as a riposte to Western beauty contests.

Eighteen finalists, who include a doctor and a computer scientist, paraded in glittering dresses against the backdrop of world-renowned ancient temples for the contest in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

Computer scientist Fatma Ben Guefrache was announced the winner and received a prize which includes a gold watch, a gold dinar, and mini pilgrimage to Mecca.

“May almighty Allah help me in this mission, and free Palestine, please, please, free Palestine and the Syrian people,” the tearful 25-year-old woman said.

The 18 finalists were required to wear the Muslim headscarf and judged not only on their appearance, but also on how well they recite verses from the Koran and their views on Islam in the modern world.

“We want to see that they understand everything about the Islamic way of life — from what they eat, what they wear, how they live their lives,” said Jameyah Sheriff, one of the organizers.

The World Muslimah Award first drew global attention in 2013 when organizers presented it as a peaceful protest to Miss World, which was taking place around the same time on the resort island of Bali.

While it remains popular in some countries, British-run Miss World has faced frequent accusations that it is degrading to women, and a round in which contestants pose in bikinis has been a lightning rod for criticism.

In an effort to appease hardliners, Miss World organizers axed the bikini round for the Bali edition, but the event still sparked demonstrations from Islamic radicals who dubbed it a “whore contest”.

 ‘Headscarves not scary’

British contestant Dina Torkia said she hoped this year’s World Muslimah Award would not only provide a contrast to Western beauty pageants, but would also dispel prejudices against Islam.

“I think the most important thing is to show that we are really normal girls, we are not married to terrorists. This scarf on my head isn’t scary,” she told AFP.

However the 2014 pageant has faced challenges, with seven finalists dropping out and others struggling with Indonesia’s complex bureaucracy to obtain visas.

Most who pulled out did so because their families did not want them to travel alone, Sheriff said.

The Indian contestant missed her initial flight as she was being questioned by officials who were suspicious of a woman traveling alone and wearing a headscarf, although she managed to get on a plane later.

Others have gone to great lengths to take part in the fourth edition of the event, with Masturah Binte Jamil quitting her teaching job in Singapore after her employer would not give her time off to participate.

Organizers hope to present positive role models for Islamic women around the world and the contestants, who are aged between 18 and 27, include a newly qualified doctor from Bangladesh.

But not everyone was enjoying the final rounds, with Britain’s Torkia saying her initial optimism had turned into disappointment.

“I came into this competition hoping that I would leave with my faith increased, but so far it’s been a lot about promotion and media and looking nice,” she said.

Friday’s finale caps a lengthy process, which included an online audition followed by two weeks of events in Indonesia.

During their time in Indonesia, contestants have visited orphanages and nursing homes, and had their pictures taken at Borobudur, a famous Buddhist temple close to Yogyakarta, Java’s cultural heartland.

The finale takes place on a stage against the backdrop of Prambanan, a ninth-century complex of Hindu temples on the island of Java that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hosting the event at a Hindu site was a conscious decision to show that Muslims are accepting of other religions, organizers said.

Rabat- After the Israeli government denied the validity of multiple reports that claimed that Mohamed is the most popular boys’ name in Israel, a new study conducted by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics confirmed that Mohamed, indeed, is Israel’s most common name given to newborn boys.

A new Israeli official survey revealed that Mohamed, the name of Islam's prophet, was the most common name given to newborn boys in Israel in 2013, rather than Yosef, as the Israeli government previously claimed.

The study, which was released by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) on Thursday, revealed that the name Mohamed was given to 15.6 percent of newborn boys in Israel. On the other hand, the Hebrew name Noam was given to only 2.4 percent of newborn boys.

The new survey has sparked controversy in Israel, since it came two months after a statement issued by the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority that hid the fact that Mohammad ranked first for boys’ names.

According to the Times of Israel, the Interior Ministry had claimed Israeli boys were most commonly named Yosef, Daniel, Uri, Itai, Omer, Adam, Noam, Ariel, Eitan, David, “despite the fact that several Arab names were statistically more popular than the ones on the list.”

Sabine Haddad, a spokeswoman for the Population and Immigration Authority, defended the exclusion of Arabic names, saying that the list “reflected the media’s interest in popular Hebrew names,” claiming that the Authority had no intention of skewing the facts.

Vox quoted Sabine Haddad as saying that the statistics published “were the statistics requested during the past few years by everyone who contacted us to obtain this information, and for that reason the list relating to the most popular Hebrew names was issued.”

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Rabat - In response to the video of a Moroccan woman being harassed in Casablanca 300 times over the course of 10 hours, Islamic rapper and YouTube celebrity, Sheikh Sar, released a new video on his YouTube channel.

The video footage shows him following women in skinny jeans and miniskirts and filming them, suggesting that women harass men, as well.

Sheikh Sar entitled his new video “a man harassed 100 times in an hour”, in order to mock a Moroccan girl from Casablanca who released a video earlier this month showing her being harassed 300 times.

Sheikh Sar’s video has gone viral, sparking controversy on social media. In the video, Sheikh Sar apparently tried to justify shooting women’s behinds, claiming that he wants to prove that women try to seduce men by wearing provocative skinny jeans and miniskirts.

The self-proclaimed imam claimed that women are more to blame for street harassment than men.

Meanwhile, Moroccan social media users condemned the act, calling it a violation of individual freedoms. Many social media users accused him of attempting to increase the number of the views on his videos.

Some Moroccan politicians and human rights activists slammed Sheikh Sar, including Charafat Afilal, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and the Environment, who considered filming the women an assault on women’s sanctity and bodies.

Similarly, Khadija Rebah, a lawyer and human rights activist called on the government to arrest Sheikh Sar.

“Sheikh Sar must be detained for investigation as long as the Moroccan government claims to fight the stereotyped image of woman in media,” said Khadija Rebah.

She goes on to add that the video is a violation of individual freedoms, adding that Sheikh Sar offended both men and women.

Sheikh Sar, on the other hand, reacted strongly to the harsh criticism that he has received. In a post on his Facebook page, Sheikh Sar addressed the female activists who are attacking him. “You are offering your body to passersby on the street for free, but it bothers you when it’s being shown on YouTube? …. I have the right to film women, just like the girl who filmed men harassing her. Plus, I did not show the faces of the women filmed,” Sheikih Sar wrote.

He goes so far as to claim that he is a “thorn in the side“ of those who called for his arrest, saying that if he can make a video showing women’s behinds, then there are actually more women dressed that way in reality in Morocco.

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Fez - The alleged French paedophile Jean Marie Guillaume, who is accused of molesting two underage children without using violence, revealed shocking new information about his crimes.

The defendant, who was caught groping child of fourteen, denied allegations of sexual assault during a police investigation.

Instead, the 66-year-old French national bluntly confessed that he hosted two minor boys and their parents at his home.

The children slept with him on the same bed, while their parents spent the night in a separate room, he further revealed.

He also said that sometimes the family spends up to two days in his house.

However, the victims insist that Guillaume viciously assaulted them by repeatedly practising sex superficially between their thighs for a reward of MAD 5 to 10.

The police also found and confiscated underwear in the defendant’s toilet as a proof of his. However, Guillaume explained that one of the children had left it after using the bathroom.

The police also found pictures of the victims nearly naked on his computer, but he claimed that he had kept them as a “souvenir.”

The children are deeply hurt, and will not drop charges.

The incident is a reminiscence of the case of Daniel Calvan, a convicted serial child-rapist, who molested at least 11 children in Kenitra in 2011.

Edited by Timothy Filla

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Rabat - A new picture of king Mohamed VI of Morocco and Prince Moulay Rachid is going viral on social media among Moroccan users.

This old and rare picture was posted by Soufiane El Bahri, the owner of a Facebook page devoted to the King Mohammed VI and the Royal family.

The picture in which king Mohamed VI and his brother Prince Moulay Rachid appear in their childhood while having breakfast, has already been shared by thousands of people and garnered more than 60 thousand likes.

According to Soufian El Bahri, the picture that it dates back to 1976.

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Marrakech- When will some Moroccan men stop looking at women as objects of sexual satisfaction? Why do some Moroccan men, including the so-called Sheikh Sar, think that the way a woman dresses can constitute sexual harassment? What is the real reason behind harassment in Moroccan streets?

Throughout the history of the Arab and Islamic countries, women have always been under men’s custody. Allegedly, it is always men who should think on behalf of women, and show them the way they should live their lives. It’s believed that men know what is good for women and what is bad for them. Additionally, women have been considered only tools used to give birth to children, and machines to use at home.

It’s time in our country for women to be appreciated for being women, as their counterparts in Western countries. Women in Morocco should not be obligated to dress according to a man’s mentalities. They are free to wear what they want and what they are comfortable in. They are not responsible for the way men perceive them.

Do people who blame women for the harassment they are exposed to in our Moroccan streets forget that the teachings of Islam enjoin them to refrain from starring and stalking at women? If one wants to use the religion, he has to use it to both, not apply it selectively to women and forget his responsibility in the equation.

Feeling harassed by the way women dress is the result of a mentality built on social education, a misunderstanding of culture, and even some Quran’s texts. Some so-called Islamic advocates think that women exist for men’s pleasure. They even think that men who are good believers, will be rewarded in paradise with girls.

If some men could genuinely change the way they think about women, they would not feel that they are being harassed by what women wear. Harassment is not related to appearance. It is related to the principles of minds and mentalities of those who are controlled by their desires, but those controlled by moral commitments will not even notice what a girl or a man wears.

Men who seek love and are loyal to their girlfriends or wives will not pay attention to other women they come across. It’s only by promoting the true meaning of love between a men and a woman will society get rid of such behavior. But as long as love is related to sexual intercourse, harassment will remain a ghost in our streets where everybody seeks to satisfy his instinct.

“Verily Allah will never change the condition of a people until they change themselves" Surat Ar-Ra`d 11 (Translation of the Meaning of the Quran). Change comes from within, not from appearances. Even some Islamic countries, where women are totally veiled, have a large number of harassment and prostitution cases.

The problem does not lie in the way women dress, but rather with a large category of men who still perceive women as sexual object to satisfy their needs. Therefore, what is acutely needed in our society is not a change in the way women dress, but a radical change in the way we deal with them in public space and of our perception of them. As long as we don’t learn how to respect the choices and freedom of others, our society will still be faced with the plague of street harassment.

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 - Following the unprecedented flooding that hit many regions of southern and south-eastern Morocco this weekend King Mohammed VI called on the government to take the necessary urgent measures to provide all forms of support and assistance to the affected people.

"Following the flood that hit several regions of the Kingdom, including the region of Guelmim, which resulted in several casualties and missing and extensive damage, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, gave His High Instructions to the competent authorities to take all necessary urgent measures to provide all forms of support and assistance to affected populations, "the statement said.

The statement added that the Moroccan monarch will also bear the cost of the burial and funeral of the 16 people who died, as well as of those who resulted injured.

"While sharing the pains of the families of victims and missing persons and in order to alleviate their suffering following this cruel loss, the Sovereign decided to bear the cost of the burial and funeral of the victims, as well as of the injured," the statement added.

Marrakech - U.S. Ambassador to Morocco Mr. Dwight Bush, speaking to a large group of Moroccan American business leaders on Friday, said that "the Global Entrepreneurship Summit held in Marrakech has exceeded all expectations.” He added that by asking King Mohammed VI to host this year's session, "President Barack Obama meant to send a message to Morocco about the two countries' long shared commitment to work with each other."

Ambassador Bush, who was speaking during an exclusive discussion session organized by the Association of Moroccan Professionals in America (AMPA) for its members attending the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, said that the number of participants in this year's GES summit had reached 5000 when the organizers had only expected 3000 participants.

Addressing the members of AMPA, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting networking between Moroccan professionals in the United States and trans-Atlantic business opportunities, Ambassador Bush said that the Moroccans living in America represent two voices in the communities where they live and work, pointing to the importance of not forgetting one's roots.

"While I carry the title of Ambassador, indeed the people in this room who are American Moroccans are the true ambassadors," Dwight Bush said. "You represent two voices in the communities in which you live and in which you work. You have a lot of pride in both of those affiliations," he added.

Elisabeth Myers, AMPA member and the chair of the Women's Entrepreneur Initiative of the Middle East and North Africa Consultants Association (MENACA) told MWN that the 2014 GES summit was truly “global.” "With more than 5,000 entrepreneurs and business leaders coming together in one place, the opportunities to meet kindred spirits, learn, and create business opportunities were unparalleled,”she said. "Ambassador Bush did AMPA a great honor in receiving a large group of AMPA members to initiate a dialogue on collaboration and partnership opportunities," she added.

Chaouki Zahzah, President of AMPA and a Strategic Advisory Director and Entrepreneur, shared his experience with MWN. "The 5th Global Entrepreneurship Summit gathered numerous impressive and high-level speakers, creating a thoroughly interesting and original series of discussions. As such, the event provided excellent opportunities for networking, as well as a prime platform for boosting entrepreneurship and innovation opportunities for more than 5,000 participants."

He also expressed his pride in the steady progress and economic growth that Morocco has achieved, highlighting the participation of Moroccan Americans. "As the President of AMPA, I am also very proud of AMPA’s contribution to the success of this global event on so many fronts," Mr. Zahzah said.

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Taroudant - Microsoft, the American multinational corporation, has certified a five-year-old Muslim kid as an expert.

Ayan Qureshi, a British of Pakistani origin, has become a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), after passing successfully through “rigorous, industry-proven and industry-recognised exams.”

The little kid has scored 700 points out of 1000, enough to enable him to win the IT certification.

Quoted by Ajib, Ayan Qureshi said that the exam was "difficult but manageable." Ayan was first introduced to the computer at the age of three by his father, an IT man.

"He sat next to me and looked at me very carefully," said his father. Ayan told the Independent of his interests other than computer science.

"I like compasses and telescopes, but what I love most is the prisms."

By passing the (MCP) exam, the little Muslim kid becomes the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional in the world.

According to Microsoft, when someone passes the first qualifying MCP exam, which “cover a wide range of Microsoft products, technologies, and solutions,” s/he “automatically becomes a Microsoft Certified Professional and gain access to MCP benefits.”

Taroudant - Moroccan teenagers belonging to wealthy families have joined a social media phenomenon that has attracted rich kids of the world.

Inspired by Rich Kids of Instagram, Moroccan kids from well-to-do families use RichKidsofMorocco on Instagram to display their extravagant lifestyle and share with others their luxurious possessions.

The Morocco-based Rich Kids of Instagram account appeared on Instagram on October 10 and has picked up more 1400 followers.

Since its first publication, the account has already recorded 58 shots. Selfies with luxury cars, poses on a classy yacht, pictures of clean beaches and at the edge of blue lagoon pools, and other extravagant pictures reveal the excessive life style of these wealthy kids.

Rich people from all over the world are always inclined to distinguish themselves in private groups where money rules.

Marrakech - The beautiful and appealing cities of southeast of Morocco can also be terrible due to their tendency to receive heavy rain, as they did recently. They are featured in tragic stories on the national media. Some people have died, some have lost their houses, and almost all the roads are damaged.

The autumn rain often makes people in the region happy and optimistic, because it signals a prosperous agricultural year, a beautiful spring, and a wonderful summer. When all the tourists come back, they find beautiful green spaces.

The southeast attracts thousands of tourists and visitors every year, mainly in spring and summer. However, the fall reveals that the region needs really special care, since it is located among mountains and rivers. People have their houses besides rivers. People still need to traverse rain-damaged paths to get to public places, including schools, souks, and hospitals.

The rain shows a truth that government officials should have been paying attention to for many years. Roads and bridges should be built effectively. People always protest the poor quality of bridges and roads, because many people die every day in traffic accidents on roads going to the southeastern cities.

The region is not poor in terms of resources. It is a destination for world cinema, important for tourism, natural resources, and a great amount of manual workers.

The region is important for other regions in Morocco as well. When roads are damaged, many teachers and workers are trapped in the southeast, and there are no other means to get them to their work in the big cities.

We, the citizens of the southeast, suffer so much whenever it rains. Our houses are not equipped to handle rain, as 60 percent are made only of adobe, and people still suffer from the lack of basic needs.

Those in charge should take serious measures, not only to fix the damaged roads, and take care of the dead, but also to have a strategic plan to promote the whole region.

Tichka, a very windy road connecting Marrakech and Ouarzazate, is nightmare for all travelers. It should have a tunnel, as many southeastern people dream every single night.

Social assistants should accompany students to schools, because the roads are risky. The floods of the past two months have taken the lives of four students.

Many victims passed away in distasteful situations. This should prompt to the government to rethink its development strategies, and pay due attention to these remote areas. Morocco is not only Rabat, Casablanca, and the north. Citizens are not only those from Rabat or Casablanca. The people over mountains are no less patriotic than everyone else and nobody in the country should be left behind.

Rabat - Rabat, the capital city of Morocco, hosted from November 16 to 19 the only Model United Nations conference in Africa. 

The theme of the second annual Model United Nations (MUN) Morocco was new challenges of human rights.

The conference was organized by National Observatory of Children’s Rights in collaboration with World Human Rights Forum and the International University of Rabat.

The conference featured a standard Opening Ceremony, committee sessions, the General Assembly, and the closing ceremony.

In the closing ceremony, Jose Antonio Villena-Pepe, the conference’s Secretary General, said, “I'm in Morocco because I want to change the world, a world where we are not going to be judged not by our skin nor our religion.”

The MUN Morocco, the first Moroccan International MUN, offered the chance for young Moroccan and international delegates to learn democratic principles, while debating multiple topics, chosen with care, in order to focus on issues relevant to children and youth.

On the sidelines of the conference, the organization team surprised the delegates and the committee chairs with several treats, including a trip to Casablanca, where the chairs and delegates had the honor to visit The Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque in Morocco and Africa and the 7th largest in the world. At 210 meters, its minaret is the world's tallest. Furthermore, they paid a short visit to the Hassan II Mosque Casablanca Mediatheque.

Mrs. Lotte Irbe, who is studying Intercultural Relations between Latvia, France, and Belgium at the Latvian Academy of Culture, told MWN that the “Moroccan youth has this incredible opportunity to succeed, not just because of their positivity, passion, and thirst for knowledge, but also for knowing at least three languages: Arabic, French and English.”

At the end of the conference, the delegates drafted a number of resolutions and recommendations under the supervision of their highly qualified international and local chairs. On the same note, these resolutions and recommendations will be sent to the United Nations in order to be taken into considerations.

Edited by Timothy Filla

Rabat- Following the controversial video made by Islamist Rapper and YouTube celebrity, Sheikh Sar, in which he shot women’s behinds, the Moroccan Federation of Woman’s Rights is moving forward to fill a lawsuit against the self-proclaimed Imam.

Last week, Sheikh Sar made headlines in Morocco after he posted a video on YouTube in which he appears following women in skinny jeans and miniskirts and filming their behinds. Commenting on his video, he suggested that women harass men when they wear “provocative skinny jeans and miniskirts.”

The self-proclaimed imam claimed that women are more to “blame” for street harassment than men. In a press release, the Moroccan Federation of Women’s Rights condemned the content of the video footage labeling it a “violation of the individual freedoms of women.”

The Federation also called upon the Moroccan government to adopt a national policy to combat violence against women. The federation said that it was moving forward to fill a lawsuit against Sheikh Sar at Rabat’s Court of First Instance.

The federation’s decision to sue Sheikh Sar comes few days ahead of the launch of an international campaign to put an end for violence against woman, on the eve of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Moroccan women will take part in this international campaign through a nationwide campaigns under the slogan “Unite to Eliminate Violence Against Women.’’

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