Taroudant - American pop star Janet Jackson, accompanied by her billionaire Qatari husband Wissam al-Mana, arrived in the West Bank on Wednesday on an unannounced visit to the occupied Palestinian territory.

The Pop star, who has reportedly converted to Islam after she married Wissam al Mana in 2012, is on a visit to the West Bank to promote peace as an ambassador for the United Nations children's charity UNICEF.

The UNICEF goodwill ambassador posted pictures on her Twitter account of herself posing with “beautiful Palestinian students” at Yatta High School, West Bank.

Peace. Yatta High School, West Bank with @UNICEF. Beautiful Palestinian students. pic.twitter.com/m3x1LxjaWd — Janet Jackson (@JanetJackson) December 20, 2014

On her way to the West Ban, Jackson visited along with her husband on December 17 the Zaatari Camp in Jordan, home to thousands of Syrian refugees, who escaped the civil war that has torn their country.

With @UNICEF Zaatari Camp. Syria’s beautiful children. Their openness and love... so wonderful. Wissam and Janet pic.twitter.com/TFLXWoz46D — Janet Jackson (@JanetJackson) December 17, 2014

Peace. A group of young Palestinian boys from a herding family in Bi'r al 'Id, South Hebron Hills, with @UNICEF. pic.twitter.com/2filVHKGTv

— Janet Jackson (@JanetJackson) December 20, 2014

Marrakech- After recently training Imams in several African countries, Morocco will train fifty Imams from France, who will arrive to the kingdom this coming January.

The trainings, which will cover the Quran and the life of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), will include supplementary lessons in science and information technology.

France plans to use these new Imams to promote an image of moderate Islam, and to fight t extremism in French mosques.

France has drawn a framework plan to protect its mosques from extremism, after a recent increase of French young people joining the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Morocco has placed great emphasis on the field of religion, and has made significant reforms in an effort to fight against the prevailing ideas that promote terrorism.

Morocco, which has previously trained Imams from different African countries, including Mali, Nigeria, and Gabon, has become a destination for training and a symbol of moderate religion in North Africa.

Reporting by El Houssaine Naaim. Edited by Timothy Filla

Fez - The Moroccan government’s lack of attention to its citizens facing great hardship for more than a week is pitiful. Morocco’s southeastern region (Ouarzazate, Tinghir, and Zagora) is facing substantial trauma, and its people, houses and plantations have been devastated, while the region was flooded. 

“There hasn’t been a time when we’ve been completely cut off from other parts of the country,” a man from Tamellalte tells me. People’s belongings and possessions were dispersed throughout the area after heavy rain and floods recently incapacitated several southern Moroccan towns.

In Tamellalte, a vilage located 60 kilometers northeast of Zagora, the current situation is unbearably dismal. People from inside and outside the area have appealed for government assistance. Tamellalte is generally prepared when the Draa Valley is flooded, due to the tribe’s low elevation and seasonal weather patterns. Dwellers have come to expect these events. What they did not expect is the continuous negligence and delinquency from Moroccan authorities to address the issue of their remoteness.

Many people in Tamellalte are in desperate need of help in terms of shelter, food, and other basic living amenities. Imagine students, schoolteachers, and traders unable to attend their institutions in the village on the other bank of the river because of floods. Imagine people unable to access basic food items in their local market. Imagine the entire infrastructure in Tamellalte either destroyed or inaccessible, with its dwellers effectively cut off from the rest of the region due to destroyed roads.

I have already made an account of a similar incident in a previous article, “Tamellalte, the Forgotten Town.” Now, the same situation is playing out across the greater southeast, and in Tamellalte in particular. These floods are, in fact, an additional challenge to Tamellalte, alongside an ongoing tribal conflict between the people of Tamellalte and their neighbouring tribe on the opposite side of the river, Tamezmoute. Short skirmishes have broken out all along and over the bridge and road construction, to which Tamezmoute never consented.

As far as back as I can remember, 2004 saw the most traumatic event of the long history of tension between Tamellalte and Tamezmoute, with both tribes constantly fighting over the bridge. As an onlooker, I was overwhelmed to see the tribes warring and fighting with one another. It was around 5:00 pm February 4^th when men, women, and children all joined in on the fight. The news spread, and dominated the entire region. It’s shameful that people in the 21^stcentury still get worked up over the pettiest of subjects, such as a bridge or tarred road. It shows how ignorance perpetuates society. Both Tamellalte and Tamezmoute are subjects to their ignorance, alas!!!

Efforts have been made to heal the rift, yet it is ordinary to find the two constantly in conflict, rarely reaching common ground. Tamellalte always sues for peace, because they always anticipate catastrophic events. However, such a flood is never anticipated. The onus, accordingly, falls on the local authorities to intervene and maintain the status quo and to end such skirmishes. This accentuates the authorities’ neglect and both tribes’ remoteness.

Recently, the significance of this negligence has come into sharp focus. Many people question the possibility of dialogue between the belligerents. Still, it’s difficult to gauge where the blame lies. First and foremost, as inhabitants of the area, we must be aware of the problems that should be overcome by moving from a framework of personal and tribal interests to looking at what we have in common as a neglected, ostracised, and remote part of Morocco.

I believe that it is high time to build our lives together on solid foundations of mutual love, peace, and knowledge, rather than the sands of ignorance. I painfully stress that both tribes align themselves together for the sake of future generations. Still, regrettably, the strong beliefs of antagonism, hatred, and enmity are instilled in every member of both tribes. The tribes’ adults, both educated and uneducated, have arrogantly declined to discuss the matter. Whenever tribe members pass by youth gangs from the opposite tribe, they receive bitter and relentless insults. I have always wondered why authorities condone harassment like this?

It is a depressing fact that both tribes are not yet ready for dialogue because of their disdain, arrogance, denial, and dogmatic tribal interests. I have no doubt that our society, our future, and our very existence are better than this. Sooner or later, the tragedy of flood will come to an end. We urgently need a concrete bridge to open Tamellalte to the rest of the region. It is something we have fought for, imprisoned for, and killed for. It is common knowledge that Tamellalte runs in our blood. In the same vein, we live by it, or we die by it.

Edited by Jaclyn Deen

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Istanbul - King Mohammed VI, accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, Princess Lalla Khadija and Princess Lalla Salma, was invited to take a cup of tea with the family of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Rabat - A Saudi national was arrested on Wednesday for assaulting a police officer at a checkpoint in the entrance of the city of Essaouira, according to the daily newspaper Al Ahdath Al Maghribiya.

The Saudi man refused to comply with orders of the police officer who pulled him over. He was accompanied by a Moroccan woman who allegedly works for him.

The Saudi national, who failed to provide a proof of insurance, punched the police officer several times causing him bruises in the face and ears.

The accused is awaiting trial in the court of first instance in Essaouira.

Marrakech - Mauritanian social media users slam the decision of their President to organize a “Moroccan” wedding ceremony for his daughter.

The wedding ceremony of the daughter of the President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, which incorporated traditional Moroccan customs and dress, has been subject to heavy criticism from Mauritanian society and social media users.

The daughter of the president, who had lived in Morocco, chose a Moroccan ceremony and traditional customs to be observed throughout the wedding, from wearing Moroccan traditional clothes, to being carried on a Moroccan Ammria, a platform on which the bride is carried by four men, and with music played by live traditional Moroccan bands, according to Al Arabia.

The wedding ceremony elicited strong criticism from Mauritanian social media users, who considered it an “expression of indifference to Mauritanian traditions by the President’s daughter, charging that she failed to respect local Mauritanian traditions.

Some charged that the President’s daughter “is not proud of belonging to Mauritania and its traditions, even if she did not mean it, as long as she chooses to celebrate her wedding through the traditions of another country.”

Others, however, supported the president’s daughter’s choice, arguing that she is free to celebrate her wedding in whatever manner she chooses. In their view it was not unusual for her to choose a Moroccan wedding, given that she had lived in Morocco for a long time and had enjoyed Moroccan wedding ceremonies.

Rabat - Morocco mourns the loss of a number of celebrated characters this year.  From the dean of “Taqtouta Jabaliya”  Mohamed Laaroussi in February to famous professor and futurologist Mehdi El Mandjra in June  and Minister of State, Abdellah Baha, in  December; these are individuals who have left momentous contributions in their chosen fields though they have left us forever.

Today Morocco World News pays tribute to the famous and influential faces who passed in 2014.

Abdelkader Brazi, 50

The former goal-keeper of the Moroccan national team and FAR of Rabat who played an instrumental role in qualifying the Moroccan national team for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. Abdelkader Brazi suffered from a crippling disease that left him no chance of recovery, claiming his life on January 24, in Rabat.

Mohamed Laarousi, 80

Mohamed Laarousi, a poet, songwriter, composer and singer who followed his love of music and left the M’sid (a place where children learn Qur’an and the ABCs of religious studies) in order to write, compose and sing songs. He was considered one of the first deans of “Taqtouta Jabaliya,” a popular Moroccan genre of music performed with traditional instruments, especially in the mountainous areas and in the north-west of the Kingdom.

His love for Morocco and his struggle against colonialism were echoed in his music, and performed through his remarkable voice. His music forms a rich reference for researchers and anybody interested in “Jbala” art that thrives in many Moroccan regions such as Chefchaouen, Ouazzan, Tangier and Tetouan. Mohamed Laarousi passed away on February 14 in Fez, at the age of 80, after a long illness.

Mehdi El Mandjra, 81

Writer, futurist, economist, and sociologist, Mahi El Mandjra held very important positions in significant academic institutions and NGOs in Morocco and abroad, such as University Mohammed V, UNDP, and UNESCO. He produced many publications and over 500 articles in the humanities and social sciences. He was honored and decorated in different parts of the world, including Jordan, France, and Japan.

However, he had not been given his due and his lectures have been banned even today in Morocco. In a statement to Al-Quds Al Arabi, he said that he had been banned more than ten times since 1999 on account of his lectures.  El Mahdi El-Mandjra is internationally known as a futurologist and one of the co-founders of the International Federation of Futurologist Studies. One of his famous ‘prophecies’ is what came to be known as ‘The Arab Spring’. He was very respected and loved by the Moroccan people and died on June 13.

Ahmed Zaidi, 61

Ahmed Zaidi was a journalist, politician and member of parliament. He worked as an editor in chief and TV anchor at the National Television for more than 20 years. During this period Ahmed Zaidi set up Press Club of Morocco.

Politically, Ahmed Zaidi made his first appearance in the Moroccan political scene in the communal elections of 1976 and was the youngest candidate. He eventually became one of the significant leaders of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces USFP. He became a member of the parliament in 1993. In 2007 he became the president the USFP group in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the parliament.

Ahmed Zaidi died on November 9 as he was trying to cross the Sherat River, near Rabat, to reach his home. While trying to reach his house, Zaidi reportedly did not realize the high level water of the river as a result of the rainfall in Morocco at that time. His car fell from a bridge in the Oued Cherrat. He was alone in the vehicle.

Abdellah Baha, 60

Abdellah Baha was Minister of State and one of the most influential leaders the Party of Justice and Development. He a served as deputy secretary general of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) since 2004. He was MP for Rabat for three consecutive terms, beginning in the 2002 legislative elections. This native of Souss was vice-speaker of the House of Representatives (2007), head of the PJD Group (2003/2006) and president of the Commission of Justice, Legislation and Human Rights (2002/2003). A member of the Executive Office of the uniqueness and Reform Movement (MUR), he was director of publication of the daily “Attajdid”, as well as “Al Islah” and “Arraya.

Abdellah Baha’s death sparked controversy in Morocco as he died in the same place as the late Ahmed Zaidi.  He was hit by a train on December 7 near the Sherat River. The departed's friends from PJD said that he was visiting the place where Ahmed Zaidi died and did not pay attention to the train while he was crossing the railroad.

Mohammed Bastaoui, 60

Born in Khouribgha in 1954, Mohammed Bastaoui, an artist and producer left a rich history of success in Moroccan Cinema and Television. He started his artistic career in theatre with “Masrah al Yaoum” and “Masrah Achams.” Moroccan fans knew the late artist largely through the series “Dwyer Zman,” and “Janan karma” by Moroccan director Farida Bourkia. The Late Mohamed Bastaoui was best known for his role as a Bedouin man in several movies and TV shows. He was a well experienced and bright artist who wielded influence in Moroccan art at large. He died on December 17 after fighting a lengthy illness.

Fatima Aouam, 55

Fatima Aouam was a former middle distance runner. She was one of the most prominent Moroccan runners in the 1980’s. She won three medals at the Arab Games in Casablanca in 1985, and was crowned champion of Africa winning two gold medals in Algeria in 1988.

In 1987 she broke the two mile world record in Italy, becoming the first Moroccan, Arab and African woman to achieve that result. In 1988, she became the first Moroccan woman to reach the 14 finals of 1500 meters at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. She was crowned Morocco’s athlete of the year in 1987.

Fatima Aouam passed away on December 27.

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Rabat - Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Sir Winston Churchill was urged by his family to 'fight against' the desire to convert to the Islamic religion, according to a newly-discovered letter.

According to the Independent, the letter was found by a Cambridge University historian, Warren Dockter while researching for his book 'Winston Churchill and the Islamic World: Orientalism, Empire and Diplomacy in the Middle East'.

"Please don’t become converted to Islam; I have noticed in your disposition a tendency to orientalise, Pasha-like tendencies, I really have," says the letter from Churchill’s future sister-in-law Lady Gwendoline Bertie, dated August 1907.

"If you come into contact with Islam your conversion might be effected with greater ease than you might have supposed, call of the blood, don’t you know what I mean, do fight against it,” Lady Gwendoline Bertie who was soon to marry Churchill’s brother Jack, added.

The Prime Minister who led Britain to victory in World War Two had an opportunity to experience living in an Islamic society when he served as an officer of the British Army in Sudan.

Churchill even dressed in Arab clothes in private and wrote in the letter that he "Wished he were a Pasha," a rank of distinction in the Ottoman Empire.

The British Politician was interested in Islam but "never seriously considered converting, Dr. Dockter told the Independent." He was more or less an atheist by this time anyway. He did however have a fascination with Islamic culture which was common among Victorians.

Churchill might have voiced his admiration for Islam, but he was not uncritical.

"The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men,” Churchill wrote in 1899 about his experience in Sudan titled, The River War.

Rabat - After approving a decree that provides direct support for widows, the Moroccan government considers allocating financial support for the unemployed.

Abdul Salam Al Siddiqi, Minister of Employment and Social Affairs said that the Moroccan government is considering the allocation of financial support fixed at 1,000 Dirhams per month for the unemployed.

The measure is due to take effect starting next year and it aims at assisting around ten thousand unemployed B.A holders in their search for work.

Speaking to Anadolu a news agency, the minister said that the new measure will help a large number of unemployed individuals, especially those living in rural areas.

The government will financially help the unemployed for three to four months, Abdul Salam Al Siddiqi added.

He said that the national strategy for employment which was planned to be launched by the end of this year has been postponed until the beginning of next year.

The minister went on to say that the government hopes the 1% increase in the country's GDP will help create 40,000 new jobs, instead of 30,000 new jobs available now.

Rabat - A Scottish nurse was diagnosed with the Ebola virus. British officials are tracing scores of passengers on the nurse's Royal Air Maroc flight into the UK from Casablanca international Airport.

According to the Guardian, the nurse spent the last month working as a volunteer with Save the Children in Ebola-stricken Sierra Leon to help combat the epidemic.

She had been volunteering at a newly built hospital at Kerry Town in Sierra Leone run by the charity Save the Children since November 23^rd.

She was transferred from Glasgow airport in a quarantine tent surrounded by a group of health worker in full protection suits to the Royal Free Hospital in north London.

It is the first case of Ebola to be diagnosed on UK soil, added the Guardian.

The British officials from Health Protection Scotland and Public Health England are also mapping out scores of 71 passengers on her internal British Airways connection from Heathrow to Glasgow on Sunday night.

Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister said on Monday that the search for passengers was "very much precautionary measures."

"The risk to other people as a result of this Ebola case is deemed to be extremely low," Sturgeon told a press conference.

By Fadma Bouchadi

Agadir - While both parents have a strong presence in our lives, I firmly believe that it is our mothers that we are closest to.

Mothers are universally known for their tenderness and attachment to their children. In Moroccan society especially, mothers are a tremendous source of pride. They have in common a soft spirit and a sense of fairness.

Most of our qualities are derived from our mothers’ behaviors. Mothers are role models who pay particular attention to their own actions because they are aware that we learn from them as children, imitating their deeds and words. Motherhood is an unprecedented difficulty as well as a gift. Taking charge of the house, raising children, educating and supporting them through every step of their lives are great challenges. Most mothers have the ability to support and care not because they are obliged to, but because it is their nature. When one contemplates a mother’s reproach, one will find that a mother’s concern often derives from her eagerness for her children's achievements and safety even after her children reach adulthood.

Though they sometimes suffer, they fight to provide better lives for their children. According to a famous Moroccan saying "if you want this life to give you value, take care of your mother." The famous Lebanese writer Jabran Khalil Jabran also once said "Mother is everything in life, she is a consolation in sorrow, hopefulness in despair and strength in weakness." We are shaped by our mother's values; they are the ones who play the main role in shaping our characters, personalities and achievements.

Moroccan mothers have a special gift for leadership. They are leaders at home and demand strict order. They are known for their nurturing role and seem to have an innate ability to discern their children's specific needs more than a father. There is simply an emotional connection between a mother and her children that is simply not as prominent in a father's relationship with his children.

In addition, mothers tend to converse much more with their children. Some theorize that women generally are more verbal than men, and that style tends to manifest itself in parenting since mothers offer more words of affirmation, express expectations clearly, and talk about various issues. Mothers generally put their children's needs ahead of their own and seem to share one principle: self-sacrifice for their children. We feel safe and secure in the presence of our mothers.

Throughout my personal experiences, I have stubbornly disobeyed when my mother advised me against something, a refusal which has resulted in my failure time and time again. For instance, when my mother advised me not to keep company with a particular group of girls, I still spent time with them, ignoring her advice. Later on those friendships came to an end leading me to believe that my mother saw things that I didn’t at the time. When my mother told me not to go somewhere and I went, I later found that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would, or worse, the event would ruin my day. After much trial and error, I am certain that her advice is always true and well intentioned. There are all too many moments when our parents tell us something when we’re young, and we disagree, only to learn years later that our mother was right all along!

Our mothers support us forever and love us unconditionally. Mothers are blessings that Allah has endowed us with and here we recognize Allah's  beauty in his creation.

Photo credit: Flickr/Jeremy Bidon. Edited by Sahar Kian

Rabat- A Belgian woman of Moroccan origin has been chosen the best news presenter by the French-speaking Belgians, says a poll conducted by "Ipsos" institute.

Hakima Darhmouch, 36, a news presenter at RTL-TVI won the first place with 44% of the vote equally with her colleague Francois de Brigode from RTBF, the undisputed pioneer in the field of news in Belgium.

A Brussels native, Hakima Darhmouch was born in April 2^nd, 1978. She graduated from the Higher Institute of Social formation and communication.

In 2010, she was selected the best presenter of the 19h00 news by the Belgian weekly Télémoustique.

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Rabat - A group of Egyptian journalists sent a complaint to the Egyptian Journalists Union on Tuesday evening to protest the offensive remarks of Egyptian TV presenter Wafaa ElKilany, who said in her show on the MBC network that Morocco and Africa are the “land of sorcery.”

In coordination with the Union of Independent Journalists, Mohamed Abdel Shakur, member of the Egyptian Journalists Union, said that he is leading a campaign to collect signatures from journalists to file a lawsuit against the TV presenter for attacking Moroccans.

Noonpress quoted Jamal Abdel-Rahim, a board member of the Egyptian Journalists Union, as saying, “we do not accept such encroachment from any Egyptian journalist in various media against a brother country like Morocco in particular, and the Arab countries in general.”

Known for her treatment of sex-related topics, Egyptian TV presenter Wafaa ElKilany described Morocco and Africa as a land of sorcery and black magic, overlooking the fact that Egypt is also an African country.

After a string of Egyptian journalists and actors making aggressive remarks against Morocco in recent months, ElKilany comes along now to add insult to injury.

In July, Amany El-Khayat, an Egyptian TV presenter, lashed out at Morocco’s King and the ruling Islamist party, claiming that the Moroccan economy is based on “prostitution.”

Following her baseless statements, El-Khayat apologized on the air to Moroccans and the Moroccan King.

Rabat - Moroccan Justice ruled in favor of a Kenitra teacher whose former employer tried to force her into removing her veil inside her place of work, according to news magazine Telquel.

The teacher, Malika Bennour, a former teacher at Don Bosco School in the city of Kenitra, filed a complaint against her former employer who tried to force her to remove her headscarf in the workplace.

According to her lawyer Rachid Ait Belarabi, the judge in charge of the case felt that the dismissal of the teacher in such a way was unfair and, therefore, ordered the school to pay for the damages inflicted on the teacher.

The judge in charge of the case felt that the director of the Don Bosco School went 'against the principles of the constitution which guarantees the free exercise of religion.'

Bennour, who worked in the catholic school Don Bosco since 1986, was under pressure from the school principal to remove her veil since the start of the 2013/2014 school year.

At the time, the management of the school had offered her a new contract but in which it was stipulated that she had to come to school with her head uncovered.

The teacher refused to sign the document and as a result she was laid off and denied access to the school by its director.

Rabat - Happy New Year to all my friends and colleagues.

Happy New Year to my colleagues working tirelessly to overcome ignorance, illiteracy and obscurantism despite daily atrocities, extreme weather conditions, isolation of remote areas and frustrations accompanying the task of accommodating learners.

Happy New Year to my friends and colleagues working hard to erase poverty, vulnerability, isolation and marginalization against the most ferocious odds.

Happy New Year to my friends and colleagues fighting prejudice, inequality, injustice, discrimination against women, children, people with handicaps, ethnic and religious minorities or those who have made different life decisions even in the face of self righteousness, hypocrisy and conceit.

Happy New Year to my friends and colleagues going out of their way to bring people closer together, encouraging mutual understanding, acceptance and peace despite backward politics, deadly ideologies, war based economies and death and destruction industries.

Happy New Year to my friends and colleagues dedicating their lives to knowledge, research and science for the improvement of the human race against the occult powers that thrive in irrationality, illiteracy and ignorance.

Happy New Year to my friends and colleagues dedicating their careers to the wellbeing of animals and who strive to protect and preserve the environment against those whose wealth comes from destroying forests, polluting waters and abusing soil.

Happy New Year to my friends and colleagues fighting uphill battles to provide for their families, feed their kids, buy medicine for their aging parents, and repair their shoes so that rain water does not flood their feet and freeze their toes.

Happy New Year to my friends and colleagues who toil on several jobs so as not to starve, not to lose their dignity, or sell their souls to the devil over criminal immorality.

A Happier New Year to my friends grappling with disease and illness against the dark prognostics of doctors.

A Happier New Year to my friends who have lost their businesses and homes or who are in the process of losing them because of unfavorable circumstances.

Happy New Year to those I know and to those I don't know and may never know, to my friends and to those who are not. For it is happiness that makes people better, a happy person cannot bear to hurt others, inflict pain or make others unhappy.

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Rabat - In one of the latest reports of Islamophobic, xenophobic and racist attacks against Muslims and Muslim community centers in Austria, a mosque in Vienna was defaced on Christmas Day when vandals with attached a pig’s head and entrails to it. 

The act of vandalism reflects a growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the European country.

On Thursday, December 25, the head of a pig, along with pork tripe, were hung on the door of Kocatepe Mosque belonging to the Turkish-Islamic Union in Austria.

The act of vandalism was described as "unacceptable" by a local imam, according to The Local Austria. The attack was reported to the police by the mosque's community, the same source added.

Muslims are forbidden from eating pork or touching pig carcasses, as they are considered unclean in Islam.

Condemning the barbaric affront to Muslim sensibilities, the head of the Turkish-Islamist Union in Vienna (ATIB), Fatih Karada? stated "this attack was not only against Muslims, but an attack against the whole humanity.  We will keep our calm stance as Muslims.”

This year, there have been several other similar hate crimes targeting the Muslim community in Austria which includes about half a million Muslims or nearly 6 percent of the European country's 8 million population.

Earlier in the year during Eid, five pigs heads were dropped into the construction site of Eyüp Sultan Religious Vocational High School (Imam Hatip Lisesi) in Vienna.

Edited by Elisabeth Myers.

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Rabat- A father of 70 held his 30 year-old son in captivity in a stable for more than 7 years in Sidi Bouzid, in Eljadida province, only 50 km from Casablanca, before authorities released him last Friday.

After receiving a tip, the local authorities rushed to the scene, where they found a skinny and dirty young man, lying on the ground in a stable without clothes, blankets, or a mattress, in inhumane conditions, according to Al Akhbar and Al Ahdath Al Maghribia dailies.

After opening an investigation into the incident, the son was taken to the regional hospital of El Jadida to be treated, while the father is under investigation by local authorities to determine what led him to detain his son.

The incident has enraged the inhabitants of the region as well as human rights organizations, especially the Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights, which reportedly described the situation of the victim as “a catastrophic humanitarian situation by any standards, and a heinous crime."

After the son could no longer help his father with agricultural labor, the father and his brothers began to treat the young man inhumanely, according to Hesspress. The son, who is being hospitalized in the regional hospital of Eljadida, reportedly is not suffering from any serious diseases or mental disorder. He has stressed that he "does not want to press charges against his father.”

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Rabat - The commission of Justice, Legislation and Human Rights of the House of Councilors has resumed discussions over the domestic workers bill, according to news magazine Telquel.

In the presence of Employment and Social Affairs Minister, Abdesalam Seddiki, parliamentarians discussed the bill and voted for 12 amendments out of the 21 available.

The bill stipulates the signing of a compulsory contract between the employer and the domestic worker with an 8-day trial period in addition to the obtaining of a medical certificate that proves the employee's good health.

In an attempt to end the work of little maids, the bill stipulates, among other revisions, the prohibition of employing domestic workers under the age of 16.

The first bill passed by the government in March 2013 called for a minimum age of 15. When consulted, the National Council for Human Rights had recommended in November 2013 that the minimum age should be set at 18. An opinion also shared by the Economic and Social Council.

According to Telquel, the discussion are expected to resume on January 5th in order to discuss matters such as the minimum wage for the domestic workers, leave, severance pay, etc. Once voted, the text will be returned to the House of Representatives for adoption.

Marrakech - There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and irony. Morocco lived through all of these in 2014 with tragic and joyful landmark events that left people sad at one moment and happy at another.

The following pictures and events of 2014 are engrained in every Moroccan citizen’s mind.

The Amendment of controversial rape marriage law

On January 2014, the first chamber of the Moroccan parliament unanimously ratified a draft law to amend article 475 of the penal code that allowed rapists to avoid prosecution for rape if they married their victims.

The article in question made international headlines in March 2012 when Amina al-Filali, 16, was forced to marry a man who had allegedly raped her.

Right activists hailed the amendment. Now, Moroccan girls will no longer be forced into marriages with the people who physically and psychologically traumatize them.

The opening of Morocco's first museum since independence was among the best events that marked 2014. Dedicated to modern and contemporary art, the Mohammed VI Museum opened to the public on October 9th, 2014.

The Mohammed VI Museum first exhibition was a retrospective of over 400 art works that trace back the evolution of modern and contemporary art in the kingdom. 100 years of creation in Morocco attracted around 50,000 visitors to the Museum whose construction lasted 10 years.

Morocco’s Request to Postpone the Cup of African Nations

Leery of the spread of Ebola, Morocco requested a postponement of the 2014 Cup of African Nations that was refused by the Confederation of African Football (FAC). The Confederation moved the CAN to Equatorial Guinea, instead of Morocco, which was subject to several punishments from the CAF

Floods that Devastated Southern Morocco

The south and south east of Morocco were inundated by unprecedented rain and flooding. More than 40 people died, many lost their homes with 23,600 houses damaged, and countless roads and bridges were destroyed.

Newly Renovated Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat Washed Out by Rain

When heavy rain flooded Rabat’s Moulay Abdellah Stadium during the 2014 Club World Cup, the primitive measures that were taken to drain the water out of the stadium involving using a big squeegee to soak up the water and squeeze it into buckets of well-known Moroccan paint companies, put Morocco under the critical eye of the world and damaging the reputation of Moroccan football.

Prince Moulay Rachid’s Wedding

In contrast to the some sad events, 2014 saw the wedding of Prince Moulay Rachid, the younger brother of King Mohammed VI, to 27 year old Lalla Oum Keltoum Boufares in Rabat in November. Oum Keltoum Boufares is the daughter of Mamoun Boufares who was the governor of Marrakech when King Mohammed VI ascended the throne in July 1999.

Hadar Alert Security Program Implemented

A new security program known as the “Hadar Alert” was created to counter security threats facing the Kingdom, including terrorist operations. The program, which was established on October 25, combines the forces of a police officer and two soldiers who are placed in strategic and vulnerable locations such as airports and tourist cities and sites.

The Bourgogne Disaster

On Friday July 11, 2014 Moroccans woke up to the collapse of three buildings in the Bourgogne neighborhood of Casablanca.

The disaster took life of more than 22 citizens, and the injured were taken to the Moulay Youssef regional hospital where they were visited by King Mohammed VI.

“Medieval Morocco: An Empire from Africa to Spain”

Another landmark of 2014 was an exhibition entitled “Medieval Morocco: An Empire from Africa to Spain” which was inaugurated by Princess Lalla Meryem in Paris, on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2014.

The Medieval Morocco exhibition, organized by the Louvre Museum in partnership with the National Foundation for Museums, promoted and preserved Moroccan culture.

It featured over 300 works of art reflecting what Morocco has achieved during the Almoravid, Almohad and Marinid dynasties in the fields of architecture, pottery, textiles, calligraphy, and books. The event also displayed scientific and technical inventions and their impact on the European Renaissance.

Allal 'Qadus', or Mustapha Smlali, The Hero of Rabat

After the heavy rain in Rabat and Casablanca, about two months ago, and in the absence of units in charge of streets drainage pipes, an old man in black shorts heroically volunteered to clean the drains of the streets and let rainwater drain into the pipes.

The old man rapidly was known throughout Morocco as Alla kadous “Allal of Pipes,” or the hero of Rabat, who ironically saved the Rabati people from floods.

Mustapha Smlali had been the headlines of Moroccan social media, as he managed allegedly to do more than the Civil Prevention Services could do.

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