In my near-daily googling of other Morocco-related blogs, I came across this one. Bouba, aka azegzaw, identifies as Moroccan Saharawi and Amazigh, and says that he “lives between memories, art and politics.

It was this post which caught my attention. The heading of the post refers to Peace Corps volunteers, but it is soon clear that Bouba is referring to expats here, in general, particularly those of the North American variety. “People who live in Morocco for awhile have great experiences that they could write about. When they stop being racist,” he says. A fair point; I’m sure those of you who live here have met that special variety of expats known as “those who have lived in Morocco too long.” The expats which Culture Shock! Morocco’s Orin Hargrave refers to as those whose only run-ins with Moroccans are with those who serve them drinks. But unfortunately, that’s not who the writer is referencing.

In fact, he’s referencing me. And you. And sadly, one of my favorite bloggers, Cat in Rabat, whom he quotes directly, saying that the following is Cat’s understanding of illiteracy:

But is this a world without books? Are there bookstores in Rabat? Some; for the most part, they carry French and Arabic titles. Who’s reading them? Obviously some people – I’m not suggesting that no one reads in Morocco, only that I haven’t seen any of them yet. Possibly the ex-pat community keeps the libraries alive.

Now, I read that particular post, in fact, I read Cat’s blog the same way I eat Friday couscous - with great abandon. However, what Bouba seems to have missed is where Cat discussed the great strides Morocco is making with literacy programs, where she pointed out how the corrupt Moroccan government has allowed near-illiterate parliamentarians seats. And to me, most importantly, where she points out her own experiences with her Moroccan students, most of whom can read, are literate in three languages, and yet choose not to.

As I commented in his blog:

[Cat] lives in Rabat, where the majority of the Moroccan population IS literate - in French and Fus’ha. Do they read books? No. Her point was outside of the realm of the illiteracy problem (which we all recognize is indeed a terrible problem) - it was regarding the Moroccan ELITE who have the ability but not the desire to read. Or do much of anything useful, for that matter.

My own students are extremely literate. Not necessarily elite, but literate. All read Fus’ha (classical or standard Arabic) and French, and the higher level students read well in English. But what do they read? Schoolbooks. TelQuel or Le Journal Hebdo. Dailies. Do any of them read for pleasure? No.

This is a cultural problem entirely distinct from the problem of illiteracy, a point which Bouba does not seem to understand. This is not American elitism, nor racism, as plenty of my Moroccan friends grew up with plenty more money than I did, put to scale. This is a matter of a country where the education system focuses on rote, rather than learning, on facts and figures, rather than understanding and analytical skills.

Bouba talks about how “cross culture trainings [Peace Corps volunteers] get are just reinforcement of all supremacy most of them already have.”

I was not a Peace Corps volunteer, nor can I speak for those that I do know, but I think it goes beyond cross cultural trainings. Morocco’s problems are not easy to understand. I have a Moroccan husband, close Moroccan friends, many Moroccan students and colleagues. The majority of Moroccans I know do NOT fall into the categories of illiterate, poor or uneducated (in fact, most have college degrees and/or jobs). Yet, most do not read books. Many don’t see littering as a big problem, nor find any reason why they should fight to stop it. A few say that Moroccans shouldn’t bother helping street kids because they have their own problems. Some have told stories of throwing rocks at trains as children, or killing neighborhood cats. I will never understand any of those things, no matter how much cross cultural training you could throw at me. Those are all examples of bled schizo.

As for that very supremacy Bouba implies Americans have - what about the superiority expressed by countless Moroccan Arabs toward your own Amazigh people?

The funny thing about Morocco that I find is that it’s one of very few countries which does this to people - it brings out the worst, the most prejudiced in many of us. Despite my own lack of any sort of “isms” back home in the States, here I find myself saying things I never thought I’d say. When my neighbors blast the Qu’ran on CD at 1:00am, or neighborhood kids hit me on the head with a soccer ball. I swear under my breath at drivers, all of whom I swear got their licenses out of a cracker jack box.

But that is not to say I don’t love Morocco. I do. I love it for its people, its food, its customs and traditions. I love it for the closeness of Moroccan families and the beauty of Moroccan holidays. I love it for the bustle of the medinas and the calm of the mountains. But I will never love, nor will I accept the apathy of so many Moroccans toward their own country.

Nass Al Ghiwane said, “Koulshi dyalna w hna moualir - Everything is ours. We own it.”

Until Moroccans remember that, I don’t think Bouba will see an end to what he calls this feeling of “supremacy” from outsiders. Until “insha’allah” really means “God willing” and not “maybe.”