This is the view from my hotel room this morning:

More tomorrow on why I was there (2007 DABA/NDI conference)

(For those of you unaware, that’s the Hassan II Mosque, reputed to be the third largest mosque in the world, after those in Mecca and Medinah.  Unfortunately, it also has a bad reputation, for two reasons - the first being the fact that Moroccans were required to help pay for it, regardless of income, making many angry; the second being that it’s poised to sink into the ocean if any natural disaster befalls Casablanca.  Insha’allah, one won’t).

I post the cartoon not because I agree with the sentiment, but because Ms. Potter poses a good point - the double standard.

I linked to a New York Times article on niqaab in Britain yesterday; today I shall link to another issue of religious expression in Britain - a girl who sued her school for not allowing her to wear a “purity ring” advertising that she would remain a virgin until marriage.  The school said that although it does allow religious expressions, it did not view the purity ring as a requirement for the girl’s religion, Christianity.  Hijab is permitted, as are Sikh bangles and other things deemed religious requirements.

My only comment here is that niqaab and this girl’s purity ring fall into just about the same category.  There should not be one allowed without the other.

In November 2005, I was traveling to Marrakesh for a conference. A group of us were sitting in first class, we had just passed Rabat, when all of a sudden the train grinded to a halt. Then we sat there on the tracks for two hours without explanation.

As it turned out, some poor stupid kids were throwing rocks at the train, and the conductor got whacked and ended up losing an eye. We had to wait for another one to drive in from Rabat.

It happened again today, but fortunately no one was hurt. Having just returned from the restroom, I was settling down when I heard a “thunk.” Turns out it was yet another stupid bored kid throwing rocks at the train:

The guys smoking cigarettes by the bathroom were a little freaked out, but had managed to avoid the offending rock itself. Two Aussies I ran into on the way off the train thought it was a bullet hole. I reassured them that, despite the rock throwing, Moroccans were smart enough not to allow guns into their country.

The niqaab, pictured above, is causing a big stir in Britain, according to a New York Times article. And what one woman was quoted as saying in the article is precisely why, to me, niqaab is a tool of separation:

“I feel empowered,” she said. “They’d like to see, and they can’t.”

More information on the niqaab debate:

Yes to hijab, no to niqaab

On the niqaab controversy

A niqaabi FAQ

Another great article, this time on Morocco’s hip hop revolution.

The only unfortunate thing about Moroccan hip hop/rap, in my opinion, is that with a few exceptions, most of the artists are just emulating French or American rappers - New York Yankees caps, baggy jeans, and exposed underwear just the tip of the iceberg, most try to emulate the misogynistic lyrics and faux-tough exterior as well.  Bigg is a big exception, as are Kachela (Tangier), a group whose lyrics tend to be more about Islam than anything else.  H-Kayne incorporates traditional beats and seems to have a lot more fun on stage, but watch one of their videos and you’ll still see the most annoying elements of American hip hop.

Last night, Hamza and I went to our usual DVD seller to pick up a movie - hoping for Shrek 3 (we’d just been to McDonald’s and saw the Happy Meal toys). We picked up a couple of regular flicks, then I saw the cover for “Happy Feet,” which I’ve been wanting to see for awhile. I pointed to it.

“Ah, this film has the same story as Flight Plan with Jodie Foster,” said the DVD salesman in perfect English (I love that - I can actually pick up films and discuss them without accompaniment!)

Not sure exactly what he could’ve possibly meant, we said, “We’ll take it” while giggling at the comment.

He was sort of right! And the movie was more than sort of awesome! Tap dancing penguins? That’s my kind of film.

While not my favorite city, there’s just something about Casablanca that charms me every time. Perhaps it’s the art deco or the fact that nearly all the signs look 30 years old, but it’s always a great place to stroll around.

An example of Casa’s fine colonial architecture

The famous Cinema Rialto and not-as-famous Cafe Billiard (Hamza says that’s a real pool table)

Arabic readers, please read the Arabic on the “The Man” sign.

Funky old tourism office. Guess Casa doesn’t see many tourists nowadays.

I truly wish I knew what to tell you about this sculpture.

The sad tale of the Hotel Lincoln, a local landmark burned quite awhile back with no current plan.

The fat cats of Casa.

Rather majestic, no?

Surprisingly, you don’t see these Coca-Cola signs in Arabic all that often

Gatsby?

Buffet in Morocco?  That’s something you don’t see too often!

Qadeem wa jdid

And if you get the chance, take a taxi to Snack Yamine, which has only five things on its menu - a fried fish plate for either one, two, three, four or five people.

A Moroccan toddler had to live with his aunt for two years, apparently because his name, Ahmed Yassine, is similar to that of an alleged terrorist (this was edited for my lack of reading ability). The AP story can be found here, among other places.

I probably shouldn’t say too much about USCIS, but yikes. Once we’re in the States, I’ll comment further.

The supermarket is a few kilometers away, it’s afternoon and the Marche Central has closed, so what do you do?  Go to the hanout!  I have a hanout (a convenience store) downstairs from me.  We go five to seven times a day - I need a 7Up!  Get me some laundry detergent!  The cat needs dinner!  We’re out of toilet paper! - and this past spring when our hanout expanded to double the size, cheered the owner on and started going to the supermarket less often.  Our hanout now has everything from gum, batteries, bread, toothbrushes, whitening face cream, and shampoo to chocolates, Cornflakes, nail polish, hard-boiled eggs, headphones and hair dye.  The hanout is a glorious place!

A funny thing about hanouts is that they’re nearly always (at least around here) owned by Soussis - that’s people from the Souss Valley, in the south of Morocco proper.  Soussis are often the butt of jokes relating to money (Example: a Soussi accidentally dropped 2 dirhams into the toilet.  He was pondering whether or not to reach in, when he had a great idea - he dropped 20 dirhams more into the toilet, then reached in for the whole lot).  Anyhow, I have nothing bad to say about Soussis or hanouts - in fact, you could say I’m a big fan of both.

Anyhow, this evening while browsing Google News, I came across this gem:

ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Moroccan food and daily goods convenience store retailer, Hanouty Shop, has successfully gone into live production in just four months. The Aldata G.O.L.D. software is now in operation in 100 Hanouty-owned stores and Hanouty’s objective is to have 500 stores - both Hanouty-owned and franchises – operational by the end of 2007.

Hanouty Shop?  Why have I not encountered one of these yet?  What a genius way to market - everyone loves the hanout, everyone relies upon the hanout, you can’t live without the hanout!

Thank God someone posted a picture of a Hanouty:

Thanks EspaceMaroc

Here’s what I wish to happen - Hanouty becomes big, opening hundreds of shops across the Maghreb and Middle East (that’s their plan), takes over 7/11 and OWNS America.

I’m just kidding of course, but with a name like Hanouty, who knows what can happen?